Chapter 1: The Box
The post office was usually busier when they made their usual trip to gather any letters and packages; but at that moment it was only the crew of Serenity, excluding Inara who was out doing business of her own. It was late in the evening and they had been out shopping and getting their supplies set up for their next job. The clerk behind the desk was a thin weedy looking man. He had passed off the rest of the crews post and the final object was a dark coloured box.
The box was smallish, no bigger than a bread bin. It was dark in colour and it had Mals name in clear writing on it. Mal took it from the counter and was surprised how light it was and unlike his usual packages Mal did not seem to be inclined to open in front of the crew. He peered into a small crack in the lid, and his genial 'Post Day' smile had evaporated into nothing and he looked around before trying to surreptitiously slide the box under his arm without anyone looking into it. However his careful manoeuvre was not missed by the keen-eyed gunhand.
"Hey Mal, What's in the box?" Jayne asked reaching out a hand expectantly as if he was entitled to ten percent of what lay within it.
"It's my business alright!" Mal exclaimed and pulled it away from Jayne's outstretched fingers. Kaylee saw the box tucked under Mals arm and she too became intrigued by its contents.
"C'mon captain!" Kaylee said with her usual eager grin. "We share what we get in the post. 'Taint like you got anythin' to hide." Mal glared at her. Even when she had her innocent girl puppy eyes Mal found it easy to resist her curiosity.
"No Kaylee, this box is my own private business, don't want none of you pryin' or peekin' or pokin' into it." He said irritably. He looked around at his nosing crew with his usual steely gaze. He patted the side of the box. "This is mine, and don't get any ideas about getting into it with your sticky fingers when I'm not around, it's gonna be locked up tighter than..." He struggled for an analogy "something that's extremely tight. And if I catch any of you sneakin' into my bunk I'll have you out of the airlock before you can say 'what's in the box?'" The only two who seemed unaffected by his threats were Zoe and River. Both seemed to be giving him identical knowing smiles. He didn't like it when they poked into things they ought not poke into, and he would make sure the contents of the box would remain a mystery to all his crew, even the mind readin' moon brain, even his first mate Zoe.
Mal stalked out of the post office mumbling about nosy crew wanting their noses cut off for stickin' them in places they shouldn't. He was going back to the ship to find a hiding place for his box until he found the right moment to open it again and fully examine its contents. He was sure the others would return at their own leisure and he hoped that when that time came they had forgotten about the box and what possible and impossible treasures had been hidden within it. He was sure at this very moment their imaginations were running wild at the possibilities, the contraband, the money, the gifts, the gold, the guns the information that could be hidden inside the box. He smirked, they could imagine all they wanted, what was inside was for him and him alone and he was not about to share it with anyone. Not even Zoe.
The rest of the crew exchanged glances and carried on with their own pieces of post each of their minds roaming at what the captain could be hiding from them. They all knew he had secrets, and they wondered what possible secrets he could be hiding in that box.