Disclaimer: I don't own Firefly and I'm not making money off this story. I just wanted to play with Joss' toys for a little while. ;-)

This is my first Firefly fan fic so please…be kind. Thank you!

Fix You

Chapter One

He knew it would happen. First time off the ship as a presumably man with a country, and something had to happen. He thought since the crew was just picking up supplies that there would be no disturbance in his newly acquired freedom. He simply should have known better.

"Phoenix."

Simon looked towards the cortex screen that was broadcasting the latest news wave and found the person to whom River was pointing. Kaylee had come with them and was smiling brightly.

"You know her, sweetie?"

River nodded her head. "She was a friend."

Simon hoped that was all River said. Since Miranda, his sister seemed to have a better grip on her mind and the connection between that and her mouth. Though she was prone to spout off some of the most embarrassing times of his childhood, Simon was relieved when she let this particular one remain unknown. He focused on the news cast and stepped up so he could hear it clearer.

"Earlier this morning, authorities were called to the Sacred Heart Medical Center, the lead medical facility in the Core. One of the surgeons there, Dr. Phoenix Watts, apparently caused a disruptive scene in the Emergency ward. She was sedated and detained in the facility where toxic screens revealed a mix of drugs in her system. Co-workers are shocked at the apparent breakdown of their lead surgeon. Dr. Watts has been relieved of her duties at the facility."

"It's not right," River murmured before turning to look at Simon. "They're lying."

"It's not our place, River. It's been a while since we last saw Phoenix. A lot can happen over the course of a few years." Simon believed his statement was very logical but judging the scrunched up look on River's face, she thought differently.

"You can always send her a wave," Kaylee suggested. "That should be able to tell ya something about the situation."

"If you don't," River leveled her gaze at him, "I will. They must not be allowed to spread more lies."

"Alright," Simon rubbed the back of his neck. "I'll send her a wave and see what she has to say."

River started to walk down the sidewalk the way they had come. "No, we'll talk to her mother. The feds won't let any waves get to her just in case."

"Just in case of what, mei mei?"

"Just in case she tells the truth," River answered. "They expect her to tell the truth to her mother but they can discredit her as seeing only good in her child and dismiss the truth."

"So how do you know this Dr. Watts," Kaylee asked.

"You know how I told you I graduated in the 3 of my class?"

"Yeah."

"Well, Phoenix graduated at the top of the class."

"She beat out Simon by four points on the final exam," River added.

"Oh, I get it," Kaylee let out a laugh. "She's smarter than you."

"She is not," Simon defended. "It was an honest mistake where I switched the definitions of two very similar diseases. It was a trick question and only two people out of the class answered correctly."

"Then there was the singing."

Simon felt the familiar urge to throw his sister on the ground and tickle her the way he used to before the Academy. That was how he had always dealt with her annoying habits back then.

"Singin'?" Kaylee giggled and grabbed his arm. "That wouldn't have anything to do with the story of you standing naked on a statue at graduation, would it?"

Simon winced. "Yes, it does. Phoenix was the one that suggested we all sing. I didn't know she had set me up. What was suppose to be a thousand voice chorus turned out to be a solo."

"I'm kinda takin' a shine to this gal."

Thankfully, Serenity came into sight in all her battered glory. It was strange how something so unattractive could hold such appeal now. It had become home to him and his sister. The crew had shattered his view of what family bonds should be and recreated them into what those bonds truly mean. He had never expected to spend his life out in the black but now he couldn't foresee himself doing anything else.

As they jogged up the gang plank, Simon heard the familiar clink of weights and realized Jayne had made it back before all them, which was highly irregular. Usually they were all waiting for him to show up before taking off.

"Hm," Kaylee whispered. "Jayne's back already. That's strange. Is it just me or are you noticin' some changes in him?"

Simon shrugged. "I haven't been paying close attention." But honestly, he had noticed some changes in the merc. He considered not only the physical well-being of the crew his responsibility but also that of their mental state. Though he had noticed subtle changes in Jayne's routine there was nothing that sent up red flags. He was still crude when the opportunity arose, argumentative with the captain and everyone else and still referred to River as "crazy."

The only real difference in his behavior was whenever they went planetside, he usually stayed close around the boat. He was the last leave and the first to come back. Simon glanced over the railing as he followed the girls out of the bay and looked down at Jayne. The man hadn't even seen them, though Simon found that hard to believe. But he better make sure he knew Kaylee, River and himself were back on board.

"Jayne?"

"What?"

The answer sounded clipped and strained so Simon took a closer look at the barbell. Was that 250 pounds? Simon searched for something to say to him but from the response it was obvious he knew they came aboard and really didn't want to be bothered.

"Uh, nothing," Simon gave him a half wave before heading up to the cockpit to try to contact Phoenix's mother.

Jayne watched the doctor give him that "I really don't know what to do now" wave before following Kaylee and River to wherever they were headed. He counted five more reps before dropping the barbell back into it's groove. He laid there and stared up at the ceiling, straining to hear where the others had gone. The doc's footsteps had long since faded and silence had returned to the cargo bay.

He sat up and looked around the crates that blocked him from view. He didn't want anyone walking in and surprising him so he stacked some empty crates around the bench press. When he was certain he was left alone again, he pulled the letter out of his pocket and unfolded it. He had read it over and over again since everyone left. He hadn't even stepped foot off the boat this time but had stayed there and stared at his mother's steady handed print.

She had told him all about his father's fine work as a welder and how his oldest sister, Susan had just had her third child, a girl this time. His first niece. But his fingers seemed to skip through the other updates to the final line of the letter concerning his brother. He tried not to read it. He tried to convince himself that it really didn't say what he thought it did. But he knew he was wrong. He had read it right and so he read it again.

Matty is getting worse.