Mal an’ Inara was fightin’ when Jayne came inta the cargo hold. They didn’t notice when he came in. Too wrapped up in theirselves.

“Of course you didn’t bother to ask me before.”

“Well, I didn’t reckon it’d be a problem. You ain’t whorin’ right now, so-“ Mal was shoutin’ at Inara’s back now. She’d turned and was stompin’ up the stairs ta her shuttle. “Well who was I supposed ta send? Kaylee? The girl?”

Inara turned at the top of the steps. “No. Who better to send to a whore house than a whore?” Her voice made even Jayne shiver, an’ she weren’t even pointin’ it at him.

Seemed ta freeze Mal, too. He was just lookin’ up at her, mouth open like he was gonna say somethin’.

“I…”

“I’ll go in the morning.”

Jayne heard the door ta’ Inara’s shuttle close.

Mal punched the release on the cargo ramp. Literally closed-fist punched it.

Jayne watched as he stalked down the ramp inta the dark. Didn’t catch what he was sayin’, but he got the idea.

“Those two just need ta give it up.”

Jayne turned at the sound a Kaylee’s voice. She’d snuck up on ‘im.

She was lookin’ after Mal. “We should lock ‘em up in ‘Nara’s ‘n let ‘em fight it out. Maybe strip off all their clothes first. Give ‘em a little push.”

Jayne chuckled.

Kaylee looked up at him, smilin’. She was cradlin’ the bottles from the shower against her belly. She’d put her hair up. Jayne kinda missed it.

“Ain’t healthy ta keep all that wantin’ all bottled up.”

A piece of her hair slipped outa the band she’d put it in. It fell across her nose.

Kaylee shook her head ta move it. Only succeeded in lettin’ more hair out.

Jayne reached out an’ tucked her hair behind her ears. Let his fingers stay there longer than he probably should’ve. She looked right with her face in his hands.

“Reckon it ain’t.”

Her voice was real quiet. “Ain’t what?”

“Healthy. Ta keep everythin’ bottled up.”

“Oh. Yeah.” She dropped a bottle. It fell on Jayne’s foot. She blinked and looked down at the bottle. “Yeah. I mean… I know I feel better since… yanno.” She looked back up at Jayne. “Since me an’ Simon…”

Tian xiz shou you de ren dou gai si.

Why’d she have ta say a thing like that?

Jayne dropped his hands from Kaylee’s face an’ bent down ta get the bottle. He handed it ta her, makin’ real sure not ta look her in the eye.

“Yeah, where is the doc?”

“He’s with River. Doin’ tests an’ all.”

Jayne raised his eyes an’ looked at ‘er. She looked real bugged. He snorted. “Huh.”

He looked away before she looked at ‘im. Turned around an’ walked across the hold in the direction he’d been goin’ ‘fore he’d come across Mal an’ Inara.

Halfway across, he turned around. Kaylee was lookin’ at him.

“You know, Little Kaylee… I reckon if I’da got a hold’ve ya once, I’d’ve never let ya outa my sight. Not even fer a crazy sister.”

He turned back around. Felt her eyes on ‘im until he was outa sight.