Chapter Six: Den of Thieves

By Cassandra E

A/Notes: Hmm…the never ending chapter. That’s all I am saying. Feedback most welcome, good or bad. Enjoy!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

All three individuals were frozen still and silent for what seemed like an eternity. Kaylee looked on with puzzled eyes at Mal’s shocked expression, which was slowly turning into a full blown scowl of epic proportions. Meanwhile, the woman that Mal had called Inara strangely enough resembled the woman who Mal had danced with. Her skin had gone ghostly pale, but her composure reminded calm and efficient as she held her head high with aloofness. Kaylee give a quick glimpse out the door, making sure no had come by. She closed it, locking it at the same time. Her curious eyes glanced back to the scene before her.

Mal clenched his teeth in an effort to control his temper. He had been taken for a fool and that was something he didn’t take lightly. Taken in by a pair of doe eyes and a pretty face, ruttin’ hell, he should have known better. Women were always trouble, no matter how harmless they seemed. “Zhe shi shenmo lan dongxi?”

Inara shrugged delicately. “I think it’s rather obvious.”

Mal laughed in disbelief, closing in on their distance, Kaylee following him. “You’re a gorram thief.” He paused. “And I defended your honor. That’s all sorts of wrong.”

Inara smirked. “I didn’t ask you too. Rather pointless. But thank you for that sad attempt. So if I am a thief, what does it makes you? Let me guess, you got lost on the way to the restroom?”

“Well, maybe I did.” Mal lied.

Inara rolled her eyes. “Doubtful. Is this conversation over? I do believe you have an early appointment with Mr. Wing tomorrow. ”

Mal crossed his arms, a sardonic glint in his eyes. “You ain’t leavin’ here with what’s mine.”

“Really?” Inara stepped backwards until she was in reaching distance of the glittering rock. The moon shone through the viewing windows, illuminating the ornate stand which held it. She pressed a device that was stuck to the side of the stand, blinking red twice until it went dark. “I rather think so.”

Kaylee tugged on Mal’s sleeve, her face in awe. “Oh, Cap, that’s a BOL23. You can bypass almost any lock with that. It’s so shiny.” Mal in turn gave her a stern look. “We don’t compliment the competition.”

“But I wasn’t .” Kaylee protested sheepishly. “I just noticed is all.”

Meanwhile, Inara carefully took hold of the Eye of the Beholder, detaching the BOL23 from the stand. She placed the device in the pocket of her flowing skirt. “Rather ugly, isn’t it?” The rock was a mesh of colors, mostly of gold and emerald green crystal; it was a light weight in her hands.

“Really isn’t my thing.” Mal answered, quickly calculating the distance between them.

“So you won’t mind if I take it?” Inara asked thoughtfully. “Not that it matters. It was nice meeting you, Captain. I am sorry it had to be this way.”

Mal took another step towards her. “Well, I reckon you did beat me to it. It’s only fair.” Inara tensed her muscles when he was a few inches away from her. “Let bygones be bygones. But answer me one thing.”

“What?” Inara narrowed her eyes suspiciously, reflectively tightening her hand on the cane.

Mal took his time, scratching his chin. “You were on Shadow, weren’t you?”

Inara felt her stomach flop, desperately trying to hide her surprise at his guess. There was no way he could know. Her mind whirling with worry, she didn’t see Mal moving forward, snatching the artifact from her hand. Inara broke from her stupor, bringing her cane in an arc until it smacked Mal in the arm.

“Ow!” Mal yelled in incredulity, eyes accusing as he rubbed the bruised spot. “You hit me…that hurt.”

Inara rushed him, slashing the cane rapidly against him. Mal blocked her blows awkwardly, trying not to drop the artifact. When the cane thwacked him on the head Mal saw stars, making him stumble slightly. In a bold move he threw the artifact at Kaylee, breathing in relief when she caught it. “Go, now!”

Kaylee nodded, wide eyed as she ran for the door. Inara paused momentarily, frowning when she saw the girl getting away. Cursing quietly, she moved to follow but her path was blocked by a glowering Mal. “Get out of my way, Captain.”

“I don’t think so.” Mal replied rubbing the side of his head. “You pack a mean punch, delicate thing like yourself.”

“Hardly.”

Mal smiled ruefully. “So I see.”

Inara bit her lip nervously, the situation too surreal. Damnit, why did this have to be so difficult? Everything would’ve gone smoothly had that idiot Atherton Wing not delayed her with his pompous wooing. She glared at the Captain. The man was too stubborn for his own good. But then again, she remembered Frank saying so in his stories back on Shadow; apparently he hadn’t exaggerated on that point.

Mal watched her warily, taking notice of the fiery glare in her eyes. The temper did not detract from her beauty, only enhancing it more so. He frowned at the thought in disgust. Diyu! Even after everything, he was still fawning over her like a man bewitched. Maybe it had been too long since…

“Appearances can be deceiving, Mal.” Inara said quietly, readying her attack stance as Nandi had taught her, holding the cane with both hands. Her ankle ached at the movement, but the dull pain was something Inara had grown use to.

“You’re not wrong, Miss Serra.” Mal added, brow rising at her posture. “I am not gonna fight you, Inara.” He took a step towards her and Inara moved quickly. As she brought the cane against him, Mal caught hold of it before it struck him. The abrupt move brought Inara closer to him, unbalancing her; he grabbed her arm. At the same time he broke her hold on the cane, it clattered loudly to the floor. Mal held her gaze as Inara let herself fall into the blue depths of his eyes. Her mind was screaming for her to move, but her body wouldn’t cooperate. She was paralyzed, her mind going over the memories of the last time she was overpowered by a man. The memory of rough hands grabbing her broke through her paralysis like a cold shower.

Mal saw the fear in her face, feeling her shudder he loosened his grip. Inara saw her chance and spun a kick to his chest, knocking him to the ground. With her foot she kicked the cane upwards, catching it in her hand. She pressed on the cane until the blade slid out, just as Mal was getting up. Inara placed her foot on his chest, pushing down. She held the blade to his neck, her mouth drawn in a tight line, expression neutral. Mal swallowed as he looked on in disbelief. “Nice trick.”

“Thank you.” Inara replied dryly.

“You mind moving that away? Cause it's all loads of sharp.” Mal said.

Inara pressed the blade against the skin. “Actually I do, but I have dallied long enough. I will get that artifact back, Captain. Just letting you know.”

“That’s where you’re wrong. You don’t want to mess with my crew or me.”

Inara smiled thoughtfully. “I wouldn’t cry victory too soon.” She lifted her foot away, flipping the cane around whacking him on head. Mal groaned as his vision went black; Inara knelt down, hands lightly going over the cut at his temple. He pushed her hand away weakly, mumbling incoherently.

“I am sorry.” Inara whispered as she stood up, walking away, the tapping of the cane echoing throughout the room.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Thankfully the guards were still out cold when Inara stepped out of the observatory. She was lucky that she had been able to get behind them unnoticed, efficiently knocking them out. She sighed heavily, feeling terrible for attacking Mal. She didn’t blame him for doing his job, but she doubted it was the way to repay the kindness that Frank had shown her. Even if he was just his nephew, it didn’t seem right. After all, it was for defending her that he got stuck in a duel, even though it was foolish of him to do so.

Inara walked silently down the corridor of the mansion with only the sound of her cane tapping. The guard shifts would be changing at the moment. The security cameras that she had disabled with a fuse would be activating also, so she quickened her pace. Her thoughts went back to the girl that had fled with the artifact. Mal had called her Kaylee, the mechanic of his vessel. Firefly Class. The Firefly transports were rarer these days, so it would be an easy task of finding it over at the Eavesdown docks.

She was so lost in thoughts on how to go about stealing the artifact back that Inara didn’t hear the footsteps of the guards until it was too late. As she looked for a place to hide, Inara was suddenly pulled backwards by her arm. The individual spun her around, pushing her against the wall. The quick movement knocked a vase from a table near by, the footsteps of the guards sped up. Heart pounded rapidly in fear; Inara found herself staring into the angry eyes of Mal. As she began to raise her cane Mal gripped her wrist tightly forcing her to let it drop. The force of it would probably leave a bruise the following day; so she glared at him, opening her mouth to tell him to let go. But any coherent thought went out the window as he pulled her into an embrace, a hand at the small of her back, gently skimming upwards. Inara raised her hands against his chest in protest, only to moan softly as he nibbled along the line of her jaw. She shivered at how good it felt, meeting his gaze. Inara swallowed nervously at how his eyes had darkened, gleaming recklessly.

“Mal…let me… go.”

Mal smiled and shook his head slowly. He tilted her chin upwards, taking her mouth, savoring and sampling the taste her. Lord, she was sweet, tasting faintly of shimmer wine. Her eyes clouded dark, moaning once more as she leaned closer in his embrace. A shot of lust struck Mal straight to his gut, traveling down lower. His hand traced along her jaw, digging into her dark locks, devouring her. Inara gripped his vest tightly, overwhelmed by her emotions and the feel of his mouth, hot and skilled against her own. Mal groaned as her hand innocently slipped down further along his stomach, sending blood raging through him.

“What’s going on here?” A harsh voice interrupted. Inara’s eyes snapped open, the heated spell broken as she stared at the scowling guard. The other guard was busy leering at the display.

Mal cursed softly, reluctantly pulling away. He gave the guard a lopsided grin. “Howdy, friend. I was just…she was havin’ trouble breathin’ and well, I was… helpin’ is all.”

The scowl of the guard deepened, disgust evident on his face. He had spent half the night sending drunken couples to their rooms. Some weren’t even drunk, but had wanted to try something new. It was the same lese each time, the rich thinking they were above the rules. The individuals before him were just the same. The woman stared at them slightly dazed, lips swollen and skin flushed. The man grinned in the manner of a happy drunk.

“Well, I suggest you help her in your own quarters. This isn’t the place for it!” The guard snapped.

Mal leered. “Oh, you bet I will. Isn’t that right, baobei?” Inara blinked blankly, her mouth dry, blushing pink. He looked at her pointedly than at the guards. Inara caught the hidden message and nodded, licking her lips sensuously. “Yes, very helpful.”

Mal groaned inwardly at the action, the heat in his blood flaring again. He took hold of her gently and began to tug her along the hallway. They had only taken a few steps when the guard called out once more. “Wait a minute.”

Inara shared a worried look with Mal. He motioned her to stay still, turning around. “Yes?”

The guard held out the cane distastefully “I believe this is yours.”

“Oh… thank you.” Mal took the cane from the guard’s hand. He sighed in relief once they were far away from the guards. Nearing his room, Inara tried to pull away, the daze dissolving after the guards encounter. Mal held her tighter, pulling the lock from his pocket.

“Let me go!” Inara whispered harshly.

Mal ignored her, pushing the door open and pulling her inside. Inara tugged her arm away, stamping on Mal’s foot when he didn’t release her. Mal yelped, releasing her. She backed away from him, looking for a weapon since Mal held the cane in his grasp. Noticing a sword stuck to a pillar, Inara easily yanked it free, twirling it to get the feel of it in her hand.

“You are one aggressive lady, I’ll give you that.” Mal said in a conversational tone, leaning against the wall. “Not that I mind in other circumstances or… positions.”

Inara gave him a murderous glare, seething at herself for getting in this position. “Get out of my way!”

Mal snorted, amusement clearly written across his face. He could have expected many things going wrong in this job, but so far the evening hadn’t met with his expectations. Not that he minded some of the things that did. His blood had cooled from the encounter with the guards, only the memory of the kiss wanted to get the best of him again. He had the taste of her embedded along his taste buds, along with her scent.

“You have some explaining to do.” Mal said plainly.

Inara scoffed disdainfully. “And you came under this delusion how?”

“Under the fact that because of you, I am hurtin’ in all matter of places. And let’s not forget that lese of a duel.”

Inara lowered the sword to her side, arching her brow cynically. “I didn’t tell you to hit Atherton. You did that by yourself. It’s not my fault you have no control whatsoever. ”

“Who’s your middle man?”

“I don’t discuss my business arrangements with petty criminals.” Inara answered snidely.

Mal gave a quick shout of laughter. “Oh, that’s a rich. This comin’ from a white turtle dove such as yourself. Or is this just a pastime?”

“I am a professional, unlike some…individuals.” Inara said pointedly. She took a step back as Mal walked towards her, stopping when she raised the sword once more. “Keep your distance.”

Mal held his hands in mock surrender; crossing them against his chest. “Professional, huh? That’s what Companions call themselves, still makes them whores. Just some flimsy title to gloss things over. You’re a thief as good as any.”

“No, I am better.”

Mal smirked, rubbing the cut at his temple. “Really? Course that’s why I got your mark. You’re right, that’s better for some.”

“It was a miscalculation on my part. It’s not a habit that I make and I will get it back.” Inara countered.

Mal ignored the last part, eyes thoughtful. “Miscalculation? Fancy word for messed up. But I am not to disagree, you don’t know who you’re dealin’ with or do you?”

Inara frowned in puzzlement; her hand gripped the sword handle harder as a knot formed in her stomach. “Duibuqi? I don’t follow.”

“I reckon you follow just fine. Seem to know an awful lot about the Independent cause, lest ways gave the impression of doin’ so. You acted like you heard of me, but I might be just imaginin’ things. Who are you really?” Mal watched for any kind of reaction, but there was none, except for the slight flicker of her eyes.

“I already told you. I think you had one too many blows to the head.” Inara said carefully.

“Right, Inara Serra, petty thief.” Mal mocked. “And one gorram liar.”

Inara shrugged nonchalantly, eyes guarded. “Think what you like.”

“I don’t think that’s gonna cut it when the Alliance feds haul you to jail.”

“Don’t threaten me.” Inara warned, her face hardening in anger, her free hand clenched into a fist. “I am not the only guilty party.”

“Yeah, but you’re the one who knocked out the guards with this handy piece.” Mal lifted the cane up.

