Disclaimer: Joss, Fox, Universal Own em’. I’m just playing. No money being made.

AN: This plot line has been banging around in my head for a couple of months. I finally had to let it out to see the light of day. I will be working on this and Big Blue concurrently.

This story is set fifteen years into the future from my current storyline “Big Blue”.

The character's ages are roughly guessed from the series and BDM. Jayne is a bit younger in my Allanverse than some other authors have made him. Zoe, Allan and the rest of our hero's have been married and now have families of their own. This is a mostly Allan/Zoe centric storyline with the rest of the crew as supporting players (Including kids).

Cast of characters:

Parents: Malcolm Reynolds 51 Inara Serra-Reynolds 44 Allan Bryant 68 Zoë Bryant 48 Kaylee Tam 40 Simon Tam 43 Jayne Cobb 52 River Cobb 36 Kids: Jefferson (Jeff) Reynolds 15 Emma Reynolds 10 Sara Bryant 14 Rebecca Tam 15 John (Jack) Tam 11 Rachel Cobb 8 Jesse Cobb 6

Heritage-Chapter One

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Sixteen years. That's how long it had been since Serenity rescued a cryogenicly frozen Allan Bryant from space near Boros.

A lot had happened in that time. Most of it in the first year and a half. A time now known as the awakening in Alliance history.

Allan and the crew of Serenity had been a big part of that time in history. It all started when Simon Tam had broken his sister, River out of a secret laboratory. River had been a latent psychic her whole life. Not to mention a child prodigy who had earned a degree in astrophysics by age thirteen.

When her parent's had been approached by the Alliance offering River a position in a special school for highly gifted children. They and River had jumped at the chance.

Unfortunately, The school was a front for a laboratory run by the Blue Sun corporation under a government contract tasked with creating psychic assassins and intelligence operatives who would be totally under government control.

The methods used were beyond brutal. Brain surgery to enhance the subjects latent psychic talents. Torture, intense physical training, fighting techniques. Weapons training. The list was endless. The result however was a broken and insane child who could read minds and kill without remorse using any weapon known to man.

River Tam was able to hide a code in her disjointed letters home to her brother calling for help. If left alone, River would have been the greatest mind of her age.

River most likely would have been heralded in the same breath as Newton, Einstein, Hawking and Bryant...

“Maybe that's taking it a bit far,” Allan said out loud. Sighing, he looked up from the screen where he was writing his memoirs. “I need a break.”

Stiffly rising from the chair in his study, Allan walked through the temporarily quiet home he and Zoë had built on Boros. Stepping onto the porch Allan smiled as he surveyed the landscape before him.

Across the compound, four other homes were visible. Three belonged to the other couples who had also called Serenity home. Closest to Allan and Zoë's home was the log house belonging to River and Jayne Cobb. Beyond that house stood the one belonging to Malcolm and Inara Serra-Reynolds. The third home belonged to Dr. Simon Tam and his wife Kaylee.

All four couples had met and crewed together on the Firefly class transport called Serenity. These eight people from different worlds had become a family. And when the situation changed and they no longer needed to fly Serenity for their livelihood, They had all settled on Boros and built their homes next to each other. A smaller log house sat next to Simon and Kaylee's home. This was the guest house. It was used by visiting family whenever they were on Boros.

Mostly it was used by Zoë's sister Alisha and her husband Reggie whenever they came to visit. On rarer occasions it was used by River and Simon's parents when they visited.

Visible beyond the houses was a large barn. Upon semi-retiring from being a freighter captain, Mal had gone back to his roots and become a rancher. Now he owned a successful horse breeding operation. Mal's horses were prized for their sturdy build and also their surprising speed.

Inara Serra-Reynolds, Mal's wife and a former registered companion. Used her considerable business contacts among the wealthiest family's in the core, to procure orders for horses for Mal. Assuring he always got the best prices for the horses he raised.

Visible beyond the barn was a metal building. That building was Kaylee's domain. The workshop and garage was Kaylee's third home. Working on the machinery and vehicles that the extended family used. She often took in repair work from nearby ranches as well.

What was now seen as everyones second home had been their first. Glistening in the sunlight, and visible beyond the trees, sat Serenity. The old firefly had been overhauled several times over the years and now was used primarily to haul Mal's horses to his customers all over the system. The rest of the time when Serenity flew, it was as Allan's transport to and from various business dealings.

