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*****

Crashing Through

Author: Jill

Setting: After series, before movie. Inara is still on the ship.

Rating: PG-13

Spoilers: probably

Author’s note: I’m not exactly up to speed on all the planets in the ‘verse and I didn’t want to set this on Persephone or Whitefall, so I…um…made one up. Please forgive me if this is taboo.

Disclaimer: They aren’t mine! You really think I could think up characters this good? Please… I’m just playing with them, I promise to give them back all nice and shiny.

Prologue

“Ooof.”

The sound left his lips involuntarily as a fist was slammed into his gut, stealing all his air. Wash tried to curl up protectively, but the hands holding tightly to his arms kept him upright and exposed. He struggled against their hold, but his actions lacked any real strength. He was light-headed and already sporting too many bruises in various places to put up much of a fight anymore.

The fist pulled back again and Wash closed his eyes, waiting for the blow to fall since there was nothing he could do to stop it. Then, even as he jerked from the force of it striking chest, he silently vowed never, ever to go after supplies on his own again.

*****

Captain Malcolm Reynolds of the sometimes legal, oftentimes not freighter Serenity strode purposefully toward the open cargo door of his ship and his first mate who was standing at the top of it, gazing out at the planet below. Brilliant rays of late afternoon sun poured into the hold, filling it with warm light and making the woman’s dark skin glow. She looked like an angel, if angels wore revolvers strapped to their thighs and terror-inducing scowls on their faces.

“He’s late,” Zoë said without turning around.

“That he is,” Mal answered, stopping beside her. They were silent for a while.

“He’s never late.”

“We thinkin’ of the same man?” Mal countered. “Man who