Risk, Part 3
Disclaimers and other important info with Part 1.
It's turning into one of those days for Mal...
No archiving, please. The usual disclaimers apply.
Why can't it ever go smooth?
******
"Risk" Part 3
by HawkMoth
******
Mal turned to take the gangway down below, secure in the knowledge that she would find plenty of useful things to do throughout the day. It would be nice if he could say the same about himself.
******
His resolve to appear dutiful didn't even last an hour. No matter where he went on the ship, his feet itched to take him mid-deck. No matter who he talked to, for perfectly legitmate and important reasons, he wished he was talking to someone else. A very particular someone.
Serenity needs her captain.
Inara had been willing to let him go with those words, and he'd been confounded by how hard it was to leave her. Now he was even more shaken by how badly he wanted to be with her, for nothing more than the pleasure of seeing her face and hearing her voice.
Love could make a person crazy. Mal had seen it with Zoe and Wash; and he suspected he'd soon be seeing the same pattern with Kaylee and Simon. Love complicated things, it could make you vulnerable and weak. Yet he knew, somewhere deep down inside, that love could make you strong. It was like anything else in life--a matter of compromise and balance. Struggle and sacrifice. Doing your best and dealing with the worst. All the stuff that could drive you out of your mind.
Hell--he was already crazy, wasn't he? Zoe had been saying it for years, and she knew him better than anyone. If he was going to be crazy in love, wasn't he entitled to enjoy it? He wouldn't be in such a state once the newness wore off, and they found the right time and the right way to reveal their secret to the rest of the crew.
Serenity was flying smoothly. Everybody else had their own business to attend to or a way to pass the time. And even if they all believed that he and Inara were on the outs, no one would think twice about him paying her a visit.
However, his brain wasn't so addled that he didn't choose his moment carefully. He wandered down the foredeck stairs and crossed the catwalk nonchalantly as if he were headed somewhere else. Only when he had determined no one was hanging out in the cargo bay did he veer off in the direction of Shuttle One.
The outer hatch stood half-open, just the way he had left it earlier. Usually during the "day" when they were flying, the inner door would be partly open as well. But it was closed up tight now and Mal wasn't sure what to make of that. Inara hadn't been mixing with the crew much lately, so considering their current circumstances, maybe she was figuring it was best to keep that distance.
It seemed he had more of a right than ever to just walk in, but by the same lights it might be more important to show some courtesy and respect. So he compromised, lifting one hand to rap lightly on the door while pushing on the latch with the other.
The door was locked. That didn't bode well.
Mal knocked again, a little more strongly, and heard Inara call, "Who is it?"
Huh. That was odd, too. Usually she just invited a person in. "It's--me," he answered, feeling strange saying it.
He heard the lock disengaging and then the door slid open. Inara smiled at him in delight, grabbed his hand and pulled him safely inside before throwing her arms around him.
"Oh, I didn't think you'd be back so soon! Is everything all right? I mean, do you think anyone--"
"Whoa, settle down, darlin'. Everything's fine." She was a warm, soft armful and he hugged her back, grateful that she sounded as crazed as he'd been feeling. "I'm just doing my job," he teased, "checking up on my favorite tenant."
"Your only tenant," she retorted, poking him in the ribs. "Soon-to-be former tenant at that."
He started to laugh, but it died in his throat as he looked over her shoulder at the shuttle's interior. "Inara, what the--"
The place was lit up brighter than Simon's infirmary during surgery. It was messier than the engine room when Kaylee was on a refit rampage. Every pretty outfit he'd ever seen her in was laid out across the bed and the divan. Chests and small trunks stood open everywhere else with various pieces of fine frippery spilling out of them. He'd never seen the shuttle in such a state of disarray, not even when she had moved in. Now it looked like she was ready to move out.
And she looked like--he had never seen her looking less like a Companion, or a lady of means. Her hair was tied back by a plain piece of ribbon, with little tendrils hanging untidily around her face. She was wearing a simple, sleeveless top that did nothing to show off her charms, and a pair of loose trousers cut off below the knee. Her feet were bare, her face was smudged, and not a single piece of jewelry glittered anywhere on her.
She didn't look any less beautiful, but the change nearly took his breath away--in a manner that knocked him back more than a bit.
