"Do we need to get him registered or something?" Hank asked, stepping down into the galley.
"Registered?" Zoe followed, Ben in her arms.
"I was. Everyone born planetside gets registered. Weren't you?" He held her chair out for her and she sat down.
"I don't know," she admitted. "I was born on the freighter, but … I suppose so."
"Shouldn't we … I don't know … go somewhere and do it?"
"What for?"
He shrugged. "Benefits, maternity allowance, that kind of thing."
"We don't take anything from the Alliance," Mal said, striding into the room. "They've got their hooks into far too many good people as it is."
"Mal, I hate to say this, but this is my son," Hank pointed out. "And there might come a time when he might actually need something from them."
"They've not got anything we want."
"But that's not your –"
Zoe put a hand on his arm. "Dear."
He turned to glare at her. "What?"
"We don't need them."
"You're siding with Mal now?"
"No. Just saying we don't need anything from them."
Her calmness had the desired effect on him.
"I just … I want the best for our son," he said quietly, looking down into the little boy's face.
"So do I. And I happen to believe that's on board this ship."
"Oh, I'm not disputing that." He gave up. "So we're not going to register him?"
"Not at the moment."
He sighed heavily. "Am I ever gonna get my own way?" he asked.
"When I've forgiven you for running off when I was giving birth."
He cringed a little, then tried a grin. "Came back, though."
She raised an eyebrow at him.
"When're we eating?" Jayne said, stomping into the kitchen and lifting the lid on the stew. "Smells okay."
"Usual time," Mal said.
"Then what're we doing here?"
"I asked Mal to call everyone together," Simon said quietly from the doorway.
"Which I did." Mal felt Freya come up behind him, but didn't turn. "And I'd kinda like to know why I did."
Simon took a deep breath and stepped inside. "There's something … I think you all need to know."
"Look, if it's about –" Mal began, glancing at his wife as she sat down.
"No. You don't know about this." The young man looked at the faces watching him, open, friendly … This brought back too many bad memories. The first time he had to tell them about River, about what had been done to her … he felt his knees begin to buckle.
"Simon?" Freya asked.
"Just give me …" He took the seat at the end of the table, his arms on the old wood, his hands trying to gain some semblance of warmth from it.
"You want to explain?" Mal said, a little kinder now, leaning on the back of his own chair.
Simon felt his chest knot. "I don't know how."
"Word at a time'd be good, doc," Hank said encouragingly.
The young doctor took a deep breath. "You … all know about Andrew's letter to me." He looked around. Everyone was nodding. "That River and I were not the natural children of our … of Gabriel and Regan Tam."
"That they chose you, yes," Freya said softly.
"You make it sound almost maternal," Simon said, unable to get the hoarse chuckle out of his voice.
"It was. They wanted children."
"And they got us." He took a deep breath.
"Thought you were okay with this, doc," Mal said quietly.
"I am. I was. It's just … it doesn't appear to be the whole truth."
"Go on."
"We … Kaylee had decided to go with … well, that's not important. But it meant I tested my DNA and River's." He swallowed hard, still not believing it himself.
"And?"
"Three times, Mal. I ran the tests three times. There can't be a mistake. River isn't my sister."
There was dead silence around the room. Eventually Mal spoke.
"What are you talking about?"
"Not my full sister. The results … we can only be half siblings at best."
"I don't understand," Hank said.
"One of our genetic parents is probably the same. The other definitely isn't."
"Dung ee-miao," Mal interrupted. "That letter from your friend … he said specifically that you and River came from the same donors, right?"
Simon nodded. "He did."
"You think he's lying?"
"I can't see why."
"Then he didn't know the truth."
"I think he does."
"Doc, you can't have it both ways."
"I know." He looked unhappily around everyone.
"And River?" Jayne ground out. "She know about this?"
"She was there. It … she fainted."
"Where is she now?"
"In the infirmary. I had to sedate her. She's –"
"Shoulda told me," the big man said, striding out of the door. "First off."
"Kaylee's with her," Simon called, then added to the others. "I've already told her."
"So now what?" Mal asked. "You want something, else you wouldn't've told us like this."
"I want … I need to speak to Andrew. If there's something he knows, something as to why this …" Words failed him.
"You need to know what happened," Freya said for him.
Simon nodded. "River and I were all we had until Kaylee and Bethany, until we came on board. She might have Jayne, but she needs to know who she is. If she's not my full sister … I can't see her broken again."
"It might not. And she's not alone. We're all here."
"It kept her going, Frey. All that time in the Academy, then those months before Miranda … knowing we had each other."
"You still have."
"Not to her." His face was bleak. "It was her lifeline, her hold on reality. Knowing she was my sister. If she breaks, I don't know if I can put her back together again."
"Well, like Frey says, you ain't alone," Mal said, standing straight. "But if it helps her, then we'll do what we can."
"Thank you." Simon was honestly, supremely grateful.
"Hank, how close're we to Corvus?"
"Pretty close."
