Simon frowned at Kaylee and found himself instead watching the reunion of his sister with his parents with detached ease. He never thought he would ever come back to this world. It was no longer his home. He’d come to terms with that fact. He never even hoped to see his parents again. He was worried about Kaylee but they’d discussed this visit over the weeks it had taken them to reach Osiris. She wasn’t happy that he was leaving, even for a few days, but she also refused to come with him the multiple times he’d asked. Her reaction to him now only perplexed him further, like there was something bubbling beneath the surface that she didn’t want to discuss.

Jayne and Zoe were nearly invisible as they stood to the side, hidden among crates, watching for any sign of trouble.

“Go,” Kaylee encouraged Simon forward and stepped back with Inara, watching, waiting to see the reunion between father and son. She knew Simon had been dreading this but she knew, somehow, that it would go better than he expected.

Simon hesitantly approached his parents, appraising them as they no doubt had done him the moment the ramp had lowered.

River stood encased in her father’s arms, smiling like any normal girl reunited with her family after so many years away.

Regan stepped forward and reached for her son and it was all he could do not to flinch away from her touch. But the woman pressed on and soon her cool, shaking hand slid across Simon’s cheek. And then she was hugging him desperately, murmuring how happy she was to see him.

Simon allowed himself to relax in his mother’s embrace, allowed himself to take small comfort that his parents apparently truly did love him, and wanted to see him. But their betrayal and refusal to trust him had come at a tremendous price. He wasn’t sure he would ever be able to forgive them.

After a few tearful moments, Regan released her son and stepped back to look at him.

“Life out there has changed you.” Gabriel said, his eyes sweeping across Simon’s body, first noting the lack of pro