A/N: Because you all asked - and commented - so nicely, here is chapter 5. If you are new to this story, I recommend going back and starting at the prologue, it'll make a lot more sense.

Gratitude for just about everything goes to Leiasky.

And remember, keep posting those shiny, happy comments and I'll keep posting these shiny, happy - well ... angsty, at least - chapters!

***

A NEW LIFE, ch. 5: Blind Trust

***

It had taken Simon the better part of a week to finally decide it was time to tell Alicia of his dreams, his flashes of memory of some girl he could not remember. After a nice dinner and a stroll, and a bit more gentle prodding from the young woman, Simon had finally relented.

“So, this girl, you don’t have any idea who she is?”

Alicia asked the question, watching as Simon paced the length of her balcony. They had come back to her apartment after their date, Simon unwilling to head home. It had taken her a while to coax him into telling her what was truly bothering him, but once he started, his fears and his concerns just fell from his lips. Her heart ached for him. He was a good man, an excellent doctor and a loving son. She hated to see him suffering like this, hated to see him so scared.

Not stopping his nervous motion, Simon answered her, “No, I don’t. All I know is she looks unbelievably familiar, like I should know her, you know?” He turned a quizzical gaze on her, and Alicia again felt a pang of hurt at the sight of him. He was scared and she could only imagine how awful this was for him. It had been a shock to Alicia, as it had their entire circle of friends, when word had reached them that Simon had been sent away to a mental hospital to heal. Alicia took the news hardest of all; considering that she was a psychiatrist she felt as if she had failed him in some way. Perhaps if she had spent more time with him or really listened she could have spotted the warning signs, saved Simon from himself. But the clinical side of her knew that wasn’t possible. Once Simon’s hold on reality had been severed, there wouldn’t have been a lot any of them could have done to save him, except let him find his own way back.

And he had. That was what had him so scared, Alicia knew. He didn’t want to go through that again, and she couldn’t blame him. She had read his chart, even though it was technically unethical, but she couldn’t help it, she’d been curious. Being as there was no history of mental illness in his family she had wondered what could have driven Simon over the edge. His doctors seemed to think it was stress and overwork, that the pressures of being in such high demand at such a young age in such a taxing field had caused him to snap. Alicia didn’t personally believe that assessment. She had known Simon since freshmen year in college, he was strong and smart and much more together than just about anyone she knew.

But that wasn’t the point, at least not anymore. Regardless the cause, Simon was back and thriving and the thought that he could once again lose it was causing him more anxiety than was healthy.

Rising from her chair, she stepped into his path, forcing him to stand still. Placing a light hand on his chest, she could feel his heart thudding. Concerned, she took his arm and guided him to a bench along the far wall, sitting next to him. “Simon, I know this is scary, but you have got to calm down,” she ordered, keeping her voice firm. “This anxiety is not good for you.”

Simon was ready to dismiss her concern, but he knew he couldn’t, that wouldn’t be fair. She had listened to his crazy ramblings and she deserved his respect. Trying to break the tension that had been building between them, he smirked at her and said, “So, doc, am I crazy?”

She didn’t take the bait. “Simon, I don’t joke about sanity; it’s considered bad taste in my profession.” She watched as his face fell and then she continued, “But no, I don’t think you’re crazy. I think …” She trailed off uncertain if she should really voice her opinion. There was a lot she still did not know and it didn’t seem fair to make a diagnosis without all the facts.

But Simon was her friend, and, if she was honest with herself, she was in love with him. She would do anything she could to help him. “I think you’re experiencing a repressed memory.” He turned shocked eyes on her and she elaborated. “I’m not sure why, as I don’t think this girl was a threat to you in anyway, but for some reason, your subconscious has buried this memory, this person, from your conscious mind.”

Simon’s mind reeled at her words. Why would he have repressed memories? What was it about this girl that he was trying to forget? He had studied a bit of psychology in school and he knew the human mind was highly complex; there were all kinds of ways it could protect itself. Was this a residual affect of his first bout with insanity?

Regardless of why, he needed more. Turning to Alicia with a fierce determination in his eyes, he asked her, “How can I get it back?”

***

“I am bored outta my mind.”

River gave Jayne an amused look, noting how the big man huffed and puffed like a little boy being punished. “Not too hard, is it,” she teased, waiting for him to throw her his typical annoyed glare that had long ago lost any malice … and there it was.

