Simon stared, slowly absorbing the information. "You mean that River's not the only one?"

Jes smiled ironically. "Can't make an omelet without breaking some eggs. Osirus. Let's just say it took several dozen broken eggs to get to your little sister."

"Ain't much of an improvement, you ask me," Jayne muttered.

Wash surreptitiously kicked him in the shin.

Mal looked at Jes with a sour expression. "So you, what, decided to kidnap her to share a few laughs for old times' sake?"

"I think, Captain, this had best be continued in what laughingly passes for my office."

They followed her back out of the infirmary to a small office mainly taken up with a desk, two chairs and a cot shoved along the back wall. Stacks of paper were everywhere.

Jes carelessly shoved several piles of paper off the chairs. "Sorry about the mess. I've allegedly got a bunk around here somewhere, but I never quite seem to make it back there."

She sat down behind the desk, pulled a bottle of sake out of the bottom drawer along with several shot glasses and propped her feet up. "She found me. Stowed away on my mule."

River nodded. "Could hear her inside my head. Knew she was like me. My big sister."

Mal remained unconvinced. "Prove it."

Suddenly, the shot glass sitting in front of Mal began to quiver slightly and then hover about three inches off the battered desk. The entire crew stared, except for River, who just giggled.

After a minute or two, the glass gently lowered back down. Jes opened her eyes.

"Now, Captain, do you want to hear the sordid and tragic tale of how your little bird came to be?"