badinlatin | Ace onna ship.

Wait for it.

Waaaaaaait for it...

Suddenly something fades into view off the port bow, dead ahead.

Gee.

Looks an awful lot like one of those Easter Island statues from Earth-that-was.

Kinda exactly in the place where the cargo bay would be, if, say, Serenity were facing the other direction.

Oops?

After a few moments (during which, you can be sure, there was some inventive cursing), the strange rock head thing disappears.

A few moments after that, a horrible screeching, groaning, thumping sound starts up from belowdecks.

This time it is most assuredly in the cargo bay. Well. One hopes. Because if it is in Jayne's bunk Ace is gonna have mental scarring.

Grinning, Mal flies down the main corridor and reaches the catwalks of the cargo bay.

"You in there, Ace?" Mal calls to the...thing whose shape Mal does not recognize.

The Easter Island statue stares back at Mal for a long moment. It's an impressive stare, really. Big eyes, and all.

And then it shimmers, and then it is gone.

Gee.

Were those cargo boxes there before?

Suddenly the side of the stack of boxes swings out, and Ace strolls out looking mighty pleased with herself.
"I think we can call this experiment a success!" She calls up gleefully.

There is laughter from Mal's position on the catwalks, looking down from his bird's eye view.

"Suppose you want to see your room then, I imagine."

"Well, if it won't be interferrin' with your captainy duties, an' all. I could always just... poke about." She suggests with a sly grin.

"No. No unsupervised pyromaniacs on my boat. Off we go."

Mal makes a quick descent from the catwalks to the floor of the cargo bay, pointing to the door leading to the kitchen.

"After you."

"Why Mal, I'd almost think y'didn't trust me." She teases cheerfully as the makeshift door to the TARDIS swings shut. "I'd only blow it up a little..." But towards the kitchen she goes, practically bouncing.

Oh, who are we kidding.

There is big-time bouncing going on.

There is big-time snickering going on as well, but Mal is still wearing a smile on his face as he herds Ace through toward the kitchen, intending to go then to the passenger dorms, but a quiet click of a cane against floorboard makes Mal look up.

"Hey, Wash."

"Are we exploding?"

Wash, looking abjectly baffled, is scrubbing a hand through his sleep-mussed hair, trying to get it toward something approaching presentable. Maybe wearing something other than a haphazardly thrown on I ♥ NY shirt and dinosaur-print pyjama bottoms might help with that.

"We can't explode, exploding's not supposed to happen for another two week -- Ace!" He lights up immediately. "Hey, when did you get here?"

"Just now." She's really doing her level best not to laugh at the interesting wardrobe choice here. "With the explosions. Honestly, y'should've known. Or is there some other bomber in y'life that y've neglected t'tell me about?"

"Not necessarily a bomber, but we manage to get some explosions goin' on on occasion. Grenades and all."

Another bemused eye to Wash's wardrobe.

"Where do you even FIND those things?"

"Earth-That-Was souvenier," he tugs at the shirt, "New Year's present a couple years ago," another tug at the pants. And off their looks, as he keeps trying to straighten his hair (with no success): "I was asleep. Come on."

"Yup. Asleep." Ace nods, totally supportive. Or totally something, anyway. Crazy is a word.
"Though, y'know, I'm kinda hurt that y'd be sleepin' when I finally manage t'land on y'ship. Shows a distinct lack of enthusiasm." She adds with that innocent, wounded air that is her speciality.

"And *who's* the one that gets Ace finally to her Christmas present of a room?"

Yep. Smug.

Wash's sullen look is too over-the-top to be genuine.

"One-man revenge mutiny." He points to Mal. "Tomorrow, three PM ship time. Want to help?" he adds to Ace, brightly.

"I get t'help with mutinies now?" Ace asks, looking entirely too excited at this prospect. "Wicked!"

"HEY! I didn't have to turn that ruttin' beacon on in the first instance, if we remember correctly."

