Disclaimer: I've been checking mail and email but no, I still haven't received any legal rights to Firefly no matter how many times I ask politely. I own nothing.
Simon had just finished getting ready for bed when he heard a soft tapping at his door. Smiling, he went to open it, expecting to see his little sister. The gentle raps sounded like hers. Instead, he was quite surprised to see Saffron there.
"Saffron...hello. This is unexpected. What brings you here?" Simon asked, surprise on his face.
"I couldn't sleep and I just thought I might see if you were still awake and interested in talking a bit." Saffron asked shyly.
"Oh...of course. I mean, I wasn't doing anything important. I just planned on looking in on River before I went to sleep myself but that doesn't have to be done now. What's on your mind?" Simon walked over and took a seat on the edge of his bed. He was somewhat uncomfortable when Saffron took a seat close to him.
"I guess I just wanted to know a little more about the Captain. He told me a little while ago that he was dropping me off on Beaumond and I know I'll never see him again but I just wanted to know more about him. He seems so different than any man I've met before." Saffron said.
"I haven't been on this ship long. That's probably more of a question for Zoe or Wash. But, my impressions of the captain are that he is a decent man. He has a devout loyalty to his crew and a strong sense of honor to his friends. He can be quick to anger and isn't afraid of a fight or taking somebody apart if he has to." Simon replied.
"Sounds like a complete mix of a man. Definitely one I'm not sure I want to give up. Not many men like that in the universe. There's certainly no men like that back where I'm from." Saffron said somewhat coyly. "I really do need to speak with him at some point soon though. Can you tell me where his quarters are?"
"Um...Saffron, I really probably shouldn't...I mean, it's not my place..." Simon started to say.
Saffron placed a finger to his lips, silencing him for the moment. "Shhh. All I want to do is thank him again for taking me this far. After I thought on what he said, I realized he'd be doing me a favor by dropping me off somewhere new. I can get a fresh start. A little talk between friends is all I want." Simon noticed something flashing behind Saffron's eyes, not something he would associate with a sweet, innocent girl from a border moon. It appeared to be something harder, cold and calculating. He began to slowly inch away and Saffron slowly inched closer.
Suddenly Simon's door slid open quickly. River stood in the doorway, a hard look in her eyes. Glaring at Saffron, she came and sat down between her and Simon. Looking back at her brother, she spoke. "Nightmares, terrors come for me. Cold and darkness. Can't sleep. Need warmth, love. Want to stay here."
Feeling relieved, Simon stood up. "Of course, you can stay here, River. Saffron, if you'll excuse us, it's been a long night and I need to see to my sister. I"ll talk to you later on."
Saffron's eyes flashed again and for a minute Simon could have sworn he saw a shadow rise up behind them before it was quickly gone. "Of course. I should be going to bed myself." she said. "Sleep well, you two." With that Saffron left the room, closing Simon's door behind her.
As soon as the door slid shut behind Saffron, River spoke up. "Don't like her. Dark inside her. No light."
"I don't know about not liking her but there is definitely something she is hiding. Another mystery, little sister. Why don't you get in bed? I'm going to get some of your blankets off your bed so I can have something between me and the cold floor." Simon smiled. He knew he'd sleep anywhere just so she could be comfortable.
Simon walked out into the hallway and opened the door to River's room. Her bedding had been tossed about. He sighed. It looked like her nightmare had been a particularly bad one, given the state of the room. He'd help her pick it up tomorrow. Right now, he just wanted to get some sleep. Pulling two blankets from the tangled pile on the floor, he backed out of the room. Turning back to his own room, he glanced down the hallway and frowned. Saffron's door was still open. Slowly walking towards it, Simon strained to hear if she was inside. Moving forward as if to walk right by, Simon went by the open door, stealing a glance as he did so. Saffron was not inside. Now where could she be? Simon pondered. Well, it's not like she could get into too much trouble right? Simon tried to convince himself. In the back of his mind, something about the situation seemed bothersome but it might be the lack of rest talking. Simon shook his head, trying to clear it and decided to see if there was a way to discretely bring his and River's concerns to the captain tomorrow. For now, he'd settle for a good night sleep.
