INT. INFIRMARY/COMMON AREA - DAY

Simon is studying the data. Book is as well, though not as close or intently.

Simon actually looks up at that.

We see a shelf full with pills and liquids.

On that last line, RIVER and KAYLEE run through the background, from the passenger rooms toward the cargo bay. They are laughing, having kid fun as River flees from Kaylee, holding an apple aloft.

INT. CARGO BAY - CONTINUOUS

The girls rush in and start dodging about the crates.

MAL and INARA are up at the catwalk, in mid-conversation. They look down, but continue on topic:

The cries of "that is mine" and "you gotta get it" and the like that have been accompanying the running about downstairs finally gets Mal's attention.

The girls, who have failed to shut up in any way, have come up the stairs, headed for the bridge. Mal stops them with:

They are breathless, laughing:

And they're off again, up the stairs -

INT. FOREDECK HALL/DINING ROOM - CONTINUOUS

Into the foredeck hall and then to the dining room. ZOE and WASH sit at the table, Wash eating an apple and Zoe picking one out of a bowl as the girls pass and pitch into the couch area, where they wrassle until Kaylee gets her apple back, holding it victoriously aloft.

She takes a big ol' bite as River goes over to the table to get her own. Wash looks at River affectionately.

She smirks, curtsies, takes a bite. Zoe has a knife out, begins methodically cutting her apple into wedges before eating them.

Mal enters over:

As Mal speaks, he takes an apple, unthinkingly cuts it up.

A smattering of yays and applause. River looks queasy a moment, shakes it off.

Wash looks surprised - looks to Zoe, who looks busted.

EXT. SKYPLEX

To establish.

INT. NISKA'S TORTURE ROOM - DAY

NISKA casually watches his TORTURER, a creepy, lethal-looking man, whip what looks like a rusted barbed wire into the chest of an almost unconscious hanging victim.

The Torturer hands him a horrible looking knife. A beefy minion, DALIN, enters.

Dalin exits, Niska turns back to his man. Comes closer to him.

He digs in the knife offscreen - the man gasps in pain, unable to scream...

He exits, leaving her to stew.

INT. SERENITY - RIVERS ROOM - DAY

Simon enters to find River shaking, very sweaty, sitting on the bed.

He takes her in her arms, calms her shaking.

A beat.

She smiles a little.

INT. SERENITY - CARGO BAY/PASSENGER DORM - DAY

Mal and Inara wait near the airlock. Kaylee and Jayne are peeking out the doorway to the passenger dorm. Book sits with a book (not the bible) on the couch.

Inara shoots a very disapproving look at Kaylee, who shoots her a big grin and a thumbs up.

She stops as a tall, handsome MAN in a suit, wearing sunglasses, comes up the ramp.

ANGLE: KAYLEE

Book pops up, cranes to look from the bottom of the stairs. The man walks around the cargo bay, checking everything. Mal holds his hand out to the man.

The man turns away, depresses a mike in his ear.

ANGLE ON the ramp as a beautiful, composed woman, the COUNCILOR, 30's, comes up the ramp. Inara walks over to her smiling, takes the woman's hands in her own in greeting. Mal doesn't move.

Inara links her arm through the Councilor's, leads her toward the stairs.

ANGLE: THE OTHERS

Are surprised.

A beat, as they all watch.

Jayne turns, goes back toward the aft stairs.

OMITTED

INT. SECOND SHUTTLE - DAY

Zoe and Mal are getting her ready to go. Zoe is having trouble working the controls. Mal is securing the crate o' drugs.

Beat, Mal looking at both of them.

Wash and Zoe pass each other. She's pissed, but not overly so. They're about on a par, actually, but he smiles at her.

She shuts the door behind her. Mal moves into the copilot seat as Wash whirrs her up for lift off.

EXT. SERENITY - DAY

As the shuttle lifts off, it crosses over Serenity, taking the camera to the first shuttle, on which we zoom...

OMITTED

OMITTED

OMITTED

INT. INARA'S SHUTTLE - DAY

Inara massages oil onto the naked back of the Councilor, who's lying on her stomach on Inara's bed, eyes closed with pleasure. Filmy sheets cover what needs to be covered. Inara's in an off-the-shoulder silky dress, tied at the shoulder with a ribbon.

The Councilor turns on her side, looks at Inara.

The Councilor starts to lay back down again. Inara stops her with a hand on her shoulder. The Councilor sits up, facing Inara, curious.

Beat. The Councilor raises her hand, caresses Inara's face.

