Disclaimer: Nothing belongs to me, just writing for fun. A/N: Here's a little Saffron fic that popped in my mind and wouldn't get out. Just thought I would share, hope you like it! Thanks to Leiasky for checking it over! ________________________________________________________________

As the bin door closed above her, she began to search her pockets, ignoring the foul stench that now encased her. A smile crawled across her face as she pulled out the electronic lock release. "Idiots." Sliding her hands across the slimy metal walls of the bin she struck gold. She followed the covered electrical lines that lead to the control box. As she heard both shuttles take off, she sighed to herself, but she had options. Reaching back for the concealed kit she kept underneath her belt, she grabbed the small light and screw driver. In record time she opened the panel. The wires would look like a mystery to most but her mother had taught her well. She ran the light across them and found what she needed. Using her small pocket knife to cut open the wires without shocking herself, she rewired them, and connected them back into the feed. Then she applied the electronic release, punched in the code that worked like a skeleton key, and smiled to herself as the bin door opened up. She scampered up the wall of the bin and landed unceremoniously onto the sandy, desert ground. Dusting herself off, she looked around the barren landscape. The feds were on their way, and she was miles from any type of civilization. "This isn't over yet Malcolm Reynolds! Not by a long shot!" she whispered to herself as she began to run.

*Five Months Later*

She cast her eyes across the darkly lit bar, eyeing her mark as he finished slopping down the last of his drink, running his hand over his mouth with the back of his sleeve. She swallowed down the bile that had risen into her throat at the thought of this barbaric man even touching her and straightened her back, steeling herself to begin the job. She was in desperate need of some cash flow and wasn't beneath a quick job to get her off the god forsaken rock she had been stranded on for the past two weeks. Pulling down on the blouse she was wearing, exposing just enough of her chest to warrant the attention she needed, she sauntered up to the large man, plastering on a demure smile while keeping her eyes cast down in submission. She ran her hand through the ends of her hair, curling a tendril around her finger, the contrast of her pale skin brightening the shining red lock of hair. She had let it grow, changing her appearance just slightly, another trick her mother had instilled in her, always change your look after the last job. She had gotten lax a while back, keeping it short because that was the way she preferred it, but she had learned her lesson. If you stick to the rules, they'll never fail you. She brushed against his side, the gelatinous fat of his arm wiggling at the brief contact. He was enormous, with a protruding belly and hair that covered everywhere on his body, except where it was supposed to be. He also had thirty thousand credits that he had scored from his last job and a ship just itching to be stolen from him. She also knew he was headed to Beaumonde, a planet bustling with opportunity to make a little money and maybe sniff out a lead or two, if the ship stealing went south. "I'm sorry, I am just so clumsy." The words fell from her mouth huskily as she turned her eyes up to his, clasping her hands behind her back , exposing her chest just a little bit more. "Well now, I ain't offended at all, little lady." He leered at her, not even looking at her face. His eyes began to glaze over with drink and lust as she shifted her hips, moving her body just an inch closer, rocking on the back of her heels. She let forth a brilliant smile at him before moving forward with the game, "My name's Miriam." He took in a deep breath and from the look on his face, she knew she had him, hook, line, and sinker.

*Beaumonde* She left Jack Kramer, penniless and knocked out in his bunk. She decided to leave him his ship, it wasn't worth much in the first place, a true piece of go se, and it was already stolen. She wasn't looking to unload a hot ship, her last connections in that business were making friendly with the stars and she just didn't feel like dealing with that kind of hassle. Besides, she had enough pans on the fire as it was. Making her way through the throng of people bustling along the docks she spied out of the corner of her eye a lost soul that was frantically searching about the market place. He was tidy and handsome, definitely from money and completely distracted. He ran a hand through his dark hair as he surveyed the lively scene around him, his bright blue eyes darting about at all the activity. She knew opportunity when it knocked and this guy was pounding at her door. Shifting her shoulders back and taking on a regal air, she slipped through the crowd, edging closer to the man. A sudden sense of recognition hit her as she closed in on the mark. There was something about him and she couldn't put her finger on it. Suddenly, her attention was caught by screaming patrons emerging from the dingy entrance of a nasty little bar she had known to be the Maidenhead. The second the shrieking hit his ears, he was off like a lightening bolt, pushing through the exodus. He got caught up in the crowd, the sea of people washing him back like the tide, but he fought his way through. She kept her distance, it would be a sad day indeed if she was finally marked by the law for being involved in a barroom brawl. The words of her mother echoed through her brain, Never let them get a hold of you. Once you're tagged, you're worthless. She held up in an alley way across from the Maidenhead, hiding behind a crate of molding waste that made her senses bristle. When her eyes beheld the first man to materialize from the bar, her chest fluttered with excitement as she sucked in her breath. There he was, Malcolm Reynolds, holding some skinny, knocked out, slip of a girl in his arms. The handsome man she had marked just minutes before was on his heels, followed by a lumbering behemoth, “the large one” , Jayne, if she recollected correctly. She moved along the shadows, following the quartet as they dashed through the docks. It had taken her five months track the hun dan down , she wasn’t about to let this break elude her. Then, just as quickly as they had appeared to her, they were gone, a massive rush of people crashing into her, pulling her along with them. She ducked down and tried to make her way through the panicked legs , but once she popped her head up, they had disappeared. In her anger and frustration she let out a strangled cry, lost amongst the alarm and confusion of the crowd that surged against her. He had taken everything from her, left her in a trash bin in the desert to rot while he rode away with her booty. True, she had left him naked, stranded in the desert and would’ve taken his cut in a second. In fact, that had been her original plan, but still, she had her pride. No one had ever gotten the best of her, except Malcolm Reynolds. She regained her composure enough to remember to leave scene before the feds showed up, darting through the masses and swearing to herself that come hell or high water, the next time she saw him he wouldn't slip through her fingers.

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