The rest of the crew had found second careers over the years. Inara owned a clothing shop in the huge mall built ten years ago in the nearby small city of New Edmonton. Simon had opened his own medical practice and was on staff at the small hospital in town as well.

When New Edmonton had incorporated as a city five years previously, they needed a police chief. Zoë found herself recommended for the job by her old friend, Jacob Buford the Sheriff of Edmonton county.

Now five years later, Zoë was the chief of the city's small police department. Zoë had twelve full time and another ten part time officers working for her. One of these part time officers was suprisingly, Jayne Cobb. Jayne split his time between the police department and helping Mal with his horse ranch.

Over the last fifteen years, Jayne had finished his education. Even earning an associates degree in criminal justice from the small community college in town.

River had secured a position teaching art and dance at the local junior/senior high school. This also helped her keep an eye on the gaggle of kids that the crew had conceived over the years.

The teens were the worst. Except for Jeff. As the oldest child of Serenity by a whopping three hours, Jefferson Reynolds was the defacto leader of the kids. With the strong moral compass of his father and reserved decorum from his mother, Jeff was a natural leader. Even at age fifteen, Jeff was a young man others looked up to.

Except for his two cousins Rebecca Tam and Sara Bryant. The two girls, despite being a year apart in age acted more like twin sisters than unofficial cousins. At fifteen, Becca Tam was an outgoing, perpetually happy girl. Taking after her mother in most ways, she was also a bit of a trouble maker. Of course, Sara Bryant, a brilliant fourteen year old sharing the dark beauty of her mother Zoë and her fathers intellect, usually could be found right beside Becca in whatever scheme the pair had concocted.

The two girls were often in Kaylee's shop after school, helping the mechanic repair equipment or working on Serenity.

The younger children of Serenity, were still in primary school. The oldest of these at age eleven was John Tam. Nicknamed Jack, the youngest Tam child was a serious boy with the dark hair and demeanor of his father and kind heart of his mother. His mind already made, he was planning to follow his father into medicine.

Next oldest was Emma Reynolds. The ten year old was a beautiful little girl. With the dark curly locks of her mother Inara and the rebellious streak of her father. Emma was as much at home on a horse riding the fences with Mal as she was dressing up in the latest fashions with her mother.

The youngest children were Rachel and Jesse Cobb. Rachel a beautiful eight year old, was the light of her daddy's life. She hat the slight build of her mother as well as a great deal of her mother's intellect. While in elementary school, she was being tutored in much more advanced studies by River. While she could already be in junior high intellectually, River wanted her to have a normal childhood with friends her own age. Something River had never had herself. Rachel even at the young age of eight was also powerful reader.

Jessie Cobb was a boy's boy. Always into something, weather it was a mud puddle or chasing after the extended family's animals. Jessie was the spitting image of his father.

XXXXXXXXX

It was a beautiful late spring day on Boros. The planet was blessed with a moderate climate with plenty of water and four true seasons. Due to it's distance from the primary, Boros's year was almost exactly two standard years long. It's rotational period of twenty three and a half hours resulted in a boon to farming and ranching on the planet. With seasons that lasted at least six months, a farmer would be able to bring in four to five harvests before the mild six month winter set in. Conversely a farmer in the southern hemisphere would be enjoying summer while the northern latitudes were in the depths of winter.

Allan stepped down off the porch and began to stroll across the yard towards the gazebo he had built in what the family's called the courtyard of their little part of the 'Verse.

There were several other constructs in the grassy area. Swing sets and jungle gym's for the kids to play on and even a large fiberglass and plastic stegosaurus the the kids called Steggy. Allan had it installed when Sara was three, in memory of Zoë's first husband and pilot of Serenity, Hoban Washburn. When Allan unveiled it, Zoë had actually broken down and cried. She thought it was the perfect tribute to Wash.

Hearing a loud bark, Allan smiled as his family's big german shepherd named Sam came trotting up to his side. Allan bent over and threw a stick for Sam to fetch.

Sam wasn't just a pet. Sam was a carefully trained protection dog. Allan was still the president and CEO of the Blue Sun corporation. The property the crew called Serenity Acres was studded with sensors to detect any intruders and several automated defense systems were in place.

Every one of the family members, pets and close friends had their biometric signatures programmed into the system. Farm animals and most wildlife were ignored. Predators would get a non lethal response. Human trespassers would be given a verbal warning by the computer. After that, if they didn't leave, they would be hit with a stunner. Anyone carrying a weapon would get a warning to drop the weapon or face a lethal response. All the locals knew not to approach Serenity acres on foot or horseback unless it was on the single access road.

