Hershel Reynolds stared at his son in shock as Niska left to give orders for the ship’s course and his new plan. “Ezra…”

“He doesn’t want us Dad.” Ezra uttered curtly. “He doesn’t want to be kin, why should you have to choose between him and us?”

“He’s my son!” Hershel roared, surprising Virgil with the confession. Granted the choice would have been difficult, save Malcolm for Ezra and Pacey, but he thought of the woman Mal had been with, and the baby girl in her arms. They too would be caught in Niska’s wrath.

Pacey’s jaw dropped at the news, he had not known. “Ezra how’d…. did….”

“Just ‘cause a man who has your blood don’t mean he’s kin, that’s how he felt.”

“Ni bendan naodai quan, you had no right to do that.” The father snarled. “And how did you find out where he is?!”

Ezra was silent, his face dark and defiant. Years of piloting for pirate crews meant he had a questionable moral backbone to say the least.

“Answer me boy.”

Ezra’s head turned to address his father, and they locked eyes whilst hanging from their posts. “You know what a reader is?”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

*FLASHBACK*

Months.

She saw the slave girl again, more than once.

The meetings in her head were spotty at best. Sometimes none for months, sometimes twice a week, in reality it was only when they were both not conscious (naturally asleep or otherwise) that they were able to meet. Almost each time the slave girl looked different, a different stage of growth. In her head, away from Mithias, from other scientists, they existed together in a dreamlike way. There were never words, never sounds. Simply expressions and touch. The girl had something apart of her, and that was what drew River to enjoying their moments, what lulled her into a false sense of security. An odd sort of affection grew, the slave girl was always a little nervous, but more at ease when they were together, and River was eager to be near someone that was not cruel.

Their last meeting was the most at ease.

In the white room, they sat on the floor, with River's hands feeling the expanse of the slave girl's round belly. She smiled, wildly, forgetting what she had learned months before about her new companion. Their moments were her way of escaping the Academy, of giving herself some form of happiness. She liked the girl, the girl with apart of her inside as she smiled up at the her, and ran her hand over the curve of the swollen middle. Her curiosity had gotten the better of her as she had watched the nearly non-existant bump blossom into it's size and being a tactile creature she took great satisfaction in touching it. The girl seemed to like the gentle touch too.

The girl, heavy with the prodigy of the Alliance, gave a bittersweet smile, and rested her hand against River's. For a moment they remained that way, hand against hand, free from reality, from what the situation actually was.

There was a swift kick from inside.

River's eyes lit up. Life was moving inside of the slave, and when she pressed her ear to the curve of the girth, she heard life. A small, quick heartbeart. Delirium due to what the Academy had subjected her to, made her rationalize that the life inside of the girl, the girl whom she had grown to what was the closest thing to love River had ever felt, made her happy. For she rationalized that the life was from both of them. Their own. There was a fuzzy conscious alive from the life they had created, and she could touch it ever so slightly. Scooting closer, she petted the spot where a foot or elbow had connected from inside, and smiled back up again at the girl, who had tears in her eyes.

The girl vanished.

River collapsed onto the floor, startled.

Startled awake.

She was back to the real world, to cold blue lights, and monitors buzzing as she was strapped into her bed. Eyes snapping open, darting around, she felt something.

The girl.

Something painful, something macabre.

Opening her mouth, she let out a howl of dread, and strained on the leather belts that kept her lashed down. Mithias and the others hurried in, talking about neural output, and other things that didn't matter to her. What mattered to her was that she still had a link with the slave girl.

And she felt pain.

Their bond had been enough, for River's eyes rolled into the back of her head, and she was linked with the girl.

She saw, felt, heard, experienced, everything.

*END FLASHBACK*

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

River's head whipped towards the noise, the sensation of other readers in the temple responding to what she had projected. hair forming a spiral to the movement. Drawing air into her lungs, her hands drew into fists. "Get your things, don't have time." Turning back to them, she saw Tasya grab her niece as the Operative kept a firm grip on the other whelp. "Move, NOW." She ordered, storming down the hall to her bunk as they raced off. Going into her room, she immediately grabbed her things, shoving them into the bag she had brought with her. Next was the nandao Grand Master had given her, which she wore on her back, and last but not least she summoned her cross eyed familar to perch on her shoulder. She left, quickly, and found her fellow runners prepard to follow her lead.

