“I think you’ll live,” Simon pronounced, putting the last weave tenderly on Kaylee’s injuries. “I imagine you’ve got one hell of a headache, but … there’s nothing that won’t heal.”

“Thank you.” She smiled shakily at him. “What about you?” She took hold of his hand, looking at the grazes and cuts on his knuckles.

“I’ll be fine. Self-medication is a doctor’s prerogative.” His lips twitched.

“And the rest?” she asked astutely. “You’re favourin’ your side.”

“I’ll be okay, Kaylee.”

“Long as you are. Can’t have my rescuer getting bad on me.”

He smiled. “I’ll get you a soother, then you need to sleep for a couple of hours.”

“I don’t think I can.”

“Try. Please. For me.” He put his hand on her cheek, and was immensely relieved when she didn’t pull away.

“I’ll try,” she agreed.

He turned to the cupboard, seeing River slink into the infirmary. As he measured the correct dose into a hypo, he said, “Where were you?”

His sister shrugged, lifting herself back onto the stool next to Jayne‘s bed. “I had something to do.”

Freya lifted her head and stared at the young woman, her brows drawn together.

“What happened to Kaylee?” River asked, almost off-hand.

“She was attacked.” Simon didn’t look at his sister, just went back to his wife, administering the soother with a steady hand.

“I hope you dealt with them.”

“I did.”

“Good.” She looked over at Freya, who was still staring, and shook her head, just a little.

“Well, I’m going to get Kaylee back to our room. Are you staying put a while?”

“I’ll be here,” Freya promised quickly. “River will keep me company. Won’t you?”

“Jayne needs me,” River said softly.

As he lifted Kaylee down from the counter, Simon took a quick glance at the two women gazing at each other. Something was going on here, he could feel it like a fog in the air, but he was too concerned with his wife to worry about that right now. “I’ll be back in a minute,” he said as he helped Kaylee out of the door.

“We’ll be fine,” Freya assured him, waiting only until he was out of earshot before saying, “What did you do, River?”

The girl stared at her, her dark eyes unfathomable. “Stopped them.”

“They’d already been stopped. The authorities -”

“Would have done nothing. I merely took it to the next logical step.” She turned back to look at Jayne.

“And you think that was the right thing to do?”

“They hurt my family.”

“River -”

“Like Wing hurt Mal’s. Hurt you. And he killed him for it.”

“That’s not the same thing!”

“Isn’t it?”

“River, you can’t just act like some vigilante. Where was that control we’ve worked so hard for?”

The girl lifted her head, her face dark, vicious. “What’s the point of controlling anything? People still get hurt!”

“You think Jayne wants this?” Freya hobbled to the medbed, leaning her hands on it. “You think he wants you to be like this?”

“He’s killed! You’ve killed! Everyone on this boat has had a hand in death!”

“Do you think he’d have wanted you to break their necks while they were unconscious?” Freya spoke quietly. “I can see it, River. In your mind. And there’s a part of you that knows it was wrong.” She dropped her tone further. “This is just the guilt you’re feeling over Jethro taking another form. But you have to fight it. Don’t let it consume you. Please.”

“But they hurt Kaylee …”

“And Simon dealt with it. Didn’t he?”

River nodded slowly. “He looked after her. Like he should.” She looked at the other woman. “Oh Frey,” she whispered, herself again, the darkness receding from her eyes. “What did I do?”

---

Simon settled Kaylee into the bed, pulling the covers up to her chin. “Do you need anything?” he asked, smoothing her hair from her face, his fingertips gently caressing the rapidly colouring bruises.

“To apologise.”

He raised his eyebrows. “I thought that was my province. Apologising. I seem to be doing it a lot.”

She shook her head carefully. “I didn’t let you explain. ‘N’ I should have. I know River’s your sister. I know what you done for her. That ain’t gonna change. ‘N’ I didn’t understand ‘bout … what you said.”

“I was wrong.” Simon dropped his eyes, looking at the wedding ring on his finger. “What I said. I knew it was stupid, and I knew it wasn’t true. I can try to explain why but … none of it makes a damn bit of sense.”

“You were angry.”

“That’s no excuse.”

“No, it ain’t. But it maybe explains a little bit.” She pulled herself up to rest on her elbows. “Simon, I know you love me. Otherwise you wouldn’t have taken that Hyperbeta-thingie.”

“Hyprobetamoxomol.”

She smiled slightly. “Yeah, that. And River’s my sister too. Maybe not blood, but Bethany shares her genes. Family, Simon. And I should’ve remembered that.”

“Me too.” He leaned forward and took her into his arms, holding her gently, aware of the bruises she had been quick to gloss over. “I love you, Kaylee.”

“Glad to hear it.” She lay back down. “Because I love you too.”

“Good.”

She yawned. “Maybe I could get some sleep after all.”

“I won’t be far.”

“I know. You gotta talk to River now.”

Simon nodded. “If she’ll listen.”

“She will. She knows what a good man she has for a brother.” Her eyes closed. “A real good man.”

He watched for a few moments, listening as her breathing evened out and she slept. As he stood up he reached into his pocket and pulled out the pendant he’d bought for her. It was just a polished stone, nothing rare or expensive, just shaped slightly to make a heart. It hung from a leather cord, the fanciest part a silver clasp fastening it together. He laid it carefully on the bedside table, then leaned over and placed a soft kiss on his wife’s forehead before quietly leaving the room.

