Reviews are much appreciated as always, I hope you are enjoying my little ficlet here, and let me know if it gets too weird at any point. Thanks guys! --------------------------------------------------

Malcom Reynolds was not having his best day ever. The job had gone south, as they always seemed to these days. He'd give Jayne's best gun just to have one, just one, go their way. Only problem this time was that Inara had insisted on coming along. Shootin' had started, and for the first time his first thought hadn't been for his own pigu, but to protect her. Gorram woman. Hadn't he taken a bullet for her? It was all a bit fuzzy. It'd been instinct, and something told him he'd do it again in a heartbeat. Gorram woman. He opened his eyes and saw 'Nara crying buckets over his still form on the infirmary bed. Wait, how could he see himself? He wasn't- "You're not dead." Mal spun around and nearly jumped out of his skin when he saw who spoke. "Tracey?" He blinked. "What in the sphicter of hell is going on here?" "Welcome to limbo." Tracey gestured widely with a grin. "Ain't it grand?" "Limbo, huh. Didn't I shoot you awhile back?" Mal absently scratched the scar behind his right ear. "Doc's apparently got me too doped up." "You're not drugged," came the correction from the teen perched on the counter. "You're just...stuck." "Stuck?" He never heard the answer as what felt like a heavy electrical shock coursed through his body. He wrenched open his eyes (his real eyes this time!) and found Inara kissing him. Deciding to go with it, he closed his eyes again and kissed her back. Suddenly she jerked away, and he cursed to himself for pushing too hard. "Better not be takin' advantage of me." he coughed. "Mal-" "S'not fair to be taking advantage of a man while he's unconcious." Mal joked, squeezing her hand, so small and perfect in his. "Please. It's not like it hasn't happened before." Confused and hurt at the pain in her voice, he opened his eyes and stared into hers, searching for an answer he knew must be in those beautiful brown depths somewhere. "I'll leave," she moves to get up, but suddenly Mal can't stand the thought of her being away from him any longer. With what strength he has left he yanks her back down to him. "You're not goin' anywhere. Not ever again." He used his best captain-y voice, then kisses her again softly to make his point. Lying on his chest, she traces the newly-stiched wound with her fingertips. Content, his eyelids fluttered shut, and the black rushed to envelop him. Tracey was waiting for him when he came to. "Hiya." He said with a smirk. "Welcome back." "What in the ruttin' hell is going on?" Mal snapped. "Last I checked, I was kissing a very beautiful woman, and now here I am lookin' at your ugly mug. Tell me, where's that get fun?" Tracey shrugged. "Limbo's the place between dead and dying. You've got to prove that you've got something to live for 'fore they send you back." "THEY send me back?" Mal yelled angerly. "Haven't THEY taken everything from me? Haven't THEY had enough fun rubbing my face in my pathetic existance? Stomped on me-" "Hey Cap'n, don't be rantin' at me. I'm the one doomed to spend all eternity as their errand boy, remember?" Tracey cocked his head. "Hey, you dying over there?" Mal spun around, watching the increasing frenzy around his more tangible self. Simon was up to his arms in blood, Kaylee crying as she handed him tools. Zoe looked stoic, supporting a collapsing Inara at the door. "Could be a short trp after all." Crossing his hands behind his head, the messenger leaned back against the bulkhead. "Looks like you're gonna need a miracle there Cap'n." They watched as Inara spoke soundlessly and moved towards Simon, who rolled up her sleeve and plunged a needle deep into her arm. "NO!" Mal screamed, desperately running to her side. "Inara, don't!" "They can't hear you." He watched helplessly as Simon pushed her out of the way and the transfusion progressed, Inara seemingly hypnotized by the swirling tube of her blood. "What's the problem Cap'n? You got your miracle." Tracey smiled. "She must really like you or something." Inara, his miracle. "Guild law prohibits Companions from any exchange of blood. Keeps them from any creepifying practices and out of disease. 'Nara told me that back when the catalyzer blew and I got hurt, needed a transfusion then too. 'Cept we had Wash then so it was ok..." "How are they going to find out? Everything's real fuzzy out here in the Black, and if you don't tell them-" "They always do. And if they do, they'll throw her out of the Guild." "She won't be a whore no more." Tracey pointed out helpfully. Mal spun around and marched over to face him, hand flying to a gun that wasn't there. "Don't you ever go calling her that. She's honest, more honest than you ever were you liou coe shway duh biao-tze huh hoe-tze fuh ur-tze!" Tracey never even blinked. "You've got no right to call her that either then." Mal opened his mouth to repeat his worn argument but the messenger cut him off. "You've got some lessons to learn Captain Reynolds, if yer ever gonna live to get a piece of that." In the background, Inara slumped over on her stool. As Simon stabilized his patient, Zoe and Kaylee moved the prone woman to the smaller bed set into the infirmary wall. Trying not to look to closely at himself, Mal moved to Inara's side, running a ghostly hand over her damp curls. "My miracle," he whispered, though no one could hear him. "Sie-Sie, bao bei." "Time to go," Tracey called, and though Mal fought to stay with her, the world swirled around him and faded to black.

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***Liou coe shway duh biao-tze huh hoe-tze fuh ur-tze: Son of a drooling whore and a monkey.