A/N: This one's a bit shorter, but I had to end it on a good cliffhanger ... I would describe this chapter as fluff with a healthy dollop of angst - enjoy!

Thanks once again to Leiasky for keeping me honest. And to all the readers and especially reviewers who take the time to leave feedback. Your comments are enough to make me smile.

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Best Intentions, ch. 13

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Inara, Mal and River made it back to their apartment in silence, the three of them tired and drained from the stress of being awoken in the middle of the night. Once inside, River drifted towards the guest room almost immediately, more than happy to go back to sleep. Turning to watch the couple as they moved in the direction of their room, she said quietly, “Remember, be honest.”

Sharing a confused look, both Mal and Inara smiled at her as Mal murmured, “G’night lil’ one.”

“Good night,” she sighed, her voice growing fainter as she left the room and fell again into her nice, comfy bed, asleep within moments of her head hitting the pillow.

On the other side of the apartment, Mal and Inara had a much more difficult time relaxing enough to drift off. Inara had sensed Mal’s foul mood the minute Kaylee had announced her engagement to Simon and it puzzled her. Sure, Mal had had some difficulty with Simon and Kaylee when they had first gotten involved, but over the past six months, Inara had thought he’d learned to live with it; thought he’d been able to look past his own insecurities and notice how truly happy Kaylee, and for that matter Simon, was. But it seemed as if that maturity had just been a façade.

As he flopped about and sighed heavily several times, Inara, with an eye roll, rolled onto her side facing him, propping her head up on one hand. Staring at him, it took him a full minute to turn to face her. “Yes?” he asked quietly, his voice tinged with annoyance.

“Is there a problem?” she asked, allowing her tone to match his.

Sighing, he rubbed a hand over his eyes and muttered, “No.”

Inar