Disclaimer: Mass Effect is owned by Bioware and Microsoft. Firefly is owned by Joss Whedon.

AN: This note is just to say thanks to NarcolepticNinja and Kurotakai for their reviews. Also, to explain something before going into this chapter. To me, a biotic is not only able to do things that would be considered telekinetic, but also they can speak to one another telepathically. So, I guess that both Kaiden and Shepard would be considered 'Readers' in this.

AN pt 2: I have recently finished playing ME2 a few times. What happened in the game will eventually be put into this story. So I will put in Spoiler alerts when warrented. That being said, there is a slight spoiler alert in this chapter for ME2…its when River scans Shepard's mind…

'Thinking to oneself.'

Mind-speak between Shepard, Alenko, and River

Edge of Heaven

Chapter 2

"That's your ship?" Kaiden as he stared up at the Serenity. "It's…uh…nice…"

Commander, that thing doesn't look like she can fly, he sent a thought over to Shepard. She's definitely not the Normandy.

Shepard rolled her brown eyes at her adopted brother and kept looking at the silvery ship. "It's more than nice, Kaiden. I think she's beautiful. Nothing like the Norman-…like my old ship. This one has character."

The captain of the Serenity heard the slip that the woman made. He wondered what sort of ship she was talking about, but he did like the fact that she seemed to like his Firefly-class ship. "There's nothin' better 'n Serenity in the 'verse" he remarked proudly as he glanced at the two possible new crewmembers. He led them up the ramp and into the Serenity's cargo hold.

"This is the main cargo hold," Mal started to explain as he pointed out the large spacious area. "And that there's the Mule. We use her to haul cargo from time to time. And down through that door is the common area, the medical bay and passenger quarters…"

"Hana! Hide in the barn, NOW!"

"Papa! NO!"

Shepard stopped in the center of the cargo hold, her eyes widening for a moment when a memory of the past popped into her head. Why did that particular one have to come now? She then closed her eyes and willed the unwanted memory into the dark recesses of her mind… she cannot afford to lose control, not now, not ever…especially since she and her adoptive brother are in a place where things were more rough, more uncivilized…

"Hana? You okay?" Kaiden asked, a look of concern on his face as he gently touched her shoulder. "What happened?" Shepard looked at Alenko for a moment, a look of confusion on her face and then noticed that the Captain was looking at her strangely, as was the tall black woman, Zoe.

"Memories," the Spectre answered quietly as she made her way towards the medical bay, her action telling her Lieutenant that the subject was over, not to be discussed with their present company.

Mal watched the woman closely, something about her still pricking the edge of his consciousness. I think she's hiding something, he thought to himself as he watched the dark haired man follow his sister into the medical bay. He caught a look that his first mate was shooting him.

"They're good people," Zoe remarked. They then heard the future pilot of Serenity talk to the ship's young doctor. It seemed that the newcomers were getting along pretty well with Simon Tam from the sounds of their conversation.

"I reckon that I agree with you, Zoe…but…"

"But it seems that they're hiding something, ain't they, Sir?" She chuckled at that and gave her Captain a small smirk.

Mal laughed slightly and sighed. "That's nothin' new when it comes to the crew…tamade…why can't we ever get normal ones?"

"Because then that'd make things out in the black boring…Sir…"

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Shepard crossed her arms in front of her chest as Alenko began to discuss some medical things with the ship's doctor. The feeling she got from him was that he was very dedicated to being the medic on this little freighter and despite his misgivings about a certain crewmember, Doctor Tam seemed to be quite knowledgeable in his chosen craft…but she still missed Doctor Chakwas from the Normandy. She then just realized that the good doctor was speaking to her.

"Excuse me, Dr. Tam…can you repeat the question?" she asked, looking slightly embarrassed from her inattention.

Simon sighed and shook his head imperceptibly. "I asked if you have had any major diseases, surgeries, and injuries that I should be aware of. It's something that I need to know in case you join the ship."

The Spectre tapped her finger on her forehead for a moment, thinking on what to tell the young man. There were things that she knew she couldn't tell the man, but she knew there are things that she should say.

"Well, on my home, I did break a leg trying to help Papa break in a yearling colt, but that was when I was only eight years old…"

"Anything else?" Simon asked Shepard as he began writing things down on a notepad of sorts.

"I've been in a few scrapes and fights…once I fought a man who used a katana blade on me some years ago. Oh yeah, I can't forget that one bar incident when Kaiden was being harassed…"

"Ma'am…" Kaiden started, but his 'sister' kept on going, not realizing that he was trying to make her stop talking.

"…by a man who thought my brother was hom…er sly when we were on Greenleaf. I intervened and that man had the AUDACITY to try and throw a knife at me…"

"Shepard…" He tried again to interrupt her but nothing happened.

