Hello all,

Well here's the last chapter and I hope everyone enjoys it. It's a little long which is why it took so long. Don't worry though I've got other Firefly/Wash stories coming and will have a first chapter on a new one up real soon. So be on the lookout for them!

Hope you guys like how this ending and as always, please read and review :o)

-Moki

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About ten minutes after Zoe finished dressing Wash's wounds the captain returned from the cockpit for an update on his pilot. He had left Kaylee at the controls again but this time with a definite destination. He walked into the infirmary to find her putting away the last of the supplies she had used to treat Wash.

"How is he?" Mal asked. Not replying, Zoe took his arm and led him silently from the room not wanting to wake the still sleeping pilot. Once outside she closed the door carefully and silently and Mal noticed that she still spoke quietly as if afraid any little sound would disturb the invalid.

"Fine for now, Captain. Though I ain't gonna guarantee he'll be that way for long. That bullet is still like to cause some problems" Zoe replied, looking back into the room briefly.

"Well we're going at full burn to a friendly place with a med unit right now as we speak. So hopefully he can hang on for another 12 hours or so because even at full burn that's the closest option we got right now" Mal said and noted how Zoe immediately looked upset. It was hard to tell with her sometimes but Mal knew her "upset" face very well and spotted it without a problem.

"Don't fret now Zo" Mal said softly, putting a hand on her arm. "He's as tough a pilot as we ain't had around here in a while. He can hold on, don't you worry none" Giving her arm a final squeeze and receiving a brief nod in return, the Captain left her there.

He didn't see Zoe turn and look back into the room to watch the other man sleep for a while. A new look. A look like none Mal would have ever seen before on her face. Though if Mal had seen it, it wouldn't have surprised him the least bit. Maybe a day before it would have, but somehow not now. Finally she went back into the room to sit and wait.

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Zoe had been sitting silently on watch with Wash for a few hours when a voice pulled her out of her thoughts suddenly.

"Captain says I should come here and relieve ya. He wants you to get to your bunk" Zoe looked up to find Jayne standing in the Infirmary doorway but eyed him suspiciously.

Zoe knew that Jayne's idea of "watching" Wash would be to sit by the invalid and probably pick his teeth with one of his favorite knives. That is if he stayed awake at all. Zoe had an inkling that the Captain had probably roused Jayne from his bunk to get him down here in the first place. If that were true then it wouldn't surprise her a mite bit if Jayne was to set himself down on the extra cot in the Infirmary and be snoring his ownself pretty much the moment she walked out the door.

Also the fact that Jayne had not particularly taken a liking to their new pilot didn't leave her with much confidence that Jayne would give one whit if Wash lived or died. She decided it best not to give Jayne any time alone with him and to stay herself.

"Not necessary. I got it" She said coldly.

"Fine. Suit yourself" Without a glance back or another word he was gone. And with that, Zoe knew she'd made the right choice. Settling back in her chair she pulled up the blanket she had wrapped around her to guard from the cold.

Suddenly Wash shivered on the table but didn't awake. Zoe reached forward and felt his head and was not surprised to find him hotter than an oven. She had been expecting it for a while and was actually surprised he hadn't started a fever earlier. Going to the shelves on the other side of the room she found another blanket and put it over him. Not much good it will do, though. Wash was obviously suffering from shock may even have started an infection. What he really needed was to be in a med center getting proper treatment. But they were still hours away so keeping him comfortable was about the best she could do.

Once he was quiet again Zoe went back to the chair she'd brought in and set herself down for a long vigil. Rubbing her eyes she tried to force herself to stay awake. She'd had to stay up many nights during the war and though she was somewhat used to it, it wasn't exactly easy. She circled her head around and rubbed behind her neck and shoulders to ease the strain of having already sat for so long. This seemed to help a little and she was able to concentrate again.

Some time later she heard footsteps again outside the hallway to the Infirmary. But instead of Jayne this time Kaylee walked in quietly.

"Captain has ordered you to your bunk" Kaylee wasn't used to giving orders and Zoe could tell that she was feeling a bit shy about telling the second-in-command what to do.

"I'm fine" Zoe replied but not as forcefully as with Jayne. She knew that she had to sleep sometime and since Wash was asleep it was probably good to do it now. He was bound to wake up again before they reached the med unit and she wanted to be around when that happened. With the captain at the helm she was the next most qualified to handle medical necessities. She also knew that if Wash did wake up it wasn't going to be pleasant as he was bound to be in a lot of pain. Things unfortunately were going to get worse before they got him to med care and she knew it would be better if she was well rested when that happened. Better to sleep now so I can be of better use then.

