Firefly 1. Chapter 1

**In Space, No One Knows You're an Alien**

Chapter 1

_Out in the Black, 2517_

"This here's the Common Room," Kaylee Frye was giving the new hire a tour of _Serenity_ before showing him his new quarters.

Drew Todd took in the Common Room with the sofas, chairs, and tables, nodded seemingly to himself.

Todd was tall, every bit as tall as Jayne Cobb had been; and _that _brought all the grief back in full force.

Jayne had died less than a month ago-deal with Patience gone bad, _real _bad-and the crew was still dealin' with the fallout from that.

But Mal had almost immediately gone out in search of another merc to take Jayne's place; and here Drew Todd was.

Although practically the exact same height as Jayne, Todd was of a rather more slender build; lean rather than burly.

Todd was also a man of few words, it seemed; not forthcoming about his origins, where he was born, that sort of thing.

"We all eat together, like family, too," Kaylee continued. "We all take turns cooking, and doin' chores too. You do any cookin'?"

"No," Todd shook his head. "That's not an area I have any…expertise in."

"Okay," Kaylee put that behind her. "Let's get you down to your quarters."

So, she led him down a series of short halls, and a ladder or two, and there they were.

The room was plain, the bed a single. But Todd didn't seem all that put out.

"You okay with this?" she looked up at him.

HR

Dru Zod looked down at Kaylee Frye. There was _so much_ that he was not okay with. But this room? He had no problem with that at all.

_What would Jor El think if he saw me now?_

Wherever Jor El was, he was likely too busy trying to build New Krypton, or-if his luck was bad, still trying to find an acceptable planet for his fleet of refugees; if the escaping fleet hadn't met with some sort of unforeseen disaster…

_He certainly won't have any time to look for me; if he's still alive, that is…_

So, it was down to surviving around these people, keeping his not-human nature hidden, and making sure those infernal blue-gloved bastards never located him again.

_Maybe I killed enough of them the last time…_

So hiding was key. But it was also extremely difficult.

If Captain Malcolm Reynolds learned "Drew Todd" could fly, shoot lasers out of his eyes, was so much stronger that anyone else in the 'verse…

_It wouldn't be good…_

Zod liked the Captain; up to a point, at least.

On Krypton-that-was, Zod had both served under, and commanded men just like Reynolds; stern, prickly, but with a grave regard for the people who served under them.

It was the Second, however, who commanded Zod's respect. Zoe Washburne reminded him of Faora Ul in so many ways; stern, pragmatic, capable, and utterly loyal to her Commanding Officer.

_And married to the pilot, Hobart Washburne…_

"Wash", as everyone called him, was unlike anyone Zod had ever known; with his zany sense of humor, and his…dinosaurs.

"Um…" Kaylee commanded his attention. "I'll let you get settled in, Drew. We eat at 1800, so see you then?"

"Yes," Zod nodded. "Thank you…Kaylee."

When she was gone, Zod dropped his bag onto the bed, sat down with a sigh.

_If I had known what my fate would be, I might not have had the courage Jor El when he asked me to help him steal those ships…_

But he had, and because of that, even though Krypton was destroyed, his people still lived.

_Somewhere out in this galaxy, or maybe the next galaxy over._

But, barring a miracle, Zod would never find them, and they would never find him.

_So, __**this **__must be my home from henceforth._

If only he could convince his soul to accept this part of the 'verse as home…


	2. Chapter 2

**In Space, No One Knows You're an Alien**

**Chapter 2**

_Thirty-five years previously_

_Krypton_

"You want to…_what?"_

General Dru Zod had thought there was nothing that could shock him. He had apparently forgot to bring Jor El into his calculations.

"It's not often that I get to see a stunned Dru Zod," Jor El smirked.

"Oh, shut up…"

Zod looked back up at Jor El.

"You want me to steal long-range colony ships and help you steal the children at the Academy too?"

"I've told you Krypton's core is collapsing; and the Council seems set on sitting back and letting it happen."

"I was going to do something about that," Zod grumped. "But you talked me out of it; remember?"

"Yes, Dru," Jor El nodded. "But I needed you, and your contacts and resources for a better, higher purpose."

"Stealing starships and kidnapping children."

"Yes."

"Sometimes, Jor, I think you're going to be the death of me…"

* * *

><p><em>Out in the Black, 2517<em>

"Drew, baobei?" Zod stopped at Kaylee's excited voice. "We got payin' passengers! A Shepherd, and these two other guys…"

Zod nodded at that. He expected that Mal would have him play luggage carrier at some point during the day.

_Unless they're traveling light…_

"There you are!"

There, the captain was.

"Luggage?" Zod spoke dryly.

"Yeah," Reynolds nodded. "Ain't much though…"

But it would be one more time where Zod would have to remind himself not to show too much strength.

The Shepherd sort of reminded Zod of Jor El, in a way; although he looked nothing like Jor El, what with his dark skin, eyes, and silver hair pulled back into a tight little tail.

But the gentle good nature he saw in the man's eyes were the same, and his easy manner with everyone around him.

The young man with the crate was about as far removed from that as possible; his manner as aloof and standoffish as possible; and the care he took with what looked to be a cryonic box…

But, as suspicious as that young man made him-he _had_ to be hiding something fairly important in that box-it was Dobson that sent the alarm bells ringing in Zod's head.

