“Coming up on Persephone, sir,” Zoe informed Mal, who was having a drink in the kitchen. “Our ETA is about 50 minutes from now. Oh, and Inara asks if she can talk to you in her shuttle before we land…” Mal nodded, immediately set his mug down and started to leave. Zoe raised an eyebrow, but Mal just shrugged and gave her an unreadable look before letting his eyes drift to the dinner table. Zoe followed his gaze and saw River sitting on the tabletop, hugging her knees and staring at Mal unblinkingly.

“Girl gives me the willies, been starin’ at me like that for the past five minutes. And since I checked and I got nothing on my face, I find that mighty creepifying…” he said. Zoe grinned, and as Mal passed her by, he distinctly heard his first mate say: “You’re frightening the captain sweetie, let’s go see if we can find that brother of yours, okay?”

“Ching yin,” Inara said when he entered the shuttle. There was a bit of an echo to her voice and when Mal opened the door, he knew why. All of the Companion’s belongings were packed away and the room was as bare as it had been the day she’d rented it. Seems like yesterday, Mal thought. Refusing to show any emotions, he just said: “So… all set then?”

“I am. Everything is squared away, and there is someone coming to pick me up on Persephone to take me back to Beaumonde. I know it’s not your favourite place to be right now, so…”

“Yeah, you ain’t wrong about that,” Mal said. For a moment he thought about whether or not he ought to speak his piece, before finally opening his mouth. “Inara…” he said softly, taking a step closer, but before he could continue she had pressed a small parcel into his hand. “Um, what’s that?”

“That… is two months’ rent for the shuttle in advance. It should give you enough time to find another tenant,” Inara explained. When Mal frowned and made no attempt at all to accept the money, her eyes took on a pleading look. “Mal, please.”

Mal's eyes softened and he took the money from her, but held on to her hand with his other hand all the same. “Inara,” he said slowly and then, as if mustering up the courage he usually had so much of, “you know you don’t have to do this. If- ”

“Mal,” she said with a sad smile that made her look even more stunning, if that was possible. “Don’t do this.” Mal didn’t say anything else but didn’t drop his gaze, and neither did she.

“Like I told you, I don’t want to draw this out,” she added in barely more than a whisper. Mal noticed that her voice was full of sadness but with great resolve, and he knew that there was nothing he could say to make her change her mind. He waved the small parcel to say ‘thanks for the money’ and headed for the door.

Pausing in the doorframe, he turned around and mumbled, “What about the rest of us? What about Kaylee? Who’s gonna keep her out of trouble? Who’s going to tell us to behave like civilized people when things are getting’ rough?”

For a moment, the sadness in her big brown eyes was pushed to the background by a pearly white smile. “I think you will all be just fine,” she replied smilingly.

------------------------

Inara had told the truth when she’d said that she didn’t want to draw out her goodbyes: she simply gave everyone a quick hug in the cargo bay. Even Zoe, who wasn’t much of a hugger. Kaylee on the other hand seemed to never want to let go.

“Bye ‘Nara. Be careful. And don’t go flyin’ any ships that ain’t looked after properly. They’ll fall apart on you,” she mumbled into the Companion’s shoulder, her voice muffled from having her face buried in the fabric of Inara’s dress. Then she stepped back with a stifled sob.

Inara didn’t say a word but River could feel her sadness. It washed over her like a tidal wave, leaving her almost unable to breathe and afraid that she would drown if she did… It got even worse when Inara hugged her. “Bye sweetie. You have to take care of the others now, okay?” she said, her sweet voice ringing in River’s ears like little bells. She smiled and River knew she was only half-serious. After Jubal Early they knew she could be trusted, maybe even helpful to the rest of the crew, but they would still never ask her to protect all of them. That was all right though, River thought as she smiled knowingly. Didn’t matter. She still would.

