River was cold. Her skin held a fine layer of perspiration that chilled as soon as it rose to the surface. The air in the room around her was freezing on purpose; they wanted her to be uncomfortable. Her lips had turned blue and her face white and she was shivering. But River wasn’t sure if she would say she was uncomfortable. River wasn’t sure if she was anything.

It had been six hours and forty-seven minutes since she had been taken from the front foyer of her home. Since she had seen Simon knocked unconscious, with a small trickle of blood falling from the reopened wound on the back of his head. Since her father had told her everything would fine; since he had told her she was going back to school where she could be with her friends and learn. Since her father had told her lies to make himself feel better. Since she had started to again feel real pain.

The physical pain she had been confronted with at the Academy had not really changed since she’d started there almost three years ago. Truth be told, the tactics were all a little rudimentary. First it was sensory deprivation: darkened rooms, white noise; then it moved on to climate variants: too hot or too cold, like now. Then they would branch out into weapons and tools. Sharp objects, blunt objects, hard objects, soft objects; gases, drugs, fire, needles; it would run the gamut of sensory and pain experiences. River had known that from the moment she’d known the soldiers would take her. The physical pain was something she could prepare for and although her body would give out under the strain eventually, she could withstand for longer than most of their other subjects. Which made her their favorite guinea pig. Because not only could they devise new ways to torture her body, but while she was alert, they could find new ways to torture her mind.

That was something they had improved upon, even in the year she’d been away. They had of course, immediately opened her skull, probing into her brain with their tools, severing synapses and overexposing neurons to stimuli that would either deaden the impulse or increase it tenfold. It was all an experiment for them so no result was really disappointing, just more inconvenient than another.

The drugs they had given her a few hours ago helped to dull some of the pain associated with the laser saw and the pressure on her skull, but they heightened the emotional torment that raged within her. The chemicals brought memories and thoughts rushing to the surface. Possibly one in every one hundred she would recognize, but the rest were all foreign to her; not her own. And they were thoughts she did not want.

They were thoughts that had been planted, placed in her overly sensitive brain throughout her time with the Academy. Some had been placed on purpose, meant to affect her in some way so the hands of blue could complete their studies, conduct their research. But others she had gleaned, through no act of her own. Her brain, overexposed and over stimulated had started picking up those thoughts and mental images the longer she’d stayed at the Academy and it was that ability, or rather inability, to filter the images that had caused the most irreparable damage to her mind.

She still held a great capacity for knowledge, for music and dance and math and science. She was still smarter than her brother, who could be a real boob, but her intelligence was only a jumble now. It was a heap of unordered and unprocessed thoughts, concerns, equations. It was out of order, both categorically and chronologically and that was what threw River off the most. She couldn’t maintain a coherent timeframe for anything. One minute she was three and the next she was thirteen. One minute she was the picture of health and the next she was bleeding to death. It was this chaos that caused her mood swings, her nightmares, her inability to function in the normal world. It was this chaos that Simon had been trying to fix.

Simon … his face came to her mind and she tried to push it away. She knew they already knew of him, had probably tried to take him, but even so, they didn’t need to know more. So she shoved his face away into the tiniest corner of her brain, into a dark room with only one door and one lock.

“She’s seizing!”

“We need to shock her. Bring the cart!”

“Hurry!”

The sounds around her were familiar but inconsequential. Nothing that happened to River Tam mattered anymore. She was no longer a girl or a sister or a daughter or a crew member. She was an experiment, a guinea pig – their favorite guinea pig. And she held no delusions about what the rest of her life would hold. Pain, anguish, fear and finally, blissfully, death.

Taking a deep breath, she made her first noise since they had strapped her to the chair and started their work. It was a long, loud and impossibly gut-wrenching scream.

***

Kaylee shifted uncomfortably in her new clothes. It was all very strange for her to be walking, so properly in a garment that rustled with every step. Not since that big fancy shindig the Captain had roped her into had she ever worn something so fancy. And while she delighted in the feel of the silk on her skin, she was acutely aware that the woman walking in front of her had more class, style and grace than Kaylee could ever hope to conjure.