He couldn't explain what, or even _why…_

But Dobson _really_ rubbed him the wrong way.

Still, Zod played the role of dumb porter to the best of his abilities, saw each of the three passengers to their rooms.

Then, as per instructions, he joined Captain Reynolds and Zoe Washburne in the Cargo Hold.

"What's your take on our new trio?" Reynolds asked him as soon as he arrived.

_Our Captain is a suspicious sort…_

Zod was sure Washburne had already given her assessment.

"The Shepherd is all right, I guess," he said. "The other two…"

He sighed.

"The young man seems totally invested in that crate."

There it was, not two feet away from them; and the young man-Simon Tam?-treated it like it was the most valuable thing in his entire universe.

_If its contraband, well…it's not like Reynolds hasn't transported…questionable things before. But he generally likes to know what it is beforehand…_

"What about the other guy?"

"Dobson? He's a fake, plain and simple."

"After us?"

"Or this Tam fellow," Zod shrugged. "We don't know what Tam has in that crate…"

* * *

><p><em>Less than twenty-four hours later, everyone had their answer. Dobson's true identity was outed, Simon Tam's intentions were outed, and the contents of that mysterious crate were…outed as well.<em>

_Everything changed after that…_


	3. Chapter 3

**In Space, no one knows you're an alien**

**Chapter 3**

_Serenity, out in the black_

The Serenity crew was sitting around the kitchen table, trying to wrap their minds around what Simon Tam had told them.

_There was a school. A government-sponsored academy. We had never even heard of it, but it had the most exciting program. We could have sent her anywhere, we had the money, but she wanted to go. She wanted to learn. She was fourteen… I got a few letters at first and then I didn't hear for months. Finally I got a letter that made no sense. She talked about things that never happened, jokes that, that we never…It was a code. It just said…"They're hurting us. Get me out…_

Right now, the doctor was busy tending to his patient…his sister.

Everyone else was sitting at the kitchen table, looking at each other, waiting for the captain to say something.

Anything…

"You believe him, Zoe?"

"He could be lying, but there are ways of back-checking," Reynolds' Second spoke doubtfully.

"Yep," Wash nodded. "If Dr. Tam really is one of _those_ Tams, it would be as easy as getting on the Cortex."

"Do it, Wash," Reynolds said. "Don't want anything biting us on the butt as we go on our merry. How about _you, _Todd? Any ideas on the subject?"

"Me? Ah…"Zod hesitated. "I would suggest…keeping both of the Tams under our watchful eyes, at least until…Wash…is finished with his...research."

_What kind of Academy does __**that**__ to its students?_

Even the Council of Krypton wasn't _that_ venal.

_The girl will need to be kept under watchful eyes even if her brother is revealed to be telling the truth._

Later that evening, as everyone not on duty was safely asleep, Dru Zod lay down on his bed, remembering when it had all gone to hell for him…

* * *

><p><em>Krypton thirty-five years ago<em>

_Dru Zod had located four long-range colony-size ships capable of using the Phantom Drive. He had gotten the Academy Head to authorize the purchase of said ships; the pretext being that the Engineer Caste could hone their skills by retrofitting the ancient ships with the modern drive all ships used nowadays._

_**That**__ part of the plan had gone without a hitch, and now the Academy had four long-range colony ships capable of true interstellar travel. Navigation had been updated with all the newest star maps. Jor El was elated, and even Jax Ur was beginning to show signs of cautious optimism._

_Neither Jor El, nor Dru Zod liked the man very much. Ur was an arrogant snot; but he was an __**honest**__ arrogant snot, and Zod supposed that had to count for something._

_It was Jax Ur who had designed a way to get twelve thousand students aboard the colony ships without anyone being the wiser; an elaborate, and far more sophisticated version of a practical joke Jor El had done back when he was a child at the Academy._

_Before anyone could say "Sul Van", the children-all of them-along with various and assorted proctors and instructors, most of Zod's team, and Jor El too, were all on the ships._

_That was, of course, when the Council, and their Pro-Council underlings, got wind of the proceedings, and put everything on Lockdown; which meant the codes to give pilots access to the Helm wouldn't be given._

_Dru Zod had still been planet-side, at the academy, when this particular cockup occurred…_

"_Dru!" Jor El had signaled. "They're blocking the access codes."_

"_I know," Zod had already let himself into the nearest Command Post. No one else was there yet, and his code was still good; which meant the Council didn't know he was on Jor's side yet._

"_Think I can do something about that, Jor. Hang on…"_

_Zod locked the door, using every access code he had._

_It would take a while for the authorities to break in; and that would give the General time to over-ride the Block Protocols._

_Of course, there was a fly in the ointment; a rather big one as far as Zod was concerned._

_He sighed._

"_There's a problem, Jor," he Commed his friend. "I'm going to have to stay behind to do this right. If I leave the post, they'll get in and take control of the ships and bring them back. Someone has to stay behind and keep them away until you can engage the Phantom Drives; and I'm already here, so it's going to be me."_

"_Dru, I'm coming…"_

"_No, Jor. Stay up there and make your escape. Save what remains of our race."_

"_Dru…" there was anguish in Jor El's voice._

"_Save…our…race," Zod repeated. "I trust you also managed to get the Codex too?"_