"Visual range?"
"Might be grainy, but … yeah, should be able to get a signal through."
"I'm still a wanted fugitive," Simon said quickly. "If anyone see the wave …"
Mal crossed his arms. "Then we'd better figure out a way so they don't."
---
Jayne crossed the threshold into the infirmary. "She okay?" he asked Kaylee, sitting on the stool next to the medbed.
"She's asleep."
"Ain't what I asked." He stood close, taking River's hand in his.
"I don't know." The young woman was patently very unhappy, her normally sunny disposition submerged beneath lines of worry.
"Ya shoulda told me, Kaylee. Called me when she …"
"I know. I'm sorry, I just … neither of us thought to."
"Well, you should've."
"I'm sorry." She bit her lip. "I'm surprised she didn't … you know, herself."
Jayne looked angry, but it wasn't at her. "Maybe she did, and I wasn't listening. Working out, concentrating … maybe I didn't hear."
"Perhaps it was too quick. Fainting like that." She edged forward on the stool. "What Simon said …"
"Yeah, he explained."
"I don't see how it can be possible, Jayne."
"Nope, me neither. I'd've bet blood on them being brother and sister."
"They are. Just not full."
"Yeah."
"He had to've known, you know. Andrew. Don't see how he couldn't, being so close to the family 'n' all."
"You think that's what they wanted? Someone else to be the father to one of 'em?" Jayne's eyes narrowed. "Didn't think Simon was good enough for 'em?"
"No!" Kaylee was outraged. "How could they possibly think that?"
"Why else'd they want a different …" He faltered at the look on her face. "Weren't saying that was the case, you know," he added quickly. "Just that it might be their way of thinking."
"They wouldn't. Simon was always intelligent, they couldn't hope to find anyone better'n him."
"It's okay, little Kaylee," Jayne said. "He's a good man. Must be somethin' else goin' on here."
"He'll find out." She shook her head. "He'll find out."
---
"Well?" Mal stepped onto the bridge.
Freya turned in the co-pilot's chair. "It's as secure as we can make it. I'll run the cycles manually, so anyone listening shouldn't –"
"How long?"
"Five minutes. Maybe."
Mal turned to the young doctor, haunting the stairs behind him. "You get one shot. If he ain't there, we don't try again. Dong mah?"
Simon nodded. "I understand, Mal. And … thanks."
"Well, better get to it." He looked at Hank in the pilot's chair. "What time is it on Corvus?"
He calculated. "Just gone eight in the morning."
"Andrew's an early riser," Simon said, crossing the threshold and coming closer. "He'll be at breakfast."
"Best chance, then, doc." Mal put his hand on his shoulder. "Good luck."
"Thanks."
Freya set the code, her fingers flying across the board while Hank eased out of his seat, Simon taking his place.
For a long while there was nothing, no sound on the bridge, as they waited for someone the other end to pick up. Mal was about to call time, about to tell the young doctor that he was sorry, when Freya sat up straighter.
"Simon."
The screen in front of him shimmered into life, and a man's face appeared. A youngish man, however, and definitely not the one he was expecting.
"Yes? Can I help you?"
Simon leaned forward. "I'm trying to reach Andrew Brooks."
"Andrew isn't … he's not here. Can I help?"
His heart fell. "Not really. I need to speak to him. It's urgent."
"Well, I don't think he's going to be able to … what's it about?"
"It's personal. Are you sure I can't … it's very important."
"Sorry, but there's nothing I can do without knowing a bit more."
"I can't …" Suddenly Simon's memory clicked. He knew this man. Knew him from the time they visited, when the Reavers came. "Mr Harris?" he asked. The mayor.
"Yes." The man looked puzzled. "Do I …" His brow cleared. "Simon?"
"Yes," Simon admitted.
Eli Harris was relieved. "Thank God. Least maybe now the old coot'll get some proper medical care."
"Proper care? Why? What's happened?"
"Andrew's sick." Harris's face set. "More than sick. He's dying."
Simon felt his stomach turn to ice. "How bad is it?"
"He won't tell anyone, but I know he's in pain. He doses himself up when no-one's looking but now he's confined to his bed and … son, you anywhere close?"
"I …" Simon was about to shake his head when he felt Mal's hand on his shoulder. "We'll get to you. Soon as we can."
Harris relaxed a little. "Thanks. He'll be glad to see you. Hell, we all will."
"I'll let you know when we're landing."
"Good."
The screen went to static and Freya closed the connection.
"Anyone pick up on that?" Mal asked softly.
"I don't think so."
"Hope you're right."
Simon stood up, his back ramrod straight, looking Mal in the eye. "Thank you."
"We have to pick up the cargo, and some supplies, but that'll be but an hour, maybe two. And it's in the same direction." He glanced at Hank. "We can make Corvus in …"
"A little over a day, even with the pick-up," he supplied.
"Thank you," Simon repeated. "If nothing else, he's …"
"I know," Mal said. "You'd better be getting on back to your sister."