Well, the honeymoon as they say, is over . . . Angst - and revelations - ahead.

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“Mooning over those photos again?” A distinguished-looking man strode into the room and stopped at Alexandra's side. “I say woman, you should take them down.”

“I loved him, Adrian, and his little sister.” Alexandra trailed her fingers down the edge of another photo, this time, of an adult Simon smiling; having just graduated from MedAcad.

“And your obsession with their lives is not healthy.” The man was disgusted as he sat down at his desk and flicked on the Cortex screen. The face of an unfamiliar man looked back at him and Adrian glanced at his wife. “Message for you?”

Alexandra tensed ever so slightly and dismissed his question with a wave of her hand. “You may erase it. It is simply a courier informing me of when my goods will arrive from Paquin.”

He wiped the message without further thought. “Soon, I hope, The Cortez ships out for the Rim in three days.” Adrian leaned back in the chair and exhaled as relieved sigh. “We won’t be back for a good while.”

“My business will be concluded by then and I will be ready to travel.” Alexandra lifted the frame off the wall and glided out the door, ignoring the satisfied look her husband shot at her back.

~*~

“Well, how pretty, a private landing pad.” Mal stared out the window at their rapidly approaching destination.

“Yeah, this woman must be highly placed in government to afford such a luxury on Osiris,” Wash said dryly, glancing back up at Zoe who stepped in behind him. “Good for us she took a likin’ to Simon.”

“Yeah, that’s what worries me.”

“All ready, Sir.” Zoe pushed her favorite gun into her holster.

“Good, lets get –“ As they turned around, Jayne stepped in their path, clutching his most prized weapon.

“You’re not going Jayne, and that’s final.”

“You’re gonna need me.”

“You’re right we do. Right here.”

“That gorram girl is spouting nonsense. The doc ain’t gonna leave her here without him.”

“We want t