------------------------

After the hovercraft picking up Inara had sped out of sight, everyone lingered around a bit, unsure of what to do next. Finally, Book and Simon made themselves scarce and headed back to the passenger dorms, Simon leading River along by her elbow. As fond as the three of them were of Inara, the Serenity crew had known her for almost a year before they had even joined them on board the ship, and they probably needed some time amongst themselves.

Jayne stared at his boots for a minute and then looked up defiantly. “Hell with this, I’monna go get plastered,” he said gruffly. “Yeah. Good plan,” Mal agreed, checking instinctively if his gun was still in his holster.

Zoe and Wash glanced at each other and smiled. “If you don’t mind, sir, we’ll stay here and look after the ship, in case something comes up- ”

“Or in case we need to come and bail you out of jail later on,” Wash finished his wife’s sentence for her.

Mal just nodded distractedly and turned around again before setting off down the airlock ramp. “You comin’ with us then, little Kaylee?” he asked.

Kaylee hesitated but then nodded, even though her heart didn’t seem in it, and followed both men outside and to one of the many Eavesdown bars.

------------------------

“Y’know,” Kaylee said loudly, pointing her finger at Mal and Jayne in turn. “Serenity and the people on it are all my family! All o’them!” she added, making a wide gesture with the hand that she was using to hold her glass of whiskey, so little splashes of the amber liquid soared across the table and landed on the table top as well as Jayne’s sleeve.

“And you’re my family as well cap’n, so I’m sorry I yelled at you. Wasn’t very nice of me. I meant what I said though,” she added, wagging her finger at Mal. Jayne let out a barking laugh at the sight of the young mechanic telling her captain off, and then took another large swig of his drink. “You’ll chase us all off your ship ‘fore the time comes!”

“What?” Mal spluttered as he set down his mug with a loud thunk. He looked downright insulted. “I wouldn’t do any such thing!” Kaylee snorted loudly and went back to her drink.

Mal looked at the table and sighed softly. He’d never admit it to anyone on the ship, he didn’t think, but he really hadn’t wanted Inara to leave, far from it…

------------------------

“What do you mean, ‘you’re leaving’?” Mal said as he stormed into the Companion shuttle moments after Inara had walked away from him.

“Just don’t, Mal. Please? I don’t want to do this right now…” She managed to sound exasperated even though she didn’t turn around to face him. She’d never give him the satisfaction of seeing her tear streaked face.

Mal just leaned against the wall, crossing his arms across his chest and showing no intention of leaving.

“You knew what I was gonna tell you. Just now,” he said, a grim but self-righteous look creeping onto his face. “You knew exactly what I was gonna say and you interrupted me, stopped me from speaking my piece. So, what I figure is, you were trying to save me from what would’ve been an awkward moment. Well, even more awkward…”

Inara spun around suddenly, looking more hurt than he’d ever seen her before. “Mal, no, that’s not- ”

“Thing is, you coulda just been honest. I’m a grown-up, I can take it. So…” he said, “as I said before, I ain’t got no call on you, but if you’re leaving anyhow, now is the time for you to tell me if there’s anything I should know.” He paused, bouncing on his heels. “Is there?” he added, doing his very best to keep his voice sounding cool and casual instead of hopeful and desperate.

“There are some things that we can’t say, Mal. Some things that are better left unspoken…” she said softly, staring at her feet.

“You are absolutely right,” he answered. Oh screw it, he thought. He leaned in and kissed her.

Inara felt his lips brush against hers, carefully at first, as if he was afraid that she would break. She didn’t blame him; it did seem like her knees could give way any moment. When he finally pulled back, she blinked and opened her eyes groggily.

“Wow… And I didn’t even pass out this time,” she mumbled as she brought her fingertips to her lips.

“I think I just might, though,” Mal whispered with a little smile. Then he suddenly jumped to attention and his eyebrows soared. “Wait, what? What do you mean ‘this time’?”

“Um, nothing,” she replied, but even as she said it, she knew that she’d answered him too quickly to be convincing. Mal just blinked in confusion; but then the truth of what had happened dawned on him and one of those characteristic smug smiles appeared on his face.