Inara smiles, leans into her. The Councilor kisses her; a soft, sexy kiss. Inara deepens it by placing her hand behind the Councilor's head.

The Councilor reaches up to the ribbon on Inara's shoulder, unties it. We see from the back as Inara's dress slithers down...

OMITTED

EXT. EZRA - DAY

Shuttle II soars over the barren terrain. Cool desertscape passing by below them.

INT. SHUTTLE II - CONTINUOUS

Wash flies. Mal in the seat next to him.

A beat.

Beat.

EXT. EZRA - RIDGE - DAY

The ship behind them, Mal and Wash are walking down the ridge.

EXT. EZRA - MOMENTS LATER

At the bottom of the ridge, Mal and Wash meet up with a large man, BOLLES, their contact. He has two men flanking him.

Wash uses his knife to pry open the box. Bolles looks in, sees the medicine.

Bolles reaches into his jacket, pulls out a pouch. Tosses it to Mal.

Mal stops because there's a red laser dot on Bolles forehead.

A SHOT rings out, and Bolles drops, dead. Just as Mal drags Wash to the ground, two more dots appear on Bolles' men's foreheads. BANG. BANG. They drop, also dead.

Mal and Wash lying on the ground. Their bodies covered in laser sights as several men in desert camouflage, holding rifles, approach. Wash looks over at Mal, a bit freaked.

Off Mal's look;

He turns to go. But now Zoe appears.

Book gives a raised-eyebrow look that says, "funny you should put it that way." The double entendre goes right past Jayne.

That hangs there.

Jayne nods, starts to go, but pauses as Book says to Zoe:

Zoe and Book hold a look. Finally, Zoe nods.

EXT. EZRA - DROP SPOT - DAY

Shuttle II can be seen sitting up on the ridge. We PULL BACK... the Mule is parked down here. Now, in the foreground, Zoe turns over a DEAD BODY. It is:

Jayne turns over another body.

Book examines one of the dead men.

Jayne looks at Book, suspicious/curious.

She knows this because she's indicating the spilled box of stolen meds.

Book and Zoe join him -- look where he's looking: down a ridge to a BLACKENED SCORCH MARK in the distance.

EXT. NISKA'S SKYPLEX

Shuttles dock, ships fly around this busy skyplex.

INT. NISKA'S TORTURE ROOM - DAY

BAM! Mal and Wash, blindfolded and hands tied, are shoved with force into the torture room by some GOONS. The GOONS exit, shutting the heavy door behind them. After a beat.

Wash listens, tries to get a bead.

Mal's about to fire back, but does a take with:

Wash does a take, looks over at Mal. Well, turns his head at any rate, what with the blindfold thing.

They both react now as the door opens. They hear someone entering. Mal's blindfold is ripped off -- he reacts to the sight of --

NISKA

standing there. Grinning. It's your basic "oh, shit" moment.

INT. SERENITY - DINING ROOM - DAY

Money of varying denominations being dumped on the table. Book, Simon and Inara are there, all pitching in. Zoe is gathering it up, shoving it all into a canvas bag. Kaylee appears, adds her share to the kitty.

Jayne tosses some money onto the table. Zoe glances at it, grabs it up, then looks to the others.

OMITTED

INT. NISKA'S TORTURE ROOM - DAY

Mal and Wash are both strapped to semi-vertical torture boards, their shirts ripped open and electrodes attached to their skin. The Torturer presides. Niska is here.

As we come into the scene, Mal's body seizes in pain as ELECTRICITY surges through him. Niska nods to the Torturer who turns down the dial. Once the latest surge subsides:

Niska nods. Another jolt for the both of them.

Wash is totally dazed by the pain. Mal strains to see him, get him to focus. Ignores Niska totally.

Niska nods to Torturer -- big ZAP. Wash coughs (maybe some blood?) Looks for a second like he doesn't know where he is;

Niska nods. Pains ensues. Wash blinks helplessly and confusedly at Niska and Torturer. Mal presses on:

Wash laughs weakly to himself, isn't buying it.

More electricity. Mal rebounds. Wash not so much.

Wash rallies enough sass to respond, despite his weakening condition:

ZAAAAP! Wash starts to go. He's cracking, starts to pass out, maybe never to come back.

Wash's eyes SNAP OPEN he lets out a PRIMAL YELL. Mal relaxes -- then Mal is screaming too as the VOLTAGE SURGES. Off their screams --

EXT. NISKA'S SKYPLEX

Shuttle II pulls into the skyplex, begins to dock.

