Also, for posterity, I don't have a beta, so all mistakes are my own; feel free to call me on them.

Enjoy.

FAVORS: MAL

Simon was rubbing his hands together as he stood over the door to Captain Malcom Reynolds private quarters. He moved one hand to rub behind his neck and then it flittered across his collar bone. He was nervous, no doubt about it. He moved a mite closer to the door and kicked it a bit.

"What?" Mal's voice came from the doorway to the kitchen area and startled the boy. He'd been watchin' for goin' on five minutes now, watchin' Simon just starin', like he feared for his life should he go an' touch the damn door. At the look of surprise on Simon's face, Mal went on, "Wondered how much longer I ought'a let you stand there. You want something?"

"Yes, actually, I do. I want to ask you a favor."

"I owe you one?" Mal said, walking toward him.

"No, I suppose you don't. But it isn't completely for me, it's for Kaylee too." They stood there in silence for a moment.

"Gonna tell me what is you want, or am I supposed to figure that out on my own?" he said crossing his arms. Simon did the same; he learned long ago not to let Mal intimidate him when there wasn't a cause for it.

"Somewhere…a bit more private perhaps?" Mal continued to stare, "Look," Simon said, his arms dropping down to his sides, "I don't want anyone to hear about this until I'm ready for them to know."

Mal's eyes went wide, "She ain't…in the family way, is she?"

"What? No, no…I, see, this is what I'm talking about."

"Fine, but make it quick." Mal kicked open the hatch to his room, and climbed down before the doctor. Truth be told, he was a bit relieved, another mouth right now was something they didn't really need.

They stood in Mal's room exactly as they had in the hall. Mal's a stance of looming intimidation, giving Simon the sense that he'd done wrong and was trying to come clean. And Simon, well it was his very own stance, the one that said 'I've got something to say and you're going to listen if it kills you'.

Quickly Simon told him of his desire to wed Kaylee, and that he loved her more than he thought possible, and of the plan he'd devised since River had told him what she knew. The whole time Simon spoke, Mal just stood there taking it all in. It was all he could do to hide the shock on his face.

He knew they were getting on well enough and that maybe one day this might come about, but never so soon. Then, it wasn't really that soon…Simon and Kaylee and been playing eye footsie for nearin' eight months before they managed to kiss, so it wasn't like these feelings was new to either of them. And another thing, he considered Kaylee family, like a daughter…wasn't real sure he was ready to take Simon on as a son.

"You askin' my approval Doc?"

"Well…in a way, I suppose, you are like a father to her."

Mal considered a moment, just to get the boy on his toes, eyeing him up and down. "I suppose I agree. So long as little Kaylee's happy, but if you ever hurt her-"

"Never." Simon's blue eyes locked dead with Mal's own, it was unspoken, but Mal knew the boy meant it. He'd do for Kaylee anything he'd do for River, and that was something most wouldn't have done in the first place. His eyes screamed devotion.

"Good, 'cause if'n you did I'd kill you my self."

"And I believe you." Then that other look over took his face. A slightly tilted head, mouth kinda open, like he had more to say, "That isn't all though…"

"See that's the kinda trickery I don't like. There's always more with you, isn't there? Well, you best be more clear, I ain't got an ear nor a taste for subtleties."

"I need to wave her parents and she can't know about it."

"Askin' her Pa's permission?"

"I'm a traditionalist." Mal nodded; this was certainly something he could get behind.

"Well there's the screen, I'll fix it up to folks for you. I 'spose you want it sent back to me then?"

"Yes. And I would appreciate if you didn't tell anyone, until I was ready. Not even Zoë."

"Give you my word Doc."

Simon nodded at him and they moved over to the screen. Mal searched the cortex a moment before he found the names he was looking for, Dierks and Hannah Frye. Mal left Simon alone to tape and send the message. On his way out Simon called back to Mal, "Thank you."

Mal nodded and started up the ladder, "Just don't touch my stuff."

Simon smiled and turned back to the screen; he took a deep breath and pressed record.

"Hi. I, uh, I know you don't know me, but I-I know your daughter, Kaylee…which is why I'm sending you this wave." He swallowed, "My name is Simon and she and I…well, I-I love her. I don't know if she's mentioned me to you at all, we've been, uh, been together for about three months or so now, and well, actually I felt, I felt…drawn to her the moment I got here, and that was about eleven months ago, so really, it feels it's been longer than just three months. A lot of things have changed for us, everyone here, and we, I, realized how much she meant to me. I would do anything for her." He was looking directly into the camera now. All tremors gone from his voice, "I want to marry her. And I'm asking for your blessing and should you accept me into your home and family, I'd like for you to respond to this, as soon as you can. If you agree, have you're wave addressed to Captain Reynolds, I want everything to be a surprise for her and I don't get any kind of mail, ever, so it may look suspicious if I were to suddenly receive a wave. I've worked out something I think Kaylee will love, and remember forever. And I'd like you to help me make it come true; I'd need you to…."

