She looked in the mirror and winced as she touched the cold cloth to the swollen flesh of her bruised lip. Wiping away the tears that sat in the corners of her eyes she slid open the bathroom door and walked almost straight into the captain. “Ai ya! Alana, watch where you’re goin’! Hey, what’s happen to your mouth?” She hung her head and tried to gulp back the lump that was forming in her throat again, she almost won the fight when a sob pushed its way past her defences and she dissolved into tears. Mal was taken aback but put his arms round the shaking frame of the young woman and held her tightly. “Hush now… Shush mei mei… Come on through to my room where we can talk and you can tell me what’s wrong…” He led her gently to his cabin and helped her down the ladder and to sit on the edge of his bed. By this time Alana had regained control of herself and sat sniffing quietly. Mal crouched down in front of where she sat and lifted her chin so he could see the ugly lump forming on her split lip. “You have to tell me who did this to you! You have to tell me who it was!” “I can’t… I mustn’t say…” “Alana… Were you ‘working’ when you got this?” She nodded her head almost imperceptibly, too ashamed to do anything else. “But I thought you’d given that all up when you came on board. And, for that matter, when have you had time to go off ship? You’ve been busier than a bee in springtime since we landed! Or did they visit you on ship?” “Well, sir, I have given it up, or at least had. I haven’t been off ship but I have serviced a client earlier this morning but I can’t tell you who ‘cos I don’t want him to get in trouble…” “Trouble?! I thought if something like this was reported the John would never see another licensed companion for the rest of his days! Any man who hits a woman needs a punishin’! And I thought I told you afore, ain’t no one on this ship without my say so!” “That’s just it sir, he is on this ship… God, I can’t believe I’m gonna tell you this… It was the doctor…” “What?! Simon?! He raised a hand to you? I don’t believe it! What in the name of Buddha made him do that?” “He was angry ‘cos he had to pay handsomely for my services but I was also seeing another crew member in my own time… He thought he had paid enough to have exclusive rights to me.” “Wait… Hold up here… Another crewmember as well? Who else you been companioning?” “Well… Not really companioning, as you put it, sir… I have been having a relationship with Jayne… We’ve been seeing each other for about a month or so… Since he helped me get over my injuries… Anyway, Simon came to me with a powerful need and a big handful of credit and I’m trained to help a man in need… So I did… But just once… Then about an hour ago he came looking for me… Maybe he wanted another round but whatever it was he saw me leaving Jayne’s bunk and heading up to the bridge… He followed me and confronted me… I tried to explain but he smacked me round the face and stormed off… There’s not much else to tell…” “Well it don’t help none that Jayne and Simon are like chalk and cheese and have never got on from the moment that doctor set foot on this ship… But he has no right to hit you or any other woman, ever! I’m gonna go and have a word with him… You can stay here until I return or come and get you, ok?” She gulped and nodded as he rose and ascended the ladder, shutting the hatch behind him. Mal strode off down the corridor and found Simon banging about in the infirmary, not really doing anything, just making noise and shifting things around but with his back to the door so he could not see what was behind him. Standing in the doorway the captain cleared his throat. “Doc, I got a crew member who might need lookin’ at, she’s got a big fat lip that she says a client gave her… Any advice on that?” Simon turned slowly and Mal saw that he too had been crying, his eyes were red and puffy and his cheeks blotchy. The captain sighed and took a step towards the younger man. The doctor flinched ever so slightly when Mal put out his hand, expecting to take a blow in retribution for the blow he had landed earlier in the evening. He was startled when Mal put his hand on his shoulder but suddenly the grip tightened and the captain swung him round to face him. “Under no circumstances is ok to hit a woman, under no grounds… Unless they have physically drawn blood from you… Even then only under special circumstances… Jealousy is not an excuse and I should put you off the ship for that behaviour… Further more I should report you to the Companion’s guild for it so you can get black marked… But I won’t ‘cos I’m seein’ real remorse… Which is good. I know you like her, I know you paid for