"What the hell are you doing?" he demanded, heart pounding as he stared at her.
"Mal--" She took a step back and gently patted his arm. "Xin gan, don't look like that."
"Like what?"
"Like--like you're panicking," she said hesitantly.
He put a hand to his head. "I am not panicking! I just didn't expect--" Taking a deep breath, he tried to smile at her. "Just tell me what's going on."
"Of course." She took his hand and led him to the bed, quickly moving aside a few dresses and sitting him down. "I'm trying to--" She frowned, then waved a hand helplessly, taking in the clutter. "Look at all this, Mal. Everything a Companion needs, and it's all I have to show for my life. All I'm worth."
As often as he'd felt and expressed contempt for the rich trappings of her life, Mal didn't care to hear her belittle herself. "Inara, that ain't true--"
"It's true enough," she cut him off. "I've spent the morning taking stock. I could tell you exactly when and where I acquired all these things. Whether I bought them myself or if they were bought for me. How much they're worth, and how I've always thought I couldn't live without them."
"And what are you thinking now?" Mal asked quietly. She'd already told him she had no regrets about the momentous change between them, but had enough time passed for some second thoughts?
"That I'll have to learn to live a little more simply," she answered with a pensive sigh, looking around at it all. "I just have to decide what I can really live without..."
He could could hear the determination in her voice, but a whole lot of trepidation too. There was going to be more sacrifice on her part than his in this deal, and it was pleasing to realize just how quickly and bravely she was facing up to it. But then, he'd never had much doubt as to how strong she could be at making up her mind.
"Hey--" He reached out and gently pulled her down onto his lap. She sat there primly, biting her lip in nervousness. "I didn't ever expect you to give up everything all at once, you know. 'Sides, wouldn't be the same if we didn't have you prettying up the ship and giving us a little class."
That made her smile, and she put an arm around him and rested her forehead against his. "Yes," she said, "your standards are rather high."
"Yup, that's me--the most respectable, high-class petty thief in the 'verse. Just so long as you comprehend what you're signing on for."
Inara snuggled a little closer. "I think I have a fairly good idea," she said, brushing her lips lightly across his.
The brief contact set his heart to thumping again, but he resisted the temptation to let it go anywhere. She didn't seem inclined to carry on either, so he was content to simply hold her. "So, what are you gonna do with the stuff you can bear to part with?"
She reached over and picked up a silky scarf from the edge of the bed. "There are a few things I'd like to give Kaylee and River. They deserve to have some pretties to brighten up their life. And I may have some for Zoe, that Wash might appreciate, although she's beautiful no matter what she wears."
Mal tried to picture Zoe in any glamorous thing Inara owned and quickly decided Wash would appreciate it a hell of a lot. "You gonna keep that pretty gold oufit you wore on Persephone? 'Cause I wouldn't mind seeing you in that again."
"Of course," she said, smiling, and he swore she was blushing. "I'll wear it to the very first ball we get invited to."
"Well, I was thinkin' more of a private showing..."
She swatted his arm and quickly slid off his lap to her feet. "Well, not today, Captain Reynolds."
"I can wait," he answered, grinning. "What about the rest of it?"
"I'll be putting out notices on the Cortex on a few select channels," she said briskly. "In the right markets, with the right people, I can get almost full value for a lot of things. And some of it's worth quite a bit."
That seemed a tad mercenary, but it didn't much surprise him. She was a business woman after all, and he knew first-hand about her bargaining skills. It was a relief to know she'd get some financial benefit out of giving up the job. It might be a while before they found a place for her on the crew that would require recalculating percentages.
"Well, you do what you think is best," he said. "And I'd best be getting back to--"
"Wait!" she said suddenly. "Before I forget...." She went to the little cabinet by the curtained entry to the cockpit, rummaged inside, then turned back with a small leather pouch in her hand. "Here."
"What?" He couldn't quite imagine there was anything among her possessions she wanted him to have.
"The rent would have fallen due in a few more days, so you might as well have it now."
He stared at her, feeling his blood run cold. "Duibuqi? Are you offering me money?"
She frowned, taken aback by his sharp tone. "Well, yes."
Mal got slowly to his feet. "You cannot be serious, woman. I won't take that."
