They hit atmo’ even before Mal had predicted.

He tended to fly faster than Wash had.

Jayne was wrapping one of his guns up in a shirt. He set it down real careful in the bottom of his bag and piled a few more shirts on top of it.

“What’s that fer?”

Kaylee’s head was sticking over the edge of the hatch.

Jayne looked at her and shrugged. “Never know when yer gonna need to shoot someone.”

Kaylee lifted her eyebrows and disappeared for a moment, then reappeared, sashaying down the ladder. Jayne watched her hips sway. Let her see him lookin’ before he turned back to his bag.

“Packing grenades too? Bet you have ‘em folded up real cozy in a stack of unders.”

Jayne looked at her and grinned. “Don’t got no unders to fold ‘em in.”

Kaylee laughed.

“Cap’n wanted me to let you know we hit atmo. Won’t be long ‘fore we land.” She picked a pair of socks off of the bed and folded them together.

Jayne watched her. “Yeah. I could feel it. Mal ain’t as good at flyin’ as Wash was.”

Kaylee set the socks in his bag. “No, he ain’t. But he ain’t the one flyin’. River is.”

“River? That girl’ll kill us all. Likely to freak out and crash us into somethin’. Mal really think that’s a good idea?”

Kaylee was lookin’ at him hard. “River ain’t gonna hurt us. She’s a real smart girl. At least she has somethin’ to do now, stead a wanderin’ around the ship all ghost-like. You should be nicer to her, ya know? Give the poor girl a chance.” She threw another pair of socks into the bag and turned toward the hatch.

Ai ya.

“Kaylee, I didn’t mean no harm by it. I’m just sayin’ is all.”

Kaylee paused halfway up the ladder. “She’s a real nice girl, Jayne. Give ‘er a chance to show ya.”

Jayne watched her disappear through the hatch.

He picked up the rest of his socks and threw them into his bag.

“Ain’t no good gonna come from that.”

***

“There’s a field right over there.” Zoe leaned over River and pointed. “Should be empty this time of year. We can set down there.”

River adjusted the trajectory of the ship a little.

She kept her mind on flying. It was hard with Zoe so close. This place reminded her of Wash. Stirred something in her and made all her dead emotions start to wake up again, all pins and needles.

River tried to concentrate.

Zoe paced back and forth behind her, watching her.

“Zoe, you’re makin’ me nervous. Prob’ly makin’ our little albatross plenty nervous, too.” Mal came up the stairs behind them. He put one hand on River’s shoulder.

Even River hadn’t expected that. The Captain never touched her deliberately. Never without a reason.

Things were changing.

River smiled to herself and let her head tilt a bit toward Mal’s arm in recognition.

“Why don’t you go make sure the cargo’s secured? Don’t want any unnecessary rumblin’ when we land.”

River could hear Zoe’s boots on the stairs. Feel her mind lighten a little.

The Captain dropped into the co-pilot chair. “You’re doin’ mighty good, little albatross.”

River could feel his smile. She turned and smiled back at him.

“Thanks.”

He nodded and turned to look out the window. “You comfortable settin’ her down?”

“Just like picking her up. Only backwards.”

Mal nodded again. “Just like it.”

River made a few more adjustments.

“They expectin’ us?”

“Zoe called.”

Mal sighed. “This ain’t gonna be fun.”

River glanced over at him. He was looking at the resin dinosaurs still sitting on the console.

She looked back out the window. Just like picking her up.

***

“Welcome!” There was a little man waitin’ with a little woman down at the bottom of the ramp.

Zoe went down first, wrapping him in a hug. She moved to the little woman next, kissing her on the cheek.

Jayne came down with Kaylee, Inara, and the doc. Mal and River were still settin’ things right on the bridge.

“Well I can’t say I’m not surprised to see you.”

He man looked from Zoe to the rest of the crew. “I recognize a few of these faces from the wedding.” He grinned. “Some, I don’t, though.” He moved up the ramp to shake everyone’s hand.

When he got to Jayne, he grinned widly. “Nice to see you again, Jayne.”

He looked a lot like Wash—red hair, real light skin. Grin like an idjit.

Jayne shook his hand and tried to smile. “You too.”

Gorram, this was hard.

He was talkin’ to the whole crew again. “My name is Dallin. This lovely lady,” he moved down the ramp and put his arm around the little brown-haired woman, “is my wife, Lily.”

Jayne could see now that she had a real Asian look to her. Small and pretty. She smiled. Had a real sweet smile. “Nice to meet you all.”

“Damn right, it’s nice to meet you all.” Dallin grinned even wider and pounded Zoe’s shoulder. “Been a long time.”

Zoe smiled. It looked pained. Real drawn out.

“Well we can’t just stand here staring at each other while they get everything taken care of up there.” Dallin nodded toward the inside of the ship. “You all come inside. We don’t have much room, but I figure after staying on that ship for God knows how long, you don’t mind cramped quarters. And our house doesn’t smell like cows. Which, I’m sorry to say, yours does.”

He said this with such seriousness that Kaylee and Inara laughed despite the weird, off- balanced tension.

He grinned and turned back to Zoe. “I don’t think you’ve even seen this house yet. We moved to Amante after you got married, and God knows we haven’t seen you since.”

His words were like gunshots. Worst part was, he didn’t even know they were.

Dallin beckoned for all of them to follow him and turned toward a house in the distance, one arm around his wife, the other gesturing wildly as he spoke with Zoe.

Jayne followed, lagging a bit behind the rest of the crew, who were walking slowly so that Zoe could talk with her brother-in-law.

“This is hard.” Kaylee’s voice was real quiet. “He looks so much like him. Even talks like him.”

Jayne tried not to care about how the doc’s arm that slipped around her waist.

Zoe looked back at them as she stepped into the house. They stopped following.

She was gonna tell him. Person needed privacy for that.

Inara reached for Kaylee’s hand and linked her fingers with hers.

Jayne crossed his arms, lookin’ real close at his boots.

Mal and River showed up not long after Zoe had gone inside. River was looking at the doorway to the house. Mal was avoiding looking.

“She tellin’ him?”

Someone must have nodded, because Mal turned away and started walking back to the ship.

“We’ve got no business hangin’ around, then. Best leave them to their business.”

A shout came from the house like it was answerin’.

Kaylee was cryin’. So was Inara. Jayne could hear them snifflin’ as they followed Mal back towards the ship. The doc was rubbin’ Kaylee’s back. Inara’s arm was around her waist.

Jayne held back, tryin’ to breathe around the tight feelin’ in his chest. He concentrated on his boots making clouds in the dirt. Another pair of boots joined his. Smaller ones.

River reached her hand over and slipped her fingers into Jayne’s.

He squeezed them. No one said a word.