Mal, in his bunk and in his head.

[badinlatin]

Inara has given Mal very good advice on more than one occasion. For example, eating food? Good advice. Easy to follow, too.

Some of Inara's advice is not so easy to follow.

Mal's gingerly fishing through an old wooden box, chipped and faded. Any scrollwork that had been painted onto the top of it has all but disappeared. Inside are the pictures that Mal had shown Kaylee a long while ago. Under the shiny happy pictures, though, Mal uncovers two very small pictures.

One of Lilly Jackson, and one of David Shen.

"You have to try and move away from your past."

Mal knows that. He's just never actually tried do to anything but run from it, so this is entirely different.

He puts the two pictures in his inside jacket pocket. Malcolm has a plan.