“That doesn’t prove anything.”

Mal grinned, pulling the BOL23 from his pocket. “But this does.”

Inara blanched, her eyes wide in shock, her free hand patted the pocket of the skirt but found it empty. She composed herself once more, cool mask back in place. “Touché, I congratulate you.”

“Well, I have you to thank. Mighty good kisser by the way. Makes me wonder what other activates you're good at.” Inara flushed slightly, managing to throw a disgusted glare in his direction. “Only in your sad little dreams.”

“I don’t know ‘bout that. We wouldn’t be doin’ anything sad for it to merit.” Mal baited, smirk in place as he tapped the cane against his leg.

Inara sighed wearily, her head beginning to ache. Where did this go wrong? It was the first time in a long while that she had lost control of a situation so badly. She took a seat in a nearby ornate chair with a plum colored cushion. “I…you’re right.”

“I know.” Mal frowned for a moment. “Right about what? The dream?”

Inara rolled her eyes impatiently. “No. I was on…Shadow. For a while any way. I happened to meet a man named Frank Reynolds, your Uncle.”

Mal laughed. “You met Uncle Frank? Sweet yesu! How is the laotou?”

“He was fine.” Inara paused, “He was a good friend, told many stories about you and his…” She stopped when Mal’s eyes clouded slightly, the smile fading from his face.

“He was very kind to me and Jake.” Inara finished.

Mal frowned in curiosity. “Who’s Jake?”

“He was…my son.” The lie fell easily from her lips; Inara didn’t really have to think hard for one. Jacob had been like a son to her, family. Malcolm Reynolds may be Frank’s nephew, but Inara had a rule of not trusting anyone, ever since she left the Heart of Gold two years ago.

“Was? You married?” Mal’s furrow deepened, not liking one bit the fact that he had lusted over a married woman, or still was.

“He passed away, a fever. The father was from a wealthy family, he didn’t like complications.” Inara answered. She winced silently at the twisting of the truth, Colin didn’t deserve it. However, Inara was sure that in a similar situation he would have done the same. It’s the only way the operation of freeing slaves had lasted undetected by the Alliance.

“Chunren.” Mal spat out. “I am sorry.”

“I know. So I am I.” Inara said sadly, tears pricked her eyes. “So does that satisfy you?”

“For now.” Mal studied her carefully; feeling like a heel for causing her any pain.

“Then I’ll be going now.” Inara stood up. “I am sorry for any trouble I have caused you. I wish you luck on the duel.”

Mal shook his head. “No.”

“No, what?”

“There’s no way I am lettin’ you get a chance at stealing that ruttin’ rock back.”

A shrewd glint came over Inara’s eyes, her mouth twisted in a half smile. “I’ll make you a deal. If you die tomorrow I forfeit the right for the artifact.”

“And if I don’t?” Mal asked.

Inara walked up to him, taking the cane from his hand. She held his gaze, before answering. “Then I get the chance, and the satisfaction, of stealing it from you.”

Mal waited a beat before shaking her hand. “You got yourself a deal.”

Inara walked past him, feeling his stare at her back. Placing her hand on the door handle, she turned around.

“A bit of advice, when you’re fighting tomorrow… try swinging from the elbow or thrusting from the point of the sword, it’s faster and you don’t need much force to break skin.”

Mal looked at her bemused. “You’re tellin’ me this 'cause?”

Inara thought for a second, her mind going back to Frank’s kindness. She wondered if he had gotten Jacob off Shadow safely. “It’s…I am returning a favor.” Inara pushed open the door, giving a quick scan to see if the hallway was clear and then she was gone. Mal watched her leave, restraining the urge to call her back. He picked up the long sword from the chair where Inara had placed it. Mal swung from the elbow awkwardly, he repeated the motion more quickly, but only managed to drop the sword on his foot. Luckily, the sharp end missed by a scant inch, the handle banging on his booted toe.

“Made!” Mal cursed out loud.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Jayne grunted as he pulled himself up on the straps. He had been doing the activity for the past hour. After the cheated game of cards and the doc’s sister going all crazy like, Jayne figured a set of pull-ups would ease the boredom. The Captain and Kaylee were sure taking their sweet gorram time on stealing some fancy rock. Not that it mattered, since the cut of the heist would be worth it. He stopped in mid-pull, alerted by the soft fall of footsteps on the stairway. The mercenary glowered when he saw that it was River, who was studying him with interest, her head tilted to the side. Jayne pulled himself down, stretching the sore muscles in his back and arms. “Whatcha lookin’ at girl?”

River was silent, her eyes going to the airlock entry door. She frowned as if she saw something she didn’t like, her solemn gaze back on Jayne. “Nothing. Trouble’s already here. A matter of honor… it’s overrated.”

Jayne's scowl deepened. Crazy gorram girl, where the hell was that pansy of her brother? He looked at her carefully, not wanting to get too close since most of the time the girl gave him the willies, even if she wasn’t half bad of a looker. “Git, then. You have no business here.”

River grinned, unnerving Jayne even more. “Bored, just like you.” The smile faded quickly, leaving only curiosity in its wake, “She’s scared.”

“Who?”

“Knocking on the door, closes shut. But demons still get through, demons still remember. Won’t stop, hides behind many faces.” River stated in a monotone voice. “It’s the way, will always be.”

Jayne just stared blankly at her, scratching his head in befuddlement. “Huh?”

“Everyone runs from something.” River clarified, the look in her eyes suddenly very lucid. “Even you.”

“I ain’t runnin’ from nothin’ or nobody.” Jayne said unsettled. A loud knock startled him, jumping slightly. River laughed at the action, her fingers playing with a loose thread at the end of her skirt. “Knock, knock, who’s there?”

Jayne pointed his finger at her, motioning up the stairway. “Git now. To ya room.”

“Not worried. You’re not the Captain.”

Jayne glared at her. “So! I don’t care, just don’t come cryin’ when the feds take you away.”

“You won’t let them…will you?” River asked, her expression unsure, her finger stilled on the loose thread. “Captain will be angry.”

Jayne ignored the last comment as he picked up his gun. He walked over to the door, looking through the small window; sighing, he opened to let Kaylee in. “Where’s the Cap’n?”

Kaylee had the pink confection of a gown cradled in her arms as she was still dressed in a maid’s uniform. Her expression was worried, mouth pinched tight. “Captain’s in trouble.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Who is this woman?” Zoe asked Kaylee. A few minutes after her arrival on Serenity Jayne had rounded everyone up to the cargo hold. Simon and Book had tried getting River back to her room, but she had stubbornly refused, planting herself down on the stairs. Subdued, she watched the discussion with curiosity.

“I don’t know. I think he called her Inara. She’s really pretty and the Cap’n was dancin’ with her and then the punching started.” Kaylee said breathlessly, “Then all of a sudden there’s a duel that Cap’n has to fight tomorrow morning.”

Jayne interrupted. “But you got the stupid whatchamacallit?”

“Eye of the Beholder. Yeah, but…” Kaylee started.

“So who cares?” Jayne finished. “We got what we came for. Cap will be just fine.”

“A duel?” Book asked in bafflement.

“With swords?” Wash added with a raise of his brows.

Simon stepped up, arms crossed. “Captain’s a good fighter; he must know how to handle a sword.” Zoe gave him a doubtful look. “I think he knows which end to hold.”

The doctor frowned at that. “All right, we just need to figure a way to get him out of there.”

Meanwhile, River had stood up, her hand tapping on the rail. “Duellum: Combat between two, old form of bellum meaning war. In the Latin.” She paused thoughtfully, “Captain’s been to war, people died.”

Everyone stared at her in bafflement. Satisfied that she had said her piece, River made her way up the stairway.

“But we have until tomorrow morning?” Book asked.

Kaylee shook her head. “Captain says to stay put until it’s over.”

“Doesn’t hurt to have a contingency plan, Kaylee.” Zoe countered. “So this…woman, Inara. She was stealing the artifact?” Kaylee nodded. “Yep and she whacked the Cap’n very hard with this cane thing.” The mechanic gestured wildly with her hands, “I gotta say though, she was very impressive.”

“I like that in a woman.” Wash pondered out loud, at Zoe’s arched look he added quickly. “Apparently, the Capt’n does too.”

“If this woman was stealing the artifact, what are the chances she’ll do it again?” Simon inquired.

“I think the chances are high, she was really set on it.” Kaylee answered, her hand stroking the gown in her arms.

“Where is the thing anyway?” Wash asked scratching behind his ear.

Kaylee stopped her hand in mid-stroke. “I have it in a safe place. Capt’n felt some ‘people’ might get too eager and high tail it out of Persephone.” The last was directed to Jayne with a meaningful look. The others shared similar looks as well; all remembering when Jayne went power crazy last time there was a hitch in the plan.

“What’s that suppose ta mean?” Jayne asked affronted at the exchange of glances. “Whatca all tryin’ to say?”

“Means we wait until the Captain returns.” Zoe stated finally, her voice broking no room for argument. “Keep a look out that no one comes in or out. I don’t want no one stealing that thing back.” She just hoped that indeed the Captain would come back and in one piece. Mal Reynolds may be many things, but a swordsman he was not.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Next Day, Morning

Inara hid behind one of the old oak trees at Cadrie Pond. The morning was cool and a light mist floated around the surrounding area, giving a false sense of peacefulness. Her face twisted in a grimace every time Atherton took a swipe at Mal. He had started out promising, but quickly deteriorated in the first two minutes. Meanwhile, Atherton was greatly enjoying toying with him. She didn’t know why she stayed to watch. It was a waste of time, knowing she should be searching for the Firefly to get the Eye back. The guards, early in the morning, had discovered the missing artifact and the knocked out guards. All guests were combed over, rooms ransacked, but to no avail. Inara was surprised that the duel was allowed to go on. But she was still compelled to stay and watch the incoming disaster. When Atherton held his arms behind his back, leaving his front exposed, Inara controlled herself not to cry out.

“Please don’t fall for that,” she whispered. She closed her eyes when Mal rushed him, groaning in pain as Atherton’s sword dug into his abdomen. “You idiot.”

The fighting went on for a few more minutes, Mal barely managing to stand up. His legs were wobbly from the loss of blood; he lunged at Atherton only to be knocked down to his knees. Atherton stomped on the fallen sword, snapping it at the hilt. He then placed his blade to Mal’s throat, his face gloating in victory.

Inara couldn’t watch any more, she couldn’t let this happen. Taking a gun she had stolen from the armory room, seeing as she couldn’t bring her own due to the gun scans, she fired into the air, the loud explosion sending nearby birds flying away. Atherton and the other men look around for the cause of the disturbance, giving Mal the opening he needed. He charged at the other man, knocking the sword from his grip. Mal took the hilt of his own broken sword and clubbed him across the jaw. Atherton groaned as he went down, not seeing how Mal kicked up the free sword and threw it at him, the blade stabbing him in the chest. Atherton managed to pull the blade out, his mouth filling with blood. Mal punched him again, picking up the bloody sword and holding it to Atherton’s throat.

His hand ached to make the final blow, but he held himself steady. Sir Warrick Harrow walked up to him. “You have to finish it now, lad. You have to finish it now. For a man to lie beaten, and yet breathing? It makes him a coward.”

“That’s life.” Mal said. “I think humiliation will do you some good.” He glanced up for a moment, catching sight of a shadowed, slender figure by the oak trees. Mal grinned, turning his attention back to the panting Atherton. “Must be humiliating, having to lie there while the better man refuses to spill your blood. Mercy is the mark of a great man.”

He poked Atherton’s belly with the sword. “Guess I am just a good man.” Mal stabbed him again for good measure. “Well, I'm alright.”

He ambled away weakly as he flung the sword down to the ground. Mal looked toward the oak groves once more, but the shadow figure was already gone. Guess a deal was a deal. He smiled at the thought.

“You’ll pay for this Reynolds, mark my words. Along with that pofu of yours.” Atherton threatened.

Mal rolled his eyes at the comment, but kept walking; Sir Warrick Harrow joined him soon after. “That was impressive; I thought you were done for. Actually, that is what I thought all along. You didn’t have to wound that man.”

“Thank you.” Mal said dryly, groaning at the pain. “Appreciate it, really. And no, I didn’t, but I thought it was funny. ”

Warrick nodded pompously. “I thought I might interest you in a business proposition. I am told you captain a ship?” At Mal’s nod, he continued, “I have some property I am interested in moving discreetly.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“It’s taking too long, he should have been back by now.” Zoe stated, her brow frowned in worry. She paced restlessly around the cargo hold. Wash, Simon and Jayne were playing a game of cards. Kaylee sat by them, her hands tapping on her thighs. The Shepard was quietly praying as he read the Bible. The cargo hold door had been opened to let air in, the morning sun shining through.

“Hon, I am sure he’s alright.” Wash told her, “I mean he’s the Captain.”

“We should have gone for him.” Zoe rubbed her neck tiredly. The lights overhead flickered, leaving the ship dark except for the sunlight coming in. She glanced up, then to Kaylee. “What was that?”

Kaylee was already rushing up the stairs to check on the engine room. Wash followed her, dropping the playing cards down. Jayne grunted in disapproval, throwing his own down. “Ruttin’ hell, lost again. Dishes, I hate doin’ dishes.” Simon smiled as he laid the cards on the crate, standing up to stretch his legs. “I am gonna check on River.”

“I’ll go with you.” Book closed his Bible. “She seemed a bit startled before.” Simon nodded. After they had left Zoe kept pacing, her eyes going up in the direction of the engine room. “What in the world is takin’ so long?”

Jayne grunted, taking the chore credits in Simon’s pile. “Maybe he’s dead, means our share is bigger.”

Zoe sent him a nasty glare, almond brown eyes going cold. “Jayne, shut up. I am gonna see what’s wrong.” Sending him a warning look, Zoe ordered. “Keep watch.”

