Disclaimer: These characters and this universe do not belong to me.

A/N: I know, I know, I'm still keeping some important things to myself. There's got to be some mystery! Be patient. Though... I admit there may be a red herring or two out there.

To say stealing River's heart was like navigating from Yuma to Gilla wasn't giving the thief enough credit. Matthew Warner preferred to think that if anyone else had been given the task it would have been a much different story. Besides being a military trained officer and a scientifically enhanced individual, he had what no one else could have; Enough basis in truth to fool a Reader.

He had been attracted to River during her time at the Academy. She had been pretty enough when she'd first come to him - nothing more than a lamb to the slaughter - but pretty and sweet looking. He hadn't expected anything special from this subject - nothing that set her apart from the other attempts. But the officials had been practically itching to see what she could do. Warner had learned later they'd had a larger stake in her than in any of the others.

The shift had happened overnight. Matthias had given her an assignment and from then on, River had changed. She had accepted her purpose, she had accepted that she was good at what she despised. And the deadly grace with which she eventually took to her assignments had changed Warner. Nothing turned him on like a dangerous woman.

It was more difficult than he expected to recapture those desires - she hardly seemed dangerous now. But he'd gotten the chance to fight her once, and that had been just enough to remind him. Enough contact to bring back the memory of endless sparring sessions where skin and pain and sweat mingled together all those years ago.

Warner hadn't gotten the respect he'd deserved then from the lab suits. They hadn't understood that as much as they tried, they couldn't make her better than him. But this helped... this seduction he was working on; oh how it helped seal those scars to have her wound around his finger. Of course, he couldn't dally with these thoughts for fear of alerting his prey - so he veiled it all in another context, another memory.

Though, at this point, Warner was starting to think the scientists had not left enough brain matter alone for River to truly utilize her own powers. There had been a couple times - two moments that had nearly stopped everything; something too near the truth had stumbled from her lips. But she didn't seem able to interpret the very visions she had once been so coveted for. And he'd been lucky - neither time had offered a witness to interpret for her. So she had turned to him, dark eyes searching his, hands grasping for contact... and each time he sent her the messages she needed for reassurance, trust, peace.

Love, ironically enough, had turned out to be his greatest ally. He needn't have bothered developing schemes to gain time alone with River. Love and hope for their pilot seemed to motivate the crew to keep their distance. Even the over-protective brother, though ever suspicious, allowed them reign.

And the need to be loved - it was River's greatest weakness. A need that Warner realized slowly, was much nearer to being met than River knew. Warner paid attention to cues, not just those from River, but from the other people on the ship, sharing the space, noticing things that unconnected meant nothing... but together implied Warner's timing had been perfect. Confusing loyalty with love was exactly what Warner was trying to build on - he didn't need any competition muddying River's decisions.

Warner had initially taken the Captain's brooding distaste for him at face value. After all, he was a threat. If Warner proved an enemy he was certainly a danger to Reynold's ship and crew. If Warner proved trustworthy he still represented a threat to the Captain in the loss of a pilot.

But as Reynolds broiled and the tension amongst the crew increased as they unconsciously picked up on it, Warner picked out the secret that perhaps no one else was aware of. Reynolds carried feelings for the poor, abused, assassin girl. Along with anger, along with fear, there was pain in the Captain's eyes when he interrupted Warner and River together - holding hands - a stolen kiss.

Again, with love as his weapon, Warner triumphed. Pride guaranteed Reynolds would take no action. He would not risk someone realizing jealousy was at the heart of his motivations.

All in all, Warner didn't have to act pleased for River's sake. The whole mission was on the brink now. He had just this one chance to get River off the boat and to Liu; to recover the girl to the master and the coin to live as the Academy had once promised him. And Warner thought his chances were good.

Back to the morning after Simon's wedding:

River was tired. Not merely as a result of what she'd already gone through - mentally, physically, psychically... but because she knew, even after repeating what she'd just repeated, there was much still to discuss... much still to resolve.

She had two men whom she cared deeply for ragged in their care for her - their concern for her. She knew she had to dig in to find the strength to put them back together again; To strengthen them so that they could carry her again. Because she would need it someday soon enough.

Before she met again with the plot behind her late night attempted suicide, she would have to work closely with these men. She would have to teach them what she herself had not known she could learn.

The silence in the room threatened weighed down on her, so she put her face down on Simon's clasped hands, "You could drown in this guilt. It's time to let go. You've held me above the water too long. I can swim on my own now."

Simon put his lips to her temple, "I don't know if I can."

River smiled, "You've always been the better swimmer, Simon - you just want to hear me say it."

Simon smiled, his spirit releasing it's grip on her even now. River sat up, and looked away from her brother and toward the man that had saved her life everyday since the moment she'd been taken onboard his ship.

Mal's guilt was deeper and wider than Simon's because he chose to take responsibility for every evil committed by the government he'd failed to defeat. She wanted to touch him too, but knew how his muscles would tense at the gesture and how his mind would close. Instead she just took him in with her eyes. Every wrinkle and scar, every stubborn, iron - strong bit of him she noted and appreciated. She was so grateful. He met her look with a challenge of his own.

"Can't hide forever." River raised her eyebrows, "We can get out from under this for good. If you're willing. If I'm worth just a bit more work."

"I don't make a habit of abandoning crew just for a bit of work," River felt the resentment her implication had caused and how he tried to cover it with humor, "Have you met Jayne?"

"But you'd stuff me away. Turn me blind for wanting the sun."

River loved that he accepted the way she spoke, the way that she was even when what she was wasn't easy. He sighed, "And what do you propose?"

River could see it, like she saw color and fog, "It will be complicated. First you have to learn to hide your thoughts."

Simon frowned, "Can... we do that?"

River shrugged, "I didn't see last night. He'd taken my hand before he'd given the trigger."

"Right, speaking of that," Mal took a breath full of meaning and River steeled herself for what was going to come next, "If this is going to work, it's not just the Doc here that has to let go of some guilt."

Simon frowned, "What do you mean?"

"This is important. Not just for personal reasons," Mal nodded toward River, "Did this man fool you, or did you turn away from what you saw?"

Simon stood up, "That's ridiculous, why would River-"

River stared at Mal, she didn't know why it surprised her when someone besides herself had insight. She pulled Simon back down to his chair, forced him to hear her, "You gave up so much to find me. And this one day was yours, truly yours and when the shadow came... I thought I could handle it."

Simon pulled his hand from River's, rubbed the fabric of his trousers and took a long breath before he spoke, "That was stupid River."

Mal sniffed, "I'd have to agree with the Doc on that."

"I won't do it again," River swallowed her embarrassment. "But I learned how he did it. And I can do it better."

"So, what? We practice lying to you about how we like your cooking?" Mal asked.

"There are some things now... with Kaylee, I'd like to know were private, but I'm not sure I'd know what to lie about," Simon pondered.

River brushed away tears that sprang to her eyes when they both accepted her word so easily, "It doesn't have to be a lie. You just need to hide the truth in something else close."

She saw the two men share a glance - a pact made between them - that they were going to protect her, no matter what. Particularly no matter what River had to say about it. River tried not to roll her eyes; she loved them both.

River continued, "He'll send a seducer. He'll send someone sure that he can lure me away from Serenity."

Mal grunted, "He can send as many baboons asses as he wants, I've got plenty of bullets."

"We only need one baboon. Not to shoot. To use."

River felt both Simon and Mal get it at once. Simon's whole mind brightened, "He'll lead us back to whoever sent him."

River nodded at Mal, "Then, we use the bullets."