"Why not, for heaven's sake?" she asked, raising her chin in a defiant manner.
"'Cause it ain't right, you--paying me now," he insisted. He didn't mind her helping out in other ways. But this was just plain wrong--surely she could see that. "Not after--not with us being..."
The contents of the pouch clinked loudly as she put her hands on her hips, glaring at him. "Na mei guanxi," she countered. "It will be hard enough for Serenity to lose a steady source of income, so be glad I've got enough money to spare right now to do this."
The reasonableness of her tone irked him and he wasn't sure why. "Suppose you let me worry about ship's business," he snapped. "We got work lined up so we'll be just fine, thank you."
"I care as much about Serenity and this crew as you do," she declared, her head still held high. "I know there's never any sure guarantee a job will go well, so at least this way you'll have something to fall back on."
"That's as may be," he allowed, trying to keep his voice level. "But I reckon you ain't got a lot to spare, knowing how long it's been since you had a--" Too late, he realized he was taking the wrong tack.
Inara's cheeks turned pink and she took a step backwards. "Yes, you would know," she said with soft vehemence, "since you were responsible for keeping me away from any opportunities to work. But that didn't stop you from taking last month's rent, did it? And I know exactly how long it's been since you've made a decent profit--"
"You know damn well I got good reasons for keeping us off the radar," he cut her off, furious that this issue was erupting again, and that he couldn't rein in his own resentment. "And last month you were still--" Zao gao, he'd done it again.
"What, Mal? A whore?" she spat, eyes blazing. "That's the real reason you won't take it, isn't it? Because of how I earned it. Your arrogant, bull-headed, stupid male pride won't let you!"
"Hey--I'm not the only one here with their head stuck up their--"
She thrust the pouch out at him. "Just take it, Mal."
"The hell I will."
For a moment they stood locked in quiet, seething defiance of each other. Mal cursed himself for letting the situation get so quickly out of hand. Inara's eyes had gone as cold as ice and he could see her hands were trembling. He couldn't think of what he could say to smooth things over, and before he could even say her name, she threw her shoulders back and turned towards the door.
"Fine," she said, her voice disturbingly calm. "I'll just go find Zoe and hand this over to her. At least she'll have the sense to take it."
Tamade! He was not having that. With two rapid steps he blocked her way, and snatched the pouch out of her hand. "All right. You happy now?"
She crossed her arms and drew away from him, managing a perfectly dignified hateur despite her disheveled appearance. "Not particularly."
"Well, that makes two of us," he said. Then he turned his back on her and walked out, making sure to slide the hatch firmly shut behind him before she could get another word in.
Zhen zao gao! Mal gave a vicious kick to the railing as he went down the steps to the catwalk. The resulting clang didn't make him feel any better. Nor did the loud thump of something hitting the inside of the shuttle door that followed a heartbeat after.
He had half a mind to turn around and march back in there to straighten things out...but if he'd had half a mind, they never would have argued in the first place. His hand tightened around the pouch of money--coin, his preferred way of handling cash, and well she knew it--then he stuffed it in his back pocket, still fuming.
Accepting it felt like a wrongness. But having it was another thing altogether.
He trudged wearily down the stairs to the cargo bay, his thoughts in a muddle. He knew well enough it was his own damn fault they'd only had a couple of decent runs in the past few weeks. But there had been other reasons to be avoiding the main trade routes and truly civilized worlds apart from his mixed-up feelings about Inara. Feds, bounty hunters, revenge-seeking adversaries--all the possible threats whic made him and his crew so very special.
Maintaining a low profile and keeping everyone safe was a fine idea--until money became an issue. If good old Monty hadn't sent word about an honest job waiting to be had on Thetis, things would have started looking a mite grim. Even so, Inara had been one hundred percent correct--there were no guarantees how it would work out. It was high time to start thinking about a Plan B, despite the uneasy comfort of the ready cash resting against his rump.
He paused on the last step, looking around the still-deserted cargo bay. Considering they were between jobs, it appeared full-up. Some things were permanent fixtures: emergency gear; Jayne's work-out equipment; neat stacks of pallets; spare crates and barrels; the older, less-reliable mule broken out of storage to replace the one sacrificed on Niska's skyplex.
