So I forgot my disclaimer on the first part, but here it is…I don’t own ‘em…if anyone on this site did, I expect it wouldn’t be cancelled.

Pairing: Mal/Inara

Rating:PG-13 for this chapter, just to be safe ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The ship shook slightly as it came to a stop on the private landing pad situated on the outskirts of Persephone’s largest city. As the crew gathered outside the ship, reveling in the feeling of actual land under their feet, a robust elderly man came to greet them. His orange riding jacket clashed terribly with the red sash he insisted on wearing wherever he went, but he welcomed them with such a large smile and obvious pleasure that the crew barely noticed.

He held out a large hand to Mal.

“Malcolm Reynolds. What a pleasure it is that we meet again. And Miss Serra, you’re looking as lovely as ever.”

Inara smiled graciously to Sir Harrow, who had agreed to house them and let them keep Serenity on his property so they could be as inconspicuous as possible.

Mal shook the man’s hand and gave him one of his most charming smiles.

“Me and mine’r grateful to you- lettin’ us use your home and property. We’d’ve had to put her down miles from the city otherwise.”

“After you took such good care of my steers- it’s the least one in my position could do. Now come, I’ll show you where you’ll be staying.”

With that he led them swiftly to a large colonial-style house located on the other side of the hill that hid the landing pad from view.

Once inside the luxuriously decorated house-“My wife’s doing”, Warrick explained-

The old man showed each traveler to their room. Kaylee and Simon insisted on sharing one when Warrick explained that the house only had 4 guest rooms. Mal and Jayne also shared one, although less cooperatively. Zoe was given her own room before Warrick led Inara to hers.

“Now, Miss Serra- I know what you do for a living, and it doesn’t bother me in the least if you choose to host your clients here. What you do is your business…”

Inara smiled slightly.

“You’re very accommodating Sir Harrow- much more so than most men…”

She paused

“But I don’t really take clients anymore…”

Warrick frowned.

“Why didn’t you tell me…I could have given you and Captain Reynolds this room and let that other beast of a man have his own.”

Inara looked stricken

“Oh no, Mal and I, we’re not…we haven’t…we’re not together.”

Warrick smiled knowingly.

“So sorry Miss Serra…I just assumed…my mistake.”

Inara’s companion training took over as she hid her discomfort on Warrick’s latest choice in topic with a smile.

“Please, call me Inara. And it’s no problem. Mal and I, we have a complicated relationship. Many confuse it as something more.”

She couldn’t meet Warrick’s eye by this time, and he noticed with a hidden smile.

“Well, I’ll leave you to your unpacking”

He headed to the door, but paused before closing it behind him.

“Inara- if I may be so bold as to say- If it looks like a duck and quacks like a duck, it is almost always, in my experience, a duck.”

By the time she had gotten her shocked expression under control and whirled to meet Sir Harrow, the door was shut and she was left to stare at the empty space, a dumbfounded look on her face. As a companion, she had learned to guard her true feelings with her life, never letting a client have a glimpse of how she truly felt. Yet this kind old man had just walked in here and put into words something Inara had shied away from even thinking about. What she had said was true- Her and Mal’s relationship was increasingly complicated. Even time apart, which she had hoped would calm the storm that raged inside her at the sight of him, had done nothing but increase the want. And now they were together again, the feelings all the more intense but the facts the same. It would never work. At least, that had become Inara’s internal mantra these past months.

After everyone was settled in, Mal had them meet in the kitchen to catch everyone up on what would happen on Persephone.

“Now, I don’ wanna stay on this moon any longer than necessity calls for. I didn’t exactly make friends last time we came around here- so while Nara and lil Kaylee’r gettin prettied up for the reception, I want River, Zoe, and Jayne to look for us some work. By this time next week, I want us shippin off with a full load. I don’ care who it’s for or what it is- just get us some cargo.”

Mal nodded to signify he was done and the crowd began to disperse. Kaylee immediately stood up and headed toward him.

“So Cap’n, you gonna give me and Nara some silver so we can make ourselves all pretty pretty”

Mal scowled slightly but reluctantly pulled out a pouch of change, giving both girls an if-you-spend-too-much-I’ll-send-you-to-the-mud-pits-of-Jaynestown look before placing it in Kaylee’s outstretched hand.

“Aww, I love my Cap’n. He’s so good to us.”

With that she placed a swift kiss on Simon’s lips and took Inara’s arm, leading the older woman out the door. As Zoe, River, and Jayne went to get the hover craft, Simon cleared his throat.

“Ah…what about me Captain…What do you want me to do?”

Mal glanced around nervously to make sure no one was eavesdropping before replying.

“You’re…”

He lowered his voice

“You’re gonna help me get a wedding gift.”

“A gift…Mal…I don’t know if I’m the person to…”

“You lived at the core for 22 years, you grew up there. You’ve been to fancy weddings…”

He waited for Simon to nod

“You’ll do” ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Inara and Kaylee were in the dress shop, browsing through the short, long, slinky and ruffled dresses that were offered.

Kaylee held up a poofy yellow dress, but Inara shook her head.

