There were stamps all over it, and the mailing address had to have ben scribbled out at least once for each trip around the known 'verse.

Zoe took the package from the postmaster and squinted at the top address label: "'PFC Malcolm C. Reynolds.' Sir, what's the 'C' stand for?"

Mal paled for a moment before composing himself. "'Confidential.' As in my private business."

And with that, he grabbed the package out of Zoe's hands and strode on ahead, calling behind him for everyone else to hurry up and get the cargo on board. Zoe and Kaylee shrugged at each other. Whatever was in the package had soured Mal's previously good mood.

Jayne looked confused. "What the hell sorta name is 'Confidential' for a kid?"

When the crew got back on board, Mal didn't break stride through the cargo bay and up the stairs to the catwalk. Inara stepped out of her shuttle upon hearing everyone's return. "Hello, Mal, was the trip a...."

He didn't even slow down, leaving her to throw a confused look at his disappearing back.

Kaylee looked equally confused. "Zoe, what's gotten into the captain? Was that package from a war buddy of yours and his?"

"Don't rightly know," Zoe responded thoughtfully. "By the time I met him, he was a corporal, so it musta been from way early on."

Meanwhile, Mal had gone straight back to his bunk and set the package down on the desk. He spent the next hour until supper just staring at it.

Supper itself was a subdued affair, with Mal only speaking to ask for someone to pass him the rolls or the water pitcher. Kaylee tried to fill in the silence with her usual happy chatter, but soon gave up. Immediately afterward, Mal cleared his plates and went back to his bunk without saying a word.

Jayne untied the apron he was wearing and tossed it on the table in frustration. "Now that's gratitude for ya! Didn't even say thank you!"

Several hours later, Mal sent a message over the all-ship intercom for the entire crew to assemble back in the mess. When they got there, they found Mal in his usual spot at the head of the table, the mysterious package in front of him.

"Sir?" Zoe ventured.

Mal cleared his throat. "Yeah, well...I'm sure you're all dying to know what this package is about."

The crew made noncommittal "of course we weren't" noises.

"Well, see, it was a long time ago. 'fore I even met Zoe. There was six of us in basic training together from Shadow. And one night, we get us a notion to steal some of the general's fine whisky. The man loved his whisky. Anyways, this here's the last bottle."

He got up from the table to carefully unwrap the packaging. Simon stared at the clear bottle. "That's a 30-year-old Edradour! Worth a fortune."

Mal gave a brittle laugh. "Like I said, the man loved his whisky. We paid hell for it too when we got caught - I musta had latrine duty for going on three months. But he never found that last bottle. And so here it is."

He picked it up and stared at it. "We made us a pact that we'd save the last bottle and pass it around 'til it got to the last of us left alive so that he could remember us all properly. And, well, with the untimely passing of Billy Fong, I guess that's me now."

Jayne wordlessly got out shot glasses for everyone and lined them up in front of Mal, who poured a finger's worth of the golden liquid into each glass. Simon tried to prevent River from taking one of the glasses, but Mal stopped him. "Special occasion, Doc. She's earned the right to toast the dead, just like everyone else here."

He held up his glass and swirled the contents around for a moment. "Yanno, when you're 18, you think this moment ain't gonna come for a good long while. I surely wasn't expecting to get that package for at least another 30 years or so. But life has a funny way of mucking up your plans, don't it just?"

He raised the glass high and everybody else joined him. "This is for you, Mac, Kim, Smitty, Billy and our ringleader, Petey-Boy. I'll miss the fun we had boosting that whisky. And also to my best friends since I was six, Joe Turner who went at New Melbourne and Tommy Chen who lasted until Aberdeen. And finally, for Wash and Book and Mr. Universe."

With that, he tossed back the glass, and everyone else followed suit.

River made a bit of a face at the smoky taste. "Tastes like death."

Inara smiled. "Back on Earth-That-Was, they used to call this 'Water of Life.'"

Jayne spoke up. "So Mal, what does the 'C' stand for?"

Mal poured a second round for everyone. "Told ya already, Jayne. 'Confidential.'"