Disclaimer: This story is in no way meant to infringe on the rights of Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy, or 20th Century Fox. Just wanted to have a bit of fun with these characters is all. Please don’t sue me.

Thanks for reading. Feedback is always welcome. Cool with me if you want to archive this; just lemme know where.

The lyrics to Jayne’s song are from “I Love This Bar” by Toby Keith. They’re his property, not mine.

I want to thank everyone for their positive feedback. Special thanks to Kispexi2 and ScrewtheAlliance, whose talent I find inspiring.

Rated PG-13 for violence and implied sexual content. This story takes place after the events of my own fic “Point of No Return,” which in turn takes places weeks after “Objects in Space.” I won’t waste your time with tedious exposition, but you’re more than welcome to check out PoNR if you’re so inclined. To summarize – our BDHs have spent more than two weeks docked at the port of Rochelle for repairs, and Inara has left Serenity for good. Or so it seems.

Enough chit-chat. On with the story.

“Heart & Soul, Part 1”

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“You are a companion.”

“Yes.”

“And you were based for years on Sihnon. It’s only been in the last year that you’ve been shipping out with the crew of the Serenity?”

“It’s just Serenity. And that’s correct. In a few weeks it will be a year.” She paused.

“Why is this important?”

“I’m just trying to put the pieces together,” said Harken. “It’s a…curiosity; a woman of stature such as yourself falling in with…these types.”

The officer didn’t notice the lady’s jaw tighten.

“Not in the least,” came her response. “It’s a mutually beneficial business arrangement. I rent the shuttle from Captain Reynolds, which allows me to expand my client base. And the captain finds having a companion on board opens certain doors that might otherwise be closed to him.”

“You knew the captain before you entered into this arrangement?”

“No.”

Harken stared at her a moment. Her credentials were sterling; there was no reason to