Inara felt … odd. Something was wrong. Perhaps it was just the feeling of Serenity sitting on the ground rather than flying through the black. But that wasn’t unusual. Sometimes there were days when they were waiting for work, waiting for payment … just waiting. But this …

She pressed the com. “Kaylee, is there anything wrong?”

It took a moment for a flustered mechanic to answer. “No … no … nothing’s wrong.”

Inara smiled. “Then I’m sorry for interrupting you.”

“Why’d you think there was?”

“Just a … it’s nothing.”

“Oh. Okay.” Kaylee switched off the com and turned to Simon who was leaning against the engine housing, his chest naked. “Think she’s okay?”

“Why wouldn’t she be?” He reached for her but she danced away.

“Because it ain’t usual for her to ask.”

“I mean, if there was a problem with the job, they’d let us know, right?”

Kaylee paused in the doorway. “I guess.”

He crossed his arms across his bare chest. “So why don’t you come here?”

“Well, might be because you’re a mite greasy.”

“So are you. And it was your idea for me to take my shirt off so I wouldn’t get it dirty.”

“It’s too fine to get all mucked up from Serenity’s parts.”

“How about if it gets all mucked from your parts?” He smiled a little.

“Why, Doctor Tam, I don’t know what you mean.”

Suddenly he was all seriousness. Standing up straight he lowered his arms, and she could see a faint pink flush across his chest. “Kaylee, there’s something I want to say. Something I’ve wanted to say for a long while, but I was afraid.”

“You? Afraid?” She tried to make it a joke, but the words stuck in her throat. Was this it? The moment he was going to say he’d decided to take his sister and leave, go back to the Core where he belonged?

“Me. Afraid.” He took one step towards her. “Kaylee, I care about you. And I’m terrified I’m going to say the wrong thing, put my foot firmly back in my mouth. You make my mind crazy, turn it all around, and the words seem to get mixed up. Remember Bessie?”

Kaylee’s lips twitched. “You mean the alien in the jar?”

“There, in that room, I was trying to say the right thing, to show you how I felt, and I ruined it.” He glanced down. “I do seem to do that a lot.”

“Well, we kinda made up for that, ‘n’ all. What with the sexing.”

His head lifted, and he was smiling. “You are so down to earth. That’s what I love about you.”

Her breath caught. “You …”

He ploughed straight on. “So I hope you understand that what I’m saying is the truth, even if I do mess it up occasionally, and make you mad at me.” He gazed into her huge brown eyes. “Do you? Understand?”

“You ain’t really said anything yet.”

“Haven’t I?” He grinned. “I suppose I haven’t.” He took her hands in his, and she could feel the smoothness of his palms, his fingers, and she felt embarrassed by the coarseness of her own skin. “Kaylee, you’re …” He stopped, knowing he was about to do exactly what he’d already apologised for. Better to stick to the simple truth. “Kaylee, I love you.”

“You … you do?”

“I think I have done for a long time. I just couldn’t allow myself to feel it.”

“You mean with your sister ‘n’ all.”

“But she’s getting better, and I think … I know it’s time for me to concentrate on what I want. And I want you.” He tightened his grip on her hands. “And not just for the sexing.”

“You love me?”

“I do.”

A warmth filled her from the soles of her feet through to the top of her head. “You love me?”

He grinned. “If you like I’ll borrow one of the shuttles and write it in the sky for you.”

“You’d do that?”

“You’d have to teach me how to fly first, but … yes.”

“Oh, Simon …” She stepped into his embrace, feeling the warmth of his skin against her, his arms around her. “I love you too.”

His heart skipped and he sighed happily. “Well, that’s good. I’d hate to say all of that and have you turn around and tell me you wanted Jayne instead of me.”

The com stuttered into life, Jayne’s voice crackling, startling them.

“Doc? Doc, get to the cargo bay, mah shong.”

Simon stared at Kaylee for only a moment, then grabbed his shirt and ran from the engine room.

Inara heard the rough order in her shuttle, and hurried out onto the catwalk just as the hover mule surged up the ramp.

“We got wounded!” Jayne shouted as Zoe brought the hover to a stop. He was leaning over the back, his gun aimed behind them.

“Mal!” Inara screamed, seeing Serenity’s captain lying across the back seat, his head in River’s lap.

Simon was already running down the stairs, Kaylee at his heels.

“What happened?” the young man asked, climbing aboard.

“Idiot went and got hisself shot,” the big man said, jumping from the vehicle and hitting the control button, closing the cargo bay doors.

“He saved your life, Jayne,” Zoe said, her voice steady even if her skin was a little pale.

“Hell, didn’t ask him to.”

“I’ll remember that next time,” Mal ground out. His eyes fluttered open. “River, get us out of here.”

The girl nodded, and lifted his head from her lap. He groaned.

“I’m sorry,” the young psychic said, her brow furrowed. She could feel his pain, and it made her teeth ache. She jumped from the hover and ran up the stairs towards the bridge, her hair flying behind her.

Simon lifted the leather coat away from Mal’s chest, blood and dust coating his shirt. “I need you in the infirmary right away.”

“Ain’t gonna argue with you on that.” It hurt. Damn, it hurt like blue blazes. Why’d it have to hurt every time? Couldn’t he get a free pass occasionally - something like, for every three wounds he got one that didn’t gorram hurt? He closed his eyes again.

“Stay with me, Captain.”

“Ain’t goin’ anywhere, doc.”

Strong arms lifted him from the hover, and the pain blossomed into agony. He couldn’t help crying out.

“Mal?”

He recognised the voice. “’Nara?”

