"Gorramit!" Malcolm yelled. "No!"

"What is it?" Zoë asked stepping forward to peer at what he saw.

"I won't take it." Malcolm told the desk clerk, throwing the papers back on the counter. "Last time somthin' like this happened, one 'a my crew was taken hostage!"

"Sir, who sent it?"

"It doesn't say." Malcolm said putting a hand to his mouth, cupping his chin. People bustled around the crowded market place. "Say's here though, they're here from Persephone. Didn't send it, packaged it here." His voice calmed denying his claim.

Zoë just nodded, standing tall. River came by following Simon. She was empty handed, but immediately went to the large crate Malcolm had balked at moments ago. She slid a hand on the top of the box. "I'm not cookies yet." She explained casually, as she walked away just as silently as she walked in.

Simon stared blankly, as he usually did when River said something that had no proper place. Finally his mind began to work after a few seconds. "River." He called to her. "If you're hungry I can get you something. Do you want some dog?" He asked, jogging to her.

"What was that all about?" Malcolm asked Zoë, watching the two retreat back toward the ship.

"Honestly, Sir, I don't know." She replied in the same stupor.

After a moment Malcolm muttered to himself, "Cookies…" He turned to face the desk clerk. "Can you find out, for me, who this came from?" He asked fearing its contents.

"I'll see what I can do." The clerk said disappearing from view.

After a moment of tapping on the counter with his fingers, Mal grew tired of waiting. "Hello?" He called to behind the counter. There was no answer. He repeated himself just a bit louder, "Hello?"

The young clerk reappeared, "Summers." He said reading a slip of paper. "That's all. Just someone called Summers."

"Zoë, you know anyone called Summers?" Mal asked over his shoulder.

"No, Sir." She said almost revealing interest.

"If you'll excuse us for a sec," Mal said politely stepping away from the counter, pulling Zoë with him. "Why would somebody send us a body? 'Specially someone we don't even know?"

"Should we ask the rest of the crew, Sir." Zoë suggested, "See if they know a Summers?"

Malcolm just nodded as a brown headed man, mid 30's walked past him, throwing a glance. "Yeah. You go do that." He told Zoë as he smiled at the man, who was looking over his papers. "Summers." He repeated to himself, after Zoë had left. Malcolm Reynolds, Captain of the Firefly Serenity, kneeled on the box, thinking.

The brown haired guy looked up as he heard Malcolm speak, but looked away almost as if disappointed. There was something eerie about him. As Zoë came back, the man was signing his papers and waiting for his packages, there were a few of them.

"Nobody, Sir." She said upon returning to him.

"It doesn't even say who's in there." Mal explained exasperatedly. "We don't know who sent the girl. We don't know who the girl is."

"Was." Zoë corrected him. "The girl is dead, right Sir?" She asked as though the thought had just occurred to her that she might be alive.

"Far as I can tell." Malcolm replied glaring at the man who had signed for his packages and was now walking away, glaring back. Mal watched as he shrank into the distance. "Where's Kaylee?" He asked, changing the subject momentarily. "Did she find her part?"

"She's at the ship, replacing the coil." Zoë replied. "Inara's back too, Sir. Wash said she returned about 20 minutes ago."

"Simon and River?"

"Back at the ship."

"Good." Mal said walking away, leaving the box where it lie.

"Sir?" Zoë asked, looking at the box and then looking to Mal.

Mal looked back at Zoë, "That thing's not comin' on my ship. We know nothin' 'bout her, and I won't put up with it." He explained, continuing to walk. Zoë took a step forward but stopped when Mal stopped. Jayne had come by.

"What's in the box?" Jayne asked, pulling some fried food out of a bag and taking a huge bite, barely able to chew. "Big." He said, spraying a bit of food.

Mal wiped some of the chunks off his shirt. "Blond girl. Pretty." He admitted.

Jayne's eyes widened and his mouth dropped. "Zoë can't grab it by herself." He said, noticing Zoë by the box.

"We're not taking it." Mal said, letting Jayne know there was no arguing. "It's trouble." Mal watched as a guy with brown hair came back, holding an opened package. It was the same guy from earlier. Mal watched as he walked by, the guy ignoring him. Mal had been so intent on this guy that he hadn't noticed Jayne take a few steps toward the box. "Gorramit! Don't!" Mal said rushing toward the box.