Kaylee hadn't responded and simply stood there with her hands on her hips. Zoe had a feeling that even if she hadn't decided to go her ownself she'd probably have a battle on her hands with the mechanic right now. Though she had to admit the she sure felt a lot better leaving Wash to Kaylee's kind attention rather than Jayne's.

"Okay. I'll just rest for a few minutes and come back and relieve you" Zoe said getting up.

"Nope. Captain says you need a few hours. Now don't you worry none cuz I already been to my bunk. I got to catch a few winks already and once I'm done covering for you I'm gonna take the helm back from the captain so's he can get some shut-eye too"

"So go on now, git" Kaylee started shooing Zoe from the Infirmary like a recalcitrant fly out of the mess hall. Zoe smiled a little at that and allowed herself to be forced out of the room. She headed straight to her bunk and was asleep almost as soon as her head hit the pillow.

For the next couple hours Kaylee sat at Wash's bedside. She had brought a couple books with her and kept herself busy reading them so that she wouldn't be tempted to fall asleep. Every minute or so she would pop her head out of her book and look at him to make sure he was still breathing. She knew that he wasn't injured all that seriously but she still felt very nervous about being in charge so just had to keep checking on him to reassure herself that he was okay.

Wash slept fairly quietly though he did fuss feverishly a few times, upsetting the blankets tucked around him so carefully by Zoe. When this happened Kaylee would put down her book and gently cover him once again. She also found a cloth and wiped his brow a few times, noting the heat from his skin as she did so.

Kaylee was reading a particularly exciting passage in her book when Wash started muttering weakly. Then his eyes flew open.

"Zoe?"

Kaylee smiled at that. She had noticed how reluctant Zoe had been to leave Wash's side and now she could see that the pilot was missing her as well. Walking closer to his bedside so he could see her, she put a calming hand on his shoulder.

"Zoe's sleepin' right now, Wash. She set me to watchin' ya in her stead. How're you feelin'?"

Wash smiled weakly. "Well I'm feeling a lot like I got kicked in the ribs by an exceptionally strong-hooved mule. Other than that, I'm great" he replied. He tried to turn over to lie on his back but soon discovered that was a huge mistake as pain ripped through him. Okay, maybe I'll just stay on my side a little longer.

Kaylee smiled in quick sympathy and helped Wash stay on his side, adjusting his pillows to make him more comfortable.

"Is that better?" she asked.

"Yeah, thanks" Wash said. But Kaylee noted that he was still looking very unhappy (not that she blamed him of course). She wanted to help but didn't quite know what to do. Zoe had said that he couldn't have any more painkillers as they were worried more would slow his breathing down too much. She started feeling really helpless when suddenly an idea came to her.

"Be right back, you just sit tight okay?" Before Wash could even reply she was off like a flash. He heard her trotting away and within a minute or two she was back. He was facing away from the doorway so couldn't see her but heard her as she walked closer to his bed.

"I brought you some visitors. Thought they might make you feel better" Kaylee said brightly upon entering. Wash really didn't want to see anyone (especially not Jayne) and besides; who else was on board other than the crew?

Kaylee came around to his side of the bed and Wash found himself face to face with...his dinosaurs. A slow grin spread across his lips and if not for the knowledge that even one chuckle would cause a ton of pain in his condition, would have laughed out loud.

"Thanks Kaylee" Wash said as she set the toys in front of him on the bed. Immediately he felt better as he picked them up and made them start fighting. These little guys had been with him a long time and always made him feel better. He was happy to see that they helped even with a gunshot wound to the gut. That wasn't ever something he thought they could do and he was duly impressed by their seemingly never-ending talent.

Kaylee sat back down to read her book, listening with a happy smirk as Wash continued to growl and fight with his friends. After a while she realized that it had grown very quiet and got up to investigate. Tiptoeing around the bed she found Wash sound asleep with both dinos clutched in his arms. Covering her mouth to keep her giggle from waking him up, she went back to her chair.

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Zoe woke up with a start and sat straight up in her bed. For a few moments she sat there disoriented and not sure why she was so on guard. It was as if she was supposed to be worried about something but couldn't remember what it was.

Then it hit her.

Jumping out of bed and pausing just long enough to put on her boots (for she had fallen into bed otherwise fully clothed) Zoe ran for the Infirmary. She slowed to a fast walk as she neared not wanting to alarm Wash if he was awake or Kaylee either for that matter.

