The traditional obligatory offering to Boss Joss. Love the work, got bored, and decided to to run with it!

This is a story co-written with a very good friend of mine. Action, adventure, drama, sweet Kaylee/Simon stuff, and BIG DAMN hints of Mal/Inara.

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Followed by a pair of undercover soldiers, Draedon paced through the crowd in Corinsica, a bustling trading town on one of the backwater planets. It was a relatively busy morning, the perfect time for their target to be emerging for some illegal dealings. He smiled to himself as they passed the Firefly class ship. His frigate has been tracking the transport vessel for the last few weeks now, and with their goal in sight, he almost wanted to just storm the bridge and arrest the entire crew. But no. They had to be low key about this. And besides, Draedon would have far too good a time with this assignment to let it end that quickly.

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Simon was beginning to enjoy his mornings where he'd wake up to Kaylee. It was a good thing to see each time he opened his eyes. It was also very tranquil for him. He had spent so much of his life running and worrying about River it was nice to worry about something else for a change like himself. There had been no time for Simon to think of himself. Only of River whom he would die for right off the bat. He was asleep soundly when Serenity docked on the planet and sat for a couple hours. He didn't even stir one bit. He was that comfortable when he slept with Kaylee in his arms. Though finally the young doctors eyes fluttered open as he looked around. It occurred to him the ship was motionless. That he didn't hear the rumble of the engine any longer.

Kaylee shifted in her sleep, although completely aware of the changes in Serenity’s engine flows. She could sense it subconsciously when they were breaking atmo, and then when they finally touched ground. But the young woman was not terribly worried about waking up just yet. She was much too comfortable for that. She shivered in the slightly cool air, sighing softly as she rolled under the sheets from her back onto her side, her arm draping over Simon’s bare chest for warmth. The silence was pleasant for a while, but Kaylee had never found it easy to sleep when Serenity engines weren’t running in the background.

“Mmm, morning,” she muttered with a smile, sensing that the doctor was awake as well. She kissed his shoulder, curling up against him as she fought off those last ounces of sleep from her mind.

Simon's smile went wider as he noticed Kaylee was awake. The kiss on his shoulder was nice. Warm and comforting. "Morning to you too." He said chuckling softly.

She curled into him and he happily held her. It was a very very good morning. He was feeling a bit bad about not getting River to come back to her own room so he had a plan to take her out today. Yes, he would split from Kaylee for a day, which would prove difficult, but it'd be nice. He wanted to try to spend some time with his little sister. She was fun when he was with her more these days. She talked a lot more for one and she made him smile when she did the things she had never done before any of this. He turned his head to look at Kaylee better. "I think I'm gonna take River out today." He said smiling.

Kaylee snuggled into Simon’s chest with a yawn, trying her best to stay out of the cold air. “Sounds like fun,” she nodded with a sleepy grin. “’Nara and I were going out today too. Seems the job may take a little time setting up. Coupl’a hours, apparently.” She shifted beneath the sheets, suddenly aware of some of the movement going on up in the kitchen.

“Maybe we should start getting’ up,” she suggested, as much as she hated saying it. Glancing down at the foot of Simon’s bed, she noticed her dress, suddenly realizing that she’d have considerable trouble getting back into that getup again. Leaning down, she grabbed the doctor’s dress shirt, along with her panties, and pulled them back underneath the sheets. She laughed as she attempted to get dressed in the warmth of the bed linens.

Simon was suddenly feeling better about leaving Kaylee. She'd have Inara to hang out with today. He'd have River who he knew would give him a hard time like most sisters did. Sometimes he wondered if she wanted to buy the whole store. She liked the simplest of things really and that made him smile like a madman at the thought. "Dressed is just so..." He watched her reach for his dress shirt and her under garments. Simon smiled leaning back and watching her attempt this. "Trouble?" He asked shaking his head.

“Oh shut it,” Kaylee laughed hard as Simon teased her attempts to change beneath the sheets, nudging him in the ribs playfully as she continued struggling. She smirked, finishing up her strategic changing just as Simon left the bed.

