Title: The Price of Freedom

Summary: Post BDM and post my previous stages of love series. Mal and Inara are in an established but new relationship. Freedom has a price that not everyone is willing to pay.

Author: Bashipforever

Prompt: Stages of Love Trouble in Paradise: Break Up

 

 

 

“Gonna be a delay in getting to Orisis,” Mal said as he stepped into Inara’s shuttle. His voice was tight, controlled and hard.

 

Inara sighed. “This is the third delay, Mal. I know what you’re doing.”

 

“Tryin’ to captain a ship an’ its crew?” Mal volleyed back, anger seeping into his voice.

 

“Trying to keep me from working,” Inara responded.  “Mal, we’ve talked about this. I’m a companion.”

 

“No, ‘Nara, you talked about this. I disagreed and you chose not to listen,” he told her, crossing his arms over his chest.

 

“I listened but you only wanted to hear that I’d stop taking clients. Everything else went in one ear and out the other,” Inara responded. She straightened the things on her vanity as she spoke.

 

“No, ‘Nara, what I wanted to hear was that you loved me enough to let me be the only man in your life,” Mal growled, emotion soaking every word.

 

Inara sighed, deflated by his words. “You are the only man in my life, Mal. Those are clients…” She knew he didn’t see it that way, would never see it that way.

 

“Maybe I should have made myself more clear. I thought maybe you loved me enough to let me be the only man in your bed.” He took a step toward her and she could see the plea in his eyes. She cast her gaze down unable to look at him and retain the anger she felt.

 

“I haven’t asked you to change your entire life around. I haven’t asked you to stop thieving or to give up Serenity. I haven’t asked if you loved me enough for all of that,” Inara said but her voice didn’t hold the same fire it had moments before.

 

 

“You give up bein’ a companion and I’ll give up the thievin’….giving up Serenity…that’d kill me but for you, I’d be willin’ to die.” Mal’s voice was gruff and choked with tears he’d never shed.

 

Inara shook her head, looking up at Mal from beneath her lashes. She bit her bottom lip. “You fought for independence, Mal. You know how much it’s worth.”

 

He looked up at her and nodded, his eyes narrowed as he tried to decide where she was going with this.

 

“Being a companion is my independence. It’s my Serenity. It’s what allows me freedom and no matter how much this hurts, I’ve got to fight for it,” she half whispered. “You have to accept that I am a companion or…” she trailed off.

 

“Or what? Can’t even say it can you?” Mal fired at her, his eyes full of fury, rage and fueled by pain. “Seems to me, can’t say somethin’ maybe it ain’t something you should be doin.”

 

“I can say it,” Inara hissed, buying herself time.  She swallowed hard. “If you can’t accept that then it’s over. I’ll find another ship to leave out on and you can return my security deposit if it’s too difficult to maintain a business relationship with me.”

 

Mal’s jaw tightened. “Keep the shuttle. Ain’t got no problems maintaining a business relationship with you. The only gorram kind of relationship I ain’t got a problem maintaining with you. We’ll be landing within the hour.” He turned and stormed out of her shuttle, slamming the door behind him.