Inara awoke in her bed the next morning disoriented, confused, and alone. It took a minute for Inara's tired mind to realize why this last fact bothered her. But after Inara fully awoke, the events of last night came back to her.

After Inara had told Malcolm she was dying, the captain had simply held her for several minutes, until the former companion's tears were completely spent. Only then had Mal worked up the nerve to say something as he had helped Inara dry the tears of her face. "Hey, it's been, well...quite a day for both of us, I think and um...Maybe we should just go ahead and turn in for the night."

Inara had been disappointed that the captain had not had more words of comfort to offer her, But she wasn't angry at Mal for not knowing what to say at the moment. In truth, after giving Malcolm the news about her impending death, Inara hadn't really had anything else to say either.

So it was that Malcolm had silently had led Inara back to the mansion, which had been dark and silent, as everyone else had seemed to have turned in already. Inara had made no protest as the captain had silently led her to the bedroom they (temporarily?) shared, but the ex-companion and the captain stopped at the door. Mal looked nervous as he turned to Inara and said, "Well, here we are."

Inara had chuckled then "Yes, here we are. Outside our bedroom."

Malcolm had raised his right eyebrow, and Inara had halfway expected him to make a joke about her calling the bedroom "their room" instead of "her room", but instead the man just held the door open for Inara, who stepped right into the room, before Mal followed close behind. Malcolm sighed. "I think I'm just going to go to bed then. Good night."

Inara had frowned. This was definitely not how she thought the captain would react to hearing that she was going to die. Sure, the captain could be stoic at times, but this was the first time he had ever acted this cold towards her. "Sure. Good night."

Malcolm had opened the partition between his side of the room and Inara's, and Inara was about to turn off the room light, when the captain spoke again, with his back to the companion. "Inara?"

Inara had flinched at the way that Mal's voice sounded then. Mal's words were softer, quieter, and in some way that Inara couldn't quite define, smaller than usual. In that moment, the captain's voice, and defeated posture, made him seem more like a frightened child than a fearless captain who's actions had changed the 'Verse. Inara's heart had hurt a little for the man in front of her as she replied. "Yes, Mal?"

Malcolm had still refused to face her as he spoke. "I don't want you to die."

Inara had shook her head. "I don't want to die either, Mal. But it is going to happen, someday soon. And I thought you deserved to know."

Malcolm had nodded at Inara's words, before he replied. "I appreciate that. I do...I just. I can accept this go shi! I can't just...let you go."

Inara had nodded, even though she knew that Malcolm couldn't actually see her at that moment, as she spoke. "I'm sorry, Mal. Someday, you will have to. But not tonight. For tonight, I'm still here."

Malcolm had turned toward Inara then, so the ex-companion could see the tears in the captain's eyes (which he quickly wiped away) as he forced a smile and said. "Yeah, I guess you are. I...um. I don't know what to say to make you feel better right now, Inara, but...I'm here for you. If you ever need anything at all. Just ask..."

Inara had nodded her head then. "I will. Thank you."

Malcolm had just nodded back. Soon afterwards, the captain and the companion were lying down on their beds, on opposite sides of the partition. But neither one of them had been able to sleep wink, even after a half hour had passed.

Finally, Inara had been unable to bear the silence any longer, and the ex-companion, knowing that Malcolm was still awake from the sound of the man's breathing (and the lack of snoring from the other side of the curtain) spoke. "Mal?"

"Yeah."

Inara had sighed then. "Didn't it ever occur to you that I wanted you to make the first move?"

Malcolm had sat up in bed then, judging by the sounds of his bed moving. "What are you talking about, Inara? You know I'm not one for riddles and such."

"I mean...I guess I can admit it now...When Saffron came aboard, before I knew what she was, I was jealous of her..and then afterwards, when I found out that you had kissed her., I was jealous of that too. Almost as jealous as I was of Nandi, later."

"Oh...that explains a lot. About why you left after Nandi died, I mean. I thought...I believed you were just angry I had failed to save your friend. I mean, you just seemed so gorram aloof around me before."