"… all it did was nick me on the shoulder. Then when that hundan thought Kaiden was…"

"HANA!" the Sentinel shouted, causing Shepard to stop talking and stare at him with confusion. His face was slightly red with irritation and embarrassment as he smacked her lightly upside the head. "There's no need to bring THAT situation up…"

She pouted for a moment and looked away. "But it was funny."

Simon watched the two newcomers with amusement as they started to bicker like ten-year-olds. He smiled slightly at the site as it reminded him of how he and his sister River used to act like that before she was changed. He then realized that they stopped arguing and was giving him some of their medical history. Simon noted that both never had any major diseases and sicknesses, and aside from the various broken bones and scrapes, the two siblings were the picture of health. Something didn't seem to sit right, though…sometimes the scanner he was surreptitiously using on the pair would blink, indicating some foreign object was in their bodies.

River came bouncing into the medical bay and stopped when she saw Shepard and Alenko. Her eyes widened for a moment and took a step back. "You…you're actually here."

The Spectre turned to look at the slight girl and definitely felt something probe her mind and go into the memories that she got from the Prothean beacon and the cipher. And then she felt her memories of Mindoir and the Collector Station being scanned by the reader. "Ah shit," she whispered as the teenage girl's eyes widened even further.

"No..NO NO NO!" River screamed as she fell to the floor, her hand now clutching the sides of her head in a desperate manner. "Death…Destruction…NO!"

Simon immediately when to his sister with a syringe, not liking the frenzied motions the slight girl was doing. "Easy River, it's okay… nothing bad is going to happen," he whispered as he was about to inject her with a sedative. The syringe was then knocked out of his hands, but not by River. He turned to glare at the woman who did.

"She doesn't need a sedative," Hana answered, answering his glare with one of her own. "She's…experiencing memories that don't belong to her. Memories that should be mine and mine alone…"

Kneeling besides River, Shepard placed her hands on either side of the girl's head, forcing the other to look deep into her eyes. "River, these are my memories, my burden, and my burden alone."

"But…they are dark! The coming of the galaxy's end…"

"But they aren't in this 'Verse, little one," Kaiden answered, kneeling next to the two females. "They are…monsters from another time and definitely another place."

"Besides," Shepard whispered into River's ear, "I'm a Spectre, I won't let anything happen to you."

Kaiden stood up and let the commander comfort the teen and glanced over at the doctor. He noticed the glare the younger man was giving his adopted sister. "Shepard…has been through much pain and hardship, Doctor Tam. She can help your sister."

Simon cleared his throat and looked at the monitor. He was trying to get a sense of the readings that he took from the two newcomers, but some of them appeared to be off and others the computer just couldn't read properly. Before he could ask the older male, Mal and Zoe came storming into the med bay.

"What the hell just happened here?" Mal demanded, his hand on the handle of his gun as he spied Shepard comforting a shaken River and the mild glare Simon was giving Alenko.

The Spectre stood up and turned to face the captain, her eyes had a steely edge to them. "River is able to read minds," she stated instead of asked.

The ship's second in command put her hand on the handle of her shotgun, recognizing the look in the other woman's eyes. This woman has seen battle, Zoe thought to herself. Before she and Mal could draw their weapons, Shepard had her pistol out and trained onto the captain's forehead while Alenko had his on Zoe.

Taking a deep breath before putting her weapon back, Shepard turned around in order to help River stand back up. "You three are wondering how I know," she stated as she looked into the young teen's eyes. "Alenko, put your weapon away. It's not like they can get past you if you put your barriers up."

"Aye aye, Ma'am," the Sentinel answered as he holstered his pistol, his eyes keeping track of everyone's movements.

"River, why don't you go lie down for a while," Shepard suggested kindly. "Either Kaiden or I will check out your mind later to see if there are any lasting effects on you."

At this, Simon shook himself free from the paralysis that came over his body when the two strangers pulled out their weapons just mere moments ago. "What do you mean that you or your brother will check out River's mind? Are… are you from Bluesun?"

"Blue Sun? Now that's a laugh," Shepard chuckled, the sound having a cold quality to it. "No, we are definitely not a part of them, in this Verse or the next." She then straightened her back and fully faced Zoe, Mal and Simon. Alenko moved to stand slightly to her right, his stance the same as his former commanding officer.

"Captain Reynolds, hire my brother as your pilot and me as another one of your guns, we can assure you of at least one thing. River will be trained to be able to control her abilities." Shepard turned to look at the Sentinel. He nodded and then she took in a deep breath.

"Captain, Doctor Tam…we are biotics…it's what you would call Readers."

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

AN: Well, I think that is a good place to end this chapter. And yes, I know it's been a long time since the last chapter was posted. I just didn't have too much inspiration the past few months and then I got Mass Effect 2. I imported my Hana Shepard into ME2 and her choices there will be reflected in this story…included the person she chose as her love interest in the game. Whether or not I keep him as Shepard's interest will depend on how this story will go. Clues to who that is will be seen in the coming chapters.