It was too late, Jayne had opened the box to take a peak. There a blond girl lay. Her eyes were closed, her arms crossed on her chest. Dead. Mal rushed to close the lid, before anyone saw. Again, too late. The guy that Mal had the weird feeling about gasped. Letting it known that he saw what lie inside.

"Now." Mal started, trying to coax the guy down, "I didn't want this. The last thing I need is Alliance Feds, crawlin' down my back." The guy looked shocked, he looked from Mal to the box. "I wasn't even gonna take it, I was walkin' away, you saw." He tried explaining. The guy was going to tell the feds, this would be his second body smuggle. His second UNWANTED body smuggle.

"W-what?" The guy stuttered, still in shock. "It's her."

"You know her?" Mal asked, staring at the guy.

A tear welled in the man's eye. His mouth opened as if to say something, but nothing came out. Mal nodded, urging the man on. He wanted to know who this girl was, who sent her, and why she was sent to him. Again the man's mouth opened. "I'm going mad." He said to himself as if explaining everything. "Hold on." The man demanded, as he ran off.

Suddenly as the man started walking away, Mal started giving orders. "Jayne, take that end. Zoë, that one." Mal took one side as the other two took their appropriate sides. "We're taking her back to the ship." He announced hurrying.

"Thought she was trouble." Jayne said grunting as he lift up the box.

"Better trouble with us on the ship, than here with the Feds." Mal said as he directed the box to the ship. He kept a look out for the guy, luckily he was out of sight.

It took a few minutes, and more than a few odd stares, but they finally arrived at the ship. They set the box down in the cargo bay and Mal rushed to the intercom. "Wash. Everyone on?"

"Besides you and Zoë, waiting for Jayne." Came Wash's voice from the small box in reply.

"We're all here." He said his voice not calming at all, "Let's go." As he spoke he saw the man rush by with another guy. The other guy had darker brown hair, speckled with gray, mid 60's probably. Mal saw the guy look left and right, most likely for any sign of him and the box.

Suddenly Kaylee skipped into the room. "What's the rush, Cap'n?" Kaylee asked, a little disappointed she didn't get to spend much time off the ship.

"Complications. Did you get the coil fixed?" Mal asked.

"Right as rain!" She answered as Mal said pushing a button, causing the ship's ramp to come up, and its doors to close. The archaic spacecraft moved too slow. The two guys noticed, and the one from earlier pointed. Even in the dead of night, with only a few street lamps glowing, the man saw them. They both ran to the ship, and the lighter brown haired man from earlier jumped into the Cargo bay, as the ramp was over halfway up.

Mal, Kaylee, Jayne, and Zoë both stared in awe, that jump was at least 15 feet, and this guy cleared it with ease. "Open it up." He said in a low, gruff voice.

"Get ready for lift off!" Came a voice from the box, Wash.

"Now!" The man demanded.

"Why?" Mal asked, "so the Feds can march up on here?"

"No Feds, I swear." The man was now pleading, but keeping his voice demanding at the same time. But it was too late, the ship was leaving.

"Go get Simon." Mal said to Kaylee, who reluctantly walked away, glancing back. "Who is she?" He asked, once again.

"Why do you have her?" The man countered angrily.

"Don't know." Mal answered impatiently. "That's why I want to know-" Mal stopped when Kaylee returned with Simon, and River. He looked to Simon, "Check her, I don't want any surprises."

Simon followed Mal's wave and opened the box cautiously. He looked up shocked at Mal. Then shrugged it off, still wondering why there was another body on the ship, and why there was a strange man there. "Kaylee will you take River…away?" He asked, looking to the newcomer.

Kaylee nodded and took River's hand, "What are you doing here?" River demanded of the man, "Five words, or less." She said before allowing Kaylee to lead her off.

Everybody stared at River. It was a good question. Sometimes her sanity was questionable, now wasn't the time. The newcomer's face though was of horrid terror. As if that simple statement was his death. Simon had knelt down and begun to pick the body up.

"You get away from her." The man shouted and pushed Simon away. "I won't let you touch her." Simultaneously Jayne, Zoë, and Mal pulled out their weapons and had them aimed at the man.

He had pulled the girl out of the coffin and was cradling her in his arms. "Who is she?" Mal asked, watching the morbid scene. "Tell me and you may just live." He threatened.

The man looked up at the guns. He almost looked amused, if it wasn't for his grief. "Her name's Buffy."