Disclaimer: None of these are my characters. Joss Whedon is the man.

For the following week, until their arrival on Osiris, River was as stable as she'd ever been. Even Jayne stopped calling her crazy after a few days. Every time Mal walked into the room, her mood brightened perceptibly. Simon finally pulled Mal aside the day before they were scheduled to land on Osiris.

"Captain, I need to talk to you," Simon said. Mal could tell his medic wasn't happy, but he hoped he could avert disaster before he got punched again.

"Now doc, I know what this is about," Mal began. With a shocked look from Simon, who opened and closed his mouth like a fish, trying to find words, Mal continued. "'Less I miss my guess, this is about the way your sister has been acting lately." Mal held a hand up to forestall Simon from talking. "Now I don't rightly know what's goin' on with her, but it ain't what you think, and what everybody else's whisperin' about behind our backs. I promise you, as one man to another, I have not laid one lecherous hand on your sister in any way that could be called improper. Dong ma?"

Simon, still looking slightly bewildered, just stared at the Captain for a minute. Then slowly, as if wading through quicksand to find the right words, the doctor answered. "Umm, I don't know how to respond to that, other than ... thank you. I think. Captain, are you sure you have no idea why she's giving you this ... hero worship? I mean, there must be something in the past week that set this behavior off. She's been acting this way since ..."

"Since the mornin' I had that bad dream," Mal finished for him. "After I got my coffee from the galley, I happened to wander down to the passenger dorms, and she was in the corner rockin'. I thought it was just a bad day. I was gonna get you, but she wouldn't let go'a my shirt, so I just rocked her until she settled down. If this's how she is after once, I'm surprised she don't walk through the ship throwin' rose petals at yer feet."

Simon was, once again, speechless. He had never expected Malcolm Reynolds, the gruff, shoot-first former soldier, to help his sister through a bad day. Yet he found himself thanking the Captain for his kind-hearted act, and the Captain trying to brush it off as though it were nothing.

"I told you, son, I take care of my crew. Now let it go. I got Captain-ey things need tendin' to." Mal walked away, a slight smile on his face, and headed to the bridge to help River see to landing. Of course, he knew she didn't need any help, but he felt a desire to share the bridge with her for a little while.

"You didn't tell him we slept together," River said without turning around. Mal, just stepping over the threshold of the door, nearly tripped as he stepped through.

"Woah, lil' one!" Mal exclaimed once he had recovered. "Yeah, we took a bitty nap, but that ain't exactly what you're implyin' with that statement. I think you're gonna need to plan your words a little better in the future, especially around your brother."

River only laughed as she took the ship through atmo. Mal, suddenly uncomfortable, decided some time alone on the bridge wasn't the best idea after all. "I'll be in the bay. Once we're down, why don't you join us?"

"Yes sir, Captain," River answered. Behind the respectful words, Mal thought he could detect an impish note of casual condescension, as if he had stated an obvious truth. Of course, he thought, don't try to surprise the reader.

Down in the cargo bay, most of the crew was already assembled, waiting for landfall so they could begin their shore leave as soon as possible. No jobs were planned, so Mal had given the crew two days to relax, after running a few necessary errands. The Captain still intended to find work, if it was possible, but there was no reason he couldn't give his people some well-deserved down time.

"Kaylee," Mal started, but was promptly cut off.

"Don't worry, Cap'n," Kaylee's bubbly voice interrupted. "I know what parts we need already. Got the list right here," tapping her head.

"Okay," Mal said, a bit put off. "Jayne," and again he was interrupted.

"Yeah, yeah," the merc intoned. "Keep an eye on lil' Kaylee, or I'll haveta answer to you. I get it."

"Fine," Mal continued impatiently. "Zoë, I need you to-"

"See to the sewage and fresh water, yes sir." Mal could tell his first mate had done it on purpose by the grin tugging at the corners of her mouth. Fine, if the crew wanted to play around, he'd find a way to get even later.

"Fine, seems everybody's already one up on their ol' Cap'n," he said. "Doc-"

"Keep an eye on my sister, sure." Simon tried to play the game, too. "I know the drill, Cap-"

Mal pulled a fast one of his own, though. "Actually, Doc," he interrupted, "I'd like you and your sister to come with me." Mal couldn't keep the smile off his face at Simon's mixed frustration at being thwarted in the game, and his confusion over Mal's request. "I've got somethin' in the works I may need your help with."

Simon, trying to hide the fact that he was flustered, mumbled something at Mal and turned back toward the rear of the bay. Kaylee tried to soothe her man's frustration, walking away with him and speaking in low tones.

"Sir?" asked Zoë, a confused tone to her voice. "You got somethin' planned?"

Mal smiled at his first mate and waved a hand in a 'never mind' gesture. "It's all right, Zoë, nothin' you need to concern yourself with. Just a little side trip I'd like the Doc and his sister to take with me. You see to Serenity, and then go find somethin' to get into in town. Oh, and Jayne, speakin'a getting' into things," Mal continued.

"Yeah, yeah," Jayne answered. "No fightin', less'n they got it comin' to 'em. I ain't makin' ya no promises, Mal. You know better'n that."