He rolled away to the other side. He sat with his back to her and grabbed his own boxers from the floor. Pulling them on he got to his feet. No shaggy boxers for Simon. Tight fitted and comfortable. He went to his drawer and pulled out a pair of pants. Pulling those on, he grabbed another dress shirt from the small compact closet. Shrugging it on, he faced Kaylee. Buttoning it, he grinned. "You gonna walk into the kitchen like that?" He teased.

She shivered slightly, but soon got accustomed to the temperature, and stood up from the mattress. Stepping over to Simon, she started to help him button up his shirt. “No,” she shot back at him sharply. “Not that it was a surprise to anyone how we spent last night.” Kaylee finished with his buttons, pulling his head down closer to hers.

Simon had never been able to experience this feeling. It was new and a very nice one. Things were simple now. He had Kaylee in his grasp finally to where he could enjoy himself by just watching her. He had his sister getting better day by day and he was no longer in threat of being kicked off the ship. She came to help with the buttons and answered his question in typical Kaylee fashion.

“But if you must know, I’m going to my bunk to change.” She kissed him softly, backing away towards the door. “You should go find River. I’ll get some breakfast ready in the kitchen when you get there.” Kaylee shot him one last grin before disappearing behind the paper door and up the stairs with a smile plastered on her face.

Simon watched with interest and a smile as she leaned in kissing him. He watched her back up and finally leave saying he should find River. He nodded and went to the doorway to watch her walk away. It was a nice sight really. He put his hand to the back of his neck and rubbed the base of his hairline. With a final grin he dropped his hand and left his bunk.

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Jayne had passed out in the cockpit with River, but after a couple hours he couldn't take sleeping in the chair. He left the little one and went to his own bunk. Sleeping soundly he was up after they had docked. Half-asleep Jayne was a not very alert Jayne. He made his way through the corridor to the kitchen. He wanted something to drink and some food. Food sounded real good to the mercenary right about now. He rubbed his lower stomach adjusting his pants and gun belt as he walked into the kitchen dining area. He didn't bother saying hi to Mal. He went straight for the counters.

Mal had been awake about two hours into his sleep. He just didn't sleep very long. Since the war he got used to sleeping in shifts. He didn't sleep too long because in the back of his head he knew an enemy loved a sleeping target. Call him paranoid, but he was a soldier after all. They had docked now and Mal was busying himself in the kitchen looking over a something. He looked up when he heard a sound. Jayne stumbled into the kitchen, rubbing his bare stomach. Would it kill him to find clothes before waltzing around? Then again Jayne was half asleep right now and yelling wouldn't do much.

River had been up for several hours, not feeling the great need for sleep. Although, the exhaustion was beginning to get the better of her. Rubbing her eyes, she finally stepped out of the pilot’s seat, wandering through the crew’s dorm hall, and into the kitchen. She moved over to the counter, grabbing a small roll of bread left from the night before.

“Big day ahead,” she commented rather loudly to Mal. “Breakfast is the most important meal of the day.” River most definitely had her share of odd commentary, especially when one was not fully conscious in her presence.

Mal was observing his papers when he heard River join them. He looked up and raised his eyebrows at the loud octave she reached. "That's right, River," He said nodding a bit confused. He shook his head a bit and looked back at his papers.

Jayne was searching for anything to eat that he wouldn't have to prepare. The roll in River's hands caught his eyes. He reached out snatching it from her. He took a bite before she could protest. This was Jayne's nature. Lie, cheat and steal. This one being steal.

"Jayne what'd you feed her? She's a little too uppity if you catch my drift," He said, looking his work over. As he waited on his answer Zoe stepped into the kitchen checking her side arm. Placing it in the holster she joined Mal looking the stuff over.

At Mal's question, Jayne rolled his eyes. "I ain't done nothin'. Girls just too gorram happy or something." He shuffled off to pour him a drink.

