Disclaimer: Joss, Fox, Universal Own em’. I’m just playing. No money being made. The situations come from my own twisted mind as do my original characters.

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This story takes place about a year after the conclusion of Heritage.

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AN: Last one in this arc...

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Cast of characters:

Parents: Malcolm Reynolds 53 Inara Serra-Reynolds 45 Allan Bryant 69 Zoë Bryant 49 Kaylee Tam 42 Simon Tam 44 Jayne Cobb 53 River Cobb 37 Kids: Jefferson (Jeff) Reynolds 17 Emma Reynolds 12 Sara Bryant 16 Rebecca Tam 17 John (Jack) Tam 13 Rachel Cobb 10 Jesse Cobb 8

Triad-Chapter Eleven

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Even though he had lived on Boros for nearly seventeen years, the alternating white and green Christmases still bothered Allan.

Raised in a northern clime on Earth, it was supposed to be winter during Christmas in his mind.

With that as the motivation, Allan launched his plan.

“We're going where?” Zoë asked, more than a bit surprised.

“Joshua Mountain,” Allan replied after he had swallowed a mouthful of turkey.

“Joshua Mountain is on the southern continent, halfway around Boros... it's winter there,” Zoë stated.

“That's kinda the plan, Dear.”

“When I decided to take this little vacation, I was thinking a nice beach somewhere.”

“Next year, Sara will be away at school. And it will be winter, this time of year... make you a deal. Five days at Joshua Mountain and the rest of the time we'll head for that resort just outside Capital City you like so much.”

“Why are we going to Joshua Mountain, anyway?”

“Because,” Allan grinned, “In nearly eighteen years of marriage, I've never taught you how to snowboard...”

Zoë sat stunned while across the table, Sara just giggled, “Always wanted to learn it myself,” Sara said after a moment.

“Or you can try skiing,” Allan offered to the ladies in his life.

“I don't know...” Zoë wavered.

“At night, after a day on the slopes, Sara off doing whatever, the two of us... alone...”

“Depends on the whatever,” Sara said quietly.

Zoë shot her daughter a look that said she wasn't helping. Sara grinned.

“And after, we head for the beach?” Zoë asked.

“Yep.”

“Fine...”

“At least you two get some romance,” Sara grumped.

“I invited Jeff...” Allan grinned.

Allan was nearly deafened by his daughters squeal.

With a smile, Allan settled back and enjoyed the rest of his Christmas dinner.

XXXXXXXXXX

The next day dawned hot and muggy. It did look rather funny to see the Bryant family carrying their winter clothing as they began loading luggage into Sara Jane.

After packing both their winter clothing and beachwear, Allan drove the hover truck into the cargo bay. That way they would have ground transportation when they arrived at their destinations.

A few minutes later, Jeff Reynolds trudged up to the ship, followed by his parents and little sister.

“I don't see why I can't go,” Emma whined, “I want to learn how to ski...”

Mal huffed slightly while Inara just grinned, “This trip is for your brother, Ni-zi,” Inara replied, diplomatically, “I'm sure that once he gets back, We can take a trip some weekend and Jefferson can teach you.”

“Be happy to, Mei-mei,” Jeff smiled.

“Just don't expect to see me out making a fool of myself with some hunks of carbon fiber on my feet,” Mal grumped.

“It's not that hard, Mal,” Inara replied.

Allan stepped down the ramp, “You know how to ski, Inara?”

“I learned a long time ago. I'm quite out of practice.”

“You think you're out of practice,” Allan chuckled, “I haven't been on a snowboard since I was thirty five...”

“I'll have Simon stock up on bone menders for when you get back,” Mal teased.

“Very funny,” Allan grinned.

Zoë walked up just then on her second trip from the house. She just had a small suitcase with her.

“Traveling light, Zoë?” Mal asked.

“We're going to the beach after,” Zoë replied, “Don't need much for clothing for sunbathing.” The look she shot Allan made him shudder.

“Guess we'll let you folks get in the air,” Mal smiled, “Got ranchy stuff to do anyway,”

“Have fun,” Inara called out as Allan raised the ramp. Emma stuck out her tongue at her big brother before running after her father.

“Emma's getting to be a handful,” Allan commented to Jeff.

“Tell me about it,” the young man chuckled.