INT. SHUTTLE II

Zoe pilots the shuttle as it lurches, indicating that it has latched onto the skyplex.

Zoe steels herself, rises, moves to the door/airlock. Pushes open the door revealing --

INT. SKYPLEX - AIRLOCK/ENTRY

-- Goons and guns. Lots of them. Zoe's already got her hands in the air, one of them holding the canvas bag. Even as goons rush her --

They frisk her. Take the bag, look at it.

Off that --

INT. NISKA'S TORTURE ROOM

SCREAMS. Niska watches with pleasure. Mal and Wash both breathing hard from the pain of the last bit of torture. It's a pause in the action. Dalin appears, whispers something to Niska. Niska listens, motions for the torturer to hold. Nods to Dalin, who exits.

INT. SKYPLEX - CORRIDORS

The armed henchmen escort Zoe through the skyplex. Zoe paying close attention to every detail of her surroundings. The corridor has large windows along the side that look out onto the factory.

They arrive at Niska's door, where a couple more armed henchmen await. The door opens. WE MOVE INTO --

INT. NISKA'S TORTURE ROOM

We're in Zoe's POV as the full horror of it is revealed. She sees Mal and Wash both there, restrained and in pain. She tries to stifle her reaction. They don't note her yet: Mal is whispering something to the droopy-eyed Wash.

Dalin has given the bag of money over to Niska, who looks at it. Takes in the amount. Now Wash blinks through his haze, seeing Zoe there. Mal follows his look to her --

She ignores him, looks away, to Niska.

Zoe clenches her jaw muscles. Fucker's not going for it.

She looks at him. Sees where this is going.

She points at Wash. Niska's a bit thrown.

Off Niska, open-mouthed, still back at the not-being-able-to- get-his-sentence-out moment --

He tries to look over at Mal, Zoe takes him gently by the chin, turns his head back to her

He obeys. She turns to go, leading Wash.

Zoe stops, turns -- are they going to have a problem now?

The torturer has picked up a knife, moved to Mal -- and SLICES Mal's ear clean off. Mal SCREAMS in agony. The torturer puts the ear in a clear baggie, hands it to Zoe, who remains impassive, despite Mal's ROARS OF PAIN.

Dismissed, Zoe and Wash move for the door, their backs turned to Mal, as his SCREAMS REVERBERATE in the small room.

INT. NISKA'S OFFICE - CONTINUOUS

Zoe and Wash move through Niska's office, away from the sound of Mal's continued HOWLING. The door to the torture room slides shut, only slightly muffling the sound. They exit.

INT. SHUTTLE

Zoe and Wash enter. The moment the door closes, Wash basically collapses. Zoe manages to guide him down to his knees. And she sinks right along with him. He's stunned, staggered, his mind still back in that room. She looks at him with a mixture of relief, worry and, goddamn it -- love.

Wash nods.

She looks at him, not sure if he's in shock or making any sense at all.

She tries to hold it together. Touches his face.

A look of stoic resolve crosses Wash's face. He rises shakily but surely to his feet --

-- and moves to the pilot's seat of the shuttle. Off Zoe, watching her pilot husband fire up the shuttle --

EXT. SERENITY

Shuttle II flies in, reattaches to the ship.

INT. SERENITY - CARGO BAY

Zoe and Wash emerge from the shuttle. Wash in the lead.

Wash pushes past everyone, still steely-resolve guy, heads for the stairs.

She moves to follow Wash. As she goes, she hands Simon the baggie with the ear.

Inara, Kaylee and Book recoil, noticeably sickened. Simon looks at it, his head tilted.

But Wash and Zoe aren't there anymore to answer that. Off the perplexed and worried looks, with emphasis on Inara, whose mind is racing --

INT. NISKA'S TORTURE ROOM

Mal grits and bears the pain. The torturer is near him, working at his body somewhere BELOW CAMERA. What he's doing is left to our imagination.

The torturer reapplies his torment sporadically as they speak.

Niska walks across the room to a standing cart, starts wheeling it towards the torturer.

The torturer reaches in, pulls out a thick mechanical hose with an opening like a lamprey's mouth at the end. The torturer hands the device to Niska, who holds it close to Mal's face so that he can see its many sharp metal teeth. It's a rather nasty, ugly looking device. Niska practically strokes it.

Niska hands the device to the torturer, who moves to attach the mouth to Mal's chest.

