Disclaimer: Firefly and these characters are the creation of Joss Whedon. I really miss them, Joss! I'd like my sky a little less empty.

* * * * * * * * *

SHIPS IN THE NIGHT.

The moonlight falling on Serenity gives her an opalescent lustre and once again her beauty makes Mal catch his breath. “'S'my ship,” he tells Simon proudly.

“No,” Simon shakes his head, chasing an idea that's flitting through his brain. “'S'our ship now.”

Mal nods seriously as this profound thought. “You're right, Doc. 'S'our ship.” And he slaps Simon companionably between the shoulder blades making him stumble a little.

“She's beautiful,” Simon sighs. “Almost as beautiful as Kaylee...”

Mal snickers. “Still don't think you got the nerve...”

“I mos' certainly do have the nerve,” Simon declares, his speech only slightly slurred. “I will if you will, tha's our deal.”

But Mal's attention is back on his ship. “Look!” he cries as Serenity's cargo bay slowly opens. “I love it when she does that. 'S'like she's welcomin' me home with open arms!”

* * * * * *

Inside the cargo bay Zoe, Jayne and Book peer out anxiously into the night. Mal and Simon are late back from the meet. Very late.

“Well now, there's a sight you don't see every day,” Jayne remarks catching sight of the Captain and the Doctor, arms slung around each other's shoulders, making their way unsteadily towards the ship.

“Oh, my,” Book agrees. “Looks like they ran into problems.”

“Looks like they ran into a bar and stayed there,” Zoe says icily, as the pair stagger up the ramp, bleary-eyed and blinking under the cargo bay lights.

“Cap'n on deck!” Mal announces loudly, before falling flat on his face.

“That you are, Sir,” Zoe agrees, pulling him back to his feet. “You drunk, Sir?”

“Well, I'm no doctor, Zoe. But I think you might not be wrong there....” And he nuzzles his head into her shoulder, oblivious to the furious look she's giving him.

“That ain't good,” Jayne says. “Us stuck on this godforsaken rock, looking for work, with our Captain and medic fuller than a whore's drawers!”

“It's all right, Jayne,” Zoe says soothingly. “The Doctor has some tablets in the infirmary that'll sober 'em up in a few hours. Though, lookin' at the state they're in, they're gonna be feeling mighty sorry for themselves come morning.”

Between them Book, Zoe and Jayne manage to get Mal and Simon into the infirmary where they get them to swallow down some small pink tablets.

“Ant-i-ne-bri-um,” Jayne reads out slowly from the label. “How come I ain't ever been given any of these?”

“They're for emergency use only,” Zoe says flatly. “Not for every time we touch down on a planet.”

Somehow the cameraderie between Mal and Simon has degenerated into bickering. They are sitting side by side on the exam table, squabbling.

Simon is prodding Mal in the chest with his forefinger. “You aint' got the...” he searches for the correct medical term but can only come up with the Chinese “gao wan.”

Mal bristles and prods him back. “Oh I got the gao wan, boy. I got plenty more gao wan's 'n you!”

“And how many would that be, Sir?” Zoe asks drily. “Three? Or are we talking in double figures?” Jayne sniggers and even Book has to smile. “OK, Jayne, you get the Captain back to his bunk and Book, can you manage Simon?”

* * * * * * *

Kaylee is having a curious nightmare involving Jubal Early, a rubber ball and a midget, so she wakes with a start and lets out a little shriek when Simon flops down onto the foot of her bed. When she realizes it's only the Doctor she opens her eyes wide in amazement and runs her hand through her hair.

“What time is it? What are you doin' here?” Then a look of real concern. “It ain't the engine, is it?”

“No, no,” Simon mumbles, looking down at the floor and feeling rather sheepish. He should never have taken up Mal's ridiculous challenge. He's sure now that he never expected him to. Which ofcourse means the Captain never thought he'd have to go through with his part in it either. “Nothing like that. Sorry, Kaylee. I shouldn't be here.”

She's fully awake now and aware that something is going on. Something Simon is very embarassed about. “You make a habit of this?”she demands primly. “Going into girls' rooms when they's asleep?”

Simon blushes to the roots of his hair and stands up. “No. Sorry. I ought to go.” He fidgets about but makes no move towards the ladder.

Kaylee smiles prettily at him. “If you feel you must. After all, it would be wha's appropriate.” Her eyes twinkle as she teases him.

Suddenly Simon makes a clumsy lunge towards her and plants a hot kiss on her mouth.

She's taken aback but not affronted. “That another of your ways of sayin' how much you like me? Cos I have to say, it's a real improvement!”

He sits back down on the bed and cups her cheek with his hand. “You're pretty.”

Kaylee sniffs suspiciously. “An' you've been drinkin'. Best you sleep it off. First. Before you pay me any more compliments. 'Cos I don't want ya runnin' out of steam half way through!” She laughs at Simon's shocked expression. “Come on, lie down. You can examine me in the mornin'!”

Simon curls in happily against her. “I think that would be best,” he agrees pulling her hand up towards his face so that he can drop a feather light kiss onto her palm.

* * * * * * *

“Bit late, ain't it, to be peddlin' your wares?”

“Oh, just what I was hoping for. A visit from the funny, abusive drunk. Hey! Don't touch that. Finally we are heading for a planet where I can find work and I need to screen for clients. MAL! Oh, wonderful. Now I've lost my link to the Cortex.”

“You don't need to be lookin' for clients, Inara.”

“Mal, stop that. I mean it. I told you right at the start I wouldn't be servicing you or any of the crew and I haven't changed my mind. Let me go.”

“I wa'n't thinking about you servicin' me. More the other way round...”

“You...? Oh. Oh!!”

“You ain't the only one with skill in this department, Inara. Can't claim to have no Guild qualifications myself but I've had some trainin'.”

“And a recent refresher course.”

“Yeah. Well. Nandi taught me something too. Beddin' someone you want ain't nowhere near as good as beddin' someone you love.”

“You're drunk.”

“No, I ain't. Zoe gave me something for that. Now how about we don't play games?”

“I... Can we talk about this in the morning?”

“No. But if you want me to stop, you just say.”

“I want you....”

“Knew it! Saw it written all over your face first day we met!”

“You are impossible.”

“That's why you love me. Now, how about this? Feel good?”

“....”

“Speechless is good. And this?”

“Oh! Mmmm...”

“You sure you're okay with this?”

“Why wouldn't I be?”

* * * * * * * *

The first streaks of a pink dawn are reflected on Serenity's skin, giving her a rosy blush. Steam escapes from the ventilation ducts like a sigh and her engines hum contentedly.

* * * * * * * *