Eyes downcast, Kaylee stepped onto the bridge, tool box in hand. She gave Wash a weak smile before setting the box down beneath the co-pilot console, "I hope you don’t mind. I just wanted to see about the sub-converter short. I think if I re-route the enablizer through the vanda board, it leaves the port open and I should be able to connect the breaker pad to...to..." She bit her lower lip, losing her train of thought.

"Um, sure," Wash said pulling his eyes from the front windows. He turned and looked at Kaylee and gave a little frown at the look on her face. "You feelin' alright?"

"Who me?" She smiled, waving her hand. "I'm just fine. Right as rain."

He smiled back, a small smile that said he didn't quite buy it. He waved a hand toward the console. "Okay then there she is. And if you wanna talk while you're working I wouldn't mind the company."

She sat down cross legged on the floor, and opened the tool box, poking around inside for several moments before risking another glance at Wash. "There's just somethin' about this job that's got me all..." she trailed off, not able to find the right word.

" Apprehensive?"

"Yeah," she picked up a screw driver from the impeccably ordered box and twirled it idly in her hands. "No different than any other job, but..."

Wash tapped the console idly , and turned back to the front windows. "Yeah. Well, I guess not."

Her eyes shot to him, "You know something, I don't, Wash?"

Wash's head snapped back to her. "No, I didn't mean... I just --I always worry about Zoë, so every job is a joy ride of vexation and worry."

“Oh," she frowned slightly, feeling guilty for not realizing how it must affect him every time Zoë left the ship without him. "I'm sorry, Wash, I didn't realize."

"Well, being with Zoë is about the best thing that ever happened to me, and this is part of it." He looked off to the side a bit, and a small smile played over his lips. "At the end of the day, when it's just the two of us and I can hold her... it's more then worth it." He looked back to her and grinned.

Kaylee dropped her gaze again, "I guess that would make it easier."

Wash frowned again, "Are you worried about the Captain?

Her eyes widened slightly and she ducked under the console, avoiding his scrutinizing gaze, "I guess I worry 'bout 'em all. She rushed to quickly add, “Equally. Especially after that last run with Tigert." Her voice shook slightly, "They all came back so...bloody.”

Wash leaned back in his seat, watching Kaylee curiously. "Jayne was the only one who sustained any real damage, and I'm starting to think the man's either very lucky or invincible. 'Sides, the doc works miracles."

He could barely hear her reply, "No one's invincible."

He looked back at her feet sticking out and leaned forward a bit. "You worried about Jayne?"

"You don't have to sound so incredulous," she replied defensively. "Even you'd admit he likes gunplay more than what's right. He's just askin' for a bullet through the heart."

Wash looked stricken. "Just hard to imagine any thug getting the better of Jayne."

"They almost did last time," she responded, the defensiveness draining from her voice, leaving the anxiety hanging thick in the air between them. "An' he thought it was nothin'."

Wash looked at Kaylee. He had no idea what to say in the face of a worried Kaylee distraught over Jayne.

She tinkered with the wires under the console. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to say...any of that."

"No, don't be, I'm just surprised that's all. I kinda thought he was carrying a little torch for you, but I had no idea it went both ways." Wash rambled, scratching the back of his head distractedly. "Isn't he a little old for you?"

She slid from under the console abruptly, staring up at Wash, "What did you say?"

He looked up eyebrows raised. "Jayne, isn't he a little old for you?"

"Not that, the torch thing."

"What? That Jayne has a thing for you? Hell, he always gets more insulting then usual when there's some guy around you're keen on flirtlin' with."

Her mouth fell open, and she shook her head, "That's not true. He and Simon just don't like each other, that's all. And Jayne ain't 'xactly subtle. I'da noticed."

"Okay, maybe I'm wrong. Wouldn't be the first time. But I’ve seen him lookin'. Well, he looks at Inara and Zoe too." This made him frown a little. "But I don't think it's the same. Maybe he just sees you as the kids sister he never had..." He turned his head. "Come to think of it, do we even know if Jayne has a sister? Baby or otherwise? Was he raised by wolves?"

