“Wow,” Anne began. “Wow, well I...” She paused, eyeing Carl warily. “Why don’t we all come in and sit down?” she suggested, reaching for her husband’s arm. A blank expression on his face, Carl nodded. “Come in, everyone,” Anne invited. “I’ll get everyone something to drink.” She glanced at each of the seven visitors, counting cups, and turned to Kent. “Show everyone into the den and grab your sisters.” “I can take them to the den,” Kaylee suggested, her face burning red. *He’s my fiancee. We came home so we could get married.* She groaned inwardly. *What a moron.* So nervous was she about introducing Simon that it had popped out before she even realized what she was saying. *Daddy’s gonna kill all of us...* As they moved toward the den, Kent could be heard in the other end of the small house, near the kitchen. “Betsy! Jessie! Kaylee’s home, an’ she brought her new fiancee!” Kaylee could feel her ears warming even further and her heart fluttering as she winced. Her eyes moved briefly to her father, whose jaw tightened although he said nothing. Swallowing thickly, Kaylee gestured silently to the sparse seating arrangements. There was a sofa, a love seat, and two wicker chairs present. Gabriel and River immediately moved to a wall and sat on the floor. Shrugging, Mal, Zoe, and Inara moved to the couch. Carl Fry grabbed the back of one of the wicker chairs, turned it slightly, and sank silently onto the wood. Kaylee turned as her older sisters, clothed in baggy sweaters and skirts, burst into the room. “Kaylee!” they both exclaimed rushing to group-hug the youngest girl. There was a babble of greetings and questions, and then Betsy turned to Simon. “Is this the fancy doctor we heard so much about?” The eldest sister inquired, hugging him. Simon stiffened noticeably, clueless as to a proper response. “My, he *is* a cute one,” Jessie purred, winking at Simon. “Better keep ‘im on a short leash.” Out of the corner of her eye, Kaylee witnessed both Mal and Zoe pretend to wipe their faces in unison as they attempted to remain straight-faced. Gabriel and River sat on the floor, grinning as if they wanted their jaws to pop off. Her composure as perfect as usual, Inara sat with a calm, friendly smile played on her ruby lips. Anne and Kent entered the room, each carrying two cups. “If you two can detach yourselves from our guest for thirty seconds,” Anne directed toward Jessie and Betsy, “there are four more cups in the kitchen.” She narrowed her eyes in a stern manner and, appearing sulky, the two girls exited the room. Kent handed his two cups to Zoe and Inara, while Anne gave her two to Gabriel and River. Gabriel eyed the cup in his hand in a very peculiar manner. Anne arched an eyebrow. “What’s the matter, Baby? Ya ain’t much fer green tea?” Gabriel looked up and blinked. “Of course I am, Ma’am. Who *doesn’t* drink green tea?” Anne smiled and patted the man on the head. “That’s what I like to hear.” Jessie and Betsy returned, serving Mal, Kaylee and Simon. Betsy offered the last cup to her father, who waved it away. Betsy held the cup around the room until her mother finally took it. Kaylee finally guided Simon to the love seat, where they sat. Anne took the last wicker chair, and Betsy, Jessie, and Kent stood to the side, looking very amused. “Well,” Kaylee began, her voice shaking, “let me introduce everyone again.” She gestured toward Inara. “Inara Sera. She’s my best friend. She also happens to be a registered Companion.” Anne’s eyes raised. “Wow. A doctor *and* a Companion. The way yer luck’s been goin’, Honey, I suppose one of these other fine individuals is in Parliament.” “Quite the opposite, actually,” Carl informed. It was the first he’d spoken in several long moments. He pointed toward Gabriel and River. “These two are wanted superhuman fugitives.” Anne’s eyes widened for an instant before she noticed Carl’s smirk and glowered. “Hey, that’s what they told me!” he insisted. “That’s Gabriel Davin and River Tam. River is Simon’s sister, and Gabriel is like another brother to me.” In introducing the two, Kaylee felt herself calm a bit, and she smiled. “You gotta forgive those two, though. They are very special.” Anne leaned back in her chair. “Ahh. That