“Why don't you head up to the bridge and get the preflight started.”

“On it, Uncle Allan,” Jeff replied before turning and heading for Sara Jane's bridge.

After making sure things were secure in the bay, Allan headed for the engine room to make sure things were in order. Unsurprisingly, he found his daughter already prepping the ship for takeoff.

“All squared away, Princess?”

“All set, Dad,” Sara replied as she entered some commands into the engineering computer. Slaving the engine controls to the bridge.

“Jeff's on the bridge doing the preflight. Better go give him a hand.”

“Okay,” Sara replied as she headed forward.

XXXXXXXXXX

Sara effortlessly lifted Sara Jane into the late afternoon sky. It was a quick ninety minute sub-orbital hop around Boros to the huge ski resort called Joshua Mountain. The resort, and it's sister resort, New Aspen were both located on Boros. One in the northern hemisphere and the other in the southern. That arrangement resulted in year round operation for the company that owned the two resorts.

After a rapid climb out of atmo, Sara aligned her namesake for reentry and the decent to the resorts private landing pads.

Allan stood quietly just to the left of Sara as she flew the ship. Jefferson occupied the co-pilots station on the other side of the bridge. Both teens were qualified pilots now and worked well together.

Allan was still amazed at how, his incredibly intelligent daughter, who while still in high school was almost finished with the necessary credits to qualify for her bachelors degree in physics.

When she actually started university in the fall, Sara would be in actuality starting grad school. She would be working towards her masters in physics and taking additional classes in spacecraft engineering. Sara had been accepted to Cambridge University on Londinium.

Likewise, so had Rebecca Tam who would also be studying engineering. Jeff Reynolds would be attending the Londinium Institute of Technology with a major in mathematics and a minor in engineering. Clayton Cook, Becca's boyfriend and one of Jeff's best friends, would also be taking engineering classes at LIT. His love of things mechanical is what had brought him and Rebecca together in the first place.

All four teens would use Sara Jane to travel back and forth between Londinium and Boros. Allan had already secured an apartment for all of them located equidistant from the two schools.

Of course, Sara's Aunt Alisha as well as her husband Reggie would keep an eye on the kids. Not to mention the entire Blue Sun executive security staff.

That kind of oversight should keep the shenanigans to a minimum. At least Allan hoped so.

“You awake?” Zoë asked as she placed her hand on Allan's shoulder.

He nodded slowly, “Just thinking about Sara going off to school this fall.”

“I know. She'll be off on her own.”

“Not totally,” Allan replied, “She'll still have family around.”

“My baby sis will keep her out of trouble,” Zoë replied with a smile.

Allan sighed as he watched his daughter expertly fly Sara Jane. He turned and smiled at Zoë, “I think we did pretty good...”

“That we did, Husband, that we did.”

XXXXXXXXXX

Sara stood with her hands on her hips glaring at her boyfriend, “Are you going to keep falling down?”

Jeff sighed and pulled himself to his feet. After only the second day on a snowboard, Sara was already able to make a complete run without difficulty. Jeff couldn't make it more than a few hundred yards before loosing his balance, “I'm trying Boa-bei.”

Sara giggled and moved to his side, offering a steading hand, “I know, Baby. You're doing well.”

“You figured this out in a few hours!”

“Well, I am a genius...”

“Very funny,” Jeff grumped, “According to my last IQ test, I am too.”

“Barely,” Sara teased.

“That's it! You're gonna get it now!”

Sara giggled and pushed off, Jeff stared in pursuit but fell on his face in a cloud of snow in a few hundred feet. He sat glaring as Sara disappeared out of sight, down the mountain.

With an undignified thump and a cloud of snow, Zoë slid to a stop next to Jeff on her backside.

“Gorramit,” Zoë swore.

With a chuckle, Allan carved an arc around the pair and came to a smooth stop, “You're getting better, Dear.”

“So says the oldest man on the mountain who's been doing this how long?” Zoë asked, slightly ticked off.

“You want that in centuries?” Allan chuckled. He had to duck a snowball.

Allan stepped out of his bindings and offered his hand to his wife so she could get up.

“At least I'm doing better than Jeff here,” Zoë smiled.

“Gee... thanks, Aunt Zoë ,” Jefferson smirked.

“Where did Sara get to?” Allan asked.

