Blindfolded, bound, and gagged, Gabriel stumbled as a pair of small, feminine hands pushed him down the ramp of the cargo bay. He gathered his balance only to be blown over anyway by a stiff, cold wind. Rough masculine hands yanked him to his feet and once again he was shoved forward.

Begging would be useless. He's seen the murderous look of rage in Cameron's eyes and felt the cold chill of indifference from River. Kidnapping the children of Serenity's crew had been a mistake. Gabriel wanted to kick himself for not spending the money to have the crew killed first and Kacy taken afterwards.

Gariel could hear footsteps behind him. It appeared the entire crew was accompanying him to witness his demise. He decided to ask for his death to be quick. Surely River and Cameron would not deny him that. Reagan's death had been brutal and terrifying, but Cameron had made it quick.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, Captain. There's the amount in the account I created. You can see the funds came in. Then I transferred them to the wholesaler."

"Kaylee will be ecstatic, John." Mal patted his computer expert on the back. "She'll have time to overhaul at least one engine before she gets to big to work."

"The balance of the Tams fortune has been split up and sent to about a hundred different off-world banks. I wrote a program to transfer the funds multiple times to cover our tracks. In about a month, all of the Abbeys and parish churches Sheppard Book served will start receiving donations in his memory. As instructed, two food banks that serve the poor on rim worlds will receive the bulk of the remaining money."

Mal nodded in satisfaction. It had been the crew's decision and one that had surprised him. Even Jayne had been reluctant to profit from obtaining the Tams fortune. It had been decided to take enough money for essential repairs to their home and no more. Serenity and the crew provided Simon and River the home and support their parents had taken from them.

The kidnapping of the children and Zoe required compensation as well. John had pre-paid the part order from the parts distributer Kaylee preferred. Another sum of money had been transferred to the account Mal used from time-to-time when it was called for. Those funds would be divided up to pay for projects important to each crewmember and to make improvements to the living quarters.

With the population explosion facing Serenity, Mal was worried about the need for additional living quarters, a place to school the children, and still have smuggling holds available. Cameron and Kaylee had assured him with several structural redesigns to modify and strengthen Serenity's hull structure, the old Firefly would be able to add multiple new rooms for living quarters and several additional smuggling hidey holes.

"We need to go now, Captain." John turned off his computer and stood up. "We're going to have to hustle to make it in time."

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Rough hands grabbed Gabriel and turned him around. He felt his back press against what felt like a post. Cord was wrapped around him, preventing him from moving. His time was near.

Little fingers pulled at his blindfold, tearing it off his head. Gabriel blinked several times and struggled to focus as the cold, dry wind blew directly into his eyes.

Standing in front of him was River. No sign of emotion was present in his daughter's face. Her big brown eyes, a source of her beauty, were lifeless, as if the ordeal had drained every ounce of emotion River possessed from her.

"Gabriel?"

Fear filled Gabriel. The familiar voice was not one he'd expected to hear before he died. Something was not as it seemed.

"Reagan?"

"Let her go," the Captain ordered. Sarah released her firm grip on the traitorous mother, allowing Reagan to run to Gabriel.

"You're alive?"

Reagan nodded as tears flowed down her cheeks.

"You are going to suffer a more deserving fate than death," Cameron informed the Tams.

"We saw to it your mansion was destroyed," Sarah told the pair. "The symbol of your status is gone."

"John here is quite the hacker and forger," Zoe told the Tams. "Your entire portfolio was liquidated. A new will was written and the funds distributed."

"This was about robbing us?" Gabriel shouted in anger.

Ma Cobb strode forward and struck Gabriel hard in his abdomen, driving the air out of his lungs.

"My boy almost died! You had my great granddaughter kidnapped! My boy's wife was beside herself! Almost lost her husband and her grandchild! You hun dan. Piece of gou shi!"

Stepping up to his father, Simon looked Gabriel in the eye and spoke firmly, with confidence and authority. "Father, we took no more than what we needed for repairs to Serenity. After what you did to River and I, not to mention our friends and family, it was proper. Consider it part of your punishment."

