“Simon! Knock me out!”

“What? River –”

“They can hear me!”

“What are you –”

She didn’t wait for him, but grabbed his medbag, pulling a hypo from it and injecting it into her neck. Simon wasn’t fast enough to stop her, only to catch her as she collapsed bonelessly to the floor.

“Simon?” Kaylee asked, grasping Bethany to her, her face stained with tears and terror. “What did she mean?”

“I don’t know,” her husband admitted, staring at his sister. “Unless …” -

Two days earlier …

“He’s an old friend.”

“How good an old friend?” Mal looked up from his post-breakfast coffee. “I seem to recall what an old friend did once before.” He glanced at Freya, sitting with Bethany on her lap in one of the easy chairs, the little girl patting the mound at her waist.

“Baby,” Bethany said. “Baby. Auntie Frey.”

Freya smiled, putting her own hand on top.

“This is a real friend,” Simon explained. “Not like Eric Lon. Andrew Brooks is the man I went into medicine for. He inspired me, even as a boy.”

“How long’s it been since you seen him?” Zoe asked, stirring her coffee by the counter.

“Seven, eight years. But we kept in touch right up until I got my sister out of the Academy.”

“Does he know about that?” Mal waved his mug at the young doctor. “If there’s any likelihood he’s gonna call the Feds –”

“He wouldn’t do that!” Simon insisted. “I never told him anyway.”

“It’s not exactly been kept private that you’re both fugitives,” Hank pointed out. “It might be a while since they’ve been actively looking for you, but …”

“I know. But I trust Andrew.”

Mal sat back. “Well, we’re a long way from civilization out here. What made him decide to set up shop in this neck of the woods?”

“Just that. The last time I spoke to him he’d wanted to do some good while he still had the chance. He’s not a young man, Mal, and I think he found working in a hospital somehow … unfulfilling.”

“Treating all those nasty burns from candlelight suppers?”

Simon refused to rise to the bait. “Something like that.”

“Well, we’re passing right by Corvus on our way to Lilac. Could drop you for a spell,” Mal agreed. “Be maybe two, three days. Would that be long enough to visit?”

“I probably won’t get the chance to see him again. We’re a long way from our normal routes.” His face was young, eager.

“And you want to introduce him to your wife and daughter?” Hank asked, grinning. “Hell, if’n I had a couple like that, I’d be doing it too.”

“And I’d like to take River, as well,” Simon went on. “A break from … well, it would do her good.”

“From who, doctor?” Zoe asked, smiling slightly and successfully attempting not to look at Jayne sitting opposite who just rolled his eyes at the doctor.

“Just … it would be good to get some fresh air.”

“I’m sure we can get by without them for a few days,” Freya added, making Bethany laugh by tickling her.

Mal looked across at his own wife, and felt a tug at his heart. She was so beautiful, sitting there with Kaylee’s child, and he was so looking forward to meeting their own son … “Okay, doc,” he decided, looking back. “Can’t leave you the shuttle on account of it being full of cargo, but we can drop you.” He looked stern. “Long as Freya don’t need you.”

“I'm shiny,” the woman in question said, disentangling Bethany’s hand from the silver Firefly around her neck.

“She’ll be fine,” the young man assured him. “I have no worries about her or the baby’s health anymore. As long as she's sensible.”

“’Kay. We’ll land about –“

“They can use my shuttle,” Inara said unexpectedly, stepping down into the dining area. “Since I handed in my resignation I’ve no appointments, so there’s little for me to do. I have some Guild documents to complete but … I can do those in one of the guest quarters.”

“Documents?” Mal asked.

Inara rolled her eyes. “There is so much paperwork tied up in this. It makes my head spin.”

“You?”

The ex-Companion smiled. “Even me.”

“Inara, that’s very generous of you,” Simon said, getting back to the matter in hand.

“And it would give you somewhere to sleep if you think you’d be imposing,” she went on.

“You sure?” Kaylee asked, suddenly excited at using a real Companion’s bed, and blushing a little at the thought.

“Of course.” Inara smiled, as if she knew exactly what the young mechanic was thinking.

“Would make it quicker,” Mal considered. “Then if you were finished early you could rendezvous with us from orbit …” He nodded. “Thanks, ‘Nara.”

“What are friends for?” the Companion said gracefully, smiling at him.

River stepped down into the galley. “I’ve packed,” she said, sitting down in the vacant chair next to Jayne.

“How’d you know I was gonna say yes?” Mal asked, then added quickly, “No, forget I said that.”

“I couldn’t get everything in one case so I’ve used one of the crates,” she went on. “It wasn’t doing anything.”