Walking in she found Kaylee reading a book on one side of the room in the chair Zoe had set there. Kaylee looked up and smiled to let her know that everything was okay. Wanting to see for herself, Zoe continued around to the other side of the bed and there beheld a rather unusual sight. Wash was sleeping fairly soundly and clutched in his arms were two of his toy dinosaurs. With his hair rumpled and his face completely relaxed with sleep Zoe thought he looked like a little boy.

Kaylee smiled at the sudden look of tenderness on Zoe's face and quietly got up to leave. Zoe noticed her once again and asked about her patient.

"Did he wake up? Was he in much pain?" Zoe asked.

"Yes for just a bit but it wasn't too bad. Once I gave him his little dinos he fell right back to sleep almost like a little babe" Kaylee replied and headed again for the door. She was anxious to relieve the Captain as she knew he'd been at the helm for hours now.

"Thank you Kaylee" Zoe said and the mechanic nodded a silent reply, smiling kindly as she left.

Zoe checked Wash and noted that his breathing and heart rate, while both slightly accelerated, were steady and regular. His fever was about the same as before but she was happy to note that it hadn't gotten too much worse. Just a few more hours, Wash. Hang on and we'll get you fixed up right as rain.

Once assured that Wash was alright for the moment, she settled into the chair vacated by Kaylee and pulled the blanket back around her once again.

Zoe must have dozed off because the next thing she heard was a raspy voice calling out for her.

"Zoe?" Wash's voice was hollow and weak.

Zoe jumped out of her chair and ran to his side. She was dismayed to see the peaceful look he wore just an hour or so ago was gone. His skin was flushed and his eyes were shiny with a high burning fever.

"I'm right here, Wash. How do you feel?" Zoe asked as she headed to the sink. She quickly got a towel from the cabinet and put it under the cool tap. Bringing it back to his bed she then applied the cool cloth to his head.

Wash wasn't sure which hurt to tell her about first. His side and back ached with a pulsing beat deep down to his gut. But his head hurt too with a terrible headache and he felt alternately boiling hot and freezing all at the same time.

"Okay I guess. My side hurts and I'm kind feeling all sorts of hot and cold all at the same time" Wash noted that Zoe's eyes immediately looked more troubled. "Is that bad?" he asked.

"It can be. Probably means that you're starting an infection with that bullet still stuck in your innards" Zoe was never one to hold back the truth when it needed to be said. But she didn't want to panic Wash so quickly followed this rather alarming news with some hope for him.

"But don't you worry none. Captain's been running Serenity at full burn since you got hit and now we're getting mighty close to a med unit. So's even if your insides are causing problems you just got a little while longer before you're in their care and fixed up" Zoe said reassuringly.

Wash wasn't sure how much longer he could "hold on" but he had little choice so tried to relax again. It was harder than before and he found that he just couldn't go back to sleep this time. His side ached more and more and soon his chest hurt terribly with every breath he tried to take. After a while he wasn't sure he wanted to breathe at all, it was just so hard. So very hard. After struggling for a little while like that things started to go black. Maybe I'm falling asleep again. That's good, he thought. I need to sleep….

----

"Good news folks. We're about 15 minutes out from the med unit and Kaylee already called ahead to let them know they've got themselves a new patient arriving lickity-split" Mal walked into the room and though his words were for both his first-mate and his pilot, addressed Zoe directly.

"Told you everything would be fine, didn't I?" Mal asked Zoe and she felt so relieved that she almost (but not quite) laughed.

"Yes sir, you were right once again. How does it feel to be right so often?" Zoe asked and Mal laughed.

"It feels mighty fine" he said and still grinning with relief turned to his pilot.

"So whattya think Wash? Ready to get that hole of yours fixed up?"

Wash didn't respond and Mal thought he was asleep. He was thinking Zoe would give him what-for if he woke up the pilot but when he saw Wash's face he suddenly didn't care.

"Wash!" Mal called and gently shook the other pilot's shoulder, not wanting to hurt the injured man but wanting him to respond.

Zoe saw Mal's face and as he ran to Wash's side she was right behind him. She looked down and in horror realized that Wash wasn't breathing properly at all. It was obvious immediately that the bullet or a piece of bone had moved despite her careful bandaging. Whichever it was now appeared to have caused one of Wash's lungs to collapse. A mixture of fear and remorse hit her at once. I heard him having trouble breathing but I thought it was just from the pain of the wound. I should have known he was in serious trouble.

