A/N: I'm anxious to get this story posted, so I'm posting a bit faster than normal - I hope you all don't mind!

Thanks again to Leiasky for the beta and to everyone who's given me such awesome feedback! Keep it coming!

Simon was again lying with Kaylee as he heard their front door open and close. Knowing that all the necessary parties must now be in attendance, he pressed a soft kiss into her hair before rising. He had already showered and was fully dressed and so he entered their living room smiling tightly at the assembled crew.

“Can I get you all anything?” he asked, gesturing towards the kitchen.

“We’re fine, doc,” Zoe answered for them, cutting off whatever request had been forming on Jayne’s lips. Inara also declined his offer and so Zoe continued. “Why don’t you tell us ‘bout this plan o’ yours?”

Swallowing hard past the lump in his throat, Simon paced a small path before them, rubbing his hands together. “All right, this is just an idea, and I don’t have the specifics worked out yet, but I do think it has a chance of-“

“Oh, cut ta the chase, doc,” Jayne grumbled, still irritated that he had been awoken so early in the morning.

Ignoring the brute, Simon stopped pacing, turning to face Zoe. “I want to buy Kaylee’s family back.”

Inara gasped audibly at his words, more startled by the statement than the actual idea. Zoe simply cocked an eyebrow at him, trying to figure if the boy was feng le or just desperate. She was guessing it was about a fifty-fifty split at the moment.

“What I mean is,” Simon hastened to explain, chilled by Inara’s wide-eyed gaze. “If her family has already been sold, there’s a chance we could buy them back. I’m thinking that I can pose as a buyer, flash some credits and then get them into a place where we can either steal them back or pay for them out right.” Glancing back towards his room, he murmured, “I don’t really care at the moment how we get them as long as we do.”

Releasing a heavy sigh, he asked, “Well?”

Jayne grunted his disapproval while Zoe and Inara shared a knowing look. “Mal is going to hate this plan,” Inara confided, getting a nod from Zoe in return.

“True, but he ain’t gettin’ outta that bed for at least another three weeks an’ by then it’ll be too late for Kaylee’s folks.” Turning her even gaze back to Simon, she added, “’Sides, Mal’s rep is pretty well-known. He ain’t the right person to try and set up a buy. Simon an’ you on the other hand,” Zoe continued, glancing back to Inara. “The two o’ you are perfect.”

Shaking his head, Simon interjected. “No, I don’t want anyone else endangered because of this. Inara is not to be involved.”

“It’ll be way more convincing if you bring along a wife, doc,” Zoe explained. “’Specially a fine lookin’ one like ‘Nara. She makes men think all kinds o’ non-business-y thoughts. Good with the distractin’.”

“I think there was a compliment in there,” Inara retorted dryly, her eyes belying her mirth. Looking to Simon, she sobered instantly. “Zoe’s right, Simon. It’ll be better if we go as husband and wife, and something tells me you don’t want Kaylee anywhere near this.”

Shaking his head firmly, Simon answered, “Definitely not.” The four crewmen sat in silence for a moment, their eyes roaming from one to the other as the full danger and importance of Simon’s idea sunk in.

Pushing himself away from the wall he’d leaned against, Jayne headed for the kitchen. “Well, if’n we’re gonna do this, I ain’t doin’ nothin’ more without some coffee.”

Grinning slightly as Simon realized that was a stamp of approval from the mercenary, he looked back to Zoe, his eyebrow raised in silent question.

Smiling tightly, she answered, “Well doc, who’d o’ guessed your criminal mastermind weren’t just a one time thing?”

Chuckling lightly as he took a seat opposite her, Simon shot back, “Yes, but I still have to work on that mustache.”

“Uh-uh, no way.”

Frowning, Inara glanced to Simon as the younger man let his shoulders slump. None of them had really expected any other type of reaction from Mal, but it was still disappointing.

Only Zoe seemed unfazed. “It’s the way it’s gotta be, sir.”

Blue eyes blazing, Mal glared at her. “No, it ain’t. This ain’t a plan, it’s a gorram suicide mission. And you,” he bit out, thrusting an accusatory finger in his first mate’s direction. “I cannot believe you even entertained it for a second.”

“It’s a good plan,” she responded. Her stoicism had seen Mal through quite a few rough patches in the past, but at the moment it was just annoying. “Simon’s right ‘bout this bein’ the only way. We can’t break into a slaver facility. You know that as well as me. Simon’s got the money an’ we’ve got the contacts to set this up nice an’ proper.”

