Simon is reading on the sofa outside the infirmary when Wash descends from the bridge. “What are you up to?” the pilot asks, sounding unusually grave.

Simon looks up from his book, wondering if the man is joking. “I'm reading,” he replies.

Wash sits down on one of the other chairs, realising Simon is in no mood to talk and not really caring. He needs distracting, and Simon and River are the only people left on this boat who he can speak to.

“How's River?” he asks after a minute of silence, prepared to seek her out if Simon remains sullenly uncommunicative, so much is his need for any kind of conversation.

“She's asleep,” Simon answers shortly.

Utterly defeated Wash sighs. “Right.” He stands up and -

Creeeeak

It's barely a noise at all and if the ship was in flight it would certainly have been inaudible under the noise of the engines. Wash frowns, listening closely in case the noise should come again. “Did you hear that?” he whispers.

“Hear what?”

Cree-eeak

“That.”

“What is it?”

Wash thinks for a moment. “It sounds like-”

He's cut off by a dull thud of boots making contact with the floor.

Simon's on his feet now, realisation dawning. “The top hatch being opened,” they say in unison.

“Go. Hide. Take River,” Wash says, sounding much braver than he feels. Simon slips away into his sister's room as Wash searches for anything that can remotely serve as a weapon. He cautiously edges towards the stairs, keeping his back against the wall as he climbs.

Whoever has just dropped through the top hatch obviously thinks Serenity is empty, because they aren't troubling to keep their noise down now they're inside. The hatch clangs shut as Wash crosses the kitchen, grabbing the nearest heavy object he can see. The pilot peers round the door frame and sees the dark-haired figure looking away from him – towards to the bridge. The intruder takes a step forward-

-and the frying pan rebounds off his skull with a dull thud. He drops like a stone, unconscious. Wash kneels beside hi