"_I did," now it was Jor who sighed. "I'll try to come back for you. I'll…"_

"_Save our race, Jor. Whatever happens to me will be worth it if you can do that."_

_Zod signed off, listening for the sound of forces at the sealed door._

_It was only the work of a moment to slave all inputs to his personal access code-Jor El had taught him that particular hack decades ago._

_Now, the Council's forces would have to break into __**this**__ particular Command Post if they wanted to retake control of the colony ships._

_Zod knew he was signing his death warrant by doing this. But he had meant what he had said to Jor El._

_**If my death will save my people, then it will be a good death…**_

_Now, he could hear sounds behind the door._

_**Explosives, maybe?**_

_Definitely explosives._

_The shock wave hurled him into the nearest wall, knocking the breath out of his lungs._

_But his rapidly graying-out vision recorded the sight of four colony-sized long-range ships entering the Phantom Zone._

_The Council's forces had come too late after all; and Jor El was gone, along with all of Zod's people, twelve thousand children, several Academy proctors and Instructors, and the Codex, containing the Registry of Citizens._

_**We won…**_

_Everything went dark after that._

_Dru Zod awakened some five hours later, already convicted of High Treason._

_He had assumed he would be executed for his role in helping Jor El. But Lor Em had decreed otherwise._

_**Banishment to the Phantom Zone. Three hundred years of somatic reconditioning.**_

_Zod had shuddered upon hearing what his fate was to be._

_**Whatever returns after three hundred years, it won't be me…**_

_But, still, if that was the case, then a form of death was still to be his fate._

_**Please be successful in what you're trying to do, Jor. I don't want to die, but dying for nothing is worst of all.**_

"_Do you have any last words, Dru Zod?"_

_Zod shook his head at Lor Em's question._

_**If they expect me to plead for mercy, they're a pack of fools, the lot of them. No, best to get this over and done with.**_

_So he said nothing as guards took him to the spot._

_The initial process was purest agony; like fire and ice entering his legs, rising to swallow him up in frozen darkness._

_And that should have been the end of it. _

_It wasn't._

_His next memory was of the shocking sensation of the floor coming up to meet him, limbs all "pins and needles" as they twitched uncontrollably, breath rasping in his chest; gentle hands turning him over, grave eyes looking down at him._

_The hands had been gloved in blue…_


	4. Chapter 4

**In Space, No One Knows you're an Alien**

Chapter 4

"Todd!" Captain Reynolds' voice rang out. "You ready?"

"Be out in a minute," Dru Zod laid his weapons on the weapons rack in his bunk. The Captain had given firm orders no weapons were to be brought out planet-side.

Well…

Zod had two pistols hidden on his person, and he was fairly sure the Captain had one or two hidden away too.

_The trick is not to be obvious about it…_

The Captain had lately contracted to transport some sort of contraband from Higgin's Moon to Persephone.

Everyone was out in the Common Area; except for Inara. She was already down on the moon.

A…client.

Zod was not entirely unacquainted with the concept of Companions. There had been a Caste for virtually every occupation on Krypton, and something very much like a Caste of Companions existed within the larger subset of _Caregiver _Castes.

But they had nowhere near the freedom these Companions had…

_Have good sex!_

Zod shook his head. Kaylee had to be the sunniest personality he had ever known.

Now, the rest of the group was getting ready to go out and retrieve the contraband that was stashed somewhere in Canton.

"Cap, can the Doc come along?" Kaylee asked Reynolds.

"Uh...I need to keep an eye on my sister," Simon Tam protested.

River Tam was just wandering around aimlessly, hands brushing across table surfaces, or walls; almost as if she didn't trust what her eyes recorded, had to verify their reality by touch.

"I can watch over her for you," Shepherd Book walked up.

He'd said something about certainly being able to handle a flock of one. So Kaylee had looped her arm around Dr. Tam's, and they were heading out, Reynolds in the lead, Zod bringing up the rear.

Zoe Washburn was also staying behind, to keep an eye on the ship, and also to be ready in case things went bad.

Zod had been told about how the crew used to joke about the Captain's bad luck. They didn't make those jokes anymore; not since the deal with Patience.

It was bright outside; sunny and hot; and the locals were already hard at work, harvesting…mud.

Apparently, _this_ mud was special.

It went into everything, including the ceramics that comprised parts of the little Firefly that had been Zod's home these past several months.

Tam was up front with the Captain, expression just a little sour; and both Wash and Kaylee were trying-with limited success-to hide their smiles.

"Dare I ask?" Zod stopped at Kaylee's side.

"Cap just told the Doc why he wanted him to come along…" she giggled as she spoke.

_Something about Dr. Tam's hands being lily-white…_

"He's passing off Simon Tam as our employer?"

"Yep," Kaylee nodded happily.

_Introducing the young doctor to a life of crime; and petty crime, at that…_

Zod sighed.

_How did I get sucked into this?_

But the answer was obvious when he thought about it.

_Can't let those Blue-gloved bastards find me._

Unlike the rest of the 'verse, _they_ knew he wasn't human; they knew at least part of what he could do.

But _officially_, there was no such thing as extraterrestrials.

Everyone was all descended from the people of Earth-that-was.

Of course, Zod knew better.

_There are things out there, in other, more distant parts of the galaxy, that would make the Blue Gloves shake in their boots…_

Which was neither here nor there.

