Part 1 - http://www.fireflyfans.net/bluesun.aspx?bid=22086

Part 2 - http://www.fireflyfans.net/bluesun.aspx?bid=22400

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Zoe followed Mal as he entered the cockpit. “I’m just saying that freezing girls ain’t exactly Badger’s style,” Zoe stated.

“No,” Mal agreed, “but we both know that Badger can be a mite unpredictable.”

Zoe smirked, “So can you, sir.”

Mal shot a look to her, which only widened Zoe’s smirk.

“I’ve got Badger on the line,” Wash announced from his seat.

“Shiny,” Mal stated, breaking his stare from Zoe.

Mal took a step to the console, staring at the scruffy image of Badger on the screen.

“Captain Reynolds,” he began. “I heard you was taking an issue with my cargo.”

“Oh, it’s not really an issue,” Mal commented sarcastically. “But I would take an issue if you put things in the cargo that I did not agree to transport.”

“What are you playing at,” Badger asked in annoyance.

“Don’t play games with me, Badger,” Mal said cheerily. “The girl.”

“Girl?”

“You know; pretty, blond, and sitting naked in a box”

Badger snickered, “I haven’t the slightest idea what you’re talking about Mal. Of course, if a naked blond girl got mixed up in your cargo, I’d gladly take her off your hands.”

Mal grimaced as he cut the call. The screen momentarily flashed white before emptying to black.

“I told you freezing girls wasn’t his style,” Zoe smirked.

***

Simon flicked the syringe twice before injecting the girl with the sedative. She laid on the exam table, tossing a little, as if she was having a nightmare in her sleep. But once Simon administered the drug, she relaxed.

Inara’s frame leaned against the counter as she stared intently at the girl.

“I wonder where she came from,” she said to no one in particular.

“Yeah,” Jayne grunted in concurrence. He too was in the infirmary, leaning in the corner of the room closest to the door.

Simon returned the syringe to a tray at the side of the table. “I’ll suppose we’ll find out when she wakes up.”

“You know,” Jayne added, “I bet she’s in some sort of trouble, just like you doc.”

“Quite possibly,” Simon answered objectively.

River, who had been seated on the counter in a fetal position, spoke up. “She needs to sleep. Been awake for too long, always on her feet. She’s very tired, and they won’t let her sleep.”

All eyes darted to her.

Inara moved towards her, “River?”

“She doesn’t belong here,” River directed at Simon. “Please just make her go to sleep.”

“River, she is asleep,” Simon consoled.

“Why don’t we stop it with the crazy talk, moonbrain,” Jayne shot at River.

River began to mutter in Chinese unintelligible phrases before continuing, “They love her so much, they’ll wake her up. Please, let her sleep.”

“River,” Simon called soothingly, placing his hands on her shoulders, “She’s safe here. No one’s going to hurt her.”

“Take good care of her,” River said with a fleeting smile. Slowly River slid herself from Simon’s grip and slinked out of the infirmary.

“So she’s in some sort of trouble, “ Simon said as River slowly disappeared from sight. “Doesn’t that mean more trouble for us?”

“Well, we all said the same thing when you came on board,” Jayne answered, “but besides your sister being still crazy, everything turned out alright, didn’t it?”

“He has a point,” Inara stated.

“Still, I wouldn’t want any unwanted attention.”

“I think we all agree with you there doc,” Jayne muttered.

“As much as I hate to admit it, I think Mal knows what he’s doing,” Inara added, “He’s kept you off the radar this long.”

“Well there was that bounty hunter,” Simon remarked ruefully.

“Yeah, but as far as we know, we got nothing to worry ‘bout there. His freeze dried corpse is probably still drifting where we left him,” Jayne grunted.

“Besides,” Inara continued, “the Alliance hasn’t even sent out a fresh bulletin for your arrest in months.”

“That’s very comforting,” Simon answered in a fashion that suggested otherwise. “Still I doubt the captain’s going to like the idea of having yet another Alliance fugitive on his ship.”