There was quite a jumble in the storage cages--odd-lot items they'd collected on various jobs and never gotten around to selling off. Second-hand merchandise that one or another of the crew had acquired on their own--bargains and booty they'd figured might be useful someday. Leftover junk from deals gone wrong, that even desperate folks wouldn't take in trade.
All manner of stuff was stowed away in various compartments, too, including Kaylee's vast collection of spare parts. He couldn't begrudge her any of it, although on occasion they'd had words over the money she wheedled out of him every time there was a chance to pick up thermal caps, wiring, filter units and any other widget that kept Serenity flying.
Wash had more'n a few items squirelled away as well, though Mal suspected he didn't keep track of it all as well as Kaylee did her own stash. Hell--he knew for a fact there was stuff all over the ship that he and Zoe had salvaged way back when they'd first set out to make Serenity spaceworthy again. You'd have thought she might have been stripped bare, languishing in the shipyard for as long as she'd done. Yet they'd found aging spare equipment--hull plating, furniture, kitchen stuff and more, for weeks on end, every time they discovered one of the hiding places Fireflies were famous for.
Anything useless or hazardous had been tossed along with the dirt and waste that littered the ship. Some items had been put back to good use. Others simply had been kept--cleaned up and shuffled around a bit, because Mal hadn't liked the notion of starting with everything on board fresh and new--or as new as they could afford. It just hadn't seemed right, even though he and Zoe had been embarking on a brand new life.
His thoughts came flying back abruptly to the present. Life was changing for him again, in a way he had never expected to be possible. He let his gaze wander around the cargo bay once more, before slowly turning to look back up in the direction of Inara's shuttle.
Not even half a day had passed, yet she was thinking ahead, preparing for a whole new life she most likely had never imagined, either. Taking stock, she'd said....
Well enough, Mal thought. They'd been in the woods more times than out lately, and there were no certainties of smooth sailing ahead. It was as good a time as any for a little stock taking. He knew inventory wasn't anyone's favorite chore but they were long overdue for a thorough one.
He smiled with grim satisfaction as he reversed his path and headed topside, Plan B unfolding in his head.
******
Part 4
It's turning into one of those days for Mal...
No archiving, please. The usual disclaimers apply.
Why can't it ever go smooth?
******
"Risk" Part 3
by HawkMoth
******
Mal turned to take the gangway down below, secure in the knowledge that she would find plenty of useful things to do throughout the day. It would be nice if he could say the same about himself.
******
His resolve to appear dutiful didn't even last an hour. No matter where he went on the ship, his feet itched to take him mid-deck. No matter who he talked to, for perfectly legitmate and important reasons, he wished he was talking to someone else. A very particular someone.
Serenity needs her captain.
Inara had been willing to let him go with those words, and he'd been confounded by how hard it was to leave her. Now he was even more shaken by how badly he wanted to be with her, for nothing more than the pleasure of seeing her face and hearing her voice.
Love could make a person crazy. Mal had seen it with Zoe and Wash; and he suspected he'd soon be seeing the same pattern with Kaylee and Simon. Love complicated things, it could make you vulnerable and weak. Yet he knew, somewhere deep down inside, that love could make you strong. It was like anything else in life--a matter of compromise and balance. Struggle and sacrifice. Doing your best and dealing with the worst. All the stuff that could drive you out of your mind.
Hell--he was already crazy, wasn't he? Zoe had been saying it for years, and she knew him better than anyone. If he was going to be crazy in love, wasn't he entitled to enjoy it? He wouldn't be in such a state once the newness wore off, and they found the right time and the right way to reveal their secret to the rest of the crew.
Serenity was flying smoothly. Everybody else had their own business to attend to or a way to pass the time. And even if they all believed that he and Inara were on the outs, no one would think twice about him paying her a visit.
However, his brain wasn't so addled that he didn't choose his moment carefully. He wandered down the foredeck stairs and crossed the catwalk nonchalantly as if he were headed somewhere else. Only when he had determined no one was hanging out in the cargo bay did he veer off in the direction of Shuttle One.