“And Jayne will be with us, Mal,” Inara soothed, sitting at his side. As he shot her a hurt look, she added, “Zoe and River too. We’ll be fine.”

“Fine?” Glancing between his girlfriend and his first mate as if they had both lost their ruttin’ minds, Mal demanded, “Do you have any idea the types o’ folks we’re talkin’ ‘bout here? I’ll give ya a hint – they’re a helluva lot more like Niska, not Badger.”

All of them shuddered at the mention of the former, but no one said a word to disagree. They knew he was right.

As silence filled Mal’s hospital room, he let his eyes roam over each of them. Finally resting his gaze on Simon, he decided to hit the man where it hurt. “What’s Kaylee say ‘bout all this?”

His cheeks blushing in shame, Simon answered, “She doesn’t know yet. She was resting so peacefully when we left, I didn’t want to wake her. Evelyn and Eli are with her.”

“She’s gonna hate it,” Mal told him, pressing the issue. “You realize that, don’tcha?”

“No, Mal, I thought she’d see me off with kisses and a parade,” Simon retorted sharply, allowing some of his famous sarcasm to shine through. “Of course she’s going to hate it. But I can’t stand to see her like this. She’s-“

Breaking off, Simon rose abruptly and turned his back on the group, allowing his eyes to travel out the room’s only window. Crossing his arms over his chest, he took a deep breath, conjuring the image of Kaylee’s peaceful, sleeping face to mind. Calmer, he turned back to them and said, “We have to get them back. And this is the way to do it.”

“How you even know they’re gonna be for sale?” Mal was running out of viable arguments, but he’d keep reaching. “How do you know that ain’t already been sold?”

“Somethin’ Badger said,” Jayne explained, his deep voice a low rumble through the group. “While I was cuttin’ on him. Somethin’ ‘bout brokers.”

“We did some diggin’,” Zoe continued. “Apparently, Badger was simply transportin’ the bodies to the dealers. The real trade won’t happen for another week or so.”

Letting his head fall back against his pillows, Mal muttered, “I ‘spose you’re also gonna tell me you got the meet all set up too?”

The sound of Inara clearing her throat confirmed it. Turning his concerned gaze to her, Mal murmured, “This ain’t a good idea, ai ren.”

“It’s for Kaylee, Mal,” she explained gently, squeezing his hand in hers. “We have to try.”

More silence. Mal had known as soon as they’d entered the room that he would lose whatever battle they put before him. He’d seen it in the set of Zoe’s jaw and the blaze of determination in Inara’s eyes. And he hated it.

Glancing to Zoe, Inara gave her the slightest of nods and the first mate rose. “We got some more plans to make, Cap.” Heading for the door, she took Jayne roughly by the arm and pulled him along, Simon following. “We’ll be back to see ya ‘fore we go.”

Mal nodded once as he watched his best friend leave, waiting until the door had clicked shut behind her before turning to Inara. “Don’t go.”

Biting her lower lip between her teeth, Inara shifted on the bed, so she could better face him. Resting a warm hand to his cheek, she held his intense gaze and answered, “Mal, we have to do this for Kaylee. You know that. And I know that if you were up and around right now, you wouldn’t hesitate.” Noting the way he averted his eyes, Inara guessed that was the real heart of the matter; Mal was ashamed that his girl was going to have to fight his battle for him. “Kaylee’s my family too, Mal. And if I can help her, I will.”

“It should be me,” he finally admitted, his voice rough. Rubbing his calloused thumb along the back of her smooth hand, Mal sighed heavily. “I never wanted any o’ this kinda thing to touch you, ‘Nara.”

“I’m not a china doll, Mal,” she reminded him, touched by his concern. “I don’t break that easily.”

“I know that,” he assured, tugging gently on the hand he held. Inara moved towards him, resting her head on his shoulder as he moved his arm around her waist. “Truth is you’re a damn sight stronger than me. Strongest person I ever met.”

Frowning softly, Inara disagreed. “I thought Zoe was the strongest person you’d ever met?”

Pressing a kiss against her temple, he murmured, “Yeah, well, don’t tell her, but you took over that title a while back. Break her heart to know it though.”

Giggling softly at his humor, Inara raised her head, meeting his concerned gaze. “I’ll be all right, Mal, I will.” As she leaned in to kiss him, she considered that whatever could happen on this job could not be half as bad as discovering her long lost child was dead.

