Standard disclaimers apply. Firefly, Serenity, and the original characters are not mine. This was written for fun, not profit. Two new characters are mine, but Joss can have them if he wants because they really want to come out and play.

Archiving: Just let me know where.

Rating: PG for language.

Pairings: All bets are off. Okay, not all bets…. Picking up where we left off...

DINING ROOM:

Everyone is milling around the table setting out food when Jayne walks in with Jenny is his arms. They are laughing. Simon is right behind them with cushions and freeze packs. He seems a little taken aback by Jenny and Jayne’s shared laughter as they talk about something that happened last time Jenny was on board.

JENNY: (Giggling) ....he just looked so.....so intimidated, and Tom was shaking so hard I thought he’d fire the gun by accident....

JAYNE: Couldn’t believe he ain’t never held a gun before. Someone haul out a chair for the lady.

ZOE: Kaylee this looks really good. Is this the last of the real potatoes?

KAYLEE: Yep. We really need to stop for supplies. We’re down to textured vegetable protein, rice, and somethin’ that looks and tastes like sawdust. I used up most everything last week when I knew we were gonna get paid and thought we’d be stockin’ up again.

Wash pulls out a chair at the end of the table and Mal grabs one of the footstools from the lounge area.

MAL: We’ll stop for supplies soon. We need to find a safe place on the way to wherever Tom is.

Jayne gently places Jenny in the chair and gets a kiss on the cheek that makes him blush. Simon arranges her leg and claims the chair nearest to her. Kaylee notices this and starts toward the other end of the table. Simon smiles at her and pulls out the chair on the opposite side of him, motioning for her to sit, which she does with a tight smile.

JENNY: (More subdued) I’m so sorry. I’ve brought a potential world of trouble down on you and another mouth to feed.

MAL: (Taking a bite) Now don’t worry yourself. Trouble always seems to find us no matter what these days, and we were used to havin’ nine on board before the Shepherd left. Nice to have the table full again.

Everyone settles and begins eating.

WASH: Looks like, thanks to Inara, we figured out who arrested Tom.

INARA: Yes, one of my clients has holdings on Harmony. He is no friend of the Alliance and was sympathetic to my request for information. He checked with his agent in New Lancaster. Apparently Blue Sun corporate security landed the day before Tom was taken. Sir Richard is going to make some discrete inquiries.

Mal looks uncomfortable as Inara speaks, and bristles when he hears the client’s name.

MAL: Inara, I’m not sure I’m comfortable with you askin’ your clients to spy for me. I mean more than just passin’ on rumors.

INARA: Don’t be silly Mal. You can’t make inquiries on Serenity’s link without drawing attention. Companion/Client communication is secure, and he’s not spying for you, he’s spying for me. I’m just passing on information.

MAL: Thanks for that distinction.

KAYLEE: I don’t understand why Blue Sun would snatch Tom? He writes interestin’ stories about places to take vacations.

JENNY: Kaylee, those stories, and to some extent my current research, are Tom’s excuse for being nosy and asking questions. Tom’s an investigative journalist. He’s mostly freelance, but he’s been working for The Rim for the past year.

SIMON: The Rim! They operate out of the black out zones on Osiris and Ariel. That must be how he knew.

MAL: Okay, I’m confused. So what does this have to do with Tom bein’ picked up?

SIMON: (Growing horrified as he speaks) Last year Tom put me in contact with the underground movement that helped me get River out. They use coded ads in The Rim. It’s an independent, underground news site. Jenny, I am so stupid. I was afraid that your trouble would lead the feds to us, but I think it might have been me that lead them to you.

JENNY: No Simon, it’s not the Alliance that wants him; I’m sure its Blue Sun. He’s spent the last two years uncovering evidence that Blue Sun is using the new border planet populations as lab rats. Blue Sun is the exclusive contractor to the Alliance for food, seeds, fertilizer, vitamin and immunization supplies, and medicine. You name it they make it. Everything that goes out on settler transports, all the drop-shipped supplies, even the toiletries are provided by Blue Sun. One of my Medical Anthropology students… remember Li Yu, Simon, she was the year behind you… she stumbled on an interesting pattern of disease among the newly terraformed worlds. It’s pretty complicated, but the upshot is that Blue Sun is deliberately poisoning the settlers, and then selling them the cure. The irony is that the Alliance is footing the bill. On some of the older planets there is no cure for the diseases they have introduced, just medication for the symptoms.

Mal and Zoe look at one another, grim.

MAL: Ain’t for sure that’s who took him. We’ll see what Inara’s contact finds out before we make any plans. Jenny, you settled in the passenger dorm. ‘Fraid we gave your old room to the doctor.

JENNY: Yes, thanks. I’ll be quite comfortable. Simon saw to everything.

The entire crew looks at Simon, who gives them all a “what of it” look.

COMMON ROOM LATE AT NIGHT

Kaylee walks into the common room looking for Simon. The door to Jenny’s bunk is open and she moves to check on her.

JENNY’S BUNK INTERIOR

Kaylee peaks through the door and sees Jenny asleep on the bed. Simon is sitting in a chair next to the bed, elbows on knees, contemplating her. Kaylee slips away unnoticed, a terribly sad look on her face.