The outer hatch stood half-open, just the way he had left it earlier. Usually during the "day" when they were flying, the inner door would be partly open as well. But it was closed up tight now and Mal wasn't sure what to make of that. Inara hadn't been mixing with the crew much lately, so considering their current circumstances, maybe she was figuring it was best to keep that distance.
It seemed he had more of a right than ever to just walk in, but by the same lights it might be more important to show some courtesy and respect. So he compromised, lifting one hand to rap lightly on the door while pushing on the latch with the other.
The door was locked. That didn't bode well.
Mal knocked again, a little more strongly, and heard Inara call, "Who is it?"
Huh. That was odd, too. Usually she just invited a person in. "It's--me," he answered, feeling strange saying it.
He heard the lock disengaging and then the door slid open. Inara smiled at him in delight, grabbed his hand and pulled him safely inside before throwing her arms around him.
"Oh, I didn't think you'd be back so soon! Is everything all right? I mean, do you think anyone--"
"Whoa, settle down, darlin'. Everything's fine." She was a warm, soft armful and he hugged her back, grateful that she sounded as crazed as he'd been feeling. "I'm just doing my job," he teased, "checking up on my favorite tenant."
"Your only tenant," she retorted, poking him in the ribs. "Soon-to-be former tenant at that."
He started to laugh, but it died in his throat as he looked over her shoulder at the shuttle's interior. "Inara, what the--"
The place was lit up brighter than Simon's infirmary during surgery. It was messier than the engine room when Kaylee was on a refit rampage. Every pretty outfit he'd ever seen her in was laid out across the bed and the divan. Chests and small trunks stood open everywhere else with various pieces of fine frippery spilling out of them. He'd never seen the shuttle in such a state of disarray, not even when she had moved in. Now it looked like she was ready to move out.
And she looked like--he had never seen her looking less like a Companion, or a lady of means. Her hair was tied back by a plain piece of ribbon, with little tendrils hanging untidily around her face. She was wearing a simple, sleeveless top that did nothing to show off her charms, and a pair of loose trousers cut off below the knee. Her feet were bare, her face was smudged, and not a single piece of jewelry glittered anywhere on her.
She didn't look any less beautiful, but the change nearly took his breath away--in a manner that knocked him back more than a bit.
"What the hell are you doing?" he demanded, heart pounding as he stared at her.
"Mal--" She took a step back and gently patted his arm. "Xin gan, don't look like that."
"Like what?"
"Like--like you're panicking," she said hesitantly.
He put a hand to his head. "I am not panicking! I just didn't expect--" Taking a deep breath, he tried to smile at her. "Just tell me what's going on."
"Of course." She took his hand and led him to the bed, quickly moving aside a few dresses and sitting him down. "I'm trying to--" She frowned, then waved a hand helplessly, taking in the clutter. "Look at all this, Mal. Everything a Companion needs, and it's all I have to show for my life. All I'm worth."
As often as he'd felt and expressed contempt for the rich trappings of her life, Mal didn't care to hear her belittle herself. "Inara, that ain't true--"
"It's true enough," she cut him off. "I've spent the morning taking stock. I could tell you exactly when and where I acquired all these things. Whether I bought them myself or if they were bought for me. How much they're worth, and how I've always thought I couldn't live without them."
"And what are you thinking now?" Mal asked quietly. She'd already told him she had no regrets about the momentous change between them, but had enough time passed for some second thoughts?
"That I'll have to learn to live a little more simply," she answered with a pensive sigh, looking around at it all. "I just have to decide what I can really live without..."
He could could hear the determination in her voice, but a whole lot of trepidation too. There was going to be more sacrifice on her part than his in this deal, and it was pleasing to realize just how quickly and bravely she was facing up to it. But then, he'd never had much doubt as to how strong she could be at making up her mind.
"Hey--" He reached out and gently pulled her down onto his lap. She sat there primly, biting her lip in nervousness. "I didn't ever expect you to give up everything all at once, you know. 'Sides, wouldn't be the same if we didn't have you prettying up the ship and giving us a little class."
That made her smile, and she put an arm around him and rested her forehead against his. "Yes," she said, "your standards are rather high."
"Yup, that's me--the most respectable, high-class petty thief in the 'verse. Just so long as you comprehend what you're signing on for."
Inara snuggled a little closer. "I think I have a fairly good idea," she said, brushing her lips lightly across his.