“Soooo…”he started to say with a devilish grin, but Inara rolled her eyes and took a step closer to him, chocolate brown curls dancing around her beautiful face.

“Mal. Shut up.” Inara wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him deeply. For a brief moment she was stunned by her own candor. She, who hated complications…

When she finally pulled away from him, she saw the stunned look he was giving her. With a twinkle in her brown eyes, she looked into his blue ones and said: “Don’t talk. We always ruin things because we talk too much.”

“Yeah, you’re not wrong about that…” Mal chuckled as he leaned in for another kiss…

------------------------

“We’ve got incoming,” Wash said, looking over his shoulder at his wife.

Zoe looked up from checking the accounts of Serenity’s income and expenses. She had never been the list-making kind of person, and the idea of a distraction –even a sign of trouble–made her breathe a sigh of relief.

“Oh thank God, I nearly died of boredom. Who’s it from?” she asked as she got up from her chair to lean over her husband’s shoulder and look at the screen. A bored-looking woman was looking back.

“Transport ship ‘Serenity’, you have received an urgent request for a meeting with the representative of Osiris in Parliament,” her monotone voice crackled through the speakers. Zoe and Wash shot each other a nervous glance. Zoe leaned forward so her face was in front of the camera lens.

“This is first mate Zoe Warren of transport ship ‘Serenity’ speaking. Our captain is indisposed at the moment. Is it all right if we contact you later today?” The woman on the other end of the line looked slightly annoyed but agreed, saying that she would be back in touch within the next twenty-four hours. Then the connection went dead and Wash leaned back in his pilot’s seat, blowing out his breath with puffed-up cheeks.

“Whew. Um, this is going to be bad, isn’t it? I mean, first there’s that Cruiser that suddenly stopped following us and now this?” he asked nervously. Zoe didn’t answer him, but the look she gave him was pretty significant, not to mention less than comforting…

“Hey, wha’s goin’ on?” Kaylee mumbled, sticking her head in and squinting a bit to focus her unsteady gaze.

“Kaylee? Oh, nothing important yet. We’ll work it all out when the captain gets back,” Zoe replied. She’d rather wait a little while before doing or saying anything that would just worry the others. “Speaking of the captain, weren’t you supposed to be in town with him and Jayne?”

“Eh. Wasn’t a bit ‘a fun. Jayne met this… ‘woman’,” she said, using air quotes for the last word, “and went upstairs, and the cap’n was just starin’ at his drink with his eyes all glassy.” She shrugged, and Zoe fought back a amused chuckle when the shrug almost made Kaylee lose her balance.

“Listen sweetie, we’ve got things covered here. I think go better go get some sleep- we’ll wake you up if we need you here, okay?”

“Yeah, sounds shiny, I think I might…” Kaylee nodded, and she turned around and stumbled down the stairs while mumbling “G’night guys…”

------------------------

Mal cursed under his breath when he tripped on the ramp that led into the cargo bay. Heavy drinking and bar fights were always a bad combination - not to mention the fact that they had a lousy effect on his balance.

He shrugged off another memory of Inara while he picked himself up off the floor. It’s all in the past now, he reminded himself. As he slowly made his way along the galley and to his bunk, he noticed that something was wrong. His shirt was sticky and he didn’t feel so good. He looked down and frowned, forcing his brain cells to co-operate.

Oh, this is bad. Uhm. Right, infirmary. Right. Good plan, he thought to himself before turning around. He hoped to God that Simon was still awake and in the infirmary, he’d hate to go wake him in his bunk. Actually, he wouldn’t, he thought to himself with a little grin, it would be sort of amusing… Now, which way was the infirmary again?

“Oh m- what did you do?!” he heard Simon exclaim in the back of his brain, although it didn’t really transmit that the doctor was talking to him until Simon grabbed his arm and led him into the infirmary. Placing a groggy Mal on a chair, Simon sighed as he stared at the captain’s blood-soaked shirt.