INARA’S SHUTTLE SOMETIME NEXT DAY

Inara is at her screen, speaking to a man.

INARA: Please forgive me. I normally would not ask this sort of indulgence, but the ship I am on has run into difficulties.

MAN: I understand. Take care.

Mal walks in behind her, and sees the man on the screen just before she closes it.

MAL: Sir Robert looks awfully young to have such extensive holdings and contacts.

INARA: That was not Sir Richard.

MAL: Really, so you’re startin’ a whole spy network?

INARA: If you must know, I was canceling my engagement on Bellarophon, as it seems we will not be in the vicinity.

MAL: (Tight) Oh. I’m sorry. I didn’t think…didn’t realize this would cut into your business.

INARA: It isn’t the first time. I am getting positively used to it. At least this time it is for a good cause.

MAL: No, you gotta make a livin’. I know you stayed on ‘cause of what happened to Kaylee. She needed you, needed someone to talk to. I’m just wonderin’ if you are still thinkin’ ‘bout leavin’.

INARA: It’s more than that, Mal… (She looks up at him and then subtly changing the subject) As it turned out, Kaylee just needed me to get her started. Honestly I think she’s spent more time talking to Simon and River. River got inside Early’s head. She read him and has been able to give Kaylee insights. And Simon…he’s been amazing with her. His experience with Early seems to have brought out the best in him.

MAL: Uh. Just let me know what your contact has for us. He turns and leaves. Her eyes follow him.

COMMON ROOM SOMETIME BEFORE DINNER

Wash, Zoë, Simon, Kaylee, River, and Jenny are sitting around the common room talking. They are sitting in pairs. Wash has his head in Zoë’s lap. Simon and Kaylee are sitting close together. She looks very tentative about the arrangement, as if it might be fragile. River is sitting on the floor in front of Jenny, who is brushing her hair.

KAYLEE: So you knew Tom was undercover? How come no one told me?

ZOE: No one told me. I sort of guessed based on a conversation I overheard at our wedding. It was a “need to know” thing.

RIVER: (Looking at Simon and Kaylee, sort of into them.) You were at Wash and Zoë’s wedding? Was it romantic?

JENNY: Tom and I were their witnesses. Wash was Tom’s best man at our wedding, so we figured it was the least we could do. We all snuck off the ship, pretended we were going shopping. Mal was furious. Kaylee, if you thought painting the dining room riled him up, you should have seen him when we got back.

SIMON: (Sounding indignant, and a little more concerned than he should be) Mal was angry with you for marrying? How is that any of his business?

WASH: That’s what we were wondering. He claimed he wasn’t so much angry about the marriage as not being invited to the wedding. He said he’d been hoping that if we were dead set on marrying we’d do it on Serenity with him officiating.

SIMON: He can do that?

ZOE: He’s the captain. There’s some old law about ships' captains being allowed to marry folks.

JENNY: Yes, it came from an old custom on Earth-that-was. I imagine it was to discourage fornication on long sea journeys.

WASH: If we’d know he wasn’t going to object, or kill me, we’d have asked him, but frankly I was terrified of him. I still think he was just putting on a show to make it look like he didn’t care. When Niska was “detaining” us Mal told me he’d ordered Zoë not to marry me.

ZOE: That he did, which is why I suggested the wedding chapel at the Eavesdown docks. The sneaking around was kind of romantic. We didn’t exactly have a honeymoon right away.

KAYLEE: I can’t imagine disobeying an order from the Cap’n.

RIVER: Huh? Kaylee you do stuff Mal doesn’t want you to do all the time, like when you and Simon…

KAYLEE: (Cutting River off) I mean a direct order. Some of the stuff he says is more of a suggestion.

She smiles shyly at Simon, who winks back at her, making her shine. Everyone is laughing.

JENNY: (To Wash and Simon, laughing) I still can’t believe you two never made the connection. What, Wash, are you ashamed of me?

Wash and Simon both shrug.

WASH: (Grinning, brotherly playful) Not usually. Well sometimes, but not too often. Osiris is a big planet, and you were there what, three years ago. It never occurred to me…. We tend not to talk about the past on Serenity. It often leads to melancholy.

SIMON: I guess I don’t talk much, or even think much, about the stuff that makes me homesick.

KAYLEE: (Smiling at first, but it fades as she watches his face) You tell me stuff about your life before.

Simon doesn’t reply. He just gives Kaylee a painful, vulnerable look and and she looks down. Jenny frowns.

RIVER: (Changing the subject) You must be so worried about Tom.

Jenny gets really quiet for a moment.

JENNY: Yeah, I just…it’s just…when you marry a writer, I mean someone who isn’t a war correspondent; you don’t expect them to be captured like this. Tom’s been in trouble before. He refused to give up the name of a source for a series he was doing about the legal slave trade and got hauled in and fined. It’s almost a badge of honor for a journalist. Usually they give you some warning. I can’t imagine why I was on that bulletin. (Silent tears run down her cheeks.) I am so sorry; I didn’t mean to break down like this. Thank you all for trying to distract me. I think I need to take a nap before dinner.

