“There.” Inara let Kaylee's hair fall and picked an intricately-framed hand-held mirror off the table. “How does that look?” she asked, holding it behind Kaylee's head. Kaylee looked into the standing mirror before her. “Ooh, how elaborate!” she said. “Do you think Simon will like it?” “I think Simon would like you in a space suit, covered in engine grease, after you hadn't bathed for sixteen days,” Inara replied. “But yes, I think he'll find you particularly attractive now.” “Thanks!” said Kaylee, standing up. “Is there anything I can help you with?” Inara shook her head. “I don't think you could help, at this point.” “What is—oh,” Kaylee said, getting to her feet. “You never know. Especially with this crew. But you've got to go out and get what you want, if you really want it. That's what Dad always said.” “Thanks, Kaylee,” Inara said, “But I'm not sure anything can help at this point.” “You're not thinking of going back to Sihnon, are you?” Kaylee asked. “If I went back, it would be forever,” Inara said sadly. “That is, if the Guild would even take me again. They're strict about these things, and running with outlaws is not something they approve of.” “I'm sure you'd land on your feet wherever you went,” Kaylee said. “But I wish you'd stay here.” A knock came on the shuttle door. “Come in!” Inara called. The door slid open and River entered the shuttle. She'd exchanged the red dress for her gold-colored robe, and was running a comb through her still-damp hair. “Hi...” she asked nervously. “Hi!” said Kaylee. She cast a look at Inara, then added, “I probably should see how Simon is doing. Thanks for the help with the hair!” She brushed past River and ducked out of the shuttle. River nervously stepped further in. “Inara...I was wondering...if you could help me with something.” “What is it?” Inara asked evenly. “Well...” River began. “You're a Companion and all...you know about these things...” Inara looked stricken, her eyebrows arched in surprise. River looked back, then paled as well as her face dawned in comprehension. “No,” she mouthed. “Gao yang jong duh goo yang. I didn't know.” River collapsed onto the carpeted floor of the shuttle. Inara stood for a moment, conflict playing across her face. Then she knelt by River's side. “It's all right,” she said, taking her hand. “Come sit on the couch.” “It's not all right!” River said back. “It's more complicated...now I know what he meant. Oh, I should have seen it, I blinded myself...” Inara pulled her to her feet. “Ee-chee shung-hoo-shee, nyen ching-du,” she said, sitting her down on the couch. “Oh, juh jen sh guh kwai luh duh jean-jan,” she sighed, sitting beside her. River sat, head in her hands. “I knew this. I did. I made myself forget.” “Nee boo go-guh, biao-tze,” Inara whispered to herself. River whimpered. “Run-tse duh fu-tzu,” Inara said louder. “I didn't mean that. He doesn't deserve you. He can gun hoe-tze bee dio-se. No, I don't mean that either.” “What should I do?” River asked, not looking up. “I was only trying to make him—and me—happy.” Inara rested a hand on River's shaking shoulder. “It's my fault. Kaylee was right—anything you want, you have to go and get, or you can't complain when you don't get it. Nobody deserves any of this.” Gently she lifted River up until she was sitting straight, and looked her in the eye. “River...do you really love him?” she asked. “I...I don't know,” River said. “I don't have enough information to tell you the answer. What is love?” She paused, looking back at Inara's pained face. “I know I love Simon,” she began logically, “And I know he loves me. I would do anything to protect him. I would give up my whole life, like he did. Is that the same love that you are asking about?” Inara did not respond, and River pressed on. “I feel...I feel like I understand Mal. Even when I really don't. But when I'm with him, when I'm thinking about him, or thinking his thoughts, it's like I'm not myself...I'm both him and me at once...does that make any sense? Two nights ago, on the bridge...we were looking at the stars together, and I understood, I understood what he's been fighting for, why he does what he does...I can tell what people are thinking, and see their memories, but I usually can't understand them like that. And Mal's...I like what I see when I look into him, a lot. I really do. I want to make things right, so he doesn't have to run and hide and fight all the time, so he has a place...a person, that's home for him. I...I want to be that person. I think I'd be good at it. I really want to be good at something...something like that.” Inara's face had softened through River's speech. “I should have expected you'd answer me like that,” she said. “Sometimes I forget you're only seventeen.” She sighed deeply. “I don't know if I've given up my life for Mal...or even if I've given it up at