Hurrying a bit to keep up with Inara, the companion never looked back; not once since they had entered the Magnolia neighborhood where the Tams house would be. Kaylee had tried not to look around her at the opulent homes with their gated yards and rich inhabitants. But it was difficult not to gape. She had never seen so many fancy people in her whole life.

The sight made her heart ache for Simon. She took another deep breath as she observed Inara slowing her pace and prayed that this plan of hers would work. It had to. Simon and River both belonged back on Serenity.

Inara turned to her for just a fraction of a moment and flicked her eyes up a front walk leading to the biggest mansion Kaylee had ever laid eyes on. Taking the hint, and remembering her role in this little play, Kaylee walked up the path in front of the companion and mounted the stairs to stand in front of the large, wooden double doors. Lifting a slightly shaky hand, Kaylee depressed the announcer and quickly scurried to stand behind Inara. The companion simply fixed her face with a measured smile and waited.

When the door opened a man in uniform answered, bowing to the two ladies slightly. “Good evening,” Inara intoned, her voice smoother than it had ever been before. “I’d like to see the head of this house. We have an appointment.”

In such a well-to-do neighborhood nobody would dare question a statement like that coming from the mouth of a woman like Inara. The butler bowed deferentially once more and gestured them inside. Flicking her eyes to Kaylee, the young mechanic entered first, trying to take in every detail as she casually scanned the large foyer. They would need to have a mental image of everything for later – for when they needed to escape.

The butler left them to go find Mr. Tam and returned not a minute later. “I’m sorry, ma’am, but Mr. Tam has no record of an appointment with you.”

Inara smiled sweetly and placed a gentle hand on the servant’s arm. “I’m sure he’s just a little embarrassed,” she whispered conspiratorially. “Would you mind if I spoke with him?”

How can any man ever turn down someone so sweet and innocent as Inara? With barely another thought the butler took her hand to lead her into the adjacent room. Turning back quickly, Inara’s voice immediately grew harsh. “You there, girl,” she said in Kaylee’s direction. “Find the kitchen, make yourself useful. And don’t cause any trouble.”

Kaylee performed the small curtsy they had practiced her eyes trained to the floor in a look of subservience. Waiting until Inara and the man were out of sight, Kaylee turned and looked for the large staircase they had identified on the schematic. Up those stairs, Simon and River should be waiting.

***

“Well, well, well, Reynolds. I’ve got to admit, I’m a tad disappointed.” Sterns circled the four crew members, Mal and Zoe sitting on crates near the front of the hold, while Jayne and Wash, who they had dragged from the bridge, sat a few feet behind them. So far Sterns’ men had made no demands. They had not fired a shot or tried to rough them up – save Wash. And for Mal, all this inaction was just a little disconcerting.

“You’re not the only one,” Mal muttered, glancing to Zoe. While he could have read the woman’s expression in a dark alley it didn’t tell him anything he didn’t already now. They were running out of time, fast. “Look, Sterns as charming as our visit has been, is there something you wanted? ‘Cause me and my people got things to do.”

“Don’t you mean people to kidnap,” Sterns asked coyly, circling around to stand in front of Mal. When the captain refused to meet his gaze, Sterns placed the end of his pistol under the man’s chin and lifted slowly until their eyes were locked. “You were going after the Tams, were you not?”

“Considerin’ it,” Mal reported, not seeing the use in lying at this juncture. “I have been known to do a rash thing in my day.”

With little warning, Sterns shifted his grip on his pistol and swung it harshly against Mal face. His head snapped back at the blow, his teeth clamping down firmly on his tongue and drawing blood. Shaking his head a bit to take the sting off, Mal carefully dabbed his lip as he again turned to face the other. “Well, have to admit, I wasn’t ‘spectin’ that.”