Smiling evenly more broadly, River again turned to face the sight of the port city as people from varied planets and origins bustled about, each one intent on fulfilling their errands, on living their lives. She sat with her knees to her chest, her arms wrapped around them. She and Jayne had been left to watch the ship while Mal, Zoe and Inara went out to gather the parts they would be transporting back to Beaumonde. Jayne had been grumpy all morning at being left out of the action and unfortunately River had had to deal with his mood.

But at least she wasn’t alone. She had worried that the captain would take the entire crew, leaving her on the ship by herself and that she could not handle. Ever since her dream of Simon over two weeks ago, she had been haunted by more vivid images of him – and they weren’t memories. It unnerved her to be picturing him, working in the hospital or living at home, attending parties or entertaining friends as if he were still alive. He was gone, she knew that, knew it the minute she had felt him leave her for good. It had only been the second day since he’d been led off the ship and with a finality that chilled her to her core, River had felt her brother’s consciousness snuffed out.

It had been sudden which she took some comfort in knowing they hadn’t made him suffer, but the quickness with which he left her only caused her more pain. She had been unprepared for the absence of him. Ever since he had rescued her from the Academy, Simon’s mind had always been a familiar presence in her own. Sometimes, it had been more overwhelming than she’d have liked, especially when he’d been spending time with Kaylee, but he was always there. Always nearby if she needed help, always available to chase the monsters away, always willing to hold her as she cried. And the loss of him hurt. It hurt so much she could barely breathe. Just like Kaylee.

River was excited that they would be heading to Beaumonde, the thought of seeing Kaylee making her smile with joy for the first time in months. But she knew, deep down, that Kaylee was still hurt, she still did not want to see them, any of them. River tried to remind herself of this so that she wouldn’t be crushed when they reached the Everetts and Kaylee wasn’t there. But it was hard to quell her hopes and dreams when there were so few to hold onto.

“You know, little one, you can be replaced,” Jayne threatened, glancing to her, his own jovial mood sinking slightly as he watched the smile on her face fade as quickly as it had come.

Shaking her head, River answered without looking at him, “Nope. I can’t and you know it.” She turned to him with sad eyes that made Jayne’s heart stop and said, “There isn’t anyone as crazy as me in the whole ‘verse.”

“Now that ain’t true girl,” he told her, mentally kicking himself for causing her sadness. He’d been trying over the past months to keep an eye on her as there seemed to be no one else willing to do the job. The girl was in even worse shape then she’d been when her and the doc had first come on board and for a reason Jayne could not pinpoint that caused him more discomfort than he generally liked.

Sitting down next to her on the ramp, he continued, “You’ve been doin’ real good, flyin’ the ship an’ all. You’re hardly crazier than the rest of us,” he added, reaching up a hand, almost without thought, and pushing some of her hair behind her ear so he could see her face.

She did not flinch at the touch, she’d know it was coming and River liked it. She thought of what her brother would say, to know that she was developing feelings for the overgrown ape, but the thought only proved to sadden her further; it didn’t matter what Simon thought, not anymore.

A few tears fell down her face, and she leaned against Jayne’s shoulder. He let her; damn if the girl wasn’t starting to grow on him. But never before had a girl or a woman ever needed Jayne the way River did. She didn’t have anybody and for some reason Jayne felt compelled to help her, to try and make things better, even though he knew he couldn’t.

“You do.” Her voice was quiet and soft, and startled him just a bit. Turning her tear-streaked face up to him, she said, “You make things better for me. But you can’t make me not sad Jayne. That just isn’t possible.”

Just as he was about to tell her he could do whatever he damn well pleased, he watched with curiosity as her body tensed. Shutting her eyes tightly against something – was it pain – he watched as she took several deep breaths, muttering incoherently to herself.

Placing a steadying hand on her shoulder, Jayne waited until her eyes had again opened, before asking quietly, “River, you all right?”

Turning to face him with fresh tears in her eyes, she could not speak for several moments. What had just happened … it wasn’t possible was it? She had seen and felt Simon; not as a memory and not from grief, but as real; as real to her as anyone, as real to her as he had always been. He had been thinking of her, but River could still tell he was confused, something was wrong. He was wrong and River tried to fight through that confusion, tried to strengthen the contact with him, but just as quickly as it came, it was gone.

But it was enough. “It was Simon,” she finally said, noting Jayne’s eyes as they widened in shock. “It was Simon,” she repeated and without another word ran towards the cockpit leaving a very confused Jayne in her wake.

Turning back to face the people hustling by, Jayne thought to himself, Maybe the girl is crazy.

