TITLE: "WE NEED A PLAN"

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: "This was one meeting that left them knowing

less than they had before it started. The Captain confesses

his plan to Zoe."

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.

"ONE JUST MAN"

"Firefly" story

Written by Alison M. DOBELL

* * * * *

It was a stilted meeting round the table and Mal couldn't help but feel he was being taken in a direction he in no way wanted to go but how could he leave his friend in enemy hands? No way could he do that. Then there was Shen Ling. As close as he had got to Chung-li the man had never mentioned a sister. Mind, he had never spoken of his family at all. Somehow in Malcolm Reynolds' mind family meant Rafe Connor, the Wellspring Ranch and a little out of the way planet near the Rim of the 'verse called Glory. No way in *diyu* could he imagine a fancy lady like Shen Ling on the Rim of the 'verse.

The silence was not the comfortable ease of friendship. The wear and rubbed edges of people who knew each other inside out, rough and smooth, good and not so good. Oddly enough he missed having Jayne there though knowing what he now knew he was in no hurry to rush the suffering man from his own version of hell to join him in this one. Which brought him to the Preacher. Where in the nine hells was that *baichi* anyway? Fortunately Zoe had left him briefly to make sure Simon and River stayed out of sight. No telling what kind of problems new folk could bring, was always the letting down of defences that allowed the bad to happen unchecked. Mayhap this