Disclaimer: Joss is god, I am just a disciple.

A/N Sorry this took so long, and sorry it's so short. I'm sort of stuck, I started this story with a strong beginning in mind, but I hadn't really thought about where it would go, so any help on that would be gratefully accepted. I decided to persevere with it because it got reviewed on the Firefly Talk Podcast. Yes, that's right, it got reviewed! I am so happy:) Everyone should subscribe to the podcast, it absolutely rocks!

"You can't run away from this, Mal!" Inara shouted, following Mal into the kitchen.

"Excuse me? I'm thinkin' I already have!" he yelled over his shoulder, as he reached the kitchen. Inara came in after him,

"You can't make this decision for them. He is their father, how do you know they don't want to see him?"

"I think they made it pretty gorram clear they didn't wanna see him!"

"They were in shock," she said, bringing her voice down a couple of decibels, trying to calm the situation, "They might feel differently now. I think should at least ask them. It isn't right not to give them the choice."

Mal stared at Inara in disbelief. She didn't seem ta' understand the implications of what she was suggesting.

"Gabriel called the feds! It ain't safe to be goin' round WAVE-ing folks willy-nilly."

"They aren't fugitives anymore, Mal!"

"I conjure that ain't entirely true. It seems ta' me that there's always gonna be someone wanting to poke around in that pretty head, and that, that ain't right. I gotta think of the whole crew here, not just two pretty Tam siblings."

Mal grabbed the glass of water he'd come in for, and pushed past Inara.

"Are you - are you sure you're not projecting your own feelings on to Simon and River? You never talk about your family, you know."

Mal turned back towards her, "Don't - just don't. It ain't none of you business."

0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

Zoe sat on her bunk, sorting put her guns, resolutely not letting her gaze wander over to the T-rex and Stegosaurus sitting on the chest of drawers.

'Curse your sudden, but inevitable betrayal!'

Zoe shut her eyes, as if that would change somethin', as if when she opened them again, he would be sitting there, playing with his plastic dinosaurs and she would whisper to him about much more adult things they could be getting on with. As if.

There was a rap at the door.

"Come in!" Zoe called, glad at the distraction.

Kaylee nervously popped her head around the door, "Oh, if you're doin' somethin', I'll come back later."

"No, no, c'mon in. What's wrong?"

"It's about me an' Simon."

"Wouldn't you be better off talking to Inara or River 'bout this?" Zoe cut in.

"Well, Inara stormed off to her shuttle half an hour ago, I think her and Capt'n have been fightin' and this really ain't the sort of thing I want to talk to River about."

Zoe raised an eyebrow, "So, I was a last resort type of thing, then?"

"Kinda - Oh, I don't mean it like that! It's just that -"

"I'm jokin'," Zoe said, smiling, "Can't you tell? Tell me what's wrong."

"It's, well, Simon can't -" Kaylee started.

"Hold up, I don't know that I really wanna know this!"

"Oh, it's not like that!" Kaylee exclaimed, pink tinting her cheeks. "He won't talk ta' me no more, he's all distant-like. I've tried talking ta' him, I've tried not talking ta' him. Nothin' works."

Zoe thought for a second.

"You gotta understand, Kaylee, he's had a big shock. For better or worse, his pa was a big part of his and River's lives. Now, they've been runnin' from him as well as the feds, but that don't stop Simon from caring for him. It's difficult, y'know, to let go." Zoe sighed quietly.

Kaylee looked thoughtful. "So, what do I do?"

"Give him some space, be there when he needs ya'. He'll soon wake up and remember you're here."

"You think?" Kaylee asked dubiously.

"I know it."

Kaylee stood up and hugged Zoe briefly, "Thank you." she said happily as she left the bunk.

Zoe thought out loud; "When did I become the agony aunt on this ship?"