Chapter 17
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AN- Sorry about not updating since Thursday but I have been busy the next chapter will be up once I finish it.
"You're awake." Mal says in complete shock and joy.
"And you're observant." Inara teases.
Mal smiles and surprises Inara by giving her a hug and saying "You scared the crap out of me Nara." Inara is surprised and realises for him to have a reaction like that and admit that he was scared things must have been looking bad.
"How long was I out?" Inara asks curios.
"36 hours or so." Mal answers.
"And you haven't left this room during that time." Inara muses not expecting and answer and she doesn't get one. "Alexis? Kaylee?" she asks worried.
"Their both fine, their currently sleeping Simon threatened to sedate both them and River if they didn't go get some sleep." Mal explains.
"What about you?" Inara asks interested to know if Simon threatened to sedate him two.
"He wanted to, but he realised that he wouldn't get away with it." Mal tells Inara. "Talkin of the doc I better go and get him." Mal says getting up.
"Mal, you can see I'm fine let Simon sleep." Inara tells him.
"He comes in and cheeks on you ever few hours, he told me to let him know as soon as you woke up." Mal explains standing up and getting ready to leave.
"Mal."
"Yeah?"
"Thank you for staying with me the whole time." Inara tells him.
"No need Nara, there was no place more important." Mal tells her before leaving to go get Simon.
Mal makes his way to the passenger dorm area where he enters without knocking.
"Doc" Mal says to wake him up.
"What?" Simon asks slowly waking up.
"Inara's awake." Mal tells him before leaving again.
Simon continues to lay in bed for a few seconds before his brain registers what Mal said, and when it does he gets up and runs out.
"How long ago did she wake up?" Simon asks as he enters the infirmary.
"I woke up about 5 minutes ago Simon." Inara tells him and both Simon and Mal she isn't too happy about being referred to as she.
"Sorry Inara." Simon says before getting the machine he uses to cheek how the bleeding is "Ok Inara this is a brain scanner that I have been using to see how much you brain is bleeding." Simon explains.
"My brain is bleeding." Inara says in shock.
'Hadnt really got to the explanation of what had happened yet." Mal explains to Simon.
"Oh, what do you remember?" Simon asks wanting to test to see if her memory is effected and if it is how badly.
"Kaylee, Alexis and I were walking through Ariel we were on our way back her when 3 guys tried to grab us, I could tell that I was there target but Kaylee and Alexis wouldn't let them they fought back and the men gabbed us all. We were taken to a basement, and I was trying to protect Alexis and Kaylee, and that is all I remember." Inara explains her face screwing up in concentration towards the end trying to remember.
"It's ok Inara, That's very good, Kaylee and Alexis said that they realised that you were trying to protect the girls and they hit you over the head with something hard." Simon explains.
"How did you get us out of there?" Inara asks Mal interested.
"The guy who took you sent us a wave saying River for the three of you, I said how did I even know that you were alive, he put Alexis on the camera and she was able to give a code that her Kaylee and River created to tell us where you were." Mal explains.
"They have a code?" Inara asks surprised.
"Apparently." Mal tells her.
"Ok, Inara now I'm going to see how much of the bleed has stopped." Simon tells her running the scanner over her head after about a minute he addresses Mal and Inara.
"Ok you bleed has gone down a lot since I last scanned I'm guessing that that is what lead you to waking up, but as there is still a little bit of blood you won't be leaving the infirmary to that has completely stoped." Simon tells Inara.
"No point arguing is there?" She asks.
"No." Simon says then addresses Mal "You should get some sleep but because I have a feeling that that is not going to happen let me know if there is a change in her vital signs or if she suddenly loses unconscious." Simon tells him before leaving.
"So even though I'm awake you not leaving." Inara asks Mal as he sits back down in the chair.
"You herd the doc, I've got to watch you vital sings." Mal tells Inara.
"He only said that because he knows you not going to leave so you might as well make yourself useful." Inara explains.
"Well it's something I have to do." Mal tells Inara with a cocky smile.
"Fine." Inara says sighing realising that she isn't going to get rid of him. "If you're going to stay you can at least say something, talk to me." Inara says after about 15 minutes of silences.
"Where going to Dyton." Mal says, saying the first thing that comes to his mind.
"That's over a month away." Inara realises.
"Yes, but we have to stop in Liann Jiun to get supplies." Mal explains. "So I'm going to get every to list what they need and I'll go in and get them, the rest of you will stay safely on Serenity." Mal explains.
