Set six months after the BDM, with standard pairings: Simon and Kaylee, Mal and Inara angst.

If you haven’t read from the start, I would recommend going back to chapter 1 - http://www.fireflyfans.net/bluesun.aspx?bid=19146

Of course - Its Joss’s world and his characters, but I sure enjoy playing with them.

I need to give many rounds of thanks to Mal4prez for the wonderful beta type advice.

My thanks to all the folks who took the time to leave me comments. Even the ones that call me on weak points in the story make me feel all warm and fuzzy.

Be forewarned, when I was reading this chapter to my kids I had to censer a vast majority of it, of course my kids are fairly young. In other words it’s rated R+ people.

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Snowball Chapter 8

Mal winced as the blue clad oaf standing next to him bumped into his sore shoulder yet again. Unfortunately, this time Inara noticed.

She leaned her head towards him to whisper into his ear, “Are you ok?”

“Be fine, once I’m no longer packed into a sardine can and flying through the air over a snow covered mountain.”

“We didn’t have to do this. Zoë sounded like she was already planning on…”

Mal interrupted, her agitated whispers were beginning to get too loud. “Yes, we did, Zoë was already on the ship and we were practically in line to get on this flying anchovy tin. ‘Sides while you were standing there yakking with Zoë, I heard that pretty boy braggin’ about how fun it is to con transport captains. I’d have insisted on coming for this ride, whether or not Jayne was accounted for.”

Inara gave him an inquiring look, and he gently nodded his head towards the two men seated below them.

Mal listened to the various conversations around him as he watched the ski slopes go by underneath the car. Shadows were beginning to grow across the hillsides, as he suspected they did every day towards the middle of the afternoon. Skiers dressed in every color on the ‘verse made their way down the slopes; their gentle S curves mesmerizing.

The