“It looks like you tore about half of your stitches,” he observed. “What happened?” Mal thought he sounded exasperated, worried and angry all at the same time.

“I’ll have to cut it off – the shirt – because if the fabric has dried into the wound…” Simon trailed off. Mal heard him talking but nothing was really registering in his brain.

“Go right ahead,” Mal interrupted slurringly and with a wave of his hand. “You’re the doc, doc.”

“Yes, I am.” Simon smiled a rueful little smile as he carefully began to cut open Mal’s shirt, exposing his bare chest around the wound. Mal forced back some thoughts that came drifting into his mind and told himself off sternly.

“No.” Mal poked a finger against Simon’s chest. “Simon. You’re Simon. Not just the doctor. You should be Simon more often on the ship. ‘Cause you’re a person. Have to keep remembering that they’re a person or they go away,” he rambled. “Ow!”

------------------------

“Sit still, you’ll tear them again,” Simon said in a patient but firm voice while he quietly cleaned the last bits of blood off Mal’s chest with a moist towel. Mal leaned forward a bit and closed his eyes. Simon had the distinct feeling that he’d fallen asleep and he took a step backwards to look at the captain.

“There, all done…” he said softly. Mal nodded, his eyes still closed and not attempting to get up at all. Simon couldn’t help but frown. He was so used to the captain always being in control that it was incredibly unnerving to see him let go like this.

“He must really love her,” he said in barely more than a whisper, ignoring the nauseated feeling he got in his stomach as he said it.

“He’s sad,” River’s voice suddenly drifted in. A startled Simon spun around and saw his little sister looming behind him, looking like a portrait in the doorframe. “Sad and afraid. He doesn’t want family to leave but he keeps chasing them away. Won’t let anyone near his heart, even if he wants to. Can’t help it…”

She cocked her head and looked at Mal with an expression of great pity. Then her eyes drifted to her brother. “You have to help him.”

“Help him? With what?” Simon asked. River just let out a deep sigh, turned around and strolled out of the infirmary.

------------------------

Mal woke up with a head that felt as if it would shatter into a million pieces at any moment, and the distinct feeling that there was somebody watching him…

“Ahem,” Zoe coughed softly. The captain blinked, cursing inwardly at the light for being so bright. Then he realized that the light in his own bunk wasn’t this bright, far from it. He opened his eyes grudgingly, painfully aware of the throbbing in his temples.

The first thing he saw was Zoe, standing in front of the infirmary bunk and looking thoroughly amused. Then he saw Simon, sleeping soundly with his head on Mal’s shoulder.

He must’ve dozed off and fallen over in his sleep, Mal told himself. He suddenly wished like hell that last night wasn’t a big black gaping hole in his memory. He looked at the top of the doctor’s head and the mussed dark hair that moved ever so slightly with Mal’s every breath.

Mal gave Simon a nudge, even though he didn’t think he would have if Zoe hadn’t been standing there with her arms crossed patiently and a smirk plastered on her face.

“Huh? What?” Simon muttered as he shot upright. “Oh, hi Zoe. What, um, what’s going on?” he asked all business-like. Mal could tell he was trying to regain his composure – it’s was fairly endearing, actually…

Zoe waited for just a moment longer – probably until she’d decided that she had made them uncomfortable enough, Mal thought. “Morning, captain… Didn’t know you were back yet. We got a wave a couple of hours back, some Alliance official wanted to talk to our captain.”

“What?” Mal muttered, suddenly very awake. He ruffled his fingers through his hair and sat up straight, thinking for a moment before making a decision. “Zoe, contact Badger and tell him we’ll be at the rendez-vous like we agreed.”

“Sir, that’s in half an hour,” Zoe stated blankly. Mal stared at her and blinked. Then he checked the time and groaned.

“Well, we’ll just have to hurry then, won’t we? Tell Wash and Kaylee to gear up Serenity. I’ll have my talk with the Alliance brass once the job’s done and we’re back on the boat, but I want her fuelled up and ready to hightail it in case we have to. Okay?” Zoe simply nodded at her captain’s orders and disappeared to the bridge while Mal followed her outside to get ready, leaving Simon on his own in the infirmary.