***

It was later that same day, as the ship soared through space and towards Beaumonde that Jayne was finally able to find Mal alone. The captain was again going over their take of parts, trying to determine the best price he could fetch for each one. It was hard for him, especially without Kaylee on board, as this type of thing was her area of expertise, but he was muddling through just fine.

Completely baffled that he was even about to have this conversation, Jayne finally worked up the nerve. “Cap’n, you gotta a minute?”

Mal regarded the larger man over his shoulder for a moment before resuming his appraisal. “What is it, Jayne?”

Entering the room more fully, Jayne stepped into the other man’s path, forcing him to stop and face him. Annoyed, Mal was about to dress the man down for being so gorram idiotic when the look in his eyes caused him to pause. Jayne seldom, if ever, looked concerned, unless it was his own hide on the line. But the pained look in his eyes right now unnerved Mal more than he’d want to admit. “Well,” he questioned, his voice still rough; this was Jayne, after all.

“I wanted to talk with ya,” Jayne stated haltingly, uncertain of how exactly to broach the subject. As he saw Mal get more impatient, he just barreled ahead; tact had never been his strong suit. “’Bout River.”

Of all the things Mal’d thought Jayne would say, that had not even made the list. “What about River, the young, teenaged girl who is my pilot and like a sister to me,” Mal questioned, letting his tone grow icy.

Rolling his eyes at him, Jayne waved off the obvious implication. “Ahh, Mal, hell, it ain’t like that. Why you gotta look at me like I’m goin’ to the preacher’s special Hell all the time,” he asked, trying to sound annoyed, but in actuality, really wanting an answer.

“Well, Jayne, some things in the ‘verse is just inevitable,” Mal answered, silently relieved that he was wrong to suspect Jayne of developing feelings for his albatross. “So, what’s this about then?”

Jayne glanced around the large room as if afraid someone might overhear, and although they were alone, he still leaned in and whispered, “She ain’t doin’ so good.”

Matching his posture and his tone, Mal told him, “That ain’t really a secret, Jayne.” Noting the other man’s continued annoyance, Mal went back to his work as he said, “Can you really blame her? The girl’s lost her brother and one of her best friends in the span of just a few months. She just needs some time, Jayne.”

“I don’t think that’s it, Mal,” Jayne continued, determined to be heard. “This mornin’ while you all was out on the job, she …” He trailed off uncertain of how to tell Mal about her revelation that Simon was alive without coming off sounding crazy himself.

His curiosity good and peaked, Mal prompted, “She what?”

“Well, we was sittin’, fine as you please, just waitin’,” he grumbled, still not over the fact that the captain had made him stay behind. “And she got all tense. I thought maybe she was having a relapse or somethin’, but then when she opened her eyes ‘gain she said somethin’ about the doc.” Jayne was getting more nervous as he spoke, realizing that Mal’s look of incredulity was not fading.

“What ‘bout the doc,” Mal asked, not at all liking where this conversation was heading.

“She just … she seemed to think he was alive,” Jayne said quietly, again lowering his voice to ensure they were not overheard.

Muttering a curse, Mal closed his eyes and rubbed a hand over his face. He had been worried about River as much as anyone since Simon and Kaylee had been gone. While she had managed to maintain her piloting duties, Mal had not been oblivious to her withdrawal from the crew or her consistently puffy eyes. He knew she cried most nights, when she was alone in her bunk, but Mal had assumed that until she was ready to move on, there was nothing he or anyone else on board could do to help her through her grief. Mourning the loss of someone, especially family was a particularly private thing and Mal did not feel right trying to encroach on that, even if it pained him to watch her suffer.

“What exactly did she say,” he asked his mercenary, hoping that the man was wrong and that all of this was just a misunderstanding.

“Not a lot, Mal,” Jayne answered, slightly relieved that the captain seemed to believe him. “She just said ‘It was Simon’ and then she ran off to the bridge. I think she’s been scannin’ the cortex all day.”

Mal nodded knowing that was what she’d been doing when they had returned earlier. What she could be looking for Mal had no idea, but he didn’t like the fact that she seemed convinced that her brother was alive. Not when they all knew he had to be dead.

“Where is she now,” he asked, placing down the data card he’d been inputting data on.

“Still on the bridge, I think,” Jayne answered.

As Mal turned to go, a hand on his arm stopped him. Looking back to Jayne, he gave him a puzzled look. Answering his unspoken question, Jayne said, “Go easy on ‘er will ya? She’s been having a hell of a time.”

