Author's Note: Thank you for all the awesome reviews. I really appreciate it. Reviews are now open to Anonymous reviewers...I hadn't realized it was disabled, thanks for bringing it to my attention. Hope you all enjoy the next chapter.
"This is a rowdy sorta place," the Captain said as he and Zoe sat down at the designated table.
"Rafe likes rowdy, sir." Zoe was eyeing the occupants of the bar closely.
"Zoe!" yelled a newcomer.
They both looked over toward the door where a broad man was headed right for them.
"He's bigger than last time. How is it possible, he's so much bigger?" Mal sounded slightly panicked.
"Zoe, how are ya, lass?" Rafe lifted Zoe into his arms like she was made of feathers.
"Good. Good. How are you?" He set Zoe down gently.
"I was sorry to hear about Wash. I hadn't seen him since the wedding, but I know you two was happy." Rafe stroked her soft cheek and Zoe felt comforted.
"Thank you."
"Although I tell ya, I've been hearin' rumors that Serenity has a baby on board."
"It's true. Mine and Wash's daughter."
"Zoe, you're a mother?" Rafe exclaimed.
"I'm afraid so. She's nearly three."
"Bet she's an angel." Rafe pulled out Zoe's chair and invited her to sit. "Let's get to business then. Don't want her to go missin' mama."
"Oh hey, Reynolds, didn't see you there. You shrinkin'?"
Mal was nearly knocked clean off his feet as Rafe passed by him with force. Mal regained his balance and sat down on the other side of Zoe. This was Zoe's deal.
"So what's the job?" Zoe asked.
River landed the shuttle as close as she could get to the Tam residence. According to the Alliance Registry the Tams hadn't moved. River opened the shuttle and the three of them headed up the walk. Simon felt like he was back in school and coming home for the summer. Nothing had changed, the green field of the intruder fence was still live, the gardens had been kept up, and the flowers were still the same.
River stopped outside of the gate. She pushed a button on a panel next to a camera.
"Identify your self," the robotic woman's voice said.
"River and Simon Tam and Kaylee Frye," River said to the speaker.
After a long moment, Simon said, "It's the middle of the day, maybe they're not home."
Just then the gates opened. River entered immediately, Simon hesitated but Kaylee gave him a reassuring smile. He continued forward. They approached the front door that opened as they started up the stairs.
"River? Simon?" It was their mother.
Simon watched as her mother embraced her youngest child. River looked young to him again as she closed her eyes tightly in her mother's embrace. His mother leaned toward Simon but he stepped out of her range.
"Mother, I would like to introduce you to Kaylee Frye. Kaylee this is my mother, Rose Tam."
Kaylee smiled in her usual cheerful manner and extended her hand. Rose looked from Kaylee to Simon and back again.
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Kaylee."
"I've been so excited about meetin' you, Mrs. Tam." Kaylee shook her hand enthusiastically.
Simon grinned. She was making this trip very bearable so far.
"Where's father?" River asked.
"He's out on business. He'll be back in a couple of hours. In the mean time I was just about to have tea, come in."
They filed into the house quietly. Simon felt like a stranger in the house he had grown up in. Everything was exactly where he had left it, but his life before Serenity now seemed like a dream or even a nightmare. His mother returned with a tray of scones and tea for everyone.
Kaylee gushed about how beautiful the house was and how everything was so clean. Simon watched his mother carefully. She was uncomfortable, that much was clear.
River was strolling around the living room looking at each object as if she expected it to do something or remind her of something. Slowly she headed into the connecting room.
"River, darling, where are you going?" Rose stood up and followed her to the bottom of the staircase.
"My room."
Rose tried to reach for her but River danced out of her reach and trotted up stairs. Everyone followed quickly behind. River opened the door, second on the right; that used to be her room.
What used to be the bedroom of a thirteen year old girl was now a china room. There was antique furniture covered with displays of china and tea sets. They were rare and valuable.
"Mother, what is going on?" Simon asked.
"I don't know what you…"
"You were told that we were dead. You decided to remove us from your lives so you wouldn't be sad, so you wouldn't feel responsible."
Simon rounded on his mother. "You thought we were dead?" he barked. "Didn't you wonder what we were doing at your front door?"
Rose began shaking her head trying to keep the tears from falling. "Simon, I never really…you were my children, I would've felt it if you had…you father…" She started to sob.
"Father blamed Simon." River looked at the room and for a moment she saw her old room. Dolls she never played with, books she read and still knew word for word were there sitting in front of her. She blinked and the image faded.
Kaylee was holding onto Simon feeling sorrow for him. He felt anchored by her presence.
"You didn't believe that we were dead, mother, but you never came looking for us?"
"Where was I supposed to look? It's a big verse, Simon."
He rolled his eyes. "It didn't stop me from finding River and pulling her out of that…" he trailed off. Every time he remembered walking into that facility in his faux uniform and seeing her bound to the chair his entire body convulsed with pain. Simon shook his head. "Was there a memorial service? Did you cry?"
