+++

"Hey, wait a ruttin’ minute!" Malcolm Reynolds’ hand landed on her shoulder and spun her around.

Inara shrugged the hand away, her eyes flashing. "I think I’ve done enough waiting." An instant later the cool control was back, like the glassy surface of a lake, swallowing the stone and spreading the ripples. "Captain Reynolds, if I didn’t know better I’d say you’re intentionally stalling me."

"No, I know you’re a busy young lady. Stuff to-" His eyes wandered. "Do." A swallow, and he continued. "Just wanna make sure you know the plan’s all."

"Oh, is that so?" she answered sarcastically. "What I know is that I’m supposed to meet you here tomorrow. I also know that in the meantime this ‘plan’ of yours is probably going to get you killed-" Mal looked away, exasperated, but Inara caught his gaze again, moving closer. "along with who knows who else."

Inara waited, her eyes searching, pleading, but he dodged them.

"We got mouths to feed here," Mal said to the wall. "That means we gotta work."

A little of the coolness slipped away again, and she moved close enough to be heard with a whisper. "Mal, this is insane. You know that, right?"

His eyes now braved her shoes. "It’s just business."

"Business that doesn’t concern me, I suppose," she said, her breath touching his cheek.

"No more than yours concerns me." The captain turned his back now, the last of his nerve failing, and he deeply involved himself in doing nothing.

A few seconds later, Inara’s cool voice came over his shoulder. "Then I guess I’ll see you tomorrow."

"We’ll be waiting," Mal said. And he walked away without looking back.

---

"I think we might be in trouble," Wash said, frantically flipping switches. He checked a panel to his right, and his brow knotted. "Yeah, we’re definitely in trouble." Wash snatched up the radio, and his voice rang through the ship. "Mal, you might wanna get up here."

A few seconds later the captain appeared in the doorway to find the pilot leaning back in his chair with his arms folded