explains the green tea.” “It looked at me funny, is all,” Gabriel explained, and River burst out with the giggles. “*Very* special,” Kaylee reiterated. “I love them to death.” She then turned to Mal and Zoe. “Malcolm Reynolds. He’s my boss, an’ he takes care of me like he’s family. Zoe Washburne is his first mate and also a good friend of mine. Jayne Cobb is back on Serenity on guard duty.” She tightened her lips and shook her head. “You don’t need to meet him quite yet.” “Well, Honey,” Anne spoke, “looks like ya got yerself a fine crew to work with.” “Thanks, Mama,” Kaylee replied. She gestured to Betsy and Jessie next. “These are my older sisters. Kent is my younger brother.” She threw him a wink. “Baby of the family.” “Strongest of the family, too,” the big teen bragged, eliciting a scowl from his mother. “‘cept for Pa, of course. Ya might hafta wrastle yer way into the family, Simon.” “Quentin!” Anne exclaimed. “Ya wanna wrestle anyone in this room,” Kaylee informed with a clever smirk and a point toward Gabriel, “it’s him.” Gabriel just smiled knowingly in response. “Tom an’ David are older,” Kaylee continued, “but they ain’t here.” “They’re workin’ Hennigan’s field,” Anne excused. “‘Bout the only work this family’s seen in a month.” Kaylee felt guilty. “I try an’ send money home when I can, Mama.” Anne smiled. “I know, Baby. We know.” There was an awkward pause for a moment before Anne cleared her throat. “Well, I have a few things to clean up in the kitchen. Carl, could you come lend a hand?” Carl grunted absently in response, an intonation that translated to, ‘I don’t clean, Woman.’ “*Carl...*” Anne growled, a statement that translated to, ‘How fond are you of your head’s placement on your neck?’ Heaving a sigh, Carl rose from his chair and followed his wife into the kitchen. “So when’s the weddin’?” Jessie inquired of her sister. “Weddin’ can’t be tonight,” Kent interrupted. “I’m ready fer this wrastlin’ I been promised!” “He can’t,” River apologized. “His leg has been injured.” Gabriel frowned. “I won’t need to stand on both legs, anyhow.” *************************************************************************

As soon as they entered the kitchen, Anne pulled a chair from the table and pointed demandingly. Carl slunk to the seat and lowered himself into place. “Carl,” the woman began, “I know this is a bit sudden...” “Sudden?” Carl inquired, a mocked shock pitching his voice. “Jien tah-duh gway! It ain’t sudden. It’s completely random an’ unannounced!” “Carl!” Anne growled. “I’m askin’ ya to be understandin’ with me, here.” Carl folded his massive arms across his chest and leaned back. “Fine. Speak yer peace.” Wringing her hands, Anne paced the kitchen several times before moving to the counter to busy her hands. “So this is sudden, but at least we know a *little* bit about this kid.” She rinsed out a cup, wiped it clean, and placed it into a shelf before drying hands. “Lord knows, our little Kaywinnit said enough about him in her letters.” “And that makes this little surprise acceptable?!” Carl exclaimed. “Shhh!!” Anne hissed, her eyes darting to the kitchen exit. “This ain’t a big house!” “Humph,” Carl huffed. “All I’m sayin’,” Anne continued, “is we should give the boy a chance. He’s obvious as to a proper raisin’, bein’ from the Core an’ all, an’ he’s a doctor, so he’s smart. But right now he’s nervous an’ feelin’ ai ya high unaccepted, so all’s I’m sayin’ is...” She wiped her hands at her apron. “...let’s give him a chance to try an’ fit in.” Carl closed his eyes and took a deep, noisy breath. When his eyes opened, he stood. “Fine. I’ll get to know him, an’ I’ll try an’ accept him. But if I do, I’m gonna do it *my* way. No questions asked. Dong luh ma?” Anne pressed her lips into a thin, stern line. Finally, she nodded. Without another word, Carl strode from the kitchen. *************************************************************************

