Title: Lies

Disclaimer: Not owned by me, no infringement intended.

A/N: Thank you for all your responses!

"He's my brother, I can't just leave him-"

"He is afraid of you, you must feel that."

River swallowed hard, memories of Simon's doubts to trickle from her mind, "I have a job - the Captain..."

"Is using you," Warner pressed his lips against her forehead, his hands clasping hers tightly, "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry to be pushing you, but you know as well as I do there isn't any time." River whimpered softly and Warner kissed her lips, "We'll be landing in a few hours - you know they'll throw me out as soon as we touch earth. I'll never be able to see you again. You know they won't allow it."

River felt his heart pounding against her ear, her mind spinning with the consequences of her choices - what it would mean to leave... to start again. She nodded her head just slightly. He picked up on it, of course he would have to. He took her face into his hands and kissed her again, "I have an uncle - a rich uncle on Moya. We can leave now - take the shuttle-"

"Steal the shuttle?"

Warner smiled, "Borrow it. They'll be able to find it no worse for wear. Listen - I just need to get a wave to my uncle - he'll put money in my account - money enough to get us away, to give us a start."

River looked around her, her breath coming in shallow. She reached out toward Serenity's hull, "Home-" Tears rolled down her cheeks.

"Prison." Warner wiped the tears away, his hands on her jaw, her neck, "We can make a real home together, River. I'm not afraid of you." It was true, River could sense it clearly, what would it be like to be truly free. He searched her face, "But it's your choice. It has to be your choice."

River couldn't bring herself to say the words, so she nodded her head again, once, with as much conviction as she could summon. Warner didn't need more. He grabbed her hand and they rushed to the shuttle together. River was the one who opened the door and started powering up. She flipped on the computer and looked back at Warner, "Wave your uncle."

Warner sat in the co-pilot's chair, "The Captain?"

"I've signed in as myself - he can't know from where and he will not check," She paused, "He trusts me."

Warner glanced at her even as he started entering information, "As he would trust anyone who follows orders like you do, River. He doesn't care about you."

River turned to finish prepping the guidance system,"Do you have a destination in mind?"

Warner nodded, sent her the coordinates in his mind as he typed; A flawless, simple communication.

"And we'll be able to cut loose from the ship without any trouble?"

River nodded absently, "Yes, I told you, it's pre-set."

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Warner look over and, without precursor or hesitation, speak the safe phrase - the first trigger they'd ever installed in her. Without delay, River slumped lifelessly, hitting the control panel before dropping unceremoniously to the ground.

She took herself to space... to emptiness where there was no one and nothing. She didn't feel the blood pulsing at her cheek where her face had hit the metal. She didn't bother with the idea of betrayal or pain or fear... because she knew he would be looking - searching with his mind as well as his eyes. She drifted in nothing as she'd practiced and just as they'd practiced together, just at the right time, one thought from one man penetrated the between.

River opened her eyes, time for Act Two.

Back to the room after the wedding,

Not one of them had started out running on a full tank. Now, the three of them were barely running on fumes. Mal growled in frustration and stopped the pacing he'd taken to to keep himself upright, "Enough. We need rest. This ain't happening tomorrow...right?"

Mal looked to River for verification. She didn't look tired as much as empty. Hovering between now and whatever future she could - would try to - discern. Mal waited for her eyes to focus on him, she answered, "Right."

"Then there's just one thing we've still got to deal with now."

Simon lifted his head out of his hands, "What's that?"

"All this planning is going to mean nothing if they can trigger you to do something like ... what happened last night," Mal rubbed his hands together, "How can we protect you from whispers?"

Simon closed his eyes and put his head back in his hands, "River," his voice was muffled so he sat up back against his chair, "As much as you don't like the Captain's plan to keep you away from... society - you may have to accept that it's the only way -"

"But, don't you see,"River looked between them as if they'd been sleeping during a lecture, "I broke it. They didn't know I could break her. Their weapon. She's me now. Can't trigger me."

Mal felt a surge of energy run through him at the idea of this hurdle crossed, too good to be true. He stared intently at River as if her meaning would be there on her face, "You're... her - er - the... say that again?"

"All a trigger is is a hypnotic suggestion which bypasses my mind - River's mind," She said pedantically, "and goes directly to a part of my mind that I don't control - that part of my brain was used to make me a weapon."

Simon and Mal nodded in unison.

River nodded back, "When I fought against the trigger, I reached out to the Weapon, I broke the barrier in my brain. When I said I remember everything. I meant... I remember everything. Both my memories I couldn't find and the memories of when River was asleep and the Weapon was triggered. I am only me now. No hidden messages, no secrets."

Mal frowned in concentration, "But - when you broke in here you already had the safe word, but you were still trying pretty damn hard to off yourself."

"I was already triggered - the order had to be resolved."

Mal shook his head, "Seems like you're bandying tenses here."

Simon stood up,"River, lay down on the bed. We'll test it out."

"No," Mal tensed, "Look, Doc, I've already wrestled with her once tonight - I'm not sure I'd walk away from a second try."

Simon shook his head, "No,we'll just use the safe word. The original safe word. I just don't want her to hit her head or something if she falls."

"But I tried that earlier and it didn't work anyway."

"See?" River said triumphantly.

Mal rounded on her, "No, I do not see. We can't test this theory out."

"We don't need to," River insisted.

Simon shook his head, "We should."

Mal held up both hands, "All right. Hold on - the safe word on your arms... would that still work?"

"No. Triggers won't work."

"I mean," Mal inclined his head, his teeth grinding together,"If you are wrong about the triggers not working anymore, would that trigger hypothetically work?"

"Yes."

Mal hung his head, "Okay. Here goes." He looked over at River and repeated the phrase. She blinked. Mal frowned at her, "You're not lying - it wouldn't only work if the self-destruct was on..."

River sighed, "Possibly."

Mal turned away, "Doc, I'm going to strangle your sister."

Simon ignored him,"Okay, let's just think this through. If you know all the triggers, you know what the self-destruct one was," Simon turned to his medicine bag. "You won't lie about that, so we test
with that one," He turned back with a syringe, "And we'll have both the new safe word and the sedative to make sure... no one gets hurt."

Simon looked to Mal for confirmation. Mal wasn't feeling good about this. He sighed deeply. Simon made an exasperated, helpless gesture with his hands, "Do you have any better ideas?"

Mal glared at him, "Nope. Let's do it."

River glared at the needle, "This is so unnecessary."