TITLE: "GIFT HORSE"

SERIES: UNFINISHED BUSINESS

CHAPTER: 1.

FANDOM: "FIREFLY"

AUTHOR: Alison M. DOBELL

PAIRING: Zoe/Wash Kaylee/Simon Mal/Inara

RATING: PG-13

SUMMARY: "When the crew of Serenity hear they

have a gift waiting for collection at Paquin not

everyone on the crew is ready to celebrate their

good fortune."

"GIFT HORSE"

A "Firefly" story

Written by Alison M. DOBELL

* * * * *

"Cap'n, you might wanna get up here, *mashang*!"

Malcolm Reynolds stopped checking the cargo was properly secured in the hold and gave Jayne a nod to finish up for him. The big man scowled but said nothing. The Captain walked briskly to the metal staircase and took the treads three at a time, anxious to see what the good gorram Wash wanted to show him.

He stared. Really. A crate? For them? On Paquin? Three pairs of eyes stared at the short wave from the Postal Routing Service. "Who do you think it's from, sir?"

"I know as much as you, Zoe." Seeing his second in command's look he turned to Wash. "Where was it routed from, Wash? Any identifiers?"

Serenity's pilot shook his head. "*Bu qu*. It's been just about everywhere, can't find a point of origin."

"So, no return address?"

Wash looked at the Captain as if he was *chun*. "That would be a no."

Zoe's voice was dry, her look hard. "We could just ignore it, sir."

The Captain rubbed a hand over the back of his neck, sighed then straightened. "*Bushi*. Now we're tagged as the recipient we have to pay the fees. We dodge those they report us to guess who?"

Wash's face brightened. "Oooh, is this a quiz?"

The Captain ignored him. Zoe didn't need to do the math. No way did they want to draw the attention of the Alliance. "Could be expensive,