Right now, Zod was the only ET the Blue Gloves knew of, and if they managed to capture him…

Actually, there was very little they could do to bring a Kryptonian down.

But Zod didn't want to have to go through all of the trouble of…disappearing, and finding another place to live.

In spite of the life of petty crime, the crew of _Serenity_ suited Dru Zod just fine.

"Wuh de ma…"

That was Captain Reynolds, standing in front of what looked to be a statue out in all of this mud.

"Captain?" Zod moved up to the rest of the small group.

Reynolds looked absolutely stunned; along with Kaylee and Wash…

Zod brought his attention back to the statue.

It was a man, just a little larger than life size; ruggedly good-looking, with a neatly trimmed goatee.

"I don't fracking believe this!" Wash exclaimed. "He's got a statue?"

"That he does," Reynolds nodded. "I conjure there's a story there. Wish he were alive to tell it…"

Reynolds must have seen the confusion Zod was feeling.

"Jayne Cobb," he explained. "Our Merc before you."

"Ah…yes," Zod said. "He hail from here?"

"Actually, he came from Harvest, right Mal?" Wash spoke up. "His Ma lived there, with a disabled younger brother-Black Lung, I think it was."

"Yeah…" Mal continued to stare at the statue, an indefinable sadness in his eyes. "He sent all of his money-apart from his _whorin' and drinkin' money,_ and his cigar money…"

There was a capture of Jayne Cobb up on the Dining Room wall, so he could be with the family in spirit as they sat around the table.

_Wreathed in cigar smoke, whiskey bottle in hand, looking up with laughing blue eyes…_

"Got business to attend to, people," Reynolds brought his attention back to his crew. "The Foreman told us to make our way to the Mudders' Bar. I conjure we'll meet Kessler there."

The Mudders' Bar was a squalid little place with dirt floors, at least on the ground floor. There was a second story, and Zod-seeing young women eyeing the strangers speculatively, suspected they were of the Companion persuasion too.

There was even music. A man wearing an odd-looking hat was quietly strumming away on an acoustic guitar

The…swill…everyone drank here-_Mudder's Milk-_had to be the most disgusting thing he had ever tasted.

Wash spat his sip out, cursing fluently in this Mandarin language.

Zod could taste the protein, and the carbs in this stuff, along with the alcohol…

"Liquid bread," Simon Tam spoke up suddenly. "This isn't so different from what the ancient Egyptians from Earth-that was fed their slaves to build their pyramids. It kept them fed, and knocked them out at night so they wouldn't be inclined to revolt."

"Wow, Simon," Kaylee grinned. "That was so…historical."

That was when an official-looking man walked up to the table they were all sitting at.

"You wouldn't be looking for Kessler?" the man asked.

"Just having a brew," Reynolds _looked _relaxed.

"I knew a Kessler," the man said.

"Knew?"

"He was a good middle man," the man took a seat next to Reynolds. "Low profile, didn't filch. Last week, the factory foreman and his prod crew heard he was moving contraband through town; gave him a peck of trouble for it."

Reynolds looked back at the man, spoke evenly.

"What kind of peck was that?"

"The kind where they hacked off his hands and feet with a machete," the man spoke grimly. "Rolled him in the bog."

"They peck pretty hard around here," Wash commented to no one in particular.

"Listen," Mal spoke to the man. "My client off-world is waiting for his delivery. If the goods are gone-"

"Not to worry," the man spoke reassuringly. "Your man's merchandise is here; safe in Kessler's hiding place. We just got to figure out how to get it across town without being seen by the foreman, and his prods. I advise we all just…lay low for a moment."

The man stood, walked away from the table. That was when the man playing the guitar suddenly began to sing.

_Jayne…that man they call Jayne…_

Again, Reynold's jaw dropped, as he shared stunned looks with Kaylee and Wash. Zod and Simon Tam shared looks too, of confusion.

"Are they actually singing…songs about Jayne?"

Wash finally found his voice.

"Must be," Kaylee agreed. "Either that, or I'm hallucinatin' things."

And the song, about "The Hero of Canton, the Man They Call Jayne" went on, detailing how Jayne had apparently dumped a load of cash on the Mudders.

"You know…" Wash looked wistful. "We gotta go to the crappy little town where I'm the hero…"

"Cap'n?" Kaylee tilted her head; and no wonder…

Captain Reynolds had a speculative look in his eyes; and Dru Zod had come to learn what that meant.

"Think I have a way to get the contraband out under the foreman's nose," he said.

"And what is your idea?" Zod asked him.

"I knew the Hero of Canton, personally," Reynolds' eyes twinkled. "He worked for me, remember?"

"Yeah," Kaylee pointed out. "But to the Mudders, he's their hero, so shouldn't it be the other way around?"

"Me, working for _him?_" Reynolds scowled. "Tales of legendry aside, the man was a thief, Kaylee. I conjure the only reason he dumped the cash was because he couldn't escape with it."

"We're thieves too," Kaylee's eyes glistened, unshed tears. "And Jayne's dead, Cap'n. You ain't got anything to lose by saying you worked for him."

Sudden silence. Reynolds reached out, took her hand.

"You're right," he sighed. "Just this once, I'll…swallow my pride."

_His death hit them hard…_

"Is there anything I can do?" Zod asked, more to break the silence than anything else.

