Shadows danced across the young man’s face as he stared into the fire, the hatred in his eyes as he thought on those that shamed him mirrored by the dancing flames. Atherton Wing prided himself on three things- his ability with a sword, his luck with women, and his long memory. One man stood as a black mark on all three.

Malcolm Reynolds had resorted to trickery and foul punches to beat him at the sword, but all anyone cared about was that Atherton was the one on the ground at the end. He then convinced that whore to take him off the client registry, making it slightly more difficult for him to get dates. It wasn’t that he couldn’t, but Companions were looked upon very highly in his society, and when one found out that he had gotten a black mark in their clientele registry…well, they thought less highly of him. And thanks to his fine, long memory, Atherton was forced to dwell on these events long after others present had forgotten them.

Atherton was not the sort of man to sit and let his reputation crumble around him though- he planned on getting Malcolm back for the scars that now marred his perfect physique. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Atherton was discussing Mr. Reynolds at the club banquet when Sir Harrow came up behind them.

“Boy, are you wasting this night talking of the Malcolm Reynolds who beat you- soundly, might I add- at swords?”

“And stole his paid whore!” One of Atherton’s buddies yelled out.

Atherton gave a slight nod. He had never enjoyed Warrick’s company, but the man was quite prominent in this moon’s politics, so he put up with him to a point.

“Son, the man might have hurt your pride in the duel- He did land a couple good punches, if I do say so myself- but even you aren’t that blind. You saw them dancing the night before, saw the way they looked at each other?”

He waited for Atherton’s reluctant nod before continuing

“Miss Serra, extremely accomplished companion though she is, could not hide the way she felt for that man. She was never yours Atherton- you should accept that. She put up the facade for a night because it is what she is paid to do, but don’t go around telling others she was yours- why embarrass yourself any more?”

Atherton scowled at that and walked off, the laughter of his so-called friends echoing behind him until he exited onto the open-air balcony. As angry as he was, Warrick had given him an idea on how to hurt both Mr. Reynolds and the cheating Ms Serra. Afterwards, he would get back at Mr. Reynolds on a more physical level. That plan was already set. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Since Miranda, things had both changed dramatically on Serenity and not at all. River now flew the boat, and while she didn’t have Wash’s form or grace, she got the ship where they needed to go in more or less one piece.

Zoe was barely seen these days; she only exited her cabin to get meals, which she then took back to her bunk, or when Mal called a crew meeting. Everyone left her alone for the most part. Losing Wash had been hard on all of them, but Zoe especially. A pairing like Zoe and Wash…that was a rare find, and she seemed to know it was unlikely she’d find someone else who could handle her self-sufficient nature.

Kaylee and Simon proceeded to make-out whenever and wherever possible, from the engine room to the bridge.

Mal and Inara were back to their bickering love-hate relationship to the casual observer, but the crew noticed slight changes in the two. There seemed to be a lot less actual fighting, more like fighting for the sake of keeping with pretenses, and a lot more casual touches and glances. But, as far as anyone could tell, that was as far as it went. Inara also seemed to have a lot less clients- although Mal denied looking for jobs only on Rim worlds and Inara insisted it was just due to the number of companions popping up everywhere across the ‘verse that she had stopped even looking at her cortex. Their explanations were offered to politely smiling faces that just nodded and agreed with them.

One of these pseudo-fights was occurring in the mess hall today

“Mal, I don’t see why you have to be so difficult! I just mentioned that you might want to give the crew some time off this spaceship…”

“And all ‘m sayin’ is that this is my gorram ship and I’ll therefore do with it as I please…I don’t wanna stop till we’ve got…

“…They need to stretch their legs…everyone’s going stir crazy! It’s been weeks since we’ve seen solid…”

“….anyone complanin ‘sides you…”

“Captian…”

“…I’m the only one not relying on you for income…”

“Captian…”

“…so why’s don’ you just hop in your shuttle and go for a little pit stop on one of the moons…”

“…and watch you sail away without me?”

“CAPTAIN!”

“What the gorram…” Mal looked around for the source of the interruption

River’s voice cackled over the com.

“Sorry to interrupt captain, but you’ve got a wave here. I’ll send it down to the mess hall”

Oh- one other difference. Seems once she got that secret outta her head, River was able to act almost normal again…as normal as a 19-year-old human weapon who was also a mind reading genius with psychological damage.

Inara smiled and squeezed Mal’s arm in a silent truce as she headed to the door. When the wave blinked on however, she paused. The woman on the screen had dark blond hair that curled down to sit below the view the cortex offered. Her light blue eyes sat in a face worn by hard times and long years, but when she saw Mal, the smile that lit her face took years off her features. It wasn’t her looks that made Inara stop on the other side of the doorway to listen, however, but rather the way Mal looked at her. He wore a combination of a perplexed/happy/worried expression that gave his hard features a comical air.