He went of for a few more minutes, explaining what he'd like to do, and how he planned to propose, should they agree. He pressed the stop key and took another deep breath before he pressed send.

He sat there, wondering if he should send a wave to his own parents, and let them know he was marrying. He didn't have to tell them where he was calling from or where they could send one back to, it'd be a miracle if they even looked at it, or listened to the end. But they were his parents, the people who gave him this life to share with Kaylee in the first place.

He put their address into the screen and pressed record. His voice had changed from the polite, asking voice he'd used for the Frye's; it had turned colder, angrier.

"Mother, Father. I hope you're both well. I'll keep this short; I suppose you have a dinner party to attend. River is doing great, she's much better now, since Miranda, as I'm sure you've heard. She really loves it here. But that's not why I'm waving you. I only wanted to let you know…I'm getting married. Bye."

Again he pressed his finger down onto the stop key, and then the send key. Would they open it?

--

There was a man, clearly getting on in years, walking down a dusty road into town. He wore a large, wide, floppy brimmed hat on his head, dirty trousers, torn in some places and a greasy flannel shirt. That meant it could be only one man: Dierks Frye. He lived out a bit, on a fair size'a land, his wife grew a small garden there, and they raised up two fine lookin', well behaved children, Jason and Kaywinnet (commonly known as Kaylee) though ain't no one seen the girl in awhile, she'd gone and got herself a job on a space ship. Just as well, her daddy was low on work as it was, and times was only getting' harder.

Now the town wasn't much'a anything at all really. There was but a few buildings here and there, some homes and a bar or two. But today Dierks wasn't goin' to none of them places; he was headed for the post.

"Hey there Jasper." He said and he pushed through the door of the building, "Got anything for me?"

"Matter of fact, I do. Wave jus' come in for ya."

"Well put her up."

Jasper pressed a few buttons and the screen on the side of the counter came to life. A young dark haired, seemingly well dressed man popped up on the screen. Jasper shot Dierks a look, so to say who was the man, but Dierks just shrugged and let the message play on.

"…I want to marry her…"

The silence in the room was stunning. The two men had stopped listening. It might have been the first time for Dierks to see the boy, but he knew who he was alright. Wasn't a wave Kaylee had sent them since he stepped onto her boat that she didn't mention him. He knew all about Simon, a doctor, loyal as a hound if'n he showed his sister the love Kaylee said he did.

"Stop that, send it on over to my house, make sure you put on a little message tellin' Hannah not see it till I get there. You got anything else for me?"

"No." Jasper said.

"Well, go on and do as I said! My little girl's a'gonna get hitched!" he said with a smile and he darted out of the building and back down the dusty road toward his home, and future son-in-law's message.

--

Back on Osiris, at the Tam estate, another small screen lit up with news. A thin, blonde woman put down her book, and opened the message. She was beyond shocked to see her eldest child's face on the screen, even more so when his voice echoed through her ears with the greeting.

"Gabriel!" she called to her husband, "Gabriel!"

"What? What is it?" he asked coming into the room, when he realized who's face was on the screen the room fell back to silence. He had disowned that face. That face, that voice had shamed him, and his wife beyond all repair. His only thought was, how dare that face contact them. And what he'd done to his own sister's future…unspeakable

"…River is doing great…loves it here…I'm getting married. Bye." And the screen blanked out. No way to return the call.

"Throw it away." Gabriel said, turning his back on wife and the black screen that had held that face.

"Gabriel." Her voice pleaded. The footage of Miranda had come out, Simon had been right and River was safe now. But her husband, as stubborn as her son, would admit no fault in anything that had happened with or to their children. Now, their son was to be married and one day River may as well, and she'd not see either of them on those days.

He kept his back to her; he heard everything she said in his name. She was right.

"He clearly doesn't want us there, or he'd have left us a way to find him." He started to leave again.

"We know the name of the ship…we can, we can send out a wave, let it be sent from one place to another until it reaches him."

"Do as you wish." He left before she could say anything else to him.

--

R and R please. Tell you what…I love you two times as many reviews as you leave me throughout this whole story! Lol, come on…don't make me beg…very, very sad face

Also, I don't think we ever learned Simon's mother's name, but if you know, please, tell me.