The device WHIRS TO LIFE. The mouth attaches itself to Mal, writhing metallic tendrils shooting out from its jagged teeth, burrowing under his flesh, creeping outwards from the skin on his chest down to his nether regions and up to his head. As Mal SCREAMS --

EXT. COUNCILOR'S HOUSE - NIGHT

The idyll of a lavish country house, to establish.

INT. COUNCILOR'S HOUSE - NIGHT

Inara waits in the foyer of this opulent home, uncomfortable about being here. The Councilor is sitting, a bit blindsided by Inara's presence. Imperious -- but also a bit nervous.

The councilor's very vanilla HUSBAND enters with a young boy, their son. The Husband sees Inara as he kisses the Councilor on the head. He regards Inara with benign irritation.

The councilor blanches, moves to speak --

Inara, now getting the Councilor's coldness, exits.

EXT. COUNCILOR'S HOUSE - NIGHT

Inara descends the steps to the house.

Inara stops as the Councilor approaches.

Inara stops one last time.

INT. SERENITY - DINING AREA

A stash of weapons -- guns, knives, grenades -- is laid out on the dining room table. Zoe and Wash are strapping on as many as they can. Jayne leans against the doorway, watching this lunacy.

He nods, adds it to his arsenal. Wash is still recovering, but ignoring any lingering shakiness -- he's all about the resolve still.

Wash picks up a knife --

He takes her choice. Sheaths it.

He hands her some flash grenades. She puts them in her belt.

Kaylee enters from the bridge --

INT. SERENITY - SIMON'S ROOM

Simon sits on his bunk. River appears at the door.

There, she got the grammar right. She smiles at him, looking for his approval. He smiles back.

INT. SERENITY - CARGO BAY

Zoe leads Wash into the cargo bay.

Zoe trails off when she sees Kaylee, Simon and Book at the already open weapons locker. All of them arming themselves.

Book holds up a large rifle.

Zoe shakes her head, but she's touched.

CHUK-CHUK. From above, the sound of a large gun being cocked.

The gang looks up in unison -- on the catwalk stands Jayne, Vera in hand, an assortment of guns and knives tucked into every available nook and cranny in his clothing. He's like Space Rambo. They all stare. He's a bit self conscious.

Zoe smiles.

Off this triumphant moment:

INT. NISKA'S TORTURE ROOM

The screams have stopped. The Torturer pokes limp Mal twice. Poke, poke. No response. He turns to Niska.

The tendril device has been removed from Mal's chest. The torturer gives its toothed nozzle a shake, and Mal's blood spatters off it. He goes to the array of TORTURE DEVICES, looking them over.

Niska steps up to Mal, dips his fingers into his cognac and flicks the alcohol at the flat hell of Mal's severed ear.

Mal stirs at the pain, coming-to a little bit more, though his eyes stay closed through all the following dialogue:

The torturer holds up a DEVICE. Niska shakes his head.

The torturer holds up another WICKED IMPLEMENT, and Niska shakes his head.

The torturer holds up another IMPLEMENT, and Niska nods.

Mal looks up, sees the implement, and closes his eyes again, turning away slightly. He's losing his fight, bit by bit.

EXT. NISKA'S SKYPLEX

Serenity cruises into frame, a black silhouette heading for the skyplex. The ship's lights are out, and its engines are dead.

INT. SERENITY - BRIDGE

Wash sits in the pilot chair, his arms crossed. Jayne and Zoe stand behind him. It's dark in the bridge too. The only light comes from the skyplex, which grows larger in their windows.

Wash starts hitting switches, getting ready to power up. Jayne exits. Zoe leans in and kisses Wash on the cheek.

INT. SERENITY - CARGO BAY

Powered down; dark. By the light of a lantern, Book finishes affixing some kind of gas tank to the front of the MULE, which is positioned in the middle of the cargo bay, facing the door. Zoe and Jayne enter the bay from above.

Kaylee is by the ramp door, working on a BATTERY-POWERED KEYBOARD wired into a control pad on the wall. Simon holds a flashlight on her.

Zoe smiles at Jayne -- she knows he's in this for the whole haul.

He cocks a shell into Vera's chamber, as the LIGHTS COME ON and we hear Serenity POWERING UP.

Wash comes running down into the bay, carrying his gun.

Simon and Kaylee lift up SMOKE CANISTERS, ready to pull their pins.

INT. SKYPLEX - ENTRY ROOM

It's the same spot where Zoe entered earlier. Niska's radar operator reads a magazine, feet up on his counter. His MONITOR SCREEN flashes with static, until it doesn't, and we see the front of Serenity filling screen, hurtling forward.

