Life on this boat. A Firefly story. #fanfic

Mal's good plan

Not sure what has happened to the formatting of this chapter. It looks ok in my writing mode, but the published version is a mess...
Any experienced wattpadders who know?

One morning, Mal called out over the ships com for Wash, Kaylee and Zoe to gather on the bridge. Sniffing authority business Jayne tagged along and took up position behind the helm.
"Jayne, you weren't called," Mal said looking annoyed.
"If you are making decisions about the ship, I want in!" Jayne stated.
"My ship. My rules. My decision. Out!" Mal said firmly.
"But..." Jayne protested.
"We need to keep Lou out of this. Go find a way to keep her occupied," Mal told him.
"Doing what?" Jayne asked confused.
"Anything... just keep her away," Mal said impatiently.
"Anything?" Jayne said with a broad, dirty grin.
"Just go, you letch," Wash laughed.
"Right... but... If you're all in here that puts me in charge while you are doing your thing. Right?" Jayne smiled.
"Yes, Jayne. You will be in charge. Will you leave if I announce it over the com," Mal said dryly.
"That would be good," Jayne grinned.
Rubbing the bridge of his nose, Mal pulled down the com.
"This is an announcement to all crew on Serenity. For the next couple of hours, Jayne is boss. Good luck," he announced looking straight at Jayne.
"Now. Go be boss..." Mal said waving Jayne out of the cockpit and closing the door behind him.
Wash, Zoe and Kaylee were all laughing into their hands when he turned back to them making Mal laugh as well.
When they had finished wiping the tears away, Mal took up position at the front of the bridge.
"Now that that power hungry maniac has got the reins on the kitchen and cabins I can get down to business," he said. "I have spoken to each of you in turn so you are aware of my intention to help Lou get her kids back. The more I find out the more secure I become that these girls are my brother's children and that Lou told us the truth about being my sister in law. We got some info from Duggar, but no details. Basically it looks like they are on Osiris, most likely working as domestic help. We also know there is a high infertility rate. Vain rich women don't want to ruin their looks by going through pregnancy and blonde, blue eyed children fetch more than other children at underground adoption agencies. Trouble is, if the adoption agents have bought them, we will struggle to get them back as the price will be extortionate," Mal said looking serious.
Zoe nodded, having talked this bit over with Mal a few times.
"I really don't want to go to the central planets, but I don't see a way around it, so here is a rough idea. Zoe will act as agent for a lady in the market for a child. Inara will pose as a potential "mother". Companions sometimes adopt and raise girls with the intention of training them into new companions, so that will not be conspicous. To make sure we get the right girls, Lou will have to pose as Inara's servant. This is the easy part," Mal said.
"I'm sorry but I don't really get why you have Kaylee and me in here. This is Mal and Zoe stuff," Wash said.
"And buying them free? Wouldn't that be expensive?" Kaylee asked.
"I'm getting to that," Mal replied. "I need your opinions on an idea that Lou came up with."
The rest of them sat back as Mal told them about Lou's idea of going to earth-that-was.

While they were busy discusing her idea on the bridge, Lou was sat sewing the final bits on Zoe's combats when Jayne sauntered in with his chest puffed up and a self important look on his face.
"You heard that, right? I'm boss," he told her.
"Yeah. Couldn't miss that," Lou smiled at his pride.
"They put me in charge," he said and adjusted his gunbelt.
"I heard. Congratulations." Lou nodded.
"So, I'm making sure everybody knows and respects that I make the calls," he said, casually setting a bootclad foot on the seat next to Lou and checking the cartridge on one of his guns before sighting it around.
"Put that away before you poke someone's eye out," Lou smiled. "What exactly did they put you in charge of?"
"What do you mean?" Jayne asked.
"Seems that if anything actually happens, you are down here with Simon, River, Book and me while the rest of them are up on the bridge where it is all controlled. Sweetie, they put you in charge of making sure I cook dinner," Lou laughed.
"There is still the engine. And the cargo," he said suddenly a bit unsure.
"Sure. So if any pirates or alliance folk manage to get past Wash's proximity gizmos. They will have to deal with you," Lou smiled. "Coz you're in charge..."
"I'm still in ruttin charge," Jayne mumbled.
"Yes you are," Lou smiled. "And I think you look real fetchin' when you take responsibility."
"I do, don't I," he said and straightened up into his boss pose.
Lou stood up and looked him over.
"I still think you're kinda cute," she said.
"Cute?" He said.
"Yeah. If it wasn't for the risk of distracting you from being in charge and all, I might have used a different word," Lou teased.
"Really?" He grinned back.
Suppressing a giggle and some monster butterflies in her gut, she turned and shook out the trousers she had finished, looking for loose threads.
"Now, if you will excuse me, i'm going to get some ribbons to finish this off," she said and left for her cabin laughing at her own teenage tendencies.

