Disclaimer: Property of Joss Whedon. The genius bastard.

As Mal had predicted, once they were out of the place no man apparently dared to venture communication between places had been easy as pie. And not just any pie- store bought, fresh from the freezer pie. Inara was pleased and surprised to hear from Mal. Then she was absolutely devastated by what he had to say. She hadn't bothered faking her cool like in the past- she openly wept in front of Mal and everyone near her. Wouldn't you?

Mal had let her cry and felt bad about everything all over again. "I still got River," he told her. "Jayne left us when we found people. Can't blame him."

"I can," Inara told him crossly. "That wang ba dan… What a way to appreciate someone."

"He didn't let us die," Mal told her. "That's enough for me."

Inara respectfully disagreed but didn't say so. "Where are you two now?"

"Quadrant two, sector 117B. Planet called Kalorie. Big cities, hardly no farmland."

"I'm familiar with it. Can you stay there?"

"Don't got much choice, do we? Less we get ourselves thrown outta here, too. But looks to me like if we try we'd get hanged before escorted out."

"Let me get back to you, alright?" The signal ended before Mal could answer either way. Didn't matter much, since the answer would have been 'sure thing' anyway. He waited patiently as he could in the tiny, dark space. River was sitting at his feet tossing a rock into the air and grabbing some sticks up before catching it again. Improvised jax, she'd told him. He watched her toss the rock, grab stick (all of them most tries) and catch the rock again. Her fingers were damn swift, surprisingly so in the darkness. They were cramped in a small payment operated communication unit (which is what became of telephone booths in 500 years). Mal was practically standing on top of River but she didn't seem to mind. Toss, grab, catch. Repeat as desired.

"Home?" she asked, not looking up at Mal. Toss, grab, catch.

"Working on it," he told her.

"Where will Mal go?"

"Well," he said honestly, "don't rightly know. One step at a time, okay?"

"You should stay with Inara. She would be happy."

"I'll bet." He leaned against the wall, getting a little impatient. What was that woman doing? "What would she do with another man in her life tagging along?"

"Mal would not tag," she told him simply. "Mal would lead. Mal would dominate."

He nodded, only just to show he was listening. If he did stay with Inara (which he wouldn't, not for long, anyway) he most certainly would be tagging along after her. She would most likely by now have passage on another ship and if he stayed as her guest eventually it would become too much for both of them and then he'd be in the same boat he was in now. Minus one crazy girl.

The monitor behind him beeped. He pressed the screen to accept the message. "Hi there," he said to Inara's worrisome face.

"I can be there in six days," she said immediately.

"Well, that ain't necessary-"

"Please, Mal. Why else would you have called me? To tell me you lost your crew?"

He scowled moodily. "Thought you'd like to know, to be honest. If I was wrong please, let me know."

"Of course you weren't wrong." She could feel an argument boiling up, and she wanted to nip it before it got out of hand. "I'm glad you told me. But you need help, that much is clear, so I-"

"I don't need help," he told her imperiously. "We been doing fine so far on our own. Just thought you oughta know how things are."

Inara pursed her lips. "Have you informed their families yet?" she asked, her voice kind but the words heavy.

Mal recognized instantly it was a set-up. Of course he hadn't. And she knew that. Therefore, she could see right through his veil of being a good friend because if he had been calling just to tell her what had happened, it would have been after notifying everyone's families. "Not exactly," he said at last. "Don't know how to get in touch with Kaylee's parents and I'll be seeing Simon's soon enough anyways, so…" He didn't need to go on further. Inara saw right through him but he hadn't admitted he needed help, so it was all good.

"I can be there in six days," she said again. "In the mean time there is a boarding house on Tuppence street called 'Master Chet's'. You two have a room reserved for you there, meals included. Get rest, you look absolutely terrible."

Mal rolled his eyes. "You mean the exhausted and worn-out look don't make me look dapper?' He smiled widely, as though trying to prove he was indeed dapper. Inara wasn't buying it. "Thank you," he mumbled. "I really appreciate this."

"Of course," she said sincerely. "I wouldn't want River to have to live in the cold anymore. Especially not in a city like that."

"No, course not. She's been through enough as it is." Mal could hardly keep eye contact. He scratched his chin stubble. "Best be going then, right? I'm half starved and River could use a meal more than a cup of soup." Their eyes met briefly. God I love you woman, so damned much.

"Okay," Inara said softly. "Take care of her, Mal." I love you too, you poor, broken man.

The signal went dead.