She struggles to rise. Simon jumps up, but Wash beats him to her and takes her to her room.

JENNY’S BUNK INTERIOR

Wash helps Jenny settle in her bed, then sits down on the edge of the bed and strokes her hair back out of her eyes in a tender, brotherly fashion.

WASH: Mei mei I don’t know how to do this comforting thing with you. You’ve never given me a chance to practice. Kinda thought you never would.

JENNY: I never thought you would either, but you’re doing just fine.

WASH: Just remembering the way you always treated me when I was down, or hurt, or mad. God, what a pain in the ass I must have been.

JENNY: You were, sometimes, and always the smart ass. But you were the sweetest little brother. I couldn’t get mad at you for needing attention. I’ve always wondered if that was why you didn’t finish college. Were you trying to get Mom and Dad’s attention, because you certainly did?

WASH: Nah, I guess, kinda. I really didn’t want to be a teacher, and I really did want to be a pilot. They got their teacher, why couldn’t they just let me do my own thing?

JENNY: They knew you’d never be satisfied with piloting a luxury liner or a transport ship with a regular, predictable route. They thought you’d be lured into a shady lifestyle on the fringes of the system, that you would consort with villains and thugs, and that it might very well kill you.

WASH: Now why would they think something like that?

DINING ROOM DINNER TIME

The whole crew and Jenny are at the table. They are quieter than usual. Jenny looks as if she’s about to faint as Inara speaks.

INARA: Sir Richard has confirmed that it was Blue Sun who detained Tom. They are charging him as a spy and a saboteur. Richard assured me that he is in no immediate physical danger. They want to put him on trial and use him as an example to others, so they want to keep him healthy until then, though he did sustain some minor injuries when he was arrested.

MAL: Richard is sending us details of the facility. Fortunately it’s on a new penal colony moon that doesn’t have any other tenant facilities yet, so the security net won’t be complete. Wash.

WASH: We’re almost two days out, which is good because we need the time to make some modifications to the ship and shuttles. I’m sorry Inara, but we’re going to have to commandeer your shuttle.

INARA: Not a problem. I’m happy to help in any way.

JENNY: I wish I had faith in the Alliance legal system, because I’d just get him an expert attorney and let him fight the good fight. However, my faith in the Alliance disappeared when they began trying to predetermine the outcome of my research.

MAL: Just ‘cause they make the laws don’t mean they need to follow ‘em.

Everyone is quiet for a moment.

SIMON: I have some good news. The damage to Jenny’s knee will be easy to repair. If we have a couple of days I’d like to operate on her knee tomorrow morning.

MAL: If we’re gonna pull this off, we’re going to need all hands. Can’t have Jenny less mobile than she already is.

SIMON: It’s just a torn ligament and cartilage, very simple surgery. She should be more comfortable within a few hours and regain most of her mobility by the following day.

MAL: You game Jenny?

JENNY: I trust Simon’s judgment, and anything short of amputation has to feel better than this.

DINING ROOM LATISH

Jenny and Simon are seated at the table with papers and notebooks spread out in front of them. There are two wine glasses and a half-full bottle of wine on the table. Jenny leans back in her chair, a futuristic notebook computer on her lap, her damaged left leg propped on another chair. Simon is on her right, leaned back, the collar of his white shirt is open, and his hair is slightly rumpled, as if he has been running his fingers through it. He has a sheaf of papers in his hands, which he is reading with a look of relaxed, happy concentration and a slight smile. If one were to look in through the door from the passage leading to the engine room they would be framed by it, looking very cozy and alone.

Wash was sitting with them at the table, but is now standing behind the counter. There is a wine glass in hand. He's baking cookies from some dubious looking ingredients, out of site from the door to the hallway from the engine room.

HALLWAY TO ENGINE ROOM

Kaylee, a cup in her hand and humming to herself, walks along the hallway from the engine room to the dining room. She stops just outside the doorway at the sound of Simon's voice, a playful tone she's only heard him use with her. She sees them.

Simon leans over into Jenny, holding the papers he's been reading in front of her and pointing to a passage.

SIMON: (Looking at the paper and then sideways at her, grinning) I am pretty certain you didn't mean this.

JENNY: (Smiling back, playfully) Hum, I may have when I wrote it, but in retrospect it sounds pretty judgmental. Feel free to exercise your editorial mojo to make me sound less arrogant.

SIMON: (Sitting back, a tinge wistful) I've really missed this. Exercising my brain on something other than medicine and the occasional chess game.

DINING ROOM

Kaylee, still framed in the doorway with a look of HUGE pain in her eyes, turns quickly to head back down the hall, banging her cup and hand against the bulkhead, causing a tiny gasp of pain.

Simon hears the clunk and gasp, and looks up just in time to see Kaylee fleeing. He tosses the papers on the table, groans and buries his face in his hands.

SIMON: No, no, NO....

He looks over at Jenny, pain and uncertainty in his eyes. She touches his cheek tenderly.

JENNY: Simon, go now. You have to tell her. It will just get worse if you don't.

Simon rises and heads toward the door.