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Inara stepped out of her shuttle in her thin morning robe, her usual air of grace surrounding her even at that early in the morning. Making her way down the stairs to the kitchen, she already had an idea of who was up and about. Many of the crew were already awake and scavenging for their own breakfast. She stepped into the room, shooting a smile at the group assembled.

“Morning, everyone.” She stepped over to the stovetop, setting the kettle on the burner. “Anyone in the mood for some tea?” She pulled out a teacup for herself and waited for anyone to show some interest as well.

River hadn’t been paying attention until Jayne had taken he roll right out of her hands. She had to respect Jayne for having the nerve to try it, but it didn’t make her any more upset about having her snack stolen. Following Jayne with an evil eye, she stayed behind as he poured himself a drink. Slowly leaning over Jayne’s arm, River hocked a loogie and spit into the man’s drink. She leaned back against the counter with a satisfied smirk.

Jayne was finished pouring when he saw the spit go into his drink. Whirling around he glared at River. "You best keep that crap in your mouth little one before I cut that tongue off." He bellowed. He turned to his drink and groaned. Inara was offering to make drinks so he shrugged. "Yeah sure since devil girl decided to spit in mine." He said going over to the table and plopping down.

Inara winced as Jayne whined about River spitting into his drink. “Thank you for sharing,” she commented sarcastically, trying to busy herself by finding the sugar and lemon. Jayne was quiet and simple gave Inara a grunt at her comment.

Mal was pretty into his work by the time Inara came in. He didn't hear her call for tea. Zoe did though. She nudged Mal and he looked up instantly. His eyes went to Zoe who drug her own up to Inara. "Oh uhh..." He wasn't a tea guy, but whatever Zoe was planning he'd go with. Was she trying in her own Zoefied way to get him closer to Inara? "Sure." Was all he said before he looked back down at his work. Zoe was sneaky when she tried to be. Sometimes Mal wondered if she just liked messing with Mal's life.

Inara smiled at Mal, nodding as he awkwardly asked for some tea. “Alright then,” she agreed, grabbing another couple teacups from the cabinet.

Inara heard bare footsteps coming down the corridor, and smirked as she caught a glimpse of Kaylee sneaking around the corner to her quarters. Wearing Simon’s shirt from last night, she noticed. Remaining silent, she leaned her palms against the countertop, watching as the water began to boil.

River shrugged as Jayne complained about her spitting. “Only fair.” Turning to Captain Reynolds, she nodded in Jayne’s direction to explain. “The ape-man took my roll,” she pouted, folding her arms over. As the steam began to rise from the kettle, River responded to the sound by spinning around and watching it rise to the ceiling of the room, working out the calculations of the density and temperature of the steam compared to the air around the room.

He finished eating and looked up at what River said. "Can it, crazy."

Simon went up the stairs a bit after Kaylee had and headed straight for the kitchen. He usually would find his sister in the cockpit and he knew this. But he found her in the kitchen instead. Catching the last bit of what she said he frowned. "Jayne stole your roll mei mei?" He asked looking at her.

River heard Simon’s voice, nodding her head in annoyance. “I got even, though,” she insisted with a growing smile. She was obviously very proud of herself.

"Yeah she sure got even." Jayne muttered looking to Simon. "Spit in my drink the little witch. I think you should put your dear sister in time out." He said nodding quietly.

Simon's smile grew wider as his sister told him she got even. "Good he deserves it." He said nodding. As Jayne told him of how she got even he sort of cringed. "You spit now, River?" He asked raising an eyebrow. He had never known his sister to be a big spitter. She was fun and free, but he wasn't sure he had seen her spit like that in public once.

River smirked coyly at her brother, looking around as innocently as she could. “Jayne’s too easy,” she said, grabbing her teas off the counter and sipped, contemplating what she was going to make Simon take her into town today.

Mal was in and out of the conversation. When Jayne made his protest about River spitting in his drink he looked up. Then River got in about Jayne stealing her roll. He shrugged and shook his head. "You shouldn't have taken her roll, Jayne. Course she's gonna respond like that. You should know this by now." He said scribbling something down.