"River, do you want anything to help you sleep?" Simon asked as he spread her blankets on the floor. When he received no answer, he turned around and took in the scene before him. River had curled up under his blankets, a serene expression on her face. He walked over towards her and knelt down next to the bed. For a short time, Simon just watched her sleep, a small smile creeping over his own features. He gently took her hand from where it rested on top of the mattress and intertwined his fingers with hers. River shifted slightly in her sleep and a smile came across her face. Simon carefully placed her hand under the blanket, kissed her forehead and settled down on the floor, hoping for a peaceful night for the both of them.
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It seemed like only a few minutes passed before Simon awoke to River's horrifying shriek. Leaping up, he stumbled, the blankets still twisted around him. Finally freeing himself, he rushed to River who was sprawled on the bed, shaking violently and holding her head between her hands, still screaming.
"River! River, it's ok. River, I'm here. Please, please, River. I'm here. Simon, it's Simon." Simon tried to place his hands around her but in her nightmares, River tried to fight him off, not knowing who he was. River fought with a strength that didn't seem possible considering her small size. Regardless of River's flailing fists, Simon managed to wrap his arms around her slender frame, bringing her close and trapping her hands. Quickly stroking her cheek, Simon tried again. "River? River, it's Simon, Simon." he murmured. River's eyes flew open, darting around before resting on Simon's anxious face staring at her. "I'm here. Are you ok?" He asked tenderly, wiping a stray tear from her cheek.
"Too late, Simon. Too late." River sobbed.
"Mei, mei, what's too late?" Simon asked, almost afraid of her answer.
"She's come."
"River, who's come? What's wrong?" Simon was starting to panic a little now. She hadn't had such a violent breakdown in quite some time and Simon couldn't think of any reason for it. He had hoped she wouldn't have those again.
"The end. Simon, the end is coming." River cried out.
No matter how Simon looked at it, he was frightened, angry, and a little disturbed at this. He was frightened for River and the horrors she was witnessing. He was angry, more than angry, at the people responsible for doing this to his precious sister and he was disturbed that this could come seemingly out of nowhere.
"River, do you think you can stay here for a moment? I'm just going the infirmary to get a smoother for you. It will calm you down. I promise, that's all I'll give you. I'll be back as soon as I can."
Simon reluctantly let go of River, really not wanting to leave her but knowing some medicine might calm her down. Walking over to the door, he looked back at River one more time before attempting to slide his door open. The door appeared to be stuck. Frowning, Simon applied more pressure. Still the door resisted his attempts. Why did the ship have to fall apart at the worst times? Leaning his shoulder into it, Simon felt the door give slightly before becoming jammed again. This didn't make any sense. If he didn't know any better, it'd seem like someone had jammed the door shut from the other side. He slid the door open as far as he could, creating a small gap. He looked back at River who had taken an interest in Simon's attempts to get the door open. Simon really didn't like having an audience when he was struggling with something but at least River had calmed down somewhat. If this wasn't a serious situation, he'd expect her to laugh at him.
"Stuck, Simon. Not happen without help." River stated the obvious.
"I know, River. Can you do something for me? I need something I can use as a lever, can you look around and see if you see something?" Simon asked.
River hopped down from the bed and glanced around the room.
"Too spartan, space people live plainly. Nothing without reason. No levers."
"Great, just great." Simon muttered.
"Small River flow through." River said matter-of-factly.
Simon looked at the gap he'd created and looked back at his sister. River just might be slender enough to fit through. She could see if she could un-jam the door. Or if nothing else, she might be able to go get help. "Ok, River. I'm going to push this as far as I can. I want you to slip out. If you can't, it's ok. I don't want you getting stuck or hurt though. On three, ok?" River nodded her acceptance. One...two...three!" On three, Simon pushed the door as much as he could. With grace that Simon could only envy, River slipped under his arms and lithely squeezed through the gap between the frame and the sliding door.