"Our ship's not ready to fly." Tasya announced as she carried the girl for they were moving quickly.

"His ship is faster." Footsteps charging the hall made her draw her sword, and Boston leap down off of her shoulder to run alongside the group.

Followers knew what she had done, they had felt it as they rushed the group. Their leader, was dead.

River’s pace quickened. In front of her group, she met their foes head on, and brought her sword up with the blade forward.

She was blur.

A mad blur of poise, grace, strength and death. Employing all she had learned, she moved through the pack of readers effortlessly, fueled by a power she didn’t understand, just knowing the purpose. The sword was employed in long range, yet up close she was not shy to use her hands and feet. The last person, she grabbed and drover her blade up through the front of their throat, so furious, so driven with vengeance that she had them by the hair, and the sword went through till the hilt touched the skin.

The head disconnected from the body.

She was shaken, yet still moving ahead, still determined to get to the dock as the head was cast aside and she stepped over the carnage. “Come.” River Tam called out.

They followed, stunned to their bones at her violent skill. Down the hall, they made a left and went through a door that led to a hanger. There lay Li Ten’s ship. It was small, a ten passenger ship, quick and light and illegally modified for extra speed in case of a post haste getaway. There was no one guarding the ship, for they had all come to fight the enraged dragon and had lost. So the group quickly boarded, River grabbing a switch and pulling it down on the hangar wall to retract the hangar roof. The last to board, she closed the door and walked to the small helm as the Operative was in the galley with the whelps and Tasya was winding up the engine and preparing for takeoff. Taking a seat, she set the ship to the correct settings and grasped the yolk.

“I know we’re lacking a proper introduction, but where exactly is home?” Tasya quizzed as she used the nagivations systems.

“Shadow.” River eased the steering up as the craft left the hangar, she tapped the keyboard to manually adjust the balance the draw up the landing gear. “Seven hours ahead, full burn.”

Her brow furrowed as she typed the planet into the system and set up the coordinates. Eyes skimming to River Tam, she felt a nervous edge creep upon her, for the girl was powerful, too powerful to comprehend.

“Don’t worry.” River adjusted the speed. “It’s over.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"She's gettin' so big."

Simon shut the door as Kaylee padded over to their bed. "Growing up." He set his med kit on the dresser and headed towards her. "Dare say it soon we'll have to baby proof the house."

"Nara looked kinda meloncholy when you mentioned she was teethin'." the fiance pointed out.

"She has a very strong bond with Meilin..."

"You ever think about our kids?" Kaylee blurted.

Simon gave an all too familiar face of bewilderment, his mouth opening as he attempted to talk and string together words. Kaylee watched, half amused, half 'there he goes again' as she was given the pleasure of seeing him blush and a rather stupid half smile pull on the right side of his mouth. guilty of thinking of the future was Simon Tam.

"You really do?"

"I really do." He admitted sincerely, sighing and looking around the room. "Don't know where we'd put them, maybe our own house... or an add on room... or in the closet..."

Kaylee smacked him, giggling.

He chuckled along with her. "I would like to exchange vows first."

"Old fashioned." She teased.

"Indubitably." He smiled, toothily "But, I'd also like to wait a little, enjoy being married. I figure there's a lot of life left ahead of us, we can wait." The doctor stopped, his eyes narrowing as they slid down to her, as he questioned his answer. "Unless of course... you...?"

"Reckon there's plenty of time before we bring babies into th' equation." She mused. "Don't hurt to practice makin' 'em though."

"Well as they say, practice makes perfect."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Zoe lay on her back, staring up at the ceiling.

She couldn't sleep, dragging her hand over her face as she tossed to the side and mulled over why she had been so distant the night before. She wondered if the Captain remembered. Why would he? Why would he remember the day Wash came on board? With that paunchy figure and stupid mustache. Each little reminder made her feel more lonely, if not slightly jealous of the others. Simon and Kaylee were so over the moon and getting married at that, Mal and Inara were quite happy with their little family unit, even Jayne got some basic form of affection via his many women.

