TITLE: "DEBT OF HONOUR"

AUTHOR: Alison M. DOBELL

FANDOM: "FIREFLY"

PAIRING: Simon. River. Book. Zoe. Mal.

RATING: PG-13.

STATUS: SEQUEL to "NOT WHAT IT SEEMS"

ARCHIVE: Yes. Just let me know where.

FEEDBACK: Welcomed.

EMAIL: AlisonMDobell@aol.com

WEBSITE: http://carlajane.50megs.com/Ali00.html

SUMMARY: "Nothing is harder to fight than the enemy

within but River has a plan."

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.

"DEBT OF HONOUR"

"Firefly" story

Written by Alison M. DOBELL

* * * * *

Zoe's eyes narrowed suspiciously. Leaving the bridge and stepping on to the catwalk to find her two least favourite people in the 'verse standing there was more than a mite unsettling. Her voice was cold but polite. A study in icy calm. "Can I help you?"

Although Zoe kept back what she really wanted to say every muscle was tensed for action should the reply not be to her liking. Curtis Manning Armstrong knew perfectly well that Malcolm Reynolds' second did not trust them. Knew nothing would give her greater pleasure than to send both he and Hobbs into the darkest part of the Black without an EVA. Fortunately Serenity was not in the Black but even if it had been he was confident of his ability to sway the Captain in the direction he needed him to go. The man's loyal but dysfunctional crew would simply follow. It mattered not if they were moaning and bitching all the way. The end *always* justified the means. Right now he was smiling at her simply because he knew it would piss her off. The longer he took to reply the narrower those eyes got. He was just about to figure how much it would take for the tension to snap her clean in two when the Captain's voice reached through the atmosphere thickening between them a second before his firm step presaged the appearance of the man himself. Mal p