“You need to wear some slink to show off those curves you hide under coveralls. Plus, my guess is Simon will appreciate it…”

Kaylee blushed but set the dress back on the rack.

“I’m just so excited about this wedding…It’s just so shiny. People fallin in love, gettin married…somethin so earth-that-was about it. Very romantic. And it bein Mal’s sister…well, it’s practically family, ain’t it?”

“Yes, it is very romantic. To tell you the truth though, I didn’t even know Mal had a sister until a couple of days ago. It was something of a shock, seeing as he never speaks of her. Why is that, do you think?”

Kaylee nodded knowingly.

“Yeah, he doesn’t talk much of his background, the Cap’n doesn’. It’s only cause he loves ‘em though. Back when I first started on Serenity, I heard the Cap’n and Zoe talking bout True. He was mad at Zoe for talkin bout her to Jayne. ‘Parently he’s worried someone would go after her if they knew he was related. Got a point there, he does. We don’t exactly associate with the sweetest of people, you know? He said he was glad they didn’t have the same last name, that way it’d make it harder to connect ‘em. She has his Momma’s second husband’s name. He was a ranch hand, so I heard. But he was tellin Zoe not to talk about her on his boat or anywheres else. Wanted to pretend he was an only child so he didn’t put her in danger. The Cap’n’s sweet like that.”

As Kaylee spoke, Inara began to understand Mal’s way of thinking. A man in his line of work…the fewer attachments he had, the better.

“But now she’s gettin married and we get to see her! I’m so excited Nara…this is gonna be one shiny night.” ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The girls returned later that evening to find the rest of the crew feasting on real vegetables, courtesy of Sir Warrick’s wife. The girls put their packages in their rooms before joining them at the table, where they were discussing what had been accomplished that day.

“So no one needs to haul anything on this planet? Not protein, cows, guns, nothing?”

Jayne shook his head.

“Nope Mal, nothing. And trust me, I looked long and hard. There weren’t even any cows needin haulin.”

There was a moment of silence before Mal turned to the girls.

“Well, I hope your day was better spent than Jayne’s over here.”

Inara nodded as Kaylee practically bounced out of her seat.

“I got the shiniest dress Cap’n. And Inara…her dress is ‘mazin. Once you see her, all you’ll wanna do is take her to your room and sex her till…”

Inara started coughing loudly, having choked on the Zucchini she had just started eating. Simon had covered Kaylee’s mouth with his hand, hoping to prevent her from giving both the captain and their certified companion heart attacks.

Mal cast a worried glance at Inara. He had tuned out Kaylee once she started talking about how amazing Inara’s dress was. He didn’t need lil Kaylee to describe an amazing dress when he knew it was the woman in it that made it amazing. The next thing he knew, Inara was choking and Simon was suffocating Kaylee.

“What’d I miss?”

He looked around the room, noting a quiet smile on Zoe he hadn’t seen in awhile, Inara’s relieved expression, and Jayne’s confused look. Well, nothing new about the last one.

Inara laid her hand gently on his arm.

“It’s nothing Mal. Kaylee was just joking around. What did you and Simon do all day?”

Simon began to speak, happy to end the awkward silence that had fallen.

“Well, Mal wanted…”

Mal interrupted the man. He didn’t want anyone on his crew to know he had spent the day shopping for special plates and appliances. He’d rather leave Jayne as captain of Serenity…and that was saying a lot. “We ran some errands, nuthin special. Well, It’s getting late, I ‘spect we should be hittin’ our bunks…we’ve gotta busy week ahead of us.”

With that the group broke up and headed to their separate rooms. Inara and Mal were the last to follow, and walked up the stairs together. When they reached Mal’s door, Inara paused.

“Well, Goodnight Mal. I suppose I’ll see you tomorrow.”

She began to head down the hall when Mal’s voice called her back.

“Nara..wait…I…you ever wonder if you could…if we…”

Inara held her breath, waiting to see what would come of this taboo topic. Before she got her hopes up too high though, she could see Mal close up again before her eyes.

“Zoe’s not doin well, without Wash. She isn’t herself. It worries me.”

“Well, she loved Wash a lot. It’ll take time for her to get over the loss.”

She was frustrated with the turn this conversation had taken.

“Yeah, suppose you’re right. It just worries me. And makes me wonder…”

He gave her a look that drove a tingle up her spine.

“Job we do…its dangerous havin connections…lovin people. Only leads to hurt in the end…I don’t think I could do that…love someone knowin that doin so puts ‘em at more risk.”

Inara felt tears prick the back of her eyes even as she wondered if this conversation was about Zoe, his sister, or herself. She was afraid to know. She decided to give the safe answer.

“Mal, if Zoe never loved Wash, she would have missed out on all those years of happiness. Even the hurt she feels now…it doesn’t take those years away. And your sister…she may be at danger, being related to you, but it doesn’t make her love you any less.”

She turned to walk away and almost missed his last statement that he muttered under his breath, presumably so she wouldn’t hear.

“Wasn’t talkin ‘bout them.” ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

There's the next part...my next chapter is gonna be at the reception....hope you enjoy!