Disclaimer: Joss owns everything. I just like to play with his creations.

Authors Note: Set shortly after Ariel. Slightly Jayne/Kaylee if you squint hard enough.

The One Where Inara Tells Jayne A Story

He hugged the railing and allowed his legs to hang like heavy weights off the edge. His stare bore a hole in that gorram airlock. He'd fought like hell to get back through those doors and now he couldn't shake the feelin' that he belonged on the other side.

He heard her light footsteps the minute they touched the catwalk. Even her grace couldn't fool his trained ears.

"Hello Jayne."

He didn't bother returning her pitying stare.

"Ain't it a might late for wanderin?"

Inara gripped the railing and lowered herself to his level.

"I was going to say the same about brooding."

It was enough to get him to glare in her direction.

"I ain't brooding."

Inara laughed lightly, her smile lighting up the darkness. "Jayne, you and Mal may not share many traits but brooding is certainly one of them."

Jayne scoffed. "I ain't like him."

Inara bunched her dress beneath her. "Jayne, did Mal ever tell you about Murphy?"

He rested his chin back on the railing and shrugged. "I ain't good with names."

"Murphy was our merc before you came along." Inara traced the fabric of her dress, her smile fading. "He was big and knew how to handle a gun. He did his job well. Mal seemed… pleased with him."

The tone of her voice put Jayne on edge. He turned to her with narrowed eyes.

"Murphy also had a tremendous appetite when it came to women. It didn't matter if they weren't interested in his advances. Zoe he left alone, probably because she could break his fingers with one hand."

Jayne's breathe stuck in his chest. Every muscle tensed. When she met his eyes, he felt like he was falling into a bottomless pit.

"My companion training taught me how to deal with such men. Kaylee though…"

"Kaylee what?" He spoke through gritted teeth. "What did that ruttin' Hwen Dan do?"

"He threatened her. Scared her. She slept in my shuttle for days, wouldn't leave my side. That's when I told Mal everything."

Jayne could hear his own pulse throbbing in his ears. "What'd he do?"

"He kicked him off of the ship."

"That all? I woulda skinned that Wei Shian Dohn Woo alive!"

Inara smiled then. "I mean he literally kicked him off of the ship…" Her eyes traveled towards the airlock. "...right after we left atmo."

Jayne finally exhaled. He faced the airlock once again.

"Ain't that original."

Her dress crackled as she shifted.

"When Mal hired you, all of us were…skeptical." Her eyes bore holes in his armor. "But not Kaylee. She said that you were rough on the outside and soft in the middle. That you would kill the bad guys and protect the good ones. She was right."

He swallowed a bitter taste and chanced a look in the companion's direction.

"Don't reckon Mal agrees."

"Jayne?" He reluctantly met her eyes. "I don't know what happened between you two but if Mal didn't know that, than you wouldn't be on this ship."

She left as quietly as she came.

Jayne took one last good look at the airlock and decided. He stood, took a breath, and headed for the kitchen.

It was near breakfast time and he had some makin' up to do.