Not an owner of any part of Firefly. I just like playing in Joss Whedon's sandbox. Hope you all enjoy!

X

One year into the war with the Alliance…

Mal stood in the doorway of his tent in the military barracks. Lantern light from inside shone against his silhouette, cutting him a fine figure in the dark of night. Mal gazed outward as he saw a group of his fellow soldiers stepping off the gangplank from their transport. His eyes searched for two particular faces in the crowd. A wide smile broke across his face as he jogged forward.

"All hail, the Browncoats! You fine ladies and menfolk!" Mal patted the backs of the soldiers who passed him. They didn't smile back. Mal frowned. He saw Zoe and quickly grabbed her arm. "Hey, what's with all the long faces?" Mal's face began to pale. "Did he… Zoe, tell me he didn't-"

"He's fine, sir," she said. "Only problem he's got is what you and the Sergeant might do to him."

"What are you talkin' about?" Mal stood up a little straighter and grinned sideways. "Wait, what'd he do now? Did he pull that livestock prank? Because I told him, no good can come outta settin' all the herds of animals free before you make your getaway, no matter how much fun it may be and how much you might like to. It wastes this fine military's valuable time and energy-"

Zoe turned around as she heard the snap of winter's grass underneath a soldier's feet. Peter Reynolds stood only a foot away from Mal. Beside him stood a short, small thing dressed in brown robes with a wide brown hood covering any facial features.

Mal looked down at Pete. He was shorter than Mal, and back on the ranch, they hazed him for his pretty face, one could argue 'cause there weren't much else to bring him ridicule. Though right now, he just looked nervous. Sounded it, too. He got out, "Hey, Mal."

Mal blinked at his brother and then swiftly pulled back the hood from the person standing next to him. A young, pretty girl with wide dark eyes and long brownish wavy hair stared back.

Mal flinched in surprise, and then turned back to his brother. "What in the ruttin' world have you done now?"

Present Day On Board Serenity

Mal stared off into the brilliant star-speckled sky in the co-pilot's seat beside Wash. He rested his boot against the dash. He could hear his pilot's voice calling him back to the present, but in the midst of his thoughts, it was just background noise.

"Mal? Malcolm Reynolds? Oh fearless captain of this vessel I pilot?"

Mal blinked himself back to the conversation. He looked to Wash. "Hm?"

Wash nodded to the communication screen. "You're still on with Fordayn." Wash stood up and murmured. "And he's a might bit cranky today."

Fordayn had a bellowing voice, the kind that let you know he was overweight without having to see him on the communication screen. "I heard that."

From behind him, Wash shrugged and said, "Well, it's true."

"So Captain Reynolds, if I provide you the coordinates along with a description of the cargo, will you take the job or not?"

Mal spoke confidently. "You give us the job. You can consider it done."

"So, it won't be like last time?"

"There were extenuating circumstances last time." Mal said, "We still got you your haul."

"Two days behind schedule."

While they had been talking, Zoe walked into the middle of their conversation. Wash leaned against the side of the ship, crossing his arms and whispered to Zoe, "They're talking about when we couldn't get her off the ground, so we had to pretend to be monks for two days at that monastery until Kaylee could get Serenity up in the sky."

Fordayn said, "I heard that, too."

Wash tried not to laugh as he looked mischievously to his wife. "You look better without the robes, just so you know."

"We compensated you for your lost time, if memory serves," Mal said. "Anyway, won't happen again."

"I'll expect to see you on time then. You've got three days this time."

"Sounds great," Mal said with mock enthusiasm. "See you in the world." With that, he shut down communication.

Zoe looked to Mal and said, "Thought we weren't working with Fordayn anymore."

Mal said, "Well…"

"Thought you said that walking ton of latrine waste weren't worth sussin' out coin."

"I might've spoke a little hastily, I'll admit," Mal said. "'Sides, if we don't get Serenity the parts she needs and fuel to fly with, we'll be in a ton of latrine waste ourselves."

Zoe asked, "What's the crime we're doing this time?"

Wash said, "It sounds more like work this time."

Mal smiled. "You know those stories about those sad, crazy fools who dig for buried treasure? Guess who we get to be?"

"Thought we already were those people."

Mal grinned. "Limber up! We got ourselves a good 'ole fashioned treasure hunt."
Zoe tried not to smile and failed a least a little bit. "Where might this treasure be?"

Mal cleared his throat and said. "Little known planet of Baldu. As legend has it."

Zoe's half smile sunk into a half-frown. "Little out of the way, isn't it?"

"No. No, not where we're concerned, it ain't."

Zoe didn't nod or shake her head or make a further comment. She simply turned around and walked back down out of the cockpit.

Wash looked at his wife and then back at Mal. "Wait, what …what just happened there?"

"What happened where now?" Mal went to walk past him.

"Oh, no, no. I saw it this time. What else is there to this?"

He gave Wash's shoulder a clap. "Ain't nothing need to be known that might not be there. And such."

"I still saw it this time."

Mal took a deep breath and called as he left the cockpit. "Get us there yesterday. We got us deadlines to meet."

Wash sighed and sunk down into the pilot's seat as he set their course for Baldu. He spoke to the controls, the starred sky, and himself. "You know, usually I don't get this bad a feeling about a job until we've already left for it."