Well, the honeymoon as they say, is over . . . Angst - and revelations - ahead.

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“Mooning over those photos again?” A distinguished-looking man strode into the room and stopped at Alexandra's side. “I say woman, you should take them down.”

“I loved him, Adrian, and his little sister.” Alexandra trailed her fingers down the edge of another photo, this time, of an adult Simon smiling; having just graduated from MedAcad.

“And your obsession with their lives is not healthy.” The man was disgusted as he sat down at his desk and flicked on the Cortex screen. The face of an unfamiliar man looked back at him and Adrian glanced at his wife. “Message for you?”

Alexandra tensed ever so slightly and dismissed his question with a wave of her hand. “You may erase it. It is simply a courier informing me of when my goods will arrive from Paquin.”

He wiped the message without further thought. “Soon, I hope, The Cortez ships out for the Rim in three days.” Adrian leaned back in the chair and exhaled as relieved sigh. “We won’t be back for a good while.”

“My business will be concluded by then and I will be ready to travel.” Alexandra lifted the frame off the wall and glided out the door, ignoring the satisfied look her husband shot at her back.

~*~

“Well, how pretty, a private landing pad.” Mal stared out the window at their rapidly approaching destination.

“Yeah, this woman must be highly placed in government to afford such a luxury on Osiris,” Wash said dryly, glancing back up at Zoe who stepped in behind him. “Good for us she took a likin’ to Simon.”

“Yeah, that’s what worries me.”

“All ready, Sir.” Zoe pushed her favorite gun into her holster.

“Good, lets get –“ As they turned around, Jayne stepped in their path, clutching his most prized weapon.

“You’re not going Jayne, and that’s final.”

“You’re gonna need me.”

“You’re right we do. Right here.”

“That gorram girl is spouting nonsense. The doc ain’t gonna leave her here without him.”

“We want to finish this job, Simon goes. Book goes with him and Zoe and I follow behind all stealthy and such.”

“I don’t –“

“Stop arguing what’s been decided.”

~*~

The walls of the estate were large, the grass neatly trimmed, with fountains and a small stream running lazily through a beautiful Chinese garden. Ten-foot high force barrier walls flickered at every corner, indicating to anyone nearby that they were active.

An older woman with reddish hair sat in an immaculately clean room, the real cherry wood walls and lavish furniture looking not a bit out of place. She stared at the Cortex screen, her hands folded neatly in front of her as she played the message yet again.

Regan Tam hadn’t heard from Alexandra Bai in nearly twenty years. The image of the woman she had known so long ago had changed but her eyes were still the same. And now, after all this time, the woman wanted to meet with her. It was important, she’d said in her wave.

Even if Gabriel had been in the city, she was certain he would have declined the request just like she should. But there was something in Alexandra’s eyes, something apologetic, something – she couldn’t quite place her finger on.

Regan stared for a long time at the screen, played the message again and again. The time and place for their meeting was not close and she would need to take a hovercraft. By the time Regan had decided to go, it was nearly time for the meeting.

~*~

“I’ve been eager to receive these goods for quite some time. Thank you.” Alexandra held out her hand and Simon took it with a respectful bow. “You’d be surprised at how rare it is to find a crew capable of understanding such simple delivery instructions.” She smiled kindly at Book and extended her hand. But her eyes shifted to Simon. “Mostly.”

“Ah, well,” Simon began, hoping she would not take offense that he had not come alone – as her instructions had previously indicated. “The Shepherd has never been to Osiris and since I needed a bit of help with all of these crates, he offered to come along. I hope it is not a problem.”

Alexandra smiled kindly at Simon, which unnerved him. “A minor setback.” She glanced up at a timepiece on the wall and frowned. “I wish you to have a spot of tea with me before you return to your ship.” When Simon hesitated, she added, “as payment for not following my instructions to the absolute.”

Book looked around the lavish shop with a smile on his face. It had been a long time since he had been surrounded by such wealth. “Go ahead. I will be able to amuse myself for quite some time out here.”

Alexandra led Simon into a side office and closed the door, leaving Book outside to examine the merchandise.

~*~

“Coming. Coming. Daddy’s not going to be happy.” River sat in her room, rocking back and forth, her eyes staring at the wall. “Danger and death. Darkness and Despair.”

“Oh sweetie.” Kaylee tried to comfort the girl but River kept pushing her hands away.

River stared into Kaylee’s face and demanded, “Why did you let him go!”

Kaylee’s heart twisted in her chest and she swallowed nervously. Ever since Simon had been gone, and even before they’d landed, River had been exhibiting a roller coaster of emotions. She would be fine one moment and then nearly hysterical the next.

Jayne and Inara stood in the open doorway in case the little creature turned violent. She had been prone to a throwing physical tantrums during the last few days and Jayne didn’t want anything else on the ship destroyed. Simon was going to get laundry duty for a month after all of the dishes River had broken during the last few days. He knew, regardless of whose fault it was, Mal would blame him. He was always blamed where the Tam’s were involved.

Inara stood beside Jayne, her presence comforting where his was simply menacing.

River collapsed into Kaylee’s arms and trembled, the determination behind her eyes gone as the tension fled her body in a tremendous rush.

~*~

Adrian Bai stared at the cortex screen and let out a string of curses that would have made even the most rugged pilot out on the Rim take pause. The video feed from the ball his wife had attended on Paquin played flawlessly before his eyes and he watched as she danced with one of the Alliance’s most wanted fugitives.

He pulled up her schedule and noted her location with another hissed curse. Then he checked her personal correspondence and frowned when he noticed that she had contacted his sister; a sister that he had not spoken with in over twenty years.

He called his personal guard and they met him at the door, armed with state of the art Alliance pulse rifles.

“Time to collect some fugitives.”