Inara had sighed then. "That was my companion training, Mal. I was always taught to keep people who weren't clients at arm's length. To be alluring to everyone without showing any particular interest in anyone..."

Mal had chuckled at that. "Did that fancy training house of yours also teach you to kiss a man when he was unconscious? Because that was a new experience on my end..."

Inara had blushed then. "How did you know about that?!"

Inara had sworn she heard a smirk in Malcolm's voice when he replied. "I didn't. Until just now. But I thought that something on my lips tasted different than whatever that wei shian dohn woo hit me with. And, well...it made me wonder."

Inara grinned. "Very clever, Mal. But not clever enough to take a hint. If you thought I might have kissed you...why didn't you ever tell me you cared for me?"

Inara had hear a loud sigh come from the other end of the curtain then. "Because I wasn't sure. And because you had specifically told me you would not be fraternizing with me, or any member of my crew. Oh, and you made some very specific threats about what would happen if anyone on-board Serenity tried to lay a hand on you..."

Inara had rolled her eyes then. "Okay, I get your point. Still, it would have been easier for me, back then, if you had told me how you felt. Who knows? Maybe I would have left the Companions guild then while there was more time left for us..."

"Yeah, maybe. I guess it's too late now..."

Inara had sighed dramatically then, frustrated by the captain's persistent inability to take a hint. "You know...I'm sure that foldout isn't too comfortable to sleep on..." Inara peeled back the curtain between herself and the captain. "You can sleep next to me, if you want."

The captain had given Inara a look then, before he got of the foldout and climbed under the covers on Inara's side of the bed. Mal had grinned at Inara then, although Inara had easily been able to see the sadness and pain in the man's eyes before he said. "Ah hell, Inara. All you ever had to do was ask."

The former companion then momentarily shut off the camera in the room that she and Malcolm shared together, and that was all the permission Malcolm had needed to bring Inara into a heated kiss that had kicked off over an hour of lovemaking between the captain and Inara (during which they had needed to turn off the camera a couple more times). Malcolm and Inara's kisses had been a little bit sloppy, fueled by Inara's desperation to feel close to Mal at that moment. Malcolm and Inara's multiple lovemaking sessions had been quick, as the captain and the former companion tried as hard as they could to chase away each others loneliness, fear, and pain throughout their movements.

Last night had not been everything Inara (and she suspected) Mal had hoped it would be, Inara reflected from the place she still occupied under the covers. But it had been what Malcolm and her had needed at the moment. So Inara couldn't bring herself to regret making love to the captain last night, or how good it had felt to fall asleep in Mal's arms.

Still, the ex-companion frowned as she temporarily deactivated the camera in her room and got ready for her day. It had been a rude awakening when she had awoken alone this morning. In fact, the more Inara thought about it as she got dressed, applied her makeup, and did her hair, the more angry she became at the captain for leaving her alone when she was at her most vulnerable, both emotionally and physically. By the time that Inara had exited her room and headed for the breakfast table that morning, she was seething internally, even though she had a schooled smile on her face for the cameras. However, when Inara saw Mal standing with his back to her in the doorway of the dining room, the former companion lost a little bit of her composure "Malcolm Reynolds! You better have a good explanation for..."

But the ex-companion's anger turned to confusion in fear when she round the corner into the dining room, and saw a bunch of worried faces, and moments later, every camera operator in the room, turning towards Inara with worried looks on their faces. "What's wrong? Why are you all looking at me like that?"

It was only then that Gabriel Tam stepped forward to address Inara's question. "I'm afraid that might be my fault. You see, after your friend here..." Gabriel nodded at Mal. "Came to me and Simon this morning to tell us about your precarious physical condition, my son and I began to confer about what options you would have in the near future, and I'm afraid that, while we were doing so, Miss Freye overheard us, and she alerted the rest of your crew before my son and I could stop her. I'm sorry for accidentally allowing your private health information to be leaked to a third party, Miss Serra."