Inara cancelled all her appointments, which pissed off quite a few people but she didn't care much about that. Mal and River needed her so she would be there. She arrived in six days as promised, and what she saw made her start to cry all over again. Neither River nor Mal looked anywhere near what they had before. Mal had always worn a lopsided, cocky smirk that both infuriated and pleased Inara. That smile was long, long gone. He walked with a limp now, kept his head down and didn't make eye contact. Malcolm Reynolds had always been too confident for his own good. Now he was just… different. Almost dead. River had the same way about her. Onboard Serenity she'd had a nearly palpable electricity of intelligence and vigor surrounding her. Now when Inara hugged her, the girl felt cold from the inside. The coldness of complete loss.

"I'm glad to see you're both well," Inara lied, her eyes brimming with hot tears. "You look much more rested than when we last spoke, Mal."

River shook her head. "The lady doth protest too much, methinks." Her voice was low.

"Thanks for coming," Mal said, and although he meant it there was little conviction in his voice. "Appreciate it."

"Of course, Mal." Inara smiled sweetly, but he turned away. It was awkward between the three of them. "Well," she said briskly, "I need to settle some business at the boarding house. Would you like to accompany me?"

"Sure," he agreed half-heartedly. They all walked in silence. Inara paid the man for the six days, then for three more days for two rooms. "You staying awhile?" Mal asked.

"For a while," she told him. Inara took Mal by the arm and got a good look at his face. "How is River?" she asked, not being able to find the courage to ask about him.

Mal waved a hand at the girl. "Doing real well," he said honestly. "Better than I ever thought she could. Almost died."

"Well, sure-"

"No, I mean in addition to." They both watched as River inspected the wallpaper on the stairwell, her eyes fixed and fascinated. Mal smiled a little. "Jayne found her under the mule, pinned down. Had a fever and an infected cut, bad burns on her leg. Was a damn miracle she made it the first night."

"She's strong," Inara said. "She's a miracle just walking around now, just as she is. With all she's been through, and all she can do. River is just miraculous."

Mal scowled. "Hate to think she's touched by God cuz that man don't deserve a girl like that on His side."

The air became awkward again. Inara took notice of River and Mal's clothes. "You two must be hot as anything in those," she remarked. They still wore the fur-lined, wool clothing from Pluto.

"Yeah," Mal admitted. "Been meaning to get something else, but…" But we can't afford it and there ain't no way I'm asking your help on that.

"Then we should go shopping," Inara said brightly.

"No," Mal said immediately.

"For River, then. You can't say no to that."

"Up to her, I guess."

"Okay!" River called from across the room, having lost interest in the wallpaper. "It's too hot."

"There," Inara said, smiling smartly at Mal. "All settled. Come on, River, I'll find you something nice."

"Mal too?" River's eyes were wide and hopeful.

"I suppose that's up to him."

River took Mal's hand in hers. "Yes?" she asked.

"No," he told her. "I'm all right."

"Liar," she said simply, and dragged him out the door behind Inara. "I will find you something nice. Something green, or maybe blue. Make you handsome."

"I don't wanna be handsome," he grouched. "I'm fine just as is."

"Maybe orange," River continued, ignoring him. "Bright, sun colored orange."

"Fine," Mal said crossly. "Blue or green. Or brown. No damn orange." River smiled at him widely. She had many years of practice being a younger sister, so she knew how to get an older brother to give in to what she wanted. Mal had absolutely no experience at being an older brother, so he was essentially putty in her lethal hands. And as with all stubborn older brothers, even adopted ones, Mal was pleased with what she selected, and even more pleased she had forced him into letting Inara buy him new clothes. He felt more himself now because of them. Inara and River smiled secret female smiles as they walked out of the clothing store. Mal chose to ignore those looks because he knew they were about him and he didn't want to admit that he'd been bested by a teenage girl.

Still, he had to admit, he did look damn handsome.

Mal opened his bedroom door slowly, cursing the creak it made. "River's sleeping," he whispered to Inara, who was waiting on the other side.

"Care to walk with me?" she asked softly.

Mal looked back over is shoulder, then closed the door behind him. He followed Inara downstairs and out into the busy night air. It was a bit windy, but warm. Even late at night this city never slept. People bustled here and there, peddlers sold their good, questionable women sold their goods. Most of these women glared at Inara as she passed, as though she represented everything in life they wanted to be but were denied.

"How are you?" Inara asked her companion, ignoring the scathing looks from the prostitutes.

"Fine," he said simply.

"I mean really."

"How would you expect?"

Inara paused. "It was a silly question, I'm sorry. I'm just worried about you two. Neither of you look well at all."

"Should we?"

"No," she told him honestly.

Mal stuck his hands in his pockets. "Guess we're okay," he mumbled. "Just… Zoe always said it was a death ship." He laughed humorlessly. "I didn't think it'd be so literal."