“So you were a real, honest-to-God surgeon on Osirius?” Jessie pressed. “In Capital City?!” Betsy added excitedly. Simon pressed back a sigh. “Yes. My parents were both highly-paid professionals, so it seemed common logic that I become a surgeon.” He shrugged. “Plus, I loved the job.” “Yer prob’ly the most important person we ever met in this luh-suh backwater,” Jessie observed. “Well,” Simon began, “I wouldn’t necessarily say that I qualify-” He fell silent as Anne and Carl Fry reentered the room. “Glad that’s all taken care of,” Carl announced. He turned toward Simon and pointed a finger demandingly at the young man’s chest. “Simon, I’d like to have a word with you in the kitchen.” He looked to Kaylee as she tensed to rise. “*Alone,*” he stressed. Standing and brushing off his trousers, Simon nodded once. “Certainly.” He followed the big man out of the den. “Ma-am?” Gabriel inquired, raising a finger above his head and looking directly at Anne. “Might I pose a question?” Anne frowned. “Certainly, Darlin’. What’s on yer mind?” Gabriel lowered his hand back into his lap. “Well, it’s sorta posed to both you an’ Captain Reynolds. I’m just wonderin’ what we should do in the possibility that our doctor never returns from this, ‘word’ in the kitchen.” *************************************************************************

Simon didn’t get his first steady girlfriend until he was sixteen years old. When he’d first met her father, the size and imposing demeanor of the man had instantly sent him into shakes. Of course, that girl’s father was nowhere near Carl Fry’s size, but at the time, he’d seemed a giant. As Simon recalled it now, he could barely speak around the man, so stumblingly and shakily did his words come. Simon had stared death in the face, both with The Alliance, the Reavers, and Ray Foster’s goons. He walked into the Fry kitchen on steady legs, with a calm heartbeat and a relaxed, yet purposeful attitude about him. This was nothing like interactions with the fathers of his past female relationships. Carl gestured to a seat at the kitchen table. “Do you drink?” he inquired as Simon sat. “Whisky?” Simon nodded. “It would be most appreciated. Thank you.” Carl poured two glasses, capped the bottle, and strode to the table. He set a glass before Simon and took the chair opposite across the table. Carl lifted one tree-trunk leg and crossed it over the other as he sank comfortably into the wood. “Try it. I been savin’ that for eight years.” Simon took a pull of the golden liquid in his glass. He instantly rasped an exhale that transformed into wracking coughs. Carl released a deep, hoarse laugh from the depths of his belly. “Sor... Sorry,” Simon rasped. “We don’t get whisky on the ship often. It’s usually plum wine or saki.” Carl chuckled. “So yer sayin’ ya get served water on yer ship. Is that what I’m hearin’?” Simon nodded, wiping at his mouth. “Apparently.” Carl drank from his glass. “So word has it yer a surgeon?” Simon forced another sip from his glass, clearing his throat. “Sir, I want to get this out in the open immediately. I will always be perfectly honest with you, starting with the fact that I haven’t worked as a hospital surgeon in two years.” Carl nodded. “Honest, huh? Then how’s this for a start: tell me Captain Reynolds ain’t runnin’ the business of smugglin’ contraband in that ship of his.” For a moment, Simon’s voice caught in his throat. He swallowed the catch down and cleared his throat again. “I cannot verify the denial for which you are asking me, Mr. Fry.” Carl nodded. “I thought as much for awhile now. We may be simple folk, Simon, but don’t take that as me bein’ naive.” He glanced to the empty kitchen door, then leaned forward a bit. “Jus’ don’t go lettin’ my wife know about it. Bother her right outta her gorram skin.” Simon forced himself to relax. “I’ll definitely keep that in mind.” “Be honest with me again, Simon,” Carl prompted, more than halving the glass of whisky he held. “Why would a rich, prosperous surgeon from Capital City, Osirius take a job as a medic way in the way-out-here nowhere on a smugglin’ ship an’ bring his sister along?” Simon’s first response was to guzzle the remains of the whisky in his glass. Under the stern and watchful scrutiny of his fiancee’s father, he coughed and gagged, then shook his head rapidly and returned the glass to the table. “I was hoping not to get into this yet, but since you asked, I will reveal.” He ran his fingers nervously through his hair, staring