Chapter 21

Kaylee sobbed as she kneeled beside River's sleeping form and stroked her hair. "Why'd your brother have'ta go on an' do somethin' so stupid. Top Three Percent ought'a have known I cain't stay mad at 'im forever," Kaylee cried.

"Mei mei, we'll get him back," Inara soothed. "Mal and Zoe are already working on a plan. Everything will be just fine."

"Why couldn't he trust me Inara?"

"Kaylee," Inara said firmly as she grabbed Kaylee by her shoulders and forced the young mechanic to face her, "do you trust me?"

Kaylee sniffled and replied, "'Course, Inara."

"Then believe me when I say his trust issues have nothing to do with you. Simon needs you right now, probably more than even he realizes. We're going to get him back, but we'll need your help to do so. We can't have you doubting yourself."

"Inara, you weren't there, in the cargo bay. He was standin' with this perfect rich core woman, who was really mean by the way-"

"Then maybe she isn't so perfect after all, honestly mei mei, do you really thing Simon would prefer that over you?"

"But I yelled at him. I yelled at 'im and threw my ring at 'im. 'Told 'im he didn't matter and I couldn't trust 'im!" Kaylee balled. "And now he's doin' God know's what with the Core girl to protect River…and me… and all of us really."

Kaylee…" Inara soothed as she wrapped the younger woman in an embrace.

"Why'd he have to be so gorram brave and stupid, 'Nara, why?"

"Love," Inara answered as tears threaten to consume her own eyes. "I suspect love has been responsible for most of his life's decisions. He chose to be a trauma surgeon over more prestigious research, he gave up everything to save his sister and, since he came aboard, I suspect love has made him capable of greater sacrifices. You should be proud of him," Inara said, "he's trying to protect his family. He learned that from you and the captain."

"What if he doesn't wanna come back?" Kaylee asked fearfully, "after what I done to him…"

"His message suggests he hasn't given up on you," Inara answered confidently, "so I wouldn't give up on him just yet."

"What do ya think Zoe?" Mal asked his second.

"For starters, Sir, I think we should move the ship. I don't like the idea of them knowin' where to find us," Zoe replied.

"Yeah. We should probably park somewhere inconspicuous like but within shuttle range. Not many Fireflies operatin' in these parts, and now that they know what to look for I don't want to make it any easier. What should we do concernin' Simon?"

"Unless the good Doctor manages to leave us a trail of breadcrumbs, the only leads we have on his location is the Wu family name and the secret meeting no one knows about."

"If our intel is correct, the meet's happenin' during the Ball, as the ball provides plausible alibi's. The Ball continues for another four days, so we can assume the meet is near enough for those in attendance to make it there and back again within those days."

"Wouldn't it be easier to hold the meeting nearby and planetside?"

"I thought so, 'til we stole those fruity oaty bars. 'Parently secret meetings outside the big Ball ain't the most original idea's ever been had. My money's on it being in some skyplex or possibly a nearby moon. If we can keep an eye out for any vessels registered under the Wu family we might be able to follow one in."

"Excellent idea, Sir, but what if the alliance decides to provide its own transportation to such as important event?"

"Then we'll be depending on the boy to leave us some breadcrumbs."

Lien had not been this excited in a very long time. Simon's apparent attachment to that bubbly prairie harpy was a bit worrisome, but he finally saw reason and was even eager to come home with her. Her family would provide the most talented physicians and therapist in the verse to assist them while Lien personally saw to Simon's recovery. With Simon's help, she would track down River and restore the honor and social standing their families lost when he kidnapped his little sister from the Academy a little over a year ago.

Lien was eager to return to her yacht with Simon and 'consummate' the return of their relationship, but her poor fiancé passed out before he even managed to buckle his safety harness after they boarded her shuttle. Lien took the seat beside him and wrapped her arm around him, deciding she would let him rest for what was left of tonight. My poor 'simple Simon', Lien thought to herself as she gently pulled his head to rest on her shoulder, he's a sweetheart, but he's never been very adaptable. Lien could only imagine how difficult life on the run had been for him. She silently thanked Buddha for his safe return.

Simon's failure to adapt and adjust had often amused and worried Lien. She knew it wasn't due to any lacking of intelligence. After all, he graduated at the top three percent of his class from a prestigious medical school and worked in one of the most prestigious hospitals in the core. Yet, to this very day, Simon was nearly as easy a mark as he was at six years old, when Lien first met the boy.

Her shuttle docked and her security advisor recommended she isolate the fugitive doctor and place him under surveillance, but Lien dismissed his suggestion along with her escorts and ordered an aide to carry Simon to her personal quarters. She informed her advisor that even if Simon were willing, he simply was not capable of endangering her or her company. Lien was confident she could detect Simon's feeble attempts at subterfuge from a mile away should he even try it.

"River?" Simon called out to his sister as he reached for her.

River whirled on him and shouted, "It's not okay! You can't just dig into me, shove twenty needles in my eyes and ask me what I see!"

"River, I'm sorry, I'm only trying to help-"

"No rutting tests? Stupid son of a bitch, dress me up like a gorram doll!"

"River, I-"

"Don't make me sleep again…"River pleaded pathetically.