Jayne made a face at her retreating back, leering at the same time. Hearing a clanking sound at the gate, he got up to check it out. It was nothing; the morning crowd of the docks was starting to liven up. When he turned back to go inside, he felt a heavy object slam into the back of his head. The last thing Jayne saw before he passed out was the cargo floor. Inara winced at the loud thump the man made as he hit the floor. She waited a beat, when no one came rushing down she stepped inside, not knowing where to begin looking. The ship was large, nothing beautiful, but it had a certain quality that appealed to Inara. She held the cane in her hand, making sure it made no noise. Walking along further, she noticed a pink purse hanging on the rail of the stairway.

The bright pink beckoned Inara, as if it had been placed there for her to find. Taking hold of the bag she let the contents spill into her hand. She frowned in confusion as she stared at the Eye of the Beholder in her palm. A noise stirred above her, Inara glance up quickly, but there was nothing there. Not wanting to risk her luck, she pocketed the artifact and left the ship. Unbeknownst to her, River watched from below the stairway. Smiling, she stepped from under it. Walking over to the fallen Jayne, she began to drag him to the middle of the cargo hold, grunting at the effort. The mercenary was a heavy load. Running her fingers at the bump on the back of his head, River gently patted him on the forehead. She hummed as she took the pink bag from the rail, skipping up the stairs to Kaylee’s room.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“River? River!” Simon called, worried. “Where is she?”

“Are you sure that she was in her room?” Book asked calmly. “Perhaps she went to the engine room.” Both men headed in that direction, then stopped when they heard a commotion over in the cargo hold. Simon took off quickly with the Shepard following close behind. They both came in to the sight of Jayne groaning on the floor of the deck, his hand grabbing his head. Kaylee was kneeling down, her hand patting him in a reassuring manner on the shoulder. The lights had come back on, Zoe was frowning as Wash and she helped Jayne up to the weight chair. Simon looked at the scene in confusion, “What happened?”

River sat on the steps of the stairway, twirling her hair around her finger. “Concussion, injury to the brain from a fall or a blow to the head, patient will usually lose consciousness. The increased pressure on the brain stem accounts for the slowing or brief delay of respiration and the reduced pulse rate that accompany a concussion; other symptoms include paleness, sweating, and a fall in blood pressure.” She waited a beat, looking at Simon in a patronizing matter. “He hit his head….you’re the doctor.”

Simon and Book shared a look. The others stared at her in wonder; Jayne just glowered at the young girl, muttering in discontent. The doctor gave his sister an impatient glare as he quickly walked down the stairs. “I was looking for you. I thought I told you not to disappear like that, mei mei.”

River just stared at him patiently. “I was bored. Go be a doctor. Jayne’s angry.” She stood up, her gaze wondering around the cargo hold. “A den of thieves, with quick eyes but even quicker hands. Captain wasn’t quick enough.”

“Is that so?” Mal called out walking slowly onto Serenity, his hand holding his side over the wound. “Did you ever see such a lazy crew?”

“Captain!” Kaylee cried rushing over to help him.

“You’re alive.” Wash said. “Course you’re hurt, but hey, alive is always good.” Zoe helped Kaylee sit him down on a spare crate. Simon did not delay checking on him, leaving Jayne by himself. The mercenary grumbled in annoyance, “What ‘bout me? I got hurt too.”

A light touch settled on his shoulder, Jayne nearly jumped back when he saw that it was River. She smiled at him in support. “Must not be greedy, closet door will shut you in, trapped. That’s when they come.” Jayne shrugged her hand away, uncomfortable.

“It’s a deep wound, but nothing life threatening, although you lost a lot of blood.” Simon observed in a frown. “Let’s get you to the infirmary.”

Mal nodded, his eyes going to Jayne. “What happened to Jayne?”

“Someone knocked him out.” Zoe replied. Mal frowned at the response, not liking it one bit. A suspicion started forming in his mind, traveling along to his gut. “What do you mean knocked out, any of you see it?”

“No, Cap, the lights went out in Serenity, Zoe found him lying on the floor afterwards.” Kaylee supplied helpfully. “It’s kinda funny, though. One the fuses sparked, I coulda sworn I fixed it before I left for the ball. It looked like someone fiddled with ‘em. But that’s just silly, I mean we were all here in the cargo hold almost all the night. We were awfully worried about ya Cap’n.”

“No we wasn’t. The doc’s sister was up in her room.” Jayne contradicted. “Who knows what she did.”

Simon jumped immediately to his sister’s defense. “That’s insane, River wouldn’t do that.”

“You said yourself that she wasn’t in her room.” Jayne added, “So where else could she of been. ‘Sides, she got them smarts, coulda fiddled around with them fuses, even though she’s crazy as a loon.” The doctor glared in irritation at Jayne, not a rare thing between them. “Serenity’s a big ship; she could’ve been anywhere, not necessarily in the engine room.” Simon said further, voice snide, “You went down awfully quick, some mercenary you are, can’t even do a decent watch. Course, I expect no less of you. That’s why you’re so keen on blaming others.”

Jayne growled, standing up quickly despite the wave of dizziness, his nostrils flared in anger. “You say that again, ben dan! And Cao ni zuxian shi ba dai.” Simon took a step forward, his hands curled in fists. Meanwhile, River watched on excitedly, eyes sparkling in delight.

“Hao le! Nimen de bizui! " Mal ordered angrily, grimacing at the same time. “Kaylee, go get the damn artifact.” Kaylee nodded and ran up the stairs, while Simon and Jayne stood at a stalemate. Both men didn’t move, each with an urge to do violence, the mercenary more so. Zoe came up to the doctor, tapping his shoulder. “Doc, Cap’n needs fixin’, now.”

Simon reluctantly turned away, walking over to the Captain. “I need someone to help him to the infirmary.” Book moved forward, leaning down for Mal to grab unto his shoulder, Wash taking the other side. Just as they were half way up the stairway, Kaylee came bounding down, skidding to a stop when she saw the Captain. Her face was scrunched in a frown, her green eyes worried; from her hand dangled the matching pink purse of her gown.

“What is it?” Mal asked.

“It’s gone. Someone took it. It ain’t where I put it no more.” Kaylee answered, holding up the purse.

Mal sighed heavily. Well, he was expecting it, but damn, she was quick. He smiled musingly, “No worries, Kaylee, I’ll just need to make a little visit before we go. Also, scored us some new crime, so get ready for the pick up.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The White Lotus Hotel, Late Afternoon

Inara allowed herself the rare treat of soaking in a hot bath. Badger had been very pleased with the artifact, paying her a little extra since he was in a good mood. Her thoughts went back to how easy it was to steal the artifact back. It was bizarre; the way it had been placed out, Inara didn’t have an explanation for it. But she didn’t question too much, relieved that she’d be buying a passage off Persephone the following day. Her skin itched to leave the place, she had stayed too long and instinct told her Jeremiah was closing in. Fear notwithstanding; Inara smiled, imaging the look on Mal’s face when he discovered that the artifact was stolen. Her skin flushed when she remembered the kiss, the feel of his lips against her own, hot and soft. She shook the thought out of her mind, beginning to scrub her skin. Reaching her low back, her hands traced the scars made by the flogging during her tenure as slave. Even now, she still felt the bite of the whip digging into her skin and the sharp pain following. Her hands went down to her lean legs, running the sponge around the scars made by that terrible night. Inara shuddered involuntarily, dropping the sponge when she heard bounding footsteps nearing her door.

She stood up quickly, stepping out of the tub. Inara wrapped the red satin robe that had been provided by the hotel around her. She grabbed her pistol and aimed at the door; jumping back slightly when it was kicked in. The door banged open, bits of wood chipping away in the process. Her eyes narrowing in annoyance, lips curling in distaste, “Can’t you knock?”

Mal smiled affably while taking in her figure, water droplets slid down her skin. He cleared his throat, which had become suddenly dry, kicking the door shut behind him.

“You don’t think it’s manly and impulsive?” He asked innocently. “Most women enjoy that.” Inara answered by cocking the hammer on her pistol, clicking loudly in the quiet room.

“Guess not.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Translations:

Zhe shi shenmo lan dongxi- What the hell is this?

Dubiqui- Sorry/Excuse me?

Laotou- Old Geezer

Made-F*** (exclamation)

Chnren- Fool/ jerk

Pofu- Bitch

Ben dan- you Idiot

Cao ni zuxian shi ba dai- F*** 18 generations of your ancestors.

Hao le- Okay that’s enough!

Nimen de bizui- Everyone shut the hell up!

