It hadn’t seemed too long ago that Jayne had finished filling in Book and Inara about all that had taken place since their absence from Serenity. What with the whole crew getting kidnapped by a bunch of hwoo dahns who seemed a mite too interested in getting their grubby paws on the Doc and River, and how they was all being held captured by God only knew who in that forsaken prison.

Book and Inara both set back and listened as Jayne brought the very recent past crashing full speed ahead toward the here and now. Both the preacher and the companion where brought to attention by Jayne’s harsh and vivid imagery of how the crew had been taken off Serenity, but neither Book nor Inara fractured the calm expressions they wore at his insensitive words. But deep down inside, past the façade of an emotionless masquerade, a raging sea shook vigorously at the core of their souls.

The preacher was the first to show any sign of comprehension as he shifted restively and arched his hands down in front of himself folding them together in silent prayer. It was natural to see the preacher praying, hell it was more unnatural to see him not, and so it surprised Jayne a might to see the disturbing look on Book’s face as he knelt his head down to call upon the Lord. What the hell could the preacher be praying about that it made him look like he’d just taken out 100 armed men by his ownself. But that wasn’t the eerie-ass part, the fact that Book in that one moment reminded Jayne of Mal is what made him look a little harder at the preacher. What was it? Maybe it was that sense of old ghosts walking right beside you when they ought to be dead and buried.

Jayne finally managed to pry his eyes off the contemplating Book and it was then that he took notice of Inara. Jayne was still talking and it was not until he mentioned how it would be safe to assume that the Captain was probably the cause of this mess because it was just the type of luck Mal had, that he regretted his words. Sure the man had enough friends