Hi everybody, I am so sorry that I waited so long with updating. This is because I had so many versions as to how I wanted this story to go on. Then I thought I should split it up, but now I decided on this. I hope it's not too much out of character (or not at all if possible hehe). I changed the story a bit from humor into suspense/ drama and ofcourse it's still going to be romantic!! Because Mal and Inara just belong together!!

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Inara walked to her dresser. She didn't like feeling like a giddy schoolgirl. She sighed, she was tired of all the thinking. Maybe she should just go with it and see what happened.

'Inara? You've got a wave.' Wash's voice came over the comm. She frowned her brows in surprise, who could that be at this hour?

'Thank you Wash.' Inara answered as she walked towards her chair and pulled away the curtain in front of her cortex screen.

'Sivella.' She said surprised the moment Sivella's face appeared on the screen.

She knew Sivella from the Training House. They had trained together and Sivella was one of her best friends.

'How are you?' Inara got a worry wrinkle on her face, she could see something wasn't right. Sivella's beautiful face looked strained and tired.

'Inara, I am sorry, I can't talk long.' Sivella said nervously as she looked around her. 'I have some trouble. My family is in trouble, my aunt isn't well. I have to get to Sihnon as fast as possible. I heard that you travel until Persephone. Could I travel with you? I'll pay your captain richly.' Sivella said.

Inara swallowed surprised. Something seemed very wrong. 'Yes, ofcourse. I'll talk to him.'

'Inara, it's urgent.' Sivella said.

And Inara got frightened from the look she saw in Sivella's dark eyes. It was fear. And that was one thing she almost never saw in her friends eyes. Sivella had always been cheerful, honoust, often too honoust that is, funny and very witty. There was nothing that could make her feel fear very quickly.

Inara stood up. 'I'll ask him right away. Can I wave you back in a few minutes?'

'Thank you. Thank you so much.' Sivella said as she nodded.

Kitchen

Inara made her way to the kitchen when she didn't find Mal in his bunk.

'Inara.' Mal said as he dropped the teabags he was roaming through in shock. He swallowed. 'I was just uh-' He began as he motioned towards her tea. –looking for some sleeping tea 'cause I can't stop thinking about that kiss and what might have happened afterwords and what will happen now, it's driving me crazy!

'Mal, a friend of me just waved. She is in trouble. Her aunt needs her. She needs to get to Sihnon. She asks if she can travel with us to Persephone. She'll pay richly.' Inara said ignoring the mess he had made of her neatly stored tea mixes. She had more important matters to deal with now.

'Uh.' Mal began with open mouth. 'I guess that's no problem. We have to make the guest room decent then.'

'No, that's not necessary. She can stay in my shuttle.' Inara said shortly. 'Can she come in the morning?'

Mal nodded. 'Just have to tell the others.'

'Thank you.' She said as she turned around swiftly and made her way as fast as possible back to her shuttle. Not only the look on Sivella's face worried her, but the way Sivella had presented herself. Inara had waved with Sivella every week, and Sivella was always interested in her. And this time, she was so abrupt with her message.

Next morning

'Wow, what a nice place you have made for yourself.' Sivella said as she put her bag down and looked at Inara's shuttle. 'It's so you.' She said as she smiled widely at her friend.

'Thank you.' Inara said. She closed the distance between them and took Sivella's hands.

'I am so sorry that your aunt isn't well.' She said compassionate.

Sivella looked away shortly before looking Inara in the eyes again. 'Yes, thank you. I hope I'll get to her as soon as possible.'

Inara nodded. 'Make yourself at home.' She offered as she took Sivella's bag and placed it on the bed.

Sivella smiled.

'Are these all your things?' Inara asked surprised as she eyed the one light bag.

Sivella shook her head. 'No, I put the rest in storage. You know me, always collecting so many things that there isn't any place for myself anymore in my home.' Sivella quipped.

Inara laughed. 'Yes I remember.' She said fondly as she remembered how it was to share her room with Sivella in the Training House. Saying that Sivella made a mess was still a compliment. What Sivella managed to do with her things made the room look like a bomb had exploded. Ofcourse the House Mistress was always on her tail for that. She had received some punishment for the mess she had made. And somehow, she never really learned. Except when it was about her work. Then she was as neat and perfect as could be.

'The crew will be here soon. They were out to the town to do some shopping and other things.'

'I finally get to meet them, I can't wait… All those stories you told me about them.' Sivella said enthusiastically.

'Would you like some tea?' Inara asked.

'Yes please.' Sivella nodded as she walked towards her bag to begin unpacking.

'No, no, you sit down.' Inara said sweetly as she grabbed Sivella's upper arm and gently manouvered her to her couch.

Minutes later they both had two cups of tea in their hands.

'I was worried about you.' Inara began as she studied Sivella.

'Worried?' Sevilla asked with a surprised look. She made sure to keep her facial expression under control.

'When you sent me that wave, you seemed…. Afraid…..' Inara explained.

Sivella looked in her tea. She sighed. 'I just had a rough time. Lord Blake was angry that I ended the contract I had with him. And I am worried about my aunt.' Sivella explained.

Inara looked at her. She had the feeling there was something more.

'I've never seen you so afraid. If there's anything wrong, anything at all-' Inara offered as she put her cup down and looked intently at Sivella.

Sivella smiled. 'Thank you. That's so sweet.' Sivella said. What she was going to say next was one of the most difficult things in her life. She wanted to swallow the scrap in her throat away but Inara would notice instantly. So she took a small sip of her tea to mask it.

'Everything is well.' She heard herself say in a serene voice. Lie. It was a lie. Right in her face. She, Sevilla Thenar had lied to her best friend. She had pushed Inara away. She felt a pang of hurt in her heart. She never lied. Because she hated it.

She watched Inara stand up.

'They are here, I can hear them.' Inara said.

Sevilla plastered a smile on her face and pushed the tears that wanted to well up in her eyes away instantly. She was after all, a Trained Companion.

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Hope you liked it! I am going to post the next chapter right now. But felt I needed to make a new chapter here.

Please let me know what you think!!