Again wondering if he and Jayne needed to have a more in-depth conversation regarding the shepherd’s special hell, Mal nodded once and watched as Jayne sulked off to his weight bench in the corner of the room to work out some of his tension. Resuming his walk toward the cockpit Mal did not relish the coming conversation. He had no interest in breaking River’s heart; it seemed to him that had been done enough, especially on this boat.

***

Alicia immediately dropped Simon’s gaze at his request, telling him that she knew the answer to uncovering this forgotten memory. So he knew when she pled ignorance, she wasn’t telling the truth. “Simon, I don’t think that’s necessarily the best idea.”

“Alicia, come on,” Simon said, his tone growing angry. He paced away from her and looked out at the city. It was still well into nighttime and he watched the lights twinkle and shine all around him. Turning back to his friend, he said, “I can’t go on like this; wondering if I’ll snap at any second. I need to find out what is happening to me. And I know you can do it.”

She held his gaze for a moment more and she knew he was right. It wasn’t fair for her to tell him what was wrong and then not help him fix it. Rising, she placed a light hand on his arm and said, “I can help, Simon, I just …” She trailed off again, unwilling to voice her fears.

With barely another thought, Simon leaned down and kissed her, and all of Alicia’s reservations flew from her mind at the contact. When he pulled away, he whispered to her, “Thank you.”

Sighing, she bathed in the moment for a second more and then opened her eyes to his intense gaze. “Come on,” she said, gesturing to her apartment. “There’s no time like the present.”

***

River was growing frustrated. She had been scanning the cortex for almost twelve hours and still there was nothing. She had known it wouldn’t be obvious information to find, but she had hoped that once she’d managed to work around a majority of the security systems that protected the data she needed, she’d have some luck. But, so far nothing.

So consumed by her task, she did not feel Mal approach. It wasn’t until he cleared his throat that she tensed, her hands frozen over the keys. Hesitating for only a second more, she shut down the screen and swiveled in her seat to face him.

“You’re up late,” she told him, regarding him with a quizzical gaze. Now that she knew he was there, she could feel his concern and digging a little deeper she realized who had sent him; maybe her feelings for Jayne weren’t completely one sided after all.

“I could say the same for you, lil’ albatross,” he answered her. Uncertain of what exactly to say, Mal crossed the space between them and knelt at her side. Resting a gentle hand on her knee, he finally asked, “You all right?”

She smiled at him and he could have sworn it was genuine. “Sure, captain, why wouldn’t I be?”

Silently Mal cursed at Jayne, convinced he would find a way to hurt the man if he had sent him here on a wild goose chase. “Well, Jayne seemed to think you were having some troubles is all.”

River smiled patiently, and patted his hand. “Nope, captain daddy, I’m fine.” Leaning towards him conspiratorially, she whispered, “Maybe Jayne is the one having troubles.”

***

“Simon, I’m going to count backwards from ten. When I reach one you will be back home watching the girl from your vision. Do you understand?” Alicia kept her voice steady even as her mind raged that this was probably not the best idea.

Simon sat across the room from her, his hands resting lightly on his knees, his eyes closed, breathing even. “Yes,” he answered, his voice even.

Taking a deep breath, Alicia began in a measured tone, “Ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five …”

As soon as she hit four, Simon felt his mind pulled backwards in time, back to that moment in his foyer. Again he was standing in front of the young girl and she was again dancing.

“One.” Alicia waited, watching as Simon’s face contorted slightly with the effort of staying within the memory. “Simon, can you see her?”

“Yes,” he answered, watching as the girl stopped spinning and turned to face him.

Simon, why don’t you remember me? She asked the question so plaintively it physically pained him that he couldn’t place her delicate face.

“What is she doing?”

“She wants to know why I can’t remember her,” he told his friend, still focusing internally on the young girl before him. “Who are you,” he asked her.

Tears sprang to her eyes and the sight of her crying made him unbearably sad. You don’t remember, she asked him.

“No,” Simon told her. Alicia watched him from across the room, willing to let him play out this scene.

Why can’t you remember? She asked the question with such innocence that Simon could not help but smile.

“I don’t know,” he told her. “Should I know you?”

Of course, you should, she answered him. Finally taking a step closer, her face was illuminated by light and Simon inhaled sharply as her features came into full relief. I’m your sister, silly.

“River.”

***

With a start, River bolted upright in the pilot’s seat, dislodging the captain’s hand and wiping the smile off his face. She had been fine only a moment before, joking about Jayne, what had happened?