“Mal tolerates a lot of things on his ship that he doesn’t like,” Inara remarked softly at first but then quickly added, “Take Jayne for instance.”

“Good point,” Jayned nodded.

“Well at any rate, she’ll be fine until we pick up Shepherd Book on Paquin,” Simon said, settling a bit.

“I hope that ain’t your medical opinion, doc,” Jayne glowered.

“Of course not,” Simon defended, “She’s stable, she’ll be out for a few ours but medically she’s fine.”

Simon returned to the counter examining a readout he had printed out earlier.

“In fact, she’ll be better than fine,” Simon continued. “She’s in remarkably good shape for having undergone chryostasis.”

Jayne swallowed, “It doesn’t take a medical genius to figure that one out.”

“Doesn’t take a medical genius to figure what out?”

Mal was standing in the doorway. His stance denoted that he had just arrived there.

“Nothin’,” Jayne grunted.

Mal crossed his arms expectantly. “I’d like to have a word with the good doctor if you don’t mind.”

Jayne grunted in response once more as he made his exit, disappearing in the direction of the cargo bay. Inara too made her exit, casting Mal a wary glance that communicating multiple messages as her glances often did.

After they had vacated the infirmary, Mal shot his hands into his pockets.

“How is she, doc,” he asked.

“Sedated,” Simon answered as he began to remove his latex gloves. “She should remain that way for a couple hours at least.”

“Hi there,” Mal said cheerily.

It sounded utterly out of place to Simon who had his back to the captain and the examination table. But upon returning to the captain and the exam table he saw why the remark was warranted.

The girl was awake, and moreover alert, staring about the infirmary.

“Hi,” she responded candidly. Slowly she began to remove the sheet when she noticed herself clothed only in Inara’s robe. “I’m sort of, kind of, naked here.”

“You are,” Mal agreed. “But you’re more clothed now then when we found you?”

The girl’s brow furrowed. “What?”

“This isn’t right,” Simon said, though not in reference to the girl, but in reference to a readout he was examining.

“That is an abundantly true statement, doc,” Mal grimaced.

“No I mean she shouldn’t be awake now,” Simon specified. “She should be asleep still. The sedative I administered should have kept her out for hours.”

The girl rose slightly, “Sedative?”

“I don’t understand how her body could have metabolized the drug that fast,” Simon said to himself.

“What is going on here,” the girl asked.

“I’m sorry,” Mal said to her. “This clearly started on the wrong foot. I’m Captain Malcolm Reynolds. You are?”

“Buffy,” she answered, “Buffy Summers.”

“It’s good to meet you Buffy,” Mal answered. “Simon, why don’t you have Kaylee fetch her some clothes.” Simon nodded. Slowly, he let himself out of the infirmary.

“Can I ask you a question,” Buffy said with a slight smile.

“Sure.”

“What the hell is going on!?”

Mal began to shake his head, groping for something to say. “That is a very good question! One I don’t really have the answer for. We found you sitting frozen and, um, naked in a box, a box that we were to ship off planet. So, I guess you could say that I could ask you the same question.”

Buffy shook her head as well. “A, B, C. 1, 2, 3. Buffy Summers. That’s all I got.”

“I’m sorry,” Mal smiled. “This must all be very jarring for you. I suppose that I should begin. Welcome aboard.”

“Aboard?”

“You’re on my ship, Serenity.”

***

“Some of ‘Nara’s stuff would be nicer, you know,” Kaylee said as she rummaged through her things.

Simon waited in the doorway. His sense of core world propriety forbade him from entering a lady’s room without invitation. “I know,” he answered. “But I don’t think he wanted to inconvenience her. Things are already tense enough between them.”

Kaylee let her head sink. She had forgotten for a moment that Inara was leaving. As of yet, the drapes and atmosphere of her shuttle remained the same, so that she could continue to practice her trade, but many of the decorations, candles, and adornments were packed away in a storage crate in the cargo bay, waiting for the day that Serenity set down on some world with a companion outpost. The specifics of that day were not set into stone, and the captain and Inara infrequently argued about it.

