I own no rights to either Firefly or TSCC. Hope you enjoy the story. It's set after BDM. Reviews and suggestions are welcomed and appreciated.
"You have some explaining to do."
Before Simon could speak, his mouth still wide open in surprise, Mal gave him a good shove, pushing him against the sickbay wall. Jayne lay groaning on the gurney in sickbay while River stood by his side and chuckled.
"Big strong Jayne not an alpha male right now."
"Mal," Jayne bellowed, causing him to gasp as his abdomen contracted, "get Crazy out of here."
"Girl who deceives hurt the little Jaynes," River explained with a smile to Simon.
"Out," Mal ordered, pointing at the door to sickbay. River's smile vanished as she scurried away.
"Captain, there's no need to …"
"You never told me River has a twin!"
Simon's mouth fell open a second time.
"A twin! That's just shiny," Kaylee announced entering sickbay. "Twice as much fun!"
Mal turned and gave Kaylee a captainy look and she vanished almost as quick as River.
"You're confusing me," Simon muttered. "River doesn't have a twin. There's only the two of us."
"Well, you might want to rethink that fact there Doc," Jayne moaned. "Cuz Moonbrain wasn't the one who kicked the boys with a lead boot. But the crazy who did looked exactly like her."
"All I know Doc, is I saw River's twin. Now, I ain't sayin' another River is a bad thing, mind you. But our River, the one we know and love, ain't no match in a tussle for this River you don't know nothin' bout."
"Mal, please," Jayne begged in pain. "Let the Doc do his job. We can talk about the crazy twin later."
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Simon felt for his sister. He didn't particularly like being the center of one of Mal's witch hunts but he knew the effects on River, if things went a certain way could be devastating for his sister.
"Captain," Simon said softly as Mal entered the common eating area. "A word please."
"Now look, Doc, I know River's your sister and what not, but…"
"Captain," Simon interrupted. "She's come a long way since Miranda. She's more stable and I don't want to see River go backwards. River admires you and respects you. All I'm asking is you don't upset her by being rough. Get to the bottom of this by all means, just don't brutalize her."
Mal squinted at Simon, his jaw working. "Fair 'nough. But we're getting' to the bottom of this. Don't think you're off the hook either."
Simon followed Mal to the table where the crew had gathered. Inara sat next to River, holding her hand. To River's right sat Kaylee, holding the tiny reader's other hand.
"You be nice, now, Capt'n," Kaylee threatened. "River ain't done not one thing wrong and you gone and got her all upset for no reason." Inara didn't speak. Her eyes did her talking, giving Mal a look that would have withered most men. Mal swallowed, collecting himself as he took his seat.
Jayne sat in his chair, leaning back with his legs spread wide as he clutched a large bag of ice, holding it against his nether regions.
"Look, I ain't tryin' to cause no trouble. I seen a twin Moonbrain. That's all I'm sayin'. This here mystery crazy dresses different but hits harder than River. Talks weird like Moonbrain but different somehow."
Everyone turned to look at River. Her cheeks were swollen from crying. Her tangled hair covered most of the young woman's face.
"Pulled my hair she did."
"See Captain, whoever this girl is, she ain't nice," Kaylee exclaimed.
"River," Mal said, his voice conveying how on edge he was. "Do you have a twin?"
"Twin she is but twin she is not," River answered in her sing song manner.
"River, that ain't helpin' none," Mal chastised.
"Deceiver she is. Is not what she seems," River said firmly.
"Mei mei," Simon said gently. "Is this young woman our sister? A yes or no response would be most helpful."
River stuck her tongue out at Simon and then followed up by keeping her tongue out and thrusting her head at Mal.
"Deceiver she is, twin she is not! More simple she cannot make. Stupid men!"
"It seems River is trying to tell us this woman is not her twin. At least not by birth," Zoe said calmly in her even manner.
Responding by making her eyes as large as possible, relieved somebody understood what she was telling the group, River shot Simon and then Mal another look with her new exasperated expression.
"Mei mei, can you explain why she looks so similar?"
Disgust written on her face, River tilted her head and glared at Simon. "She is a deceiver. River she is not. Pretty like she is, even though adorned of different fashion, the deceiver only appears as she."
More confused now by River's insistence on speaking in riddles, or her inability to speak clearly, silence fell over the assembled crew.
Frustrated, River let out a huge sigh communicating her exasperation. "Pretty, pretty the deceiver is. Pretty like she who loves her brother. Pretty though she may be, she loves another, not her brother."
"River, you're not makin' any kinda sense," Kaylee said gently.
"Metal she is, flesh and bone am I. Flesh she is, but metal too. Read her I cannot, though predict her I might. Cyborg she is with eyes of blue."
"Eye's of blue," Mal shouted. "River, is this twin Alliance?"
"No! Eyes of brown but in truth, eyes of blue. Alliance the deceiver is not. Loves her John she does, not a brother."
Inara spoke softly, touching River's cheek with her hand as she did so. "This other River is a cyborg?"
River nodded, relieved somebody understood what she'd been trying to tell them all along.
"Stronger than me she is and harder too. Read her I cannot. Doesn't know how she will fight the she who is not me and win."
"I'll tell you how," Jayne growled, wincing in pain. "Vera will have something to tell that River that ain't."
"Hurt she who is not me but not enough," River protested. "Perhaps I could kill her with my brain."
"I thought cyborgs had been banned long before the war. Banned when humanity still lived on earth that was," Simon said thoughtfully.
"From Earth that was she is," River announced, nodding confidently. "So are her human companions, those the deceiver would protect.
"Could you read the others," Mal asked.
River's head bobbed up and down in the affirmative.
"Are they a danger?"
"Yes! Danger they are!"
"Little Albatross, are they a danger to us? To Serenity?"
River looked down at her lap. "Possibly. It is the Albatross's fault. The deceiver only wished to protect. I did not think. Did not like that there was a she. Only room for one."
"So, let me get this straight," Mal said, glaring at River. "If we just stay clear, we should be okay?"
For fans of TSCC you might want to read my stories set in the TSCC Universe such as Cameron Grows Up, The Future Cameron, etc.