*******

Chapter Seven: Recruitment and the Marrying Man

By Cassandra E

A/Notes: Originally, I was only going to borrow heavily from the episode Shindig. But since I introduced Saffron in the early years of Inara's enslavement, it makes sense for her to show up again; seeing that, she was a witness to one of Inara’s darkest moments. Since I wanted people to identify her as Saffron in beginning, that’s why I used the name, which I now realize would have been better off if I didn’t, oh well. I am betting heavily that she uses the same alias once or twice, but still changing it when it suits her. Again, I’ll be borrowing heavily from Our Mrs. Reynolds after the first two scenes; a month goes by, Safe already happened. There will be references to what happened during those weeks. As before there will be a few exceptions to the dialogue and the overall story in general. Either way, I hope you enjoy….

~~~~~~~~~~

Mal lifted his hands up in surrender. “I reckon we can discuss this with, how do you say? Ah, civility.”

Inara arched her eyebrow, skepticism clear in her eyes; her hand was steady on the trigger. “I don’t believe we have anything to discuss.”

“Now, Inara, that hurts.” Mal slapped a hand over his chest. “You seem to be forgettin’ that you took something that belongs to me.”

Inara lowered the pistol; her arm had begun to ache. She moved her hands to tighten the sash to the robe, which had begun to loosen. She gave Mal a dirty look when his eyes were suddenly very interested in what she was doing. “So, this gives you the right to barge in?”

“You stole that Eye thingy, I want it back.”

Inara crossed over to couch, making herself comfortable; placing the gun in her lap as she sat down. She reached for a shawl to cover her legs, not wanting him to see the scars. “You knew I would, as I recall I precisely told you I would. I don’t see why it’s such a shock.” Inara motioned to the chair across from her. “Take a seat if you like; it’s obvious you won’t be leaving soon.”

Mal slowly sat down, his hand holding his side. “You best not be thinkin’ of pullin’ some feminine wile on me. It won’t work.”

Inara rolled her eyes, quickly going to concern. “Ni mei shi ba?”

“Wo hao, been worse. But I suspect that you knew that already, seeing how I have you to thank.” Mal said.

“Thank for what?”

“Is this going to be a habit? Answering questions with questions? 'Cause I must say, it’s a mite exhaustin'.”

Inara shrugged, “If you’re implying that I was there, during the duel, you’re right.”

Mal leaned forward, despite the sharp flare of pain. “Why? Protecting your investments? Me dying would’ve made you forfeit the artifact. Dependin’ if you woulda kept your word.”

Inara frowned, sitting up straighter. “I always keep my word and I wouldn’t have wished your death, Mal. It wasn’t that important. I’ll be frank; I needed the money for a passage off Persephone. The money from the job would’ve kept me afloat for a while. It’s nothing personal.”

Mal studied her for a moment, not saying anything for a while. Inara shifted uncomfortably, not used to the attention, it reminded her too much of the first time she met Colin on that fateful day. She snapped impatiently, “What?”

“Nothin’…how much did you get from it? Since I am assuming you got rid of it already.” Mal said finally. “What was your cut?”

“Thirty percent of the sale price.”

Mal raised his eyebrows at the number. “Thirty? Hell, I…gorram bastard cheated me.”

“Really? How much was yours?”

Mal grumbled under his breath. “Twenty.”

Inara smiled smugly, enjoying Mal’s embarrassment, “Oh, that’s a nice number. It’s a…round one.”

“Yeah, round.” Mal said dryly. “So you need to book a passage off Persephone.” Inara’s expression became guarded, the smile slipping away. She waited a moment before answering, her wording deliberate. “Why do you ask?”

Mal leaned back into the chair, hand protecting the wound. “Seems to me, we can help each other out. I am willin’ to let your thievin’ of the Eye go. Let bygones and the like.”

“How generous of you.” Inara said wryly, expression suddenly very serious. “What are you proposing?”

“You’re a very classy woman, ‘Nara. You got that…look about you.” Mal struggled to find a word, motioning to her. “The respectable kind. In my line of work, it’s sometimes helpful for that respectable appeal; sometimes clients get a mite nitpicky.”

Inara looked at him in disbelief. “Are you asking me to work for you?”

“I reckon I am. What? Is that beneath you? Too petty?” Mal said defensively. Inara shook her head, biting her lip in the process. Mal ignored the way those pink lips looked soft and inviting. In fact, everything about her was. He shifted slightly in his seat, concentrating on the spot above her head. Damn room was too hot, must be the meds the doc gave him. “Where was I?” Right… I do honest work, it might not seem so to some people, but I get the job done.”

Inara looked down for a second, clasping her hands together. “Is that the only reason? My class appeal?”

“You handle yourself well, might be useful in a crisis.” Mal added.

“Where would I stay? I would have my own sleeping quarters?” Inara asked. “I would require complete privacy.”

Mal looked at her, bemused. “Serenity has two spare shuttles; you can rent one, thereby furthering our mutual business partnership. My crew are good people, you’ve seen Kaylee. And I'm assumin’ you've seen Jayne also, seeing that you knocked him out. Though I might warn you, he’s a mite liable to hold a grudge.”

“As you said, I can handle myself.” Inara said coolly. “You mentioned crisis, do these crop up often?”

“Every now and then, nothin’ big.” Mal lied effortlessly, watching her closely. “Why? You running from something? Alliance trouble?”

It took every bit of will in Inara’s body to keep her face relaxed and serene. Her hands smoothed out the shawl over her legs, she held his gaze evenly. “No. I have no trouble from the Alliance. I just want to have everything clear, before I agree to anything.”

Mal looked at her doubtful. “Well, you best be makin’ the decision soon, we leave for Persephone in an hour, give or take. Got some cargo from a fella called Harrow, headin’ to Jiangyian.”

Inara’s blood froze, her heart skipping a beat. A coil of raw fear surged through her body, numbing her skin. The name Harrow echoed in her mind, blocking out any further conversation. It couldn’t be. Could it? She had made sure not to stay long enough for Jeremiah to find her. Could she have miscalculated?

“Inara? Inara?” Mal called out to her, worried at how pale she had become. Inara shook herself out of her stupor, forcing the serene mask back on. “Yes? I am sorry… you were saying something?”

“I asked if you were alright, you went white for a sec.”

“Mei guanxi. Must be the lack of sleep.” Inara brushed it off, pausing carefully. “This man Harrow, where do you know him from?”

“Warrick Harrow, he was my second at the duel.” Mal replied, “Why?”

“Oh, the name sounded familiar. That’s all.” Relief flooded through her at the thought that it wasn’t Jeremiah. Although, a seed of unease stayed with her, there had to be a connection. A distant relative perhaps? Inara didn’t know. None of the Harrows family members ever visited the estate while she was there.

Mal scrutinized her with awareness, knowing she was lying. It was the same sense he had gotten from Harrow, when the man had asked about her. There was something there, he just didn’t know what. Mal brushed the feeling away for now; he could be a patient man when he wanted to be. “So what will it be? You in or not?”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A few hours later, Serenity

Inara sat by Mal on the walkway, their legs dangling down. A large jug of wine sat beside them; the steady hum of Serenity’s engine filled the air, along with faint notes of classical music coming from Kaylee’s bunk. The girl had welcomed her enthusiastically, gladly giving her a tour of Serenity with the glow of a proud mother. It was bit unreal; actually being on the ship, it was an impulsive decision, something Inara was not prone to doing. She still wasn’t quite sure if it was a good or bad idea… time would tell. The rest of the crew were friendly enough; the pilot, Wash, was an amiable man, while his wife Zoe, the Captain’s first mate, was a bit more reserved. The Shepard had greeted her warmly and Jayne had just grunted, eyeing her cane suspiciously. The resident doctor, Simon Tam, was even more reserved than Zoe, but unlike her, Inara suspected it was due to nerves. The only person Inara had yet to met was his mysterious sister, who supposedly wasn’t ‘right’ in the head. After getting settled into her newly rented shuttle, Mal had invited her for a drink on the walkway. They had sat quietly for a few minutes; just taking in the moment in companionable silence.

Inara took a sip of her wine, grimacing at the strong taste, the liquid burning a path down to her belly. “Thank you for the wine. It’s….very fresh.”

Mal grinned, raising his cup. “To Kaylee and her inter-engine fermentation system.” They both clinked the mismatched cups; Mal winced dramatically in the process.

“Are you in pain?” Inara asked in concern.

“Absolutely, I got stabbed you know, right here.” Mal lifted his shirt, showing the bloody bandage.

Inara glanced away squeamishly. “I saw.”

“Don’t care much for fancy parties. Too rough.” Mal said further, taking another sip of the wine. “Although I must say, it had its moments.” The last was directed at Inara, smirk in place.

She ignored him, placing the cup in her lap. The tan trousers made moving easier, although she was careful not to spill any on the white fitted tunic. Inara swung her sandaled feet, before answering, “Really?”

“Yeah, heard the mangoes were to die for.”

Inara laughed, brushing her hair back. “I think the duel was the highlight of the day.”

Mal looked at her in false incredulity. “You kiddin’? I got stabbed! Right here!” He lifted his shirt again.

“Not really my type of party.” Inara admitted. “Although, I am thankful of your ill-conceived attempt at defending my honor. It was rather…endearing, especially the look on your face when it was announced that you would have to use a sword.”

“See, now that wasn’t funny.” Mal said sternly. “But I figured it was your scene. Seemed to fit in well.”

Inara shrugged, her mind going back to her life in Sihnon. “Maybe, in another life.” Mal caught the hint of resentment in her tone, keeping it in mind.

“But it wasn’t entirely a disaster.” Inara added. “You lined up exciting new crime. Hope no one steals it from you, though.”

“Ha, ha. Funny.” Mal said dryly. “I got me a new renter, so all’s good. But it’s good to have cargo. Makes us a target for every other scavenger out there, though. Sometimes that’s fun too.”

“I have an idea on what you call fun.” Inara said sardonically, “Personally, I wouldn’t call it fun. Reckless, maybe. Although there’s suicidal to consider.”

Mal finished the last of his drink, turning to her with a grin. “Now see, give it a month or so, reckon you’ll be corrupted by then.”

Inara gave him a doubtful glance, looking at the cargo below, one of the cows mooed balefully. She sighed. Serenity, the name fit for some reason, already she felt a sense of calm that she hadn’t felt for a while. She just hoped she wouldn’t get too attached to it. It had never worked well in the past.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A Few Weeks Later, Mid-October

Serenity, Common Room

Kaylee pushed a tile, taking another one, frowning as she concentrated on the game. Inara played seamlessly across from her, while River sat on the floor, cross legged as she intently watched the game of Mah Jongg. Seeing something she didn’t like she stood up suddenly, knocking the tiles to the floor, startling both women. “No, no, you’re not doing it right. Pieces are not the same, don’t fit.”

She began to take the tiles, forming them into neat stacks on the floor. Inara looked at Kaylee worriedly, the other girl shrugged. “Oh well, I was losing any how.”

“I’ll go get Simon.” Inara moved to stand up.

“Oh, she’s fine now. This…is normal stuff for her.” Kaylee reassured.

Inara sat back down, Kaylee was right. The girl was murmuring fiercely, stacking the tiles up and then knocking them down again. Soon, she began flipping the tiles over quickly, spreading them out on the floor. After the few weeks that Inara had been on the ship and the whole ‘crisis’ on Jiangyin, she had studied the doctor and his sister. The way Simon had been reluctant to leave the ship and how he always nervously looked behind him, had reminded Inara of the time when she was on Shadow; after the first few weeks of escaping Sihnon. There, she had spent half her time always looking over her shoulder, to make sure no one was there. At first, she had passed it off as worry for his sister, but now she was pretty sure they running from something or someone. And River, well, the girl was eerily perceptive, even though she was disturbed. She had a way of looking into someone’s eyes and seeing everything that was inside. Inara always tried to avoid being in the room with her, at least alone, afraid of what the girl would see inside her.

"So whatcha think the Cap’n and the others are doing?” Kaylee pondered, picking up a stack of cards. “Think the Cap’n looked mighty shuai with that dress on.”

“Let’s not forget the bonnet.” Inara smiled. “Brought out the color of his eyes.”

Kaylee giggled, “The dress flattered his figure, Capt’n does have a nice backside.” Both women burst into laughter. The mechanic enjoyed the presence of the new addition to the crew. They both took to each as sisters; annoying the Captain when they stopped talking when he entered the room. Despite the serene and friendly demeanor, Kaylee noticed that there was a mask of sadness to the older woman. Maybe it was her imagination, since Kaylee was hardly ever sad, but it was there, in the eyes, when Inara thought none was looking.

River glance up from her work, tilting her head, a half smile in place. Looking back down, she began to sing softly while moving the tiles into some foreseen order that seemed to satisfy her. “Captain and Jayne drinking on a bench, then comes the rain and then comes the marriage. Then comes the trap, closet door opens and demons come on out.” She frowned when she lost the rhyme to the last verse. Catching hold of Inara’s gaze, River stated plainly, “Devil has red hair, like an orange, peel down the layers to find the truth. Kisses you goodnight to steal your soul.”

Inara felt a cold pit in her stomach, forcing a gentle smile to the girl. “River, what do…?”

River pressed a finger to her mouth in a shushing gesture. “Touched evil, skeletons in the closet, mustn’t wake them. They make too much noise; talk too loud, finding you and… locking you in.” She turned her attention back to the tiles, leaving Kaylee and Inara bewildered. The cold pit in Inara’s stomach clenched further with a deep sense of foreboding. She stood up from her seat, grabbing the cane that leaned onto the side of the couch, carefully making sure to go around River.

“Where ya goin’?” Kaylee asked, face fallen. “Thought we could play some cards.”

“Captain told me to be on standby, if they weren’t back by the meeting point. I am going to wait with Wash.” Inara replied.

“They’ll be fine; Capt’n, Zoe and Jayne can always handle themselves in a tight spot. Fact, I think Cap’n’s a mite fond of getting into ‘em.”

“I somehow don’t doubt that.” Inara said wryly.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Triumph Settlement, Afternoon

A covered-boat wagon made its way down the shallow river, the horse stomping along making the water kick up. The shallow bed of water hid their tracks, to avoid being followed. The afternoon sun was hot, beating down on the couple on the wagon bench. Mal resisted the urge to fan himself; gorram bonnet was making the heat worse and the ruttin’ dress wasn’t helping matters either. Maybe he should’ve let Inara play the role of the wife, but since that whole incident on Jiangyin, Mal wasn’t to keen on permitting the new crew member any action, more over something that was dangerous as this. While the thief might be able to handle herself well enough one on one, he knew that she didn’t have the experience for a gunfight. And Mal wasn’t a man to risk his crew, especially Inara, even though he would never let her know it.

Jayne chewed on a piece of straw, spitting it away when four horsemen burst out of the wooden banks, guns drawn. They quickly surrounded the wagon, halting when the wagon lurched to a stop. Mal made sure to keep his head low, the hideous bonnet hiding his face. Jayne lowered the brim of his hat, shading his eyes in the process. The head bandit, dressed in similar gear as Jayne, drawled out, “Pardon me for intruding, but I believe y’all carrying something of mine.”

