So I have had about a dozen requests stemming back to February about writing Mal and Inara in the Leaves on the Wind era – and I'm flattered that you all thought of me, really – but honestly I don't know that I'm comfortable writing these two very complicated people. But I decided it was finally time to finish one of these oneshots, especially since the whole LOTW series is finished. I don't know if this is any good - or if it looks like I bought it in a store - but it's the best I got right now. Hopefully you enjoy it!

The first full day Zoe was back, Serenity was a different place than it had been in the time that the first mate had been gone. The ghosts of Wash and the shepherd still echoed in every room; the two of them would never quite be gone, and the new threat of River's old "classmates" had everyone a touch on edge, but Inara couldn't remember a more relaxed environment than the day months before when Zoe had told them that she was expecting. There'd been no grand announcement, no, those would be left up to Kaylee whenever she and Simon got around to starting a family. Zoe wasn't like that. She had told them each individually, leaving the crew to put the pieces together on who knew and who didn't, running around speaking as if in code, not wanting to spill to someone she hadn't told but wanting to talk about it. Inara had a feeling that the 'who knows' game had amused Zoe greatly.

Inara spent her evening by herself, thinking and praying in a remote corner of the ship. She didn't always do this, not anymore, but she had to take time to remember Book and Wash and ask for happiness for the crew, and little Emma. Especially little Emma. Her prayers of late had expressed concern for Zoe. Tonight they rejoiced in having her home. For receiving back some peace of mind.

Inara's footfalls were almost unnoticeable as she made her way across the ship. She was sure River knew she was on the move, and knew exactly where she was at a given moment, but the girl wasn't concerned with the former Companion. She and Kaylee were sitting cross legged on floor in the cargo bay, singing a song.

"If I had the wings of a buzzard," Kaylee said, leaning toward River in anticipation.

"A buzzard!" River echoed.

"Up through the hills I would fly."

"I fly!"

"There to remain as a buzzard."

"A buzzard!"

"Until the day that I die," Kaylee finished. She began rocking from side to side. "Ooh la-la, ooh la-la, ooh la."

"Re-peat!"

"Ooh la-la, ooh la-la, la!"

"Once more!"

"Ooh la-la, ooh la-la, ooh la."

"Last time!"

"Ooh la-la, ooh la, la, laaaaa," Kaylee finished, River harmonizing with her on the last syllable. The two girls – young women, Inara reminded herself – giggled at each other. Inara watched them, a smile playing across her lips, for several minutes, then moved on, reaching the bunk next to Kaylee's and pushing the hatch open.

"Hey," Mal said affectionately as she climbed down the ladder. "Thought you weren't never coming to bed."

"Sorry," she said, sitting down on the bed next to him. She kissed him, smiling as he put both arms around her, celebrating how much better she could tell he was now. The hope had come back into his eyes. The desperation when he touched her or held her – the sense she got that he was afraid that when he let her go, she would disappear – was gone. The restlessness, the tension that she had felt in him these past weeks had dissipated. But despite her fears about Mal's state of mind, in many ways she felt closer to him than ever when Zoe was gone – it was the first tragedy they'd faced together, and Kaylee never went more than a week without reminding Inara of how bitter and irritable Mal had been when she was at the training house, "you keep him here, 'Nara. He's human, but when you was gone there was a part of him shut down." Inara had experienced a version of that Mal when Zoe was gone. The part of him that kept him believing that staying flying was enough seemed to be the part of him that came and went with his first mate. She supposed that a piece of Mal would leave with Kaylee too, should she ever depart. "We've got a lot to be grateful for today."

"That's a truth," he said. "Zoe's home. Emma has her mama again. I've got my partner. And we're finally back in the air. With all of us." He stared out in front of him for a moment. "Because when you're with a crew you gotta have that crew where they're s'posed to be. It ain't good for me to be a captain without River on the bridge, Kaylee in the engine room." He gave a little laugh. "Doc's become something of a permanent fixture in there too. Jayne at the ready with Vera, Zoe here, both us ready to be at each other's side in the next inevitable firefight. And you-"

Before he could finish, she smiled and pushed him back so he was laying down. She snuggled up next to him, responding to his arms sliding around her by pushing her nose affectionately into his cheek.

She couldn't see his face from that angle, but she knew he was smiling as he spoke again.

"And you, right here, like this."