There is indignance!

Totally ignoring Mal, "Sure! You catch him while he's coming out of his bunk, I'll bring the rope and the lock codes."

Okay, not totally ignoring.

There's a second set aside for a cheery, innocent grin.

"Wot, am I supposed t'tackle him?" She eyes Mal doubtfully, evidently quite at ease planning a mutiny with him right there. "'Cause he's all big an' I'm all... not."

Yeah. Like this has ever stopped her before.

Mal grunts his usual display of irritation at the insubordination, however mild, not voicing anything for a second.

And whatever thoughts occur to him during that second, he keeps to himself.

"So you want to head off to your room or what?"

"I think he's found us out," Wash stage-whispers. "He's trying to break up the revolution while he still can."

And in a normal voice, "I should go check the helm and re-confirm that not-exploding anyway. You gonna be staying around long?"

"Stay strong, comrade." Ace stage whispers back, giving Mal a blatantly innocent look. It is perhaps not terribly effective.

"Yeah, I should be, 'less Mal tries t'throw me out an airlock. Don't have much planned on the schedule, y'know."

"Haven't ruled the airlock out yet," Mal retorts, shedding a little bit of the grumpy at a time.

To Wash: "I got some courses I need to go over you with in a bit. Got us a job you're going to be wantin' to hear on."

That's when the smile gets back.

"Yeah?"

Cue the curiosity.

And, rather quickly after, the hope.

There is a sort of grin that it takes practice with Mal to read properly. The kind that comes with news that you actually want to share with folk.

Turning to Ace, "So - ready to head on out?"

:D.

Ace, alas, hasn't known them long enough to know that grin. All she gets is Mal has got something up his sleeve and ISN'T TELLING.

Mrr.

Evil Captain Tightpants.

"Lets move. Not gettin' any younger, after all." She decides, and heads in the general direction she remembers the passenger quarters being.

As she passes Wash, she leans over and stagewhispers: "Remember, the password is 'Swordfish'."

Wash shoots her a discreet thumbs-up.

And even more discreetly swats Mal in the ankle with his cane before heading for the bridge, whistling.

A wince at the swatting, but Mal doesn't look back.

"So, did you want to move anythin' in? Your own supply o' kiwi protien?" he adds sardonically.

"Thought I'd stock it full of tangerines and wait for the roaring black market fruit trade t'start up." Ace retorts airly.

Sly slanting sideways look.

"Or kiwi protien. Seems traditional."

"Ain't like Milliways, but we do get by on it."

No need to get so defensive, Captain.

Exhale.

"Well. Here we are."

Sliding-door entrances to individual rooms in the passenger dorm line both sides of the hall, with "Ace's Room" still clearly marked on one of these doors.

"Shoulda seen some of the stuff we had in Perivale oooh lookit!" And there is glee. It's one thing seeing it all in a picture, and quite another to see there has actually been a room set aside and all.

You wouldn't think someone who could practically go anywhere, and anywhen, would be so happy about a passenger bunk on a Firefly.

You'd be wrong.

And if her vison blurs for a moment there... well. It's the dust. Big dusty ship. Yes.

Maybe Mal wondered for a few seconds, when Wash asked permission for this, why Ace would be appreciative of such a gift.

This wondering didn't last too long.

Don't have to be under the heel o' nobody ever again

The reason Mal appreciates it might be different, but it's as close as he's got.

"So - do you wanna relax here a spell, or what? 'S up to you, really. Your space."

"What, an' turn down the captainy tour? Fat chance." The room is here, and it will go on being here. That's the most important thing.

Well.

No.

But it is a tangible thing, and that counts for a lot.

"'Less you've got some all-important captainy duties t'go about doin'?"

"Not at the moment, no. Gotta make sure the latest passenger's where she needs to be and all."

A smirking sort of grin.

"What do we want to see first? Engine's that way, you've seen the cargo bay..."

Ace onna ship.

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