Rafe stared at River, her wide brown eyes studying him just as intently. He was feeling better now, the bump on his head having shrunk to a decent size. He was no longer foggy and didn’t see double, but occasionally his brain would throb painfully protesting a sudden movement or a troublesome thought.

Like the one River had just posed.

Gripping her hands tightly in his own, Rafe told her, “This isn’t a good idea, jian mei.”

Smiling softly at his nickname, River leaned towards him and brushed her lips against his. Before he could deepen the kiss as he truly wanted to, she pulled away. “We’re all going to be fine. I have to do this for Simon and for Kaylee.”

“Then I gotta do it, too,” Rafe affirmed. Dropping her hands, he grabbed for the edge of his covers, ready to pull them back and get out of this gorram bed so he could once again fly off and save the day with his girl at his side.

With a small frown and a patient look, River placed her hands back on his, stilling his movement. “You can’t,” she told him, waiting until his eyes had met hers before continuing. “You’re still hurt. You’re going to have to stay here.”

“River, I can’t keep watching you fly off into imminent danger,” Rafe sighed, his frustration getting the better of him. Cupping her cheek in his calloused palm, River sighed against his touch as he added, “You got any idea what that does to me?”

With a nod, River reached up a hand and ghosted the tips of her fingers over the gauze on the back of his neck. “Yes, I do.”

Silence fell between them. Rafe continued to stare at the beautiful creature before him, more determined than ever to be with her, regardless of the obstacles. But it seemed that at every turn the ‘verse was determined to place bigger roadblocks in their way and he was starting to lose hope.

Sighing, he pulled her hands to his lips and kissed them gently, his eyes never leaving her face as she gazed at him. Scooting closer, River took one hand and ran it through his hair, while the other rested over his heart. “Still want to be with the crazy moonbrain,” she whispered, her breath catching in her throat as she felt a swell of emotions from him.

“River,” he said firmly, keeping his voice low. Placing his hands on her cheeks, he curled his fingers back into her hair, delighting in the softness of the strands. Despite the fact that she could shoot better than Jayne and fly better than just about anyone he’d ever met, she would always be precious to him because she was River. She was more than a fighter to Rafe, she was soft and gentle and when he looked in her deep, brown eyes, he didn’t see a killer. “I don’t jus’ want you, I love you.”

The words took her by surprise and that startled River almost more than the actual phrase. Blinking rapidly, she couldn’t help but open a small flap into his mind, determined to discover the truth behind his words. She wanted them to be true.

“You gotta stop pushin’ me away,” he continued, his fingers gently massaging the base of her scalp and quickly turning her into a puddle of flesh. “I know you love the Cap’n an’ wanna protect him, but … Can’t you do that an’ be with me, too?”

Swallowing hard, River met his open gaze. “It’s hard,” she admitted, tipping her head forward and resting their foreheads together. “Sometimes, you help keep me calm, make me safe. But sometimes, when there’s danger, it’s all too much and I can’t tell …” Her voice faded as her conflicting emotions rushed to the surface and River had to stop before a sob welled out of her throat.

Wrapping his arms around her shoulders, Rafe pulled her to his chest, pressing a kiss to her temple as she buried her face into his neck, doing her best to soak up his warmth and peace. “Shh, babe, it’s all right. Just tell me we can figure it out. No matter what it takes, I wanna figure it out.”

Curling her fingers into the top of his hospital gown, River nodded once, waiting a minute before she could again trust her voice. “Might take time,” she admitted finally, her voice shaky. “Time and patience.”

Closing his eyes in relief, Rafe dropped another kiss into her hair. His lips murmuring against her skin, he assured, “I don’t care what it takes. As long as I get to be with you, I’ll do it. Dong ma?”

Nodding again, River slowly unfurled her fingers from the fabric, allowing her fingertips to drift up towards his chin and outline the underside of his jaw. Rafe sighed at the touch, a small shiver running through his body as he imagined those delicate, graceful fingers running all over his skin.

Grinning wide as she picked up the essence of this lusty thought, River lifted her head to meet his eyes. “You really love her,” she breathed. “Really want her, broken and all.”

“Of course I do.” Rafe smiled slightly, brushing some of River’s long hair behind her ear. “An’ you ain’t broken. You’re special an’ beautiful an’ wonderful an’ strong an’-“

River swallowed the rest of his statement, capturing his lips in a kiss that expressed all the emotion she could muster. As she pulled her body tight to Rafe’s, delighting in the feel of his strong, warm hands supporting her back, his tongue caressing hers, his passion washing over her, River felt a bit of her perpetual tension ease out of her. She knew what it meant to be loved. She finally understood.