Mal shrugged, but looked right at Inara as he spoke. "I didn't expect everyone to find out, at least not today. But I did what I had to do, Inara. And I do it again, if it means you have the slightest chance of getting through this."

Inara just shook her head at Mal and the older man, then turned towards Kaylee, whose gaze was downcast even as her eyes appeared to be on the edge of tears. "I'm sorry, Inara, but they needed to know. We're not just a crew, we're like family. When one of us is hurting, the rest of us should know, so we can be there for each other."

Inarra sighed. As much as she wanted to berate Kaylee for not respecting her privacy, doing so while the mechanic was already down would feel too much like kicking a puppy for the former companion's taste, especially since Kaylee had only been acting out of concern for Inara's welfare. And Simon and Gabriel had at least attempted, however poorly, to respect Inara's privacy, and keep her health info private. Therefore, Inara's ire landed squarely on Malcolm's shoulder's. "How could you, Mal! I told you about what was happening to me in confidence. You and you alone! You had no right to tell anyone else..."

"Inara." Simon tried to interrupt, but Inara kept talking. "about what is happening to me. Nobody else needed to know that I am dying!"

The eyes of most of the crew members widened then, but nobody seemed more shocked then Kaylee. "You're dying?! I heard that whatever you had was bad, but guai! Nobody said you were dying!"

Gabriel cleared his throat. "Miss Serra, there's something you should know about Frank Roddenberry disease ..."

Inara turned her gave to Gabriel for only a second. "Please stay out of this, Dr. Tam!" She then turned back towards Malcolm. " Why would you tell Simon and his father about..."

River crossed her arms and huffed before she yelled "Can she be quiet for just one gorram second?! Her...My father and brother are trying to tell you something important!"

Everyone was startled by River's unexpected outburst, but Inara took River's words to heart and remained silent long enough for Simon to give a grateful nod and mouth the words "Thank you mei mei" before he turned to Inara and said. "Inara...the disease you have is serious, and if left, untreated, will kill you. That is true. But there are treatments available for Frank Roddenberry disease. The bad news is, they are all very expensive, and the treatment with the highest rate of success has some unpleasant side effects, such as hair and weight loss, vomiting, and extreme pain. The good news is...there may be as high as an eighty percent chance, given the resources at our disposal in this compound, that my father and I will be able to, not just treat, but permanently cure you of your illness."

Gabriel nodded. "My son speaks the truth. For all of the problems he has caused us, our generous benefactor had given us access to some of the best medical tech in the 'Verse. My son is a brilliant doctor, better than I ever was at his age, and I have successfully treated individuals with your condition three times already. Between the two of us, I have every confidence we can cure you, Miss Serra. But we need to start treatment as soon as possible, before your symptoms manifest themselves, by which times your odds of survival drop dramatically. I wouldn't be too hard on Mr. Reynolds, Ma'am. By telling us about your condition when he did, he might have saved your life. So, do you think you will be ready to discuss beginning treatment today? How does after breakfast sound?"

Inara shook her head in confusion. "What you're saying is impossible! The doctor on Ariel assured me there was no treatment for my condition! Why would he lie to me about something like that?!

Father and son exchanged frowns, but it was Simon who looked furious when he turned to Inara and spoke. "Doctors paid by the Companion's Guild are often...encouraged to tell patients that require expensive medical treatments to survive, that their condition is terminal, even if, given the right treatments, the patient in question, such as yourself, has a good chance of survival. I've heard about that practice, whispered by some of my peers in med school, but I didn't want to believe that such a flagrant breach of medical ethics was occurring on a regular basis."

Gabriel shook his head and spoke while Inara's eyes widened. "It's true, I'm afraid. Doctors that take on companion's as patients are usually forced to sign contracts forcing them to implement so-called "common sense" cost controls to keep the Companion's Guild from having to pay more than they want to for their employee's health care. That's why I've always refused to take companions on as clients in my line of work."

Inara scowled. "I can't believe this. Are you saying that my disease is treatable, but because it costs a lot to do, so the Companion's Guild was just going to let me die?"