Shifting to get a better look at her face, Mal saw that her eyes were focused far away. A little scared, he whispered, “River? Darlin’, can you hear me?”

River heard Mal’s voice, but she could not focus on him right now, she had to stay focused on Simon; he was real and he was trying to find her.

Closing her eyes, River retreated into her mind, finding the place that Simon had always inhabited before. Working diligently at the connection, she pulled and prodded it open, trying to find him. Inhaling sharply, River felt his mind snap into place within in her and felt the connection they had lost reach her again. It was tenuous at best, but it was there.

She felt tears fall down her face, as she watched her brother from far away talking with a much younger version of herself. His confusion almost overwhelmed her, but fighting past her own fear and his, River took a deep breath and started walking towards him.

***

Yes, you boob, the girl told him, twirling once so he could get a good look at her. It’s me. Who did you think it was?

Simon was fairly certain that if he could have fainted he would have, but something was driving him, forcing him to keep his wits about him so he could understand. “You’re my sister,” he asked her haltingly, almost positive he already knew the answer.

Her face fell again at his question and again Simon hated the sight of her sad. Yes, of course.

Simon?

Another voice, eerily similar to the girl in front of him now, but stronger and older, called to him. Turning from the small girl in front of him, Simon saw a form moving towards him from the shadows of his mind and while he knew he should be afraid, he wasn’t.

As this new woman stepped into the light, Simon inhaled sharply recognizing her without question. “Ta ma da,” he murmured, trying to reach her, but unable to do so in the confines of his mind. “River, where are you?”

With captain daddy, on the ship, she told him, her eyes spilling steady tears down her cheeks. Where did you go?

“Home,” he answered truthfully, although now the word made very little sense when speaking of Osiris. “Osiris. Where are you,” he asked again, realizing he should know, but unable to put all the pieces together.

On the ship, she repeated, her tears drying as she came to the realization that he was real. You’re alive.

Swallowing past a sudden lump in his throat, Simon felt tears of his own start to fall. “Of course, I am. I’m just …”

He trailed off, uncertain of how to explain any of this. It’s okay, his sister reassured him, smiling at him and warming his heart in the process. You’re lost, in the woods. It’s okay, I’ll find you.

With that, she turned to go and Simon fought to keep her there. “River, wait, please!” He called after her, but in moments she was gone and within another few seconds, he was back in Alicia’s apartment.

Breathing heavily at the exertion and the emotions it had evoked, Simon buried his face in his hands and cried, ashamed to be doing so in front of his friend, but unable to stop the tears.

Hurrying to him, Alicia knelt at his side and said, “Simon, you’re okay. Can you tell me what happened?”

Taking a few deep breaths to steady himself, Simon finally raised his face to look at hers. Her breath caught in her throat at the sight. Now, mixed with his sadness and his fear, she saw anger there and a new pain. “I have a sister,” he told her, his voice calm. “And she thought I was dead.”

Alicia blinked back her own tears at this admission. She had known Simon for years and in all that time she had never known him to have a sister. What could this possibly mean? “Simon,” she asked, trying to get him to tell her more. “Are you sure?”

Closing his eyes, River’s face again floated there and Simon smiled at the sight. He was more sure of her than of just about anything else in his life. “Positive,” he answered her. Again opening his eyes, he asked Alicia, “But why can’t I remember her?”

Tired beyond reason, Simon slumped back against the chair and although his body wanted to sleep he couldn’t. Alicia had no more answers for him, she was just as perplexed. With a sigh, she got up and resumed her seat across the room. Both of them were awake for most of the night, sitting in silence and trying to comprehend what all of this could mean.

***

Just as Mal was about to wake the entire ship to see if anyone could reach his pilot, River’s eyes again opened. Fresh tears had fallen down her face, but when she turned to look at him, he was surprised to see a light sparkling there he hadn’t seen for months.

Reaching up a gentle hand to wipe some of the tears off her cheek, Mal whispered, “River, you okay?”

Smiling wide, another gesture he had been certain she could no longer affect, she grabbed his hand and held it tightly. “Just shiny, captain,” she answered. Taking his face in both of her hands, she leaned towards him and whispered, “Simon’s alive.”

Taking a deep breath, Mal’s heart broke for the girl in front of him. Something had just happened and while Mal had no idea what it was, he knew it couldn’t have meant the good doctor had miraculously come back from the dead. Of course, he shouldn’t even have been dead in the first place.

