TITLE: "THE DEBT"

AUTHOR: Alison M. DOBELL

FANDOM: "FIREFLY"

PAIRING: No specific pairing.

RATING: PG-13.

STATUS: Standalone Christmas story.

ARCHIVE: Yes. Just let me know where.

FEEDBACK: Welcomed.

EMAIL: AlisonMDobell@aol.com

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

SUMMARY "The Captain has a surprise destination for

his crew. Someone else has a bigger surprise."

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.

"THE DEBT"

"Firefly" story

Written by Alison M. DOBELL

* * * * *

By rights he should be dead. He knew that, of course. Above average intelligence illuminating all the shady corners of a colourful past. She had saved him, inadvertently but still. No touching guns. A dry disingenuous smile flirted with cold lips as he thought about his nemesis and considered. His life had been handed back to him, a gift. Funny how the prospect of imminent death brought everything into sharper focus. Like the loss of his parents. A tragedy seen only through the warped necessity of layers of lies. Layers that twisted the blood on his hands until it seemed more a blessing. Fabrications to make sense of the way his brain had been rewired. It seemed every time a thought traversered across the synatic gap another little piece of him was fried. The resulting short circuit often flicking the switch over to violence. It satisfied and soothed but ultimately left him with fewer targets for his unreasoned wrath. Each progression leaving him more hollow than the last. Was a man still a man if his soul was empty?

The introspection as he drifted was cathartic.

It took a return to the one environment that was truly his for all the cascading thoughts vying for his attention and understanding to coalesce into a plan. He had been given a gift. His response seemed suddenly clear. Smiling,