This plot bunny just wouldn’t stop thumpering around in my head so I finally got around to writing it and then finally got around to posting it because, hey, how can you improve characterization if you don’t get feedback, eh? I would greatly appreciate any comments, especially about my characterization of Inara because I just feel that she eluded me and next time I’d like to do better. Thanks!

Disclaimer: Obviously, it’s not mine and I make no claims to it.

For all her education Inara Serra was left without words when she woke to the sound of her shuttle door sliding open in the middle of the night and opened her eyes to find Simon standing there, hands splayed and arms held out from his sides. Before she could ask him what had happened (well-bred gentlemen of the Core did not invite themselves into the shuttles of sleeping women, especially not those as socially shy as Simon) there was a large dark-skinned man in a lurid red space suit with a shining gun trained on her. Despite the instruction in self-defense that she had received during her time at the Temple, there was little she could do while wrapped up in her coverlet.

The bounty hunter had introduced himself politely and calmly explained that he was here to search for River Tam (Inara’s eyes shot briefly to Simon who looked ashamed to be standing there) and would she kindly pull the blankets down so he could be certain that she didn’t have a weapon hidden? He smirked when she did so and said there would be no need for her to strip given her attire. He then proceeded to stare at her for a full minute. Inara did her best to read him while maintaining a subservient air he would find non-threatening. It wasn’t difficult to cultivate an air of vulnerability while lying in her bed, Simon held hostage, watching the madman deliberately stroking his pistol. His search of the shuttle was methodical, thorough and brief and for this, she was glad. It was obvious that there was something very, very off about this man. Even someone as dense as th