Post-BDM. Really Post-BDM. Some spoilers. This is my first fanfic. Any feedback is appreciated. If there is interest, I will be glad to post more.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, the sole item in tonight's auction: the Firefly-class vessel Serenity."

The crowd that had been enjoying cocktails and gossip immediately took their seats. A holographic projection of a huge scarlet curtain had been hiding the ship from all potential buyers in the outdoor amphitheater. The auctioneer, a portly man of middle years who seemed to be enjoying himself a little too much, activated the curtain's control with a flourish. The curtain lowered slowly, revealing Serenity to the well-dressed crowd.

River Tam felt a pang of sadness at seeing Serenity on display. The ship had been first her escape, then her refuge, then her home for years. She remembered the first time she had flown her out of atmo, on this very moon. She looked down at her hands, going through the steps for takeoff from pure muscle memory, and was torn between a laugh and a sob.

Then the curtain disappeared entirely, and River was shocked and nearly overwhelmed by the emotions of the crowd. Greed, envy and acquisitiveness were there, as they were everywhere people competed for something. But the respect, the love, the...River could only describe it as awe...nearly broke through her defenses and washed her away. No Member of Parliament had ever commanded such adoration, or deserved it as much. Looking out from the stage, River could not help but smile at that thought.

Serenity was as beautiful tonight as River could ever remember seeing her, even with total recall and the memories of a dozen people to draw upon. The Firefly had been preened and polished, inside and out. Her metal skin gleamed under the diffuse light of the ion cloud. Her insignia looked as if it had been painted that morning. River knew the interior had been restored to its original condition as well, down to the flowers Kaylee had painted on the galley walls. The inter