Fan fiction. Done for fun, not profit. I own none of these characters.... I just play with them a little.

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Crossover between Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles and Firefly. A continuation of my previous Fanfic, Rebirth.

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AN: Ten months post Rebirth.

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Discovery

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Chapter One

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“Blackjack!” cried the dark haired girl as the other players at the table groaned.

“Twenty one for the lady,” the dealer replied as he surreptitiously pushed a button.

The girl smiled and looked back at the hulking 'bodyguard' who stood behind her. Obviously from a moneyed family due to her clothing and speech, the dealer was becoming suspicious. The girl had won the last twelve out of eighteen hands. And when she did loose, it was only a small amount.

That seemed impossible considering that the games on the Osiris Star were rigged to favor the house significantly.

Hearing all of that run through the dealers head, River Tam inwardly growled but kept a happy smile fixed on her face. It was very hard to play the dumb but lucky socialite.

“James, be a dear and cash these in for me...” River smiled at her dark suited 'bodyguard'.

Nodding once, the big man took River's collected chips and headed for the cashier. As the big man walked away, an older, distinguished man approached with another young girl on his arm, “Brooke? Are you winning again?”

The dealer and the other players blinked. The girl on the older man's arm was the twin of the girl playing.

“Eighty thousand credits, Daddy,” the girl replied giddily.

“That much?” squealed the girl's twin, “I didn't win half that.”

“Looks like I won't have to give you girls your allowance this week,” the man chuckled as the bodyguard returned with the cash.

“Here ya' go, Miss Brooke,” the body guard said as he handed the wad of bills to the girl.

“Thank you, James,” River/Brooke replied sweetly.

Behind his sunglasses, Jayne Cobb's eyes narrowed. He spotted the pit boss and one of his enforcers heading their way, “You should put that cash in the safe in your suite, ma'am.” he said with a slight head nod in the direction of the approaching pit boss.

“Excellent suggestion, James,” the older man said, “I think it's time for you girls to go back to the suite.”

“Daddy...” both girls whined in unison.

“I think that is enough for tonight,” their father advised, “You can try your luck tomorrow.”

The twins had matching pouts on their faces as they left the blackjack table. They hadn't gone more than a few meters when the pit boss and an obvious security type approached them.

“Mr. Tamsen?”

“Yes?” the older man replied.

“Would you come with me please?”

On his guard, the older man shook his head, “I don't think so.”

“Mr., Tamsen... do not cause a scene. The Captain would like a word.”

“About what?”

“Your daughters and their remarkable luck.”

“What of it?”

“If you must insist in airing this publicly... we think they both have been cheating.”

“Cheating?” Mr. Tamsen thundered, “I'll have you know that...”

The security guard grabbed Tamsen by the arm and said dispassionately, “Come with us now.”

A crowd had gathered in the center of the casino and the bystanders began muttering among themselves.

“Daddy?” said one of the twins.

“Yes Cameron?”

“We should go see what the Captain has to say... remember your blood pressure...”

Tamsen set his jaw and glared at the pit boss, “Very well. But our bodyguard will be accompanying us.”

“This way,” the pit boss said, and pointed to one of the service entrances.

As the twins, their father and the bodyguard walked away. Three bystanders drifted in the same direction. The first was a beautiful dark skinned woman in a luxurious red satin floor length gown. A few steps behind came a well dressed man with blue eyes and dark hair. The woman on his arm was obviously a companion.

As soon as the Tamsen's were out of sight behind the now closed doors of the service corridor, Guns were suddenly drawn and pointed at the family and their bodyguard.

“Don't move!” the pit boss ordered as more security arrived, also pointing weapons.

“What is the meaning of this? I paid good money for this cruise!” Mr. Tamsen growled.

Before the pit boss could reply one of the newly arrived guards called out, “Found something!” the young man said as he ran a scanner over Brooke.

The large security man stepped forward, “Give it to me.”

“What?” Brooke asked.

“The computer in your purse. The one you used to count cards.”

“Brooke?” Mr. Tamsen asked, astonished.

“Sorry, Daddy,” the girl replied as she pulled the small collection of circuit boards from her purse.

“I'm so disappointed,” Mr. Tamsen said. “What about you Cameron?”

With a sheepish look on her face, the other twin pulled an identical unit from her own clutch purse. Without a word, the big security man took the offered device.