"Not now, Todd," Reynolds sighed again. "At least, we should all join in the singing. When they're done, I'll start telling them about how I knew Jayne, how we were all friends of his."

"What if they ask you where he is now?" Wash asked. "Don't think the Mudders will want to-"

"Let Jayne Cobb be their Robin Hood," Simon Tam spoke up. "Don't let them know he's dead."

"Agreed," Reynolds nodded; and-again-there was that sadness in his eyes. Zod knew the basis for that sadness.

_We give those under our command orders, and sometimes those orders send men-and women-to their deaths. That is an unavoidable part of being a commander, __**any**__ kind of commander…_

Zod liked the Captain all the more for seeing that in him…

* * *

><p>Mal stood up, clapping time to the song, singing the lyrics as best he could.<p>

_Hard to believe my old merc became a legend…_

_If I ever see Patience again…_

At least, Jayne hadn't suffered…

_Dead 'fore he hit the ground. But what's his Ma and little brother supposed to do now? Don't think her dead son being a legend is gonna help her survive any easier…_

Nothing he could do about that, though…

_Focus on what needs doing now._

He looked back at his crew. Kaylee, wiping the tears away as she sang, Wash clapping time, and Drew Todd…

Now, _there_ was a mystery draped in human flesh. Todd gave nothing of his thoughts and feeling away; an intensely private man.

But Mal was beginning to see the core of honor that lay deep within him.

Still, Mal knew _nothing_ of Todd, not his origins, or his ambitions.

His manners, his behavior and accent suggested he came from the Core Worlds, the Alliance. And his bearing…

Mal knew a Military Man when he saw one. But, even if he had started out Core, Todd certainly wasn't Core now. Everything Todd said and did suggested he _despised_ the Alliance.

_Wonder what he's hiding from…_

For now, though, Mal had other things to do instead of pondering Drew Todd's origins.

He walked up to the bar to get another Mudder's Milk.

"I knew him," he said to the bartender.

"Knew? Ya knew…_Jayne?_" Wide eyes stared back at Mal as he nodded.

"Worked with him for a spell" Mal spoke shyly, as if divulging a highly prized secret.

"Ya _worked_ with him?"

The trap was set, and Mal smiled as it closed.

"The Hero of Canton himself," he nodded. "Jayne Cobb…"

* * *

><p>After that, all it took was a few carefully spun tales, and a grand festival was suddenly being planned, with food, and booze; even the few, long-hoarded bottles of real whiskey and scotch-<em>good<em> whiskey and scotch-were being brought out, in honor of the missing Hero of Canton.

The man who had told them of Kessler's unfortunate…pecking…had quickly come about, and Mal had quickly Commed Zoe. Let her know what was up.

The Festival was a rousing success on all fronts; the goods quickly smuggled into _Serenity_, and the Mudders themselves had a grand time…

The only out-of-tune thing that happened was when Zod intercepted this old guy.

Even for a Mudder, the old man was a wreck; hair and beard a wild mess, clothes shabby and smelly.

He reeked, like he hadn't bathed in years.

"Where's Jayne," the old man had muttered, a not-quite-sane look in his eyes. "Got to pay him back for what he done ta me…"

"He dumped you too, along with the cash?"

"Who the hell are you, sonny?" the man turned to Zod. "And where the hell is Jayne?"

"If vengeance is what you seek, he's beyond your reach," Zod said.

The man went still at that; a certain _knowing_ in his eyes.

"Dead?" he whispered.

"Dead," Zod nodded, and the man just seemed to…wilt…before his eyes.

"Ain't fair…" he muttered. "All those years in the Box; never got to pay him back for betrayin' me like that. What am I gonna do?"

"The…Box?"

"Just large enough to hold a man if ya fold him up tight. The magistrate let me out today so I could pay him back for what he done to me, and he ain't even alive ta take revenge on!"

Zod came to a quick decision.

_The worst Captain Reynolds can do is refuse…_

"What's your name?" he asked the man.

"Stitch," the old man said. "Stitch Hessian."

* * *

><p><em>Serenity, out in the black…<em>

For a miracle, everything had gone without a hitch. The Mal's client on Persephone had paid top dollar for the goods; and that meant _Serenity _could fuel her engines, Kaylee could get a few of those parts she had been nagging him about, parts that would keep _Serenity_ flying, Doc Simon could get a few more medications, either pain-killers for when the crew got hurt, or pills for River, to keep her-mostly-lucid. There was also enough to fill the pantry, mostly with that awful Protein mush. But there were a few treats-real meat, veggies, and…_fruit _too.

And, of course, there was the crew's pay to dole out.

Drew Todd had spent some of that on the passenger he had talked Mal into letting aboard.

Whatever Stitch Hessian's reputation had been before running afoul of Magistrate Higgins, he was surely a broken man now. Zod had found clean clothing that fit Hessian, forced him to bathe, and given him a little extra coin before he left the ship.

After that, whatever Hessian did was up to Hessian.

That compassion for an old man down on his luck…

On the one hand, it heartened Mal to see that the strange man who was now his Merc had such compassion in him. But, on the other hand…

""You know, Todd, Hessian's probably gonna blow all that cash you gave him on getting good and drunk."

"Probably," Todd agreed. "But he's free now. He can do as he wishes."

Simon Tam was walking up to join the two men in the Cargo Bay.