The brief contact set his heart to thumping again, but he resisted the temptation to let it go anywhere. She didn't seem inclined to carry on either, so he was content to simply hold her. "So, what are you gonna do with the stuff you can bear to part with?"
She reached over and picked up a silky scarf from the edge of the bed. "There are a few things I'd like to give Kaylee and River. They deserve to have some pretties to brighten up their life. And I may have some for Zoe, that Wash might appreciate, although she's beautiful no matter what she wears."
Mal tried to picture Zoe in any glamorous thing Inara owned and quickly decided Wash would appreciate it a hell of a lot. "You gonna keep that pretty gold oufit you wore on Persephone? 'Cause I wouldn't mind seeing you in that again."
"Of course," she said, smiling, and he swore she was blushing. "I'll wear it to the very first ball we get invited to."
"Well, I was thinkin' more of a private showing..."
She swatted his arm and quickly slid off his lap to her feet. "Well, not today, Captain Reynolds."
"I can wait," he answered, grinning. "What about the rest of it?"
"I'll be putting out notices on the Cortex on a few select channels," she said briskly. "In the right markets, with the right people, I can get almost full value for a lot of things. And some of it's worth quite a bit."
That seemed a tad mercenary, but it didn't much surprise him. She was a business woman after all, and he knew first-hand about her bargaining skills. It was a relief to know she'd get some financial benefit out of giving up the job. It might be a while before they found a place for her on the crew that would require recalculating percentages.
"Well, you do what you think is best," he said. "And I'd best be getting back to--"
"Wait!" she said suddenly. "Before I forget...." She went to the little cabinet by the curtained entry to the cockpit, rummaged inside, then turned back with a small leather pouch in her hand. "Here."
"What?" He couldn't quite imagine there was anything among her possessions she wanted him to have.
"The rent would have fallen due in a few more days, so you might as well have it now."
He stared at her, feeling his blood run cold. "Duibuqi? Are you offering me money?"
She frowned, taken aback by his sharp tone. "Well, yes."
Mal got slowly to his feet. "You cannot be serious, woman. I won't take that."
"Why not, for heaven's sake?" she asked, raising her chin in a defiant manner.
"'Cause it ain't right, you--paying me now," he insisted. He didn't mind her helping out in other ways. But this was just plain wrong--surely she could see that. "Not after--not with us being..."
The contents of the pouch clinked loudly as she put her hands on her hips, glaring at him. "Na mei guanxi," she countered. "It will be hard enough for Serenity to lose a steady source of income, so be glad I've got enough money to spare right now to do this."
The reasonableness of her tone irked him and he wasn't sure why. "Suppose you let me worry about ship's business," he snapped. "We got work lined up so we'll be just fine, thank you."
"I care as much about Serenity and this crew as you do," she declared, her head still held high. "I know there's never any sure guarantee a job will go well, so at least this way you'll have something to fall back on."
"That's as may be," he allowed, trying to keep his voice level. "But I reckon you ain't got a lot to spare, knowing how long it's been since you had a--" Too late, he realized he was taking the wrong tack.
Inara's cheeks turned pink and she took a step backwards. "Yes, you would know," she said with soft vehemence, "since you were responsible for keeping me away from any opportunities to work. But that didn't stop you from taking last month's rent, did it? And I know exactly how long it's been since you've made a decent profit--"
"You know damn well I got good reasons for keeping us off the radar," he cut her off, furious that this issue was erupting again, and that he couldn't rein in his own resentment. "And last month you were still--" Zao gao, he'd done it again.
"What, Mal? A whore?" she spat, eyes blazing. "That's the real reason you won't take it, isn't it? Because of how I earned it. Your arrogant, bull-headed, stupid male pride won't let you!"
"Hey--I'm not the only one here with their head stuck up their--"
She thrust the pouch out at him. "Just take it, Mal."
"The hell I will."
For a moment they stood locked in quiet, seething defiance of each other. Mal cursed himself for letting the situation get so quickly out of hand. Inara's eyes had gone as cold as ice and he could see her hands were trembling. He couldn't think of what he could say to smooth things over, and before he could even say her name, she threw her shoulders back and turned towards the door.
