Author's Notes (as usual):

Um. This surprised *me*, so don't even ask.

This started out as part of the "Your Song" series which I haven't updated in seventy billion years, and evolved into this on it's own. I felt kind of weird making up my own characters, but they're not Mary Sues (Marty Stus?) or anything like that, just necessary evils. Title is loosely derived from Ender's Game, because that's what inspired me.

Italics denote the alliance guys talking. (or, later, flashbacks)

'...' denotes thought, which is only necessary for our psychics.

Feed me! kaylee@kikiroxxorz.com

Pairings are: (Simon/Kaylee, Mal/Inara, Jayne/OC and River/OC) but they're not truly important to the plot. Except maybe the River/Adam dynamic. That's kind of important.

~*~

“The girl is dying, sir.” “Let’s not be melodramatic.” “She is comatose, seizing every few minutes. If she does make it--” “There is still mostly normal brain activity.” “You’re not implying that you would continue treatment, are you, sir?” “It’s not an implication.” “I’m not sure I can handle being here much longer witnessing this, sir.” “Nobody is forcing you to stay.” “That’s ironic, sir, considering the children.” “The children are under different circumstances, don’t you think?” “Tell that to my dying seven-year-old niece, sir.” “Your what?” “Is that another thing that you ‘declined to observe’, sir? Didn’t put two and two together? Kaylee Tam is my baby sister.”

~*~

Simon managed to climb up from the darkness. He struggled to keep his eyes open as he looked around the tiny room. A monitor camera blinked at him from one corner of the wall. Simon tried to remember where he was. He had been dreaming of a ship, of a boy with wide eyes and a girl who knew what he was thinking. The man’s voice frightened him. “Simon,” it said softly. “Hey, Simon. Hey, buddy. Remember me? It’s your uncle Kyle.” Simon shook his head no. The man took his hand. “Well, that’s okay. It’s been a long time.” He smiled, and Simon rearranged his muscles to smile back. “Want to go home?” Kyle asked. Behind his eyelids, Simon saw a ship. Heard laughter. Music. He started to laugh, then slowly nodded his head yes. The man—his uncle Kyle, he reminded himself—picked him up and carried him out of the room. “Kyle Jeremy Frye, you are required by law to stand down for the attempted kidnap of a government employee.” Kyle covered Simon’s head and ran.

~*~

“It’s locked,” Simon told Kyle quietly. “Can’t get out.” Kyle hesitated. “Can you climb, little man? I’ll give you a boost…” Simon nodded, wriggling free of Kyle’s grasp. “But we ain’t gonna get out,” he whispered, rolling the words around in his mouth. Kyle looked down at him. “You sure do know a lot for being such a little guy.” Simon considered this. “I have a sister?” he asked. “That’s nice. What’s her name?” “I have a sister?” Simon asked again. “I said that was…you’re asking me?” Simon nodded seriously. “They’re coming soon,” he said. “That’s why I need you to climb over the fence.” Simon shook his head again. “I have a sister?” he pressed. “You have a sister.” “In there?” Kyle nodded miserably. “Hey, little guy?” “You have to go get her,” Simon told him. “I’ll wait here and not move even one molecule of space. Promise.” Kyle couldn’t help smiling. “You’re just like your mother,” he told him. “Go get my sister,” Simon said, sitting on the cement. “You have to hurry.” Kyle stared at the little boy. “If they come out of the building, I want you to run away, okay?” Simon shrugged. “Go.” Kyle started running back into the building.

~*~

Simon was crying. Kaylee stood up, awake again. “Simon?” “Come on,” Simon said darkly. “Everybody. Jayne? Bring Vera. Kaylee and River, you need to stay behind and get the ship ready. River, I need you to prep the infirmary, I know you know how. Adam, you need to give me directions. Mal, Zoë, get your weapons ready.” “Is Simon and Ainslee comin’ home?” Xavier asked. “We’re going to bring them home,” Inara said quietly. “Can I help?” he asked. “I can drive the mule, daddy says.” Simon looked down at Xavier, prepared to say no. As soon as he opened his mouth, a picture of his son flashed in his mind. “You can be my first in command,” Simon said. “You have to stay with your mother in the shuttle, okay?” Xavier nodded happily. “Let’s go.”

~*~

She was smaller than Kyle had expected. She looked like you could break her if you handled her the wrong way, but, he thought wryly, if she was anything like her mother, looks were deceiving. “Ainslee,” he said softly. “Can you hear me?” Ainslee twitched slightly. “Ainslee, I’m not going to hurt you. I’m going to bring you home.” Maybe it was Kyle’s imagination, but he was certain he saw her smile. Smiling himself, he began to carefully dismantle the machines that were hooked up to her brain, then picked her up and carried her out into the hall.

~*~

Simon sat, perfectly still, on the cold concrete of the courtyard. “Why don’t you come back into the building?” the man said. “I would just turn around if I was you,” Simon said seriously. The man smiled patiently. “You’re coming back into the building.” Simon kicked his feet. “Not if he blows your head off first.” The man turned around to find himself face-to-face with a giant gun. “Yeah.” Jayne grinned, half-crazed. “What he said.”