Disclaimers: Joss Whedon and Mutant Enemy own all characters. I'm just borrowing them for fun not money.

**

Finding Trouble

Mal glanced around the dusty, ragged moon where they were parked. Work had been dry for weeks, and he needed to find something. A rim moon always had some job needing to be done. His eyes shifted to Simon, who was disguised as an oily mechanic, swaddled in an old, rather large, pair of coveralls. He wanted no repeats of what happened on Jiangyin.

Using his best captain-y voice, he ordered, "Kaylee, take River, Jayne, and Dr. Grease with you to the junkyard to find your compression coil. Zoë and I will see if the locals have any work. Wash'll be stayin' here. Everyone stay alert. This moon can harbor some unfriendlies."

"Me? No ruttin' hell. I ain't wantin' ta visit no scrap heap when theys work to be had," Jayne argued, arms crossed defiantly.

"Yes, you do," Mal informed, glaring at the mercenary challengingly. "You keep 'em safe."

Kaylee wiped her fingers along an inside track of the ramp and began to smudge a grease streak on Simon's face. "Have ta look the part ta play the part," she whispered happily.

"Kaylee," Simon kindly huffed, "is this really necessary?" He pulled and fidgeted with his baggy coveralls, definitely preferring his tailored clothing or, at least, clothes that fit. "Yep. 'Sides, you look shiny all smeared in grease," she answered, kissing the tip of his nose before saying, "Let's go. We're gonna need all the light we can get." She wiped her hands on her coveralls and started walking towards the nearest junkyard.

With Kaylee leading, Simon and River fell into step behind her as Jayne clomped along after them. They could hear Mal and Zoë leave on the mule.

"How are you going to get clean? Mother would have a conniption," River enlightened her brother. "And, poor Father's heart would suffer from cardiac arrest."

The doctor crinkled his nose at his sister's comments and rubbed at his face. The dirt and grime felt heavy on his skin and added to his uncomfortable dress. "I suppose I'll have to rely on Kaylee to remove this concoction from my face. After all, she…"

"Now you're catchin' on, Doc," Jayne exclaimed, slapping him on the back relatively hard. "Fir a minute there, didn't think you'd figure that'n out."

Emitting a puff of air from the harsh cuff to his back, Simon glowered after the mercenary. He could hear Jayne mumble something about missing out on all the fun and then couldn't help but chuckle when Kaylee reached out and swatted him for his comment. River laughed and skipped after Jayne as Kaylee placed her arm on the doctor's back, rubbing it comfortingly.

Once they were at the junkyard, Kaylee dove into her virtual playground. She was up to her elbows in grease, sifting through mostly rusted, corroded parts. Simon attempted to help her as the other two milled around. Hours later, Kaylee shrieked gleefully, holding up a compression coil that she deemed, workable. "C'mon, let's get outta here. If'n we beat the cap'n back, I can replace it 'fore we take off."

"I'm all for gittin' outta this ruttin' heap," Jayne cursed, still complaining about baby-sitting and not in town looking for work, legal or not. "You had fun today," River told him, walking closely beside him. "You could make angry, ugly faces at all those others, scaring them away from us."

"A few of thems were wantin' some trouble and…hey! I ain't makin' ugly faces. I make gruesome an' terrifyin' faces but not ugly."

Kaylee giggled as she and Simon led the way back to Serenity. "So, how do you like being covered in grease and oil?" she asked, slipping a dirt-caked hand into his.

"I don't. Not really. I like seeing you covered in grease and oil, but not me," he teased, a small smile befalling his lips.

"Don't worry. I know jus' what to use to clean you all up," she revealed, smacking her lips together sensually. She decided that she preferred the sophisticated version of her doctor, but she wasn't going to let his grimy appearance deter her from "clean up" fun.

Clearing his throat from his growing embarrassment, he took the compression coil from her other hand. "So, what exactly does this do?"

Kaylee started to recount all the effective uses of the coil and why they needed one and why this would eliminate most of the wires draped all over the engine room. She was cut off mid-explanation when Mal's voice thundered in their direction.

"Hurry up! Move it. Move it." He beckoned quite hurriedly to the four and radioed Wash, "They're in sight. Light it up."

"What's up with him? We're not runnin' late," a startled Jayne grumbled, removing his arm from across River's shoulders. He couldn't let the captain see him so comfortable.

"Knowing our captain, I suspect that he located some trouble," Simon sighed.

"Double trouble," River added, dancing up the ramp in front of the others.

"In, in, in," Mal impatiently told them. Jayne barely made it in before Mal had the ramp rising and doors closing. On the horizon, a dull roar could be heard, and Mal reached for his pistol.

"What in the gorram…"

"Nothin' ta fret over," Mal interrupted, hitting the comm button. "All aboard. Go!"

"We're atmo bound," Wash's voice announced.

Mal relaxed once he could feel his boat begin to move. He looked at the coil in Simon's hand. "This your whatcha-ma-jigger?"

"Yeah, but it ain't safe to replace it in the air," Kaylee replied. "I thought I'd have time…"

"Ain't askin' ya where you can fix it," Mal calmly interjected. "We have it, and that's all that counts." He left the cargo bay, leaving the four to stare after him.

"What do you suppose was the big hurry?" Simon asked.

"Captain made some enemies," Zoë flatly informed, securing the last transport crate before she headed towards the bridge.

"Figures," everyone mumbled as Serenity rocketed her crew into atmo, leaving Mal's trouble far behind.