Jayne shook his head in denial, holding his hat. “T’aint’ your’n.”

The bandit’s face was cold and calm, a man used to his job. “Did you think we wouldn’t find out you changed your route?” The man shifted on his horse, eyes suddenly going colder than before. “You gonna give us what due us, and every damn thing else on that boat.” The bandit paused, leering at Jayne’s would-be wife, “And I think maybe you’re gonna give me a one-on-one time with the missus.”

The merc played along, his eyes going dubious. “Oh, I think you might wanna reconsider that last part. See, I married me a powerful ugly creature.”

Mal turned to look at him, affronted at the mock insult. “How can you say that? How can you shame me in front of new people?”

“If I could make you purtier, I would.”

Mal huffed. “You are not the man I met a year ago.” Both men suddenly drew their firearms at the bandits; the main bandit leader frowned when he got a good look at Mal’s face. Guess the man was right, mayhap not a woman, but ugly indeed.

Mal slowly pushed back the bonnet, glad to get the charade over with. “Now think real hard. You been bird-dogging this township for a while now. They wouldn’t mind a corpse of you. Now you can luxuriate in a nice jail cell, but if your hand touches metal, I swear by my pretty floral bonnet, I will end you.” The river bed went ominously still, no one moved, staring each other down. Only the birds chirping broke through the tense air, along with the horse’s heavy breathing.

The bandit leader gave an order, breaking the stalemate. “Take ‘em!”

At the same time, Zoe leaned out of the back of the wagon, shooting one of the bandits down. The bandits began to shoot back when their fallen comrade hit the river floor. The bullets whizzed above Mal’s bonnet and Jayne’s head, barely missing them. Both men stood up and proceeded to fire back. Mal took down the leader, while Jayne easily found his mark on the pudgy one. One of the bandits got smart and started to flee the scene. Zoe frowned, not finding a good spot for her aim. She lunged out wards, firing at the fleeing man, hitting her mark. The man fell from his horse and into the river bed. All four bandits were down, in less than two minutes.

“That went well.” Mal said out loud at their handy work. He untied the bonnet, flinging it away, leaving his hair all mussed up. He turned toward Jayne, “And you couldn’t have given me a nicer compliment? You just had to rub salt in the wound. I shoulda made you wear this ruttin’ dress.”

“Actually, I think that would’ve scared them away, sir.” Zoe squeezed out her wet hair, silent laughter in her eyes. “Would’ve defeated the whole purpose.”

“Hey, I was jus’ tellin’ the truth and all. You do look pretty ugly in that dress. Uglier than usual, that is.”

Mal scowled, straightening his shoulders back. “Well, you ain’t winning no beauty pageants either, let me tell you.”

Jayne snorted. “My ma told me I was a looker.”

“Yeah, well, she lied. Didn’t want to scar you for life and such.” Mal paused, having a second thought. “Although I ain’t too sure it’s helped none.”

Zoe stood looking at them in boredom, hands on her hips. “Let’s settle this, between the two of you right now; I'd say none of you look too pretty. In fact, I refrain from saying anything else. We done here?”

“Yeah, let’s get out of here. Get us our reward.” Mal declared as he took the reins of the horse, Zoe climbed back on. Jayne sat back down with a sullen pout. His ma would never lie to him.

“Am too a looker.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A few hours later, Night

The townsfolk of Triumph were happily celebrating the night. The men and women eagerly dancing to a jig played by the settlement’s fiddlers, a bonfire was lit up to celebrate the occasion. It wasn’t everyday that they were librated from the maundering bandits, who had been the bane of the town for a long time. Inara walked with Mal, enjoying the sight of the dancing people. The night was joyous, and that imbued her with a light airy feeling. She was at ease by the Captain’s side, something that was rare for her; she always had her guard up when dealing with men in general. Inara suspected it was because of Mal, he had a way with people or maybe with her. She shoved the thought aside, knowing she was threading on dangerous ground.

“In the morning, we’ll head for Beaumonde; see if we can find any extra work and so forth.”

“And will I have an actual chance to do anything this time?” Inara pulled the shawl tighter against her. Catching his gaze, a knowing look passed between the two of them. She knew he had purposely kept her from joining in the afternoon’s raid.

“Maybe. Gotta give you a chance at playin’ the lady.” Mal evaded.

“Not maybe, Mal, I want to do something useful.”

“And you will, all in due time.”

“I know what this is about, Mal. Just because…” Inara began, almost running into a dancer. Mal gently pulled her back, his hand stayed longer than necessary at her waist, before moving away.

“We went over this already. It was a three person job, no need for a fourth. 'Sides, Kaylee enjoyed your company. And wearing the dress weren’t so bad.”

“That’s exactly what…explain to me again why Zoe wasn’t in the dress?” Inara asked, annoyed at how he had avoided the subject.

Mal gave her an enigmatic grin. “Tactics, woman. Needed her in the back. 'Sides, those soft cotton dresses feel kinda nice. It’s the whole… air-flow.”

“And you would know this because….?”

Mal motioned with his hands, humoring her. “You can’t open the book of my life and jump in the middle. Like a woman, I am a mystery.

“Actually not that much, I remember a particular story involving a certain neighbor’s daughter.” Inara countered playfully.

“What…ah, don’t tell me Uncle Frank told you that one? Him and me are gonna have some words, next time I see him. And it was a bet, gorram it, between Danny and me.” Mal chuckled at the memory; an attentive look came over his eyes. “What else did the old man tell you?”

“I don’t kiss and tell.” Inara smiled slyly. “As a woman, I am a mystery, or am I wrong?”

Mal smirked, expression thoughtful, he stopped walking. “Nope, you’re not wrong. In fact, too much mystery makes some folk wonder to much. Might give the wrong impression. What are your secrets, ‘Nara?”

Inara lost her smile, face neutral. “I don’t have any.”

Mal gently touched her chin, but Inara shied away. “Come now, that’s what women do, keep secrets. Make a hell of a spy.”

“I thought I was just a petty thief?” Inara challenged.

“That too, although you don’t look a mite petty now.” Mal leaned in closer. “Kinda pretty like.”

Inara laughed nervously. “I think the ale is affecting your judgment.”

“Haven’t had any yet.” The reckless gleam was back in Mal’s eyes. Inara felt her belly flutter; she took a step back; remembering the last time he had looked at her that way.

“I am going back to the ship. I’ll see you in the morning.” Inara said as she moved away, only to be stopped by Mal’s arm.

“Dance with me, Inara.” Mal said softly.

Inara felt a slow burn of heat that traveled from where his hand lay on her arm and down to her stomach. She was thankful it was dark, and her blush wouldn’t be too noticeable. “Maybe another…time.”

Mal let her go, disappointment in his face. He didn’t move until he lost sight of her in the crowd. Nothing that he hadn’t been expecting, ever since Inara had been on board Serenity she had been reserved, and after the Jiangyin incident, more so. Thinking of it renewed his anger at her foolishness. During the cattle transaction with the buyers the lawmen had come down; buyers got antsy, bullets began flying to and fro. The Shepard had been seriously injured during the melee and since the doc had gotten kidnapped by the hill people, they had to go to a gorram Alliance cruiser as a last resort. It wasn't until much later, after they had rescued Simon and River from being crispy critters, that Mal had discovered that Inara was injured. The bullet had gone straight through her shoulder, missing anything vital, but she had lost a lot of blood. He didn’t know how she managed to hide it, only reason he found out was when he found her in a faint on the shuttle floor. Till this day, she still hadn’t given him a satisfactory answer on why she had kept quiet.

He knew she was hidin’ something, what, he didn’t know. It showed in the distance she kept with the crew, and then there were those nightmares she had. Course, he never said anything, but he had been tempted to enter her shuttle and wake her up from them. And he did, enter that is. Only he never woke her, just stayed and watched until she settled back into a deep sleep. The cries were something awful, reminding him of when his men lay dying on the battlefield. And the scars that crisscrossed her shapely legs, seen when her blanket rode up, made him wonder at how she got them. Or who had given them to her. 'Course, she never knew that he was there or at what he had seen. Inara was a woman to treat carefully, even though his ma once told him to treat all women with respect, but Inara was different. That was something that unsettled him, 'cause no woman unsettled Malcolm Reynolds. At least not for a long while.

Mal caught sight of Jayne, plopping down next to him. The mercenary held a mug of ale out to him; Mal took it and gulped the burning liquid down. Well, if no dancing tonight, getting drunk would do.

Jayne smiled drunkenly at him, shaking the rain stick in one hand. “See my stick? Ain’t it big?”

“That sounded kinda dirty.” Mal observed, chuckling as he drank from another mug that a man passed to him. “No, wait… that was dirty.”

“But it is big, an’ you know what? It’s my big stick; no one else can have it.” Jayne added solemnly. The big man hugged the rain stick possessively against him, drinking from his mug, the liquor dribbling down his chin. “Mine.”

Mal snorted. “Doubt none would want it, any way.”

As the night wore on, Mal lost count of how many drinks he had. Last thing he remembered clearly was a pretty red haired woman, not as pretty as Inara might be, placing a wreathy hat on his head. He had found it funny, so had Jayne. Then everything was a blur.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Next Day, Serenity

Inara had come down from her shuttle after Serenity had taken off from Triumph. She went into the mess area to make some tea, luckily no one was there. Inara preferred to be alone, not wanting to get too close the crew, even though Kaylee had managed to get through her reserves. She didn’t plan on staying too long on Serenity, just long enough to throw Jeremiah off her trail. It was tempting the devil, Inara knew, and before long she would get burned. The young lord would make her pay, even worse than his father. She shuddered, remembering the stories of those missing young girls. The screams that came from the basement in the night had carried over to the slave quarters. But the echoes of the cries had hung in the air, long after, like a sinister presence. Inara had always detested walking by the area.

She gracefully poured the tea into a cup, her hand shaking slightly at the dark thoughts. She felt safe on Serenity, strangely enough, like when she was on Shadow. Her heart ached when she thought of Colin and Jacob. They had snuck into her heart, just like Kaylee had, and even now a certain captain was beginning to break through. And that was something that could not happen. At all, Inara thought firmly, placing the kettle down. It wasn’t the same with Colin, he had respected her space, given her time, but Mal was different. She knew he enjoyed pushing her, baiting her, like he did on Persephone and last night on the settlement. Even more so, after she had kept quiet of her injury on Jiangyin; she couldn’t risk having him take her along to the Alliance cruiser, Magellan. During her stay on Londinum, Inara had seen sketches of herself on the cortex, in the criminal database for murder. She couldn’t risk the chance of being noticed, even though the chances were slim, she couldn’t. So she hid in her shuttle, passing out from the blood loss; when she had woken up in the infirmary Mal had been furious with her, demanding to know why she had hidden her injury.

But what could Inara tell him? Not the truth, she didn’t trust him that much, so she lied. And with lying, Inara knew that the Captain was beginning to take notice on things she didn’t want him to. Keeping her from yesterday’s raid was a way of baiting her, trying to catch her off guard, to make her say something that was better left unsaid, like last night. It was a complicated dance between the two, Inara keeping her distance and Mal leaning in closer, a hunter trying to flush out prey.

Just as Inara was taking a sip from her cup, the intercom system blared to life, Zoe’s voice coming in loud and clear, “This is Zoe. We need all personnel in the cargo bay.”

Curious, Inara set the tea cup down, her beige skirt moved across her booted feet. She smoothed the peach colored blouse, taking hold of her cane that leaned against the counter. Inara had grown found of it, more so then her pistol, she felt secure with it, even though she preferred the gun with her when she slept. She took the way that would lead her directly to the cargo bay area, her curiosity deepened when she saw the scene before her. Mal was distressed, scowling at Zoe and Jayne. There was a new woman, but her head was bowed low in a submissive manner, so Inara couldn’t get a good look at her, all she saw was a mop of unruly orange red hair.

Book was the first to speak up, “Who’s the new recruit?”

Zoe stepped forward, delight radiated from the first mate, she nudged the girl for all to see, “Everybody, I want you to meet…Mrs. Reynolds.”

Kaylee gasped in joy, her hand going to her mouth. “You got married?!”

Inara felt the floor fall from her. Her heart tugged painfully, she felt her eyes water a bit. The shock went even further when the girl looked up. Getting a good look at her face, Inara wanted to disappear at that very moment. The memories of her enslavement at Harrow Estate came at full force, along with that familiar face. Saffron. Saffron was here on Serenity and she was married to Mal. This was wrong, this couldn’t be happening.

Next to her, Simon was at a loss for words, searching for the right ones. “Well, that’s, uh…Congratulations.”

“We’d always hoped you two kids would get together.” Wash added, looking at Mal confusion “Who is she?”

Mal felt an imaginary noose tighten around his neck; the dull ache of his hangover became sharper; throbbing painfully each time he looked at the girl. This was wrong on so many levels. Married, diyu, this was a joke! A sick, sick, depraved joke, and it wasn’t even funny. “She’s no one!”

At the remark, Saffron burst into tears. Inara felt the shock wearing off, soon replaced by fear and anger. This wasn’t real, she was sure of it. It couldn’t be real. Merciful Buddha, it couldn’t be real.

“Captain.” Kaylee scolded.

“Would you stop that?” Mal snapped at the crying girl.

“You brute.” Wash added.

The mechanic walked over to Saffron, placing her arm around her in a comforting manner. “Hey, sweetie. Don’t feel bad. He’s makes everyone cry. He’s like a monster.”

“I am not a monster! Wash, turn this ship around.” Mal ordered anxiously. Jayne was laughing, along with Zoe. River stood far aside, her eyes going to Inara than to Saffron, frowning attentively when she saw Jayne patting the woman’s arm. Her mind began to fill with whispers, crowding her head, she let them take over; filtering the ones that interested her most, the ones that came across loud and clear.

This was a joke, a sick, sick depraved joke…not funny.

Never thought I see the Cap’n married, didn’t strike me as a marrying man.

It’s so sweet. I love weddings, fink….don’t he see he’s makin’ her cry.

Oh, this is a moment…to treasure.

Ain’t fair, he git’s a woman, all I got was a stupid stick that makes rain sounds. What the hell do I want with that?

Why are you helping me? Why? Merciful Buddha, this can’t be real.

It’s business, hon. All a play….fools….and all of you are going to die.

River blinked, shaking her head to clear the jumble of thoughts. She knew the devil was trouble, nobody ever listened to her. The spider had already weaved her web, trapping them in. Someone had to peel the layers, to see the truth. But River knew the one who could, wouldn’t…was too scared to make too much noise. The skeletons would rattle their creaky old bones…then the secret bubbles will pop.

The conversation had moved along further, the Shepard telling Mal he was indeed married. “You, sir are a newlywed.”

Mal just stared at the man in disbelief. “What’s it say in there about divorce?”