"What happened to me isn't you fault Mal." Inara says as she can read between the lines of what he is saying and can tell that he is blaming himself
"Isn't it Nara, you were grabbed because it became known that you are my weakness, so you were hurt because of me, so was Alexis, so was Kaylee." Mal explains and Inara can tell that he is betting himself up with blame.
"Mal." Inara says sitting up a little more "It's not your fault, its theirs for coming after you, for what they did to River and those people on Miranda, I blame them not you." Inara tells him.
Mal doesn't respond but just sits in silence.
"Do you blame me for what happened?" Inara asks trying to get him to realises that it is pointless.
"What, no why would I?" Mal asks surprised.
"Because I convinced you to let Alexis, Kaylee and I go for a walk and we were grabbed during that walk." Inara explains simply.
"It not your fault Nara, its only there's." He says then is silent for a little while before saying "I see what you doing." Mal tells her.
"You said it yourself its only their faults, something you should remember." Inara tells him.
Mal doesn't respond the two just sit in silence for a little while until Inara says.
"So over a month to Dyton, that is going to be interesting, I wouldn't be surprised if Jayne and Esposito got into another one of their competitions." Inara tells Mal.
"They better not, I don't want another shotting contest taking place on my ship." Mal says then remembers that there was something that he wanted to talk to Inara about "In three weeks its Alexis's 18th birthday." Mal tells Inara.
"Three weeks." Inara says surprised.
"May the 2nd." Mal tells her.
"And we will still be in the black then." Inara realises guessing where this conversation is going.
"Exactly I was thinking that before we get to Liann Jiun you could talk to Kaylee and River and come up with a few ideas, and then when I stop for supplies I could pick up the stuff we will need." Mal explains.
"How am I going to talk to just Kaylee and River, from what I know as soon as they find out I am awake Kaylee, Alexis and River arent going to leave." Inara tells Mal.
"I'll figure something out." Mal tells her.
The two continue to sit together for a while and around the time that everyone else is getting up for breakfast Inara once again tries to get Mal to go sleep.
"Mal you should go get some sleep, everyone else will be up soon so they can sit with me." Inara tells Mal.
"I'm fine." Mal tells Inara who can hear the exhaustion in his voice.
"You're not invincible Mal, your only human you need sleep like everyone else." Inara tells him
Everyone is arriving in the kitchen when they hear Mal yell.
"I KNOW I'M NOT INVICIBLE INARA, AND THE LAST FEW DAYS HAVE BEEN PERFECT EXAPMPLES THAT I AM ONLY HUMAN, SIMON WASN'T SAYING IT OUT LOUD BUT I COULD TELL THAT HE WAS WORRIED THAT YOU WERENT GOING TO WAKE UP AND I FELT USELESS, ALL I COUD DO IS SIT HEAR AND WATCH WHY ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT PEOPLE IN MY LIVE SEEMED TO BE SLIPPING AWAY, SO I'M GOING TO CONTINUE TO SIT HERE UNTILL YOU ARE COMPLETELY OK, "
"Inara's awake." Wash says happily.
"Not too long ago." Simon tells him,
"Inara not awake for too long and them being them are already fighting." Kaylee, says slightly amused as she Alexis and River decided to wait a little bit before they go and see Inara.
Meanwhile back in the infirmary Inara is surprised by Mal's outburst.
"Mal I'm sorry I didn't think about how the last few days would have affected you I was just worried about you." Inara explains.
Mal sighs and stops pacing the room as he has been doing "I know you are Nara, but I'm worried about you two." Mal tells her sitting back down.
"Let's make a deal you don't have to go and get some sleep but go and get some breakfast talk to Alexis, while I talk to Kaylee and River, half an hour that is all I'm asking." Inara tells Mal.
"Fine, just tell them if something's wrong." Mal asks.
"Done, now go have some food." Inara tells Mal.
Mal nods and leaves the infirmary.
Mal makes his way up the dining area and when he enters everyone stops taking and stairs.
"Alexis after breakfast can we talk?" Mal asks his daughter.
"Sure Dad." Alexis tells him.
Everyone eats their breakfast and is about to go their separate ways when Mal says "Everyon write a list of what supplies you each need, I'll pick them up on Liann Jiun." Mal tells everyone.
"By yourself?" Kate asks.
"No other choice, anyone who goes planet side will be in danger I won't risk anyone else." Mal tells Kate.
"I'll go with you sir, you're going to need help collecting it all." Zoe tells Mal.
"Ok." Mal says knowing that she is going to go with him whether he likes it or not.