A PROXIMITY ALERT buzzes, and he sits forward, just as his booth rocks with the impact of Serenity. On his screen we see the first set of airlock door slide open. PAN OFF HIM to the airlock, through his windows. The cargo ramp begins to fall open, as SMOKE BELCHES OUT of it, into the airlock, obscuring his view. He hits an ALARM.

INT. SKYPLEX - NISKA'S TORTURE ROOM

Niska looks up at the ALARM. Mal, in pain, looks up too.

INT. SKYPLEX - AIRLOCK / ENTRY ROOM

The ALARM still blares. THREE OF NISKA'S MEN arrive, guns out, just as the airlock door opens. The smoke has settled somewhat, and rolls out in a hip-high blanket. An OS MOTOR REVS and the Mule ROARS down the hazy ramp toward them. Niska's men OPEN FIRE on the Mule, their bullets hitting the tank strapped to its front, which EXPLODES, taking out the men.

Zoe, Jayne, and Wash come out from either side of the cargo door and march down the ramp. Wash is wincing, walking stiffly, still pained by his torture session.

Inside his booth, the radar man pulls a gun out from under his counter. Jayne swings Vera at him and fires. The GLASS separating the radar man from the airlock SHATTERS and he sails back, caught by Jayne's shot.

More of NISKA'S MEN pile through the lefthand door leading out of the entry room. Zoe levels her rifle and fires. The lead guy drops and the other three back into the cover offered by the doorway. Zoe pulls a GRENADE from her belt, arms and tosses it.

It bounces of the doorway's edge into the corridor beyond and EXPLODES. One of the two men hiding there falls out into the entry room, CHARRED and SMOKING.

Zoe hits the wall next to the doorway, Jayne rolls to its far edge, covering the curved corridor with Vera.

Book, Simon, and Kaylee come down the ramp, weapons out.

She nods to Wash and Jayne, who move into the corridor, taking cover behind struts.

She's about to go, but turns and eyes Kaylee, Simon, and Book for a quick beat. They sure as hell ain't soldiers.

The far door opens and one of NISKA'S MEN storms for them, gun raised. In a flash, before even Zoe gets a bead on him, Book fires from the hip, hitting the guy in the KNEECAP.

He pitches forward with a SCREAM, his face smashing into the side of the Mule -- out cold.

Book turns to Zoe, calm and ready.

INT. SKYPLEX - CURVING CORRIDOR

Zoe strides forward, past Wash and Jayne, who cover her from either side. A group of GUNMEN run around the curving corridor towards them, the front two blasted back by Zoe's rifle. Zoe dashes to the side as the rest return fire.

OMITTED

INT. SKYPLEX - NISKA'S TORTURE ROOM

Mal looks unconscious again. Niska and the torturer turn from him, looking toward the office, listening to the OS FIRE- FIGHT. Niska hits an intercom.

Mal opens his eyes, seeing their backs.

The torturer, looking on as Niska hits the intercom button again, suddenly arches his back, SCREAMING. We hear the SOUND OF THE TENDRIL DEVICE firing its tendrils out. He claws at his back -- turning to show us that the tendril device has sunk its teeth into him, through his jacket (so we don't need any prosthetics).

He drops out of frame, revealing Mal, on his feet. Niska shrinks back in surprise.

Mal BACKHANDS him across the face. The old man crumples onto the steps up to his office, mouth bloody, arm up, defending feebly. Mal shuffles toward him, in pretty bad shape, but standing.

INT. SKYPLEX - CORRIDOR

Zoe, Jayne and Wash continue their firefight, pressing forward down the corridor. A bullet GRAZES Jayne's side.

Zoe (who is BLEEDING from a few FLESH WOUNDS herself) empties a rifle into the guy who shot Jayne. She drops it, and rolls behind the cover of a corridor strut. She pulls twin HANDGUNS from cross-strapped shoulder holsters and pivots back into the fray, firing.

OMITTED

INT. SKYPLEX - ENTRY ROOM

Book covers on the door to the entry room; he's got A GUNMAN pinned down with his fire, a distance down the corridor. He peers out and Book shoots, hitting the guy's hand. He screams, dropping his gun.

Simon and Kaylee cover the opposite door, and Simon starts firing as GUNMEN head down it toward them. Book rushes over and shoots too.

Kaylee, however, holds her gun shakily, unable to fire. She backs away, wincing as gunmen pitch to the floor under the hail of Simon and Book's fire.

