When Inara woke up that morning, she shivered, taking in all that happened and the situation she was in. As she reflected, she couldn’t help thinking about how she and Mal were interacting. Mal had come and saved her and never left her alone from that moment. What amazed her; however was that when she looked in his eyes she saw no pity. Instead, she saw something much bigger, something which she hadn’t possessed in years but she didn’t want to deceive herself. Her heart couldn’t bare another bruise. She was scared, she was broken and she felt that she had no control now that the companion layer had been ripped off of her. She was as vulnerable as a child.

A tear ran down her cheek.

It didn’t take much time for her to discover that Mal was sleeping on the other bed which pulls down from the wall. He obviously kept his promise not to leave her alone. It reassured her somewhat that she was safe. Mal looked so sweet as he slept; Inara would do anything to have that view every morning, she longed to once again feel the love and safety he brought to her when he held her last night. Her mind felt as if a jigsaw piece fell into place!

Inara saw Mal stirring before opening those blue eyes which reminded her of the blue ocean. Before she could breathe, Mal was sitting by her side.

“You okay? Is the stomach wound hurting?” he asked urgently, as he checked that the bandage did not have any blood on it.

“I’m fine, Mal” she said lacing her fingers with his “Did you sleep well?”

“Yeah, uh… thanks for letting me stay here. I surely wouldn’t ‘a slept if I went in my bunk.” He gave her that boyish grin she knew she could never live without now.

“It’s the least I could do.” She then began to untangle herself from the wires. She was feeling like she had become some kind of prisoner and she didn’t like it; but before she could even touch the second one, Mal stopped her.

“What do ya think you’re doing? Simon would surly hurt me if I let you do that.”

“I’m fine, Mal. I don’t need them,” Inara said tugging at a wire attached to her chest with a sticky pad.

“Why don’t you let me decide?” asked Simon, coming in.

“Nice line, Doc,” agreed Mal.

“Good morning Simon,” said Inara, exasperated.

“Afternoon you mean,” the doctor corrected as he reached for the thermometer and put it in Inara’s mouth.

“Afternoon?” asked Mal, shocked as he slipped on his boots.

Inara knew this was coming sometime, It was over, Mal would stop being nice to her, she won’t get the chance to know him like she had hoped she would. She was scared that everything would return to the way they had interacted before Miranda, fights and stinging barbs. She tried her best not to let tears form in her eyes, but she could not. Mal noticed, he reassured her by squeezing her hand.

“I just have ta make a small announcement, see, we have some downtime. Told the guy I was supposed to make a deal with today that we had a small accident and since he was late for the rendezvous, he put his conscience to peace by paying us some shiny coin and we don’t have to deliver the cargo right away. Jus’ have ta tell the others now.” with that, he left with a small smile on his face and a hop in his step.

As Mal left the infirmary, Inara turned to Simon who sat on a stool observing her chart. “Simon when can I leave the infirmary? I would feel much more comfortable in my shuttle.”

“I can move you to your shuttle, “Simon replied. “But on two conditions, first you rest as much as possible; and second you won’t do something stupid If you regress Mal will blame me.” He mocked Mal’s stern face which earned a laugh from Inara.

“Thank you Simon, I really appreciate all that you’ve done for me,” she said as Simon detached her from the machines.

“It’s my job,” he smiled. “Besides, who would comfort Kaylee when I’m an idiot around her?”

“Oh, I’m just glad you two figured things out.” Inara grinned hoping that someday, she and Mal would find the same happiness.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Mal knocked on Inara’s shuttle hatch, when he didn’t received an answer; he opened the hatch and his breath caught at the sight before him. Inara was curled up in a small ball sleeping but what astonished him was what Inara was wearing. Kaylee had lent her some tops and coveralls, but what’s more Kaylee must also have taken Inara near Serenity’s heart. Inara had drops of grease on her cheek; and with her hair pulled up in a ponytail, she couldn’t look cuter then she looked right now.

“Mal?” Simon’s voice came from behind him.

Mal jumped, almost decking Simon when he turned around. “Don’t sneak up like that on an armed man Doc.”.

“Well, I just wanted to give Inara these cortisone creams” he said, showing Mal the two cream tubes. “Now that you’re here though, I’ll just ask you to make sure she applies them on her bruises” “Um… okay doc.”

Simon went to his bunk to check on River while

Mal entered the shuttle, trying not to wake the sleeping beauty who was looking like an angel, making his arms ache to hold her. He shook her shoulders gently.

“’Nara wake up…wake up darlin’.”

Inara stirred and fluttered her eyes open.

“Hey, sleepy head.” Mal smiled, his voice was sweet and soothing and he didn’t even know he had it. Inara brought out the best in him. “Rise and shine,” he grinned handing her the creams. “Doc gave ya these for the bruising an’ all.”

They both frowned as Inara took the creams and put them on the night stand.

“Now would be a good time,” he chided gently.

“Later,” she glared.

“Listen,” he said, as if he was convincing Kaylee not to buy a whole junkyard. “If you take them meds quick-like, I got some shiny things ta tell ya.” Her eyes lit up and his heart soared. Did she have a notion of what she could do to him with her doe, chocolate eyes?

“What is that?” she said smiling like a kid at a lollypop

“Uh uh, the meds first,” he teased, giving her that grin which unbeknownst to him could change her mood in an instant.

That’s when she innocently widened those brown puddles and gave him that hurt puppy look which made his chest clench.

“All right.” he sighed “We have some downtime and there’s this fair – now take the damn meds!”

Inara raised a brow

“Uh… now? Please?

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