A young woman with brunette hair about twenty-six years old was walking along the row of ships looking for a passenger ship when she spotted a well dressed man directing his cargo onto a ship called serenity. She went to the young woman who was sitting in front of the serenity and got the last passenger spot on the ship. She was watching the other passengers when she noticed one guy watching the well dressed man. When an alliance wave was found describing the well dressed man as Simon Tam she went down and tried to open his cargo because she'd had a weird feeling about it. The others came down and helped her open the box only to find a teenage girl.
"What in the gorram hell is going on?" said the Captain Malcolm Reynolds.
"Simon here was transporting his teenage sister River in this cryo cube." said the young woman.
"Who are you and how do you know my sister's name?" said Simon.
"My name is Echo and I know because when you broke out River I escaped as well. I've been trying to find you both ever since to help her. She'll know me and me being here will keep her calm for the most part." said Echo.
"You were there? What did they do to her?" asked Simon.
"They were making her into a weapon but they never took off her trigger so unless she's triggered she's a confused scared little girl." said Echo.
""Hey guys what's going on down there?" asked a male voice over the intercom.
"Who is that?" asked Echo because the voice seemed familiar.
"That's Wash my first mate's husband and the pilot of serenity." said Malcolm.
"Okay well we need to get the entire crew down here for when River wakes up so they all can be introduced to her." said Echo.
"How do you know all this?" asked the first mate Zoe.
"Because they tried and failed to do the same to me." said Echo.
"Okay Wash put on the auto-pilot and come to the cargo hold bring all the passengers and Jayne with you." said Malcolm.
"Got it Captain be right there." said Wash. After a few minutes three men came down into the cargo hold just as River started to wake up and freak out.
"Shh River it's okay, it's Echo hunny. Your brother Simon is here. You're safe here." said Echo.
"I'm sorry but did you just say Echo?" asked Wash.
"Yes I did why do you ask." said Echo not looking away from River.
"I will need to speak to River." said Simon.
"Not alone you wont. I'm sorry it's just until she's calmer aboard the ship. Now it would be better to do the introductions." said Echo.
"Well I'm captain Malcolm Reynolds, this is my first mate Zoe, her husband the pilot Wash, our engineer Kaylee, and Jayne as well as the other passenger Shepard Book as well as you three." said Malcolm.
"you know I once knew a Caroline that looked like you." said Wash recognizing Echo and trying to get her to look up.
"Well my name is Echo not Caroline." said Echo still not looking at him.
"Sometimes I called her Omega." said Wash as a final trial.
"How do you...Alpha."said Echo shocked then relieved when she saw him.
"Wash now but yeah it's me." said Wash.
"Um what's going on here?" asked Mal.
"Well I know Echo and she knows me but we havent seen eachother in a long time." said Wash.
"How long a time?" asked Zoe.
"About fifteen years give or take, right?" said Wash although it had actually been about three hundred and fifteen years.
"yeah about right give or take." said Echo.
"Echo he's like you and me." said River speaking for the first time.
"I know he is, little one. Do you think you'd be comfortable around him like you are with me?" said Echo.
"Yes just as you are." said River.
"Alright so here's how things will go River will be with either me or Wash at all times since she will be most comfortable with us. Simon you can be with us but she will still be scared of you by herself. Jayne she might be slightly comfortable around you and Kaylee you'll be fine around her but anyone else will be shaky to begin with." said Echo.
"I'm not sure if I feel comfortable with her being alone with the men." said Simon.
"Relax Simon she wouldn't do anything and neither would Jayne or Wash." said Echo.
"Fine. Wash head back up to the cockpit Echo and River you can go with him. Simon I need to talk to you." said Mal.
"Come on River let's go fly with Wash." said Echo helping River up to the cockpit, Wash leading the way.
"So Wash how have you been you know being immortal and all." asked Echo.
"It's been long and dull until I met Zoe. Just keeping under the radar and out of any alliance traps." said Wash.
"So how do you deal with all the different voices?" said River quietly.
"Oh little one it's not the same as what they did to you and it happened a long long time ago to both Alpha and myself." said Echo.
"Do you mind if I call you little one as well?" asked Wash.
"Only if I can call you Alpha." Said River with a small smile.
"Of course little one. So Echo what have you been up to the last three centuries?" asked Wash.
"Oh you know watching over friends and bringing down evil corporations you know the usual." said Echo.
"Ever the white knight huh Dolly." said Wash obviously picking on her.
"Yeah you know you are completely to blame by the way you are the one who made me Omega." said Echo.
"Yeah I know and a part of me is still obsessed with you, as in he wants to take you right now. Not to mention Paul." said Wash.
"Yeah well what about your wife?" said Echo.
"I love Zoe but we both know that I'm still the same man I was three hundred years ago." said Wash.
"I knew you stayed in the bunker with us but after that year you just disappeared. Why did you never come back?" said Echo quietly.
"I didn't think you wanted me to be around, you know as I still have a portion of Paul as well as all the others that were….are in love with you. I just thought it would be awkward to be around." said Wash just as quiet.
"I understand. Shh it's okay little one we're here for you." said Echo as River got angsty.
"Miranda need to see Miranda." said River.
"What is Miranda?" asked Wash.
"Don't know for sure." said Echo.
"They tried to keep me out but no one does." said River.