------------------------

“Well, well, if it ain’t Malcolm Reynolds, our noble sergeant, come to ask little old me for help. Now ain’t that something, fellas?” Badger told his trusted gang with a smug grin.

“We ain’t asking you for help, Badger, just looking to make an honest business transaction here,” Mal said, letting his pride get the better of him. He spoke calmly, but his fingers were twitching next to the holster of his gun, ready to draw if the situation called for it. Glancing over his right shoulder he saw that Jayne and Zoe were having the same reaction. Badger and his associates probably didn’t even notice, but Mal knew his crew well enough to see that their senses were heightened and that they were ready to react if it turned out that Badger had ambushed them.

“We got your money, so let’s none of us make a fuss,” the captain added, looking to put Badger at ease. There was no point in having a tussle and risking their lives if it wasn’t necessary.

Mal looked around. He hated this place. Badger referred to it as ‘his office’, but to Mal it was nothing but a cramped trailer, too full of knick-knacks that Badger considered trophies and exhibits of his prestige. It was smack dab in the middle of the market area, too. Mal preferred his own surroundings as empty as the black. As far as he was concerned, there was nothing better than an empty sky or a drop point in a desert valley… There were too many things that could go wrong down here, too many factors to take into account…

Badger smirked. “Rubbish. But seeing as you ask me so nicely, let’s say you give us half the coin now and I’ll see that you’ll get your water delivered to that rusty old scrap heap of yours within the next twelve hours,” he said, twirling his bowler hat in his hands.

“No can do, Badger. We have to be off this rock sooner than that. Can you make it in four hours?” Mal said. For a moment, Badger seemed annoyed that Mal wasn’t more intimidated by him.

“Well, if you pay more, you get a faster delivery, dong ma?” he snapped. “Oh and speaking of which, there is a small change in the deal that might interest you…” Badger flashed them a wide smile.

------------------------

Book walked into the infirmary when Simon was in the middle of a rare moment of doing absolutely nothing. He was just sitting, deep in thought. When he heard Book enter, he looked up and saw him frown.

“What’s the matter, son? You seem rather distraught…”

“Hi Shepherd. I don’t know… I guess I was just thinking about what happened to River back in that canyon and what could have caused it.”

Book’s eyebrow rose. “That’s what you were thinking? Because you seemed to be more… disappointed than anything else.”

He gave the doctor one of his piercing looks and Simon felt the wall he’d set up around himself beginning to crumble. Shepherd Book could make him seriously uncomfortable at times, Simon thought as he remembered the conversation he had had with Book about Shan Yu. For some reason, it made him less inclined to share his feelings with him.

“It doesn’t matter now. The captain, Zoe and Jayne will be back any minute. We better get ready for take-off, we might have to leave in a hurry.”

------------------------

“Oh no. No way, no how, Badger.” Mal folded his arms and looked defiantly at Badger.

“That’s the deal, Reynolds, take it or leave it. Ain’t too bad a deal, either. You do me this little favour of getting my package on Paquin and delivering it back to me, and I’ll give you a discount on your water. There’s many who’d kill for that kinda deal.”

“I don’t care, it’s too risky. I don’t transport that kind of cargo. I’m more than willing to pay you the price we agreed, I don’t need no discount…” Mal said with all the calm he could muster. Badger’s eyes shot daggers at him.

“I wasn’t asking, Reynolds,” he said and Mal heard the cocking of guns from his left and right. In a reflex he went for his own hand weapon and he saw Jayne do the same, but before he could draw he felt Zoe’s hand on his arm.

“Sir, maybe we should consider this.” Her voice was calm and controlled. “We’re not rolling in cash as it is, and the transport wouldn’t take us more than a week.”

Jayne gave her an incredulous stare. “Are you off your gorram axle? This is gonna be nothing but trouble, mark my words!” he said angrily.

