“Thanks for the food,” Elphaba said, smiling that same sweet smile at River. It was the sad, mourning smile of a killer, River knew.

River was going to keep it from Simon- he couldn’t know. Couldn’t know that their little sister had killed their father for sins you should burn in hell for even speaking of.

“Wasn’t my fault, River,” Elphie lamented. “I lived all my life on Athena, and I went to him when he came to visit last….A few months ago. He told me what Lola’s mission was, told me that he had given them my older sister’s DNA…….He expected her to fail. He said that they would simply send more and more operatives until all of you were dead. I…..I felt all of you in me at one point or another. I didn’t know it at first, didn’t know whose grief would fill me like a lead balloon in my happiest moments. Didn’t know who it was getting shot in the stomach, all I knew was I could feel it. I felt Inara and Mal’s longing for each other, and then I felt Jayne and your longing for each other. Kaylee’s happiness and Simon’s ironic sense of humor. And now you are real, instead of shadows fading into daylight when the night is over.”

“That’s ‘cuz it’s always night here,” growled Jayne. He was sitting at the other end of the table, cleaning his guns, candlelight flickering over his face. The room was dark and quiet- everyone else was asleep.

“I seem to remember those being my words,” sniffed River.

“Then maybe I stole ‘em,” said Jayne, smiling a little. “Ain’t that what we’re good at?”

“I don’t mind being a criminal,” River said, tossing her head regally. “But if you can’t say something original-.”

“How do the others stand you two?” Elphie teased.

“It took awhile,” explained Simon, stumbling into the kitchen and grabbing a bottle of water, one of the last. They needed to refuel, and restock. Running low on moldy protein was a rarity. “Seeing my sister and the man-ape thing- no offense meant- was kind of disturbing at first.”

“You and Kaylee are just as bad,” Elphie informed him. “Maybe even worse