Reviews are much appreciated as always, I hope you are enjoying my little ficlet here, and let me know if it gets too weird at any point. Thanks guys!

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Malcom Reynolds was not having his best day ever.

The job had gone south, as they always seemed to these days. He'd give Jayne's best gun just to have one, just one, go their way. Only problem this time was that Inara had insisted on coming along. Shootin' had started, and for the first time his first thought hadn't been for his own pigu, but to protect her. Gorram woman. Hadn't he taken a bullet for her? It was all a bit fuzzy. It'd been instinct, and something told him he'd do it again in a heartbeat. Gorram woman.

He opened his eyes and saw 'Nara crying buckets over his still form on the infirmary bed. Wait, how could he see himself? He wasn't-

"You're not dead." Mal spun around and nearly jumped out of his skin when he saw who spoke.

"Tracey?" He blinked. "What in the sphicter of hell is going on here?"

"Welcome to limbo." Tracey gestured widely with a grin. "Ain't it grand?"

"Limbo, huh. Didn't I shoot you awhile back?" Mal absently scratched the scar behind his right ear. "Doc's apparently got me too doped up."

"You're not drugged," came the correction from the teen perched on the counter. "You're just...stuck."

"Stuck?"

He never heard the answer as what felt like a heavy electrical shock coursed through his body. He wrenched open his eyes (his real eyes this time!) and found Inara kissing him. Deciding to go with it, he closed his eyes again and kissed her back. Suddenly she jerked away, and he cursed to himself for pushing too hard.

"Better not be takin' advantage of me." he coughed.

"Mal-"

"S'not fair to be taking advantage of a man while he's unconcious." Mal joked, squeezing her hand, so small and perfect in his.

"Please. It's not like it hasn't happened before." Confused and hurt at the pain in her voice, he opened his eyes and stared into hers, searching for an answer