Saffron cried further, running off in the direction where Inara had came from. Her steps slowed slightly when she noticed the other woman. Both women shared a look, a hint of a smile showed in Saffron’s eyes, before she disappeared through the door way. Inara felt nauseous, the fear twisting her stomach in knots.

Kaylee stared at Mal reproachfully, pretty green eyes narrowed. “Nee boo goo gah. Nee hwang chian.”

“Gwon nee ju jee du shu.” Mal growled. He suppressed the urge to laugh out loud at this whole mess. This was ridiculous, whole ruttin’ situation was. He was never gonna touch a drop of liquor again.

Zoe stepped up next to him, her hand on his arm. “Really think you’re the one to talk to her, sir.” She tried to stifle her laughter, but the amusement was written clearly across her face.

Mal gave her and his crew a dirty look, “Way I see it, me and her got one thing in common. We’re the only ones don’t think this is funny.”

Inara felt him brush past her. Mal was wrong, he wasn’t the only who didn’t think it was funny. The peace she had felt aboard Serenity had vanished the second she realized who the tchen wah was. Inara didn’t know what the hell Saffron had planned; for sure this was another play of hers, like back on Sihnon. But she’d be damn if she’d let her get away with it.

“Inara, ain’t it sweet. She’s seems so nice, hope the Cap is nicer to her.” Kaylee had walked over to her. “Might loosen him up some.”

Inara shrugged tensely. She was not able to hide her displeasure from her voice. “I’ll be in my shuttle, if any one needs me.” Kaylee was taken aback by the biting tone of her friend, as well as the other crew members; all used to the new crew member’s calm demeanor.

“Why is she so tetchy?” Jayne thought out loud as they watched Inara close the door to her shuttle sharply.

River said enigmatically. “Things are coming full circle.”

“Huh?”

River sighed impatiently, annoyed, but she didn’t know at who. “Density, amount of a substance or thought contained in a specific area. Men and boys…go play with your…. stick, Jayne. ”

Jayne felt his jaw drop at the comment, shifting uncomfortably. “Now, that’s some dirty thinkin’ girl.”

“You like it dirty, among other things.” River countered effortlessly, clear brown eyes boring into his own. Jayne smiled lewdly, even though he reddened at the attention from the girl.

“River!” Simon said in embarrassment, placing his hands on her shoulders. “Don’t say…things like that.”

Kaylee giggled out loud, Zoe couldn’t help but join her. Wash looked at the girl with wide eyes. “Did she just say…what I think she said? Too much, info! Plus, scary imagery, ah, yes, my eyes are burning. Ewww.”

“Thinking dirty thoughts, Simon…like when you think of Kay…” River was cut off when Simon covered her mouth quickly. She was left muttering into his hand, trying to push it away.

“I think we've had enough excitement for the day.” Book interceded.

River stepped on Simon’s foot, he cursed, managing to loosen his hold on her. “No, Shepard, there’s more still to come. Things are coming full circle. It’s just the first step, the other dominoes will follow. Fate’s a tricky cat, knocks them down. And…I meant rain stick…dirty little minds, tsk, tsk.” River said, finally pulling away from her brother. She quickly made her way up the stairs, but not before winking at the befuddled mercenary. Jayne reddened even more, deciding to keep quiet and head to his bunk. Gorram girl was crazy, even that look in her eyes wasn’t so. Creepy girl.

“Oh, rain stick; see that’s much better. Way better…” Wash said in realization. “I still think I am scarred from it. Wife, make it better.” The pilot made puppy dog eyes at Zoe. She slapped him on the arm, trying to hold her laughter in, her shoulders shaking. Ah, and here she had thought that today was going to be tedious. She never remembered laughing so much. The Captain a married man…good Lord; hell, indeed, had frozen over.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Feedback most welcome!!

Chinese Translations:

Ni mei shi ba?- Are you Okay?

Wo hao- I’m fine

Shuai- handsome or snazzy

Diyu- hell

Nee boo goo gah, nee hwang chian- You don’t deserve her, you fink”

Gwon nee ju jee du shu- Mind your own business

Tchen wah- Cheap floosy or bitch or trash

*********

Chapter Eight: Womanly Wiles

By Cassandra E

Disclaimer: Firefly characters are property of the genius, known as Joss Whedon. As do the borrowed bits of dialogue and plots to Shindig and Our Mrs. Reynolds. Any other variation or new characters, the story in general belong to me.

A/notes: I wasn’t too sure how I liked this chapter, still don’t. In part, it’s the whooper of migraines that hit me at the time of writing it, made it hard to concentrate with the whole meds making me groggy. First off, I want to thank every body who has reviewed FF.net and Fireflyfans.net. You’re helpful comments and compliments make writing this story easier. Nautica7mk, your kind words humble me. I hope one day to reach the level you bestow on me. Jahzara, thanks for sticking with my stories. And to May and many others, thanks for giving this story a chance, AU and all. Glad you’re enjoying it. And a very special thanks to the old lady, Neroli, my beta. *ducks in fear**winks* Here’s to character analyzing, disscussion theories, and plot bunny flinging. The next chapter will move the story along quicker, heading into the two weeks at Beaumonde, something that was never shown in the show. So all’s fair game then. ~~~~~~~~~~

30 minutes later…

Inara sat at the foot of her console; she had been staring into the blank screen for the past ten minutes. When she had first entered the shuttle half an hour ago, she had alternated between raging at her pillow with her cane, leaving the downy stuffing littering her floor; and biting her lip, which had begun to bleed. It was the second time in her life that she had ever felt utter helplessness at her situation. The first had been during her enslavement, but even then Inara had the hope of escaping. But now, with Saffron, she didn’t know what to do.

She couldn’t warn the crew on who ‘Mrs. Reynolds’ really was, not without revealing the truth about her own circumstances. That she was on the run from the Alliance and a man whose father she killed, along with many other humiliating details. Inara was proud, had been even as a little girl; it wasn’t in her nature to reveal openly any flaws or suffering. She didn’t want anybody’s pity. But if Saffron decided to speak against her, it would be a disputable point anyway. Although, she was pretty sure the woman had come aboard Serenity for a deliberate reason; the situation would be further to her advantage if she found out what that reason was. It had to be a scam, that Inara was sure of. What that scam was, that was the golden answer. Inara took a deep breath, trying to mediate on her next move. And as usual, Mal had the most wonderful timing.

“Can I come in?” Mal had already entered the shuttle.

“No.” Inara said firmly, not turning around to face him. She made the pretense of turning on the console. A blue screen flashed on, the cortex ready for use.

“See? That’s why I don’t usually ask.” Mal looked around the shuttle. Kaylee had helped decorate it with some fancy cloths, along with a red sofa she had convinced Inara to buy on Jiangyin, before the shoot out. As he sat down he noticed the massacred pillow lying on the floor, the feathers scattered remains.

“What do you want?” Inara said tersely, not bothering to look at him. Knowing she wouldn’t be able to maintain any semblance of calm in front of him; at least, not with the turmoil she was currently feeling.

Mal ignored the sharpness of her tone, making himself comfortable in the seat. Normally, he wasn’t a man to run or hide from things, well, maybe sometimes. But his new found bride was troubling him a great deal; the fact that he had got himself married was unsettling enough. Maybe it was because he wasn’t used to dealing with woman being all submissive like, to Saffron’s degree. All his life he had been surround by ball busting women, starting with his mama and his little sister. It was a miracle he and his brother had survived their childhood, never had he seen any fiercer women, until the war that is. “Oh, I just…needed a place to hide. Is there a reason you killed the pillow? Made you angry maybe?”

Inara clenched her jaw tightly, before giving him a barely tolerant glance. “So I take it that the honeymoon is over?”

“Oh, she’s a fine girl, don’t misread. A hell of a cook, too.”

Inara resisted the urge to roll her eyes. She couldn’t believe men were so easily taken in. Couldn’t he see through the act? She had taken Mal as an intelligent man, more so than most of his gender. Guess Nandi was right, men never think with their heads, they prefer other body parts to do that particular job. Inara faked a smile at him, “I’m sure she has many exciting talents.”

“Did you ever…wash someone’s feet, a man’s particularly?” Mal asked sheepishly.

“I’m afraid that’s none of your business. I don’t discuss my personal life with…my business associates.” Inara stated a bit snidely. “We’ll be in Beaumonde for two weeks, right?”

Mal answered, lost in thought. “Mm. Can’t be exactly sure.”

“Well, I need you to be exactly sure, Mal. I can’t make commitments and then not keep them. That’s your specialty.” Inara said standing up from her seat.

Mal frowned, not able to ignore her biting tone. “And what commitments would that be? You don’t have any, unless I give you one.”

Inara gave a quick shout of laughter. “Right, like you’re liable to give me any. If you don't give me work, I’ll have to find my own. I don’t need a man dictating everything I do, unlike some women. Course any man stupid enough to believe that, gets whatever they deserve.”

“I am sorry. Are you tetchy because I got myself a bride or’ cause I don’t plan to keep her? An’ I thought I explained to you already about the situation in Triumph.” Mal countered back, leaning forward in the seat. He was bewildered by the woman in front of him. Yseu, what was wrong with her? The crew wasn’t cutting him any slack, and now this from Inara? It’s not like he planned the gorram thing!

“I find the whole thing degrading and…pathetic.” Inara replied with false sweetness. What was wrong with her? She shouldn’t be acting this way. More over, why? She didn’t care that Mal was married. It wasn’t even real, Saffron was playing him. But damnit, why did she have the overwhelming urge to smack him, and tear Saffron’s face apart? It was not just because the woman was a threat to the crew and to her, among other things. Inara scoffed at the idea that she was jealous, she was not jealous. Was not.

“Funny, she said the opposite. You might want to take a few lessons from her. This whole confrontational thing you got going now, ain’t gonna do ya any favors, future wise.” Mal said with artificial cordiality, picking up a peacock fan from the couch, lightly fanning himself, knowing it annoyed her even more.

“Oh, look, the devil giving advice.” Inara mocked haughtily, “Maybe you should think twice about letting go of Saffron. You two seem like quite a match. Sadly deluded.”

“Maybe you’re right. Maybe we’re soul mates.” Mal derided further.

“Yes. Great. I wish hundreds of fat children.” Inara said abruptly, sitting back down, her attention back on the cortex screen.

Mal looked at her thoughtfully. Was she jealous? Naw, she couldn’t be. Could she? Never could tell with Inara, woman had a hell of a poker face. He would by no means ever understand women. He'd never seen this side of her before, he wasn’t too sure if he liked it. Although part of him did enjoy seeing her all flustered, anger suited her well, made those pretty brown eyes of her spark. Deciding to bait her even further, he said, “Aww, could you imagine that? Me with a whole passel of critters under foot? Hell, ten years time, I could…”

Inara turned around quickly, voice harsh. “Could you leave me alone for five minutes, please?”

Mal was taken aback by the force of her outburst. He was at loss at what to say, not wanting to push her further. Guess it was his cue to leave. Women, never gonna understand them. And what the hell did she have to be so tetchy of? Not like he did anything wrong. He stood up, sighing as he walked out of the shuttle. Before the doors closed, Mal called out to her in irritation, “I wasn’t lookin’ for a fight!”

Once again alone, Inara made a decision, ignoring the guilt for snapping at Mal. After all, there was no way he could even begin to suspect what Saffron was about. But Inara did. It was obvious from the beginning what she had to do. A little chat with Mrs. Reynolds wouldn’t hurt. And if she couldn’t convince her to peacefully leave Serenity, there were other forms of persuasion. She switched the cortex screen off and walked over to the bed where she had flung the cane. Picking it up, Inara pressed on the side, the sharp blade slide out promptly. Yes, a little chat would do well.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“This is my very favorite gun.” Jayne held out the gun to Mal like a proud parent.

In turn, Mal looked at Jayne in disbelief; torn between sighing in relief that the mercenary wasn’t going to kill him and laughing out loud at the mess. The day just kept getting better and better, making Mal wonder if there was someone in the ‘verse that enjoyed screwing him over. He cursed out loud, “You offering me a trade?!”

Jayne grunted in an affronted manner. “A trade?! Hell, it’s a theft. It’s the best damn gun made by man. It has extreme sentimental value. It’s miles more worthy than what you got.”

“What I got? She has a name.” Mal said evenly, his temper running short.

“So does this. I call it Vera.” Jayne revealed reverently, his eyes fairly glowing as he gazed at the gun.

Mal closed his eyes for a moment before continuing on, “Well my days of not taking you seriously are certainly coming to a middle.”

“Well, damnit Mal, I treat her okay.” Jayne said earnestly.

Mal glared, leaving no room for argument. “She’s not to be bought, nor bartered, or borrowed, or lent. She’s a human woman doesn’t know a damn thing about the world and needs our protection.”

“Well, I’ll protect her!” Jayne promised.

“Jayne!” Mal warned, before saying anything further, “Go play with your rain stick.” Walking away towards the stairway, he left the crestfallen mercenary behind.

Jayne grumbled, annoyed that the Captain hadn’t taken to the trade. He was a little glad that he didn’t, ‘cause he woulda missed Vera a lot. Why was everyone telling him to play with that ruttin’ rain stick? It was a stupid thing anyway; damn stick didn’t do a damn thing. A giggle floated through the catwalk, girlish in tone, but it was almost silent, like a ghost creeping about. Jayne scanned his surroundings quickly, a chill crawling up his spine. The soft fall of foot steps sounded to his left, but nothing was there. A light tap on his back made him jump, startled. The mercenary glowered when he saw who it was.

“Caught you.” River said happily.

“Gorramit, girl, whatca think you’re doin’? You don’t sneak up on a man with a gun.” Jayne scolded.

The happy light went out of River’s eyes, her face taking on a fierce glow. “Mustn’t’ make her welcome. Lying thief.” She left before Jayne could respond back, tangled brown hair swinging behind her. The mercenary frowned, not knowing what to do next. Maybe the gorram rain stick wasn’t such a bad idea after all.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Book was putting the finishing touches on the bed, placing a squared red pillow embroidered with gold in the middle. He stood back, admiring his work at being able to make the passenger room welcoming for the Captain’s ‘wife’. His pleasure was short lived when River calmly walked into the room, pulling the covers from the bed and taking the red pillow with her. The Shepard stared after her for a second, bemused at the girl’s actions. Sighing softly, he followed her out of the room to the waiting room by the infirmary.

Simon saw them through the glass window of the infirmary, his stomach knotted in worry at another possible scene with his sister. He placed the smoother that he had been preparing for her down on the metal tray, walking out just in time to intercept her. She took hold of his hand and turned to face Book, her expression serious. Simon looked at her and the Shepard in puzzlement, “What’s going on?”

“Seems River doesn’t want me making up a bed for our young guest. Or she’s starting a pillow collection. I’m still collecting data.” Book explained.

Simon sighed, slight embarrassment at the Shepard’s words, better yet, his sister’s actions. “I’m sorry. I’ll take care of the room…” He began to walk away, only to be stopped by River. She shook her head, eyes suddenly gleaming bright. “It’s not important! Tell him.”

“Tell him what?”

River smiled at the Shepard, stating simply, “We want you to marry us.”

