Disclaimer: All characters belong to Joss Whedon. Mainly because I haven't the courage to stick in a Mary Sue. Also because he is awesome. Will continue to live vicariously through Mal.

This is Chapter 4 of the story that began here:

http://www.fireflyfans.net/bluesun.aspx?bid=5474 and continued here: http://www.fireflyfans.net/bluesun.aspx?bid=5523 http://www.fireflyfans.net/bluesun.aspx?bid=5547

and is a continuation of Our Co-Pilot Tam, which can be found here:

http://www.fireflyfans.net/bluesun.aspx?bid=5386

It would be very shiny if anyone could tell me how to stick in actual links.

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A silence descended over Serenity's cargo bay, as if the engines had suddenly turned off and the steady hum the crew had become used to had faded. Zoe and Jayne turned as one, to stare first at Simon, then at his father, then, confusedly, at each other. Simon looked over at Inara, then back to Gabriel, a look of deep shock on his face. “Welcome home, Simon,” Gabriel said, holding out his hands. “Home?” Simon looked around, confused. “This is your home, you know,” Gabriel replied. “But...River--” Simon stammered. “It seems I should apologize,” said Gabriel, stepping forward. “You were right; I was wrong. Bringing the Miranda Tapes to light was the most important thing you could have done with your life, Simon. More important than becoming Head of Surgery. Who knows how many lives you helped save?” “Dad,” Simon said, approaching him. “I—It's good to be home.” The two Tams fell into a hearty embrace. After a long time, Gabriel pulled away. “And River?” he asked. “Where is River?” “Ahh...she...” Pain clouded over Simon's face. “Is she alive?” Gabriel asked intently. “You did rescue her, didn't you? After all?” Simon nodded. “They did things to her, Dad,” he said, “Worse than I imagined. She can read people's minds—no, she can't stop reading them. They induced paranoid schizophrenia in her, drove her insane—half the time, she's not even there. They stripped her amygdala, Dad. And a dozen other things I'm only now finding out.” Gabriel Tam's eyes had widened with each item Simon listed. At the end, he stood in shock. “Is she...Is she on board? Can I see her?” he asked. “She's asleep,” Simon replied. “They implanted a psychological block—the closer she got to Osiris, the worse she'd be. If she were awake now, she'd be in agonizing pain.” Simon nearly choked up, reaching out to his father for support. “You can see her if you like, though,” he said. “And there's someone I'd like you to meet.” He turned away, stepping toward the back of the cargo bay. Gabriel followed briskly. “You knew this?” Zoe asked in the direction of Mal and Inara. “Yes,” they said. “She told me,” Mal added. Inara continued. “He wanted to get back in touch with Simon, to forgive him. He knew where he was, from the wanted notices, and tracked me down through Sihnon. This was the only way he could contact us without speaking with outlaws.” Zoe shook her head, smiling. “Have to give that man credit for some gao-wan. Who is he, anyway?” “Very important in local politics,” Inara explained. “Formerly a doctor, then a hospital director, now Special Assistant to the Governor. Sort of...a political version of the Operative. Very little happens on Osiris that the Governor's Special Assistant doesn't know about.” Jayne heaved himself to his feet. “Well well, our very own gos se Alliance politician in-law. Ruttin' charming.” He looked around, kicking a bit of machinery. “'Least we've got a pretty spot to lay low an' spend our take.” “I'm not sure how low we can lie at the house of the Governor's Special Assistant,” Zoe said. “I know he said he'll keep us safe 'long as we're here, but leaving will be a barrel of hou-zi.” “Gabriel has a plan for that as well,” Inara said. “Outlaws or not, no one touches the acknowledged son of a high official without some trepidation.” “I'm not sure I like him and his plans,” Mal said. “I'd like to get back to where we can find work, 'soon as you and he've done your business. And I have an errand to run along the way.” “Let him say his piece,” said Inara. “You may be pleasantly surprised.” “'Sides,” Zoe added, “He may be your future father-in-law.”