her but she was working for you and that was all… She seems to really like Jayne… God only knows why… I know you don’t have the best history with him but if you care for her at all you gotta respect her choices… And as for you payin’ good money to be with her, you’re so damn blind you need a white stick… Kaylee would bed you in the blink of an eye, no need to ask twice let alone pay for the honour! You’re gonna come with me to my bunk, check Alana is ok and apologise… I should have you put off the ship but you’re too valuable and Alana asked me not to tell anyone. Count you’re blessings boy!” With that he steered the slightly stunned doctor back up to his cabin, opened the hatch and shoved him down while following quickly after. Alana sat up in surprise and looked quickly backwards and forwards between the captain and the doctor. Mal gave Simon a hard stare and a small shove and the doctor began to speak. “Alana… I’m so sorry… I don’t know what came over me… What you do is your own business and I’m really sorry… I’m so very sorry… I want to say thank you for not asking for me to be put off the ship… I’m just so sorry… I’ve never done anything like that before…” He seemed to run out of words then so she stood up and drew herself up to her full high, looked every bit the regal companion for all her dirty work clothes, and looked him in the eye. “You are damn right and you are in my debt Simon Tam, you are in my debt! Good night Captain and thank you for your help.” At that she pushed past the admonished doctor and climbed out of the captain’s bunk. She stood in the corridor and shivered, unsure of her next move, not wanting to be alone. She walked over to the entrance to Jayne’s bunk and pushed open the hatch. She listened for a moment and heard heavy regular breathing, smiled to herself and slipped down the ladder, shutting the hatch quietly behind her. She could just make out Jayne, lying on his back, softly illuminated by the light of the COM panel by the doorway. She slipped off her boots and combat trousers and slid into the bunk beside the big muscular figure that was sleeping peacefully. She tucked herself in under his arm and fell asleep with her head resting on his chest, listening to the steady beating of his heart.

The alarm clock started to beep and rudely disturbed their slumber. Alana rolled over and nuzzled her head into his broad chest. Jayne opened his eyes, looked down at her and smiled. “Mornin’, whatcha doin’ here? If I’m remembering rightly you weren’t here when I turned in.” “I was lookin’ for some company when I finished my watch and knew you wouldn’t mind.” She looked up at him and he caught sight of her fat lip. He pulled back and cupped her chin gently, while tilting her face towards the light. “Alana, Yee So! What in the name of Buddha happened to your lip?” “I… Uh… Tripped and hit it on the stair rail going up to the bridge last night.” “Really? Cos it looks like someone slugged you.” She managed to laugh and shake her head, “Don’t be silly, who would hit me?” “I don’t know that but if someone did I’d make the tah mah de pay. He wouldn’t know what hit him cos I’d hit him so hard he’d be seein’ out the other side of his face!” Alana snaked her arms round his neck and kissed him softly on the lips to calm and quiet him down. He rolled towards her so she lay on her back and he was leaning over her. He kissed her again on the mouth and then moved down to kiss her neck and collarbone. She moaned softy and lifted her chin to grant him better access to her sensitive skin. He ran his work-roughened hand down the length of her torso to her hip. Alana looked up at him and smiled at his tenderness. She thought back to when she had first met Jayne, how much of a hardened warrior he had seemed to her and yet even then she had felt surprising warmth about him. He ran his fingertips across her flat stomach and then slipped round into the small of her back. He kissed her again softly with a lingering touch, careful not to hurt her swollen lip. He sighed deeply and then sat up, “Sad to say I gotta get up, got things to get done otherwise Mal’ll have my hide for a new wall hanging! You stay here as long as you want, catch up some of your sleep bao bai, ok?” Alana nodded and pulled the blanket over herself as he got out of the bunk. She rolled onto her side to watch him as he washed and dressed for his shift. He sat on the edge of the bunk to lace up his work boots and she stroked his broad shoulders and curled herself round so she rested her head on his thigh and looked up him. Jayne looked down at the beautiful woman in his bed and stroked her hair and cheek before he rose for the days work.