{this is my first ever fanfic, so please be nice. it is a work in progress so any feedback is very shiny...}

Chapter 1

Aluminium boxes shine in the high sun, the lancing beams dazzling her eyes. Footsteps ring out on the grating beside her. A jingle of platinum sounds as the man swings the small cloth moneybag. River watches, listens, feels, waits. Drawing nearer, closer. White dove amongst the crows.

Mal is smiling, surveying the scene before him. No complications, no misunderstanding. Shiny. It had gone well. Their first job since the Early fiasco, it had seemed a little worrying.

“I like it when nothing gets screwed up,” he announces to no one in particular as Zoë punches the button to close the ramp.

“Quite an achievement for us, cap’n,” she says, smiling broadly as Mal turns to walk back inside. The ship is powering up, the whine of the engines getting louder, when raised voices and screams cause Mal to whip back round, drawing his gun. Shots ring out, striking a tattoo off the ship’s hull and interior. Mal and Zoë dive for cover, Mal pulling River down with him.

“It never goes smooth! Gorramit, Zoë, what the hell’s gone wrong this time?”

His question is answered abruptly as with a less than dignified flying leap and crumpled landing a red haired girl thumps into the cargo bay of his ship. The doors slam shut after her. Mal’s mouth drops open.

“Does that answer your question, sir?” Zoë’s voice rings out, breaking the silence. Footsteps on the gangway announce the arrival of at least some of the crew.

“We heard shootin’…” Kaylee says, looking over at the scene before her.

Mal gets up and slowly walks over to the intruder, who is lying splayed out on the floor, blood seeping slowly from a bullet wound in her upper arm. Long, curly, flame red hair sticks to cuts and grazes that mar a fine-featured face. She’s young, barely older than Kaylee or Simon and small, slim. Zoë and River join him. Looking up, he locates Simon among the curious faces looking down.

“Think you’re needed here, doc,” he says.