Book just raised his eyebrows at the statement. Simon felt his jaw drop in horror, eyes going wide with shock at his sister. “What?! We--no! What?” He could not believe those words had come out of River’s mouth. It was jarring enough when half the time she spoke in riddles, or stated facts that made no sense at the time, even her episodes were understandable with what those hundan from the Academy had done to her. But never in his life did he imagine those words, not from his mei mei.

“Two by two. Everyone has a mate, a match, a dopple. I love you.” River clarified, letting go of his hand. “But I need to make my own decisions. That’s why we have to marry. He’ll understand.”

Simon shook his head, trying to find a way to reason with her. “No, River, mei-mei. Of course I love you too. But we can’t be married,” Utterly mortified at the situation, he turned back to Book, “She’s….really crazy.”

River frowned at the remark, her mouth twisting in a pout; she kicked him in the shin hard. Simon yelped, hopping slightly on one foot, “OW! I don’t mean crazy…that’s just not something that brothers and sisters do. I mean on some planets, but only on pretty bad ones.”

“The captain took a wife, the wrong one…but I’ll take a husband.” River continued stubbornly. “And I didn’t mean you, stupid. You’ll have Kaylee and I’ll have Jayne. Book’s too old.”

“I beg your pardon?” Book cut in, slightly miffed.

“NO! River, no…what!? Tianna…” Simon flushed red, his face burning in embarrassment, “I don’t know where this is coming from…”

“Perhaps it’s best if she rested.” Book supplied helpfully, “The day’s excitement has her… a mite confused.”

“Keep your friends close and your enemies closer. I’ll take care of him, doesn’t know it yet. And I’ll knit.” River said, her brown eyes gradually began to shine with disappointment. “You don’t love me.”

Simon was saved from answering when Mal and Saffron entered the area from the stairway. The Captain looked at the three individuals with curiosity, taking note of the tense faces. “What’s going on?”

“I really couldn’t say.” Simon replied, his expression still bewildered at the bizarre conversation.

“I was gonna show Saffron her quarters, did you get that squared away?” Mal asked Book, ignoring the doctor’s remark.

The Shepard motioned with his hands in futility, “Once upon a time…”

“I really don’t need anything; I’m really just fine…” Saffron spoke up shyly behind Mal, her eyes downcast.

River glared at her, turning her full attention on the woman, condemning bluntly, “You’re a thief.” Lying thief, devil was a two faced liar. But River knew who she was, someone had to peel the layers, someone had to see. Captain was too blind, as was everyone else. Although the Captain’s first mate was waking up from the trap, blinder’s coming down. And Inara, a thief also, but her heart was gold and pure, always had known the truth…back in her cage.

Saffron recoiled from the accusation, her head bowing down, shrinking back behind Mal. He placed a protective hand at her back. “Well, ho, let’s play nice here. Your sister’s got some funny notions.” Mal directed the last to Simon.

“That’s not untrue.” The doctor admitted regretfully.

Saffron stepped forward, ashamed. “I am sorry…” Everyone turned to look at her, surprised when she pulled a food packet from her dress pocket. At the same time, River stuffed the pillow under her shirt, hands crossed protectively against it.

Saffron handed the packet to Mal timidly, “I didn’t know when I was to be fed, and I was afraid…”

“You made that fine meal, didn’t eat nothing yourself?” Mal asked confused, taking the packet.

Saffron shrugged bashfully, glancing at the Captain beneath lowered eyes. “That was for you. Weren’t but pot lickings left, so I took this for later, I didn’t know she saw me.”

River hugged the pillow closer to her stomach, murmuring to herself. “Didn’t see you…” But she had heard the whispers, the crackling of the food packet, foil against cloth. Scratch, scratch went the cat; everything was falling into place, the knife must now peel the truth. Blade must be sharp, or wouldn’t reach the surface. Then the rain could fall, after the storm went away.

“Well, there’s certainly no harm done…” Shepard concluded, taking pity on the poor girl.

“All are blind, can’t see, too dark…” River continued to murmur to no one in particular. “Caged bird knows and sees.”

Everyone disregarded her ramblings, Mal spoke up forcefully, tired of his ‘wife’s' submissiveness and whimpering, “And I’d say there is. Good deal a’harm, and it’s starting to tick me off.”

Saffron’s eyes went wide in fright, taking a step back from him. Mal frowned sternly, “Now, I got no use for people sneaking around taking what ain’t theirs.

Book nodded wryly, “Yes, we frown on that here.”

Mal ignored the doubled edge remark from the preacher, continuing on, “But what I got even less use for is a woman won’t stand up for herself. Five days hence we’re puttin’ you in the world, and you won’t last a day by bowing and sniffing for handouts. You want something, you take it, or you ask for it,” he shook the packet for emphasis, “You don’t wait to be told when to breathe, you don’t take orders from anyone. Except me—and that’s just ‘cause I’m the captain, and people take orders from captains even in the world. But for the rest, damnit, be like a woman is. Not no petrified child. There’s more’n seventy little earth’s spinning about the galaxy, and the meek have inherited not a one. Do you understand what I’m saying to you?”

Saffron nodded, her voice filled with resolve, “I do.”

Mal handed her back the food packet, satisfied that he had made his point. He turned towards Book, “Shepard, would you show Saffron her room please?”

Book smiled in acknowledgment, showing Saffron the way. Mal quickly left, taking the stairs where he had came down from, leaving just Simon and River alone in the waiting room.

River looked at her brother patiently, “Now we have to get married,” she patted her pillowed belly in importance, “I am in the family way. It’ll be a girl, her name will be Vera.”

Simon stared at her blankly, not knowing how to respond back. River had always had a sick sense of humor, like the time she had placed a tarantula in his bed. When he had woken up screaming, she had laughed; recording her subject’s reaction to fear.

“You’ll have to restore my honor, challenge Jayne to a duel,” River added as an after thought. “You’ll lose.” Simon sighed tiredly, rubbing his eyes, yes… sick sense of humor still intact.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Fifteen minutes later,

The ship was cold, Inara noted as she stepped out of her shuttle. Even though she had changed into snug tan pants and a pair of boots, the cold air seeped through the woolen gray coat, causing goose bumps to appear on her skin. She had waited until all the crew members were in their quarters before she made her move. Inara held the cane in a lose grip, walking through the mess hall until she reached the passenger rooms. Taking a deep, calming breath, she yanked the door open, but only to reveal an empty room. She frowned, biting her lip in worry, where the hell was Saffron?

“Looking for me, slave?” a voice called behind her, a soft laugh followed as Inara turned around.

Saffron lounged on the waiting room couch, gone was the submissive and meek demeanor, replaced by an arrogant and smirking one, long legs crossed, hiking the short skirt up. She studied Inara, her eyes going over her disdainfully, “Well, you do clean up, don’t you? Probably why Joseph took a shine to you…or was it the other way around, Inara?”

“Shut up, Saffron.” Inara said quietly, her expression cold, not revealing the turmoil she truly felt. “But you always had that trouble, speaking when you shouldn’t…or better yet, speaking at all. I don’t suppose you have the class for it. Never did, always cheap, in what ever dress you were in.” Inara moved into the waiting room, her poise controlled and confident. She let the cane slid down her hand, hitting the floor with a soft thump.

Saffron laughed in delight, her shoulders shaking. “Oh, looky here, the kitten has claws. Seems someone has grown bold over the years, maybe your stay at Harrow Estate did you some good after all.”

“What are you doing here, Saffron? What’s your game?” Inara demanded, giving a quick scan of their surroundings, making sure that none of the crew members were roused from their rooms.

The red haired woman took noticed of the action, smirking boldly, “Checking to see that my husband doesn’t hear anything, Inara? I think he would find your story very…interesting. Wonder what he would do if he found out that a murderess was part of his crew? That there is substantial amount of reward money for your capture.”

The knot in Inara’s belly constricted further, but she willed herself to stay calm. This was Saffron’s way, jabbing until she found an opening to sink her barb in. She would not let her through, not any more. She was not a slave anymore, and Saffron wasn’t the honored Companion of the house. She was stronger; better. Saffron just didn’t know it, let her keep thinking that. “Mal’s not like that.”

“Right, still the stupid little slave. You know Inara; I felt for you, I really did. Joseph was a pig and all. But I won’t let you screw this up for me. If you do, I’ll make sure to tell the Captain everything…and I can be very convincing.” Saffron said confidently, getting up from the couch, sauntering over to Inara.

“Take whatever you need Saffron, but leave them alone,” Inara clenched her hand tightly on the cane, measuring the distance between them.

Saffron scoffed, stopping a foot away. “Please, like I'd listen to you.” Smiling thoughtfully, she tilted her head to the side, a pale finger tapping against her chin. “Do you want to know what happened after you left? How Jeremiah found his daddy’s body, brains blown to bits? How Annie tried to cover for you? Sadly, she disappeared after the Alliance officers questioned her. They found her body a few weeks later, half eaten by pigs, the stench was awful.”

Inara paled slightly, her voice going thick, “You’re lying.”

“No. It was in the news, small clipping on the cortex. If I remember correctly, it was blamed on one of the other slaves. He’s rotting in some jail now. All very heartbreaking,” Saffron replied, “You can find out for yourself, pull up the crime records for the year.”

“What do you want, Saffron?” Inara asked, fighting for control. Annie couldn’t be dead, she couldn’t. Saffron was lying, that’s what she did. Like the marriage to Mal, all of it was planned.

“For you not to get in my way, unless you want me to tip off Jerry and his Alliance buddies. I can’t begin to imagine what he'll do to you, he was furious when I helpfully pointed out who daddy’s killer was. And so very generous for that help.” Saffron revealed, blue eyes gleaming as the fury lit up Inara’s eyes.

“You’re disgusting, you’re…there’re no words to call you.” Inara spat out angrily. “You’re just like them; you’re nobody Saffron, a common con artist that no one cares about. That’s all you’ll ever be, nothing, that’s all you’ll be remembered by.”

Inara’s words found their mark, the laughter fading from Saffron’s face. The other woman clenched her fists tightly, walking up to Inara until they were inches apart, “ I may be a con, but you, Inara…you’re a slave, will be one until the day you die…he’ll never stop looking for you, and that’s how your life will be.” She paused, flicking her finger at her, “But you’re wrong, I’ll make sure Mal remembers me quite well tonight…so please excuse me, I have my wifely duties to perform. Sleep well, Inara. It was nice to catch up.”

Inara stood still, watching her saunter off, willing away the tears that welled up in her eyes. She closed them for a moment, calmly taking another deep breath; trying not to think of images of Mal and Saffron together. When the memories of Annie and that night threatened to overwhelm her, Inara dug her fingernails into her palms, trying to concentrate on the biting pain. With steely resolve, Inara headed back to the shuttle. Let the pofu think she had won… this was far from over.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Jayne sat glumly on his bunk, his hand turning the rain stick upside down for the third time. He listened to the cactus needles falling down to the other end. Well, he was right after all, it was a stupid rain stick. Tossing it across the other end of the bunk, he carefully pulled Vera from his gun rack, taking a cloth from his pocket; he gently began to polish her. Now Vera was a real lady, Jayne silently apologized to her for trying to barter her away so easily.

He glanced up when he heard the patter of footsteps rushing past his door, then stopping and returning back. Jayne waited, cocking Vera in response, the noise echoing in the small room. Who ever it was just stood there, not saying a word. Jayne felt a chill of unease; he stood, climbing up the stairs to see who it was. When he opened the hatch, no one was there; the hallway was silent and dark. Wash had the door to the bridge closed off, Jayne smirked. Maybe the little man and Zoe were gettin’ some entertain’ done for the night. He frowned at the thought; going back down to his bunk, he tenderly placed Vera back on the gun rack. He picked up the rain stick and turned it over again. Stupid stick.

Meanwhile, outside, River lowered her body from her hiding place in the ceiling. She was lucky that Serenity had whispered to her, telling her where to hide. Her booted feet gracefully touched the floor soundlessly; the red hair devil was playing her wiles on the pilot, trying to kiss him goodnight like the Captain. River heard the whispering and hissing, the flames kicking upwards. Yes, Serenity was full of secrets, waiting to spill forth. Soon, River thought, soon, very soon. The storm will rise and wash the demons away. She ran across the hall again, knowing it would spook the big man inside the bunk. He had so much to learn, little by little, River would show him the way. One always kept the enemy closer to one’s heart, letting her know when the closet got too greedy.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Two Minutes Later

Just as Inara was pulling the criminal records from the cortex, the screen blacked out. She tried working the controls again, but to no avail. A sudden suspicion began to form in her mind; she quickly got up and walked out of the shuttle, going over to the second one. Her footsteps were light across the floor, the cane ever present in her hand. It was stupid, letting Saffron get to her. And yet, Inara had the feeling the woman was telling the truth about Annie. The woman had the way of lying so well that one never knew when she was telling the truth. Her hands worked the console to the cortex screen, but it still remained blank. The suspicion in her mind grew further; Inara tightened her grip on the cane in anger. Ever since she had been on Serenity the old ship had never failed, and now that Saffron was so conveniently aboard, it was. Mal had to know. It didn’t matter if she would have to tell him the truth.

Inara turned around; flinging the shuttle doors open, revealing Saffron. The other woman’s eyes went wide with surprise, but it was gone as promptly as it appeared, “Oh! It’s only you.”

Inara narrowed her eyes, her distaste clearly shown, “Are you lost? Did your new husband tire of you so soon?”

Saffron smirked, her eyes going confident, “Oh, hardly Inara, he was quite…attentive. I thought the other shuttle was yours.”

“It is. I was on the cortex, the screen shorted out. This one’s out too.” Inara answered, relaxing her hold on the cane. “You wouldn’t happen to know anything about that, would you?”

“Why Inara, what are you trying to say?”

“I think you know, Saffron. Coyness doesn’t become you. In fact, nothing does.”

Saffron took a step forward, expression bold, only a few inches apart from Inara. “Some would disagree with you.”

Inara scoffed, delicate brows arched, “If you mean men, I wouldn’t expect anything less. I’m not a man, Saffron. What ever your appeal, it’s lost on me.”

“Really?” Saffron queried innocently, her body and face screaming seduction. Her manners reminded Inara of the time when Nandi had began to hone her own natural ability to read people, teaching her specific signs of body language and the subtle tells. Saffron had it all, meaning she might not be a Companion, but she had obviously trained as one.

Alarms suddenly began to blare out, red emergency lights flashing throughout the cargo hold. Inara smiled with false sweetness at Saffron’s guiltless expression, “Really. I think this has gone on long enough. You’re good, I’ll give you that.”

“Sadly, I can’t say the same thing for you.” Saffron replied, dropping the act.

“Who are you really, Saffron?”

The red haired woman smiled, “I am Malcolm Reynolds’s widow.”