“And therein lies your problem,” Sterns whispered vehemently coming within inches of Mal’s face. “You never expect anything. You never plan anything. So you waltz into my hq, threaten my men, beat up the joint, hold me at gunpoint and then think I’ll turn the other cheek.” Sterns backed away, lowering his gun to his side and finished, saying, “See, now if you had planned your little shakedown, I just know we could have avoided all of this unpleasantness.”

Mal studied the other man for a moment and knew they were getting nowhere. “Look, Sterns, if you feel you need to beat me to a pulp, that’s fine. But I need to get my people back, so if we could speed this along, I’d be mighty grateful.”

Sterns exchanged glances with his men and then, snorting, turned back to face the captain. “How exactly do you think this is gonna go down? Do you think I’m just gonna scare you for a bit and then decide it’s time to move on.”

“Sure seems that way,” Jayne grunted, getting a loaded barrel in his face for his trouble.

“No, Mal, what I’m going to do is quadruple my take on this job.” Sterns glanced to a chrono on his wrist and nodded approvingly. “Yup, just a few more minutes and you’ll be taken into Alliance custody. Man, the Feds practically wet themselves when I told ‘em I had the only two survivors from Serenity Valley, plus the crew of this beat-up old mess.” Fixing Mal with a reproachful gaze he said, “Seems they been hunting you for a while.”

Keeping his gaze on the man for just a fraction of second longer, Mal finally let his head drop into his hands as he issued a long and violent stream of Mandarin curse words that made even one of Sterns’ goons blush.

***

Kaylee had made it upstairs with no one to stop her. The house, which was as big inside as it had looked from the outside, was silent. Kaylee had never felt so alone in her whole life. What must it have been like for Simon and River to grow up here? Surrounded by all this space and no one to fill it. It must have been awful lonely and Kaylee shivered at the thought.

Now, it was just hollow. Hugging her arms around herself, Kaylee turned a corner and saw the long row of doors she had been expecting. Counting, she found the fifth one on the left and hurried to it, trying to maintain an air of decorum even as her heart raced.

She reached for the handle and found it unwilling to yield at her grasp. That brought a smile to her lips. Locks and machines she could handle. Removing one of the many pins Inara had stuck in her hair, Kaylee fidgeted with the old fashion lock for a second before she felt it pop. Grinning at the small victory, she pushed the door open quietly and entered the dark room, closely the door firmly behind her.

It took a minute for her eyes to adjust to the almost blackness. When she had finished blinking and could make out shapes, her breath caught in her throat and she hurriedly brought a hand to her mouth to stifle the noise. Lying in a grand bed not more than two feet away from her was Simon’s motionless form.

Quickly overcome with panic, Kaylee crossed the room in a few steps and did a fast assessment. Once she was closer the small glow of a lamp near his bed brought everything into much clearer focus. He was breathing, sleeping and Kaylee peered into his face trying to determine if he was hurt. His head was turned away from her slightly and squinting she saw the markings of deep purple and black bruise along the back of his neck and coming around under his ear. Looking closer, Kaylee also recognized the bump along his hairline where he had obviously been hit with something heavy and hard. Letting her eyes wander she saw a small stain on his pillow and realized the bump had also recently been bleeding.

Reaching out a hesitant hand, Kaylee wanted to stroke her fingers through his hair and tell him that everything would be all right. Even sleeping she could see the furrow of his brow knowing that even resting, his anxiety could not leave him in peace.

Her fingers gently wound their way through his hair, and Kaylee sat easily on the edge of the large bed. Tears she had been ignoring started to fall slightly and she wished she could make them go away. She had cried so much in the past few days. Cried with worry, cried with anger, cried with fear; it was all quickly becoming overwhelming, and, well, a little tiring.

Shaking her head to clear it, Kaylee stroked Simon’s cheek tenderly and leaning in towards his ear, whispered, “Simon? Simon, wake up. It’s time to go.”