“You mean it weren’t up and dancing a jig?” Jayne joked.

She looked at him and he glared back.

“Why wouldn’t it all fit?” Simon asked, ignoring the banter.

“Because I couldn’t get Bethany’s clothes in as well.”

“You mean you –“

Kaylee put her hand on her husband’s arm. “Just be glad you don’t have to pack for yourself,” she said. “You know how much you hate it.”

“But –“ He tried to figure out how to tell his sister she shouldn’t go through his and Kaylee’s things, that it wasn’t right, that now he was married … that even before he was married …

“You want I should fix a better lock on your door, doc?” Mal asked, a twinkle in his eye.

“Don’t bother,” Simon said gloomily. “It won’t stop her.” ---

Andrew Brooks was tall and thin, his back bent a little so he could look down into people’s eyes, but he straightened as much as he could as Simon opened the shuttle door.

“Simon!” he called, a wide smile on his face. “It’s good to see you, son.”

“Andrew.” Simon stepped down onto the dirt and walked across, holding out his hand.

“You think that’d be good enough?” the older man asked, grinning and pulling him into a hug.

For a moment Simon couldn’t reciprocate, but then his arms came up of their own accord and he smiled. He’d never been used to such displays of affection – his family just didn’t do that sort of thing – but once Kaylee had got hold of him … “It’s been a long time,” he said, relishing the human contact.

“Too long,” Andrew agreed, releasing the young man so he could look into his face, studying him. “Everything okay?” he asked.

“Shiny,” Simon said.

“And who are these two pretty things?” Andrew looked past him.

He realised the others had come out of the shuttle behind him and turned. Holding out his hand to Kaylee he said, “This is my wife. Kaylee, this is Andrew.”

Kaylee grinned. “Hi. Simon’s told me a lot about you,” she said, planting a kiss on his cheek.

Andrew coloured a little. “Been a long time since something as sweet as you’s done that,” he said, smiling.

“And this is Bethany,” Kaylee said, lifting her daughter up on her hip.

“Well, now, you’re as sweet as your momma, aren’t you?” Andrew said, tickling Bethany under her chin and making her laugh. He looked under his eyebrows at Simon. “But it was only yesterday that you were telling me you were joining MedAcad.”

“Not yesterday.” Simon grinned. “Quite a bit more than that.”

“Not from the way you look.”

Simon dropped his head in slight embarrassment, then said, “And this is River.”

“Ah, your sister.” Andrew took hold of her hand, squeezing it gently. “I never did get to meet you before, my dear, and I can see I missed out.”

River smiled at him. “You were always good to Simon,” she said softly.

“I should hope so. My best legacy to an uncaring world,” he laughed. “Following me into medicine so he could become one of the best doctors I have ever seen.”

“He saves people.”

Andrew looked at her. “I imagine he does.”

“He saved me.”

“River …” Simon said warningly.

“Except he treats me like a child all the time.” She glared at him.

“And he shouldn’t do that. Not truthful.” Andrew gave Simon a reproving glance that was tempered by the laughter lines around his eyes.

“You sound like you’ve been here all your life,” Simon commented, trying to get away from his sister’s look.

“Well, if you don’t then people won’t come to you. And they needed a doctor.” Andrew shook himself. “But here I am rambling on, and you’ll want to freshen up, have some food. I've got some good stuff laid out for you, and then I’ll get you settled in.”

“You don’t have to, Dr Brooks,” Kaylee said quickly. “We can sleep in the shuttle.”

“Please, don’t call me that. It’s Andrew. Or if you’re uncomfortable, then just call me Doc. Everyone else around here does. And I wouldn’t dream of making you stay out here. I've got …” His voice trailed off as he saw the look of faint disappointment cross her face.

River carefully put her arm through his. “I think they need some time together,” she said softly. “I will sleep in the house, with Bethany.”

Andrew looked down at her. “You always look after them?” he asked.

“Always,” she agreed. “And they can be so difficult.”

He laughed. “I'm sure they can.” He started to lead the way. “And I’d be pleased to have you under my roof for a few days,” he added gallantly to the girl at his side.

“River …” Simon breathed, shaking his head.

Kaylee put her arm around his waist. “She knows I want to sleep in there,” she said, kissing her husband lightly on the cheek. “See what it feels like to be a Companion.”

He turned to look at her. “Don’t tell me you’ve always wanted to be one. Not another one.”

She grinned. “Only for the satin sheets.”

“Are you two coming, or should we just leave a tray outside for you?” Andrew called from the gate to his yard.

Soon. Feed, kill, take what we want. Take them. Soon.

to be continued