As soon as the two pieces of equipment touched together, the guard spasmed suddenly as an electrical arc danced across his hand. With a loud thump, the big guard hit the floor in a heap.

Before the rest of the guards or the pit boss realized what was happening, several things happened at once.

Mr. 'Tamsen' dropped to the floor out of the way. Half a heartbeat later, the twins went into action. The pit boss was punched in the head by Brooke while Cameron did a spinning kick that took out four of the guards in one sweep. One of the remaining guards tried to fire his gun but River/Brooke elbowed him in the solar plexus dropping him to the floor as well.

Moving with amazing speed, Cameron scooped up the guards handguns and crushed them in her hands. Bullets and misshapen gun parts clattered to the floor. Deciding discretion was the better part of valor, the last guard tried to run... right into James/Jayne.

The big man simply clotheslined the smaller man and slammed his head into the floor. Knocking him cold.

Cameron dropped to her knees beside the hulking guard who had been electrocuted. She held out her hand to Jayne. The Mercenary handed the girl a knife.

With practiced ease, Cameron started an incision on the man's skull, just above his right temple. She was rewarded with the sight of dull gray metal where bone should have been.

With a flick of her wrist, Cameron popped open the access cover revealed and with a quick jerk, removed the CPU inside.

Rocking back on her high heels, Cameron stood up, “Triple eight... just as I suspected.”

At that moment, the service door opened and Zoë dressed in her satin gown quickly entered, “All done?”

“We are,” River replied as Jayne helped Gabriel Tam/Tamsen to his feet.

“Another metal, Cam?” Zoë asked.

“Rebuilt Triple Eight, the Cyborg replied with disgust, “As soon as we get back to Serenity, I will read it's chip and determine it's programming.”

“Sounds good. Jayne, Cam, drop the metal in the disposal at the end of the corridor. Captain and 'Nara are speaking with the Star's Captain and the owner. This group has been robbin the place blind for near on a year.”

With a nod, the Big Mercenary and the slightly built Cyborg, hefted the nearly three hundred pound deactivated machine and carried it down the corridor. With a grunt, Jayne shoved the body down the chute. Within seconds, the coltan endoskeliton with it's flesh covering would be vaporized in the liner's fusion exhaust.

It worked so much better than thermite.

XXXXXXXXXX

Back on Serenity, docked in the Osiris Star's massive hangar bay, Reagan Tam sat nervously in the pilot's seat.

“They'll be fine, Reagan,” Kaylee smiled from her perch in the co-pilot's seat.

“I know, Kaylee. River, Jayne and Cameron can handle themselves. The Captain, Inara and Zoë as well... Gabe isn't really cut out for things this... physical,” the former society wife turned fugitive and now space ship co-pilot grumbled.

Kaylee smiled back at her Mother-in-law, “Gabe is tougher than you think. And smart enough to get out of the way.”

Reagan smiled back slightly, “I know that intellectually...”

“Dad will be fine,” Simon said as he entered the bridge.

Kaylee slid to her feet and hugged her new husband. The couple had wed a month earlier after bowing to pressure from the Captain along with Reagan and Gabriel. They had found a small, out of the way chapel on Oberon and been married in a simple ceremony.

Mal gave Kaylee away while Simon asked his Father to be his best man. River, Cameron and Inara were Kaylee's bridesmaids. Jayne was the usher. Not that they needed one since the only people attending the ceremony were the crew and the shepherd's wife.

Quite a bit had happened in the nearly eleven months since they had discovered a nearly five hundred year old cyborg from Earth-that-was among their cargo. Some for the worse but mostly for the better.

After most of the crew had been kidnapped by Atherton Wing and their subsequent rescue by Cameron and River, they had learned a great many things.

First, Wing was very wealthy. So wealthy that when River hacked his accounts, the crew was able to stop hauling cargo for a living.

The second thing that River gleaned from Wing was that machines like Cameron were well known to a select few in the upper levels of society and the Alliance.

And some of those machines were out there hunting the new Browncoat movement that had sprung up after Miranda. Or anyone else that might threaten the status quo. Like the crew of Serenity.

Other Terminators were simply used as enforcers by the underworld. Like the one the crew had just taken out.