"River…"

"Simon? Darling, what's wrong?" Lien's voice called out to him as he felt himself being gently shaken awake.

Simon cautiously opened his eyes and took in the unfamiliar setting. He was in an unfamiliar bed (thankfully, at least partially clothed this time) in an unfamiliar room with his former fiancé. Slowly his mind began to string the pieces together until he remembered what series of events brought him to this point. "Just a dream was all," Simon answered her as he rolled over to face away from her under the pretense of going back to sleep.

"Do you want to talk about it?" she asked tenderly.

"It's… it's no big deal… Really, I'm fine," he assured her. Simon was not entirely confident in his ability maintain his deception over his childhood friend and was determined to keep personal interactions to a minimum until the job was over. Making matters worse, Simon saw Lien as an innocent victim caught in his scheme to save his sister. Simon felt like he was slowly being corrupted each time he had to deliberately lead her on.

Simon flinched when he felt her hand gently squeezing his bare shoulder as she asked, "You're worried about River, aren't you?"

Simon nodded meekly before realizing she probably could not see the motion and softly answered, "Yes."

"It's going to be okay, Simon," Lien soothed. "We'll find her and get her the help she disserves."

Simon remained silent and focused on regulating his breathing. Unsatisfied with his silence, Lien shifted closer until her body pressed snugly into his back and she wrapped her arm possessively around him. She whispered almost conspiratorially into his ear, "I probably shouldn't tell you this, there's a new technology being presented at the meeting, rumored to being capable of tracking down a single person based off of specific reactions of various waves interacting with a person's D.N.A. So don't worry, I'm sure she'll be found soon."

"I'm sorry," Simon muttered.

Lien gave him a gentle squeeze and asked, "For what, dearest?"

"I'm just… I'm sorry."

"Mal, we might have a problem," Jayne's voice sounded over Mal's personal com.

They had just moved Serenity space-side after breakfast almost an hour ago and sent Zoe, Jayne and Inara planet-side with a shuttle to gather information and apparently Jayne was already causing problems. "What did you do Jayne?" Mal asked impatiently.

"I didn't do nothin'! They's taken fingerprints and D.N.A. scans from every man leaves or sets foot on this rock," Jayne replied indignantly.

"Have you been arrested?"

"No, but ya know who-" Jayne's voice was cut off abruptly followed by a pained grunt before Zoe's voice replaced his over the com.

"None of us are in any danger, Sir, but it could make extraction a mite…slower and more difficult. I know how much you hate waiting, Sir," Zoe tactfully informed him over the com.

"Huh. We know why they're doing this?" Mal asked his second.

"I suspect we do, but they don't, Sir. The soldiers claim they're to just fingerprint and take samples of all male that arrive or leave the planet. They're fancy toys will likely alert them as needed should they find who they're lookin' for."

"Gotcha, yall found anythin' else pertainin' towards our interest?"

"We've only just gotten Jayne out of the spaceport. We'll let you know soon as we find anything. How's the… little one?"

"She's… well… she's doing well considerin'. She found the Wu family luxury yacht followed us in. It's best I remain in the cockpit lest she steal my boat and conduct a two woman rescue mission."

"Kaylee too huh? Not that I'm surprised."

"I've convinced them to focus their energies on finding possible space-side meeting locations for the moment. I'm keepin' an eye on the Wu vessel from up here."

"Understood, Sir, we'll contact you when we have more information."

Suddenly, an idea occurred to Mal as he was returning his personal com unit to its place on his belt. He grabbed the shipwide com and called Kaylee into the bridge.

"Yes Cap'n?" Kaylee greeted eagerly as she bounced into the bridge. "Did ya hear from Simon?"

"Uh…no, but I need to know what gizmos he took with 'im when he left here."

"Oh…" Kaylee's enthusiasm visibly slumped with her shoulders. "Looks like he took a could miniature injectors, the armband drug dispenser, a couple o' flash bombs, eye tap computer-"

Mal shook his head as if overwhelmed by the data. "More to the point, Kaylee," He interrupted, "did he take anything we can track him buy?"

"Well… sorta…" Kaylee explained. "The eye tap's a fancy pair o' glasses records everythin' he sees while he wears 'em an' I've rigged 'em to transfer the visual feed to this monitor," Kaylee informed as she pointed to a screen at the copilot's station. "I thought it could help us if he couldn't remember somethin' important, what with the drug's effects an' all. It don't tell us exactly where he's at, but we might can figure it out by lookin' at it."

"Good work, Kaylee, I'll keep an eye out for it."

"Um…Cap'n?" Kaylee asked hesitantly.

"What is it, mei mei?" Mal asked her.

"We have a plan yet?" She asked nervously as her hands fidgeted with a loose string on her coveralls, "'Cause I need to know that we have everythin' planned out. That it's gonna be alright. That's how the plan works, right?"

"Mei mei," Mal said her as he wrapped her in an embrace. "Might be you don't remember my plans so well. But you needn't worry. Simon, the criminal mastermind hisself's got a plan. We're just tryin' to figure out how best to follow it."

"That's what I'm worried about," Kaylee lamented, "I don't think Simon planned on making it back…"