Simon and Gabriel Tam just nodded, but Reagan, as well as all of Serenity's crew members, looked absolutely furious. For a long moment, nobody dared to speak. But eventually, Jayne grew tired of the uncomfortable silence in the room. The mercenary shook his head. "You know, I never thought I would see the day that I would hate an organization dedicated to whoring but..."

Jayne stopped speaking after Inara shot the large man a glance of warning, but the ex-companion's smile showed that she understood Jayne was trying to be supportive. In his own...unique way. Now that he felt he could speak again, the captain cleared his throat. "So...um...how long should this treatment of yours take, exactly?"

Simon shrugged and turned to his father, who sighed and said. "It depends. Some times treatment can take as little as a week. Sometimes it can take a month...and sometimes, treatment for Miss Serra's illness can take as long as six months. Provided, of course, that the patient survives that long."

Inara's eyes widened a bit, and the former companion looked fearful for a moment, until Malcolm put his hand on her arm and said "Hey, you are going to be okay. I'm not letting you go anywhere now that you and I have, you know...Now that there's an us."

Most of the crew looked at Jayne, expecting him to make some rude insinuation about the captain and the former companion's love life, but the man stayed silent instead. And River had a strange smirk on her face for some reason when her father cleared his throat and resumed speaking. "It's impossible for me to give a clear prognosis for your condition now, Miss Serra. In order for me to do that, Doctor Simon Tam and I will need to do a more thorough examination of the effected tissues in your body using the specialized equipment in the infirmary. That being said...you're still asymptomatic, correct?"

Inara just nodded, and Gabriel resumed speaking. "Good. That means the odds are quite good that your prognosis will be a good one. As I said earlier, Doctor Simon Tam and myself will need to do some tests and evaluations to be sure of that conclusion. From there, he and I can determine what treatments will be needed. But first, Doctor Simon and I should have a private consultation with you. Again, how does immediately after breakfast sound?"

Inara, for the first time noticing that cameras were filming one of the most private moments of her life, hesitated only a second before she nodded her head. "That would be agreeable." The former companion forced a smile. "So...what's for breakfast?"

Jayne and River laughed simultaneously, then looked at each other out of the corner of their eyes, before the big man shrugged, and everybody took their place at the the table to eat breakfast. Malcolm sat at Inara's right during the meal, and Kaylee sat at the former companion's left, with Simon sitting at Kaylee's left. Although Mal wasn't one for openly displaying affection in public, the man did sit closer to the ex-companion than he would have dared to in the past, and he purposely rubbed elbows with his girl on more than one occasion, while shooting Inara the occasional reassuring smile. Kaylee, on the other hand, wasn't so subtle, and the mechanic squeezed Inara's left hand once during the meal and whispered. "We're all here for you, Inara."

Inara nodded and smiled after she saw everyone else at the table, including Reagan Tam, nod in affirmation of Kaylee's words. "I know."

The rest of the meal passed in silence, and when it was all over, the doctors Tam went to speak with Inara privately (or, as private as could be expected when they were being filmed) in the living room.. Everyone else scattered ten different directions. Malcolm ended up pacing in the kitchen, the room closest to the living room, hoping he would be the first person outside that room to hear more about what was happening to his girl. Zoe went to check out the shooting gallery that Jayne had mentioned earlier, and maybe the movie theater he had mentioned. Meanwhile, Kaylee decided to spend some time on the ship, while Reagan tried to engage in small talk with River, who was still in the dining room, drawing a picture of one of the creatures in her nightmares using a pen and paper she had "borrowed" from Simon.

The mother/daughter talk was actually going pretty well, so far as Reagan could understand a little more than half of what her daughter was talking about (aside from references to men with "hands of blue" and several musings where River called herself an albatross, when Jayne stepped into the dining room. Unfortunately, the large mercenary, who had just finished serving himself some oatmeal from the kitchen, since he was still hungry after breakfast, was soon followed into the dining room by the camera crew. The mercenary sighed. "What do you people want?"