She had no one, and it hurt.

Yet she knew it was a double edged sword, for at the same time, she knew she could never love another man again.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Jayne rolled over, hugging a pillow, smiling with sweet dreams of bare chested ladies.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"She really was hungry." Mal yawned, as Meilin was being switched to the next source of milk. She was nursing hungrily, and Inara had peeled back her fleece pajamas and pulled the blanket over her back as Meilin's chest and belly were flush with her own skin. Soon she would be eating food, and within that time their contact would decrease.

"She's been fussy during feeding times." Inara explained. "I think it's safe to say all of the discomfort was making it hard to get her fill."

“That was a whole lot more fuss than it was worth.” He announced sleepily.

Inara sighed, nodding her head and enjoying the time with her lover and their daughter. "She's getting so big, it'll be interesting to see Simon measure and weigh her tomorrow." Her hand rubbed the little back, and she thought of the past five and a half months of being a mother. The first time she held Meilin and claimed her as her own, Mal refusing to be apart of raising the babe, to the current. Meilin no longer an abandoned waif but a healthy and happy baby, and the three of them a tight family unit.

"She sure has come a long way from that lil' bitta babe we brought back ." He held her and let out a deep sigh as Meilin let out a squeak. "She'll be walkin' soon. Talkin', playin', be all over the place runnin' us ragged."

Inara listened thoughtfully.

"It's ok ta want some more time with her like this, but she's gonna be a whole lot more mobile soon and we're gonna enjoy that new phase." Mal explained softly, though there was an awkward space of silence that made him try to keep talking, though it came out awkward. "Sides, ain't too hard ta make another down the road... get the baby phase all over again"

Turning her head, she gazed up at him. "You would want more?"

"Well uh.... yeah?"

"Was a rather unsure yeah."

"Ain't an everyday conversation."

"So, are you sure...?"

"Regardless I sound like sap, another one, maybe a little bit of us put together... wouldn't be all that bad.... you know... might even turn out cute."

"Would the galaxy be able to survive another generation of Reynolds?"

"You sayin' the critter of my loins would turn this verse inside and out?"

"I'm saying we'd produce a passel of strong willed, rebellious, sandy haired brigands that would be fluent in three different languages and give my mother as well as any authority figure a stroke."

"Sandy hair? I want 'em dark haired, pretty royal Serra locks with them stately chocolate eyes and my winning attitude."

"Your hair, eyes are debatable."

"Why?"

"I'd be carrying these theoretical fruit of thine loins. All of the work that's put into it I'd like to think I have some say in how the end product turns out."

"You know this mock argument is frivolous. 'Cause unless we get Simon ta make us one instead of doin' it the fun way, genes trump all manner of wishful thinkin'."

"No petri dish babies."

"I figured that much."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

*FLASHBACK

The slave girl had no anesthetic.

She was just a vessel.

An expendable vessel.

Strapped to the table, the drug going into her veins. Muscles lax against restraints as she could do nothing, but feel everything. The beeping on monitors, the whoosh of an unborn heartbeat. Bright lights, scalpels, surgeons with masks covering their features.

"Excellent specimen."

His voice was hollowed and distant, like in a fog. However she could hear the croon in it, the pride. Like a pet owner fawning over a litter of champion blooded pups. He stroked her hair as if praising her. Her head lolled to the side towards a machine, but she could see nothing but shapes, meaningless abstracts of her insides.

"This could possibly be the strongest specimen in the entire program."

"Possibly, there's another to be delivered in several days, same genetic stock, though it's through the sire and they are producing it differently." Someone else commented. "Believe they're they're using it more for study, the actual gene donor is the carrier..."

"It'll be interesting to document their progress then, Mithias has to be excited."

"He is."

She felt a cool, damp cotton swab disinfect the base of her swollen middle. Tears rolled down her cheeks, she had been easy to catch, cumbersome and lacking all grace in her state.

"Making the incision."

Pain, searing pain being cut into, pried open to get to what they wanted. She had done her job, done what the Alliance had bought her for. For nine months they had kept her healthy, given her a good life. Good food, friendly doctors, a nice room, they had treated her well, pampered her even. But now they wanted what they purchased her for. And they did not care if she survived. Disposable. When she died, there would be five other slaves to replace her in their breeding program..