The Crew of Serenity, no longer forced to scrape by smuggling and robbing, now turned their talents to helping those that needed it. Particularly if helping someone put a thorn inn the paw of the Alliance.

This job was a bit different than some of the other's the crew had pulled in the last few months.

The Captain of the liner was an old friend of the Tam's. The fact that one of the ship's security staff might have been a reprogrammed Terminator made the job more enticing.

Every time they encountered a machine similar to Cameron, they destroyed it after pulling the Cyborg's chip. From the data recovered, a chilling picture was being revealed.

Somewhere in the 'Verse, another AI like Skynet might be operating. And it was either controlled by or was in turn controlling, the Alliance.

That could not be allowed to happen.

XXXXXXXXXX

“lookin mighty fine, Zoë,” Jayne said as the pair climbed the ramp into Serenity.

The First Mate shot a glare over at the man. Instead of the lecherous smirk she expected, she saw a friendly smile. Somewhat taken aback, Zoë was only able to choke out a quiet, “Thanks.”

“Jayne?” Mal grumbled behind the Mercenary.

“What? I ain't bein untoward. Zoë looks nice is all. Same for “Nara, Moonbrain and Tin Britches.”

“Thank you, Jayne,” Cameron replied. Her sensors telling her that the big man was being sincere.

“Yes, thank you, Jayne,” River added. The big man had changed significantly over the last months. No one noticed the long gaze River cast in Zoë's direction.

Last onto the ship, Mal hit the switch to close the ramp, “Reagan... all aboard and everyone's shiny. Soon as the Star says we can leave, set course for Lazarus.

“Got it, Captain,” The woman replied. Reagan had learned to pilot a shuttle in her teens when it had been a fad for young women of wealth to learn to fly. With River's tutoring, Reagan was now an additional pilot on board Serenity. Sharing the duty with her daughter and River's cybernetic twin.

Much had changed for the Tam family over the last year. Forced to run for their lives from the Alliance, they had managed to salvage some of their fortune but they were no where near as wealthy as they had been. A few months earlier, they had seen on the cortex that the family home had been sold at auction for back taxes. Since the Alliance had listed them initially as fugitives, they couldn't really show up to pay.

Reuniting with their estranged children by sheer chance had brought both conflict and later, joy. They were a family once again.

Thanks to Cameron's hacking skills. The cyborg had erased nearly every scrap of data pertaining to Serenity, the Tams or the crew from every computer system they could access. Who better a hacker than a sentient computer for preventing the Alliance from tracking Serenity's movements.

Gabriel Tam had eaten a lot of crow from Simon over the last few months. The two men had buried the hatchet and now were closer than they had ever been.

Of course the elder Tams had done the most changing. Going from wealthy socialites to wanted fugitives to crewing on a tramp freighter.

Reagan had embraced helping her flesh and blood daughter along with her adopted cyborg daughter fly Serenity. Gabriel used his knowledge of the Alliance financial system to both manage the ship's assets as well as knowing just who to call to get things.

It had taken a while but Reagan and Gabriel had adapted to their new life. Perhaps even quicker than Simon had.

As for Cameron, the Tams had warmed to the cyborg. In return, Cameron called them Mom and Dad just like Simon and River did.

“Time to get outta these fancy duds,” Mal said as he pulled Inara close.

“I like you all dressed up,” The former Companion replied with a sweet smile.

“You two can stop flirting and go to your bunk already,” Zoë grimaced as she slipped off her uncomfortable heels.

Mal and Zoë had switched bunks months ago. Making room for Inara to move in with Mal. Being alone, Zoë didn't need the reminders of Wash in her empty bed. Moving into Mal's old quarters had helped immeasurably.

No longer living in the shuttle, the space had been taken over by Gabriel and Reagan. Transforming it into their new home. And since Reagan was also a qualified shuttle pilot, it made sense.

“You giving me orders on my own boat, Zoë?” Mal chuckled.

“Just making a suggestion, Sir,” the First Mate replied grinning, “Sparing the girls from seeing anything they shouldn't.”

Cameron and River shared identical eye rolls as they felt Serenity begin to power up.

“We'll divvy up the take in the mornin,” Mal stated, “The Star's Captain even let us keep the money our resident genius and walking computer won as a 'bonus'.

“Good,” Cameron replied, “I need a new rifle.”

“And I could use a second sword,” River added.