"He has four sisters and a brother," Kaylee answered quickly, not even smiling at the jibe. "So it's just brotherly type concern then."

Wash sighed, "So then it's more then sisterly on your part then?" he asked deciding the only way out of this bizarre conversation was to face it head on. "Despite the general consensus of my character, I'm pretty good at keeping secrets"

She ducked back under the safety of the console, staring up at the mess of wires, the familiar workings suddenly foreign to her. "You're a good man, Wash." She said finally, "But I don't have romantic feelin's for Jayne. I couldn't. I like Simon, 'blivious as he is. I--I couldn't. Jayne is...Jayne. There ain't no--"

"Feelin's ? Yeah, you said that already." Wash said smiling at her feet. He shouldn't laugh, in fact he wasn't sure if it was funny or disturbing. This was Kaylee. Soft, too-sweet-for-her-own-good, Kaylee. And... Jayne?

He continued for good measure, “And if there were, feelings, that is, then I'd say be careful." He looked out the front window and chewed his lower lip. "Kaylee you're a sweetheart, and you always see the best in folks. I think that's good, just don't... just be careful that's all."

"You think there's not much good in Jayne," she concluded.

"No, I'm not saying that, but Jayne has lived a lot of life that required him to be hard. I'm sayin' there's a lot a hard. Person could get hurt by that much hard.”

"No," Kaylee smiled faintly, "Jayne ain't soft."

"You sure you aren’t just sayin' all this to help me keep my mind off Zoë?" He asked, his look a humorous concoction of mock suspicion.

"Is it workin'?" She smiled, good humor back in her voice.

"Actually pretty good, for a few moments there my stomach was queasy over a completely un-Zoe related topic." He said, but he was looking at her face carefully.

She rolled her eyes playfully, "'Sides, Jayne's not interested. Seems like it's an epidemic on this ship."

Wash shrugged. "My opinion? There's a couple of not too bright fellas on this boat." He said, turning back to the console to check the time, his mind moving back to Zoë.

She started to work on the sub-converter, unwittingly calmed now that she'd spoken her concerns out loud. "You and Zoë ain't exactly conventional. She's kind hard her ownself."

"Yeah," Wash sighed looking out the window again, but seeing only his wife. "She's got her soft spots though."

She chuckled softly, "Ya think she's more careful out there? Knowin' someone back here cares for her?"

"God, I hope so." He tapped absently on the console again.

She smiled faintly, "I think she must, she don't take risks like Jayne and the Cap'n do."

"Yeah, well she'd take a bullet for Mal in less then a heartbeat, so that's not exactly reassuring." Wash said and looked nervously at the time again. "Cuttin' it awful close aren't they."

She dropped her screw driver and came out from under the table, "What time is it?"

"Time, bit past time actually," he answered, and now his fingers weren't the only thing tapping mindlessly, his heel was tapping as well making his leg bounce.

She peered out toward the horizon, the sun still high over the barren desert they had disappeared through. "How much?"

"Not quite enough to matter just yet, but they haven't checked in."

"Can you call them? Did they take a com with 'em?"

"They took the com, but I'm under instructions not to contact them. If they aren't back in an hour, I'm supposed to take off, 'case any bandit try an’ come after the cargo."

She shook her head, "No."

Wash just looked at her. He wasn't big on the idea himself, but he wasn't sure what to do next. "I’ve got the coordinates of the meet."

"We can get the Shepherd and go after them," she told him.

"Kaylee." There was no doubt in his Wash's mind that he was going after his wife. The problem was he had other obligations as well. One of which he was looking at right now. "I'll take the ship up, and Shepherd and I'll come back for 'em in the shuttle."

"Don't start, Wash," she shook her head, starting for the doorway. "I ain't so soft that you hafta leave me behind."

Wash sighed, he was scared out of his mind. "Go get everybody, we'll meet in the galley, I'll listen in on the local law enforcement see if they might have them. Ready to go in fifteen."