"Zoe!" Mal called and snapped Zoe from her thoughts. "Get the oxygen kit now!"

Zoe quickly pulled out the tank and the mask. She came back and the two of them carefully rolled Wash on his back and put a pillow behind his neck to tip his head upwards and help his airway. They put the mask to his face and turned the tank on to give him more oxygen and help his uninjured lung do the work of two. Wash's chest rose and fell in an uneven rhythm and they could see that he was gasping for every ounce of air.

While Zoe held the mask in place she spoke to Wash, tears running unabashedly down her face.

"Wash, listen to me. You gotta just keep breathing for me okay?" Zoe said and put a hand on his forehead. Wash's eyes were closed and though he was unconscious she knew he could hear her, somehow she just knew it.

"We're almost there, okay? Just a little while longer and you'll be alright" she said, trying to keep her voice from cracking. She didn't care what Mal thought but she didn't want to worry Wash by letting him know she was crying. She knew her strength would help him, not weakness.

Meanwhile Mal had run to the 'com unit on the wall and called to Kaylee in the cockpit.

"Kaylee!"

"Yes, Captain?" Kaylee's voice was small and tinny through the device.

"Do whatever you can to talk to Serenity and see if she can give us a little more speed. We got us a pilot who is going down fast" Mal told her and heard her sharp intake of breath even through the unit.

"Yes sir! She'll give us more! Even if I gotta take it outta her myself!" With that Kaylee was gone and almost immediately Mal could have sworn he felt the deck plates vibrate under his feet as Kaylee spoke to Serenity and got her to move even faster.

Mal turned back to find Zoe stroking Wash's forehead with one hand while holding the oxygen mask steady to his mouth and nose with the other. She was telling him to hold on for a little while longer and he saw that her tears had settled on Wash's pillow beside the other man's closed eyes.

"Zoe" he said softly, putting a comforting hand on her shoulder. He didn't think she'd ever feel something so strongly for someone this fast but then again he was beginning to think that their new pilot wasn't just any "someone". The man had shown great strength to survive this long with nary a complaint and Mal hadn't been so sure he could do it. Also he had seen great character in Wash in his acceptance of Jayne's cantankerous behavior. Not many would have put up with it for so long without either quitting or running to the captain for help. No, this wasn't just any ordinary pilot.

So he supposed it shouldn't surprise him that his first mate should start to fall for him. Gorramit though, now we might just lose him.

Zoe ignored Mal's hand on her shoulder and kept talking to Wash. She didn't know how but somehow she knew that he could hear her and that he was holding on for her. She felt that if she stopped talking then he'd stop breathing so she couldn't stop, not even for a second.

Suddenly static came over the 'com followed quickly by Kaylee's excited voice.

"Captain! We're here! I called them and they've got a team coming to meet you. They want you to bring Wash on a stretcher to the cargo door right now!"

Quickly and without a word to the other, Zoe and Mal put the stretcher under Wash and snapped it together. They carried him out of the Infirmary to the cargo hold with Mal at his feet and Zoe at his head, still talking to him the whole way.

Kaylee's timing was perfect. As soon as Zoe and Mal arrived at the cargo door they felt Serenity land softly and the door started to open immediately. Before it was completely down Mal and Zoe were down the ramp and headed towards the emergency entrance practically in front of them. The emergency door opened before they got to it and a group of doctors and nurses were there with a gurney.

Wash was transferred swiftly and a new ox'unit strapped to his face in a matter of seconds. After quickly briefing the doctors on Wash's condition Mal watched as he was whisked away down the hall. He looked at Zoe and put an arm around her shoulders.

"He'll be fine now, Zo. These are some good doctors and they'll take good care of him" Mal said. Zoe didn't reply but kept watching the doors where Wash had disappeared.

-------

Within hours they had word that Wash would be fine. The docs had managed to remove the bullet and repair the damage to his ribs and lung. They reported that it hadn't hit any other vital organs which had been really lucky.

Mal and Zoe returned to the ship once they had word that Wash was going to be okay and were just about attacked by Kaylee when their feet hit the ramp. She had been ordered to take Serenity off the front lawn of the medical building and park her in the docking area. Strictly speaking ships weren't supposed to park quite that close to the entrance and she had taken some time to calm everyone down and assure them that they weren't a bunch of maniacs hell-bent on robbing the med center. That had been a while ago and Kaylee had been waiting anxiously for word ever since.