Zoe had taken up a seat next to Mal looking over some of her own stuff. "Sir we should probably be leaving here soon. The meeting is getting closer." She said looking up at Mal.

Simon joined them and Mal looked at River. "I guess your right." He said rising. He rolled some of the papers up and held onto them. "Rain check Inara. Give mine to the doc." He said nodding. "We'll be back in a couple hours. No killing anyone. I ain't cleanin' it up." He checked his side fire arm finally and he headed out of the kitchen Zoe behind him.

Inara glanced back as Mal and Zoe headed out for the job. “Don’t suppose I need to remind you to not get killed or maimed in any way?” Then she remembered that this was Malcolm Reynolds she was addressing. Of course she needed to.

Mal was half gone by the time he heard Inara's request. He half smiled and shook his head. He caught Zoe's knowing smile and groaned. "Not you too," Mal said as they came to the hanger.

He heard footsteps behind him and saw Simon. Turning back to River he shook his head. "But Mal what was I supposed to eat. She's the genius. She can make her something. 'Sides the girls watching steam rise!" He protested. Mal disregarded Jayne and left with Zoe. Jayne groaned and shook his head. "They’s gone so that means I'm in charge if we go by rank in here." He said nodding and looking at everyone.

As the two left, Jayne immediately piped in with his obsession with the chain of command. Inara rolled her eyes. “Unfortunately you’ll have to curb your ego for a while longer, Jayne. Kaylee and I will be off the ship for most of the afternoon.” The tea water had begun to boil at full blast, and Inara collected her personal blend of herbs and spices, tying them into a little mesh baggie before placing them into the water to steep.

Jayne’s assuming command didn’t seem like a pleasant idea to River either. “We won’t be here either. Jayne’ll have to be his own captain.” She chuckled at the idea, the sudden whiff of tea leaves catching her attention. River gathered next to Inara, waiting for the hot drink to be finished. Her eyes danced around the countertop for anything else to eat.

Jayne's jaw dropped as the Inara told him that she and Kaylee were leaving. "Wha?" He asked looking around. Well hell it wasn't any fun when he didn't have anyone to mess with or boss around. "Gorramit my chain of command should mean something. Don't that mean I can say who leaves the ship and who doesn't?" He asked looking for an answer. Guess it didn't. That was just no fun at all for the mercenary.

Jayne didn’t protest much at that. Least he'd have the ship to himself. He wasn't leaving ever since he heard her start buzzing about death coming upon them. Then again he'd be by himself and that just sounded worse.

Inara glanced over at Simon, who had resumed his role as protective older brother just as quickly as he’d arrived. “Why Simon, you’re absolutely…glowing,” she teased the doctor with a knowing smirk. “You had a pleasant evening I take it?” Inara wasn’t inhibited about such topics, and neither was Kaylee for that matter, but the cheery mechanic’s boyfriend was another story entirely. Giving Simon time to conjure an answer, Inara turned around and began pouring out the steeped tea.

Simon took a seat finally and his head shot up at Inara's words. "Glowing?" He asked smiling. "I suppose so." He said nodding and looking back at his table blushing slightly.

At that point, Kaylee had emerged from her quarters, dolled up in her usual camouflage-green jumpsuit, the sleeves hanging from her waist, revealing her white tank. “Morning,” she called out to no one in particular.

When Inara commented to Simon about glowing Jayne's smirk grew wider. He got up from his seat. "Yeah cause he dun had sex with little Kaylee." He said as he left the kitchen. Simon’s cheeks really heated up at what Jayne said. He didn't look up for fear of looking stupid. When Simon was sure Jayne left he picked his head up to look at Kaylee.