“Inara, please,” Simon said. “Jayne, quickly.”

“Sure thing.” The big man carried his burden easily, taking care as he strode through the doorway into the common area and into the infirmary. Gently, with more care than he’d ever admit to, he laid Mal down on the bed.

The Firefly vibrated as the engines started, and within a few seconds they were airborne.

Mal’s eyes opened again. “Get the mule stowed, Jayne. Zoe, get the goods in the stash.” His voice was weak, but he was still in command.

“On it, Mal,” the mercenary said, hurrying out.

“Simon?” Zoe looked at the young doctor.

“You’d better do as he says, then come back. You can scrub in, assist me.”

Zoe nodded, giving one last glance towards her captain. He was in good hands, she thought as she walked out of the infirmary.

“Is … is the Cap gonna be okay?” Kaylee asked.

“Simon’s a good doctor,” Zoe said softly. “He’ll be fine.” She smiled a little. “Hadn’t you better get to your engine room? Make sure we don’t fall out of the sky? We don’t want to undo all the doctor’s good work, do we?”

Kaylee managed a grin. “My girl don’t fall out of the sky. Ain’t like she’s got a Capisson engine.”

Zoe put a hand on her shoulder. “Simon’ll have the Captain up and swearing at us before you know it.”

“He’s a good man.”

“That he is.” Just not a miracle worker, the thought ran unbidden through her mind. If he had been … “Go on, better get up there.”

Kaylee nodded and scampered up the stairs, pausing only once to glance through the infirmary window to see Inara standing close to her captain.

“You’re giving orders? At a time like this?” Inara was dumbfounded.

“Got a job to do.” Mal shifted slightly on the bed, a groan forcing through his lips.

“Lie still,” Simon ordered, injecting a hypo into his neck. “This will take the edge off, but I need to examine you.”

“I got shot, doc.”

“So I gathered.” Simon unbuttoned the dirt-caked shirt, touching the skin around the still bleeding bullet hole. “Well, it doesn’t look like it hit any major organs, but you’ve lost a fair amount of blood.”

“Ain’t the first time.”

“No. Now you’ll have another exciting scar to add to your collection.”

“You getting snarky with me?”

“In here, I’m the boss,” Simon said firmly. “And if I want to snark, then I shall.”

“You growing a pair?” Mal managed a small smile.

“Seems like it.”

“About time.”

Simon busied himself with his equipment, getting it ready.

Inara took the opportunity to take Mal’s hand in hers. “Why can’t you just get out of the way?” she asked, letting her anxiety out as anger. “Why does it have to be you that gets hurt all the time?”

“Hey, I try to parcel it out somewhat,” Mal said through gritted teeth, although the shot Simon had given him had eased the agony in his chest somewhat. “And it’s been near three months since I got myself a little stabbed.”

“Is this your way of getting out of talking? Some stupid excuse so you don’t actually have to sit down and try to work things out between us?”

“Inara,” Simon said warningly over his shoulder.

“It’s okay, doc. It’s just ‘cause she loves me.” Mal grinned.

“I … what would I want to love a … a scoundrel and a … a rogue like you for?”

“Not sure. ‘Cause I’m so pretty?”

“Well, it certainly isn’t because you’re a master criminal.”

“So it is ‘cause I’m pretty.”

“You’re insufferable!”

“I don’t exactly plan it, ‘Nara. I don’t wake up in the morning and think, yeah, time for me to go out and get myself shot. Or stabbed. Or any of the thousand little ways a man can die.”

“It doesn’t stop you though, does it?” She let go of his hand and he felt oddly lost. “I … I can’t do it like this. Not every time. Not wait for you to come back hurt. Or not come back at all.” A tear rolled down her cheek.

Mal felt a stab of something in his chest that hurt more than the bullet in him. “Are you … are you planning on leaving?”

“I’m … I’m planning on doing what’s right.” Her head went up, and there was determination in her eyes.

“And that’s saying goodbye?” There was a lump in his throat that wouldn’t go away.

“We have to change the dance, Mal.”

“What?”

“You let me leave because you thought it was what I wanted. And you’d do the same now. You’d give me up because you believe it was the right thing to do.”

“I don’t -”

“Just listen, Mal. For once in your life, just listen.” She took a deep breath. “We’re going to argue. A lot. There are going to be times when I want to kill you, and you’ll want me to go. But … this is it, Mal. I’m giving up being a Companion because it’s the right thing to do.”

“Inara?” Hope flared in his chest, killing the pain.

She stilled his lips with her finger. “I don’t know if we can make this work. We’ve spent so long fighting, I don’t know if we can make it love instead. But I’d like to try.”

A grin flashed across his face, momentarily displacing the drawn look. “Hell, darlin’, you kinda took the words outta my mouth.”

“Then let me give you something back.” She lowered her lips to his, just lightly, tenderly feeling his flesh on hers. After a moment she stood up. “Now, Simon has to get you back on your feet so we can talk some more.”

“Talk?”

“Talk, Mal. If we’re going to be more than just … friends, then we need to talk. Properly. Sitting down. Possibly with tea.”

His lips twitched. “I can live with that.”

“Just so long as you do.” She kissed him once more, then hurried from the infirmary.

“Ready?” Simon asked, flushing the air from the hypo.

“Don’t think I need that, doc,” Mal said, still staring after her. “I’m kinda floating as it is.”

“Oh, I think you do.” The young man injected his captain in the neck. “With what I have to do, no amount of Inara will suffice.”

“Think you’re wrong about that, Simon. I really think you’re wrong about …” His eyes closed and he slid into unconsciousness, a smile on his face.