“Well, if it isn’t the famous Malcolm Reynolds. I just can’t believe it. To think the famous Mr. Reynolds would lower himself to take my short little wave…”

The woman’s slight drawl mimicked Mal’s and hinted at Rim-world heritage.

“Hey, no need to be gettin all ironical on me now…it’s been a couple’a years….”

“That it has- 5 years to be exact”

“Yeah, about that…”

Inara could hear the nervousness in his voice.

“I’ve been real busy, see...with…captain-ey stuff…I’ve got my own boat now, you know- and, well, its hard findin’ work out here…I’m not exactly the Alliance’s favorite person…favorite criminal, maybe…but bein’ that don’t usually reserve you a seat at the Yule Ball, if ya get my meanin’…There just wasn’ much time to visit, see…”

“Well Mal, I might have been able to understand better if you’d managed to drop a wave or two to your dear old mum out here on the Rim…”

Inara gasped. Mal’s mother? Mal’s background had always been somewhat of a mystery to her, but she’d assumed it was because he had no family to speak of. Now to find out that he had a mother all this time…she chanced a glance into the room. Now that she thought about it, the woman’s eyes were the exact same ones that stared out at her every day in the midst of an argument. And the way they were looking at Mal now…she would guess they had the same stubborn streak too.

“I might be able to forgive you for all those years of distance if you manage to come to your sister’s reception in Persephone next week…”

Sister!? How many other relatives was Mal hiding in that background of his. Maybe a twin brother, a couple wives…a son or two. Apparently there was a lot she didn’t know about Malcolm Reynolds.

“Oh ma, I don’t think I…RECEPTION! True’s gettin married!? To who? When? Where? What’s his name- I’ll get a background check…she’s too young to be getting hitched…guy didn’t force her into anything did he? Where’s Vera when ya need her…Oh, just wait till I get my hands on the little—“

“Malcolm Rupert Reynolds”

Inara smiled outside the door. Oh, I’ll get him for that one…Rupert?

“True is 20 years old- plenty old enough to be making her own decisions- and Matt’s a sweety- He loves her very much. They’re gettin married beginin of next week, but I know you won’t be able to come. Matt’s father is very prominent in the politics of this planet, and there will be a few of the alliance here as well. It’s not safe for you to come then, but at the reception it’ll be too crowded for anyone to notice…and True wants her big brother here so bad…”

Mal sighed.

“I’ll be there”

“Good”

Inara didn’t even have to look into the room to hear the smile on his mother’s face.

“I’ll leave four invitations at the inn…I want to meet Kaylee’s doctor friend she’s always waving me about…”

“Doc…Kay… lil Kaylee’s been waving my moth…”

“…and I’m sure you can find someone…”

Inara wondered if Kaylee had mentioned anything about her in these clandestine waves.

“…maybe that lovely companion you’re so…”

Nevermind.

Mal cut her off before she could finish.

“Goodbye mum- see you on Persephone.”

The screen went blank and she heard Mal sit heavily down on a chair.

“Guess you heard most o’ that”

Inara strode out from behind the door.

“Only because I was eavesdropping”

Mal sat in one of the chairs situated around the table and Inara took at seat across from him.

“So…that was your mother.”

“Margaret T. Mitchell herself.”

“Mitchell?”

“I took my father’s last name.”

“Ah…I wasn’t sure you had a mother, to tell you the truth. I just assumed you were hatched or spawned by the devil or something…”

“Oh you’re just hil-arious Nara. Thank you much for comin in here and brightnin my day…”

He rubbed his hands tiredly through his hair.

Inara decided to change the subject.

“I didn’t know you had a little sister either. It explains why you’re so protective of River”

Mal smiled softly

“Yeah, True’s my half sis though. I was 13 when she was born…barely got to know her ‘fore I joined up…by the time it was over she was already her own person. ‘aven’t seen her in years though…War changed me, and I didn’t want it to change True. But now she’s getting married to some alliance hwoon dahn who probably couldn’t tell a shotgun from Vera.”

Mal sighed.

“I better head up to the engine room; tell Kaylee she gets a new dress. Hope I don’t find her indisposed…even if I know it’s goin on in my ship, don’t mean I gotta like it…”

Inara frowned as he stood. She had expected him to ask her to come to his sister’s reception with him. Now seemed like the opportune moment, and after the way they’d gotten along these past months, plus the fact his mother wanted to meet her, she’d assumed…

Mal turned when he reached the doorway that led into the cargo bay.

“Oh, and Nara…Try not to wear anything too slinky…don’t wanna upstage the bride.”

TBC