"Hey, Doc" Mal waved him over. "You think Jayne's gonna become one of those legends that last forever?"

"It's possible," Simon Tam shrugged. "I'm sure Robin Hood was originally just a petty thief of small means. But something happened, his name got attached to something, and the legend just exploded. There are still stories being written about him today. So, in a way, Jayne's probably going to outlive us all."


	5. Chapter 5: Alliance Interlude

In Space, No One Knows You're an Alien

Chapter 5

Alliance Interlude

_Osiris_

The Operative had been called away from his task of finding River Tam and her brother Simon.

This was a most unexpected development. It had, after all, been his understanding that Ms. Tam was in possession of highly-classified information that she had allegedly lifted directly from the brain of one of the senior-ranking members of the Alliance Senate.

_What could be more important than keeping the Senate's dark secrets from coming to light?_

He met with Senator Torres in the senator's private office. With him was Dr. Mathias.

The Operative frowned at the scientist's presence.

"Ah," Senator Torres said. "You're here, and now we can begin the briefing."

"Briefing…"

"Yes," it was Dr. Mathias who responded to the Operative's unspoken question. "We have something much bigger than River Tam to deal with right now."

"Such as..?"

"We are not alone," Mathias spoke solemnly.

"We are…_what?"_

"Our ever-so-slightly addled friend is correct," Torres sat, indicated the others to take seats too. "We have…aliens in our midst. One that we know of, possibly others as well."

"Aliens," the Operative repeated the word thoughtfully. "Alien, as in…"

"Alien as in non-Terran ancestry," Mathias said. "All of us, no matter our planet of origin, share a common genetic identity in that our ancestors all came from Earth."

"Yes," Torres nodded. "You and I, those from the Rim, and those from the Core, we all have this much, at least, in common."

_Ah, now I see…_

"You've discovered a sentient non-human species."

Mathias shrugged.

"Non-Terran, yes; but non-human…that might be debatable. Show him the recordings, Senator."

"Yes," Torres pressed a button. The lights went out, and a holo appeared over the Senator's desk.

It showed a man; tall, lean, with short-cropped dark hair and compelling dark blue eyes.

"We had sent some manned probes out to explore this sector of the galaxy."

The Operative's eyes widened

"But that would take hundreds of years to do!"

"Or a functional hyper drive," Torres eyes twinkled as he spoke.

"We have…"

"Yes," Torres addressed the Operative. "We finally have true hyper-spatial travel. So we used it to explore our near neighbors; first with un-manned probes, then with crewed ships."

"And you found a civilization," the Operative nodded. "I'm impressed."

"Actually," Mathias raised a hand. "We didn't. We found the wreckage of one though; the planet itself had apparently exploded. What we found was…a pod…of sorts. That man was inside it. At first, we thought he was a fellow explorer; I mean, he looks utterly human. But the language he spoke when we were able to fully revive him…"

He shook his head.

"It was totally unlike any of the languages in our files; and we have all the old Terran languages on file, including the ancient ones, Latin, Greek, and Hebrew. This man spoke a language that none of our best linguists ever heard. There were other things too…"

"Such as?" the Operative could hardly believe what he was hearing.

_A true, sentient, non-Terran species; and he looks exactly like us?_

"The speed with which the man learned _our_ language," Torres continued. "He learned it-grammar, syntax, everything-literally in two days. Our specialists think he may have access to a true Universal Translator. But if he does, our best scanners couldn't find it. But that truly is the least of it, as you shall see…"

He pressed a button, and the recording started…

* * *

><p><em>Five years previously, an undisclosed location<em>

"The subject is an adult Male, late thirties to early forties, in excellent health…"

Dr. Saul Lorenzo broke off his recording to look at the subject. The man worried him a little with his restless pacing.

_Like a caged tiger…_

Still, the man was in the cell, with its electrified walls, and shock-fields…

Lorenzo shrugged and went on with his recording.

"However, in spite of the subject's apparent leanness, and obvious physical fitness, he weighs almost six hundred pounds."

_That _had been a shock to all of the faculty at this secret Blue Sun research center; so much so that Lorenzo had ordered all the scanners to be recalibrated. Then he had the man weighed again.

Still almost six hundred pounds…

On a whip lean frame.

Other scanners reported the man's bones as being _much_ denser than what one might expect of humans, and the same for muscle density.

He had also initially had trouble adjusting to Earth-normal gravity, air, and pressure; experiencing at least one fainting spell.

_Or maybe it was vertigo?_

But he had quickly adapted to his new surroundings; and the ease with which he had learned the Terran language here…

_Is he using a translator?_

There were other worries too; far more pressing ones.

_Does he realize he's a prisoner?_

The door behind Lorenzo opened; Admiral Cho walked in, the door sliding shut behind him.

"Has he spoken at all since the specialists left?"

"Not at all," Lorenzo replied. "At least we know his name though."

Getting his name had felt remarkably like pulling teeth without anesthesia.

_Suspicious personality, that one._

"So, what is it?" Cho demanded.

"Think its Dru Zod, sir."

"Zod…"

"Yes sir."

"Found in a pod, you say?"

"Yes," Lorenzo nodded. "Maybe he was trying to escape the destruction of his world. He did confirm that this world-Krypton, he called it-was his home world. He said its core collapsed because the ruling council mined the core for energy."

