Disclaimers: Everything belongs to Joss, except for one character of my creation ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I KNOW, I KNOW...ANOTHER SHORTIE! I'M REALLY NOT TRYING TO TORTURE ANYONE WITH SHORT CHAPTERS, IT'S JUST HOW I WRITE...THERE IS SOME LONGER STUFF COMING UP, SO BEAR WITH ME! ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Companion training house sat by itself on a hill in the middle of a lush, picturesque landscape. Jayne and Book finished loading Inara’s belongings into the bay as Serenity set down at the dock. As the airlock opened and the ramp dropped, they could see a welcoming party of lavishly attired young women waiting to greet them. A grin started at one corner of Jayne’s mouth and quickly spread, engulfing his entire face. “Offer’s still open for them real-world lessons,” he said to Inara as she joined them at the bottom of the steps. “Your offer sounds more like a plea, Jayne,” Zoë observed. Book chuckled, and Jayne continued to grin. Inara attempted to smile, but it never fully materialized. Kaylee had come up behind her and leaned into her, arms around her, and Inara’s eyes grew moist. “I don’t want you to go,” Kaylee whined into her hair. “Sweetie, I have to,” Inara said softly. She cast a glance in the direction of the infirmary. “I just wish...“ “What?” Inara shook her head. “Things are so...strange...right now.” “You mean with the cap’n?” Inara nodded. “I hate leaving with things like this.” Kaylee squeezed her tighter. Inara turned into it, and it became a real hug. “I may miss you most of all,” she whispered thickly into Kaylee’s ear. Kaylee managed a feeble smile. “You mean other’n the cap’n, right?.” Inara didn’t respond. She pulled away and turned to the others. “I’ll miss you—all of you,” she said, looking from one to the other and finally letting her eyes come to rest on Jayne. His grin widened even more, and she rolled her eyes, as she found herself doing so often in his presence. “I’ll carry yer bags out,” he said, grabbing a suitcase in each hand and strutting down the ramp into the group of waiting women. Inara started to follow him, then hesitated, her eyes scanning the cargo bay and the catwalks above for the one person still missing from their midst. “I’ll be damage control out there,” Book said, taking another bag and hastening after Jayne. Inara started down the ramp; and then Mal came down the stairs from the bridge and she paused. “Mal.” “Got everything?” he asked, his eyes sweeping the bay. She nodded. “I’m ready.” She took a deep breath, willing her self-control to hold. They gazed at each other for a moment, neither knowing how to say what they really wanted to say. “Well,” Mal finally said, “Good luck...train ‘em up right.” Inara smiled softly at him. “In the ways of whoring, you mean?” He smiled back. “I mean.” “Goodbye, Mal...And—thank you. For everything.” She started to go, then turned around again. Mal was heading back into the bay. “Mal?” He turned back to face her. “I wish you the best,” she said. “I really do. With...everything.” She glanced toward the infirmary, then turned again to go. “Inara?” She turned to him again. “It means a lot to hear you say that.” Inara smiled at him, then took one last look around and blew Kaylee a kiss. Kaylee was crying now, unable to stop herself. Simon slipped a comforting arm around her waist. Inara met Book coming back up the ramp, and stopped to hug him briefly. Then she was gone, swallowed up by the throng of women outside. Mal was already on the steps to the foredeck. “Set course for Boros,” he said to Wash with a sigh as he left the bay. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Go to Chapter 28. Back to Chapter 26.