Jayne was taken up the stairs and down a hall where another of Pink’s goons was standin’ outside a door. He nodded an’ opened it as Jayne an’ his guards came up.

The goon who was holdin’ his arm pushed Jayne inta a chair. Jayne turned ta glare at ‘im.

The door opened again. Mr. Pink an’ the doc came in. Mr. Pink sat in the chair behind the desk. The doc looked around for another chair. There wasn’t one. So he stood.

Mr. Pink folded his hands carefully on the desk. “Someone is not being altogether truthful.”

The doc shifted. Jayne blinked.

Mr. Pink leaned toward Jayne. “Why are you really here?”

There were two guards standin’ inside the door. Reckoned there was two more standin’ outside. Mr. Pink didn’t look like he was too strong, but he might be able to put up a decent fight long enough fer the two guards ta get hold’ve Jayne. Mal didn’t let Jayne bring a gun, but he reckoned Mr. Pink kept one in that desk. Probably kept it locked, though.

Jayne shrugged. “I thought it was pretty obvious.”

Pink nodded. “Yes. It did appear to be so. You came looking for a good time. You remembered us from when you and your… wife… came through earlier. You saw the goods,” He looked over at Marie an’ Stella, “and you decided to come back. But what an interesting night to come back on.”

Wood desk. Probably had the drawer lined with somethin’, though, ta keep it from bein’ easy ta break into. But if he was sittin’ there, he probably had the drawer unlocked in case he needed ta get into it fast.

Maybe there was some sort of… catch er somethin’, instead’ve a lock.

“Seemed as good a night as any.”

“Perhaps. But I think that you came to keep an eye on someone.” Pink turned and looked at the doc.

The doc looked about as white as a sheet.

Zoe had ta be hearin’ this over the comm.

Pink turned back to Jayne. “Jayne here has a very distinctive horse. I’ve never seen anything like it. It’s very easy to pick out in a crowd, if you were to… say… ride by.”

Jayne’d seen holsters on Pink’s goons. Didn’t see what kind of guns were in ‘em, but he reckoned they were the killin’ kind. If he could get one of ‘em close enough…

“What are you gettin’ at?”

“Well,” Pink sat back in his chair. “It became obvious when I introduced the two of you that you knew each other. And that you weren’t necessarily happy to see each other here. And then you went off to a spot with a clear view of the room that Jayne and I were sitting in and you,” he leaned forward again, “and this is the part that convinced me… you pushed my girls away.”

“He felt bad!”

Jayne turned. He hadn’t realized that Marie an’ Stella had come in.

It didn’t seem to faze Pink, though. “Oh, I’m sure he did. Most married men would.” Jayne turned back around. Pink was lookin’ at ‘im. “But I don’t think it was his wife he was thinking of.”

They hadn’t tied him. The closest guard was about two yards away. If he moved fast enough…

“I think he was thinking of Jayne.”

He could…

Jayne blinked.

“Oh, yes. I imagine you would be surprised that I’d figure it out. A big, burly man like you. Who would have thought you were sly?” Pink looked over at the doc again, who was lookin’ just as surprised as Jayne reckoned he was. “But the good doctor could convert nearly anyone, I imagine.”

Jayne blinked again.

That was downright unsettlin’.

“Doctor?!”

Marie was the first one to break the silence.

“You… you’re the…”

Jayne turned to look at Marie.

Stella had grabbed her arm.

“Marie.”

“But you’re the… How could you? Don’t you know they’re in loOW!”

Stella had stomped on her foot.

“Love?”

Jayne turned back to Mr. Pink. His eyebrows were raised. “Love.” He looked over at the doc. “Now that was unexpected.”

He looked back at Jayne. “Love.”

“Y-yes. Yes. We’re very much… in… love.”

Jayne clenched his jaw and looked over at the doc. This was NOT how he wanted this to go down.

The doc looked down at Mr. Pink. “We’d had an argument right before I first came here. That’s why I accepted your invitation.” He looked back at Jayne. “I’m sorry.”

Jayne took a deep breath and growled through clenched teeth. “Me too.”

“Well.”

Jayne looked down at his fists. He could feel Mr. Pink lookin’ from him ta the doc.

“Well. I can’t say I’m altogether pleased.”

He sniffled. Jayne looked up.

Ye-soo. Mr. Pink was cryin’.

Weren’t right ta see a grown man cry over another grown man. Especially when the grown man he was cryin’ over was the doc.

Made Jayne feel downright uncomfortable.

Mr. Pink pushed his chair back suddenly an’ stood up.

“I hope you two are very happy together.”

He was gone before Jayne could say anythin’.

***

Marie let out a sigh that sounded like it started in her toes. “Mr. Pink doesn’t want you back here ever again.”

Jayne shrugged an’ patted his horse on the rump. “I figured.”

“Says the pain’s too fresh.”

Jayne tried to smile. But it was just too damn weird ta smile about.

“You aren’t… really…”

Jayne turned ta Stella. “Hell no.”

“Good.” She smiled.

Marie tipped her head ta the side and looked over ta where the doc was gettin’ on his horse. “He is the doctor, isn’t he? Kaylee’s doctor?”

Jayne followed her look. “Yep.”

“I don’t like ‘im.” Jayne looked over at Stella. She had her lips pressed together an’ her eyes narrowed.

“Me either. I mean, he’s pretty an’ all, but… any man who Mr. Pink would think was…” Marie stopped an’ looked at Jayne. “I mean… other than you.”

“Marie an’ me… we figure we’re about done here. Figure it’s time ta move on. But… the thing is… Mr. Pink ain’t gonna let us go long as he has this place open.”

“So we figure it’s about time this place wasn’t open.” Marie smiled up at Jayne.

“Takes a lot of money ta keep this place runnin’, ya know. Have ta pipe the electricity an’ the water all the way in from town.”

“An’ no one in town really likes Mr. Pink, ‘cept he gives ‘em enough money that they’re willin’ ta overlook it.”

“So… you see… if he didn’t have any money…” Stella trailed off an’ smiled.

“And we could use some coin ta start out new life. Get off this rock an’ start a house of our own somewheres.”

“And I’m sure you could use some coin ta start your new life with Miss Kaylee.”

Jayne smiled. Money was somethin’ he could always smile at. “What’s your percentage?”

“Fifty/fifty.”

“Sixty/forty.”

Marie raised her eyebrows. “That’s fine, if we’re gettin’ the sixty.”

Stella grinned. “You do owe us for our time on the couch.”

Jayne smiled again. “Had ta try. Fine. Fifty percent. Of how much?”

Stella looked at Marie. They shrugged an’ turned back ta Jayne. “I dunno. Figure he’s probably got about…”

“Half a mil in platinum on site.”

The doc was sittin’ on his horse about a yard ta Jayne’s right.

He looked from Jayne ta the girls. “He told me while he was telling me what a good catch he was.”

Jayne made a face. “Ugh.”

“Hey. You aren’t in on the deal.” Marie turned ta Jayne. “He isn’t in on the deal.”

Jayne turned ta her. “’Fraid he is.”

“But he…!” She turned ta the doc. “But you…!”

Jayne cleared his throat. “It’s… complicated.”

Marie folded her arms and glared at the doc.

“Fine. But we still get fifty percent.”

Jayne turned ta Stella. “What’s the plan?”