“You’re just jealous, you big baby,” Kaylee shot back at Jayne as he passed. Oddly outgoing of her with the burly mercenary. Sliding over to Simon’s side, she hooked her arm around the young doctor’s waist with her free hand, grasping her teacup with the other. Catching the knowing glance of Inara, her grin got bigger. Kaylee squeezed Simon’s ribs in an attempt to tickle him, a hobby she’d grown to enjoy lately. He jerked at her tickle attempt. He gulped and smiled reaching for the tea from Inara. Taking the cup he took a sip once cooling it.

Inara continued drinking her tea, choking back a laugh as Kaylee tickled Simon. Sometimes, they were so cute you just wanted to scream. Inara figured it was a bit early to make that much noise, though, and decided to just watch them instead.

“No need to be shy, doctor,” Inara insisted, patting him on the back after handing him the tea. She couldn’t fight off a smile as Jayne finally made his way out of the kitchen, utterly mortifying the young doctor with his explicit commentary. One thing she could say about this crew was that it never got boring around here.

Simon looked up with confused eyes. "Shy? I wasn't..." He trailed off nodding. He was shy about it all. He was just a little strange like that. He had issues sharing his sex life with anyone. Certainly not to Inara. She was a close friend, but a companion and believe it or not he thought what was the greatest night in his life would pale in comparison to what Inara did. Which was sad all on its own. He was just nervous too about sharing those details with people.

“Cap’ and Zoe already gone?” Kaylee asked Inara. The Companion nodded, handing Simon and her two cups of the steaming tea, leaving River and Jayne to fend for themselves. Inara took her own then, blowing on the rim of the ceramic cup softly before taking a sip.

“You ready to get going?” She asked the companion.

“Give me a few moments to get dressed,” Inara requested, returning the smile.

He felt a soft arm go around him and he glanced at Kaylee with a smile. "You know Jayne will probably try to get you back anyway he can tonight." He said smiling. It was true. When Jayne was insulted and didn't get a change to rebut the comment he would get them back later on when they weren't expecting it.

River jumped up to sit on the countertop, crossing her boot-clad ankles and banging them against the cabinet. She drank a large gulp of her tea, finishing it off in a few minutes, and gently tossing the ceramic cup into the sink with a loud clatter. Inara, Simon, and Kaylee all jumped at the sudden noise, turning to the teenage girl. River didn’t seem at all embarrassed, hopping off her perch on the counter and stepping to the kitchen table.

Kaylee smirked at the thought of Jayne getting his revenge for her insult, putting her tea down and wrapping her other arm around Simon’s waist. “Let him try,” she dared, kissing the young man quickly. She could hear River’s overdramatic wretch behind her, and Kaylee rested her forehead against Simon’s chest, laughing quietly. River always made it perfectly clear that she found PDA’s from her older brother’s uncomfortable.

Inara shook her head with a chuckle, lifting a finger to Kaylee, silently telling her to wait for her to get ready. She stepped up the main stairs towards her shuttle, sliding the door closed behind her and changing into a comfortable skirt and blouse. Throwing a shawl around her shoulders, Inara slowly heading back into the kitchen, announcing her presence with the small tapping of her shoes against the steel floor of the ship.

“Shall we?” she suggested casually, stepping back towards the main hanger, which Mal, Zoe, and Jayne had left open for them.

Simon was more and happy to sit here with Kaylee all day. The way she was holding onto him only made him smile larger. He placed his cup of tea down and put his arm around her shoulders. He heard a loud noise of discomfort coming from his little sister and Simon turned to give a big brotherly glare. She was such a brat sometimes, but he loved his sister. He really did. He shook his head smiling while holding Kaylee to him.

He watched Inara go off to get dressed and once she came back he let Kaylee go so she could go with Inara. He gave her a kiss and smiled. "Have fun with Inara."

“I will,” Kaylee promised, kissing him back and making her way over to the stairwell with Inara.

Simone turned to his little sister. Rising from his chair. "And you! What was that all about?" He asked laughing and smiling. He stepped to her tickling her sides. "Huh? Your lucky I'm still taking you out today."