The head camera guy laughed. "Oh, we both know this isn't about what I want. This is about what the people of the 'Verse want! And our generous benefactor believes that the people of the 'Verse need to hear a little bit more from you, Jayne Cobb, about the evils of the Alliance government! So what do you say we finish that interview we started with you yesterday?!"

Jayne sighed. "I already told you buhn dahn everything I know about the things the Alliance has done! My home planet didn't get destroyed, like Mal! I didn't fight in no war, like the captain and Zoe! And I sure as guai didn't have my brain-pan, or that of someone I care about, get all messed up by Alliance scientists! I'm not the guy that you should be looking to tell the 'Verse about how gorram bad the Alliance is! Go talk to someone else!"

The leader of the camera crew frowned for only a second before he forced a smile on his face. "Very well then..."

All the cameras where then pointed in River Tam's direction. "How about you, Miss Tam? We've already interviewed you parents about their experience of losing their children due to the Alliance's evil machinations, but we haven't heard from you, the person in this villa who has experienced the most...direct suffering due to the Alliance government. Do you have any thoughts about the Academy, or the people the Alliance payed to torture you and turn you into a weapon?"

River, who had been talking and laughing with her mom for the last five minutes, stiffened in her chair, and her suddenly serious eyes turned downward. "I don't want to talk about that. Go away."

Reagan turned towards the show crew. "Maybe this isn't the best time..."

The head cameraman shook his his head. "No. I think now is the perfect time to interview little Miss Tam here. While you are here, Mrs. Tam, you can keep River from wandering off or having one of her...outbursts, like the one she had yesterday."

Reagan frowned. " I haven't been able to control River since she started walking. And as for yesterday, I don't know what you are talking about. What outburst?"

Jayne laughed. "Your little girl kicked over a bar stool and broke a mirror with a whiskey bottle faster than most men can blink! It was..."

The large man frowned, unable to find a suitable ending for that sentence. "Well, it was something."

Reagan Tam turned towards River, who was currently giving Jayne a dark look that made the hairs on the back of the mercenary's neck stand on end. The older woman sighed. "River, is this true?"

River shrugged, still not taking her gaze away from Jayne, although the large man didn't recognize the intense look that the youngest Tam was giving him now as she spoke. "The mirror had it coming. It doesn't show who I really am. Only shows what looks like a little girl when a grown woman stands before it. It was defective, and needed to be destroyed. But a tracker should know better than to trust the surface of things. It is his job to read people, as well as tracks, yes?"

Jayne shrugged right back. "Gir...River, I don't know what you're talking about. But it's obvious that me calling you 'girl' yesterday offended you. So I'll try to stop doing that if that will keep you from getting violent. Dohn-ma?"

River nodded. "This would be acceptable. Also, I do not foresee me going psycho, the words you wanted to use, but did not, anytime in the near future. As long as the eyes and ears of the 'Verse..." The young woman glared pointedly at the camera crew. "Do not persist in asking her about the Academy at this time. If they persist in asking about the horrible place, the eyes and ears of the 'Verse will bleed."

A collective shudder went through the camera crew, but a moment later, an angry expression came across the lead A/V person's face, and Jayne noticed that the lone "bodyguard" in the room had his hand halfway to his holster already. Deciding to stop a bloodbath before it could get started, the large mercenary held up one of his hands. "Wait! I changed my mind! I do have one other story about the Alliance that I ain't told you yet! You should continue my talking piece first, then talk to River about the Academy some other day. You know, on a day that she's not acting so gorram crazy with her threats and such!"

River exhaled loudly and nodded gratefully at Jayne as the cameras all moved to face the mercenary. The head cameraman smiled as the mood in the room improved dramatically in the space of a few seconds. "Excellent, Mr. Cobb! Now, since there is no time like the present, and we've already wasted valuable film time today, why don't you go ahead and tell us more about the evil Alliance?"

