Ok, so chapter. Hope you guys enjoy. I've really been enjoying writing these.

Chapter 1 is here: http://www.fireflyfans.net/bluesun.aspx?bid=12098

Comments are more then welcome.

Disclaimer: Serenity is not my creation. It belongs to Joss. I make no money off this, blah blah blah, copy right this, trademark that :)

They stood in shocked silence over Kaylee's new found brother. In the silence, they could hear his breathing getting even more ragged by the second.

Mal broke the silence, "What did you just say?" He was shaking his head as he spoke.

"Robert, oh my God, Robert." Kaylee was getting closer and closer to becoming hysterical. Mal shook her shoulders slightly to get her attention. She looked up at the captain, tears running down her cheeks. "He's my brother cap'n. Please, help me get him onto Serenity."

Mal had begun to open his mouth in protest, but was cut off as Simon, and surprisingly, Jayne moved in unison to pick the man up off the ground. Mal started to chuckle at it all. The last time they took strangers on board...

"Let's get him to the infirmiry." Simon stated matter of factly. Jayne nodded. The man, Robert, wasn't all that heavy, especially for two men to carry him.

"I don't want him on the ship," Zoe stated from out of no where, folding her arms across her chest, "Patch him up if you have to, but toss him back out when you're done," she called after Jayne and Simon.

"Zoe..." Kaylee began, pleading, "Why?"

Mal and Inara stood back in silence. Neither of them knew what to say. Mal had had his power usurped twice in the last 20 minutes. Inara was still rocked by the news of the man being Kaylee's brother. She could only begin to wonder how torn up Kaylee must be.

"Reasons." Zoe turned her back on everyone. She still hadn't quite recovered from Wash's death. If anything, she'd become even more reserved since then. But this was a surprise, even to Mal.

Mal looked at the ground, then to the setting sun, then back to Kaylee, putting his hands on his hips "I'm not making this descision lightly," He sighed, "We keep him on board. I guess we owe him that much." He didn't look pleased at all with the descision.

Zoe threw her arms up in disgust after hearing that. She walked into the cargo bay, the metallic clang of something being thrown very hard against a bulkhead was audible even outside the ship. Kaylee wiped the tears from her eyes and hugged Mal. All she could offer was a simple thank-you, barely wispered into his ear. Kaylee let go, then raced into the ship to get to her brothers side.

"Mal," Inara started, "You made the right descision. Whatever Zoe's reasons are, she'll let us know. Let's just leave this place. Ok."

"Yeah," Mal spoke after a few seconds, trying to come to terms with what he had witnessed in the last few moments, "But why's there a feelin in my gut that just doesn't sit right." **************************************************

Jayne and Simon placed Robert onto the bed in the infirmiry. He'd been dead weight the whole way, and had it not been for the laboured breathing, Simon would have pegged him for dead. Simon hooked his right middle finger up to the simple heart monitor. His pulse was low, dangerously low. His blood pressure was dropping.

"Time to get a more accurate reading," Simon said almost to himself as he got out a pair of scissors, "Jayne, you wanna get this guys armor off, I'm gonna have to cut off the skin suit."

"Don't!!" Simon and Jayne both jumped when they heard River scream that, "He's a bomb. Tick tock, tick tock. You cut the suit, you cut the wire. You cut the wire...Boom..." She had a wry smile on her face. She hadn't spoken in riddles since Miranda. Why now?

"River?" Simon was shocked to see his sister standing in the door way, "How do you know that?"

"She's a reader. Duh." Jayne gave Simon a 'Don't be so stupid,' look as he removed the mans chest plate. Simon just nodded his head, wondering how he'd let something like that get away from him.

"The vials on his forearm. Diffusal. Bomb will go away. The man lives another day," She walked over to Simon, and leaned to him, whispering the last part in his ear, "He's going to die..." She turned smartly on her boot heel and walked out of the infirmiry.

Jayne had a confused look on his face, "I don't know what's more creepy. Your sister, or this guy. But I think your sister just won." **************************************

"Zoe!" Mal screamed up and down the halls of Serenity, "Zoe!" He was looking all over the place. He'd searched the bridge, the cargo hold, stole a glance into the infirmiry. The final place he looked he had a feeling all along is where she'd be found. He shoved open the door to her room and sped down the ladder. He'd found her. Zoe was sitting on her bed. She'd been doing that for the last month. Anytime anything had bothered her, she'd retreat to her quarters, they wouldn't see her for a few hours, then she'd come back out.

Zoe hadn't been the same since Miranda. It was understandable, with the loss of Wash, but this was starting to really get Mal and the rest of the crew worried. And now the outburst outside regarding the man being patched up. Mal decided to get to the bottom of this.

Mal took a deep breath, letting it out slowly. "Zoe," Mal was at a loss for words, "What's got you so worked up? What happened out there? In fact, what's been going on for the last month inside that head of yours. You've been walking around here like a ghost. You exist, but you don't live. What happened to my second in command? The one I could always count on to cover my butt when I made the wrong choice." He'd hoped a little levity might help, but he could see it wasn't going to cut it.

"That man is a danger to us," She said, barely meeting Mal's gaze, "You remember the last time we brought a stranger on board. Kaylee wound up shot, and we almost got reigned in by the Alliance." The look in her eyes told Mal nearly everything he needed to know.

"What do you know that I don't Zoe?" Mal dreaded having to hear the words coming from her. *********************************

Kaylee sat down in the engine room, legs crossed, her face pressed into her palms. She hadn't known what to do. She was all set to get to her brothers side, but she couldn't bear to see him laying on the table. She was in total shock. So she came back to the one place she knew would keep her mind occupied while Simon did what he could. But finding what was ailing Serenity had only taken her 20 minutes at most. Now she just sat there, wondering.

She stood up slowly, and went to the intercom, but got no response from the bridge. Sighing loudly, she left what she considered the normalcy of the engine room to find someone, anyone. Luckily, she ran into River, as she came up the stairs that led to the guest rooms and infirmiry.

"Ships ready. She's as ready as she'll ever be." Kaylee said, not really to River, even though she looked straight at her.

"He's a good person. But he's not who you used to know." Was River's simple reply, she turned, and walked in the direction of the bridge.

Kaylee kept fighting back tears as she descended the stairs to the infirmiry. She had to see him, she'd waited too long, Simon hadn't said anything. She was shaking, nearly falling down with each step. She was wracked by so many different emotions, she wanted to smile, but she wanted to curse her brother out. She wanted to cry, but she wanted to laugh once more with him.

She rounded the corner and walked into the infirmiry. Simon was still in there, looking over Robert, stethescope hanging around his neck. His face wore the look of confusion, and sadness at the same time.

"Kaylee I-" Simon began, but was interrupted.

"I just want to be alone with him. Please." Kaylee didn't even make eye contact with Simon, her eyes locked on Robert's prone form.

"Sure, if you need me, I'll be in the kitchen," Simon put a hand on Kaylee's shoulder, and was awarded with a smile. A weak smile, but a smile none the less.

Simon left the room, closing the door. She heard his light footfalls as he made his way up the stairs. She found a stool in the corner of the room and sat down next to the bed. Kaylee sat there for seemed to be an eternity, opening her mouth to say something, anything, but she couldn't get the words to come out.

And so she sat, listening to the slow yet steady beep of the heart monitor. She'd seen enough people on this table, hooked to the same monitor, she knew her brother was fading, and fading fast. She leaned down and put her head on his chest, the armor plating had been successfully removed, yet the skin suit remained. Her ear was pressed to his chest, she could hear his heart beating, his lungs filling with air. The steady rhythm of it all finally relaxed Kaylee enough, she fell asleep.