off into space. “My sister is a genius. By using the word, ‘genius’, I mean it in every possible understanding of the word. She can perform advanced astrophysical mathematics as easily as you or I take a thorough shower. She can speak every language mankind has ever developed, and has invented a few of her own. She has been doing this since the age of three.” Carl sat straight in his seat, but said nothing. Still staring off into space, Simon swallowed again and took a deep breath. “She was sixteen, and had advanced far beyond anything that Alliance universities could offer. Then, an organization, called simply The Academy, offered highly technical superiority courses that targeted ‘gifted’ youth. After several years of boredom and mental hibernation, River was very excited about the rarely-offered invitation. Our parents agreed that it was the only thing left for her, at her young age, and we sent her off.” “It was ran by Alliance, weren’t it?” Carl guessed. Simon nodded. “We never heard from her after that. Month after month after month, with word from neither River nor The Academy. Finally, River began to write me letters, but they made no sense. She misspelled words, a thing that she has *never* done. She spoke of people and events that did not exist. Finally, I deduced that she was attempting to contact us through code.” “Let me guess,” Carl ventured. “Neurological experimentation.” Simon was taken aback. At every twist and turn, Carl Fry’s intelligence and deduction skills surprised him. It was obvious where Kaylee had received her incredible mechanical gift. “Exactly,” he affirmed. “I don’t want to drag this out any longer than it has to go, so I’ll cut the story down. I contacted The Resistance, was abandoned by my parents, and finally rescued River by infiltrating The Academy and stealing her. To this day, she still suffers from mild forms of psychosis, although the medication I finally stabilized her on has helped tremendously.” Carl finally snapped out of his attentive fascination and finished his whisky. “What about her friend, Gabriel?” “Same organization,” Simon explained, “but different program. Unlike River, he was actually abducted and forced into the program. Gab turned out to have a previously existing mental instability that, once finally discovered, made him ineligible for the neurological testings. Instead, they placed him in a newer program for advanced physical demeanor.” Simon’s gaze became as dark and clouded as his mood. “River is now a psychic. She can read your mind as easily as she can read a book. There are also some precognitive traits that have surfaced from time to time. Gabriel, though...” Simon brought both hands to his forehead, then ran his fingers back through his hair. “I saw him crush the skulls of two men in an instant. He slammed them together with no apparent physical effort. I’ve seen him take bullets in combat and keep on coming like a freight train. I’ve seen him perform a four to five minute space walk *without a spacesuit.* He’s sitting in your living room as we speak, alive and well.” Carl looked surprised, yet calm and thoughtful. “So they weren’t lyin’. About bein’ wanted superhuman fugitives, I mean.” Simon shook his head. “Sadly, no. They weren’t.” Carl stood, grabbing Simon’s glass and moving to the counter to refill the whisky levels. “Well, Doctor,” he decided as he returned, placing the glass again before Simon, “I heard a lot of insane and ridiculous things come from yer mouth this afternoon.” He returned to his own seat. “I believe every word of it. If you got anywhere near the amount of dedication for my daughter that you got for yer sister an’ yer friends, well...” He paused to take another drink of whisky. “I think I can accept you into this family.” Simon closed his eyes. “Thank you, Mister Fry.” He opened his eyes again, gleaming with honestly and determination. “And if I may add, you should never underestimate your daughter or her abilities. She has seen things that soldiers do not have the misfortune to witness during war.” Images of several Reaver attacks flashed through his head. “She’s a stronger woman than most men I know.” Carl raised his glass. “I’ll drink to that.”