"Fine," she said, her voice disturbingly calm. "I'll just go find Zoe and hand this over to her. At least she'll have the sense to take it."
Tamade! He was not having that. With two rapid steps he blocked her way, and snatched the pouch out of her hand. "All right. You happy now?"
She crossed her arms and drew away from him, managing a perfectly dignified hateur despite her disheveled appearance. "Not particularly."
"Well, that makes two of us," he said. Then he turned his back on her and walked out, making sure to slide the hatch firmly shut behind him before she could get another word in.
Zhen zao gao! Mal gave a vicious kick to the railing as he went down the steps to the catwalk. The resulting clang didn't make him feel any better. Nor did the loud thump of something hitting the inside of the shuttle door that followed a heartbeat after.
He had half a mind to turn around and march back in there to straighten things out...but if he'd had half a mind, they never would have argued in the first place. His hand tightened around the pouch of money--coin, his preferred way of handling cash, and well she knew it--then he stuffed it in his back pocket, still fuming.
Accepting it felt like a wrongness. But having it was another thing altogether.
He trudged wearily down the stairs to the cargo bay, his thoughts in a muddle. He knew well enough it was his own damn fault they'd only had a couple of decent runs in the past few weeks. But there had been other reasons to be avoiding the main trade routes and truly civilized worlds apart from his mixed-up feelings about Inara. Feds, bounty hunters, revenge-seeking adversaries--all the possible threats whic made him and his crew so very special.
Maintaining a low profile and keeping everyone safe was a fine idea--until money became an issue. If good old Monty hadn't sent word about an honest job waiting to be had on Thetis, things would have started looking a mite grim. Even so, Inara had been one hundred percent correct--there were no guarantees how it would work out. It was high time to start thinking about a Plan B, despite the uneasy comfort of the ready cash resting against his rump.
He paused on the last step, looking around the still-deserted cargo bay. Considering they were between jobs, it appeared full-up. Some things were permanent fixtures: emergency gear; Jayne's work-out equipment; neat stacks of pallets; spare crates and barrels; the older, less-reliable mule broken out of storage to replace the one sacrificed on Niska's skyplex.
There was quite a jumble in the storage cages--odd-lot items they'd collected on various jobs and never gotten around to selling off. Second-hand merchandise that one or another of the crew had acquired on their own--bargains and booty they'd figured might be useful someday. Leftover junk from deals gone wrong, that even desperate folks wouldn't take in trade.
All manner of stuff was stowed away in various compartments, too, including Kaylee's vast collection of spare parts. He couldn't begrudge her any of it, although on occasion they'd had words over the money she wheedled out of him every time there was a chance to pick up thermal caps, wiring, filter units and any other widget that kept Serenity flying.
Wash had more'n a few items squirelled away as well, though Mal suspected he didn't keep track of it all as well as Kaylee did her own stash. Hell--he knew for a fact there was stuff all over the ship that he and Zoe had salvaged way back when they'd first set out to make Serenity spaceworthy again. You'd have thought she might have been stripped bare, languishing in the shipyard for as long as she'd done. Yet they'd found aging spare equipment--hull plating, furniture, kitchen stuff and more, for weeks on end, every time they discovered one of the hiding places Fireflies were famous for.
Anything useless or hazardous had been tossed along with the dirt and waste that littered the ship. Some items had been put back to good use. Others simply had been kept--cleaned up and shuffled around a bit, because Mal hadn't liked the notion of starting with everything on board fresh and new--or as new as they could afford. It just hadn't seemed right, even though he and Zoe had been embarking on a brand new life.
His thoughts came flying back abruptly to the present. Life was changing for him again, in a way he had never expected to be possible. He let his gaze wander around the cargo bay once more, before slowly turning to look back up in the direction of Inara's shuttle.
Not even half a day had passed, yet she was thinking ahead, preparing for a whole new life she most likely had never imagined, either. Taking stock, she'd said....
Well enough, Mal thought. They'd been in the woods more times than out lately, and there were no certainties of smooth sailing ahead. It was as good a time as any for a little stock taking. He knew inventory wasn't anyone's favorite chore but they were long overdue for a thorough one.
He smiled with grim satisfaction as he reversed his path and headed topside, Plan B unfolding in his head.
******
Part 4