Sam returned with the stick and Allan threw it again, taking a seat on the bench in the gazebo. He looked up when he heard hoof beats approach.

“Hey Mal,” Allan called.

Mornin Allan,” Mal replied as he rode up, “Taking a break from writing your memoirs?”

“Yeah... It's hard not coming off like I'm the savior of the human race.”

Mal dismounted his horse, tied the reigns to the gazebo railing and sat across from the older man, “Well, for all intents and purposes, you are, ya know,” Mal chuckled.

“I know it, Mal. It's just, when I write it, it sounds... pompous.”

Mal laughed, “That's not a word I'd attribute to you my friend. You're the most down to earth rich man I know.”

“Thanks for saying Mal,” Allan replied, “Maybe I should hire a writer to help me.”

Mal chuckled, “For man who designed the exodus ships, you sure are havin a hard time.”

“If it were metal, I could do it with my eyes shut... Writing... It's too much like paperwork.”

“You can do it Allan.”

“How's the ranch doing?” Allan asked to change the subject.

“Got three mare's in foal. Gonna be a good year I think.”

“When is your next delivery run?”

“Not till school is out. That way the kids can come on the run. You needin to be heading for the core?”

“Next month,” Allan replied, “Need to go to Londonium. Big corporate meeting.”

“I though Durin had all the day to day go-se handled?”

“He does. But I'm still the boss so I need to show up once in a while.”

“I hear ya there. Speakin o' which, I gotta get back to work m'self. Unless I'm around them two hands I hired are like to be slackin off.”

“Okay Mal. See you at dinner tonight?”

“Kaylee's turn to cook ain't it?”

“Yep, Looking forward to her strawberry shortcake.”

“Me too. See you later Allan,” Mal said as he mounted his horse and headed for the barn.

Suddenly needing a change of scenery, Allan began walking down the path to Kaylee's shop and the garage. As he approached the door he could hear the sound of a grinder. Kaylee must be working on something.

Upon entering the shop, Allan saw that Kaylee was in the middle of an overhaul project on the auto feeder for the horse barn. As the mechanic shut off the grinder, he approached.

“Hey Kaylee.”

“Hiya Allan,” she replied, pushing up her safety glasses, “What's up?”

“Not too much, Just wondering what time dinner was tonight?”

“Kwin-gwe-je deh! I nearly forgot. Gotta take stuff outta the freezer. Allan yer a lifesaver.”

“Nah... That's Simon. I'm just looking forward to eating something I didn't cook.”

“Zoë's still not very good in the kitchen huh,” Kaylee asked with a grin.

“Nope. I've tried giving her lessons. Even Alisha tried. If it's not something she can reheat...”

“Simon's same way,” Kaylee agreed.

“At least that daughter of mine takes after her old man in the kitchen... When I can get her to stay in the house long enough to help with the cooking.”

“Becca's the same way. Them two girls are thick as thieves.”

“Tell me about it. Those two can get into as much mischief as any five other kids. I think I'm too old to be the father of a teenager.”

“Try being me, sometime,” Kaylee chuckled, “I got two to deal with.”

“Yeah, but Jack doesn't get into trouble.”

“Ya got a point... Rebecca makes up for him though.”

“True enough,” Allan replied, “I'm glad Zoë and I decided to stop at one. Two kids would kill me, I think.”

“Nope, you're gonna live forever Allan. Yer already almost five hundred years old,” Kaylee teased.

“Four hundred years of cryo don't count,” Allan chuckled in reply, “Besides, most men my age are grandfathers... not the father of a fourteen year old teenage girl.”

Kaylee giggled, “Jus wait till she finds a boy she likes... then you'll feel old.”

“Ugh! Don't remind me.”

“Becca brought a boy home ta' meet Simon last week. Thought he was gonna pitch a fit.”

“Might have paid money to see the look on Simon's face.”

“It was priceless... Kinda like when he found out River was in love with Jayne.”

“He didn't pass out again did he?”

“Came close,” Kaylee giggled.

“I think I'm going to run into town,” Allan said, “You need anything for tonight?”

“Some white wine would be good. We're all out and I'm making chicken tonight.”

“A couple of bottle's of white coming up. See you tonight.”

Later Allan,” Kaylee replied as she began to pick up her tools.