Most of River's objections stemmed from her typical little sister jealousy regarding the amount of attention Simon gave her. On a daily basis, the girl could safely say that her brother spent most of her time with Kaylee since the incident with the Alliance. But she could understand; she’d caused enough trouble for him, and he deserved a little happiness. But that didn’t stop her from having her own fun with Simon. River shrugged at her brother’s questions, walking passed Simon and stepping backwards toward the main hold.

“Come on, Simon,” she urged, hurrying towards her brother and tugging at his shirt. “Can we go?”

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A few moments later, the Kaylee and Inara stepped out from the ramp and onto the docking grounds. It was blaringly bright outside, but several of the taller, brick buildings provided some shade on the ground. Kaylee slipped her arm into Inara’s, walking towards the main market street.

“Well you and Simon seem to be doing well,” Inara commented, squeezing Kaylee arm with a wink. The young mechanic’s cheeks blushed, her grin broadening.

“It’s been better than I’ve ever expected, Inara,” she admitted with a smirk. “Simon is just amazing. Though it took him so long to get the nerve to even ask me out, and then he needed a near death experience to admit he even wanted to be with me.” The thought made her cringe a bit, reminding her of their battle with the Reavers so many months ago.

“Well, the good doctor has never been very good at expressing himself,” Inara advised her friend. “Nothing you’ve ever had a problem with, mei-mei.” She smirked at the now beaming Kaylee. Slowing their pace as they passed several open markets, Inara glanced at the produce and hand made crafts in the area.

Kaylee shrugged. “He had River to look after, I understand and all…But with everything starting to straighten out, he finally gets to be happy for once. Hell, even takes a lot of my mind. And the whole ‘I need to be proper’ complex doesn’t matter to me anymore, not really. In terms of boyfriend material, he…well, he always tries to be a gentleman. I guess I’ll have to work on that,” she giggled softly. Kaylee was trying to be as polite as possible, considering they were in public, although she was sure that when they got back to the ship, she and Inara would be able to gossip more effectively.

Two undercover Alliance officers followed the two women, who continued to laugh cheerfully. They had been posted at the docking area of the Serenity, and had been listening to their conversation since they left the ship. Finally passing in front of them, the two soldiers made note of key characteristics of the two women, as well as the direction they were heading in.

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Going to his bunk, Jayne grabbed his shirt and his weapons. Suiting up he was caught up to Mal and Zoe in hanger bay. He wasn't sticking around to be alone.

"You think we need the mule? Gives us a look of authority." Mal had gotten a new one since the crash.

"Well sir, I think it'd be a bit much, but if you need that extra power I suppose so." Mal nodded.

"Good I'm glad you agree, Zoe." Then Jayne came busting in. Hitting the door for the hanger to open he went to he mule. "Climb on Jayne. We're heading out now." Didn't have to tell Jayne twice. He was up and sitting in the back in no time. Zoe was in the driver’s seat and Mal sat next to her. They were off and moving across the planet in no time.

Jayne, Mal and Zoe were soon cruising in silence as they came into the main part of town. Jayne reached into his vest pocket grabbing his sunglasses. Pushing them on he leaned in between Mal and Zoe. "So whats the deal today?" He asked leaning back to sit properly.

Mal pushed of his hand he was leaning on and glanced at Zoe. "Well you for one Jayne keep your mouth shut except to sneer. Just look scary. Me and Zoe do all the talking. It's a big deal so just try not to look stupid with all your might."

Zoe cracked a smile and looked at Mal. "Are you sure Jayne can do that, sir? I mean its might hard for Jayne to look semi intelligent." They both heard the sneer from the back from Jayne and smiled.

As the mule entered the downtown area of Corinsica, a blockade was visible in front of them. Several local sheriffs paced the area, searching and checking travelers as they passed. Two large men, both carrying assault rifles, stepped in front of the vehicle, waving Zoe to stop the mule and pull over next to the barricade. They had been ordered to send all suspicious person to Commander Draedon personally. Apparently, the alliance officer had some special interest in some new arrivals on the planet.