Jayne shrugged. "Ain't to much else to tell. I have a younger brother, named Matthew. But everyone calls him Mattie. He used to work in some Alliance factory on Beowulf. I'm not really sure what it was they were making there, he wouldn't say. In fact, he didn't really know. Said people at this factory only make one part, and other parts to whatever it was they were building were made elsewhere. Whatever they were making though, it wasn't safe, because my little brother got real sick after working there for about a month, and some of the other workers there got sick too. Every single person who worked in that factory got damp lung, and my brother still has it. But by the time my brother went to the Alliance, hat in his hand, asking for help with his medical bills, the factory was closed, and the government denied any responsibility for what happened. They refused to cure my brother, even though they had the tech. As a result, to this day, my family still has to take care of Mattie,"

River looked up from her place at the nearby table. "Jayne helps too. Sends money to his family regularly to help take care of his little brother."

Jayne coughed as his cheeks turned slightly red. "It ain't nothing. Just a small fraction of the money my brother needs to stay alive ."

The camera crew members talked among each other for several seconds before the head cameraman turned to Jayne and said. "Interesting. Mr. Cobb, would you be so kind as to go into the living room? Our...benefactor would like to discuss something with you in private over a wave, if you don't mind. He would like to hear more about this brother of yours."

The mercenary raised an eyebrow. "Um...okay. I'll go speak to Niska. I mean, our benefactor, or whatever. It's not like I really have a choice in the matter, right?"

The cameraman who Jayne had pushed two days ago smirked and stage whispered. "Not really."

Jayne sighed and did as he was asked. The mercenary only allowed himself a quick glance at River, who smiled and nodded, to insure himself that he wasn't about to walk into a trap. Then the muscular man walked into the living room behind the camera crew.

River watched Jayne leave the room and frowned. Reagan noted the look on her daughter's face and said. "Is everything okay, River? I can tell that the camera crew upset you when they asked about the Academy, but none of them want to hurt you or Jayne. They're just trying to help..."

The young, dark-haired woman rolled her eyes as she replied."They are only trying to help themselves. But she knows they won't hurt her. I'm not stupid. But she...I don't like talking about that place. Maybe later I will talk. But right now the bird is too frightened to sing. She...I will be fine."

As River continued to stare off into the distance in the directions of the living room, Reagan shook her head, trying to ignore River's strange speech patterns, which the mother was still getting used to, while hoping they would not be permanent. "But something else is wrong. I can tell. Does it have anything to do with your friend, Mr. Cobb?"

River shook her head, but she wouldn't meet her mother's eyes as she spoke. "It is not relevant. You wanted to speak with me about the treatment that Gab...dad and Simon have been working on, to make me not so whimsical in the brain pan?"

Reagan nodded. "How did you...Oh, right. Some of your friends told me about the...abilities you have. I'm sorry, River, I just...I always thought stories about psychics were just made up children's fables and fodder for bad soap operas. I never dreamed that my daughter would be..."

"A freak?"

River looked away from her mother, but Reagan gently took her daughter's face in her hands so that River would make eye contact with her. "No. That is a word that other people have used to describe special people like you. I saw someone call readers that name on television once, but I never meant to think that word! You are special, River! Gifted. You always have been, but it seems even your father and I underestimated just how special you were. But when the Academy did...whatever they did to bring your talent out, they also hurt you, and changed you in other ways too."

River shook her head as a single tear ran down her face. "She. I am damaged. I am sorry that I am not the daughter you remember."

Reagan slowly brought her daughter into a hug. "No. I'm sorry. Sorry that we sent you to the horrible place where the Alliance hurt you. Sorry that your father and I didn't see the signs that there was something wrong with the Academy when they wouldn't let your father and I visit there first before sending you. Sorry that we didn't believe Simon when he told us you were..."

River hesitantly hugged her mother back and shook her head. "You didn't know. You should have, but you didn't. You wanted to trust the regime you had lived under all your life was good. That they wouldn't hurt me."

Reagan pulled away from her daughter and nodded. "Exactly. But we shouldn't have trusted..."

River shook her head emphatically before she wiped away, first her own, then her mother's, tears. "You didn't know. I understand. And she...I forgive you. Simon will need more time, but I forgive you and father."

Reagan smiled. "Thank you."

