Mal approached Zoe on the bridge. It’d been a while since their last job, and while Mal was loath to admit it, Serenity was in need of some serious remodifications if it were to remain an effective smuggling vehicle in any capacity. So, here they were. On the raggedy edge.

“We got us a job?”

“Yes sir, we’re on course for Persephone.”

“Good. Let me know when we’re nearing atmo.”

“Yes sir. Oh, and Inara wanted to see you, sir. Said it was important.”

“She say what about?”

“No, just that you should come to see her when you had a minute.”

Mal grunted and trudged off down through the ship to Inara’s shuttle. They’d been taking baby steps since the whole Miranda episode, and at this point, any unusual requests were grounds for immediate suspicion. With more than a little apprehension, he opened the door to her shuttle.

“Yes, m’lady, what can I-” he stopped dead in his tracks.

Inara was standing in the center of her shuttle in a sheer gown that left very little to the imagination.

“Hello Malcolm.” she intoned huskily. The robe pooled at the floor around her.

The last thing Mal remembered was that she’d used his whole name. His nose made a loud crack against the floor of her shuttle.

A hastily constructed excuse and a pack of ice later, Mal was sitting with Simon in the infirmary.

“So let’s go over this again. How did it come to pass that Malcolm Reynolds, who has been stabbed and beaten within an inch of his life without batting an eye, faints and breaks his nose while climbing down the ladder to his bunk?”

Mal snorted, “Laugh it up doc, I got no idea. Ain’t you the doctor anyhow? Why don’t you tell me what happened?”

Simon adopted his best, most doctor-esque stare.

“Well Captain, looking at the facts, I’d have to say that this is a simple case of overexertion. Seems that you haven’t fully recovered from your last beating and stabbing. Perhaps you should take it easy for a while, maybe sit the next job out.”

Mal blanched, “I think you may be mi