Mal looked from one to the other. In his gut he was inclined to agree with Jayne, but Zoe made a good point. The water would cost them a lot of money, and if they got a discount they’d be able to stock up on spare parts and those medical supplies the doctor was always yakking on about.

“Fine. You give us twenty-five percent off on our water and pay for our fuel to get us to Paquin and back, and you got a deal.”

Badger grinned and held out his hand. “Deal.”

------------------------

“We’re back,” Mal said as he joined Wash on the bridge.

“Good. It took you longer than expected, didn’t it? Did you get the water?” Wash asked.

“We did. Jayne, Zoe and Kaylee are stocking it up as we speak. And we got ourselves a job, too – well, more or less. Set course for Paquin.”

Wash looked around in surprise. “Paquin? Okay, but I hope you’re not in a hurry. The engine controls have been acting up and I’d already set up a course so it’s gonna take us a good half hour before we can take off. Why, what’s on Paquin?”

Mal shrugged. “We’re picking up something for Badger and bringing it back here for him. He’s paying for our fuel and gave us discount on our water purchase, so we got a good deal.”

“Wow, yeah you did. Guy must want that cargo pretty bad, huh?” Wash said with a grin.

Mal just shrugged. “Guess so. Anyway, work’s work,” he said as he turned to leave.

So not in a sharing mood, then. Fine, I can take a hint, Wash thought, reminding himself to ask Zoe later on about what had happened.

At that moment, the screen monitor flashed on, showing the bored face of the same woman Wash and Zoe had talked to before. “Mal, hold on. That Alliance woman just got back in touch.”

“Great,” Mal replied with a sigh. “’Cause my day was so perfect until now. I’m on it. Go get Zoe, will you?”

Wash nodded and got up from his seat so Mal could sit down. Then he hurried off to find his wife.

------------------------

Hot coffee slopped over the edge of Simon’s mug and onto his hand as Wash raced past him, nearly knocking him over. The pilot skidded to a halt and gave Simon an apologetic look. “Sorry.”

“Don’t worry about it. It’s not like it was actual coffee,” Simon answered him with a shrug, while he licked the spilled liquid from the back of his burned hand. “Just coffee-coloured hot water,” he added with a grimace.

There was no use in going back to his dorm with an empty mug, Simon thought and he made his way back to the kitchen.

“I told ‘em it was a ruttin’ bad idea to begin with, but them never listen to me…” Jayne’s voice drifted towards him. “But I couldn’t exactly tell ‘em what you told me, could I?”

“It’s just hitch hiking. Not the worst part. Things are gonna get much, much worse,” River said. Simon frowned. What in the ‘verse was River talking about – and why was she talking about it to Jayne of all people?

“Um, River? Everything all right?” Simon tried to hide the disapproval in his voice when he walked into the kitchen and saw River and Jayne sitting next to each other at the dinner table.

River turned and she smiled a happy smile that warmed her brother’s heart. “We’re fine, Simon. You’re needed on the bridge.”

Simon sighed. Even though he wanted to ask why they needed him there, he fought the urge to do so. He’d learned a long time ago that there was no point in asking his little sister questions when she didn’t intend to answer them. Instead he just gave Jayne a stare that clearly meant ‘leave my sister alone’ before heading for the bridge.

“All right, put him through.” The captain’s voice sounded less than enthused. Simon glanced into the room from the corridor in case he wasn’t meant to be seen. He knew right away that he’d done the smart thing. He could barely make out the woman on the monitor, but she was clearly wearing an Alliance employee’s uniform. Not a Fed… it almost looked like an office uniform, worn by secretaries, bank tellers and the likes…

Why would the captain be talking to someone like her?… The question pounded in Simon’s brain, but he didn’t have time to think about it further. The next words that came out of the secretary’s mouth made Simon’s blood freeze in his veins.

“Thank you, Captain Reynolds. We are now patching you through to Representative Gabriel Tam.”

TBC ------------