Zoe sat across from Simon and Inara, Eli and Evelyn on the opposite side of the room, watching with nervous expressions. Glancing once to Jayne, she noticed that the merc’s normally nonchalant stance was laced with a bit of tension and it brought a small smile to her lips. ‘Bout gorram time he got nervous.

Gesturing to the ident cards and data sheets she had spread out on the table between them, Zoe explained. “We’ve arranged the meet for the day after tomorrow on Ariel. The slaver’s name is Harris, but we’ll be meetin’ his man first, Chang. There’s a chance we won’t never meet the real boss, but at this point, we gotta take what we can get.”

Lifting up a data sheet, Zoe tapped the corner, two pictures that looked suspiciously like mug shots appearing in the middle of the page. “This is them.”

Wrinkling his nose in disgust at their less than hygienic appearances, Simon commented dryly, “Lovely gentlemen. I’m amazed I haven’t run into them before.”

Inara stifled a smile as Zoe appeared unamused and continued to debrief them. “You’ll be posin’ as Thomas and Elena Wu. You’ve recently acquired a large and fertile ranch on Bernadette, result of a poker game, which you, Thomas,” Zoe emphasized, glancing to Simon. “Won handily.”

“Ain’t nobody gonna believe that,” Jayne snorted, getting glares from everyone.

“You’re looking for a family to work the land and turn a profit before you and your wife, Elena, move out there. There are slave quarters on the property, me an’ Jayne already checked.” Zoe concluded her part in this, sitting back in her seat and glancing again to Jayne.

Sitting forward, he told them, “I’m the muscle.”

Quirking an eyebrow at him, Simon did his best to not laugh as the other man grimaced and quickly corrected himself. “What I mean is, I’m your muscle.”

It was useless now. Eli, Evelyn and Simon all let out small chuckles as Zoe and Inara managed to hide their own behind hands pressed against their mouths. More than annoyed at being deliberately misunderstood, Jayne bit out, “I’m the bodyguard. Got me a new suit an’ everything.”

“Hmm, an untrained ape in a monkey suit,” Simon murmured, glancing to Inara whose eyes were starting to tear as she fought to hold in her laughter. “That’ll be interesting.”

Deciding to ignore him, as Jayne knew his supposed employer showing up with a shiner would not help their cover, Jayne threw up his hands and stalked out to the patio. Once the door had shut behind him, the remaining adults burst into laughter, releasing some pent-up tension in the process.

Wiping at her eyes, Zoe was the first to recover. “There is one other thing, doc.”

Sobering at her tone, Simon asked, “Yes?”

“Harris an’ Chang, they’re askin’ for at least five hundred thousand platinum an’ I ain’t been able to convince him to include everybody.”

All the air left the room in a rush as Simon registered the extent of Zoe’s statement. “Five hundred thousand?” he whispered, eyes wide. As the Amazon woman nodded, Simon ran a hand through his hair and rose quickly, beginning to pace. “I cannot even fake having that much money, Zoe. If these slavers do their homework-“

“We’re dead. Yeah, I know,” Zoe finished evenly, her face again tight with tension.

Simon wasn’t sure what, if any, options they might have. No one had that kind of money, save possibly his parents. He knew Eli and Evelyn didn’t and neither did Inara. It seemed they were stuck with either praying the slavers were stupid or risking any shot at getting Kaylee’s family back – and all of their lives in the process.

“Well, maybe we can-“

The door chime sounded, interrupting Simon and, puzzled, he gazed to the door before hurrying to answer it. Inara rose and followed, standing in the doorway, watching with a bit of trepidation as Simon greeted his guests.

“This really isn’t a good time, father,” he said firmly, not moving from the threshold and thereby preventing his parents from entering.

Frowning, Gabriel Tam stood tall and said, “Simon, please. Your mother and I want to know what we can do. There must be something.”

Shaking his head stiffly, Simon answered, “No, there isn’t. Please, just go and let us handle-“

“Simon.”

Turning swiftly at the sound of Inara’s voice, he greeted her with a puzzled expression before moving back to her side. Bringing her lips to his ear, she whispered, “Maybe there is something they can do.”

Still confused, he looked to her for another second before realization dawned. His face paled and clouded with more tension as he told her firmly, “No. No way.”