"Fine," the Captain replied with a half-smile. "But if you ain't back on time, don't think I'll come chargin' in to rescue ya."

"Fangxin, Cap'n. This here's a Core world. You think them dandified city-folk'll be able to fight good?" Jayne scoffed, and glanced toward where Simon was returning to the group, earning a glare from both the medic and the engineer.

Just then, thankfully, they felt Serenity touch down, and River's voice announced over the intercom, "Welcome to Osiris!" Minutes later, she was in the cargo bay, actually wearing her combat boots in favor of going barefoot for the secret – from Simon, at least – meeting with their father.

"All ashore that's goin' ashore!" Mal announced as he punched the button that would lower the cargo ramp. To Simon, he said, "Doc, hang back a sec. Like I said, I got somethin' I need your help with." River smiled at the Captain, and Simon looked even more confused than before. Mal stood farther into the bay than Simon, forcing the doctor to keep his back to the open air. Once everybody was off ship, Mal intended to lead the siblings to their father, who Mal had already spotted in the crowd.

Mal's plans were undone, however, when Gabriel took the initiative himself. "How in the 'Verse did you manage to convince that child to wear shoes?"

River's face broke into a huge smile, and she ran down the ramp to hug her father. Simon, however, not believing his ears, stared at Mal with wide eyes full of accusation. "Tama de hundan, what did you do?" The accusation in Simon's voice surprised Mal, who honestly hadn't known what to expect. Simon turned around slowly, and with no sign of emotion, no inflection whatsoever in his voice, greeted the man hugging his sister. "Father, what exactly are you doing here?"

"Well," Gabriel replied jovially, "I thought you'd be happier to see me, Simon. After all, I'm not the one who abandoned my home and became a vigilante from justice." Still with one arm around River, Mr. Tam started up the ramp before stopping abruptly and looking at Mal. "Captain Reynolds, I presume." At Mal's nod, he continued, "Permission to come aboard?"

Maybe he not as uppity as I thought, Mal said to himself. "Absolutely, sir, welcome to Serenity." The Captain was smiling by the time he finished the sentence.

"Thank you, Captain," Gabriel said as he walked toward his son. "Well, is there somewhere we can sit down and talk, Simon, or should we stand here in the doorway all afternoon?"

"I-I don't know that I have anything to say to you, father," Simon stuttered. "What happened to 'I won't come for you again'? O-or what about 'She's fine, don't worry, they're taking care of her at that school'? I saved her. I took care of her when she was terrified and half out of her mind. I sheltered her for the past year-" Mal coughed. "Okay, well, the captain sheltered both of us, but I brought her to Serenity." Simon's voice was getting heated, and River's smile was quickly slipping away. "What exactly are you doing here?" This time, there was definitely emotion in his voice.

"Actually," Mal volunteered, "it was my idea." River's smile returned, directed this time at the Captain, and Simon spun around to fix his withering glare on Mal. "Now before you go explodin' at anyone," Mal said calmly, patting the air with both hands in a conciliating gesture, "why don't we all go to the lounge and relax. I can get us somethin' to drink, though there's not much of a selection." He said this last apologetically to Gabriel, then turned around and headed through the bay toward the lounge.

Mr. Tam followed, arm still around his daughter, and Simon hesitated before also following, albeit grudgingly.

XXXXX

The small group made their way to the lounge in the galley. Mal and Simon stood apart while River and Gabriel seated themselves together comfortably on one of the couches. Mal settled himself across from the pair, while Simon remained standing. The young man was clearly agitated, itching for a fight of some kind. Fortunately, it seemed his father was more amenable to a peaceful discussion.

"Simon, why don't you sit down and make yourself comfortable?" Gabriel asked. "I get the feeling we're going to be here a while."

"I don't see that we have that much to discuss," Simon countered. "River was taken by the Alliance. They messed with her brain. I broke her out without your help. We've been fugitives ever since. Thanks to Captain Reynolds, we've remained comparatively safe for the past year." The look on Simon's face betrayed his calm words.

"Well," replied the older Tam, "why don't you start off by explaining to me what they did to her. I believe you said something about 'half out of her mind'?"

"I-I'm sorry, father, but I'm having a really hard time believing that you're actually interested in us anymore. I tried to tell you something was wrong before, and you brushed it all off for the sake of your reputation." Simon was becoming more and more heated with every word, so he stopped talking. Apparently his anger hadn't completely dissolved his self-control. Yet.

"Simon, I'm a big enough man to admit when I'm wrong. All right?" said Gabriel. "I want to know what happened. You're still my children, and I still have the right to be concerned about you. Please, son." River hugged her father tighter at the obvious sorrow in his voice, and even Simon seemed to relax a little.

"Captain, I'd like bring my father to the infirmary, please. I want to show him the scans we got of River on Ariel." Simon headed toward his sick bay without waiting for an answer, though Mr. Tam stood and waited patiently for the Captain's permission. Yeah, definitely had the wrong impression about him, thought Mal as he waved his guest on.

Fangxin - Don't worry