Malcolm Reynolds awoke to a familiar sight: It was his old room at his mother's ranch. A number of people surrounded his bed. Zoe and Wash stood by the side of the bed while Jayne kept his distance.
"The package?" He managed to mutter.
"It's safe sir." Zoe reassured him.
"How long I been out."
"A few hours. Your mother was kind enough to take us in for the night need it be." Wash said with a smile on his face.
Mal's mother walked forward, until now she had been out of his view.
"Malcolm."
"You hit me!" Mal yelled as he touched the wound on the back of his head.
"How else was I supposed to get you home? Been years since I've gotten a wave from you." Mal's mother shouted.
"Been busy. Working, almost dying and such. I assume you know how that is."
"Not much else to know nowadays."
"What's happened to the ranch?" Mal asked concerned.
"Ever since your old man died money's been tight. I had to sell all the livestock and do what I could to survive."
Inara rushed in through the front door and quickly stood at Mal's bed side.
"Mal I came as soon as I heard are you ok?" Inara asked.
"Been better, got a might of a headache. Should be fine though."
"Who's the whore?" Mal's mother asked.
"She's not a whore!" Mal suddenly found himself yelling.
"Well she is…….at times." Mal said.
"I'm Inara." Inara said sighing.
"My mother Lourinda Reynolds."
"Your mother? Mal you told me she was dead!" Inara whispered.
"Now's not the time. You don't wanna go down this road now."
"Just called me Lo."
Inara nodded and went to sit down.
Mal sat up on the bed putting his shirt back on. He lifted his suspenders up over his shoulders and stood up.
"Now there's the little matter of getting what we came for." Mal turned to his mother.
"You mean this?" Lo said as she lifted a tall ceramic cat out from behind the counter.
What caught Mal's attention were the two red jewels the cat had for eyes.
"So give us the cat and we'll be on our way."
"No!"
"I wasn't asking. You hand it over now or I get out my gun. You may be my mother but I ain't past shooting you."
"Listen kid I have to make a living out here too. Mr. Niska ain't gonna be happy unless I do what he paid me to do." Everyone in the room gasped at the name while Mal's eyes hardened.
"You picked the wrong man to do business with."
"I know of his reputation but its just one job."
"It will just be one job but then he'll turn to you time and time again. Sooner rather then later you'll do something he ain't gonna like. When that time comes I'm not going to protect you. Now if you want I can get you off this planet." Mal said.
"I need the money Mal."
"We all do, let's go." He said as he walked closer to her.
"I ain't leaving."
"Ahh, Hell Mal just take it from her. Jayne said as he grabbed for the statue in Lo's hands. The two struggled a bit until the statue fell out of both their hands and to the floor. It shattered into a thousand pieces.
"Opps." Jayne said looking at the anger in his captain's eyes.
Lo backhanded Jayne in the face causing him to fall to the floor.
"Now it doesn't matter lets go." Mal said as he forcibly pulled his mother towards the door.
Mal walked outside to come face to face with a gun.
"Captain Reynolds how good to see you again." Niska said as his men surrounded the building.