Disclaimer: I own nothing

Disclaimer: I own nothing. Except perhaps the whole Firefly series AND Serenity on DVD. Yeah…but alas, no rights. If I owned rights, there would be many more episodes of Firefly. I'm just really bummed that I didn't know about it while it was on TV…My dad only just got me hooked on it during March break. Oh well…

AN: Well, I'm new to the Firefly 'Verse (Heh…pun totally intended.) so yeah…I generally write Moonlight fanfics (Yes, I am a total vampire freak. What? Vampires are sexy…once you get past the whole 'they're dead and necrophilia is totally immoral' mindset.) But lately I've been coming up with some really good Firefly ones…this one is the one that just refused to leave me alone until I started it. So yeah…just a little background info I feel like sharing, this particular idea stemmed from a really messed up dream I had last night…a dream that was quite possibly induced by a fever, as I woke up sweating a lot. But yeah…anyway, just one more thing, and then I'll let you get to the story, I promise. I'm currently in the middle of writing two other fanfics at the moment, and I had intended to wait to write this one, but considering the fact that it won't leave me be, I'm writing it now. Just so you know that updates will be few and far between as I'm going to be working on the other two as well. But don't worry…I won't forget about you. Alright so, now that that's settled…onto the story!

It all started with a fever. Well, technically, it had started with a bite that had brought on the fever.

Well, however it had started, Aydan Fallon was far from interested in the technicalities of it. The only thing that really concerned her at this point in time was the overwhelming spasms of excruciating pain running through her body as she lay seizing on the floor of her bunk.

An agonized scream tore out of her as a particularly painful spasm struck her, causing her muscles to seize in protest. Her entire body felt as though it was ablaze, and her insides felt as though they were rearranging themselves. Which, she managed to think bitterly before another wave of pain made all coherent thought impossible, they probably were.

She shivered as the fever only increased, her body damp with cold sweat. Her skin was clammy and all of the colour had drained from her face, leaving her deathly white. She cursed the Alliance and all of its members to a horrible, slow, excruciating death. She hoped they all suffered the agony she was currently experiencing.

She screamed some more and writhed around, knocking over several items. She could just barely hear another agonized screech over her own, and winced, guilt flooding through her. She should never have dragged them into this. Because of her own stupidity, she wasn't the only one suffering. She wasn't the only doomed individual aboard Serenity. Thanks to her, Kaylee, the mechanic, had been infected as well. Kaylee would suffer the same fate as Ayden. And it was all Ayden's fault.

Ayden struggled to keep her own mind as the infection spread through her. Soon, it would take over and she would no longer be able to control herself. She would no longer even be able to think coherently. Her throat went suddenly dry. She thirsted. The thirst struck so suddenly and so violently that she feared she would go insane.

Trying to keep from losing her mind, she focused on the shouts coming from upstairs. What she could hear over her own agonized shrieks, as well as those of Kaylee in the bunk across from her, weren't very comforting.

"MAL! LET ME GO! I NEED TO GO TO HER! SHE'S IN PAIN! MAL! LET ME GO!"

Ayden listened as the captain struggled to keep her boyfriend, Dominick Connelly, under control.

"DOM! LISTEN TO ME! IT'S NOT HER! NOT ANYMORE!" Mal shouted back.

"I DON'T CARE! LET ME GO!" Dominick yelled again. Just before another spasm of pain coursed through her, causing her to scream out, she heard what sounded like a scuffle, followed by the sound of wood hitting metal. Ayden could only assume that Mal had thrown Dominick over the table in an effort to keep him away from her.

After her latest, and worst, as of yet, spasm of pain hit her, Ayden seccumbed to the pain and slipped into the welcoming blackness that enveloped her.

TBC

AN: You should probably know that I'm definitely one for evil cliffies. Seriously, I have an addiction to writing them. Reading them, not so much. But definitely writing them. I attend regular meetings of ECAA, or Evil Cliff-hanger Addicts Anonymous…so I'm taking it one day at a time. Because this chapter is so short, however, you'll get one more very soon. If not tonight, then most definitely tomorrow. After that, however, my update schedule will be sort of touch-and-go, as I'm currently working on two other fanfics at the moment. But…here's chapter one!

Love always, Cat.