"Oh, Malcolm," Inara said, teary-eyed. "I'm so sorry."

"You keep saying that," he chided her. "Ain't nothing to be sorry for. These things happen."

"It's just a shame it happened to your crew. They didn't deserve that."

"Well," he said colorlessly, "suppose God ain't so picky as to who he picks off." He kicked a pebble down the street. It hit a prostitute, who glared at him. He didn't reciprocate. "I mean," he continued angrily, "why'd He pick someone like Kaylee? Or Zoe? Or even Simon? Don't make no sense."

Inara slipped her arm through Mal's. "I wish I could say something comforting," she told him.

"S'ok." He looked over at her and smiled lightly. "Good thing you didn't stay with us, huh?" Inara didn't know what to say, so she said nothing. Mal stopped walking and looked at her straight. "Why didn't you stay with us?"

"You know why," she told him, keeping her eyes looking into his best she could. It was very hard to do. He looked so terribly sad and beautiful. "I couldn't. And I built myself a life, I couldn't just give that up."

"But you're here now."

"Yes," she admitted. "I am." This was getting to be too much. She felt exactly as she had felt when he had asked her why she'd been knocked out by Saffron's lip poison. Only this time, there was no way around telling him exactly what she felt.

"You just drop everything to be here?"

"Yes," she breathed.

"For us?"

Inara nodded. For you, she thought.

"Thank you. And I mean it."

"I know," she whispered, pulling him into a hug. Her lips brushed the corner of his mouth; the closest she'd ever dared to go toward what she wanted. He held her tightly and accepted the comfort. She smelled like ivory soap and rose petals and it made him want to cry.

"Where will you both go?" she asked when they pulled away.

"I promised River I'd take her home, so that's what I'm gonna do."

"You mean to her parents? But how?"

"Don't know yet." He started walking again, changing direction to back toward the boarding house. "Guess I'll do what we did back on Pluto- work until we get enough for a ride somewhere. Go as far as we can."

Inara pursed her lips. "Maybe I can help you."

"With what?' he asked skeptically.

"Well, with transport. I'm sure I can get us a ride wherever you need to go."

"Thanks," Mal nodded. "River will appreciate it."

"What about you?"

The air hung still between them. Inara waited anxiously for an answer, and Mal tried as fast he could to think of something suave and collected to say. "I wanna do right by her," Mal said finally. "She's lost enough and it was my fault."

"It wasn't your fault. It was no one's fault."

"Regardless," he said shortly, "I owe it to her."

"What will you do when she gets home?"

Mal looked away. He had been trying real hard not to think that far ahead, since every time he did he came up with the same answer- he didn't have a damned clue. "Guess I'll find work, get a ship and find a new crew," he said. His tone wasn't convincing, however.

"You could… until you get yourself stable, I mean…you could-"

"No," he said sharply. "I appreciate it, but I don't need-"

"Grow up, Mal!" Inara scolded him. "You have nothing! I'm only trying to help because I care about River and you. Stop being so proud."

"I ain't proud!" he retorted. "I'm just… okay, so I am proud." He kicked another pebble moodily. "Just hate being so damn helpless."

"You're not helpless, that's not it at all. You're just down for a bit. You'll be okay."

"This feels just like losing the war again!" he yelled. "Just standing there watching everything you care about go down in flames. Too damn similar."

Inara found herself at a loss for words. A companion should always know what to say in times of distress, but her personal feelings were getting in the way. She knew some generic statement of pity wouldn't be good enough here. "We should go back," she said at last. "I wouldn't want River to wake up and see we've gone. She might think we abandoned her."

"She knows I wouldn't," he told her. "But you're right anyway."

River was still asleep when Mal climbed into the bed next to her. She immediately threw an arm around him, as though anchoring him to the spot. He chuckled quietly and closed his eyes.

"She loves Mal?" River mumbled sleepily.

"Who? You?"

"Inara."

"Nah," he said passively, blushing in the dark. "That ain't what she wanted. She asked where we were going."

"She does." This time it wasn't a question.

"Nah," he said again. "Go to sleep."

"River loves Mal."

"Damn right she does."

"Mal loves River?"

Mal shifted uncomfortably. "You take up too much room," he decided. "How can you be so skinny and take up so much of my bed?"

"My bed," she informed him. "You can sleep with Inara."

"Nah," he said, apparently the only word that came to mind in concern with Inara. "She got enough men in her bed."

"Is that why you won't tell her?"

"Sure," he agreed, if only to end the conversation before it began. "Will you shut it and go to sleep now?"