"So? Is he okay? Did they get to him in time? Is he gonna be alright?" Kaylee fired at them both as she ran down the ramp to meet them. Mal nodded and put a hand on her arm to pacify her a bit.

"Yep, docs say he's gonna be right as rain in a few days. T'aint nothing we can do now but wait and let him heal up some. He just got outta surgery so no one can see him yet" Mal replied and Kaylee hugged him with glee and relief.

"You guys did great fixing him up like you did. I betcha he wouldn't made it without it" Kaylee said to Zoe and Mal as they all walked up the gangway. Mal noticed that Jayne was conspicuously absent and it surprised him a little. He knew Jayne didn't particularly like their new pilot but he didn't think the man wished Wash any ill will. What was Jayne thinking?

The next day Mal received word that Wash was doing well and would probably be ready to leave the med unit the following morning. This particular med unit was not Alliance run and in fact most of their business came from folk like Mal and his crew. Most of the medical and surgical staff had been employed by big hospitals and had become disenchanted with the whole process of dealing with the Alliance telling them how they could treat their patients. Many had gotten together and started up these smaller, private hospitals and specialized in treating people in Mal's line of work.

They made their facilities readily available and ran their business on a strict "don't ask" basis. They also specialized in speedy recovery times and letting patients go when other docs might see fit to have them stay a little longer to cover their own back-sides. Docs in these kinds of facilities knew that folk needed to get back to work quick-like and were willing to let people go as soon as possible.

So the next morning Zoe and Mal headed from the docks back to the hospital on the mule to get their pilot. Serenity was parked almost a mile away and they had brought the mule knowing that their dinosaur-loving friend wasn't gonna be up to walking that far just two days post-op.

Mal had already arranged payment with the facility so they were able to just walk straight into Wash's room to get him.

Wash had been resting in bed when he heard distinctive boots stepping down the hall. He smiled to himself as he recognized both Mal and Zoe's footsteps. He went to sit up quickly as he was excited to leave and hissed as he pulled on his new stitches.

Mal and Zoe walked in right then and Zoe immediately went to Wash's side, helping him up.

"Be careful there Wash. We just got you all sewed up and I don't rightly feel like having to put you back together myself" Mal said jovially and walked over and shook Wash's hand. "Good job on getting well so fast. We got us a mess of work lined up and I don't think Kaylee likes me flying 'her' ship as much as she does you" he said as the three of them headed for the door.

Zoe silently put Wash's arm around her shoulders and he leaned on her for support. She was so strong that he knew it wasn't a bother to her at all and he appreciated the help. They didn't say anything and just smiled shyly at each other. Something had changed between them during the tragedy of Wash getting shot but neither of them was ready to talk about it just yet. They each were quiet as Mal continued to chatter all the way out the door. Once they reached the mule, Mal and Zoe both gave Wash a hand and hauled him onto the backseat with as little pain to him as they could manage.

Once they got back to Serenity they found Kaylee waiting for them practically bouncing on her toes in excitement. When she caught sight of Wash on the mule she smiled and started waving like crazy. When they stopped she ran down the ramp and would have tackled the poor man if Mal hadn't put a hand out to stop her.

"Whoa there girl!" Mal said laughingly as he restrained the delighted mechanic. "We just got him all fixed up now. Don't you be jumping on him and breaking him again" Kaylee laughed and with obvious effort, controlled herself into a much more subdued greeting.

"Sorry Wash" she said glowingly. "I'm just that happy t'see ya is all"

"Thanks Kaylee" Wash said and returned her rather checked hug genially. He wasn't quite as delicate as the captain was making out but he did think for a moment there that Kaylee was going to give him a full body tackle when she came flying down the ramp. He was happy that Mal had stopped her but he sure did appreciate the sentiment.

Putting his arm back around Zoe and with the other now around Kaylee, Wash headed up the ramp back onto his ship. Even being off her for a couple days caused him to miss her something awful and he grinned with happiness upon entering the cargo hold.

Everything was great once again and Wash was feeling perfect. That is until…

"Hey looky who it is. The pilot who managed to get his'self all shot up within his first two weeks on the job" Jayne said as he came out from behind one of the walkways having just exited the workout area. He was grinning maliciously.

"You know I think that's gotta be a new record, eh boss?" he asked the captain, continuing on his way to the galley. Mal only glared back in return and was about to open his mouth to give his mercenary what-for when another voice beat him to it.

Wash had decided that he just couldn't take one more bit of mouthing-off from that houzi de pigu and shaking off Kaylee and Zoe's helping arms, stopped in his tracks. He'd taken a bullet for this crew and if that didn't prove to the big brute that he belonged then Wash was going to give him a piece of his mind.

