Mal knocked softly on the door to Inara's shuttle. Receiving no response, he pushed open the door. "Inara?"

"Get out!" Mal located the source of the fierce order huddled on the luxurious bed. She was turned away and refused to look at him. Mal stood, puzzled, until he saw the telltale shake of her shoulders.

Mal approached slowly and cupped his hand under her chin, turning her head gently in his direction. Inara glared at him, her eyes red and moist with tears and a look of total misery on her face.

"Well now," he said softly, caressing her face ever so briefly, returning her soft touch from the arena. "So...it turns out you are human."

The simple gesture hit Inara too hard for her to be able to contain her tears. "I told you to get out!" she replied fiercely. "I didn't want you to see me like this," she choked.

"Well, I never wanted you to see me all mussed up and tied town to a table, either." He met her eyes, a hint of a playful sparkle in his. "Not very dignified, ya know."

"Mal! Do you know the definition of not funny ?

"Me?"

"Precisely."

The two glared at each other softly for a minute until Mal spoke again. "Came to thank you." He felt his legs giving out underneath him and turned to leave, but it was too late. He staggered and fell to his knees.

"Mal!" Inara gasped. She ran over and knelt beside him. "Are you all right?"

"If you define 'all right' as 'not fixin' to die,' I'm shiny," said Mal, and Inara carefully helped him to his feet, shaken by the pain and weakness he was trying so hard to hide. She started to turn him towards the bed, and he stopped abruptly. "I don't got the energy to stick around an' fight, so I'd best be takin' my leave."

"Please sit," she said, the tears forming in her eyes again. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to hurt you." He felt her slender frame shake as she fought back a sob, and he let her support his uneasy steps back to the bed and sat at her side.

Inara took a deep breath. "Mal, I saw you in that arena. Tha