Resting a light hand to his shoulder, Inara reminded him, “We may not have a choice, Simon. If Harris and Chang find out we don’t have the money to back our request …”

“Money?” Gabriel’s ears had perked up immediately. “What about money? Do you need money, son?”

“No,” the younger Tam bit out angrily, cursing himself silently in the next instant. Closing his eyes, he hung his head for a moment, wondering when exactly fate would let him off the hook. It seemed he’d already made amends more times than he cared to remember for all the stupid things he’d ever said to Kaylee or the one time he’d borrowed his father’s hovercar without permission.

Letting out one more heavy sigh, Simon raised his eyes to Inara and saw compassion swirling in those dark brown orbs. This wasn’t fair. He wished he could bring Kaylee with him, wished that he wasn’t such a coward that he’d refused to wake her to tell her of their plan. Of course he also wished that her family had never been taken in the first place; that the captain had never been double-crossed by Badger, that … If wishes were horses, Jayne would be eating steak.

Turning to face his parents, he gestured them inside. “Please come in. There might be something you can do to help after all.”

Exchanging a tentative glance, Gabriel took his wife’s hand reassuringly in his own and entered the apartment, following Simon and Inara back to the living room.

“Mama, tell me it’s okay for me to go.”

Ellie Frye placed the last pair of her daughter’s coveralls in the carpet bag, taking an extra second to press her fingers against the worn and familiar material, before turning to face her baby girl. She’d already promised herself and her husband that she would not cry. But knowing that she was sending her Kaylee-Girl out into the ‘verse with just a bag of clothes and a heart full of love was eating at Eleanor something fierce.

“Oh baby,” she sighed heavily, sitting beside her daughter on the old bed. Pulling the young woman’s hands into her lap, Ellie studied them for a minute, smiling affectionately as she took in the grease stains on her palms and the dirt under her nails. Since the time Kaylee’d been able to walk, Ellie had had a near impossible time keeping her daughter’s hands, face or clothes clean. She was always elbow-deep in one machine or another, running full speed after her brothers, climbing trees and jumping in mud puddles.

Pulling her eyes back to her daughter’s hopeful and open face, Ellie smiled and pushed some of her chestnut hair off her shoulder. “You are a good girl an’ I will miss you somethin’ fierce, but it ain’t right for your pa an’ I to keep you on this rock. You got so much talent, baby. There is so much more you could be doin’. You gotta take these chances when they come.”

Trapping her lower lip between her teeth, Kaylee nodded once, blinking her eyes to clear them. She knew her mama was right. And that ship, Serenity, it was a beauty. She’d been dreaming of working on a Firefly since she was old enough to dismantle an engine. Fireflies had the nicest engines, with a bunch of really handsome movin’ parts. Plus, if a mechanic could keep her clean and humming, that ship would sail for decades with nary a care. Kaylee knew she was that good of a mechanic – she knew she could keep her in the air.

“The captain, he seems nice too,” Ellie added, rising again to finish a bit of packing. “Ain’t so sure ‘bout that pilot, he’s a might shady, if’n you ask me, that lip fur an’ all.”

Giggling, Kaylee rose and gathered a few pretties from her vanity. “Oh, mama, Wash is harmless, you’ll see. ‘Sides, he’s only got eyes for Zoe, an’ I ain’t gonna cross her.”

With a sigh of longing, Kaylee turned, her arms full of trinkets and the like. “Wouldn’t it be somethin’ if I met me a nice man like Wash? Sailin’ out in the black, takin’ care o’ my ship, makin’ love to a swai feller, an’ havin’ a life?” Pulling her eyes from the far-off dreamscape they’d wandered to, Kaylee asked again, “Wouldn’t that be somethin’, mama?”

“It certainly would, baby,” Ellie answered, moving towards her daughter. Placing a kiss to her cheek, she took the things in her arms, turning back to pack them.

Kaylee let her arms drop to her sides, heading back to her closet to be sure she hadn’t missed anything. Sliding the door open, she was met with an all-encompassing darkness that raised goosebumps on her skin. Groping along the wall, she searched for the light switch, pulling her hand back quickly as she felt a warm, sticky fluid coating her palm.

“Mama,” she called tentatively, trying to back out of the closet and back into the warm confines of her room. But there was no light or comfort to be had. The darkness consumed her now, encircling Kaylee so she couldn’t see a thing, not even the hand in front of her face, the one coated with something she had the sickening feeling might be blood.

“Mama!” Her voice was strangled as an unnamed fear gripped her heart, twisting her insides until she wanted to retch.

