Slowly the table empties as they clear up after a strained late evening meal, where no one has mentioned Inara. Wash throws Zoë a very meaningful look and they leave as quickly as possible. Kaylee is washing up. Jayne is eating the very last scraps of food from the serving dish, before he belches loudly and leaves the room without a word. River scampers after him, calling out, "Jayne is a greedy girl."
Jayne can be heard snapping, "Say that again girl and I'll have to prove to you I ain't."
Book carries the last serving dish to the sink for Kaylee and then excuses himself, politely. Soon moans are heard from Wash and Zoë's room.
Simon is fussing around the kitchen, hindering more than helping Kaylee. Mal is sat at the table his chin resting on his hand.
Kaylee finishes, and goes to Mal. She kisses him lightly on the cheek, "G'night Cap'n."
"Night Kaylee."
"I'll…I'm just going to walk Kaylee back to her room," Simon splutters and darts after her.
"Doc, you don't have to…walk…her…" Mal trails off when he realises Simon has already gone.
The lights fade down until Mal is sat in a single spotlight at the table. He looks depressed.
"All alone at the end of the of the evening
And the bright lights have faded to blue
I was thinking 'bout a woman who might have
Loved me and I never knew
You know I've always been a dreamer"
The rest of the crew start singing backing vocals from offstage (in brackets)
"(spent my life running 'round)
And it's so hard to change
(Can't seem to settle down)
But the dreams I've seen lately
Keep on turning out and burning out
And turning out the same
So put me on a highway
And show me a sign
And take it to the limit one more time
You can spend all your time making money
You can spend all your love making time"
Mal looks around at his ship.
"If it all fell to pieces tomorrow
Would you still be mine?
And when you're looking for your freedom
(Nobody seems to care)
And you can't find the door
(Can't find it anywhere)
When there's nothing to believe in
Still you're coming back, you're running back, you're coming back
for more
So put me on a highway
And show me a sign
And take it to the limit one more time
Take it to the limit
Take it to the limit
Take it to the limit one more time"
Mal stands lies his head on the table and then blackout.
New Kid in Town
Inara walks into the guild house on Persephone and greets a few Companions. She keeps her fixed smile on her face, but there's a fear in her eyes as she sings,
"There's talk on the street, it sounds so familiar.
Great expectations, everybody's watching you.
People you meet they all seem to know you,
even your old friends treat you like you're something new.
Johnny-come-lately, the new kid in town,
everybody loves you, so don't let them down.
You look in her eyes, the music begins to play.
Hopeless romantics, here we go again.
But after a while you're looking the other way.
It's those restless hearts that never mend.
Johnny-come-lately, the new kid in town,
will she still love you when you're not around?"
Inara walks towards a grand flight of stairs and we see the other Companions exchange looks and whisper.
"There's so many things you should have told her
but night after night you're willing to hold her,
just hold her tears on your shoulder.
There's talk on the street, it's there to remind you
that it doesn't really matter which side you're on.
You're walking away and they're talking behind you.
They will never forget you till somebody new comes along.
Where you been lately? There's a new kid in town.
Everybody loves him, don't they? Now he's holding her
and you're still around, oh my my.
There's a new kid in town,
just another new kid in town.
Oo-hoo, everybody's talking 'bout the new kid in town.
Oo-hoo, everybody's walking like the new kid in town.
There's a new kid in town. I don't want to hear it
There's a new kid in town. I don't want to hear it
There's a new kid in town.
There's a new kid in town.
There's a new kid in town. Everybody's talking
There's a new kid in town. People started walking
There's a new kid in town.
There's a new kid in town."
"What have I done?" she whispers to herself.