Mal's heart wailed. Life wasn't worth living anymore, she was going to take him to the top of the 'verse but killed his soul instead. He was expecting the doc at any second to come out and tell him that he'll never see her again.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

OR (operating room)

Inara heard the nurse and the quick beeping of the monitors not to mention Simon's urgent barking at everyone. She was going to die; she would never be with only man she ever loved.

'Ok people. One more try...'

A light came out of nowhere. She has another chance to live, to show her independence, to do what her mommy never did, to love her Mal - WAIT! Did she really say that? - Whatever...He was sweet when he kissed her on the nose, his faint smile covered her heart. She was going to fight. She promised Mal a second chance and Inara Serra never broke her word.

"Suddenly, the beeping was getting a stable beat and sighs could be heard throughout the sterile room.

"Thank you, Inara" whispered Simon "You just scared the daylights out of us, you know! If anything happened to you Mal would strangle me with his bare hands and I don't think he'd be alone..."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Mal? Mal!!"

Mal jerked up his head as if he just stumbled from another world to find Simon looking at him worriedly.

"What's the word doc?"

"The worse is over but she's still a bit on the hook, we can't risk anything yet so we'll transfer her to intensive care unit."

"Oh...but she'll live, right?"

"Yes, I'll be monitoring her all the time."

"Good. Where is she now?" asked Mal, relief washing his face.

"You may see her from tomorrow, you should rest till the time comes." the doctor said as a matter of fact, indicating the dark circles beneath Mal's eyes from staying awake two whole nights.

"No..." Mal shook his head in stubbornness. It was early morning and he wanted to be there when his princess wakes.

"Well you won't see her till you rest." said Simon sternly "If she sees you like this she'll worry and that certainly will be a cherry on the cake." he added decisively.

Mal thought for a moment and as much as he hated to admit it, the doc was right. "Yeah, I'll just shower up and get some shut-eye but not until you swear that you'll wake me when she does."

Simon nodded as a sign of agreement and Mal went to the room in the hospital dorms. He was sure that he won't sleep but trying was no harm.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

She was awake when he entered the room. They smiled and kissed sweetly.

"Mornin' your highness, how's my beautiful princess fairin’?"

"I'm just a bit tired... but I want to go home, Mal." she pleaded.

Mal's heart soared at hearing her referring to Serenity as home, she was letting him in!

"We will." he couldn't help the flutter when he saw her face practically begging him to take her to Serenity "In time. Now you gotta rest proper so that you'll be good as new in no time, dong ma?"

"Then you'll take me home?"

"Sure, baby."

He gathered her in his arms and held her tight to his heart as she nuzzled closer to his chest.

"Shouldn't we wave the others?" she muffled.

"Simon is talking to them right now." he reassured.

"Ok." the relaxed against him and fell asleep

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

About two months later...

"AAH!" Inara and Mal had just come together and were now resting tangled in each other, panting.

It's been two months since the famous surgery and remembering still scared the living crap out of Mal. The bickering was still there, mind you - but the making-up was even better! Mal still took a 'shaky' job every now and then, just a good measure for the taste of action but most of them were honest. He knew that Inara was scared of something happening to him and sure as hell the feeling was mutual, he couldn't help but shudder at the memory of almost loosing her.

As if she was reading his thoughts, Inara ran her hand through his hair in a soothing way "It's okay Mal, I'm still here." She noticed that even when they made love, he still held on to her for dear life, afraid that she'll vanish into thin air.

"I can't loose you, 'Nara...lost too much people already...lost too much..."

"You won't loose me." she smiled as she pulled his head to her chest.

"Promise?"

"Promise."

“Wo ai ni ‘Nara.”

“I love you too, Mal”

They lay quietly as Mal started to suckle on her nipple. He looked so vulnerable...Inara always knew that the bitter armour he used was hiding something soft but she never expected it to be so beautiful - much less that he would thrust her enough to let her know it. Mal removed his mouth only to burry his head between her breasts and fall asleep, reassured that she would be there when he woke up.

THE END ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

How was it people? Good? Sucks to hell?