"Hey Jayne!" Wash called after the other man's retreating back. Jayne stopped and turned, obviously surprised at being addressed. He had assumed that Wash would have just ignored his comment, as he had the others. Puzzled, Jayne waited to hear what Wash had to say.

Taking a deep breath and wincing as he did so, Wash proceeded to spew forth a string of Chinese the likes of which hadn't been heard from him yet.

Mal and the others stood with their jaws gaping as Wash managed, in just a few phrases, to put Jayne down to depths none of them had ever heard. His well rounded curse managed to bring up Jayne's sexual preferences (human and otherwise), questioned whether or not his parents were actually married at the time of his conception, compared his intellect to that of a slightly retarded monkey, accused him of explosive flatulence at inappropriate times and even managed to question his fashion sense.

When he was finished with his tirade Wash stopped and took a breath, putting a hand on his side. He knew that he was probably in for the beating of his life but considering the fact that a) he was already in pain and b) hopped up on enough painkillers to take down a horse, it didn't matter much to him. Besides Jayne deserved every bit of it, Wash thought.

Silence stretched out for a few seconds and Wash found himself surreptitiously observing everyone to see their reactions. He hoped that his attack on Jayne wouldn't create any animosity from the other crew and wanted to see what they thought.

Kaylee was standing in stunned silence and Wash wondered if her jaw actually WOULD hit the floor as her mouth was that wide open. She caught Wash watching her and slowly her shocked expression gave way to a sly smile which then became almost a giggle. She stopped it with a hand over her mouth and winked at him. No problem with her, Wash thought.

Turning his attention to Zoe, Wash didn't see the abject shock he had seen on Kaylee. Zoe was instead staring him up and down, much as she had the first day they'd met. But this time Wash saw something different in her eyes and it didn't bother him as much. Respect. He could tell that Zoe's opinion of him had probably just grown tenfold. Slowly, she nodded.

Wash turned to Mal last and his reaction was the one he worried about the most. Right away though he saw that he needn't have worried a mite bit.

Though not succeeding very well Mal was doing his best not to laugh his rear-end off. He was holding it in with everything he had as he didn't want Jayne's attention put on him. He didn't want to take away any of this moment from Wash, who deserved every single bit of it. Mal had thought that was about the funniest thing he'd heard in a while and was cursing himself for not having come up with it first. Mal knew now that he'd made the right decision and this here pilot was the perfect addition to his crew. He had noticed Jayne acting like a right fool and treating the newbie badly but when Wash hadn't mentioned it and had even tried to hide it, Mal had decided that the two of them needed to work it out themselves. He knew that Jayne could be an ass and he also knew that the best way to deal with him was to get right back in his face. Jayne respected strength of character and found weakness annoying. You'd earn his respect more if you disagreed with him openly rather than just pretended to agree to keep the peace. It was just his way.

So Mal was very happy to see that Wash had finally stood up for himself and given Jayne what-for. It's about gorram time, Mal thought. He gave Wash a wink, still grinning like a jackal.

Finally Wash turned his attention to Jayne. He stood as straight as his aching side would allow and though he only came up to the other man's shoulder he tried to glare right back into his eyes.

Jayne stood in stunned silence for a few moments. Kaylee secretly thought the look on his face reminded her of monkey's she'd once seen in a planet-side zoo. This only got her to giggling again so she quickly looked away once more.

Jayne walked right up to Wash and Mal stopped smiling and got ready to take him down if needed. Wash couldn't beat Jayne on a good day and with that hole in his side he would be down before Jayne had even finished punching him.

But instead of hitting Wash he looked the smaller man straight in the eye and then started roaring with laughter.

"That was a good one" he said. "I ain't never heard a curse like that one a'fore. Looks like we finally got us a pilot who has a pair" and with that he whalloped Wash good naturedly on the back and still laughing uproariously, headed to the galley.

It took all of what little strength Wash had left in him not to react when Jayne smacked him. He was very proud of himself for not screaming like a woman because it hurt just that bad. Oh who was he kidding? He would have screamed like a girl.

Gratefully accepting Zoe's arm Wash limped off to his bunk. He belonged on this crew now and everyone knew it. He also had a beautiful woman on his arm (technically he was on HER arm but he wasn't going to bicker over details) who was smiling at him in a way that told him there just might be something in their future.

Hoban Washburne was a very happy man.