She finally selected a set of clothes that by approximation she thought would fit the new arrival. “Here you are,” she said handing him a stack. “I think these should work.”

“Thanks,” Simon nodded. “I should get these to the captain.”

Simon began to make his way out. “Hey Simon,” Kaylee stopped him with a hesitant smile on her face. “Cap’n said when we get to Paquin to pick up Shepherd Book we’ll be staying for a little. We’ll have a coupla days shore leave. So I was thinking, you know, maybe me and you could spend some time planet-side.”

Simon returned the smile. “I’d like that. But we’ll see how Buffy is doing first. Chryostasis can have a number of complications and I would like to be around if any come up.”

Kaylee kept smiling, even though she felt much differently. “Of course.”

Simon nodded and left for the infirmary.

***

Wash’s face crinkled. “He’s almost being—“

Zoe arched an eyebrow as she completed the though. “Civil?”

“Yeah.”

They stood outside the infirmary staring through the glass. The captain was amiably in conversation with the new arrival.

“You know it’s not just civil,’ Wash remarked. “It’s more than that. He’s being—“

“Cordial?”

“Yeah. Have you ever seen him like this?”

Zoe smiled a little. “Once.” “When?”

“How’s she doing?”

They turned to see Inara, who entered through the cargo bay entrance.

“She’s awake,” Zoe answered. “The captain is speaking with her now.”

Inara joined them staring through the windows of the infirmary. The shut door and thick glass inhibited much of the sounds of Mal’s conversation with the girl. However, it didn’t take companion training to read Mal’s body language. He was comfortable with her. He even laughed a couple of times from her responses. Inara was confounded, ”It’s almost like he’s being—“

“Civil,” Wash and Zoe completed in unison.

“Yeah. But more than that, Its like he’s—“

Again, in unison, “Cordial?”

“I—Yes.”

Simon caught this last bit of conversation as he returned from Kaylee’s room with a small stack of clothes. “Funny, I seem to recall me getting punched and someone dying the last time we got a new arrival.”

“No, no,” Wash answered. “You’re forgetting the time where me and Mal got knocked out, Inara fell and bumped her head and we almost got fried from the inside out.”

“When did I bump my head,” Inara asked. It took her a second to remember what Wash was talking about. “Right, I fell. I fell and bumped my head when I found Mal unconscious.”

“Oh yes,” Simon recalled with almost fond remembrance, “I almost forgot about Saffron.” Simon knocked on the door to the infirmary and Mal answered. He exchanged a hushed “thank you” with Simon before returning to Buffy.

“Don’t worry,” He told her. “We’ll sort through this mess.”

“Thanks,” she answered.

Simon handed her the stack of clothing and lowered a series of blinders over the infirmary windows so she could change in privacy before he joined the rest of the crew outside the infirmary.

Zoe arched an eyebrow. “Well?”

“Well what,” the captain shrugged.

“The girl,” Wash answered. “There was civil-ness going on there and you know I just can’t stand for that kind of behavior. Especially in front of my wife.”

“Oh, no,” Mal groaned. “Here we go with the chain-yankin’ again.”

“Well while we’re at it,” Simon chimed in, “we might as well address the indecent cordiality going on here as well.”

Wash flashed Simon a thumbs-up and mouthed “good one,” but Mal was too busy burying his face in his hand to notice.

“She’s just a frightened girl who does know a damn thing about the world,” Mal answered.

“Last time you said that you got yourself and my husband knocked out, Inara injured, and the ship stolen almost,” Zoe reminded him.

Wash frowned, “Yeah and that was no fun. She have a name?”

“Her name is Buffy,” Mal answered.

“Buffy? What kind of a name is that,” Wash snickered.

“Honey, your name is Hoban,” Zoe said, deadpan.

“So?”

The doors to the infirmary slid open. Buffy was wearing a loose-fitting maroon top and a set of Kaylee’s grease-stained overalls. She smiled a little as she adjusted her hair. Mal returned the smile and joined her in the doorway.

“Everyone, this is Buffy,” Mal introduced.