"I know little one I know." said Echo.
"You know what?" asked Mal coming on deck.
"Just talking to River. Do you know where we're going next?" asked Echo.
"we're going on a job." said Mal.
"Anyway I can help?" said Echo.
"What can you do?" asked Mal thoughtfully.
"More like what can't she do?" said Wash with a laugh.
"Shut up Alpha." said Echo.
"So fighting, weapons, what?" said Mal.
"I can fight, use weapons, hack things and so many more skills." said Echo.
"And the girl?" asked Mal.
"She can read minds so she'd be able to tell when someone is coming." said Echo.
"Okay then your both coming." said Mal.
"Aye aye Captain." said Echo.
"Okay little bird?" asked Mal.
"Yes I'll watch and listen Echoes through the sky." said River starring out the window.
"Her brother might not like it." said Wash.
"They'll pay their way on my ship or get off." said Mal.
"Captain we're here get ready to go." said Wash.
"Alpha fly like a leaf." said River.
"Like a leaf on the wind as always little one." said Wash.
"Alright little one time to go play a game." said Echo. They did the job with only slight issue when the town got overrun by reavers as they left. Simon wanted River to stay with him so Echo went up to the cockpit. Her and Wash didn't speak just sat in silence til they got to their next location. Over the next few months Echo, River, and Wash became like a safety net to each other until one trip. Simon wanted off the ship so he took River to a bar to find a new captain when River got triggered. Luckily Echo was in the bar as well as the rest of the crew. She immediately noticed and jumped in the fight so as to keep anyone else from getting hurt. Simon yelled the 'shut down' phrase and River passed out. Echo carried River back to the Serenity and put River in her room.
"What in the gorram hell just happened?" said Mal.
"I told you she could still be triggered. She is no danger to anyone unless she'd been triggered. It has to do with the memory that she saw and the alliance doesn't want public." said Echo.
"What should we do about it." said Simon.
"We need to find Miranda and find out how they triggered her in the first place." said Zoe.
"Captain you have a call from Anara." said Wash from the cockpit. Echo stayed by River.
"So we're going to save Anara from whoever is trying to kill River." said Wash.
"Yup it's a trap so I gotta save her." said Mal.
"I told you he loved her and just chickened out on talking to her." said Echo to Wash when he came down to check on River.
"What should we do if he fails and the assassin gets onboard?" asked Echo.
"Don't worry Echo if someone gets on this ship we'll go Alpha and Omega on them. Echo no one will get to River."said Wash.
"I believe you." said Echo. They didn't have to worry though because Mal won and got Anara out of there. They then went to Haven where Sheppard Book stayed when he left Serenity. Only to find everyone dead and Sheppard Book dying. They figured out Miranda was a planet on the other side of reaver territory which they crossed and found out exactly what the alliance didn't want known, they created the reavers. Once the crew knew about the reavers River calmed down and finally relaxed.
"We need to let the world know, How do we do that?" said Kaylee.
"Mr. Universe he helped us figure out how they triggered River." said Zoe.
"I agree we should go to him, he's got all the equipment we'd need to get the message out." said Wash.
"I agree, Wash set the course I want to be there as soon as possible." said Mal.
"Aye aye captain." said Wash setting the course. Echo sat in the other pilot chair and helped fly when they got caught between Alliance and reaver ships. Together Wash and Echo were able to land the serenity safely and were breathing in relief when a giant stake came through the window and went right through the first mate Zoe.
"Oh God Zoe! No Zoe baby stay with me?" said Wash panicking.
"I love you but I know that you've always loved someone else more. It's okay Wash it's okay." said Zoe just before she died.
"Wash time to go. Morn for her later, we need to go. Echo you too." said Mal.
"Yes captain. Wash let's go we have to help River." said Echo.
"No I'm staying with Zoe." said Wash.
"Alpha we need to go. Remember we both need to go help." said Echo.
"You're right Omega. Time to go." said Wash. They made it just before the blast doors closed locking River on the outside just as reavers came in behind them. So the three of them fought and killed the reavers as Mal was able to get the message out. The alliance assassin pretty much dropped all charges on River and Simon making them safe. Now that River was calm and didn't seem crazy anymore she became somewhat closer to Mal while Simon and Kaylee got together. Echo stayed as silent support for Wash as he thought about the death of Zoe. For a good few months everything stayed the same running jobs and the whole crew becoming closer than family. Echo finally got fed with Wash not speaking or really doing anything at all she decided to do something about it.
"Wash meet me in the cargo bay in five minutes." said Echo.
"Fine Echo." said Wash. When he came in Echo punched him.
"Echo what the hell?" said Wash.
"Oh come on Wash it's like you died with Zoe and I'm sorry but you need to get a grip. I'm still here and you need to realize that it's just going to be the two of us forever. So get a grip and pull yourself together." said Echo as they fought.
"Yeah as if you actually want me around." said Wash.
"Then your a complete idiot Alpha I've loved you for centuries. I forgave you a long time ago and have thought about you for so long. How do you think I felt meeting again to find the man I love married to a gorgeous woman." said Echo.
"What in the gorram hell are you talking about Echo." said Wash.
"For Christ sake Alpha I'm telling you I love you." said Echo.
"Still curse like a sailor too." Said Wash before pulling Echo in and kissing her.