"Alexis, let's talk." Mal tells his daughter as everyone else leaves the dinning area.
"Sure." She says to her dad then turns to Kaylee and River "Tell Inara I'll be down to see her soon."
"So what's up dad?" Alexis asks taking the seat right next to her father.
"I was worried for you, wondering how you are going with living on a ship, in a new time and with what happened the other day." Mal explains to his daughter.
"It's a lot, that's defiantly true, I'm excited and I love where we are and the people that we are with, I feel like I belong her, about what happened to Inara it scared me Dad I thought I was going to lose her." Alexis explains becoming sad when talking about Inara.
"Oh Pumpkin" Mal says opening his arms so that he can give his little girl a hug, Alexis gets up from her chair and sits on her fathers lap like she has done so many time in the past.
"I was worried two." Mal tells his daughter.
"I know I could tell, I'm so glad she's ok though." Alexis tells her dad.
"So am I." Mal tells his daughter and they both sit there for a little while and then continue to talk about all different stuff spending some real father/daughter time.
Firefly/Castle Firefly/Castle Firefly/Castle Firefly/Castle
While Mal and Alexis are up talking in the dining area Kaylee and River enter the infirmary to see Inara.
"Hey you two." Inara says as they enter and run up and give her a hug.
"We were so worried." Kaylee tells her.
"I know but I'm ok." Inara tells them.
The three talk and Inara brings up the topic of Alexs's birthday and they come up with an idea and write a list of what they will need Mal to get.
After about 20 minutes Alexis, and Mal enter the infirmary when they heard their voices coming they hid the list and started talking about something else.
"Inara," Alexis says running towards her and giving her a hug "I'm so glad you're ok" Alexis tells her.
"I told you I wasn't going to leave, I attend to stand by that promise." Inara tells Alexis.
Mal takes his usual seat as Alexis, Kaylee and River stand around Inara talking, a couple of hours later Simon enters the infirmary.
"Inara I want to cheek if your brain is still bleeding." Simon tells her.
"Ok." Inara tells him and Simon grabs the machine to test, Mal gets up and stands with the girls so that he can get a better look, Simon does what he usually does but this time when he is finished he gets a smile on his face "there is no more bleeding in her brain." He explains to the joy of everyone in the room.
"So does that mean I can leave the infirmary?" Inara asks curios.
"Yes, but be careful" Simon tells her.
"I'm ok now, so you can go and get some sleep." Inara tells Mal.
"Promise you will go to Simon or Lanie if something is wrong?" Mal asks.
"Yes, I promise." Inara tells him.
"Good." Mal says before giving each of the girls a hug before leaving.
Mal makes his way up to his bunk where he runs into Kate "Hey." She says giving him a kiss.
"Hey."
"How's Inara?" Kate asks interested.
"Good Simon says that the bleed has completely stopped and that she is going to be ok." Mal tells Kate.
"That's great." Kate says happily.
"Yeah it is I don't know what I would have done if she died." Mal tells Kate.
A few days ago Kate would have been extremely jealous about a statement like that but because she has seen how much hurt he jealousy can cause she isn't. "Where you headed now?" Kate asks curious.
"To get some sleep." Mal tells her.
"Good idea, I'll wake you when dinner is ready." Kate tells him giving him one more kiss.
Mal nods and heads to his bunk to get some much needed rest.
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Dinner that night is a happy loud affair everyone is happy that Inara is once again with them that they all happily celebrate.
"So can y'all give me your lists of what you need me to get tomorrow?" Mal asks and everyone hands over their lists.
After dinner everyone once again goes their separate ways, once Mal is sure that it is late enough that Kaylee, Alexis and River will be gone Mal goes to Inara's shuttle.
"So did you come up with a plan?" Mal asks as he enters Inara's shuttle.
"We did, get everything on this list." Inara tells Mal handing over a piece of paper.
"What are you planning?" Mal asks confused reading over the list.
"That's a surprise." Inara tells him with a smile.
"From Alexis, not from me." Mal objects.
"You two, just get everything on that list." Inara tells him.
"Come on, no hint?" Mal asks.
"Goodnight Mal."
"I will find out what you are planning Inara." Mal says before leaving her shuttle.
Firefly/Castle Firefly/Castle Firefly/Castle
Early the next morning they arrive on Liann Jiun, Mal and Zoe head planet side to collect everything that is on everyone's list and take it back to the ship within 3 hours they are on their way to Dyton, completely stocked on everything they could need for the month long journey.
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