"Suppose we could learn from those mistakes," the Admiral grunted.

"I suppose we could," Lorenzo agreed. "But what do we do about him?"

All though this, Zod seemed to be looking up…

_As if he's watching us, listening to us…_

The general frowned at that.

"I've received my orders," he said. "Hope you're not in the habit of getting attached to your subjects."

"No," Lorenzo assured him. "Of course not."

"Good," Cho replied. "I have orders to terminate the subject."

Zod suddenly stopped pacing and stood still; looking up at the monitor.

_Did he hear us?_

_Not possible…_

But everything in the prisoner's body language, the sudden tension, the way he was looking about-searching for possible escape paths-told Lorenzo he had heard.

"Admiral Cho," Lorenzo began. "We may have a-"

Abruptly, Zod spun, punched a wall with a fist, and the wall…shattered.

The shock-fields worked like they were supposed to, not that it mattered...

Zod calmly walked right through all of the force-fields.

_Like they mean nothing to him at all…_

Alarms going off, sirens blaring, guards, armed with the best weaponry science had to offer, flooded the area, faceless in their armor; and they were like toddlers trying to swarm a giant…

Bullets meant nothing to him, and those who fired at him didn't get a second chance.

It was bloody carnage in there, bodies flying left and right. Then, Zod was out of the cell area, out of the prison compound, and into the free air.

Zod leaped…

That was it. He leaped, and…flew away.

He had killed over twenty guards; literally brought the compound down around everyone's ears, and…_flown away…_

Saul Lorenzo looked up at the sky in awe

_He flew...Ta ma de…he flew…_

* * *

><p>The Operative sat there silently, as the vid recording wound to an end.<p>

_Hyper-strong, hyper-fast, immune to our weaponry, and able to fly…_

"I hope you've been working on ways to contain him," he said. "Finding him would be easy, compared to bringing him down."

"As you may have surmised," Senator Torres replied. "Bullets, and even laser weaponry might not affect him. But our scientists have been working on weapons specifically designed for the Kryptonian neurological system. Something very much like an EMP, but designed for the Kryptonian brain."

The Operative nodded.

"Good," he said. "When I have the requisite weaponry, I will hunt him down. Now, the question is this. When I bring him down, what do you want me to do with him?"

"Kill him," Mathias stood. "But preserve the body. I would very much like to harvest the body for its genetic wonders. Think of the things we could learn!"

"The things we could learn…" the Operative scoffed. "You show me a man who is more dangerous than a pod of Reavers, and all you can think of is genetic wonder!"

"But if we could design someone to fight Reavers, with _those_ genes," Mathias persisted. "If we could design such a hybrid-docile to us, of course-but capable of taking on, and killing, a pod of Reavers…_think_ of the value of such a weapon! In…_our_…hands."

"Agreed," Senator Torres nodded. "Soon, we will have a weapon that can adequately deal with a Kryptonian. Then, once we have Zod, the rest shall fall into place."

The Operative nodded.

_Very well. Finally, there will be a weapon to use against the Reavers. Then, once those are gone…_

In a way, the operative almost felt sorry for the Rim worlds.

_Once we have our perfect weapon, no one shall be able to stand against the Alliance…_


	6. Chapter 6

**In Space, No One knows you're an alien**

**Chapter 6**

Dru Zod stripped the old tee off, tossed it to one side.

_I guess it was a good thing she decided to slash __**me**__ with that knife instead of the others…_

The tee was ruined, slashed right across the front; but if it had been any of the others, Kaylee, Zoe, Inara Serra, or any of the others; there might very well have been hell to pay.

River Tam's presence on _Serenity_ was tolerated rather than accepted; only her brother's medical skills had prevented the Captain from tossing both off the ship at the first opportunity; that, and the fact that Kaylee likely wouldn't have forgiven Mal for doing such a thing…

Of course, being the victim of the knifing brought its own measure of complications…

Luckily, in the ensuing confusion, Zod had been able to find the kitchen knife, lying on the floor, snatch it, and straighten the bent blade out, without anyone the wiser…

"Todd!" that was Captain Reynolds hammering on his bunk door. "You all right in there?"

Zod opened the door and Reynolds climbed down.

"Dr. Tam told me what our Little Witch tried to do to you," he said. "You sure you're okay?"

"You tell me," Zod spoke dryly. He hadn't pulled on a clean shirt yet, so anyone with eyes could see River Tam hadn't succeeded with her attempt to hurt him.

Mal looked him over briefly, grunted in acknowledgement.

"Any idea _why_ she decided to take a knife to you?"

_You look better in red…_

Zod had no idea what River had meant when she said that; only that she _had_ said that, just before slashing at him with that big kitchen knife.

"How is she?" he asked.

Mal sighed.

"Doc's got her doped to the gills in bed," he said. "You _sure_ you're okay? Kaylee says she saw the knife strike…"

"Look at me Captain," Zod picked up the clean tee. "You see anything?"

The impact had almost broken the knife, not Zod's flesh. There wasn't even a bruise. Not waiting for the Captain to speak, he pulled the tee on.

"The Doc wants to meet us in the kitchen, if you're well and all."

Lead on, Captain."