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Simon led his father into the infirmary. Kaylee was sitting in the wheeled chair by River's side, holding her hand and looking like Serenity'd been junked. Alexandra was asleep again on the side cot, once more sedated. Kaylee looked up as the door opened, and got to her feet. “Oh, hi,” she said, stepping forward. “Did Inara's client want a tour of the ship?” “Ahh, not quite,” Simon said, coming to stand next to her. “Kaylee, I'd like you to meet my father, Gabriel Tam. Dad, this is Kaylee, my...Intended.” “This is a pleasant surprise,” Gabriel said politely, looking over her shoulder at the sleeping River. Kaylee's eyes followed his gaze. “Yes, I figure that's what you came here for,” she said. “She's still sleeping, don't seem to have changed any.” Gabriel knelt by River's side, taking the hand that Kaylee had put down. “Oh, my daughter,” he said. “I should have listened to Simon. How could they—how could I not have known?” Tears filled his eyes as he rose. “We're getting the psych block out first thing,” he said. “Seems a wise choice,” Mal said, stepping into the infirmary. “How's she doing?” “This would be...” Gabriel said, cautiously extending a hand. “Captain Reynolds,” Simon cut in. “Malcolm...Mal.” As Gabriel and Mal shook hands, Kaylee added “She ain't getting any worse or better, Cap'n.” “I suppose that's a relief,” Mal said, adding to Gabriel “Your daughter's a very impressive woman, when she's awake.” He whispered to Simon, “Think now's a good time to tell him?” “Not yet,” Simon whispered back, then asked louder, “How is Mother?” Gabriel's face fell once more. “She...passed on, a little more than a year ago. An aneurysm...very sudden. It happened one night...she died before the medical 'copter arrived.” He looked very tired. “This house has been the house of death since you left, Simon. I had forgotten what it meant to live.” Simon wordlessly pulled Kaylee to him and buried his face in her shoulder, chest heaving with grief old and new. She wrapped her arms around him and held him tight. Mal grimaced, looking at the ground, then back up at Gabriel Tam. “I'm sorry for your loss,” he said. “I know what it is to lose everything. I wish River could have had the chance to see her mother again.” He withdrew his hand. “Oh guay, I'm bad at grief. Any of you need me, I'll be on the bridge.” He backed out of the infirmary and around the corner, climbing the stairs to the dining area. At long last, Simon looked up from Kaylee's shoulder, at the unconscious River and then at Gabriel. “Tonight I'll get on the com and find a doctor,” he said. “Did Amos go into psychobiology after all?” “Amos...Sanders?” Gabriel mused. “I believe so. I will of course pay for the treatment.” “No,” Simon said. “Mal offered to on the way. I think you should let him.” “I wouldn't place the financial burden on him,” Gabriel said. “The Cap'n's mighty particular about his obligations,” Kaylee interjected. “If he said he'd do it, he's got reasons to.” “We'll talk about it,” said Gabriel. “I just hate feeling so useless when she's like that.” “Don't we all,” Simon agreed. Gabriel turned toward Alexandra, as if noticing her for the first time. “And who is she?” he asked. “She,” Simon said with a sigh, “Is a very long story.”