Mal’s guilt at his hand in Simon’s demise still weighed heavily on him and he wondered if it would ever fade. If he had to guess, he’d say no, seeing as how he still carried around tragedy of Serenity Valley and that had been almost a decade ago. But still … the doc hadn’t been waging a war, hadn’t even wittingly wanted any part in their scheme, but he’d been in the wrong place at the wrong time and that meant, at least in the ‘verse they lived in, he had to be punished.

It was supposed to have been a simple job, not entirely legally – well, not even marginally legal – but still simple. Simple to Mal meant in and out with no casualties and quite possibly not even a scratch, but simple to everyone else seemed to mean ruttin’ impossible. The only reason Simon’d been grabbed was because he wasn’t with the rest of them. Someone had tipped off the local authorities that a firefly ship was in the system to do some badness and so Simon, who had been left behind to watch the ship while the rest of them went about the job, was the one who had been snatched.

When they had returned with the goods, Mal leading the small band of thieves back into the cargo bay, they had been faced with Simon’s handcuffed form in the center of the ship, surrounded by a half a dozen of the local security. The only thing Mal had managed to think at that moment was relief that River had had to stay behind with Inara to finish one final piece of the job.

But still, the sight of Simon, beaten and bloody – seemed the officers were intent on saying he resisted arrest, had caused his heart to harden. Kaylee had of course tried to rush to his side, but Zoe had held the girl back with an iron grip and so she had just stood by Mal, tears sliding down her face as she held Simon’s gaze.

The crazy thing was they didn’t even know who Simon was. So far out from the core, they had no doubt seen all the bulletins, but ever since Miranda, the Alliance had stopped chasing the Tams with such intensity. These yokels had no clue that they had managed to nab one of the most wanted criminals in the ‘verse, which of course meant they had no clue they could have used the young doctor as a bargaining chip to get his sis.

There had been very little time for negotiation, in fact, there had been no negotiation. The local authorities, while ridiculously stupid did have a few things to hold over Mal’s head: one was his doctor, in a decidedly compromised position; the other was his payload, which they of course, relieved them of. Convinced that their superiors would consider this bust a success if they returned with the goods and at least one of the “bandits,” they had made it perfectly clear, despite Mal’s blustering that the rest of them were free to go. He had tried to stall a bit more, but once they had cocked a gun in Simon’s direction and Kaylee had finally let out an audible sob, Mal knew it was done. If they had any hope of rescuing the young man, they would have to let him go, for now.

Of course it was Simon who had read his mind and warned him against any foolishness. The soldiers let him say goodbye to Kaylee, a moment Mal never wanted to relive in his whole life as it had been unbelievably painful. Then, with a fierce look in his eye and a resignation in his stance, Simon had looked to Mal, held his gaze and said, ‘Take the crew and get away from here. Now.’

Mal knew that by “crew” he meant River and he could tell by the forceful way the doc said “now,” he meant within minutes of these hundans escorting him off the boat. Then he had said something that had truly driven an icy stake through Mal’s heart: ‘Take care of her.’ Mal had known he was talking about both River and Kaylee and while Kaylee had made it impossible for Mal to keep that promise, he could still make good on it in regards to River.

Looking into her face now, he pulled her hands away from his cheeks and held them tightly. “Lil’ one, that’s impossible and you know it,” he said quietly, trying to be as gentle as possible and knowing it wouldn’t matter. Bad news was still bad news. “We got the wave after Simon’d been killed. He can’t come back from the dead.”

Despite his words, the smile on her face would not fade. “Not dead,” she told him, trying to convince him by sheer will. “Just lost. Lost in the woods. We have to find him.”

Not willing to waste anymore time trying to convince Mal of something he would not believe, River rose and twirled herself off the bridge. Jayne chose that moment to enter the room and as she passed him, River said, “Simon’s alive, Jayne.” And with barely another thought, she leaned forward on her tiptoes and planted a firm kiss on his lips. Continuing to dance down the hall to the passenger dorms, Jayne watched her go, not at all liking her bemused tone or the fact that he had greatly enjoyed that kiss.

Turning back to look at Mal, he asked, “What the hell did you tell her?”

Unable to form a coherent thought at the very odd set of events he had just witnessed, Mal simply sighed and rose, stalking from the bridge and heading towards Inara’s shuttle.

Jayne watched the captain go and thought for a moment more on what had just happened. Maybe everybody on this boat is ruttin’ crazy, he thought to himself. Then with a shrug, he headed for his bunk.

***

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