Mal wasn't sure whether or not Inara would be in his bunk, but as he lightly tapped on the door before he entered, he heard no-one there. As he climbed down the ladder though, he noticed her asleep, curled into his pillow. He smiled at the sight, it pulled his heart strings to see her so comfortable in his surroundings. He watched her sleep for a little longer, before going to his wardrobe and pulling out a clean shirt as per River's orders. Inara woke up with Mal's naked back facing her, and wasn't sure whether or not she was still sleeping or was awake. She gingerly sat up, not making any noise just in case she was awake, and continued to view his form as he grabbed a shirt from the wardrobe. She gasped as he turned around, realising that she was indeed awake and he was indeed half naked in front of her. There was something about him that always made her as giddy as a schoolgirl, even though when she had actually been one, giddy was never a feeling she had ever felt. "Ummm...ah...Inara! You're awake. I'm sorry, I shouldn't have intruded..."Mal stammered out, feeling awkward as hell being caught in this situation. "Mal, please" Inara answered; glad her voice didn't convey her shaky feelings at his state of dress. "This is your bunk, you have a right to come in and dress..." The statement fell from her lips, as she lost her track of thought. “Inara, I gave you use of my bunk coz it’s a damn sight more comfortable than those ‘guest apartments’. That means, you treat it as your own. So, if’n you don’t want me in here, you tell me so. It also means that if’n you wanna put another blanket on the bed, change the linen, put up some o’ Kaylee’s fairy lights to lighten the place go ahead. My only problem is the incense; I don’t wanna be sneezin’ for weeks afterward.” She smiled at his mention of her incense, realising he didn’t know about her small stash in the case beside the bed. She looked up at him standing there, his shirt still in his hands. Mal looked down at Inara sitting on his bed, looking up at him. He thought about all the things he had ever wanted to say to her, all the dreams he had of her the past few months she had gone. He wanted to tell her how much he had missed her, truly missed her, and how much she meant to him. Without warning, he closed the gap between them, took her face in his hands, and gave her the most passionate kiss he had given anyone in his life. He tried to convey in that one single action all she meant to him, all he loved her. Inara was taken aback by Mal's kiss, but as the surprise wore off, she kissed him back, matching his passion and his need with her own. They fell back on the bed, still entwined in passionate embrace, and all the feelings and desperation to touch and to feel fed them as they finally came together.

River was still preparing dinner when she felt them. Her heart warmed for them, glad that two lost souls finally found each other. "What're you smilin' about?" Jayne grumbled, catching the grin that fell on her face. "Ah, love. Have you ever felt love Jayne?" "Hehe, I've felt plenty of love if'n you get my meanin'" Jayne grinned, then thrusted his pelvis a little, causing River to scrunch her face a little in disgust. "You are so gross, like the booger hanging out of your nose. Anyway, that is not what I meant." "I have a booger? Care to get it for me?" River was screaming as she was running around the common area, Jayne chasing after yelling something about a booger when Zoë had walked into the room. Feeling her presence, River stopped, Jayne slamming into the back of her causing to fall. "Gorram it girl! You don't just stop like that! Are you alright?" "Yes I'm fine" she replied, not even looking at him, causing him to look up and notice Zoë, who was wandering about like she had no idea where she was. 'She looks like death warmed up' Jayne thought, noticing her pale skin and lifeless eyes. ---- She found her man sitting right up the back of the saloon, a bevy of girls to swan around him. 'So this is the famous Badger, huh?' She thought to herself as she approached him, wary of the eyes on her, as well as the guns. "Well now, what's this? A nice addition to my li'l cheer squad then?" The man smiled, and she noted the lack of dental hygiene. "Ah, no. Sorry to disappoint. I'm calling in a favour." She replied, clearly repulsed by one of the girls leering at her with little to no teeth. 'Backwater country this is. If ma only saw me here, I'd be gettin' far worse than a hiding.' She thought to herself, as she tried to pay attention to the small man in front of her. "Well now, since I don't know ya love, I'd say that you ain't got any leeway with favours with me now. Wouldn't you agree Sanders?" She turned at the mention of the other man, noticing he was looking a lot worse than this Badger fellow. Dressed in a similar manner, the man was sporting a leather cap and a very large gun. “Yeah boss. No leeway here.” “Well I guess that’s that then, ain’t it love? Now, I’m suggestin’ you turn right back ‘round and leave the same way you got in here.” Badger smiled, showing of the rotten teeth she had cringed at before. “Not so fast little man,” she replied, she wasn’t going to leave so easily. “You owe a favour to a good friend of mine, and since he owes a favour to me, he said to call in the favour to you, and then we’d all be even.” She smirked in Badger’s direction, knowing she had got his undivided attention, without the sleazy glare. “And who, pray tell, is this ‘friend’ that I owe any favour to?” He was nervous, and she could practically see it emanating from him. “Mr Universe.” Badger laughed, ‘this girl can’t be serious!’ he thought, chuckling again at the sight of her serious face. “Darlin’, I don’t know if’n you heard, but Mr Universe is dead! Hehe, so I’ma thinkin’ that whatever favours I owe the man died with ‘im.” “Yeah the man is dead, but is there is still one thing you can do for me in his memory, so to speak. It won’t cost you a cent, and all you have to do is give me a contact. Dong ma?” “Lady, I ain’t gotta do nothin’ I don’t feel like doin’. But since you came all this way, why not tell me what it is that you want, we’ll negotiate a little and then see if we can’t form up a little arrangement.” “Alright, you’re on. I want you to contact Malcolm Reynolds.”