Disclaimer: All is owned by Joss.

A/N: This fic was written way back in January as a birthday gift for 2x2. Who, by coincidence, also beta-ed it. So thanks to 2x2 for getting me to write this and for going through it.

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Inara found the package sitting on the table.

It was positioned so it was the first thing she saw when she entered the kitchen. Sitting beside the package was a small piece of cardboard folded in half with her name written on it.

She stopped just short of the table, dumbfounded for the lack of a better word. When she told the crew she would be staying on board Serenity rather than returning to the training house there had been a small celebration, but no gifts, simply because she had insisted so. Money was always in deficit on the ship and she had seen no reason for the crew to waste some funds on her. She was returning to be with friends. What more did she need?

Slowly, Inara approached the table, examining the package and the piece of cardboard. She didn’t recognize the handwriting, but her name was written in bold capital letters so it was hard to discern. The package itself was wrapped up in simple general store brown paper.

Maybe Kaylee bought it while planetside , Inara thought to herself. Currently the crew was all off ship, enjoying some rare free time before they had to leave for their next job. Inara herself had just returned from seeing an old client who had been delighted to hear she would be in the area.

It seemed doubtful the package was from Kaylee, as Inara thought about it more. The mechanic was fond of presenting gifts in person and even if she wanted it to be a surprise she would have remained on the ship just to share in the excitement. Inara sat down in a chair, pondering the situation further. She couldn’t picture the others buying her a gift and leaving it out for her to find. It just felt too... intimate.

“Oh, just open it,” she muttered to herself. What would the harm be anyway? Someone had bought