~*~

“Thank you for the tea, it’s been a long time since –“ Simon trailed off, smiling wryly into his cup.

“Yes, I gathered you don’t such luxuries on your ship, but – you grew up with them.”

“I – ah, yes.” Simon stood and replaced the delicate china cup onto its plate. “But it is not something I am at liberty to discuss.”

“Of course its not, Simon.” Alexandra smiled and gestured to the door as Simon recovered from the shock of her knowing his true name. “Don’t be so surprised that I know who you are, doctor Tam.”

Simon recovered quickly, steeling himself for the Fed’s he anticipated to find standing behind the closed door. “I – you. How did you –?“

“It’s not important. You are free to go. I have no plans to stop you,” Alexandra said somewhat sadly.

The door opened and Simon swallowed nervously as he followed her out. Book was nowhere to be seen and he turned to Alexandra. “Why –“

“There are some things in this life that are just to be unexplained, young man. Consider this to be one of them.”

Simon’s eyes narrowed. “Do I know you?”

Alexandra turned away to hide the sadness in her eyes. “No.”

“I don’t believe you.” Recognition burned his mind, but he couldn’t quite put it together.

“It doesn’t matter to me what you believe.”

Book approached them from where he had been seated at the corner of the room. “Well this is a lovely –“ He looked from Simon to Alexandra and apologized. “I’m sorry, was I interrupting –“

“Not at all, Shepherd.” Alexandra held out a bag full of platinum to him. “Thank you for your understanding and your patience.” She turned to Simon. “Our business is concluded.” She handed him another bag. “There is extra in there for your troubles. Buy your lady something special.”

As Simon opened his mouth to speak, Alexandra turned on her heel and walked back into her office, leaving Book and Simon staring after her, speechless.

“Well, that went well – I think.” Simon shrugged after a few moments of silence.

~*~

Not more than a few minutes after Simon and Book had left, a hovercraft glided to a stop outside the immaculate storefront.

Regan Tam stepped out of the car and glanced around before slowly making her way inside. She looked around for a few moments before Alexandra stepped out of her office. The two woman stared at one another for a few minutes before Alexandra finally broke the silence.

“You’re late.”

“I wasn’t certain I wanted to make the trip.”

“Well, it’s too late now. You missed him.”

Regan’s eyes narrowed. “Missed who?”

“Your son.”

A disbelieving look passed across Regan’s face. “What?”

“You heard me.”

Before Regan could question Alexandra further, her husband burst in the door, eyes burning. He motioned for his men to search the shop as he came to stand directly between the two women.

“Where is he?”

‘Who, Adrian?” Alexandra smiled sweetly at her husband but he was not fooled for a second.

“Simon Tam and his fugitive sister.” He stared at Regan. “And since she is here, I imagine they are close by.”

“Simon is here? And River?” The question was barely above a breathlessly shocked whisper.

“They’re gone, Adrian.”

The men returned from their search and declared the store empty.

Adrian glared at his wife. “Well, they’re easy enough to find. I ordered a landlock placed on their ship.” With that, he turned on his heel and strode out of the store, leaving a wide-eyed and now very frightened Alexandra behind him.

“No! Adrian please! You can’t!” She hurried after him but his hovercraft had already lifted off. But she knew where he was going and she needed to beat him there. She needed to warn Simon. She turned to Regan, who had followed her out of the store. “Your hovercraft, we need to go, and go now. Get in!” She turned to the attendant who stood at the door. “Lock up.”

~*~

Kaylee lifted her head as she heard the mule return from its delivery run. There was no shouting, no screaming, nothing to indicate a job gone bad. She brushed her hand through River’s hair as the girl lay unblinking with her head in Kaylee’s lap.

“See, nothing wrong.”

“Not yet,” River whispered, her eyes filling with tears.

Inara smiled as she stood in the door. “They’re back, why don’t you two go see if Simon brought anything back for you?”

Kaylee’s eyes brightened. “Yes, come on, River. Let’s go!”

But as Kaylee pushed herself off the bed and helped River to stand, they heard raised voices echoing through the cargo bay and into the passenger dorms. They hurried out of the room just in time to see an armed alliance officer level his weapon at their heads.

“Daddy’s not very happy,” River said quietly as they followed the soldier out into the cargo bay.

“Simon Tam you are hereby bound by law. Where is your – ah, there she is. Good.” Adrian Bai held his small, personalized firearm before him, aimed at Simon’s chest. When Simon moved toward his sister, he raised it slightly. “One move and it will be the last one you ever make, doctor Tam.”

The roar of engines at the cargo bay doors caused everyone to turn and they watched two women scramble out of the vehicle and hurry up the ramp.

“Adrian, no. Please!”

Regan Tam stopped in her tracks and stared at her son, eyes wide. “Simon?”

Book, Mal, Jayne and Zoe stood to one side of the cargo bay, their arms raised as the Alliance guard standing before them leveled his weapon.

Wash stood on the catwalk, having come down to tell the Captain that the ship had been landlocked for a security violation.

Simon glanced toward his sister and raised his hands in hopes that she would not come forward. But, her eyes were wet, and her hands were shaking and as she moved toward her brother, Adrian Bai raised his gun sweeping it from River to Simon and back again. He warned Simon not to take another step. But Simon didn’t listen. He had to get between River and that gun.

River’s cry echoed throughout the cargo bay, followed by Kaylee’s and Inara’s as the gun fired. It took Regan and Alexandra a moment longer but then they cried out in horror as well.

Mal, Zoe, Book and Jayne tensed at the sound and Wash gripped the catwalk railing so tightly that his knuckles turned white.

River collided with Simon just as the shot echoed through the cargo bay and the siblings collapsed to the floor, River whimpering on top of a motionless Simon.