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“Then she said, 'It's my turn,' and jumped right through the blast doors,” Simon explained. “And when she opened the doors again, all the Reavers were dead,” Kaylee jumped in, helping herself to a few more slices of tomato. “It was incredible! These tomatoes are really good too.” Gabriel Tam glanced over at the unconscious girl lying on the couch, then back to the crew. “That is an incredible story,” he said at last. “I can see why the Academy would have been so secretive about it. If they could have controlled such a weapon, they and their masters would have been unstoppable.” “It's impossible to control,” Simon replied. “River is as stable as she is only because she's a genius—anyone less intelligent would be driven more mad by the thoughts he or she constantly heard.” “Given time, they can perfect the process,” said Gabriel. “Implant blocks so the subject can listen in only when she wants to. That is the danger.” He cleared his throat. “The Miranda Tapes changed my mind, as they did many others'. The hard-line faction in Parliament is on the run as a result of what you did. Those Members who were most involved in the Miranda project have been impeached, and several others have resigned.” He shook Simon's shoulder lightly. “They never should have messed with a Tam...I'm proud of you.” “What, I didn't help?” Mal said. Kaylee playfully punched Mal's shoulder. “We couldn't have done it without you either, Kuh-ooh duh lao bao-jurn.” Gabriel leaned in Kaylee's direction, asking “That was the story of Simon and River. May I ask you for the tale of how you came into his life?” “Got shot,” Kaylee said with a smile. “Simon pulled the bullet out of me. I looked up from the infirmary cot and never looked back.” “What?” Simon asked, tearing his attention from the other conversation, leaving Zoe to take care of stopping Jayne from saying anything crude. “Just telling the story of how we got together,” Kaylee told him. “Took you weeks and weeks to notice me. Finally had to get you drunk.” “Mudder's milk,” Simon explained to his father. “On Higgins's Moon.” “Where Jayne was a hero?” Gabriel asked. “That's the place,” Kaylee said. “The stuff tasted terrible, but I got enough in him so's he'd at least cuddle.” “And that's all we did,” Simon assured Gabriel, with a significant look at Kaylee. “Really, it wasn't until very late that I came to my senses.” “Yeah, 'til we were all about to die from the Reavers,” Kaylee replied with mock bitterness, reaching again for the tomato bowl. “Have you spoken with the Guild yet?” Zoe asked Inara. “About Yo-saf-Alex-whoever.” “I haven't had the chance to,” Inara said. “I'll send them a wave tomorrow.” “Good,” said Mal, “'Cause I'm itching to get off this rock. Simon's dad's a good man, but the Central Worlds never sat right with me. Jayne, they do have other cows on Osiris.” “Sorry,” Jayne mumbled, putting back a slice of pot roast. “I just hope this reunion don't lead to us staying here permanent-like,” Mal continued. “No offense, Mr. Tam, but I've never much enjoyed relying on another man's protection.” “I had hoped you would stay,” Gabriel said. “I have not had so many friends around this table in a long while, nor a house so full of life. But my concerns are not only selfish,” he continued. “There is a chance to effect real change here. To shut down the Academy, and show the world what horrors were done there.” “The Academy's not going to give up without a fight,” Zoe said. “From what I understand, they're pretty much outside the law.” “If they want a fight,” Gabriel said, “We'll fight them.” “With guns?” Jayne asked, biting into a mouthful of pot roast. “No,” said Gabriel, “the Central Planets way. With lawyers.” “Lawyers?” asked Mal, reaching past Kaylee to take the salad bowl. “I already have a legal team at work preparing demands for River's medical history,” Gabriel explained. “They cannot refuse them without admitting that classified work was done to her without my consent. Yes, I signed the forms admitting her, but those can easily be shown to be misleading. They certainly misled me. Once Dr. Sanders examines her to remove the psychological block they implanted, I will be able to sue them for negligence. It is impossible to classify the results of a medical procedure. And if they contest the negligence charges, they must explain the purpose behind each and every procedure they performed on her.” “That's very well-thought-out,” Inara said from the other end of the table, “But can't Parliament simply clamp a seal of silence over the entire affair, and reject your suits out of hand?” “Parliament has less of a stomach for that sort of thing these days,” said Gabriel. “Especially coming from—I've no need to be modest here—a very powerful man on a very powerful planet. Simon and River are not the only Tams one crosses at one's peril. Besides,” he gazed at Simon, “There is one card we have not yet played. Recall the Members of Parliament who were impeached or resigned. Two of them were from Osiris. Their seats are empty. Simon, you will run for Parliament and lay the charges against the Academy yourself.”