She felt them, invading her, again. She felt them reach in, and then she heard it.

A cry.

And the announcement that G100168 had been successfully retrieved.

Life left the slave girl, she grew cold and ceased to exist.

River released a blood curdling scream.

*END FLASHBACK*

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The ship's course was set.

They were headed full burn to Shadow, and the ship was on autopilot, meaning River had nothing to better occupy herself with. She stood at the corridor that linked the helm with the galley, hands grasping the metal wall, head peering out over the airlock door as she observed the waifs.

The boy.

With him came memories, flashbacks of time that were sharp and brutal. Flashbacks medication and psychosis had suppressed into nightmares long ago. Nightmares she had questioned, but were so very real.

Her dark fathomless eyes watched the boy, cold from being thrust into the snow by Li Ten, and frightened beyond description about what had occurred at the temple. The Operative was drying him off, giving small, forced reassurances for he truly was not a parent. He did however give the child sips of chamomile tea he had drummed up from the pantry, and rubbed the boy's back. The little girl, Simon and Tasya's daughter, huddled close to her cousin for comfort. Though for a moment, she broke away and toddled off towards Boston, who she awkwardly caught and trucked back over to the son of River Tam. The cat squawked, yet settled as he was set on the boy's lap, and was subjected to petting. Boston huddled in and purred, seeming to know what part he played in helping soothe the children.

The dragon's eyes filled with tears.

She felt no love for him, just pain.

A tear escaped.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

*FLASHBACK*

Simon had't had a chance to examine her at all.

Since breaking her out, she had been in a cryo box, there had been no time for checkups. However since they now held a place on the ship Serenity, he had enough time to conduct a proper physical.

She fought him tooth and nail.

There was no need for stirrups, for a rudimentary gynecological examine. The infirmary, as primitive as it was, had a decent scanner attached to the equipment wall, so as she sat timidly in the chair, she scanned her from top to bottom.

When he read the results, he took a step back.

She read his mind, and coward in the chair, tears immediately streaming down her cheeks. Her mind went to a nightmare about a slave girl.

"Your.. your ovary...." he furrowed his brow, tapping on buttons to see if it was just a misreading. However his face went slack with disbelief. "That's not... that's not possible... bu... bu tamen... na boqing lianmeng hundan."

She let out a squeaky cry.

He found her face, and beheld the truth. His heart rose to this throat and threatened permanent residence. "River... are... were you." He approached her carefully.

"It wasn't mine!" She wailed, hands balling into fists, grasping her own hair and threatening to rip it out. "The incubus wanted it, wanted to put it in her, water it and make it grow. Use her... take it from me and use her.... It was the incubus.... She never knew what would happen in the end.... kept her happy, healthy. Secret to a healthy product is a happy vessel." She looked up from her sorrowful state and gave a less-than-sane smile, her voice soft and twisted. "She's a very good vessel, a good breeder. A strong specimen... dispensable though... new ones shipped in very nine months... use once then throw away." Shutting her eyes, she wrapped her arms around her flat torso and gripped it tight. "Took it out, it breathed and stretched and thought, it grew till there was no space left to grow. Incubus took it, and killed her. Killed her for a part of me..... And with it shattered the brain, to a million pieces scattered to the wind... " She began to rock herself, sobbing uncontrollably. "I don't know what I'm saying! Simon... Simon I can hear the words but they do not quantify! The nightmare may be actuality... They're shards, sharp shards in the skin, making her bleed... There's so MUCH BLOOD."

Simon rushed to hold her, "River, River it's ok." He soothed.

Her head shook a resounding no against his silken vest. "It's not, will never be.... just make it go away. May me go away. Put a bullet through the case, eyes will shut and it will all come to pass..."

"NO." He said firmly, cupping her face, cradling it in his palms. "Don't ever talk like that."

"But it's the only way to make it go away... don't even know what needs to be gone." She mourned. "Just a bullet Simon... in one ear and out the other, the truth will spill ou..."