Allan exited the shop proper and entered the garage. The four family's had acquired, over the years, several ground vehicles to use planet side. Still in the garage was the hover truck that was carried on Serenity when they left Boros. The garage had the space for a pair of hover cars and a selection of utility vehicles for use on the ranch. The two cars were in town as Inara used one to travel to and from her store and home as well as one that River used to get to work at the school.

In the corner was Allan's five hundred year old Harley Davidson Softail. Over the years, Allan had lovingly restored the old machine as well as converted it to run on something other than gasoline.

Pulling his helmet from the shelf, Allan pushed the motorcycle outside and swung into the saddle. Firing the bike up, Allan headed back to the house to retrieve his pistol. None of the Adults of Serenity acres went anywhere off the property unarmed. Even Simon carried a small handgun when he went to work. Even though they were safe at home, they still had a few enemy's that might want to cause trouble.

After grabbing his gun and leather jacket, Allan got back on his bike and headed for town. Enjoying the beautiful late morning sunshine. It was about a fifteen minute ride into town.

New Edmonton had grown over the last few years. People from the crowded core had migrated to the border worlds seeking more open space while still wanting the amenities of a more civilized planet.

Riding past the spaceport, Allan spotted a familiar ship. A smile on his face, Allan turned and entered the spaceport. The sight of a man on an antique motorcycle drawing strange looks from newcomers. The locals were used to the police chief's husband riding the machine.

Pulling up to the ship he had spotted, Allan turned off the engine and called out, “Monty! Hey Monty!”

“What's with all the caterwaulin out here!” came a voice. A moment later the old captain descended the ramp.

“Allan! You old dog. What are you doing?”

“Sayin hi to you, you old reprobate,” Allan chuckled as he shook the big man's hand.

Monty Reynolds was still a big man. However his hair and beard had turned snow white years ago. Giving him the air of a six foot, five inch bad tempered Santa.

“How ya been Allan?”

“Not bad Monty, not bad.”

“How's everyone?”

“Everyone's well. You in port long?”

“Just till mornin, Got a run from here to Triumph.”

“Just don't let any girls put flowers on your head and offer you wine.”

The big man guffawed, “I'll avoid it.”

“If you got time... We're having a big dinner tonight. You're more than welcome to come out.”

“Who's cookin?”

“Kaylee,” Allan replied with a smile.

“I'll be there. What time?”

“Six tonight local.”

“Good enough,” Monty replied.

“I gotta be going Monty, Gonna take Zoë out for lunch.”

“How's she doin as chief?”

“Between Zoë at the police department, Jayne as her investigator and Jacob running the sheriffs department, The crooks steer well clear of these parts.

“Good to hear. Well I got work to do too, Allan, I'll be out to your place about five thirty.”

“Good enough Monty, see you then.”

Allan fired the bike back up and headed for the center of town. Parking outside the police department. Alan walked inside to the lobby. The duty dispatcher upon seeing Allan enter, buzzed him into the main office. Allan looked around the room. Several officers were at their desks while another walked a prisoner to the holding cells in the back of the building. Allan saw Jayne give him a small wave from his office.

Amazingly, the man Simon had once called a trained ape without the training, was now the New Edmonton police department's investigator. Jayne had never been an educated man in the past, but that didn't mean he wasn't intelligent. Jayne's skills as a tracker combined with his own criminal history made him ideal for the job. River had tutored her husband so he could pass his high school equivalency examination. After that, with Zoë and River's encouragement. Jayne had taken classes at the local community college and graduated second in his class with a degree in criminal justice.

The crime rate being as low as it was in New Edmonton, meant that Zoë only needed a part time detective. That was fine with Jayne as he also enjoyed working Mal's horse ranch and raising his and River's children.

Age and being a father had mellowed the former mercenary. Nevertheless, any criminal who crossed his path usually regretted it.

Nodding to Jayne, Allan crossed the room and stopped outside the chief's office.

“Be with you in a minute Madge,” Zoë said, not looking up from the paperwork on her desk.

“I ain't Madge baby,” Allan chuckled.

Zoë suddenly looked up at Allan. A grin appeared on her normally stoic face.

“Hey baby,” She replied, motioning Allan inside. He quickly gave his wife a quick kiss.

“You up for some lunch?”

Zoë looked at her watch, “I reckon I can get away for that long,” She smiled.

“Good, I want to try that new pizza place next to Sadie's”

“Just give me a minute hon. I gotta get this report sent out to the planetary law center,” She replied.