"You're cold," River complained, snuggling up closer against him. "Frozen as Zoe in the snow. Her eyes side and scared. She is with Wash now."

Mal held his breath a moment, making sure he wasn't going to cry. He wasn't, so he breathed. "You're all sorts of impossible, you know that?"

"I know," she told him honestly. Simon had always said that to her (not quite in those words) when they were children. "Does Mal love her?"

"Inara?"

"River."

"Oh." Her way of skipping from first to third person in the same conversation always left him confused. It would be something he'd have to get used to. Until she's gone, he reminded himself. River was still waiting for an answer and he wasn't ready to give her one. "I'll tell you in the morning," he lied, and he knew she'd know this. He expected a fight from her, but she was already half asleep again. Good for him. He hadn't told a woman he'd loved her since he last saw his mother, and that was too long ago to remember.

Inara arranged for a good friend of hers (a client, Mal knew, but she refused to say that word) to get them a ship to take them to River's parent's house. He thanked her, she said it wasn't necessary, and now they were just waiting for the pilot to take off. Mal sat in the passenger's seats, not wanting anything to do with the bridge. He could have piloted the ship, he knew that. Inara would have let him without a second thought. But for some stupid reason, he couldn't bring himself to do it. It felt almost like cheating. River sat beside Mal, a nervous smile on her face.

"You okay?' he asked her.

"No," she said. Her eyes darted around. "Must stay," she said slowly. "Can't go yet…can't… he's not found us yet."

"Who?"

She unsnapped her harness and ran screaming to the cockpit. "Stay!" she yelled. "STAY!"

Inara, seated across from them, looked at Mal quizzically. He shrugged. "You expect me to know?" he asked.

"Inara," the pilot called over the speaker system. "Your little girl is bugging the hell out of me, and there's someone calling."

"Leave her alone," she told the pilot. "And who's calling for me?"

"I dunno," he said, confused. "But they want passage."

"They?" she asked. "How many are there?"

"Three. Two women, one man."

Mal and Inara exchanged the same puzzled look, then she went to see who was there. Her voice came on the speaker a few seconds later. "Mal," she said, her voice laughing. "There's something here I think belongs to you."

It was Jayne.

"Mal!" he yelled upon seeing his former captain. "Mal, thank God."

"Jayne," Mal said, mildly surprised. Okay, extremely surprised. But he hid it well.

"See girls?' Jayne said to his female companions. "This here's my boss. Pays me twelve percent."

One of the women, a slender brunette, looked Mal up and down, obviously unimpressed. "We'll give you fifteen," she told Jayne.

"Sorry," he said, "can't. Already got a job. Pay don't mean nothing."

Mal almost (almost) burst out laughing. "Nothing?" he asked Jayne. "Since when? You were always bugging me for a raise every damn day."

"Only cuz I knew I wouldn't get one," Jayne argued. His eyes were pleading. "So I can't work for you girls, cuz I gotta leave now. We got a job… where we going, captain?"

"Uh… Osiris?" It was the first place that came to mind.

The other girl, a very pretty blonde, pouted dangerously. "You can't stay, Jayne?" she asked. "You sure?"

"Damn sure," he told her quickly. "See you girls around." He walked onto the ship and gave Mal a pleading 'don't you dare call me on this' look. Mal obliged for the moment.

"He's your hired man?" the brunette asked Mal.

"Yep," Mal said finally, having given it a few seconds thought.

"And you ain't willing to let him go for, say, ten thousand?"

"Ten thousand? You want him for that much?" He gave an impressed but confused look at Jayne. "What in the hell'd you do to these girls they'd want you for ten thousand?"

"Dunno," Jayne lied. "Don't we gotta be going?"

"I don't know, ten thousand could get a me a lot of things I need…"

"You'd sell me?"

"Think I would," Mal said pleasantly.

"No!" Jayne said desperately. "No, I like it here. Love this damn ship." He looked around and realized what a terrible craft it was. "It's, uh… got character or whatever. Come on, let's go."

"Jayne!" River screamed, throwing herself into his arms. "He found us!"

"Yeah huh." He didn't understand at all, but she was helping his plight so for now, they were best friends. He hugged her tight. "Course I did."

"Captain almost left without you?"

"Damn near," he said, keeping an arm around her shoulder. "You believe that?"

"We go now," she told Mal, then gave a nasty look to the girls who wanted Jayne. "Jayne is not for sale," she told them.

The blonde glared back like a pro. "Is she sleeping with him?" she asked Mal.

"Not recently," Mal said honestly. "She's been sleeping with me."

She made a face. "Ain't you too old for her?"

