Serenity's crew limped back to the ship.

“I didn’t think ya deserved it.” Kaylee noted quietly as she cradled her sore ribs, commenting on Mal’s sore punch inflicted face. She was walking close to a limping Simon, who was carrying an unconscious, bruised River. They were all roughened up, and quite addled by the defeat. No one could wrap around what had just happened; from River’s inability to pick up even an after thought, to the Rising Sun’s pirate crew, to everything they had heard Mal yell; they were all stunned.

Boston, who had been hiding in the infirmary, yaowled and galloped over to see River.

“In case you was deaf, Lil’ Kaylee,” Jayne locked the airlock door with a mighty twist of his arms “Mal lost his shit back there.”

“I did not.” Mal growled, though obviously guilty of bizarre behavior no one could decipher. No one except Zoe, who was indisposed of in a serious way. He looked around, pausing, and becoming very worried. Turning back with furrowed brows and well worn criticism, he stared at Inara. “You got out and you didn’t find Meilin?!”

Inara glowered, offended as she ascended the staircase with as much grace as her sore body could muster. “Your faith in me is astounding, really.” Her dark eyes narrowed into further slits, partially out of the anger of his comment, partially because he still wasn’t over someone and though companions were to be indifferent to such things, she believed they had a contemporary family unit already. A family unit that might not mean much to him in the face of an old flame. “I got out and found Meilin and hid her on my shuttle. What kind of mother do you think I am?”

“Oh.” Mal, blank faced, watched her from the rear view as she passed him on the stairs and headed to her shuttle. Jogging up the stairs, having to catch himself as the Rising Sun disengaged from Serenity with an obnoxious lurch, he peered in to see Inara kneeling. She took a panel out of the floor, and extract a basket. Meilin screamed furiously Inara took her out of the basket and held