[A/N]: Read parts 1-5 first if you haven't already. Part 3 is currently being overhauled. Wow, I never expected this to go beyond about a 3-parter...I've created a monster! Many thanks to all who feedback! To all who don't feedback: you should start, as Audrey 2 the Feedback Monster that lives in my basement is HUNGRY. _________________________________________________ “Your gardens are breathtaking. I’ve not seen their like since I left the Core,” Inara remarked, surveying the acreage of finely-manicured blossoms nodding in the morning sunlight along artfully twisting pathways. Not a leaf out of place, not a fleck of color in the wrong spot. “Thank you, Inara, but you are too kind,” Vijaya Ameri replied, smiling and patting her hand. Ameri was an older gentleman, pleasant both in appearance and manner. He was quite tall, and his iron-gray hair contrasted beautifully with his dark complexion. “My family’s gardens on Osiris are two centuries old. This is merely a shadow, a poor reflection to make this frontier manor seem a bit more like home.” Inara took Ameri’s proffered arm as they strolled along. It was late spring on the southern continent, and the weather was warm and breezy without the dust and raw heat that plagued so many terraformed worlds. “You must find it difficult, expanding your family’s business in this region after spending your life on Osiris. Civilization can be…elusive… this far from the Core,” Inara added, batting away the thought that had absently fluttered into her mind. The thought that this man was one to whom Mal would have referred as one of her fancified gentlemen struggling to make a life for himself surrounded by only the barest luxuries. The idea of a petty criminal passing such a judgement on an educated and accomplished man such as the one standing next to her brought Inara an unwilling flash of anger. Being a Companion was an art form-- one that could only be brought to perfection through constant focus and discipline. Why was she allowing her mind to stray and become occupied by one of the most maddening men in her life? Inara turned to smile at Ameri, bringing her attention back to the moment at hand. A bell somewhere in the mansion behind them struck the hour. The morning was coming to a close. “Civilization may be elusive on these frontier worlds, but beauty and intelligence such as yours is rare throughout the ‘verse, my dear,” Ameri replied. “It is you who are too kind.” “Not at all. I see with great regret that our time together draws short. If I could once again beg you to remain with me another day or two, the Dakhals’ upcoming ball promises to be a social event to rival even Sihnon’s finest parties. I would be proud to have you on my arm.” “My apologies, Vijaya-ji. While I would love to attend, my traveling arrangements are under contract and sometimes limit my availability.” Sometimes? It had become nearly always these last few months. “I understand, my dear. We must go where the winds take us. Have you time to join me for a light repast before you take your leave?” “Of course, Vijaya-ji. But after that, I really must be going.” _________________________________________________ Mal was still thinking about Stephanie’s words when he left the infirmary. That she’d have thought he died in Serenity Valley wasn’t all that surprising, really, if she’d been in prison all this time. Alliance had never particularly cared that its prisoners received accurate news, and by rights he ought to be buried on that battlefield with his men anyway. Why she was in prison, now there was an unsettling topic. Plenty of Browncoats higher up than Major Riemann had been granted general amnesty and released years ago, and those who hadn’t had been executed for various “war crimes.” The thought of her begging him not to let Simon hurt her near broke his heart. Never, not once in the two years that she was his girl, not even during the handful of times that they fought side by side, had she asked him to protect her. Sought his help driving back the enemy, yes. Sometimes the enemy had been the Alliance, sometimes it had been the loneliness and despair that comes with being a soldier, sometimes it had been her own darkness. But look to him or anyone else for protection? Not ever. Rage boiled in the pit of his stomach at the thought of any living person reducing the woman he remembered as an indomitable spirit to the panicked, desperate skeleton lying in his infirmary. The rest of the crew were already gathered around the table when Mal stepped down into the kitchen to grab a little lunch. Wash was standing near Zoe’s seat, reaching to pile some kind of protein-based slop that looked disturbingly like off-color Cream of Wheat into a bowl before heading back to the bridge to eat his meal. Jayne sat shoveling food into his mouth, ignoring the taste, while River trailed her spoon across her plate, watching the patterns it made in the semi-edible goop. Mal pulled out a chair and joined them. He was just raising his spoon to his mouth when Kaylee spoke. “When’re ya gonna tell us about her?” Mal let his spoon fall back into the mess on his plate. He scrubbed the back of his hand across his forehead, looking down at the table and keeping his temper with conscious effort. Wash froze where he stood in the doorway. “What?” Zoe glanced at Book, then looked away. She’d warned Kaylee not to ask Mal that question, to let him speak when he was ready. Zoe was as interested in their newfound passenger as the rest of the crew was, but she’d shared enough of Mal’s experiences during the war to know better than to push him. Kaylee’s curiosity had gotten the better of her though, and she was not taking no for an answer. Leaning forward on her elbows, she pressed on. “Aw, Cap’n, you know what. Where d’ya know her from?” “Kaylee, for once in your life will you mind your gorram business….” He growled, his voice both sharper and louder than he had intended it to be. Kaylee pushed back from the table as if she’d been slapped, hurt and confusion evident on her face. She tossed her still-full plate into the sink, grumbling in Chinese as she stormed toward the engine room. “Ke wu de lao bao jun…” Perfect. Now he’d really done it. Lil’ Kaylee’s sunny spirit had held Serenity together on more than one occasion, and here he was crushing what was the girl’s natural way of showing concern just to soothe his own discomfort. Good job, Reynolds. Good gorram job, the thought echoed through his head. The rest of the crew were returning their attention to their meals in pointed silence. Mal pinched the bridge of his nose between his thumb and middle finger, trying to ease the dull ache beginning behind his eyes. Gou shi, he was tired. He guessed he knew that he owed his crew an explanation—after all, they were sharing his risk when he brought another fugitive on board. It was the matter of taking the past and turning it into words that didn’t make him feel too naked that was the problem. “Used and abused. Can’t let Jack out of the box—keep the secret, keep it safe. Past is prologue but the end comes before the start,” River said to her lunch. “Burns inside and stings coming out.” “Ain’t you doin’ somethin’ ‘bout shuttin’ Moonbrain over there up?” Jayne snarled at Simon. “Gorram yammerin’ upsets my eatin’.” “Funny… I was under the impression that no power in the ‘verse could upset your ‘eatin’,” Simon returned. “Besides, maybe what she’s saying is just a comment on the quality of the meal.” “Listen here, lil’ doctor-man, just ‘cuz I cooked it don’t mean…” “Bi zui.” The room fell silent as all eyes turned to Mal. “Zoe, go get Wash. Shepherd, see if you can get Kaylee back in here. I guess it’s past time you all should be knowin’ what’s goin’ on, and I ain’t sayin’ this more than once.” _________________________________________________ Kaylee was glaring at him from her seat closest to the doorway that lead to the engine room. Mal looked away from her—he couldn’t afford to get wrapped up in appeasing her if he was going to get this out. He stood up and leaned against the kitchen counter, clearing his throat. “You all are wonderin’ why I got a strange woman in the infirmary and what she’s got to do with our fast departure. Well, her name’s Stephanie Riemann, and she’s a friend o’ mine, met her during the war.” The words sounded hollow and meaningless in his own ears. He paused for a moment, gathering his thoughts. Which turned out to be a mistake. “Friend? What kinda friend?” asked Kaylee. “Friend like Tracey was your friend?” Simon questioned. “Zoe, why didn’t you say…” Wash started. “Because Zoe didn’t know, that’s why,” Mal continued. He sighed. There wasn’t going to be an easy way out of this. “Stephanie and I were…involved… through the earlier part of the war. I didn’t meet Zoe till later.” He looked for reassurance at his oldest friend as she sat holding her husband’s hand. “You sayin’ you brought your ex on board? Who did the dumpin’ there, cuz that could get dangerous…” Jayne cut in, gesturing with his spoon. “I was told she was killed in action. Turns out there’s an Alliance prison not far from where we landed and some folks there on Lakai thought yesterday would be a good time to blow it to bits. Stephanie turned up in the woods between our cargo and Serenity. Don’t think there’s a person here who’d suggest that I shoulda left her to die out there. But chances are that prison is where she came from. I won’t pretend that she’s not part of the reason we left in a hurry, but that whole area’s crawling with Feds now, and we’ve got plenty of reasons not to want to deal with them.” Mal stared meaningfully at Simon as the words left his mouth. Shepherd Book was watching Mal, deep in thought. At last he spoke. “I was under the impression that the last of the incarcerated Independent personnel were released several years ago.” “Had thoughts on that my own self, but I don’t have any answers for you, Preacher.” The shepherd nodded, but the furrows of thought on his brow remained. “Wash, are we clear of that cruiser yet?” “Not yet. Still waiting on a garbage dump.” “Well, best you get back to the bridge. Soon as we’re clear, wave Inara and see if she can stretch out her trip a couple more days. Make us look oh-so-innocent when we come by to pick her up. I got captainy things.” Mal turned and left the kitchen, followed by Zoe a few minutes later. Jayne valued his skull enough to wait until both the captain and the first officer were well out of earshot before mumbling, “Just what we need. Another dead war buddy wanderin’ the ship. Place’s turnin’ into a gorram refugee camp.” _________________________________________________ Ameri’s light repast turned out to be a lovely luncheon served in his expansive dining room. Following a warm and affectionate goodbye, Inara returned to her shuttle feeling relaxed but ready to be home. Then she had received the wave. Inara caught herself pacing her shuttle, forced herself to stop and sit in the pilot’s chair, then sprang up again, knocking over her cup and showering the console in fragrant tea. She was livid. Furious. More than furious. Working within Mal’s schedule cost her business constantly. She had turned down Ameri’s very generous offer in order to make her rendezvous with Serenity on time. She did everything in her power to avoid keeping the crew waiting. And now—now—after dragging her around from backwater world to uncivilised moon without a thought to how it affected her career, Mal had the gall to suggest she stay on Lakai for “another couple days”—meaning indefinitely—until he sorted out his latest crisis. Inara didn’t know which was more exasperating, the fact that to make her stay profitable in any way she would have to inform Ameri of yet another embarrassing change in her availability and hope he still desired her company at the Dakhals’ ball, or the fact that Mal hadn’t even had the courtesy to tell her of the delay himself. The infuriating man had sent Wash to do his explaining, depriving Inara even of the chance to express her annoyance. Serenity had become more of a home to her in the past few months than any place she had been. But Mal’s inability to keep to anything resembling an itinerary was more than just irritating—it made her appear unprofessional, threatened her reputation, and ultimately compromised the very essence of who she was. Maybe it was time to think about other options. Maybe it was time to move on.