Back up on the bridge Mal had recounted about the seeds, furniture, clothes and valuable metals still on earth.
"What do you think? Wash? Kaylee? Will Serenity hold?" He asked.
"It wil take a shitload of fuel to get us there and back. Our tanks can hold fuel for two, maybe three, months if we don't push her. This will take 6 months. .. each way!" Wash said.
"I wouldn't do it without a complete spare engine and spare parts for everything. If not we'll risk ending up floating like debris in absolute no-mans-land," Kaylee said.
"If we had some extra cargo hold. Like a trailer or something, it could work," Wash thought out loud.
"And if it takes a year... that would be an extra year Lou would have to wait to get her kids back. And a lot can happen in a year," Zoe said.
"Inara might not want to be away from her clients for that long," Kaylee said receiving a frown from Mal.
"Inara will conduct her business as she sees fit," Mal said.
"I was just thinking she might be able to look after the girls..." Kaylee suggested.
"She's not going to babysit. Besides if we get them out we have to pay more or less immediately unless we get them out on the sly and run which, knowing our luck, will take us right into a situation with blood and guns. Jayne might even get his grenades out...," Mal shook his head.
"So we need to get the kids by paying for them?" Wash said.
"Can Lou not just tell the people holding them that they were stolen?" Kaylee asked.
"No profit in just giving them back, Zoe explained.
"I could upgrade the engines to run on that new nitrogen based fuel tho," Kaylee said to Wash.
"That would cost more and take time," Wash shook his head.
"And we wouldn't find fuel or parts on earth," Mal said.
"I like the idea, Mal, I really do. Earth would be amazing. And Serenity will do it. No doubt. I just think a year would be a long time," Wash said. "That's a year with whatever River does," Zoe said.
"And if they don't kill eachother, a year of Jayne and Lou making moon-eyes," Mal grinned.
"Oh... that would be painful," Wash laughed.
"I bet they are done by the end of the week," Zoe smiled.
"You think?" Kaylee asked.
"It's all physical. They will share a bunk and it will blow over," Zoe said.
"No. Zoe! Where is your romance, woman?" Wash teased his wife.
"Oh I have plenty of romance right here, honey. I just don't think Lou wants more than to feel attractive," she said kissing her husband.
"Can we just get off this subject," Mal started.
"No wait... if they do sort it out and it turns out to have some unrealistic romantic elements, and they end up getting married... that will make him related to Mal. He will become your nieces stepdad! You will end up in family with Jayne" Wash laughed.
"Wash, you are giving me a headache. You can all stop laughing," Mal said looking annoyed.
The other three were laughting uncontrollably.
"I need to get back on track here folks," Mal said waiting for them to calm down. "When we reach Pandora, I am sending Lou in to deal with Badger. We are doing the rounds with black market adoption agencies and those that deal in domestic help. We target the agencies on Pandora that cater to the central planets. Zoe. You need to team up with Simon, posing as a rich couple wanting a kid. Simon speaks posh and will be able to convince them unless he gets nervous. This is why I'm sending Zoe," Mal explained.
"I will ask Inara to look for domestic help, servants, whatever it is that a companion needs,"
"Sorry, captain, but why are you sending Lou to Badger? And why is she not in on this plan?" Kaylee asked.
"Because I saw her on Dorian. She will fight for her kids, but we can't risk her getting angry at the slavetraders or disappointed if they don't have the girls." Mal said.
"That is a very humane plan, sir," Zoe agreed.
"Where does the fighting happen?" Wash asked.
"Hopefully it won't, but whatever trouble Badger sets up for Lou, Jayne can deal with," Mal said.