River shrugged. "Neither of you are the ones that did this too me. But I am still damaged. Still crazy."

Reagan Tam shook her head. "Maybe not forever. Your father knows of an experimental treatment. It just came out a few months ago on Osiris, but the materials required for it are right here in the Villa. A neurochemical treatment that may help people with brain damage better regulate emotions and block unwanted cognitions. Your father thinks that, with Simon's help, he can heal your brain, and with it, your mind. He thinks he can help make you normal again...or at least, as normal as you used to be."

River smirked. "I was never normal, mom. But it would be...nice to be less crazy. Maybe certain people would see her differently if she was sane."

Reagan smirked. "Like Jayne Cobb? He's not the sort I would have picked for you, but it's nice to see you showing an interest in someone. Even on Osiris, your were always inside your own head too much to pay attention to boys. Or maybe I'm wrong, and it's girls. Girls would be fine too, if that is what you like."

River rolled her eyes. "She is not a lesbian, mother. And she does not want to have this conversation with you."

Reagan sighed. "Fine. But I'm still your mother, River. You can talk to me about anything. Now, let's talk some more about this brain treatment your father and brother may be able to help you with. They were thinking of starting that later this afternoon, after beginning Inara's treatment, if that is all right with you."

Several hours later, in a room just outside of the infirmary, Inara sat up from the sofa she had been lying on for the last sixty minutes. The woman let out an involuntary moan of pain as she did so as the procedure the doctors Tam had just performed on her an hour ago had been a painful one. " Go se!"

River entered the room from the infirmary and responded to Inara's unusually colorful language. "You are in pain."

Inara groaned. "A little. But if your father and brother are right, there's still about a sixty percent chance that I'll survive if I continue receiving treatment for another month or so."

River frowned, and Inara did as well, as she noticed that River was acting...different in a way that the former companion couldn't put her finger on. The younger girl spoke. "Not the shiniest odds."

Inara forced out a laugh. "No. But it's far better than the certainty of death I had before. If I live, all of this pain will be worth it, even if my lungs are on fire right now. What about you? Simon and your father wouldn't tell me what they were treating you for. I assume it has something to do with your brain?"

River smirked as she sat down next to Inara, but answered the slightly older woman's leading question. "Yes. They are trying to make me sane. Treatment involves inserting several packets of artificially grown neurotransmitters into my brain over the span of a month..." River lifted up her hair so that Inara could see the large bandage on the back of her head. "It is hoped that these neurotransmitters will eventually, in layman's terms, help my brain grow a new amygdala, and restore other tissue that the doctors at the Academy purposefully damaged. They will also restructure my brain in such a way that my mind will no longer be forced to remember or act upon pre-inserted programming triggered via subliminal messages."

Inara shook her head. "River...I'm not sure I understood all of the that."

River frowned once again. "Sorry. I mean that Simon and my father are attempting to help my brain heal itself. They are also trying to prevent my Alliance programming taking me over again, as it did when I attacked Jayne, Mal, and many other people at the Maidenhead."

Inara nodded. "Yes. Mal told me all about that little incident on Serenity shortly after I was forced to rescue him, when he had been trying to rescue me from the Operative, at the training house. But after this treatment of yours, the Alliance won't be able to make you hurt people anymore, and you'll be less, well..."

River smiled slightly. "Crazy?"

Inara shrugged. "I was going for a euphemism. Those are all great things, River. Simon tells me you're the brains of the Tam family. Is it working?"

River nodded slowly. "I'm not sure. I'm not a doctor. But...I think so. I already feel a little different. Things aren't as...loud. Emotions aren't quite as intense as before..."

Inara picked up on the hesitant tone of River's voice and added. "But..."

River sighed deeply. "Even after one round of treatment, I don't see things the same way. I can still hear people's feelings, but not their thoughts. For instance, I know you are apprehensive about something...besides the possibility of dying, which would normally produce panic, rather than just worry. But I can't tell what you are actually worried about. Simon thinks that this reduction in my abilities are temporary, but father thinks that I may lose some of my...gifts completely by the time the last treatment is administered. He thinks that, if he and Simon are successful, I will lose all my psychic abilities before she fully regains her sanity."