She nodded once and disappeared through the doorway.

~*~

Standing stranded at the drop site, Mal gave the Mule a vicious kick, and swore in chinese as pain radiated up his leg. "Piece of gou shi. I thought Kaylee said she got it repaired."

"As I recall, Sir, she said she thought it was ready to go. You were the one who told her it would have to do." Zoë said softly from where she was standing next to him.

He narrowed his eyes at his second in command, "Don't recall asking your opinion."

"Sorry, Sir." She responded.

"Ain't Kaylee's fault the Com busted neither," Jayne added from his seat on the mule, whacking the com on the handle bars for emphasis.

"Your just making it worse, Jayne." Zoë said, watching him click the com next to his ear.

“Can't get much worse," he grumbled. "I ain't the ben tian sheng de lao bao jun that told 'em to break for atmo if we weren't back in an hour."

Mal cast a malevolent look at the mercenary before turning back to Zoë. "Looks like we get to walk."

"Walk where?" Jayne demanded, "There ain't no ship waitin' for us."

Zoë looked over at Jayne a moment, then uncrossed her arms and grabbed up her bag and slung it over her shoulder.

"We'll deal with that problem when we come to it," Mal said. "I'm not keen on standing out here in the middle of the desert waiting to be picked off, are you?"

Jayne climbed off the mule, and threw three of the bags over his shoulder, muttering to himself, "Ain't keen on wanderin' the desert and dyin' of thirst neither."

Mal rolled his eyes and kept on walking. Zoe turned to follow, glancing at the sky as she did so. She was pretty sure Jayne had nothin' to worry about, but she didn't say anything.

They didn't get more than a few yards away before the distant roar of an engine drew Mal and Jayne's attention skyward. "What the--"

Zoë smiled softly to herself as she saw the beetle-like shuttle landed gracefully a short distance away. Mal shot her a glare, "Your husband seems to be having trouble following orders, Zoë."

"Yes, he does, Sir," she said.

"Gonna have to have words with him."

"If you feel you need to, Sir."

Mal kept a scowl on his face as the shuttle doors opened and Simon, Wash, Book came through the doors, each weighted down with a plethora of weapons. Mal stopped, "Just what do you people think you're doin' here?"

Simon quirked an eyebrow, resisting a smile. "Rescuing you?"

Mal opened his mouth to reply, but froze as Kaylee burst through from behind the three men, a gun belt hung low on her trim waist, weighed down by two pistols that looked to be too big for her delicate hands to wrap around. She pushed past Mal and flung her arms around Jayne's middle.

"Hey baby," Wash said, moving to join Zoe, the only one unsurprised by Kaylee's display of affection.

"You disobey the captain's orders?"

"Me? Never. I left atmo. Technically, he never said I couldn't come back."

"See, Captain," Zoe smiled over at Mal, who was staring shell-shocked at Kaylee and Jayne.

For his part, the latter looking particularly surprised to find himself with a handful of female. She released him after a few moments, and ran her fingers over his shoulders and down his chest, checking for any sign of injury, before giving him her sunniest smile, "You're okay."

Jayne just stared down at her as if she'd grown an extra head.

Zoe leaned in to her husband, speaking into his ear. "What was that all about?"

Wash squinted a little and leaned closer to her. "Not entirely sure what it's about, but I'm pretty sure I'm not allowed to talk about it if I did." he replied giving her a meaningful look.

Satisfied he was in one piece, Kaylee stepped toward Mal and smiled, "What didya do the mule, Cap'n?"

Mal looked at Kaylee, Jayne, the rest and back to Kaylee again. Then, without saying a word, he turned abruptly and headed toward the shuttle.

Following the Captain's lead, everyone trekked back into the shuttle, leaving Jayne still standing rooted to the spot Kaylee had hugged him. His eyes followed her progress toward the shuttle until normal brain function finally returned.

"Why the hell wouldn't I be okay?" He blurted to absolutely no one.