Simon stirred at the sound of her voice, his eyes opening slowly and blinking to again find their focus. Turning his head in her direction, she could tell he was completely caught off guard by the sight before him. Kaylee couldn’t blame him, not only was she there, in his room, but she was wearing a ridiculously fancy dress that didn’t belong on her.

“Kaylee?” His hoarse voice questioned the sight, and he squinted at her. “Kaylee, am I dreaming?”

Those were quite possibly the most romantic words Kaylee had ever heard. Smiling through more of her tears, she continued to stroke his cheek as she said, “No, Simon. I’m here. Inara and I are here. We’ve come to rescue you.”

Glancing down to him, she noticed for the first time that he was bound to the bed, unable to move. Startled, Kaylee was shocked for a moment, unable to believe that a parent could do this to their child. His cheeks flushed as he read her incredulity, but she ignored the expression as she set about to untie him. With his hands and legs now free, Simon sat up slowly, resting his back against the headboard, careful to tilt his head back gently so as not to re-injure the wound.

Taking her hand in his, Simon whispered, “What are you doing here?”

Fixing him with her own look of surprise, she told him, “We came to get you. Can you walk? I don’t know how long Inara can keep your father occupied.”

The thought of his father in the company of a bona fide companion brought an almost smile to his lips. Squeezing her hand gently, he said, “Kaylee, I love that you came here for me, but you have to go. The longer you stay the more danger there is that you’ll be caught.”

“No, Simon, no,” she told him urgently, scooting forward to be closer to him, pulling their intertwined hands to her chest. “We came here for you and we – I am not leaving here without you.” She met his gaze at that last statement and through the tears Simon could still make out he saw a passion in her eyes that caught his breath in his throat. Reaching up he cradled her face in his hands and just gazed at her for a moment.

“I don’t know what I ever did Kaywinnet Lee Frye to deserve such devotion, but I’m grateful to have it.” With that he brought her face closer to his and placed a gentle kiss on her lips. The touch sent shivers through her and Kaylee would have been perfectly content to never leave the room if a noise from outside hadn’t interrupted the perfect moment.

Looking towards the door, Kaylee pulled him to his feet. He bobbed unsteadily for a moment, his dizziness still severe enough to be a problem, and Kaylee supported him with an arm securely around his waist. “Can you make it,” she whispered, leading him towards the door.

Draping an arm across her shoulders, he pressed a kiss to her temple and said, “Definitely. What’s the plan?”

***

“Mr. Tam, I must say you have been the most gracious of hosts. Again, I would like to apologize for this misunderstanding.” Inara rose, extending a hand to the older gentleman. Simon’s resemblance to his father was shocking and now, as Inara felt the man take her hand and shake it confidently, she could see the son in his father’s eyes. It made her heart break to think what their relationship had been reduced to.

None of this played across her features. “Of course, Ms. Serra, it was a pleasure. At times, my wife and I forget what it’s like to entertain guests. I hope you didn’t find the layer of dust on our tea service off-putting.” He smiled a warm and genuine smile and it was his first of the night.

Laughing politely, Inara said, “You are wonderful hosts and again, I thank you.” Glancing to Mrs. Tam sitting snugly and quietly in the corner of the sofa, Inara acknowledged her with a nod. Looking back to Mr. Tam she told him, “I’ll see myself out. Thank you for a lovely evening.”

Turning on her heel she walked with measured steps out of the library, across the entryway and out the front doors. It wasn’t until she was down the block and in sight of the neighborhood’s entry gate that she allowed her pace to quicken. Passing out of Magnolia and into the next neighborhood, Inara glanced to the edges of the sidewalk, looking for her co-conspirator and their mission’s objective.

Just when she was about to have a heart attack, Kaylee emerged from the shadows, supporting a beleaguered Simon. Smiling at her weakly, he said, “I certainly hope you showed my father a good time.”

Returning the grin, Inara motioned them to follow her as she stared a convoluted path back to the shuttle. “Trust me, it was a challenge.”