Mal noticed the signaling and he looked back at Jayne. "You really gotta shut your mouth now." He said facing forward again. He took a deep breath and waited patiently as Zoe drove the mule over to the men. She stopped and Mal leaned over with that bright Malcolm Reynolds hello grin. The one he gave all strangers when trying to look innocent.

"Hi there fellas whats the problem?" He asked tilting his head some. Jayne was less than thrilled with these men stopping them. For one he wanted to blast them and be done with it. This was the death coming down on them wasn't it. Oh hell he shoulda stayed on the damn ship. This was about the worst day ever.

One of the officers rested his arm on the mule’s side panel, glancing up at the three strangers with a suspecting gaze. Ignoring Mal’s attempt at civility, he lifted his brimmed hat, squinting in the glare of the sun.

“New in town, folks?” He asked gruffly, eyeing Jayne’s side, noticing the obviously concealed weapon underneath his jacket. “Don’t suspect you’d mind letting us take a look at your vehicle, now would ya?” Two more officers came up, walking behind to the back end of the mule, avoiding the heat from the rear engine.

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The Silk Road, a large brick encased boutique, loomed in front of Inara and Kaylee as the two young women strolled passed in, arm in arm. Kaylee gawked up at the three story structure was a stifled giggle. She passed Inara, studying the intricate dresses presented in the large windows near the entrance. “This place is amazing,” she muttered with a smile, sifting though the various shelves on the left side. “Can we go in?” She asked excitedly.

Inara laughed, nodding and releasing Kaylee’s hand. “Of course, mei mei.” She followed the mechanic inside, tightening her shawl around her shoulders. Inside, the store was set up rather elaborately for such a backwater area. “Shiny,” Kaylee awed, heading towards the rows of women’s apparel. “How you figure this place got so huge? Doesn’t really seem like the right area for this kind of shop.”

Inara shrugged, even impressed by the scale of the store herself. “All the trade in this port must really enhance the clientele,” she suggested, distracted as she ran her hand along a somewhat familiar leather trench nearby. Kaylee noticed with a raised eyebrow, trying her best to hold her tongue. Inara had never exactly been receptive to the obvious.

Inara passed Kaylee, leaving her in an empty aisle, the girl’s attention focused on a collection of scarves hanging on a rack. As the dark-haired companion wandered through the next aisle, her mind unexpectedly drifted to the Captain out at his meeting. She only knew the vague details of the job, but all the same, it wasn’t one of their more legitimate business ventures. Inara knew all too well what kind of trouble Mal was capable of getting himself into.

“Inara, this is gorgeous,” Kaylee muttered softly with a grin as she picked up one of the silk scarves, running her fingers through the tassels. She pulled the fabric up to her shirt, studying herself in a small mirror next to her. Kaylee smiled, glad to be able to relax and be girly for once.

Without warning, a hand suddenly clamped down over her mouth, silencing her. She was only able to struggle for a few moments before another arm forcibly pulled her back behind a shelf, and she was gone.

Inara leaned over a glass casing containing several pieces of handmade jewelry. “Kaylee, you need to see these. They’re adorable. They would match that dress of yours perfectly.” She waited a few moments to hear the young mechanic’s response, but when none came, Inara looked up from the shelf. “Kaylee?” Glancing around in confusion, she saw no one. “Mei mei?” The crowd thickened, and again, no answer from the girl came.

Inara stepped back around the corner, looking down the next, and then the previous aisles. But Kaylee was nowhere to be found. Inara spun around in panic, running her hand back through her hair to push it out of her face. She was beginning to panic. “Kaylee!” she called over the crowd of people. The Companion’s voice was strained now.

She made another pass around the entire floor, but she couldn’t find Kaylee anywhere. It was nearly twenty minutes later, and Inara had finished her worried search of all three floors. This was just Kaylee wandering off. She wasn’t in the store. Inara’s breath was shallowed, her eyes darting around as she rushed outside, her hands gripping the columns holding up the awning. Kaylee was gone. She was gone…

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Dun dun dun! The plot thickens...more to come! Please R&R!