Inara found herself in a bar – again. Bars weren’t exactly her favorite place but sometimes one could even get relaxed in these places. The air was heavy with smoke and the air smelled of alcohol and beer. Men were talking or betting money on a card game and some were playing billiards. Laughing when winning, cursing when loosing.

Inara didn’t even know how Mal managed to drag her to another one of these crappy bars trying not to focus on how this man was capable of getting into her skin. Every thing is too complicated 2 months since Miranda. Inara took a sip of her drink. Perhaps she should give everyone and everything some time to heal from all the pain they’ve been through, especially Zoe. But her relationship with Mal was getting better. They had avoided bickering for a while. He had even made her smile. She thought, watching the twirling liquid in her glass.

“Inara Serra?” asked a haunting, thick voice from behind her.

“Dalton Joan?” she managed. He looked so the same and yet so different. He was much taller than when she last saw him as a twelve-year- old boy and quite handsome, though in Inara’s opinion, not as handsome as Mal. Dalton’s blond hair cut in the latest fashion, attractive over all. Inara couldn’t believe her neighbor would change like this.

“How are you? Long time, no see!” He laughed as he hugged her.

Yep! This was Dalton Joan, the boy down the street who used to play hide and seek with her and push her on the swing as their mothers talked in the park. He was one of her closest friends until she took off to be a companion, she loved him like a brother she never had. At school he used to lure her into a prank and never let anyone pull her pigtails.

“I’m fine,” Inara set her drink on the table in front of her and looked into the man’s weathered eyes. “I haven’t seen you in years! How are you fairing? Still doing business?”

“Definitely, I wouldn’t dream of leaving the ‘Joan’s’. It’s stressful but life is good right now.” He said smiling, his green eyes ogling. “And how’