River looked at Inara. "I should still continue though, shouldn't I? So that I can stop being crazy. Be normal, like before? Then Simon will stop seeing me as a baby that needs to be coddled, and...others will see me a woman, intact and whole. Not a weapon, or a crazy little girl."

Inara sighed. "I don't know. Hopefully, Simon is right, and you will be able to retain your gifts while becoming more...stable. But there may come a time where you have to choose between being psychic, or being, how should I say this? Neurotypical. And that's a choice only you can make. Either way, you'll lose something."

River nodded. "I was afraid you might say that. So, what are you afraid of losing? Besides your life?"

Inara shook her head. "If I tell you, you will think I'm being ridiculous."

River gave Inara a look and rolled her eyes, causing the former companion to laugh. "Okay, fine. My hair. I'm afraid I will lose my hair. Your brother said it was a common side effect of the treatment I am undergoing to try to help me."

The younger girl smiled knowingly. "You're afraid Mal won't like you as much if you lost the dead skin cells on top of your head, and that he won't have sex with you anymore?"

Inara scowled. "First of all, I am not talking about my private business with you. Second of all...how did you know that? Did you read mine or Mal's minds?"

River smirked and shook her head. "Didn't have too. The captain's clothes were more disheveled than usual at breakfast. And Mal carries himself differently shortly after sex. He was obviously upset about your precarious physical condition, but he walked the same way he did after he had sex with Nandi months ago."

Inara's fist clenched for only a moment before she calmed herself down and replied. "Let's not talk about any of the captain's sexual exploits, okay?"

River nodded. "Okay. You should probably know that everyone else on Serenity's crew also knows or suspects that you and Mal had intercourse though."

Inara shook her head, covering her face so that the hidden cameras in the room couldn't see her face turn crimson. "Oh merciful Buddha! As if I didn't have enough troubles already..."

River laughed. "They...we, all think it's...shiny. It doesn't take a psychic to know that you and the captain have loved each other for a long time. I hope you both live long enough to have lots of fat, happy children."

Inara smiled a little at River's use of the biting words she had thrown in Malcolm's face when he had unwittingly "married" the woman who called herself Saffron. "Let's not get ahead of ourselves, River. We don't know that my...whatever I have with the captain, is going to last that long, even if I live."

River smiled. "I've seen inside the captain's heart, and yours. If you live, I think the two of you will be in it for the long haul.."

At Inara's look, River elaborated. "It's an old expression, dating back to Earth-that was. It means that I think you and the captain will probably be together for life. You shouldn't worry about your hair. I know it would probably hurt your pride, but if all fell out, Mal would love you anyway."

Inara laughed. "It's sad that makes me feel better when I'm sitting here, facing the prospect of my probable demise, but it does. Thank you."

River shrugged. "Just the truth, is all. And I understand. I imagine it helps to have something...someone, to live for."

Inara smiled. "Yes. I suppose it does." Seeing the worried look on River's face, Inara added. "And I'm sure you'll find your special someone someday"

River sighed. "Even I don't fully know what tomorrow will bring. But I suppose it doesn't hurt to cautiously optimistic. After all, today was much better than yesterday."

Inara only had enough time to nod before River quickly stood up and walked out of the room, leaving Inara to reflect. For her at least, today had been better than yesterday for both herself and River. Today, both woman had hope that their lives could change for the better, and that their futures could be brighter than their pasts. The ex-companion just hoped that this trend continued for everyone in the mansion for the rest of the month.

AN: First of all, I'd like to say thank you to everyone who had been reading this story and giving me feedback. Your input is greatly appreciated! A special thanks goes out to ,bjq, Hawki, galwidanatitud, and cowgirlcadet1701, who reviewed my last chapter! Thank you all for your support, and please let me know what you thought of this chapter!

And of course, a very special thanks goes out to my beta reader, without whose help this story would stink worse than reaver droppings!

Until next time, I am...

-supercode