It was then that Mal decided this cutesy little conversation was just about over. He set his face to 'get lost' and said firmly "Jayne's my hired man. He ain't for sale like the girl says. And we got to go, so I'll ask you to leave."

The brunette glared at him and the blonde pouted. But Mal ignored them both, guided Inara back on board and got ready to take off.

Once in the air, Mal sat himself down next to Jayne and stared at the merc for a very long time. Jayne did his best to ignore him, but it was real hard since there was nothing much to look at but space and he'd seen plenty of space in his days. "What?" he finally snapped.

"You got something you wanna share?"

"Not especially."

"Then I'm ordering you to."

"That so?" Jayne quirked an eyebrow. "Who are you to be ordering me around?"

"Apparently your captain." He gave Jayne a triumphant smile, and Jayne was terribly pissed to have been beaten.

"Fine," Jayne conceded. "What do you wanna know?"

"Oh," Mal said, readying himself for a good long story, "how about everything?"

"They were missionaries. Hired men. Only, you know, ladies. Wanted me to join."

Mal nodded. "Okay. So why didn't you?"

"Was gonna at first. Be more than happy to. Took a few of 'em to bed, was all good. Hell, took three in one night. Those ladies didn't care what for nothing on the unusual."

"Stick to the point," Mal interrupted, shuddering from the mental image Jayne had just painted for him. It would be forever burned into Mal's retina.

"Fine," he said sorely. "But that's the best part."

"I'm sure disappointed."

"Anyway," he grumbled, "was going real well until they started getting possessive of me. Hitting me when I looked at the girls on the street, keeping an arm around me at all times. Hell, they spied on me when I went anywhere. Started creepin' me right the hell out. So one night, one of 'em lets slip that she's all excited cuz she can't wait to be havin my baby. Don't think she were pregnant yet, but she was sure trying. Find out they was using me for some ruttin' breeding stag, like I was a damn horse or something. I was just about to lose my gorram mind cuz I couldn't go nowhere without one of 'em following me. So then this one day I saw you an' the little crazy girl walking around and I got an idea that I'd tell the girls I couldn't stay with 'em cuz I had to go back to my crew. Went looking for you at the place you were stayin' but the guy said you'd left with a companion woman. Got here just in time. You almost left me stranded with the group of the craziest women I ever care to meet."

Mal was trying not to laugh at Jayne. He wasn't trying real hard, though. "You were chased out of town by a group of girls?"

"Crazy girls," Jayne said defensively. "Like having River around you all the time, only she's taken a fancy to you."

Mal's laughter tapered off after this. Actually, he did know what that particular scenario was like. "You said you saw us," he said slowly, "but you never said anything to us?"

Jayne shrugged. "What did you want me to say?"

"I don't know… 'hello' would've been a good start."

Jayne stuck his hand out, and Mal shook it, looking at the man strangely. "Hello, Mal," Jayne said politely. "How's life with a limp and a crazy?"

"Going great," Mal lied. "She's been a lot better since her brother kicked off."

"Oh?" Jayne said, feigning interest. "Good for her. Nice ship you got here."

"It's Inara's," Mal confessed. "But I like it."

"Good, good."

"How about you? Having luck?"

"Plenty. I mean, 'sides from the girls I just left, had a lot of jobs here and there. Almost bought me a ship once, but the guy tried to rip me off, so, you know."

"Yeah, can't be too careful. So you're good?"

"Damn right. You and River?"

"Happy as can be."

Jayne frowned. "We done lying through our teeth now?"

"Just about." Mal stretched his bad leg some. "Where are you gonna go now?"

Jayne shrugged. "With you. At least, for a while. Figure I owe you."

Mal had been about to say 'You don't owe me nothing' when River spoke for him. "Yes," she said simply, "you do."

"Hush up, moonbrain," Jayne scolded her.

Instead of being put off, River sat beside him and leaned on his shoulder. "Missed you," she said simply.

Jayne smiled in spite of himself. "That so? Didn't miss you none."

"Liar," she chided him, but didn't elaborate on the subject. Jayne tried to shrug her off a few times but she would not be swayed. So instead, he gave up on it and talked to Mal again.

"Where are you going, anyway?"

"Taking River home," Mal told him. "She wanted to go, so we go."

"After that?"

Why does everyone keep asking me that? Mal scowled to himself. Ain't it enough to have thought this far? "Don't know," he said aloud. "What about you?"

Jayne shrugged. "Whatever comes my way."

"Jayne will come with us?" River asked.

"I guess," he conceded. "At least until you're back where you came from, anyway."

"Thank you," she purred. "He belongs."

Whether or not that was true, Jayne did not know. But he felt a strange sort of comfort just seeing Mal and River again, so he didn't question it.