Rose bowed her head.
"She cries every night," River answered.
Simon turned to Kaylee. "This is what…"
Kaylee shook her head, tears in her eyes. "I know."
"Rose, darling?" Simon's father called from the entry way.
"Lily, now, put that down," Jayne ordered.
"No!" Lily cried.
Jayne took a step toward the toddler who was holding a grenade. "How did you get your little hands on that? I put them all on the highest…"
Lily took off again running toward the mess. "Lily, no." He ran after her, finally catching her. He picked her up around the waist and yanked the grenade out of her tiny hands.
He looked at the small bomb in his hand. He cursed. He quickly sat Lily down on the kitchen table and disarmed the grenade. He took a deep breath. He spun around and stared the little girl down. "Do not ever touch my grenades! One of 'em blows up and they're gonna be cleanin' us off the walls, you understand?"
Lily's lower lip began to tremble.
"Oh, no." Jayne put the grenade in one of the high locker doors in the kitchen and went over to Lily. "Please don't."
Lily made little whimpering noises.
"No, no." Jayne panicked. "Everything's shiny." He pulled off his hat. "You want my hat?" He waved it in front of her.
Lily seemed to think that was worse and started bawling.
Jayne lowered his head in defeat.
"Do we gotta a deal?" Rafe asked Zoe.
Zoe looked back at the Captain who gave his nod of approval.
Zoe held out her hand to her old friend.
Rafe smiled and shook her hand. "This is an auspicious occasion. Let me buy you guys another drink." Rafe turned an eye to Mal. "Or have you reached your limit, Reynolds, being such a tiny man?"
Zoe smirked.
Mal's lips turned in a forced smile. "I do believe that I can handle another, Rafe."
"Ah brave man." Rafe turned toward the bar. "Another, bar keep," he yelled.
Mal wanted to reach under the table and pull out his pistol and shoot Rafe again.
Mal and Zoe left Rafe to his drinking after two more drinks.
"That man is an unbearable…"
"Sir, you shot him and embarrassed him. He's only returnin' the favor." They walked down the side walk.
"These central planets give me the heebie jeebies." Mal shivered. He glanced around at all the finely dressed folk going about their daily life. Then an especially beautiful woman caught his eye. "Inara?" he muttered.
Zoe turned and looked. "Looks like."
Mal then saw that she was walking arm in arm with another man, a particularly handsome man. He felt his insides begin to boil. "Who do you suppose she's walking with?" Mal tried to sound calm and unattached.
"Didn't she say she was visitin' an old friend? I suspect that's him," Zoe replied nonchalantly.
"Is that just women speak for old flame?"
Zoe rolled her eyes. "Sir, I can see where this is going; I suggest that you stop it right now."
Mal watched Inara and her "friend" until they were almost out of sight. "I'm gonna follow them."
Zoe watched as he went sneaking into the distance. "Or you could ignore me and make trouble for yourself." She shook her head and headed back toward Serenity.
"Hello, father." Simon crossed his arms over his chest. His father rounded the corner from the staircase and froze when he laid eyes on River and Simon.
"I don't understand," he muttered.
"We're not dead." Simon glanced over at River.
"He hoped we were," River stated.
"That's not true. How can you say such a thing?"
"Didn't say, just repeated. It's there. It's all there. You knew where they were taking me. You tried to make Simon think he was crazy. You warned them I was writing letters, probably code. Only it was too late. Simon already had figured it out. Bright son. Almost ruined everything you had worked so hard to achieve. When they told you we were killed, you blamed Simon. The Alliance almost destroyed you, but you begged them and promised no one would ever know. After all it wasn't your fault we escaped. It was Simon's."
Simon's fist clenched. He turned to his father. "Is this true?" He didn't need an answer, he knew it was, but he wanted to hear his father say it.
Thomas Tam stood staring at his daughter with a look of fear.
"You knew where she was, what they were doing to her?" Simon's voice was strained; he was quickly losing his patience and his clear head.
"Simon, you don't understand the whole…"
He didn't finish his plea, Simon rammed into him, taking him down the flight of stairs.
"Simon!" Kaylee cried.
Mal ducked behind a group of women who were shopping when Inara and her "friend" stopped to peak at the dresses hanging in a window. When he peered back up they were gone.
He turned around looking every where for where they might've disappeared to. He made one more ninety degree turn and came face to face with her.
"What do you think you're doing?" Inara snarled.
Zoe boarded Serenity and went in search of her child and Jayne. When she entered the bridge Jayne was sitting in River's chair with his eyes closed. Lily was sleeping soundly on his chest with a river of drool coming out of her mouth. Jayne's arms were securely around her waist and in one of her hands she had one of Wash's dinosaurs.
Zoe felt her heart ache. Lily was her tiny miracle of life. She was everything Zoe had ever wanted, but she couldn't help but feel the emptiness where Wash lived inside of her. He was supposed to be here sharing the experience wit her and their daughter. Instead she was going to have to mock Jayne all by herself.
To Be Continued...