all. Sometimes this life...sometimes I prefer it to Sihnon. Then there are days when I wake up missing the temple, and my friends there...” She looked closely at River, who was watching her expectantly. “No. You wouldn't make a good Companion. That's not a knock against you, you just don't have the temperament.” “How did you--” “A Companion is not without some resources for discerning internal thoughts,” Inara said. “I didn't have to read your mind to know what you were thinking.” “Do—do you love him?” River asked. “In between hating his guts, very probably,” Inara replied. “When he's cut, I bleed, that's for certain.” After a moment, she added “Don't cut him.” “You should tell him,” River said. “If you're going to be home for him.” “I've been waiting for him to see it for himself,” said Inara. “You know he never will.” “Does he love you?” Inara asked River. River nodded slightly. “I've been too scared to really find out. I know he finds me attractive--” “River, there isn't a man in the 'verse who wouldn't trip over himself looking at you,” Inara interjected. “--But he wouldn't sleep with me,” River finished. Inara's eyebrows rose in surprise. “He said I should be sure I wanted to, and that he wouldn't take advantage.” “He really can be a gentleman sometimes,” Inara said. “I may have to die of shock after all.” After a moment, she added “Do you want to?” “I'm scared I don't...what that would mean for how I've been acting,” River said. Inara rose. “We're going to have to have a talk with Mal.” “Now?” “Better late than never,” Inara said, picking up a shawl and stepping toward the door.

Mal finished pouring himself a cup of coffee and sat at the dining room table. He shook his head to clear the fog, and muttered, “Work. Got to find work. That's what we need.” “A job would be nice,” Kaylee said cheerfully, skipping into the kitchen. “Any more coffee?” Mal looked up. “You're already happy enough this morning.” “You can never have too much happiness,” Kaylee replied, beginning to brew herself another cup. “Try it sometime,” Mal said. “Speaking of which, can you tell me why everyone is mad at me? I mean, besides the obvious.” Kaylee laughed. “Cap'n, you are so blind it's a wonder you can climb out of your cabin.” “I don't know what you're talking about,” Mal said. “I'm just trying to avoid Shepherd Book's special hell.” “So did you two...” Kaylee asked. “No. She kept saying 'you want to, you want to',” Mal said with a sigh. “I don't want her just because I want her, I'd want her because she wanted me. That didn't make any sense, did it?” Kaylee nodded. “Have the rest of your coffee and try again. I just thought I'd let you know, she just went in to see Inara.” “What?” Mal exclaimed, sending a fine mist of coffee spraying across the table. “We women do like to compare notes,” Kaylee said mischievously. “Inara doesn't have any notes on me!” Mal said. “Not that kind.” Kaylee laughed. “Oh, Cap'n, you are an open book. Good reading, though.” “What? Never mind,” Mal said. “How are you and Simon?” “Shiny,” Kaylee said dreamily. “I just wish it hadn't taken a certain-death experience to make him wake up and smell the Kaylee.” “This may be a really odd question,” Mal said, “but do you usually sleep in your cabin or Simon's?” “Ooh, the Captain's a voyeur,” Kaylee laughed. “Simon's, it's bigger and nearer to the infirmary and the engine room. Why'd you want to know?” “Just something River said.” “Ooh, what?” Kaylee asked. The door from the cockpit corridor opened, and Simon entered, saying “Morning, Kayls, Morning Captain. Sorry about yesterday. I just thought you ought to know, there's an escape pod approaching our orbit 'round this asteroid. I was just in the bridge checking it out.” Mal got to his feet. “Escape pod? But no ship?” “None that I found.” Mal set down his coffee and strode through the door toward the bridge. Indeed, there was a small blip on the radar. He sank into the pilot's chair, moving Wash's dinosaurs aside, and peered at the blip as it steadily fell toward the asteroid. “I hear we have a visitor,” Zoe said appearing in the doorway. “Not a visitor, really,” Mal said. “A fellow guest around this asteroid. An escape pod.” “There you are!” Inara said, coming up behind Zoe. “Can we talk?” “Better than you slapping me,” Mal said. “We've got company of some kind, though. An escape pod...no ship, though, seems like.” “It's trouble,” River said, slipping between Inara and Zoe and entering the bridge. “Trouble?” Mal turned. “Trouble like on Persephone, that we should avoid at all costs?” “Trouble that's already here,” River said. The com rang. Mal turned it on. Staring back at him on the screen was a familiar face, round, smooth, with strong cheekbones, a thin nose, and wide eyes, fringed with short red hair. “Hello, Malcolm Reynolds,” she said. “Hello, Yo-saf-bridge,” he replied.