One of the reforms instituted by the Alliance after Allan had helped expose the extensive corruption in the wake of the Miranda wave released by Serenity’s crew, Had resulted in more autonomy for all the worlds under the Alliance. Each world was able to have it's own local government and this led to the establishment of all the resulting agency's to administer the government.

One of the agency's was the planetary law center. This agency acted as the central law enforcement division for the planet. All township, county and city law enforcement departments reported to the planetary law center. While each individual department had it's own autonomy. The law center had greater resources like laboratory backup and other specialists. In essence, acting like the old FBI in the United States back on Earth that was.

Under the new reforms. Each planet was treated similarly to the individual states of the old United States. While having a degree of autonomy and representation in Parliament, All worlds were still a part of the Alliance.

It took almost ten years and it still wasn't perfect, but it was better that it had been in the past. Allan was proud to have helped push things in the right direction. A moment later, Zoë sent the file she had been working on and rose from her desk. Strapping her mare's leg on, Zoë took Allan's arm and they started out of the office.

“Going to go grab some lunch Madge,” Zoë said to the dispatcher, “I'll have my com if I'm needed.”

“You got it Chief,” The woman replied.

The couple exited the station and strolled the three blocks to the pizza shop around the corner. Pedestrians passing the couple nodded in greeting to them. Allan was still somewhat of a celebrity in the Alliance and Zoë, as police chief garnered a great deal of respect.

At forty eight years of age and the mother of a teenager, Zoë still looked like she did when Allan and she had first met. Other than a few wisps of gray showing in her dark curls that Zoë blamed on Sara. Zoë looked spectacular in her uniform.

As the founding chief of the department, she had come up with the department's colors. The dark brown pants and tan shirts that all the uniformed officers wore, looked suspiciously like the old Browncoat uniform Zoë wore during the war. Her gold chief's badge on her left chest and nameplate on the right combined with the department's patch on both shoulders completed Zoë's uniform.

Jayne usually didn't wear a uniform in his capacity as the investigator. The sight of the fifty two year old, gray haired former mercenary in a suit coat and wearing a shirt and tie was normal for the people of New Edmonton, but hilarious to his family.

Allan and Zoë took a booth in the back of the pizza parlor, Zoë had her long hair pulled back in the ponytail she wore when working. They ordered a couple of slices and waited for their orders with their beverages. Allan finding it ironic that he had to pay for the Blue Sun cola he was drinking, since his company made the beverage. He was ostensibly paying himself for the drink.

“Anything new and exiting in crime honey?” Allan asked.

“Not a thing dear,” Zoë replied. She smiled at Allan, noticing how the light from the table lamp made his silver hair shine. Allan had just turned sixty eight, three months ago. Due to a great deal of hard work, exercise and decent genetics, Allan still looked to be a man much younger other than his silver hair. Even in his fifties, Allan had looked ten years younger that he actually was.

“I guess boring is better than exiting.”

“Sometimes, baby. The paperwork is the worst part.”

“I understand that,” Allan replied, acknowledging his own distaste for paperwork. That's why he and Zoë lived here on Boros rather than on Londonium, where Blue Sun was headquartered. Allan delegated as much as he could of the day to day operations to the board of directors and the senior vice presidents. Among them Durin Haymer who was probably Allan's best friend outside the crew of Serenity, except for perhaps Simon's father Gabriel Tam.

“You still have to go to Londonium next month?” Zoë asked.

“Yeah,” Allan replied, looking down into his glass.

“You know, I can go this time...”

Allan brightened, “You can?”

“I got a month of vacation time I need to use,” Zoë replied smiling.

This time of year, it was only a two day run to Londonium. Particularly now that Serenity was much faster than she had been when Mal first bought the ship.

“And Sara's going to be out of school...” Allan trailed off.

“And the rest of the kids too,” Zoë confirmed.

“Mal has a run to Shinon I think, to deliver some horses to Inara's uncle.”

“Just like old times,” Zoë smiled, “I know Jayne's going to help Mal with the horses.”

“What about Simon?”

“I have a medical conference on Londonium at the same time,” The doctor said as he walked up to the table.

“Hey Simon,” Zoë said as she motioned for Simon to join them.

“How did you know we would be here?” Allan asked.

“I didn't. I've been eating lunch here for the last two weeks. Beats the food at the hospital,” Simon chuckled.

“So it looks like we're all set then,” Allan said, “All the kids going?”

“I believe so,” Simon replied after giving the waitress his order.

“Just like old times,” Allan agreed with a smile as he and Zoë's food was delivered.

“Just like old times,” Zoë agreed.

TBC