"The rest," Mal said with a grin. "Well, the rest we gave to a variety of Abbeys and parish churches where our old friend Sheppard Book had served or prayed in the past. Gave a bunch to help poor hungry folks too."

"NO! You'll pay for this," Gabriel raged, struggling against the cord that bound him.

"No, I wouldn't think so," Inara purred, wearing her best soothing companion smile. "You ignored the part about a new will."

Confused, Gabriel muttered aloud. "What? What new will?"

"Your children are missing as far as the Alliance is concerned. So the money was transferred through a wide network of banks and will be sent to the aforementioned beneficiaries of your humble and thoughtful generosity."

"But we're not dead!" Gabriel protested, his connections to reality fraying.

"Sure you are, you pi gu," Mal laughed.

"We done burned your house down," Jayne laughed. "You burned up in the fire."

"Wilhelm would prove otherwise," Gabriel informed the crew.

"Yeah, bout that." John grinned. "Wilhelm just got a nice deposit in his off world account to make sure the law believes you were incinerated. I wouldn't count on your loyal butler. Especially when we told him why we came for you. Seems he has two little girls of his own." John's grin vanished. "Twins."

Were it not for the wind, silence would have made the tension present unbearable for the Tams. Her nerves frayed to the breaking point, Reagan could take it no longer.

"Be done with it! Kill us!"

River approached her mother. "Why?"

"Put us out of our misery!"

"You let me suffer and you did nothing to save me, to protect me. Parents protect their children." River shook her head sadly.

"Don't think we can't protect River either," Cameron informed the Tams. "Derek and I have killed hands of blue that travel two-by-two. Simon rescued River."

Mal stepped forward and slapped both of the Tams.

"It's like this. I don't much like people who do wrong by me and mine. Makes me feel all unpleasant, not very neighborly. You have done wrong by me and mine. If it weren't for the fact I think so highly of lil' River and the Doc, we'd just let Cameron slice you and the missus up."

"You're a beast," Reagan hissed, spitting at the Captain.

"Now, that's just what I'm talkin' bout," Mal responded, frowning at River's mother. "You need to pull out that stick you got stuck up your pi gu and realize you ain't one bit better than me or any of my crew."

"Zoe came up with your punishment," River told her parents. "Simon and I asked that Zoe's punishment be your sentence. Cameron finally agreed and once she did, John relented in the demand for your deaths."

"Our deaths?" Gabriel exclaimed.

"Yes," Mal answered. "See, this here moon is deserted. Well sort of. Nothing here of any value but the atmosphere. No settlers, no Alliance, nobody to help you."

"Except for a reader named Kalista," River informed her parents. "We punished her by marooning her on this rock over a year ago. If you can find her, she might help you survive. Otherwise, the two of you are going to have to learn on your own."

"We've left you some supplies and a few knives, but no weapons. Enough to last you a few weeks, but no more," Simon explained. "I would find water first and then establish a shelter against the elements. After that, its up to the two of you."

Gabriel and Reagan watched as the crew turned and left to return to Serenity. The last crewmember remaining was Cameron.

"If for any reason you should get off this moon, NEVER come after me or my daughter again. If you try to hurt my family, you will beg for death before I am done. And know this, I am trained in medical practices, human anatomy, and the art of torture. I'll revive you as many times as I want. I won't let you die of dehydration or shock. You'll receive transfusions if necessary."

Her eyes a blazing red, Cameron moved closer to the Tams.

"If you try to hurt anyone who is a member of Serenity's crew, I will hunt you down. I am relentless. I never give up. You will never be able to reason with me, bargain with me."

Moving to mere centimeters away from the Tams, Cameron made one final promise. "Bother River in any way and I will hunt you down. The same goes for Simon."

Cameron turned on her heal and walked away in her measured, perfect stride. The wind began to howl as the terminatress vanished from the Tams sight. In the far distance, a lone individual could be seen approaching.