“As you can see, I'm in a bit of trouble again,” Saffron said. “But I think it will be worth your while to hear me out, and possibly even to save me from a hard landing.” “Can we let her die this time?” Zoe asked. “Please!” Saffron said. “It will be worth a lot of money to you. There's a ship—the ship I was on—we found treasure, an Alliance ship that had crashed on one of these asteroids during the war. It was carrying coin, the payroll for a garrison on one of the outer moons. We took the coin, but my partners didn't want to share.” “Why am I not surprised?” Mal asked. “They tried to kill me, but I got into an escape pod and blasted off. I hoped to run into someone who'd be kind enough to pick me up. I know where they're going with the coin.” She spread her arms. “You've beaten me twice. I know you can take them. Let me on board and I'll tell you where to find them. I'm not even asking for a cut of the take, just pick me up!” Mal engaged the ship's engines. “You're not going to go pick her up, are you?” Zoe said. “We need the money,” Mal replied. “And it looks like the Inner Worlds are closed to us permanently.” “Mal, she's tried to kill us all twice!” Zoe protested. “And we lived both times,” he shot back. “I don't feel like risking a third time.” “You're not the Captain. I am.” Zoe threw up her hands. “Da-shiong bao-jah-shr duh la doo-tze fall on your head in your sleep!” “Zoe, you've known me for eleven years--” “And I want to continue knowing you for another eleven, which I won't if that biao-tze steers us into a gorram star!” “We'll lock her in a passenger cabin and have Jayne sit on her,” Mal said. “Heard my name?” said Jayne, ducking onto the bridge. “Oh, it's her. Can I shoot her instead?” “No, we won't be shooting her,” Mal said. “Instead, we'll be listening to her fong luh story about a ship full of Alliance coin,” Zoe added. “Dozens in platinum, and more in gold,” Saffron added. “Hey, that doesn't sound half bad!” Jayne said. Inara approached the com screen. “What do we call you this time?” she asked. “Saffron is fine. Or Yo-saf-bridge,” Saffron added to Mal. “Jien hwo?” Zoe put in. “That would do fine,” said Saffron. Zoe turned to Mal. “She's got to be playing us, or she'd have objected to that one.” “Well, we'll just play her better,” Mal shot back. “River, what do you think?” “If she tries anything, I'll separate her into several pieces,” River said, “And put each of those pieces on a different moon.” “There,” Mal said. “Aren't you all reassured? We're coming up on her pod, I need a couple people in suits to get her in the air lock. Jayne, Zoe...don't let her out of the pod 'til I get down there.” “Got it,” Jayne said. “It's a gos se idea,” Zoe said, “But whatever you say.”

Serenity steadily overtook the pod. “Got the doors open?” Mal commed down to Zoe and Jayne. “Wide open,” Zoe called back up. “In we go,” Mal said, scooping the pod into the cargo airlock and then pulling up back into a stable orbit. “Let's go down and see what we've caught.”