Crossing to the infirmary, he stopped just outside the door, taking a deep breath. Too much had happened today, and on top of everything else, he just felt swamped. He also ached badly, from the blows got in by the man he’d beaten. Nothing broken, but he was going to end up with bruises over quite a bit of his body. That and his fists. He’d never felt like that before, wanting to wound, to physically tear the man apart who’d made his wife hurt. Now he knew how Mal had felt … He released the breath and stepped through.

“Here.” River held out a hypo.

He looked at it askance. “What is it?”

“A painkiller.”

“Thought it might be poison.”

“Not yet.” She heard Mal, Zoe and Hank walk through the cargo bay towards them. “You’d better take it. It might the next few minutes more bearable.”

“River -”

She sighed and reached up, injecting him gently directly into the carotid artery. He felt it immediately begin to take effect as she continued to speak. “I’m an adult, Simon. A grown woman. Not a child. And I have to be allowed to make my own choices.”

“I know that, River -”

“If you can’t accept that, then I’ll leave.”

“What? No, look -”

“If Jayne wants to come with me, that’s fine, but even if he doesn’t I won’t stay somewhere I’m not trusted.”

“It isn’t that I don’t trust you, River,” he insisted.

“That ain’t gonna happen,” Mal said firmly from the doorway. “No-one‘s leavin‘.”

River turned dark eyes on him. “Inara is.”

His eyebrows raised, and he glanced at Freya, but wasn’t going to be distracted. He looked back at the young psychic. “Be that as it may, you ain’t going, albatross. This is your home.”

“Where would you go?” Simon asked, ignoring Mal.

She turned back to him. “Would it matter?”

“You’re my sister!”

“And that gives you the right to decide where I live? Who I love?”

Simon swallowed. “Do you? Love Jayne?”

“Yes.“ She was trying hard to keep control, looking down at her hands, releasing the tension in her fingers. “I know you don’t want me to but -”

This time he interrupted her. “River.” She looked at him. “I’m your brother. I want the best for you. I can’t see that being Jayne - “ He held up his hand, knowing she was about to speak. “But … I can’t say I’m happy, River. If I did I’d be lying, but … just don’t do anything stupid. Okay?”

River stared. “Are you …”

He shook his head firmly. “I’m not giving permission. I don’t like this. I don’t think he’s good enough for you, and if he hurts you in any way I’ll finish what I started. Dong mah?”

“Wo dong,” she agreed softly. “But he won’t hurt me.”

“Yes, well, we’ll see about that.” He eased his side. “Now, if you’d like to keep an eye on the patient, I’m going to go and sit with my wife for a while.”

River smiled. “Thank you.”

“Don’t thank me, mei-mei. I think this is a crazy idea. And I’m still going to talk you out of it.”

“Okay.” She reached up and put a kiss on his cheek. “You wouldn’t be my brother otherwise.”

Simon smiled at her and headed out of the infirmary.

“Well, we need to get us moving,” Mal said, looking pointedly at Hank. “You okay to fly?”

Hank nodded. “I ache some, but nothing’s broken.”

“I’ll check him out, sir,” Zoe said.

“Just make sure you do that after we‘ve taken off.” He saw Freya smile but managed to keep his own face straight. “Well, since I’m the only able-body amongst us, I’ll check the cargo’s tight, you get us off this hunk of rock.”

“On my way, Mal.” Hank smiled tiredly and headed towards the bridge, Zoe his shadow.

Mal watched River sit back on her stool next to Jayne, and sighed. Freya moved closer to him. “You’re planning on speaking to Inara?”

“Thinking on it.” He looked at her. “Did you know?”

“That she was planning on leaving?”

“Mmn.”

“Let’s just say … I’m not surprised.”

“She spoken to you?”

“Not as such.”

“Guess I’d better go and get the info from the horse’s mouth, then.” He shook his head. “Why did I ever want to buy my own boat?” he asked.

“Because you wanted to be captain. And this sort of thing comes with the territory.”

He smiled. “Can’t you -”

“No.”

“Okay. Meet me for coffee after?”

“I’ll be there.” She leaned across and kissed him gently, giving him all of her considerable strength. “Go on.”

“Yes ma’am.” He grinned and headed up towards the shuttle, the smile fading from his face as he walked.

Freya turned back to River, who was sitting watching her.

“What?”

“I’m sorry.”

“What for?”

“Letting the darkness out.”

Freya walked slowly back to her, putting her arms around her. “Just don’t let it happen again. River, you don‘t have to. You can control it. Use it if you need, but not like this. You‘re better than that.”

“I’ll try.” River sniffed back a sob.

“Hey, what you cryin’ for?” Jayne asked, his voice rasping.

“Jayne!” River gazed down at him in astonished delight. “I didn’t hear …”

“Too busy talkin’.” He tried to clear his throat, but winced in pain. “Damn, but I hate gettin’ shot.” He looked up at her. “Got any water? I’m parched.”

River jumped from her stool. “I‘ll get some.”

Jayne watched as she ran to the sink. “She okay?” he asked Freya quietly.

“I think she just might be.”

Jayne smiled.

to be continued