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They’d been on Serenity a year now - one year, three months, twelve days, and seventeen hours since River had woken up in a box, terrified and vulnerable, to see a strange man gazing down at her. One year since Simon had held her together and promised that she was finally safe.
He was wrong, of course. But she’d always been the smarter one.
They were on Horus, one of Osiris' moons, to do a job for Badger. Zoë hadn’t been keen on sending the Tam siblings off ship so close to home, but River insisted. This wasn’t Ariel, full of feds and security; besides, she and Simon knew this moon better than anyone. They’d grown up taking family trips out here and exploring the nooks and crannies of Horus’ capital city.
Her brother didn’t want to go. He’d begged her to change her mind. But she was clever. She could do it - wanted to do it after all the crew had been through on their behalf, and Mal knew she was right. They were the best for the job.
She wore a long, loose coat with a light scarf to cover the lower half of her face. Simon had donned a trenchcoat and his hair was covered by a hat - though he refused to wear the colorful one Jayne’s mother had made for each member of the crew for the holidays.
River pushed open the door to the little boutique as Simon trailed behind her. Now they just had to grab the jewel and get back to the ship. Simple.
The shop owner looked up from her customer for a moment with a bright smile on her face. “I’ll be right with you!” River nodded and reflected gratitude in her eyes.
That’s when Simon gasped. It wasn’t loud, not enough to draw any attention except for hers, but she shot him an irritated glance anyway. She traced his eyes and found the prized gem set into an ostentatious ring which rested on the delicate hands of the customer being helped - a customer who looked exactly like - Mom?
Simon felt as though his heart had stopped. Mom. Here. Wearing the ring - no, buying it. Buying the ring? But how could she afford -
No. No. No.
This was all wrong. He should never have let River go through with this yúbèn de plan and now their own mother was here in front of them, looking kind and lovely as ever, and - he caught his sister's eye - she had just become their mark.
River had not foreseen this complication. Encountering their parents so close to home had been entirely possible. That wasn't a problem, not really. Like with everyone else, they had to keep their heads down and make sure they weren't recognized. However, someone buying the ring before they were able to snatch it... well, they would have to improvise.
Kaylee had once told the captain that River could put on a new personality like a glove. River wasn't a fan of gloves, but she could appreciate a nice, warm, pair of socks. So she slipped on a new persona like a sock.
"Oh, dearest!" she said with a lilted accent as she brought a hand to her head. "My darling, I haven't brought my proper scarf. How can I be expected to pick out new jewelry when I haven't got the scarf to match it up against? It's simply dreadful! We must come back another time!" She grabbed Simon by the hand and led him out to the side of the building before their mother could turn fully towards them.
"We need a new plan," River mused.
Despite the wind, Simon felt himself go warm with apprehension. "We need to go back to the ship! Mal will come up with a new plan. This is too risky, River. The only way our parents would have that kind of money is if they'd made a deal with the Alliance!" His voice dropped, "A deal to report on us." He watched his sister for some reaction to this heartbreaking news, but she only stared at him as if waiting for him to finish taking in the obvious. Of course she'd already figured it out.
"We're close. If we go back now it’ll be lost on Osiris. We need a new plan. I think I've got one."
His little sister was confident and brilliant.
Zhen daoméi.
Regan Tam took a moment to admire her newly ornamented hand. It was a gift for herself. She’d just received a promotion, but Gabriel had been withdrawn ever since Simon had gone. She couldn’t help but be angry with the both of them, and if she was honest, perhaps with herself as well. After all, what sort of mother raised not one, but two federal fugitives?
They’d been so happy until River had started sending home those letters, driving her brother into a frenzy and then their father in turn. Tensions ran high over those two years as Simon grew increasingly convinced that his sister was in some sort of danger. He’d consorted with all sorts of unsavory types in his manic delusions - yes, she could admit to herself now that they must have been delusions. Her wonderfully gifted son had clearly been exhibiting signs of pressure from his rigorous doctoral studies, but she’d failed to notice in time.
She loved her children dearly, but this wasn’t how she’d envisioned the future of her family - strained, shamed, and torn from within. She shook herself from the melancholic reminiscence, bid farewell to the kind shop owner, and steeled herself for the journey back home.
Simon was supposed to be watching the exit without looking like he was. It was a skill that, out of all of Serenity’s crew, eluded only him. So it was that when the door to the shop opened once more, he accidentally locked eyes with his mother.
She froze, disbelief working its way through her tired features before quickly melting away with relief. She ran straight towards him, arms outstretched as if he were still a young child whom she was welcoming home after a day of school. He couldn’t move - couldn’t breathe as protective arms embraced him and the air was encompassed with a familiar scent of perfume.
“Simon, sweetheart, what are you doing here?” she whispered.
“I uh…” he stammered. “That is, we… we were looking for…” he trailed off as his sister appeared at his side.
“River!” The woman exclaimed, taking in her daughter. The two had barely had contact since River went off to the Academy. Regan’s sharp eye glanced over River’s worn coat and tousled hair, then embraced her daughter, drawing her in close. “I’ve missed you, dear. I’ve missed you both. Your father and I have been so worried.” She pulled back clasping River’s hands in hers.
Simon scoffed and gave her a critical look, “Dad? Worried? About his reputation, you mean?”
“Simon!” She scolded, dropping River’s hands. “I know you didn’t leave on the best of terms, but he was looking out for your best interests. We’ll be able to work it all out now that you and your sister are both home.”
Simon flinched and took a step back, “We’re not going to Osiris with you. We’re not here to come home.”
“What?” her voice broke like ceramic against steel.
River held a steady hand against their mother’s cheek. “We’ve got to go, Mom. You know we do.”
Regan’s face went white as a ghost when she saw her daughter look meaningfully towards the bracelet that the federal agents had given her. It blinked blue with a confirmation that the authorities had received the alert she’d triggered the moment she’d seen her son. “Please, I just want you both home again.” She pleaded desperately, “You need care and help. The officers will-” River backed away with a morose shake of her head. Simon held fast, betrayal, disappointment, and accusation in his eyes; then once again he left her behind to chase after his sister.
There was an outdoor entrance to the cellar of the bake shop nearby, and River had taken time to pick the lock before their mother had noticed Simon. She glided in quietly and Simon clambored in behind her. The Alliance would be moving towards their mother’s location within a few minutes, but she and Simon had spent hours here as children, playing games and hiding from their parents. She knew these underground tunnels like the back of her hand. White Sun’s territory had once upon a time been made up of desolate moons, not unlike some of those on the outer rim. The Alliance had spent time and money making their core planets respectable, but there were still vestiges of an old, adventurous life on little moons like Horus.
After some twists and turns, and many assurances to her brother that they were not in fact lost, she led them to the edge of the city and back to Serenity. Simon had immediately announced over the intercom that they’d overstayed their welcome, and Wash had them sailing in minutes.
River held up the glittering ring that she’d slid off of her mother’s hand during their embrace. Mal gave Simon a satisfied pat on the shoulder while Kaylee let out a low whistle. “Sure is pretty. Don’t think even Inara’s got any jewels that glamorous. What was it like, bein’ so close to home?”
Simon slipped an arm around Kaylee’s waist and kissed her on the head. He was feeling brave today. “I’m not sure we really were.”