Inara's crates were stacked in the cargo bay of Serenity. She stood in her
now barren shuttle checking to make sure she hadn't forgotten something.
Tears slowly and silently ran down her face. She felt the shudder linked to
hitting land, and knew that her final destination on Serenity had arrived.
She wiped her hands across her face and blinked back the evidence of her tears. She picked up her small flowered overnight bag and with her head held high made her way into the cargo bay.
Many male servants of the complex she was moving into were walking out of the ship carrying her belongings. Everyone was waiting by the exit to say goodbye. Kaylee was sobbing in to her hands, and Jayne would pat her shoulder sporadically while looking uncomfortable.
Inara strode up to Shepherd Book first, "Shepherd," she smiled warmly as she took his old weather beaten hand, "I know you don't approve of my life style, but you have been nothing but kind to me. I will truly miss you."
Book clasped Inara's soft hand in both of his, "Take care of yourself, Inara"
After releasing Book's hand Inara moved to Wash and Zoe. "You two make monogamy seem like something worth having." She smiled slightly. "Take care of each other."
Zoe shook Inara's hand as Wash patted her shoulder.
"Simon," Inara said as she turned towards the doctor and his sister, "You're a good person, and you're doing . . ." she paused as if she were choosing her next words carefully, "you're doing the right thing."
Simon flushed a little. River took a step closer to Inara, "So sad." She whispered. She clasped Inara in a sudden embrace, "Not too late." She murmured into Inara's ear.
Inara held River at arm's length, "Take care of your brother."
River turned from her and curled up against Simon.
Inara slowly walked over to Jayne and Kaylee. She looked up at Jayne, "Take care of what you have, you are lucky." She stuck her hand out for Jayne to shake. To Inara's surprise, Jayne took her hand gently in both of his.
"Um, . . ." He stammered, "If you ever need somethin' .. uh."
Inara smiled sunshine on Jayne's nervous face. "I'll know how to contact you. Thank you."
The blood in her veins ran cold when Inara looked at Kaylee's tear stained face. "I'll miss you, Mei mei." She softly placed her hands on Kaylee's shoulders.
Kaylee lunged forward and wrapped her arms around Inara's waist. "Send me a wave every once inna while, 'kay?" The best friends held each other silently for a moment and both had to wipe away tears when they separated.
Finally, closest to the exit stood Mal with a face made of stone. Inara stood before him and wiped her tears away. "Well, Mal, . . . . I guess this is good bye."
Mal looked down at the dark haired beauty and placed his hand on her cheek. Inara turned her face away quickly. "Don't. . . .not now."
Mal removed his hand and let his shoulders sag. He looked at Inara with pleading eyes. "If I had asked you not to go would you have changed your mind?"
Inara stared fire into Mal. "No."
"I didn't think so," Mal mumbled.
The two stared at each other for a moment. Inara turned to leave. Mal's hand shot out and he grabbed her elbow. They both froze for a moment then Inara slowly turned her head to meet his gaze. Her face was stained with silent tears once more.
Mal took a step closer to the companion. "If I ask you to stay now . . . ."
Inara turned towards Mal. Her bottom lip trembled.
Mal ran his hand through his hair and swiped it across his face. "Inara, . . ."
Inara took a step closer to him, "Mal . . . .I . .."
The pain showed in the captain's eyes, "Please . . ."
Inara looked deep into his troubled face, "I want to stay, Mal."
Mal took both of Inara's hands and pulled her body close to his. "I need you to stay." He leaned down and stifled her sobs with his lips.
As he wrapped his arms around her he heard another sob coming from Kaylee's direction. Both Inara and Mal looked in her direction and were surprised to see Kaylee's bright eyes tearless. She was beaming. Jayne, however was wiping his runny nose on his sleeve and sniffling.
"What?!" He asked gruffly. "It makes me happy when things turn out alright."
She wiped her hands across her face and blinked back the evidence of her tears. She picked up her small flowered overnight bag and with her head held high made her way into the cargo bay.
Many male servants of the complex she was moving into were walking out of the ship carrying her belongings. Everyone was waiting by the exit to say goodbye. Kaylee was sobbing in to her hands, and Jayne would pat her shoulder sporadically while looking uncomfortable.
Inara strode up to Shepherd Book first, "Shepherd," she smiled warmly as she took his old weather beaten hand, "I know you don't approve of my life style, but you have been nothing but kind to me. I will truly miss you."
Book clasped Inara's soft hand in both of his, "Take care of yourself, Inara"
After releasing Book's hand Inara moved to Wash and Zoe. "You two make monogamy seem like something worth having." She smiled slightly. "Take care of each other."
Zoe shook Inara's hand as Wash patted her shoulder.
"Simon," Inara said as she turned towards the doctor and his sister, "You're a good person, and you're doing . . ." she paused as if she were choosing her next words carefully, "you're doing the right thing."
Simon flushed a little. River took a step closer to Inara, "So sad." She whispered. She clasped Inara in a sudden embrace, "Not too late." She murmured into Inara's ear.
Inara held River at arm's length, "Take care of your brother."
River turned from her and curled up against Simon.
Inara slowly walked over to Jayne and Kaylee. She looked up at Jayne, "Take care of what you have, you are lucky." She stuck her hand out for Jayne to shake. To Inara's surprise, Jayne took her hand gently in both of his.
"Um, . . ." He stammered, "If you ever need somethin' .. uh."
Inara smiled sunshine on Jayne's nervous face. "I'll know how to contact you. Thank you."
The blood in her veins ran cold when Inara looked at Kaylee's tear stained face. "I'll miss you, Mei mei." She softly placed her hands on Kaylee's shoulders.
Kaylee lunged forward and wrapped her arms around Inara's waist. "Send me a wave every once inna while, 'kay?" The best friends held each other silently for a moment and both had to wipe away tears when they separated.
Finally, closest to the exit stood Mal with a face made of stone. Inara stood before him and wiped her tears away. "Well, Mal, . . . . I guess this is good bye."
Mal looked down at the dark haired beauty and placed his hand on her cheek. Inara turned her face away quickly. "Don't. . . .not now."
Mal removed his hand and let his shoulders sag. He looked at Inara with pleading eyes. "If I had asked you not to go would you have changed your mind?"
Inara stared fire into Mal. "No."
"I didn't think so," Mal mumbled.
The two stared at each other for a moment. Inara turned to leave. Mal's hand shot out and he grabbed her elbow. They both froze for a moment then Inara slowly turned her head to meet his gaze. Her face was stained with silent tears once more.
Mal took a step closer to the companion. "If I ask you to stay now . . . ."
Inara turned towards Mal. Her bottom lip trembled.
Mal ran his hand through his hair and swiped it across his face. "Inara, . . ."
Inara took a step closer to him, "Mal . . . .I . .."
The pain showed in the captain's eyes, "Please . . ."
Inara looked deep into his troubled face, "I want to stay, Mal."
Mal took both of Inara's hands and pulled her body close to his. "I need you to stay." He leaned down and stifled her sobs with his lips.
As he wrapped his arms around her he heard another sob coming from Kaylee's direction. Both Inara and Mal looked in her direction and were surprised to see Kaylee's bright eyes tearless. She was beaming. Jayne, however was wiping his runny nose on his sleeve and sniffling.
"What?!" He asked gruffly. "It makes me happy when things turn out alright."