“Hi,” she said softly.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you,” Wash smiled as he took her hand. “The name is Hoban Washburn,” he said as he quickly cast a glance back to Zoe who snickered a little. “Everyone just calls me Wash.”

“Wash,” Buffy nodded. “Got it.”

Mal motioned to Zoe, “That back there is Zoe, my first mate and Wash’s blushing bride.”

Zoe glared at Mal for a second before addressing Buffy, “Welcome aboard.”

“Thanks.”

“Over here we have Inara,” Mal introduced.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you Buffy,” Inara smiled as she took Buffy’s hand. “I trust you’ll enjoy your time aboard.”

“And of course you’ve already met the doctor, Simon,” Mal directed.

“If you would like, we could run some tests, see if we could help you with the amnesia,” Simon offered.

“I’d like that,” Buffy answered.

“Well that’s everybody here for now,” Mal said concluding the introductions. “Simon, why don’t you show Buffy to one of the passenger dormitories and get her set up there. Maybe you could introduce her to the rest of the crew?”

“Alright.”

“Shiny.”

“Right this way,” Simon directed.

As Buffy passed Mal she smiled. “Thanks again. For everything.”

“Not a problem,” Mal returned warmly.

Buffy continued on to join Simon. “Oh, and Simon,” Mall called. Mal motioned him in closer and whispered, “make sure you introduce her to Jayne last.”

Simon smiled, “Right.”

Simon escorted Buffy from the infirmary, trying his best to make small talk.

“Watch the cordiality,” Wash jeered. “Wouldn’t want a pleasant man for a captain. No, we could never have that.”

Mal scratched his forehead. “Wash, who’s flying the ship?”

Wash shook his head and laughed a little as he repeated the question. “The auto-pilot is.”

“Then I guess I should be paying the ship your cut,” Mal said.

“There we go,” Wash exclaimed, “for a minute there I thought we lost the captain we all knew and loved.”

Zoe snickered a little as she followed her husband out of the common area and back to the upper deck.

That left Inara and Mal alone in the sitting area.

“Have any fun quips you would like to add,” Mal asked, tetchily.

“None, Captain,” Inara replied formally, “but I would like to discuss our arrangement.”

Mal slumped into the couch facing the infirmary. “Alright.”

“I want to start by saying that I stand by the decision I made over two months ago,” Inara began. “And yet I am still here.”

“Not my problem,” Mal shrugged. “We stopped on plenty of worlds with companion enclaves. Greenleaf, Beaumonde, New Melbourne, Persephone. You didn’t seem overly anxious to leave when we stopped on each of those.”

“You would know why if you would just give me the time of day, Mal,” Inara spat. “You’ve been avoiding me!”

Mal bolted up. “I’ve been avoiding you? Whenever we land on a moon with barely a settlement you’re off the ship engaged. And when we’re en route to another world, you’re sealed in your shuttle, ‘selecting clients.’ Tell me is business that good?” Inara opened her mouth to speak before Mal cut her off. “Don’t answer that. You hardly ever take meals now with the rest of the crew, or at least when I am there, so you tell me, Inara, who is avoiding who?”

She ignored the question. “The Guild has given has ordered me to one of the border world houses. Apparently my experience aboard Serenity has given me the perspective necessary for a teaching position in a less enlightened world. I got a wave from an old friend of mine, Sheydra. She runs a training house on one of the border worlds near New Hall.” She swallowed, “Mal, I’m taking the offer. I’ll charter a flight myself if you can’t make a way there.”

Mal was silent for a moment. “New Hall is quite a hike.”

“Another excuse, Mal,” Inara interjected. She bit her tongue, mentally berating herself for allowing her emotions to impair her judgment.

“I understand you have to conduct a business,” Inara stated in a level tone. “But for all this time we’ve been able to run our businesses in harmony together. Rarely have our interest ever clashed in this matter. You’re resourceful, Mal. I’m sure you’ll be able to find a way to make our interests one in the same in this matter.”

She waited a moment for Mal’s response, but it never came. She left him in the common area alone. Nothing could be said as he slumped back into the couch, letting his head sink into his palms.