Title: For the Job: chapter three Author: bookishtype Rating: PG Characters: Mal, Jayne, River, Inara Written for: Several Ways to Break a Promise Word Count: 520

Mal carried a box out to the mule where River was waiting standin' guard. He had given her that job after they had taken down the guards, she had finished her work when she simply started laughing for no reason, it made Mal nervous and Jayne simply signalled "Crazy" from behind her at him. He told her to stand guard at the mule while they loaded up, she simply looked at him and said "funny ol' man" and flounced off, half skippin' half twirlin'. Jayne and him had loaded more than enough from the storage unit. He hoped the doc was right about these supplies fetchin' a pretty penny outside the Core.

Jayne dropped the last box on the mule, and looked at Mal, "guess you should keep that promise of yours and go rescue Inara." He nodded at River, "I'll keep an eye on Moonbrain over here." And with that he leaned back and folded his arms. Mal sighed, time for some heroics, he thought. He grabbed an extra pistol from the floor of the mule and turned and ran into the building where Inara was, all the time hoping he wouldn't get shot, he hated gettin' shot.

Mal ran through the doors of the building followed the hallway down, gun raised, eyes alert. The guards were temporarily indisposed thanks to River. He paused at each doorway and listened for sounds. Nothing. The hallway was coming to an end and he hoped that Inara would be in one of the end rooms and not kidnapped or such. He paced forward, much like a cat stalking, he stilled, voices from the last room. They were muffled, he could make out the lilting voice of Inara's and a deeper baritone voice of a man. Bingo. He raised the gun and shot out the doorknob and barrelled into the room.

In front of him sat Inara, teacup paused at her lips, looking at him with an incredulous face. Opposite her sat an old man with thickest glasses he had seen. The old man raised his hands in the air. "Son, next time you want to enter a room, it's easier to turn the handle than blow the whole thing off."

Mal shook his head slightly and trained the gun on him, "Inara", he said out the side of his mouth, "what in the gorram 'verse are you doin?!" "Having tea, Mal."

"I know you are having tea but aren't you in some perilous danger?"

"No, are you finished? Can we go now?" she asked putting down her teacup.

She stood, tightening the shawl around her shoulders. "This kind gentlemen was delighted to have some beautiful young woman pay a visit, even if it was for a cup of tea", she said as she walked by him out the door. Mal didn't know what to think, but hey if Inara was out of here, so was he. He gave the old man a semi-salute with his gun and started out the door. He paused and pointed at the hole where the doorknow was, "hey, ah sorry bout that, guns!" And then he bolted.