“Your money, you can do what you will with it,” Mal said as he took Inara's arm.

“Well do some shopping too,” Inara added with a wink to the two girls as Mal led her towards their bunk.

“I think I'm gonna soak my aching feet,” Zoë sighed, “Ain't used to shoes like this.”

“As soon as I change, I'll relive Mom at the helm,” Cameron said as she followed the First Mate up the stairs, “Then I can see what the triple eight had on it's chip.”

River kissed her father on the cheek and smiled at him, “You are going to get lucky tonight...”

“River!” Gabriel called out as his daughter skipped across the bay headed for the common area.

Shaking his head, the former businessman realized that his daughter was right. Reagan was particularly amorous after he came back from a job.

Straightening his shoulders, Gabriel began climbing the stairs, headed for the shuttle he and his wife shared.

XXXXXXXXXX

“All set, Mom?” Cameron said as she entered the bridge. She had changed out of her party dress into her usual shipboard clothing of cargo pants, t-shirt and boots.

“We are dear,” Reagan replied. She had been treating Cameron like a second daughter for months now. While she looked like River, the Cyborg's personality was quite different. And yet the same. Perhaps that Cameron was learning most of her humanity from River. Giving the former Terminator a different outlook on the 'Verse than most people had.

“On course?” Cameron asked as she slid into the seat Reagan had just vacated.

“We'll be on Lazarus in forty hours.”

Cameron smiled slightly, “Excellent... good night, Mom.”

“Good night, Cameron,” Reagan replied as she made her way off the bridge.

Walking down the forward passage, Reagan paused in the hallway, outside River's bunk. Seeing that the door was still open. Before she could ask, River called up.

“Come on down, Mom.”

Reagan carefully climbed down the ladder into River and Cameron's quarters, “How are you sweetie?”

River smiled, “Fine, Mom.”

“No problems on the job?”

“Went according to plan,” River replied as she plopped herself down on the single bunk. Since Cameron didn't sleep, the pair only needed the one bed.

“Meet anyone... interesting?” Reagan asked.

Inwardly, River chuckled. Ever since Simon and Kaylee had wed, Reagan had been trying to line her daughter up with someone.

“No, Mom.”

Reagan's visage softened, “Don't give me that look, young lady.”

River giggled, “It is kind of hard to meet someone with our life, Mom.”

“I know, River. I just want you to be happy.”

“I am happy. Just sexually frustrated...”

Reagan's jaw dropped in shock until she realized that River was teasing her, “You are such a brat.”

“I know,” River grinned.

Reagan shook her head and smiled, “I guess I'll leave you to go to sleep, Dear. Goodnight.”

“Night, Mom,” River replied as Reagan climbed out of her room.

As soon as Her mother left, River flopped down on the bed. Her mind whirling. In truth, River was sexually frustrated. Between the three couples on board, Jayne's self satisfaction and her own needs, River was hornier than hell.

The problem was that despite her Mother's encouragement, the only person River might consider a good match for her was someone she couldn't have.

Part of the programming forced upon River at the Academy was using seduction and sex to gain access to a target. Both male and female targets were considered and she had been programmed to be attracted to both sexes. Therein lie River's problem.

The person she wanted was on the crew.

With a sigh of frustration, River shut off the light and snuggled under the covers. As she fell asleep, visions of a dark skinned Amazon Warrior filled her sleep.

XXXXXXXXXX

Cameron sighed in frustration. The data she had recovered from the Triple Eight on the Osiris Star had been inconclusive. The Terminator had been programmed to simply be a security guard.

Another dead end.

After checking the ships course, Cameron began surfing the cortex in her never ending quest for knowledge. After checking the military news, she switched to the financial pages. Using the wireless system that she and Kaylee had devised, the cyborg scanned the pages as quickly as they loaded.

She nearly missed it. As the pages scanned by, a familiar face popped out on the screen. A face Cameron knew nearly as well as her own. A face that made no sense since the entity that it belonged to could look like anyone they wanted to.

Warning messages began flashing in Cameron's heads up display as she read the headline of the Londinium Wall Street Journal.

A piece about the new CEO and President of Blue Sun Industries.

A fortyish looking woman with vibrant red hair. A woman who was identified in the article as, Dr. Caroline Weaver.

“Fuck,” Cameron breathed.

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TBC