Dr. Simon Tam was a slim, dark-haired man walking through a marketplace. He saw his sister and stopped dead.

She had been crossing the other side of the open area, and he had caught a flash of raven's-wing hair. Out of habit more than hope, he had checked himself, and decided to follow her. Wouldn't take more than five minutes, if it really was her.

She was wearing some sort of kimono. Dark red flowers on wheat. Whoever she was led him through a few back alleys before he caught up to her.

He had rehearsed this moment, hundreds of times. What he would say to, the questions he would ask, but strangely enough, he couldn't think of anything.

Doctor Tam steeled his heart. He balanced hope and fear, fear engendered by dozens of disappointments, dozens of encounters just like this one. He touched her shoulder.

She whirled, glared at him, tossed her hair.

"Hello, Simon," River said.

"Witness Protection," she said.

"Really," said Simon dryly. He wanted to reach across the table, to hug her and throttle her at the same time. It was a familiar feeling.

"Really."

Pause. The clink of a spoon on a cup, the muted white noise of traffic outside, the hum of the cappuccino machine.

"Remember when I used to walk home with Anna Friedlichs? Well, one day we saw something." She leaned in closer. "I didn't tell you, but we saw something. She told her parents, and then someone tried to hurt them."

She stopped as their coffees arrived, running a finger over the curve of her ear. Simon made the waitress's day by smiling at her.

"Two sugars?"

"Yes, please. They had to go into hiding, for their protection. And so did I. The operatives decided it was best if you and Mom and Dad didn't know anything."

"You're lying," Simon said tiredly.

River tensed, a drawn bowspring in pretty clothes. "I'm not. I'm working as an actress. I don't get to dance as much as I'd like-"

"No, I mean there's no Anna Friedlich. There never was." He reached for the sugar. "Just like there wasn't any Acadamy, and just like the way you wrote to us about balls that nev-"

"What did you put in my latte?"

Simon blinked, looked down. Obviously paranoid. "Sugar."

River glared at him.

"Look," he said slowly. I'll switch cups. I don't like sugar, but if it'll make you explain…"

Slowly, River settled back into her seat. She cautiously took a sip. Her eyes flicked up and to the right.

"I know there's no Anna. I can't tell you her real name. I shouldn't even be here-"

Simon did nothing as she bolted the rest of his drink and got up to leave. She paused, curious. "Aren't you going to try to stop me?"

"I already did."

River blinked. Then her world went fuzzy and tilted.

"I could tell you were accessing your brain's creative centres when your eyes went up and to the right. That means you're full of go se," Simon said quietly, his voice reaching her like they were coming through water. The ceiling started to rise.

Simon Tam caught his sister neatly as her eyes rolled back in her head.

"It's okay," he said to the concerned waitress. "I'm a doctor"

Author's Note: This AU is partially based on stories and characters created by ScrewTheAlliance, who you should go read anyway. Remove the spaces in the line below and replace the "," with a ".", and that's the link. Or just Google it.

bit,ly / dcis60