Simon let the door shut. He could hear River on the other side. It seemed like she was pulling on something by the way the door would shake slightly. With an audible *PING, something came free.
"Portal open, Simon." River's voice floated through the door.
Simon slid the door open fully, revealing his little sister holding a thin piece of metal.
"Jammed between lock and jamb. Make-shift lock." River explained.
"Well, it's lucky I have my own little locksmith." Simon smiled and pulled her into a hug. "Now the better question is why was our door locked like that? Something isn't right. Mei, mei, I want you to stay here, ok?" Seeing River's eyes go wide, he added, "I think it will be safer for you until we can figure out what's going on. That was no accident."
"Want to stay with you. Feel safer with you." River said quietly.
Simon sighed. He wasn't sure what was going on but at least River would be with him.
"Ok, but just stay behind me. I don't want anything happening to you."
River gave him her best exasperated look and mumbled, "Overprotective."
Simon couldn't help but smile. "Maybe a little, but you're still my little sister. Besides, there isn't anyone else I'd rather have watching my back." Simon said with a grin.
Slowly and carefully, Simon and River ascended the staircase leading to the upper levels. Passing a viewport, River tugged on Simon's sleeve and pointed. "Shuttle leaving." River said simply.
Simon looked out the viewport and River was right. One of Serenity's shuttles was in the process of moving away from the ship. "That's not the right side for Inara's shuttle. Who could be taking the other one? And where? We're not exactly near anything." A cold feeling came over Simon. "River, I think it's important that we find either the Captain or Zoe as quickly as possible."
"Bread crumbs." River muttered. "Trail of death."
Simon gave her a worried look. "Let's try the bridge first. Mal may still be up there. If not, Wash can track him down."
Simon hurried forward, hearing River's feet pattering after him. Coming around the corner, Simon saw Wash slumped against the threshold to the bridge. River gave a soft cry at seeing him down. Once at Wash's side, he breathed a sigh of relief at feeling a pulse. Wash came to a moment later.
"Ugh, what happened? Feels like a ton of bricks hit me." Wash mumbled. "I was talking to Saffron one moment and then the next thing I know, I see you two. She said she wanted to see the stars. I certainly saw stars. Something is not right about that woman." Seeing River, he tried to smile at her. "Not the best time for our dinosaur battles but they're coming, I promise you."
River smiled gently. "More important things, now. Later stegosaurus fights."
Getting to his feet, Wash tried to open the door to the bridge. "It's stuck. No, it's actually fused shut. What the hell is going on here?"
"I think the Captain's young wife is a bit more than what she makes out to be. River and I saw one of the shuttles launch as we were coming up here and someone locked us in our room, I'm willing to bet it was Saffron."
Wash nodded slowly. "I think you're onto something doc. We better alert everyone. I'll get Zoe, Jayne, and Kaylee. We'll need them to get into the bridge. Try and find the captain. His quarters are right down that ladder." Pointing in the right direction, Wash started off towards his own bunk to get his wife.
"River, can you go to Shepherd Book's room and get him?" River nodded. "Thanks mei-mei, I don't think we're out of the woods yet."
River looked at him sadly. "We're not." With that she turned on her heel and hurried off back towards the passenger dorms.
Simon found the correct ladder and scrambled down it, nearly tripping over Inara's prone form once he entered the room. Inara? What is she doing here? Simon's gaze continued onward and saw the captain lying a few feet away. Quickly checking both of their pulses, he was relieved to find steady ones in both Mal and Inara. They must have been drugged. Lifting Inara carefully up, he placed her on Mal's bunk. After setting her down, Inara began to stir.
"Mal!" Looking up she gave a confused glance. "Simon? What are you doing here? What's going on?" Inara blurted out.
"I'm not sure, I came down here to find the captain and I found you both unconscious . I think Saffron took one of..."
Inara's eyes flashed. "That vixen did take one of the shuttles. She said something about being Malcolm Reynold's widow before she attacked me. She certainly is not what she appeared to be."
