Never-Finished Fic: Complications (Inara)

[rsadelle]

The bunny for this comes from "Heart of Gold," wherein Nandi tells Mal that she doesn't know why Inara left the Core and that, "She doesn't like complications."

There's some teenager who's come onto the ship in port, and when Mal demanded to know what he was doing there, he said, "I'm looking for my mother."

"No mothers on this ship."

"She's here."

Mal looked askance at the boy and then at Zoe. "Zoe?"

"Yes, sir?"

"Anyone on this boat give birth without my noticing it?"

"No, sir."

"That's what I thought." He turned back to the kid. "Whoever she is, she's not here."

There were light footsteps on the stairs behind him, and then they faltered, and he turned because Inara doesn't miss a step.

"Gos se," she said, and none of them had ever seen her look that pale. "You're supposed to be on the Core."

"Hello, mother," the boy said.