TITLE: "DIRTY LITTLE SECRETS"

AUTHOR: Alison M. DOBELL

FANDOM: "FIREFLY"

PAIRING: Zoe/Wash. Kaylee/Simon. Mal/Inara.

RATING: G.

STATUS: Sequel to "FIGHTING BACK".

ARCHIVE: Yes. Just let me know where.

FEEDBACK: Welcomed.

EMAIL: AlisonMDobell@aol.com

WEBSITE: None. All Firefly stories archived at Fireflyfans.net

SUMMARY: "Paul ends up on a seemingly dead planet. The

Captain wakes. Zoe shares some disturbing information with the crew."

The usual disclaimers apply. The characters and 'Firefly'

are the property and gift of Joss Whedon and Mutant Enemy.

No infringement of copyright is intended.

"DIRTY LITTLE SECRETS"

"Firefly" story

Written by Alison M. DOBELL

* * * * *

Having little to no money, the clothes on his back and a few small possessions Paul had reverted to his natural fallback. Calling himself Tobin he had worked his passage off planet: loading, unloading, scrubbing decks, cleaning air filters, repairing faulty wiring. Turning his hand to whatever chore needed doing aboard ship to pay his passage. If he was lucky they fed him too. Luck held with him though as the ship made a brief stop on Astra. That struck him as funny. A blown out desert landscape of a world called 'star'. What twisted *hundan* thought that was fitting? They probably didn't even know it was Latin, it being one of the long lost languages from Earth-that-was but still. Paul knew it by another name and while the ship had stopped to effect a repair none of the ship's crew batted an eye when he chose to disembark on the seemingly inhospitable world.

The Captain just nodded as if glad to be rid of the odd stranger then as soon as the repair was complete the ship lifted off leaving him behind. Now, staring at the desert world like some kind of unexpected inheritance, Paul threw back his head and laughed.

* * * * *

"I think you should leave."

Inara was reluctant. It was the first time she had