Inara felt the blood drain from her face, her heart constricting at the statement. But before she could process it through, she blocked an incoming punch from Saffron. The blow was hard, but Inara moved the cane up with both hands, slamming it across the woman’s ribcage. Saffron let out a gasp, eyes going wide from the surprise attack. Catching her breath, she lunged at Inara with a side kick; Inara easily blocked it with the cane, the force of the kick prompting the blade out. Inara attacked quickly, the blade slashing, missing Saffron by inches. The woman gave a quick chop to Inara’s shoulder, causing her to break her hold on the cane and fall forward. Inara avoided an incoming kick by rolling into a ball, then kicking her legs out to throw the other woman off balance. Saffron fell wrong, taking the impact of the fall on her back, groaning as she picked herself up, throwing a deadly glare in Inara’s direction. “Seems you've been practicing, shame you didn’t learn that before Harrow got his hands on you.”

Inara gracefully pulled herself in a fighting stance, realizing too late that Saffron had access to the shuttle. The other woman smiled, backing away in the direction of the shuttle, “Give him a decent funeral, something with splash. Oh, and good luck on Jeremiah not finding you. Hope no mysterious tip gives you away.”

Inara watched her go, resisting the urge to follow her. Letting the cane drop from her hands, she rushed in the opposite direction of the walk way, coming into the hallway that led to the bridge. Zoe was holding a dazed Wash in her lap, voice worried. “Baby, wake up...he’s bleeding.” Jayne was busy trying to open the door to the bridge, at the same time a sleepy Kaylee emerged from her room, yawning, “What’s going on?” she asked Inara, her eyes confused at all the commotion. Inara ignored her, slamming the ladder down to Mal’s room.

She climbed down quickly, narrowly missing a step. The first thing she saw was Mal draped across the floor, body unmoving; Inara felt her hands tremble- fearing the worst. “Mal, Mal, Mal, Mal!” She rushed over to him, taking hold of his face, Mal moaned at the movement, Inara felt her eyes growing wet with unshed tears, sighing in relief, “Merciful Buddha…” kissing him hard on the lips. She buried her face at the crook of his neck, taking a moment to collect herself. She let her hand glide tenderly across his cheek, getting her to feet to activate the intercom button, “Get the doctor! Mal’s hurt…he…”

Inara felt a numbness take hold of her, her eyes and body began to droop. She stumbled as she brought her hand to her lips, recognizing the mint chalky taste, she glared at Mal scornfully as she realized what had happen, “You stupid son of a…” Inara didn’t finish as she collapsed to floor with a loud thud.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Mal blinked back the blurry vision, his eyes felt heavy and his mouth tasted funny. Gorramit, if his head didn’t hurt also and why the diyu was everyone in his room? Was it some holiday? He remembered when Daniel and Jenny used to wake him up on Christmas morning. He said the first thing that popped into his mind. “Is it Christmas?”

Simon raised his brows in response, expression bemused. “Well, he’s back,” taking off the stethoscope from his ears.

Mal looked around the room, everyone was here, save for Kaylee, Jayne and River. Inara was propped up in his bed like a rag doll, her eyes tired, dark locks tousled over her shoulders. When did she get in his bed? More, what the hell happened? Last thing he remembered was Saffron and…what the hell happened? “What happen about me?” Mal asked groggily.

Zoe gave him an arched look, “Your blushing bride was a plant,” motioning over to Wash, “She took both of you out.”

“How did…”

Simon explained, now in doctor mode, “A narcotic compound, probably spread over a seal on the lips. You get it on yours and pow.”

Inara shifted in the bed, her mind fuzzy from the effects of the drug, but aware of where the conversation was heading. She had been an idiot, worse so. Why did she kiss him? He ever found out…God, it was humiliating. He would never let her live it down.

“Lips, huh?” Zoe asked knowingly.

Mal blinked, “Well, no…”

“We used to get a lot of guys brought in on the night shift at the E.R.—usually robbed and groggy. Called it the good night kiss.” Simon added helpfully.

Zoe gave Mal a look. “So you two were kissing.”

“Well, isn’t that special?” Book said pointedly, directing the last to the befuddled Captain.

Mal didn’t like the tone or the look the preacher was giving him. Changing the focus of the conversation, he asked the pilot, “Wash? How did…”

The blond haired man picked his head up in attention, posture defensive while wincing at the cut on his head, “Hey, I just got kicked in the head.”

“My man would never fall for that tchen wah.” Zoe said with assurance at her husband, her gaze tender.

Wash pressed the rag to his head, “Most of my head wishes I had.”

“You guys don’t understand…” Mal began weakly, seeing how everything was starting to appear like. Forget about going to the special hell, he was already there.

The Shepherd spoke up plainly, “Seems pretty simple from here. You were taking a…”

“I was the one being taken advantage of!” Mal said, outraged at the implication, he stood up clumsily. Zoe helped him on the right to keep his balance.

“My apologies, you were victimized, Wash was beaten and Inara found you here.” Book patronized calmly.

Hearing her name, Inara blinked back the daze she had fallen into while watching the proceedings. She spoke up defensively, her voice slurred and sleepy, “And then I fell. My head got hurt like Wash.”

Mal shook his head in puzzlement, “I don’t get any of this.”

“I only fell is all.” Inara added further, trying to stand up.

Mal gave her a curious glance before continuing, “What the hell is our status?”

Zoe stepped forward, one hand on Mal’s arm, “We’re shut down. Jayne and Kaylee are still trying to get us on the bridge.”

“All we know is we’re headed somewhere and ain’t Beaumonde.” Wash supplied.

The furrow in Mal’s brow deepened as he made his way up the stairs. The others followed him, leaving Simon and Inara alone. She was glad of the reprieve of conversation and attention, her mind still fuzzy. She knew that the only reason neither Mal nor the others had studied her condition more carefully was because of the impending trouble at whatever the hell Saffron had done. And the Captain’s own befuddlement. Idiot that he was. Inara thought grumpily. Had no business kiss….she lost her train of thought when the doctor came forward, stethoscope and medical bag in hand.

She shooed him away, snuggling further into the bed. “I’m fine. I don’t need to be examined. I’m comfy.”

“Are you sure?” Simon asked her, “You seem a little dazed, could be a concussion.”

Inara shrugged, “I’m fine, really. Peachy. Just a little bump, not like Mal’s thing.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

River stood to the side as Mal and the others filed up from his quarters. She had watched as Jayne and Kaylee had futilely tried to open the bridge door. The buzzing sounds of chaotic thoughts pushed into her head like bothersome flies, all at once; she closed her eyes and put her hands over her ears to make it stop; only it never did. When Jayne pulled out a blow torch, she let herself fall in a trance from the flickering blue flame, becoming the fire, hissing, it spoke to her. “A trap, trust me said the spider to fly. And the fly fell onto the web, trapped and gobbled up by the spider.” Serenity was trapped; the webs would hold strong, pretty lights would burn them all up. The trance was broken when the Captain spoke out, “Why the big act? What the hell was she after?” Mal asked as Jayne began to use the blowtorch on the door, walking unto the outer deck.

“Besides molesting innocent captains?” Book supplied dryly.

Mal glowered impatiently at the man. “You want to stow it preacher? We’re in some peril here.”

“If she can fly this thing, why just take the shuttle?” Zoe pondered out loud, her brow twisted in a frown.

River saw her brother come up from the captain’s quarters, followed by a wobbly Inara. River hid a smile, taking a strand of hair and twisting it around her finger playfully. The caged bird bit off a piece of forbidden fruit, silly girl, didn’t she know it wasn’t forbidden? Too afraid, too scared, prince charming didn’t save her. Just like Simon didn’t either, was too late. Found pieces instead. No happily ever after, but still a chance for the pretty bird, there was still a chance to fly free.

“Maybe she likes shuttles?” Wash said out loud; at Mal’s dark look, he added in exasperation, “Some people juggle geese…”

River took the chance to speak up, already bored with watching, and the buzzing in her head was getting louder. “I told you.” Everyone turned to look at her; Jayne even took a moment to turn off the blow torch. Satisfied that she had everyone’s attention, she finished firmly, “She’s a thief. Should have listened. Now the web is set…can’t get out.”

“Thank you for that lovely piece of information that we didn’t know.” Mal snapped impatiently, to Simon, “You mind keeping her quiet?”

“Shouldn’t have kissed her,” River continued, “Didn’t see the fangs until too late. Now you’ll never know, when you do- it’ll be too late. No one heard the screaming, no one helped her. Took something that wasn’t his and no one helped until it was too late. Now the demons chase her…never stop coming.”

Everyone stared at her blankly, except Inara, who had gone pale. Jayne broke the silence as he switched on the blowtorch again, to open the door, the flame sizzling through the metal. “We’re almost in.”

River let her gaze fall on Inara, studying her intently. The older woman looked down to avoid those dark eyes; Zoe saw the quiet exchange, sharing a curious glance with Mal. He nodded slightly, saying now wasn’t the time. So she let it go for the time being.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A Few Hours Later, Liberty Planet

The Hunting Inn

Mal trudged along the snow filled path, letting the snowflakes seep through the brown coat duster. It had always snowed in Shadow, winters were always rough. Never did like the snow, pain in the ass, especially when he had to tend to cattle with the other hands. Ma would make him wake early, before the sun rose, course that’s when it was always the coldest. Danny had always managed to sneak off to avoid his chores, leaving Mal with the work, but Ma always made sure his punishment was due. Strangely enough, he always ended sharing those punishments with him. He came to a stop when he reached the cabin; sighing, he let the cold air fill his lungs, relishing the burn of the frost. Serenity got lucky, hell; they had gotten lucky with Jayne and Vera making those shots. Now, after that relief, all that was left was fury. If there was anything he hated as much as the Alliance, it was being made a fool of. And a very stupid fool he had been. All because of a woman, it was usually because of a woman; they were trouble always and will be, except Serenity. Now that was a gal he could count on, unlike Zoe and many others, who would never demand anything from him or question him. Women always complicated things, with their wiles, which was never a good thing in Mal’s book. Those thoughts brought an image of Inara, but he quickly pushed it away as he finished walking up the path and kicked the door in hard.

His so called wife froze, her hand already on the holster, but Mal beat her to it. He aimed the gun at her head, cheerfully announcing his presence, “Honey…I’m home…”

Saffron gave a look of defeat before she lunged at him, knocking the gun from his hand, firing it in the process. The bullet went astray and she pulled her own gun, but Mal wrenched it from her hand, shoving her onto the bed and landing on top of her, his grip hard on her wrists. He gave her a bawdy smile, “Looks like you get your wedding night after all.” Saffron glared at him, kicking him between the legs. Mal sucked in his breath at the pain, but rolled both of them to the ground, reaching for his knocked away pistol, pointing it under her chin. “It’s the first time, darlin’, I think you should be gentle with me.”

Saffron smile unfathomably, letting out a deep breath, “You gonna kill me?”

Mal felt the corners at his mouth turn up, woman had guts after all, “Can you conjure up a terribly compelling reason for me not to?”

She pouted seductively, her voice husky, “I didn’t kill you…”

“You turned me and my crew over to those that would kill us, that buys you nothing.”

“I made you dinner…” Saffron countered back.

“Why the act? All the seduction games, the dancing about folk….there has to be an easier way to steal.” Mal asked in interest.

She looked down at him in disdain, “You’re assuming the payoff is the point.”

“I’m not assuming anything at this juncture.”

“How’d you find me?”

Mal chuckled, “Only a few places that shuttle could make it from where you left. Happy to find it intact.”

Saffron turned up her charm; smiling sexily, she began to slowly grind her hips against him, trying to get a reaction from him. “You’re quite a man, Malcolm Reynolds. I’ve waited a long while for someone good enough to take me down.”

“Saffron…you even think of playing me again, I will riddle you with holes.” Mal smiled coldly at her, ignoring the lap dance, however appealing it was, which was saying something.

The smile faded from her face, as she dropped the act. She was a cold one, colder than the snow outside, hell of an actress though. Her blue eyes were chips of ice as she sneered at him, tone patronizing, “Everybody plays each other. That’s all anybody ever does. We play parts.”

Mal moved away from her, sitting on his hunches, Saffron leaned forward on her elbows. “You got all kinds a' learnin' and you made me look the fool without trying, yet here I am with a gun to your head. That's 'cause I got people with me, people who trust each other, who do for each other and ain't always looking for the advantage. There's good people in the 'verse. Not many, lord knows, but you only need a few.”

“Is that what you think? She’s playin’ you and you’re too stupid to see it.” Saffron said haughtily. “Guess Inara learned a thing or too on her own.”

Mal frowned, not liking where the conversation was heading. “Don’t think you can set me against my crew, Saffron.”

“I ain’t settin’ you against nothing, hubby. Just tellin’ ya what’s what. You ever ask her why she left Sihnon?” Saffron revealed, “Oops, she didn’t mention that did she?”

“You know her?” Mal couldn’t resist asking.

Saffron smiled in satisfaction at planting the seed of doubt, “I know many things…I could help you find them out for a price.”

Mal smiled at her, “I got one question for you. Just one thing I'd like to know straight up.”

“Ask me.”

“What’s your real name?”

She looked away, debating in answering him. That was all Mal needed to see, he slammed the butt of the gun into her chin. Her head hit the floor with a loud thump. He watched the steady rise and fall of her breathing for a moment; probably be the only time he'd see her with her guard down. “You’d only’ve lied anyhow.”

He stood up, picking up a blanket to cover her. He was considerate even though she didn’t deserve it. Mal left the cabin, trudging back up the path; Serenity was parked at Liberty’s docks. It was a long walk back, giving Mal time to go over what Saffron had revealed. The woman was a born liar or at least a much practiced one. Saffron had just confirmed his suspicions, he had known the moment he met Inara that she was hiding something, it didn’t matter how poised she was. Now the only thing wrong with the whole mess was if Inara knew about Saffron, why didn’t she speak up? The anger started to fuel again, if she had known and kept quiet, she had purposefully put the crew in danger. And that was something Mal couldn’t accept and would not. In fact, he had been patient long enough, consideration went only so far and it was a two way street. And that street had come to a dead end, whether Inara liked it or not, he would have some answers if she wanted to stay aboard Serenity. He hoped it didn’t come to that, hate it as he did; he had grown accustomed to her presence among many things. He would hate to see her go, but his crew and their safety came first.

They always would.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

TBC- Chapter Nine: Half Lies

Feedback most welcome!

Translations:

Pofu: Bitch

Tchen wah: Cheap floozy, trash

Tianna: Oh God ****** Small A/Notes: Just wondering, would any of you prefer me posting in large sections (several chapters in one post) or by seperate chapters? I tend to write long ones any way. I hope to be done w/ Ch.9 this week. And lastly, Feedback most welcomed.