Title: For the Job: chapter three Author: bookishtype Written for: Several Ways to Break a Promise Rating: G Characters: Inara Word Count: 764

Inara stood looking at the door in front of her. Mal wouldn't tell her who she had to entertain while they raided the place. She dreaded the thought of what lay in front of her. He had been so adamant that she wear this gorram dress, she knew there was something untoward with this job. She huffed, a smiled played on her lips, whatever it was, Mal owed her big time. She knocked on the door, waiting on baited breath, nothing, then she heard shuffling, and then door opened, and in front of her stood an old man. He was shorter than her, and at least 80 years old, he had no hair on his head and the spectacles resting on his nose had glass as thick as the antique Coke bottles she had seen from Earth-that-was.

Oh, yeah, Mal owed her big time and this time he was going to keep his promise.

"Ye-ess", the man said as he stood there.

"Hello, grandpa", Inara replied.

"Narrie? Is that you?", the old man stood there, his face changed instantly when she spoke. "What in blazes-hell are you doing here?" he reached out and grabbed her hands.

"Hello grandpa", Inara said again, "actually i could ask the same thing" and she moved to embrace the old man.

"Come in! Come In!", her grandpa tugged her hand to pull her inside. Inara obliged, still trying to get her head around the whole situation. Mal was here to raid from her Grandpa's property. This was unreal! She wasn't sure what to do, to leave and tell them they should leave or what she didn't know! "Sit down! Sit down! Where have been? Did you fly in from somewhere? What in the 'verse are you wearing?", he fired off question after question at her as he seated himself down in an armchair. "Ah, well, I actually flew in today with some people." Inara started, not sure of what words could explain her presence. She seated herself on a chair next to him.

"Well that doesn't explain the dress, my dear, you look like a whore, I hope all that training we sent you to wasn't a waste", her grandpa didn't mince words. Inara smiled, she could remember him being exactly the same when she last saw him. She was probably only 21 and the Guild had allowed her an extended family visit, and she went and saw him and grandma.

"Um, grandpa, the dress is the reason i am here today", Inara thought it best to do as he did and say it straight, "the people i flew in with today are currently on your property, their reason for coming is to steal some Alliance medical supplies from you."

"Huh, steal you say, what kinda folk you flying with these days Narrie?", her grandpa raised his eyebrows at her. "So they are after my medical supplies... guess that would put them in the second storage unit out in the yard." He sat forward and spoke to her in earnest, "How many of them are there?"

"Uh, three, grandpa, two men and a girl", Inara was confused, she had just told him blatantly that she was stealing from him and he hadn't raised much more than an eyebrow. "Grandpa, you do realise what i am telling you don't you?" Inara enquired gently, her grandpa was old but he wasn't a fool. He nodded his head, "Oh yes Narrie, but you see, those supplies have been out there since your Grandma passed and they were hers so i have no need for them." He took her hands in his, "Narrie, what i am saying is that what's mine is yours, i am an old man with too many possessions as it is. And its seems like maybe someone else is needed them might urgently from the entourage you just mentioned." Inara breathed a sigh of relief, after all this time, her grandpa always had a way of turning things out the way they should be, positive.

She leaned back in her chair, "Grandpa, can i ask one thing from you, shortly a man with a gun will burst in this room to rescue me, can we just perhaps, fail to mention that you know about the stealing?" Inara raised her eyebrow to show that this was to be secret information. "Hmmm, i guess i can go along with that, long as you promise to keep in touch more often!". Inara smiled and put her hands on her legs to get up, "well with that settled, shall we have some tea?"