And retch she did. Sitting up in bed, Kaylee barely had time to drop her head over the side before emptying all the contents in her stomach. With hot tears streaming down her face, she panted a bit, waiting to see if the nausea might subside. As she felt another wave wash over her, Kaylee hastily stood up on shaky legs, rushing for the bathroom and making it to the toilet before vomiting again.

Resting her forehead against the cool porcelain edge of the toilet, Kaylee breathed heavily, her hand rubbing gently along her roiling midsection. Hair plastered to her forehead, she was hot and uncomfortable. Her throat burned from residual acid and her cheeks were still wet with the stinging tears of fear the dream had caused.

She barely heard the bedroom door open and could barely make out Simon’s quiet voice as he called for her. Unable to answer him, she let out an audible sigh of relief when she felt his strong arms encircle her, cradling her shaking form against his chest.

Pushing her hair back and away from her face, he rocked her softly and whispered, “Shh, you’re all right, bao bei. I’m here.”

“I was dreamin’ ‘bout my mama,” she told him hoarsely, her hands fisting into the front of his clean shirt. Kaylee realized as her fingers closed over the crisp material that she more than likely smelled awful and looked even worse. Ashamed, she tried to stand up, but Simon’s tight grip on her shoulders prevented the movement.

“Where are you going?” he asked softly, his lips whispering against her flushed cheek.

“I look awful,” she murmured, already feeling the pull of sleep now that Simon’s presence had settled her nerves.

Smiling slightly even though she could not see it, Simon’s hands continued to smooth circles along her back. “You’re beautiful,” he told her. Waiting another minute as he felt her trembling lessen, Simon stood with her in his arms, slowly taking her back to bed. As he placed her beneath the covers, he noticed the mess she’d made on the floor and cleaned it up. Bringing back another wash cloth and a cup of water, he offered the liquid to Kaylee who drank greedily, more than happy to wash away the acrid taste of vomit.

Smoothing her hair back from her face, Simon watched in silence, taking the cup from her before he began to gently bathe her face, neck and arms, ridding her skin of the sticky sweat.

Her eyes fluttered closed as his gentle hands moved over her, dark brown eyelashes resting hesitantly against still rosy cheeks. Simon studied her closely, feeling the tug of a small smile on his lips as she sighed once in contentment. Leaving her side for another minute, he returned again, this time with a hairbrush.

Kaylee opened her eyes reluctantly, unwilling to let go of the peace that had washed over her. She smiled slightly as he told her, “Sit up a bit.”

She did as she was told, sitting forward with a bit of help from Simon so he could wedge himself between her and the head of the bed. Settling comfortably between his parted legs, Kaylee leaned gratefully against his broad, strong chest and smiled as he passed the brush through her hair. She knew he’d done this for River when she was troubled and she’d managed to get him to do it for her a few times. Sometimes, the repetitive motion calmed her nerves, while at others the touch was so intimate she’d barely let him brush it for a minute before pouncing on his delicious body.

Wishing she had the strength to make love to him now, Kaylee settled for just being close, reveling in the feel of his strong body supporting her. Simon could feel the tension easing out of her and he breathed a silent sigh of relief.

“Do you want to talk about it?” he asked quietly, his lips by her ear.

Shaking her head slightly, she told him, “No, it was jus’ a nightmare.”

Biting his tongue, Simon resisted the urge to push for more. The last thing he wanted was to upset her, especially when he knew that telling her of their latest plan to get her family back might just push her over the edge.

Refusing to ruin the peace that had settled over her, Simon continued brushing until her chestnut hair shone before placing the brush beside him. Wrapping his arms around her shoulders, Kaylee sighed softly and turned into him, her cheek resting against his strong bicep as she snuggled in for sleep.

Regrettably, Simon knew it was rest he could not let her have – not until he fessed up. “Kaylee?” he whispered, his mouth pressed against her forehead, his breath tickling her skin.

“Hmm?” she murmured, feeling so relaxed she knew she’d be asleep in moments.

“There’s something I need to tell you.”

His words sent a jolt of anxiety through her, immediately causing her back to stiffen and her heart to race. Reluctantly opening her eyes, Kaylee took a deep breath before tilting her head back to meet his mournful, blue-eyed gaze. “What?”

Brushing the backs of his fingers down her cheek, he smiled softly, wishing he knew of a better way to do this, wishing he didn’t have to do it all. She was so beautiful, so precious to him; he would give anything to make her whole again. “We have another plan. We think we know how to get your family back.”