Simon frowned. "Then she must have locked River and I in my room and knocked out Wash."
Inara's expression quickly changed to fear. "Wash! Is he ok? I didn't even look towards the bridge, I was just concerned with getting to Mal."
"He's fine, but the bridge is fused shut. He went to get Jayne and Kaylee is see if they can't get inside." A clattering of boots and choice swear words echoed from above. "Speaking of Jayne, I take it he's awake." Simon said dryly.
"What about Mal? Is he ok?" Inara asked, worried.
"He seems to be just knocked out. His breathing and heartbeat are both regular so I'm not too concerned with his health. However, I have a feeling once he regains consciousness, he's going to want to know what's going on and I don't have anything to tell him besides his little bride from a backwater moon managed to knock him and his pilot out and lock us in our rooms." Simon frowned for a moment and looked at Inara. "What happened to you? You were also down when I came in."
"What, oh, I uh...when I saw Mal, I was so startled I must have fallen and hit my head. I'm ok now, nothing to be worried about." Inara said hurriedly. Simon looked closer. She almost looked like she was blushing...
Just then, a coughing noise sounded behind them. Simon turned around to see the captain trying to get to his feet.
"What the hell is going on?" Mal mumbled. "Where's Saffron, the last thing I remember is kissing..." Mal trailed off when he noticed Inara sitting not five feet away on his bunk.
"Oh captain, it seems that you certainly found a "special" girl." Book said dryly as he descended the ladder into Mal's room, River following closely behind. Without a word, River handed him another thin piece of metal. Book's room must have been locked too.
"Now hold it right there, Shepherd. She took advantage of me!" Mal exclaimed.
"Poison apples." River muttered.
Both Inara and Simon both looked startled. Simon spoke first. "Mal, you said you kissed Saffron?" Looking shamefaced, Mal nodded his head. Simon continued. "Why didn't I think of this earlier? She probably had some kind of narcotic lip balm. We used to see that in the emergency room from time to time. Women would kiss and then rob a man."
"Well, whatever she did to me, she's going to pay. Now somebody answer me! What the hell is going on?"
Nobody seemed to want to meet the captain's angry gaze. River spoke up. "So many answers, none of them clear."
"Well, doesn't that answer everything?! Thank you genius!" Mal exclaimed.
Simon scowled at the captain. "Nobody knows what's happening at the moment, Captain Reynolds, so there isn't a need to take your frustration out on my sister."
Mal held Simon's gaze for a moment, his steely eyes boring into Simon. When he spoke again, it was quieter. "You may be right Doc, but right now, something's happening and I need to know what and I don't have time for answers that aren't clear." Turning Book and Inara he spoke, "Everyone get topside."
As Simon climbed out, he looked and saw Jayne yank the door to the bridge open.
"Still don't know what that woman was doing but whatever it was, she knew what she was doing." Jayne paused and wiped the sweat from his brow. "Must say, I do like that in a woman."
"How bout you keep them fantasies to yourself Jayne, and let's figure out what's going on here." Mal said as he stormed into the bridge.
Wash hurried over to the pilot's console and began flipping switches. "Ok, our navigation system is out but I can see she's programmed a new course in. I can't override it until we can fix whatever she did to our control panel." Wash stated as he gestured at the tangle of wires under the console.
Simon glanced over Wash's shoulder and cringed when he saw the mess. A sudden movement alerted him to River's presence at his side. "River, why don't you just try and stay out of the way right now, ok?" Simon asked as he glanced at her.
River regarded him for a moment before speaking. "Nobody believed me." With that, she turned and left the bridge. Simon stared after her sadly. There was so much going on and he wanted to help River feel better after the captain snapped at her. He was contemplating going after her when Wash spoke up.
"Mal!" Wash looked up. "It looks like we're heading towards a ...net."
Looking around at everyone's expressions, Simon felt that familiar sinking feeling in his stomach. Whatever this "net" was, it couldn't be good. Knowing this was out of his realm of expertise, he made up his mind and hurried out after River.