Terrified of what she was suggesting, he held her tight. "No meimei." The doctor was near tears. "No, I'll never let that happen. It's... it's going to be ok." He stroked her reckless tresses back, out of her face as he pressed his lips to her forehead and kept her tight against his chest like a father with a cowering child. And though he wished to know, he swore he would never bring it up again. "Wo ciai nimen... I'll help you."

For she had never become so far gone so quickly.

*END FLASHBACK*

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"You don't love her."

River turned around, to see Tasya standing right behind her, doing the exact same thing she was, watching the children that had been produced via their genes.

"You don't love him." Tasya countered, softly, honestly.

She whispered. "Came from, but no positive connection, protected him, but no maternal bond. Can't, won't, never will. Not a mother."

Tasya's jaw quivered, guilt, was thick in her. She blamed the Operative chiefly, but for the girl she blamed herself. "Neither am I."

"Sleeping pills."

Tasya turned her head towards the girl, the girls she had seen turn into a beast of sheer mental energy, and lay waist to an entire temple, killing possibly the strongest reader in the galaxy.

"You took them, because the past kept you up. Your choice, your path" She further divulged, twisting her neck so a portion of her eyes met the lighter ones. "First path, freedom, clean slate, new life in exchange for nine months. Body their playground for nine months, afterwards life is yours. Take the other path, prison, death..."

Tasya's hands gripped the corridor till her knuckles were white. Eyes focused on the girl, she remembered.

She was distant, in another world, another time in her new acquaintance’s life. "Saw how far the down the rabbit hole went, carried their project, became their subject. Not like the other vessels, kept them content and unaware. Tests, surgeries, monitors, customization before the arrival...."

"Wo wu kan ni naojin suoyi wu kuang." Tasya announced, feeling violated suddenly, invaded. Never, had she nor anyone spoken at length of what had really happened in order for her to obtain her freedom.

River's eye line dropped, as the person who could ever understand her the most, suddenly closed herself off. "Sorry."

There was silence, for the longest time the two women turned back to watching the children. The boy was much more reserved than the girl, who was trying to cheer him up with hugs and Boston, who was impressively patient with such little hands.

"I'm sorry I was so... it's just... I don't talk about it." Tasya apologized awkwardly.

"You don't talk about a lot of things. Yet you are wise."

"I've seen more bad than good, though I think you have too." She knew it was a once in a million chance that she would be able to meet another that had been through the Academy and had lived to tell the tale. Therefore knowing this girl, was valuable, though making her on edge as a question nagged her. "Can you explain what happened back on St. Albans?"

"I get angry, things happen that cannot be reasonable logic."

"You killed Li Ten, the strongest reader left in the galaxy."

"He was not the strongest." She corrected, ominously. "And I do not know how to control what has been done to me. It happens. All powerful at once, powerless the next. My gift, my curse."

"Remind never to make you angry."

"Can't be angry at you."

Tasya turned her head, ever so slightly to catch the girl's eyes once more.

"Sought retribution, and I give it to you." River turned back, to watch their children. His face, still brought ache to her heart, and her voice quivered slightly. "Won't have to worry about her, what you've done. Life of blue sky, endless prairie, loving family await them both. Farm life will suit them well.... real childhood."

She opened her mouth to respond.

"Talented surgeon, can reverse what they did to her." She paused, a bitter smile on her lips. "And love them both as his own, they're own. He's getting married in Spring, and she will love them like her own." Eyelashes blinked back heavy tears as she thought of them back on the ranch "Good parents."

With that River's eyes trickled rivulets of tears down her cheeks.

A reserved tear escaped Tasya's eye, and she turned away to retreat back to the helm. Retribution had been given, though she would not feel she could accept it until the girl's father willingly took the child into his arms.

*** *** *** DEFINITIONS/TRANSLATIONS Ni bendan naodai quan: You fool headed pup bu... bu tamen... na boqing lianmeng hundan: No... no they... those heartless Alliance bastards meimei: sister Wo ciai nimen...: I love you Wo wu kan ni naojin suoyi wu kuang: I do'nt read your mind so don't read mine *****As always, the writer appreciates all comments whether they be positive, negative, or suggestions.**