She can't do it.

More GUNMEN come, through the door Book was covering before he went to Simon's aid. They fire at Book and Simon, who manage to dodge into the corridor, using the return of the doorway as cover, but are now pinned between two groups of men.

Kaylee lowers her gun, backing towards the ramp, terrified, paralyzed.

Simon and Book have their hands full, firing down the corridor at two remaining GUNMEN.

Others slink in through the opposite door. Book fires on them, and they scatter, firing back. Book has to take cover.

THREE OF THEM see Kaylee on the ramp and fire on her, moving in towards Serenity. She darts behind the cover of the cargo bay doorway, as bullets SPARK off its metal hull.

INT. SERENITY - CARGO BAY

Kaylee stifles sobs, clutching the gun to her chest as the gunmen stalk cagily toward the ramp in the background.

And then suddenly River is there, standing before her, with a slight, compassionate smile on her lips. Kaylee startles. River reaches out and takes her gun, Kaylee too surprised to stop her.

River peeks out from behind the cargo doorway. The men are on the ramp. They fire as River swings back behind the cover.

She closes her eyes, and spins out into the doorway firing three shots, eyes closed, pop pop pop -- machine like. This is from Kaylee's POV.

Kaylee looks out onto the ramp, where the three men lie dead. River, holding the smoking gun, turns to her.

Off Kaylee's horrified look --

INT. SKYPLEX - NISKA'S OFFICE

Mal backhands Niska again (they've moved up into Niska's office) and Niska hits the floor, scrabbling backward. Mal slowly shuffles after him.

The torturer enters behind Mal, who is too focused on Niska to notice. The torturer jumps him from behind.

As they struggle, Niska staggers away.

INT. SKYPLEX - ENTRY ROOM

Book and Simon stop firing; the coast is clear, except for the piles of thug BODIES that surround them. They exchange a look.

OMITTED

OMITTED

INT. SKYPLEX - NISKA'S OFFICE

Mal and the torturer struggle. Mal bends forward, lifting the strangling torturer onto his back, then hurls them both backward, smashing through one of Niska's windows --

INT. SKYPLEX - FACTORY SHAFT

Mal lands on the torturer, slamming into a steel balcony that overlooks the abyss of the factory shaft. The torturer releases his grip on the garrote, and Mal pulls it from his throat -- The torturer ain't out though; he starts getting up, and they square off again. Mal's strength is all but gone.

INT. SKYPLEX - CORRIDOR

Dalin's body rocks as he takes several bullets and falls back. Zoe pushes forward, trailed by Jayne and Wash.

She drops to one knee, frisks Dalin's corpse quickly and comes up with a KEYCARD.

INT. NISKA'S OFFICE

Zoe, Jayne and Wash come in. They rush to the open window, see Mal fighting the torturer on the edge of the factory shaft precipice. Jayne lifts his gun, takes aim... about to plug the torturer. Zoe grabs his arm.

Jayne lowers his gun.

As one, Zoe, Jayne and Wash raise their weapons and OPEN FIRE on the torturer, filling him with as many holes as standards and practices will allow. The torturer's bullet-ridden body falls into the blackness below.

EXT. DESERT PLANET

Serenity is parked amongst the dunes, much as it was in act one.

INT. SERENITY - CARGO BAY - DAY

Inside, Simon repacks some high-tech MEDICAL DEVICE into a METAL CASE. Book and Inara stand nearby. Mal enters. Kaylee sits on one of the stairways, a distance from them, arms hugged across her body.

Mal gingerly touches at his ear, which has been re-attached. A faint line of fresh scar circles it.

Book nods. Simon looks uncomfortable.

Book smiles and claps Simon on the shoulder.

Mal chuckles, heading for the stairs. As he passes by Kaylee, he rests his hand on her hand tenderly. She smiles up at him. He exits up the stairs.

Kaylee turns back and catches sight of River standing at the far end of the bay, on an upper catwalk. She goes cold. River looks down her, face blank. After a beat she turns, and disappears into a dark doorway.

INT. SERENITY - DINING AREA

Zoe has just finished making soup for her husband, who sits at the table. She puts it down in front of him.

Mal enters.

Mal steps over to Zoe and holds her hips.

Wash pushes his chair back, and winces to his feet.

She puts her hands on his shoulders, and they stare into each other's eyes, play-acting. Jayne enters, catching this display.

Jayne looks at them for a beat.

Wash cuts in, takes Zoe by the hand and pulls her away.

They exit. Jayne looks down at the table.