Kaylee wasn’t in the cargo hold when Jayne got there. He’d been half hopin’ she would be.

More th’n half.

The doc was glarin’ at Mal, who was pretendin’ not ta notice. Jayne caught a glimmer in the doc’s ear when he turned his head ta keep glarin’ at Mal as he crossed the room.

“So. Here’s the plan. The three of you’ll ride out together. Jayne an’ Zoe’ll head for that same little copse’ve trees you waited in before.” Mal turned ta look at the doc. “Simon’ll split off at the same point and head into the complex.” He turned back to Jayne. “Ten minutes later, you come ridin’ in lookin’ for some fun.” He handed Jayne a bag of coins.

Jayne grinned.

“Don’t pick no one too expensive. I’ve got a ship to run. An’ keep an eye on the Doc, like you’re supposed to. No drinking, no goin’ off alone.”

Jayne scowled.

“Aw, fine.”

Mal turned ta the doc. “Simon, all we need is for you to find out where he keeps his money. Soon as you know, you can make an exit. Ride back the way you came and take care no one follows. Zoe,” Mal turned toward Zoe, “don’t wait too long before fetchin’ Jayne.”

“Fetchin’?” Jayne looked over at Zoe, then at Mal.

“Don’t want you lookin’ too suspicious, leavin’ shortly after the doc. Gotta give you a reason for leavin’ abrupt-like. So your wife’s gonna come fetch you.” Mal smiled his little smile.

“FETCH me? What kinda marriage is this?” Jayne looked over at Zoe again. “Am I gonna get slapped?”

“I’ll try not to hurt you too badly. Dear.”

“Hell.”

“Out you go! Wouldn’t want the doc ta be late for his big date.” Mal grinned at the doc.

The doc glared back.

“I’m getting new supplies for the infirmary out of this.”

“Try to play hard to get.”

Zoe grabbed the doc by the wrist and hauled ‘im out the door before he could do anythin’ stupid.

Jayne followed.

***

“Remind me again why I have one of Zoe’s earrings stuck through my ear?”

Jayne couldn’t help but smile at the orneriness in the doc’s voice. Messed up as things was, it warmed his heart ta have the doc feelin’ all picked on.

“Oh, that’s right. So that you can all overhear my conversation I’m going to go have on my date with a sly pimp hwoon dahn. And remind me again why I’m doing that?”

“Because the space monkeys got loose in the engine room again and we can’t take off until we have parts they took, which we don’t have money for because your date refuses to pay. And because the captain told you to.” Zoe’s voice was cool.

“Yeah. Space monkeys.”

The doc turned around an’ glared at Jayne. “Shut up.” Jayne could hear ‘im mutterin’ as he turned around. “Fei fei de pi yan.”

Jayne pulled his horse to a stop. “Hey!”

The doc pulled his horse around and brought it up ta Jayne’s. “Yes?”

“Boys…”

Jayne reckoned Zoe’d pulled her horse around by then, but he was too busy glarin’ back at the doc.

“Is there some sort of retort you’d like to fling at me, Jayne? Or is ‘hey’ all you could come up with?”

“You wanna fling that… retort… at me to my face?” Jayne’s hand tensed on his reigns.

“Certainly. Fei… fei… de… pi… yan.”

“Now come close enough for me ta punch that pretty face’ve yours.”

“Stop.” Jayne heard the click an’ whine of a safety bein’ pulled back. He turned ta Zoe. She was sittin’ in her saddle, pointin’ a gun at Jayne.

“Why you pointin’ that at me? He started it.”

“Actually, you started it by molesting my girlfriend.”

“Hey!” Jayne turned back toward the doc. “I ain’t molestin’ nobody. Can’t molest the willin’. An’ she ain’t yer girlfriend.”

Jayne could see the doc’s jaw tense. He turned toward Zoe. “Are you sure you want him coming into the party? He might try to make a move on Mr. Pink. I know how he likes to play with my things.”

“Stop. Now.”

Jayne looked over at Zoe an’ saw her face. Shut his mouth around what he was about ta say.

“I can appreciate that you two aren’t getting along right now. But if you mess up this job, we will be stuck on this rock. And there will be plenty of time for someone to figure out that the alliance is looking for us. And then we’re all humped. All of us.” He looked from Jayne ta the doc. “So get the job done. Dong ma?”

Jayne swallowed hard.

The doc turned his horse back around.

***

“Listen… Zoe…”

“It’s none of my business what’s going on between the two of you.”

Zoe settled herself inta the dirt between two trees an’ sited down at the complex.

Jayne’s horse pawed at the ground.

“Gorram it, you already know what’s goin’ on between us. You heard, just like he did.”

“And it ain’t none of my business.”

“I could really use someone ta talk to.”

Zoe rolled over a bit an’ looked up at Jayne.

“Then talk to Kaylee. Talk to her until you’re all done talkin’ instead of walkin’ away. Did ya think of that?”

“Well… but… with the doc…”

“If you want her to come at you without the doc in her head, you’ve gotta put him outa yours, too. It’s only fair.”

Jayne’s jaw dropped. He stared at ‘er.

“It’s a small ship. Your voice carries.”

She rolled over on her belly again.

“Time to go in, baobai.”