I confess, I messed up

dropping "I'm sorry" like you're still around

Kaylee sat on the crates, watching as Mal seemed to hover around the shuttle where Inara used to be. He did it about every other week or so. She pretty much was out of range to Mal anyway. Whenever he did that, he was oblivious to everything else. And when he did notice, he’d just yell for them to get back to work.

“Is he brooding again?”

Kaylee looked over at Zoe and nodded. “Yeah...it’s like he blames himself for Inara leaving. Which it probably is, but I never say it out loud around him.”

“Hey, what are you two doing down there?”

Both women looked up at Mal leaning over the railing. Zoe, keeping a straight face, answered, “Just talkin’, sir.”

“Yeah...well...stop talkin’ and get back to work!”

“Yes, sir,” said Zoe as Kaylee got down from the crates and Mal disappeared towards the cockpit.

And you're just the girl all the boys want to dance with

And I'm just the boy who's had too many chances

Inara looked out over the water of the training house as the sun started to set. A few of the girls walked by, whispering and giggling to each other. Inara sighed. The whispers and giggles seemed to increase since Inara first arrived. Probably spreading rumors and telling stories about her reputation. Little fantasies of the rich men she had been with and story book tales of her with rogue, passionate men. She only laughed. She remembered doing the same thing when she was training to be a companion.

It did make her wonder though. Could it have worked out with him? Would they ever have something? Anything.

Inara let out another sigh. “Who am I kidding?”

I don't blame you for being you

But you can't blame me for hating it

Mal sat in his room, watching Kaylee’s capture again. Why he punished himself like this, he wasn’t sure. It pained him to watch her pack, but it hurt him even more to watch her move and listen to her talk. Especially when she said, “The captain doesn’t know what he wants.”