“Off that way... somewhere,” Jeff replied as he got to his feet, motioning in the general direction Sara had gone.

“I'll go round her up,” Allan stated, then we'll break for lunch. Think you two can make it the rest of the way without the ski patrol?”

Allan recoiled from the nearly matching venomous looks he got from his wife and Jeff.

“I'll just be off then.”

Zoë hauled Jeff to his feet, “I'm glad someone thinks this is fun.”

“Probably would be, once we get the hang of it,” Jeff replied.

“We'll just go slow and try not to embarrass ourselves again.”

“Good idea, Aunt Zoë,” Jeff replied as they started back down the mountain.

Allan effortlessly carved his way down the mountain. It had taken him a few runs the day before to find his legs again. But he still remembered how to snowboard. In fact, he had been on his high schools Ski/Snowboard team in his youth. Allan tried to ignore the appreciative glances at his technique from various other boarders and he tried to catch up with Sara.

More than a few other resort goers had been surprised that a man in his late sixties was a better boarder than some of the men and women in their twenties.

As he crested the last rise before the final drop to the base lodge, Allan spotted Sara's pink jacket and ski pants in the distance. Of course the lime green knitted hat from Jayne's mother stuck out as well.

Sara had just come to a stop when he saw two men heading directly for her. One pulled a pistol...

“Sara! Gun!” Allan screamed even though he was still several hundred feet away.

Despite the distance, Sara heard her father's yell and dropped to the ground. The gunshot was loud and the bullet snapped over her head. Bystanders screamed.

Before Sara could try and scramble away, the gunman was knocked off his feet by her father as he collided at full speed with the shooter. They both went down in a pile of legs and arms. The pistol went flying

The second man tried to reach for Sara as she got to her feet. But instead he dropped to the ground as the heel of Sara's hand shattered the bridge of his nose.

One down, Sara ran to where her father and the shooter were struggling in the snow. Allan had the advantage in weight and size but his adversary was forty years younger and very fast.

Just as the man had rolled Allan onto his back and began choking him, the assailant fell away as Sara's booted foot connected with his temple.

He dropped like a rock.

The man who's nose Sara had broken tried to get up and run but was instead, slammed into bodily by Jeff. Three quick punches and he too was unconscious.

Allan lay back on the snow, breathing hard, trying to blink the spots from his vision. The man had nearly strangled him.

“Allan, Baby, you okay?” Zoë said as she dropped to her husbands side.

“I'm... fine... just need... to... catch my breath,” Allan gasped out.

By this time, resort security had arrived. Zoë retrieved the pistol from the snow and hauled the moaning man Sara had kicked to his feet. Just as he regained consciousness, Zoë slammed him into the lodge wall and put the barrel of the pistol under his chin.

The security guards started towards Zoë, not sure what was happening but Zoë's words stopped them.

“You are hereby bound by law, you Ching-wah tsao duh liou mahng! If you so much as breath funny, they'll be wiping your brains off the wall here, Dong-ma?”

The man's eyes just went wide.

“Ma'am?” said one of the guards.

“It ain't Ma'am. It's chief. As in Chief Zoë Bryant, New Edmonton Police.”

“Understood, Chief... we got him.”

Zoë relaxed as two burly guards grabbed the gunman's arms and slammed him to the ground. Two more guards were in the process of handcuffing the second assailant and Sara was helping her father sit up. Jeff was standing behind Allan, eyes alert for more danger.

Allan looked up at his wife, “I think I've had enough snowboarding for a while.”

XXXXXXXXXX

Three hours later, Sara Jane lifted from the Joshua Mountain landing pad and clawed for orbit.

Under interrogation, the two men had admitted to being mercenaries hired by the Capital City based Triad. Their job was to kill Sara, Zoë and Allan. They hadn't known about Jeff.

Another hit team had been caught by the automated defenses at Serenity acres. They didn't survive the encounter.

Leads from the information gathered in the New Edmonton Triad arrests led Captain Vincent to a small restaurant in the west end of the city called Lee Chen Huo's.

This was the headquarters of the Boros based Triads. While surveillance equipment monitored the upstairs offices, Fed officers quietly evacuated the nearby buildings and then stunned everyone on the bottom floor and dragged them outside.

A minute or so later an explosion tore the building apart.

The Boros Triad leadership wouldn't bother anyone ever again.

The explosion was attributed to a gas leak in the kitchen by the local media. Not a missile fired from orbit by a reportedly unarmed Firefly.

Zoë thanked Captain Vincent over the cortex as Allan secured Sara Jane's weapons system. He was liking Captain David Vincent more and more all the time.

Threat neutralized, Allan did a quick scan of the Boros geography and found what he was looking for. A small uninhabited island near the equator in the Eastern Ocean.

Forty five minutes later, Sara Jane landed at the edge of a pristine white beach. Palm trees swayed in the tropical breeze and the waves lapped gently along the shore.

Who needs a fancy resort when you have your own flying second home.

XXXXXXXXXX

Zoë lay on a blanket in her white one piece suit, soaking up the sun while Allan tended the steaks sizzling on the portable grill just outside the cargo bay of Sara Jane.

Sara and Jeff chased each other in the surf, enjoying themselves immensely.

After a while, Allan signaled to the two teens and they exited the water. Allan groaned slightly at the rather skimpy two piece bathing suit Sara was wearing. Jeff, as usual was being a perfect gentleman and helped Sara towel off. He then pulled on a tank top and Sara wrapped a sari around herself.

Hand in hand, the young couple walked across the sand to where Allan was cooking.

“Need a hand, Daddy?”

“You can go fetch your mother before she barbecues out there,” Allan grinned, “And Jeff? Can you set the table?”

“Sure Uncle Allan,” the young man replied as he headed to where the small folding table had been set up at the base of the ramp.

Allan looked up when he heard a squeal and chuckled as he saw Sara being chased by her mother. From the grit on her, Allan deduced that Sara had awoken her mother with a handful of sand.

After a retaliatory handful of sand, Zoë made a beeline for the crew showers while Sara headed for the passenger dorm showers to wash the sand out of their hair and other places.

Allan pulled the steaks from the grille and then the foil wrapped potatoes. Setting them on the table, he settled himself on a chair, he reached into the cooler and pulled out a couple of bottles. He handed one to Jeff as the young man sat next to him.

“Beer?” Jeff inquired.

“You'll be eighteen in a few months, Jeff. You're old enough in my eyes.”

Jeff smiled. Allan at that moment saw how much Jeff looked like his father.

As Jeff took a couple of sips from the bottle, Allan leaned back and looked at Jeff out of the corner of his eye, “So... Sara tried to have sex with you yet?”

Allan couldn't hep but chuckle at the sputtering young man.

After regaining his composure, Jeff looked over at Allan. The older man was gazing off at the slowly setting sun. He spoke after a moment, “Just don't break her heart Jeff. And I ain't quite ready for grandkids just yet.”

“I... don't... I mean...”

Allan took pity on the young man, “Here's how it is. I'm not giving you permission to do... whatever. Just know that... aw hell, it might have been a long time ago but I do remember what it was like to be seventeen and in love.”

Allan paused a moment, then continued, “What I mean is, as long as you two truly love each other and Sara doesn't end up in the family way... at least until you put a ring on her finger... If you... you know... I won't get mad.”

Jeff was stunned. Finally he looked over at his uncle, “Thank you.”

“Now that's out of the way, we better go track down our wayward ladies.”

“Don't have too,” Zoë said behind the two men, “We're here.”

“Heard everything too,” Sara replied.

“I... ah...” Allan stammered.

Zoë grinned and kissed her husband. A moment later, Sara kissed him on the cheek, “Thank you, Daddy.”

“Welcome Princess,” Allan smiled.

After eating, Sara and Jeff took a stroll along the beach as the sun settled towards the horizon. Zoë sat on a blanket , leaning back into her husbands arms.

Allan kissed the top of Zoë's head, “Seeing that makes me feel kinda old.”

“What does, Dear?”

“Seeing Sara and Jeff young and in love.”

“Makes you feel old?”

“A little,” Allan admitted.

Zoë smoothly came to her feet and held out her hand, “Come on. I found a nice spot earlier. I think I can make you forget all about your age... for a while.”

With a smile on his face, Allan followed his wife into the trees. A little later, he proved to her that he wasn't as old as he felt.

The End

AN: Thus ends this installment of the Allanverse.

Thanks for reading

Brian Gladden