* * *

><p>Simon Tam was pacing restlessly in the kitchen. He hadn't been there when River had…done what she did.<p>

Instead, he had been in Sickbay, looking over his inventory-bandages, pills, and everything else a Sickbay should have; most of which his Sickbay _didn't_ have. Oh, there was some gauze, and a smattering of pills; most of which Simon had brought aboard with him; anti-psychotics for River.

Money was tight on the ship, and Tam was beginning to realize it always would be. But he was now beginning to dread what would happen if he had to treat a serious injury; gunshot wounds, or…stabbings.

At least Drew Todd hadn't been hurt. But that was more a miracle than anything else; and-unless he found a way to fix his sister, it would happen again.

So, Tam decided to get…creative.

_If I am to lead a life of crime, then maybe I can turn it to my advantage, and my sister's too._

Everyone else was filing into the kitchen now, and Simon ran his eyes over Drew Todd professionally. The man looked fine.

Kaylee had said she saw the knife strike into Todd's right shoulder. But Todd didn't seem to be showing any signs of pain; certainly nothing to indicate a stab wound requiring stitches.

_Kaylee must have mistook what she saw…_

Still…

"I must apologize," he spoke stiffly to Todd. "River isn't in her right mind…"

"She could have killed one of my people," Captain Reynolds said, certainly looking none too pleased at the moment.

Simon sighed. In spite of everything he had tried, all the knowledge he had brought to bear…

"She's getting worse," he hated admitting that; especially to Captain Reynolds.

_We're here on his sufferance; and River stabbing Todd…_

He didn't want to think of what might happen if Mal tossed them off his ship.

"I would like to hire you," this was a risky course to take with a man like Mal.

"_Hire…_us?" Reynolds raised an eyebrow.

"I still have some extra cash to pay you with," Simon faced the Captain. "And, if all goes well, we might also be able to fully stock the Sickbay inventory. Right now, we're shockingly low on things I would consider vital for any Sickbay."

"Let me get this straight…" Mal took a seat. "You have a…job for us?"

"Yes. I hear Ms. Serra is going to Ariel for her yearly Guild-Mandated physical examination?"

Reynolds turned to the woman herself.

"That true?"

"Nothing escapes you," Inara muttered darkly. Then, more loudly, she said. "Yes. In a week's time."

"Ariel City Hospital is one of the most advanced hospitals in the Core Worlds," Simon explained. "I can show you where the medical supplies are, pills, bandages, gauze, that sort of thing. But, if I can get into the Diagnostic Ward, use the 3D Neuro-imager, I'll be able to scan River, find out exactly what the Academy did to her."

Reynolds chewed his lip, stood there deep in thought. Finally, he stirred.

"Zoe? Todd? What do you think?"

"We could use the supplies, sir," Zoe spoke first. "It was pure luck Todd only lost his shirt. Could've been worse, and we really _are_ low on medical supplies."

"Todd?"

Todd shrugged.

"As Zoe has said, we need the supplies," he said. "And, if he can find out what they did to his sister, maybe he'll be able to formulate a treatment for her."

So, it was decided…

* * *

><p>Much to Dru Zod's bemusement, the plan had gone off without a hitch. Wash and Kaylee found an Ambulance Shuttle that Kaylee pronounced repairable, and some fake coffins to transport the Tams to the hospital in. Zod helped Zoe secure fake IDs, and uniforms, for everyone while Simon Tam prepared a list of pills to for Mal and Zoe to steal from the hospital's medical stores.<p>

Some of those pills would restock the Sickbay's dangerously depleted stores. But, if they could steal enough, there would be a considerable profit to be had by selling the extra to patients out on the Rim.

Then, they went out to…do the job…

Security personnel let them through with no questions asked. Now, it was time for the group to split up, Reynolds and Zoe off to do the stealing, using the coffins lately used by the Tams, to hide the stash, the Tams, with Zod guarding them, off to the Diagnostic Ward, and the 3D Neuro-imager.

Along the way, Zod saw Simon save a patient's life, and give the attending physician the scolding of his life.

Then, they were there, in the Diagnostic Ward. And Simon got to work, gravely ushering his sister through the process of being scanned. The girl was trembling, but she didn't seem out of it right now. Certainly, she obeyed all of her brother's instructions to the letter.

"Is there anything I need to do?" Zod asked the doctor.

"Actually, yes," Simon turned to him. "I forgot to put something on the list I gave to Captain Reynolds. We need a functional Mender. The one on the ship is on the fritz. The Hospital won't have those in the same place as the pills. I was able to check the Hospital menu a few minutes ago."

Tam gave Zod precise instructions as to where the Mender was stored, which Zod committed to memory. Still, he hesitated.

"Will you be-"

"We'll be safe here," Simon waved him off. "And we'll stay here until you get back."

Zod nodded at that.

_Guess I'll have to swipe a backpack, or something…_

Getting to the place was easy enough; and his ID worked just fine to get inside. Someone had left a shoulder bag just inside, and the Menders-two or three of them-were there, looking in mint condition.

He stuffed the best-looking one into the shoulder bag, slid out again, with no one seeming to pay him any attention. Then, it was back to the Diagnostic Ward.

Call it years of experience in the Kryptonian military, call it caution, but _something_ made him approach slowly, with care. The Tams were not alone…

Zod's X-Ray vision recorded the presence of several men-wearing the uniforms of what looked to be law enforcement-and another, a man around Simon Tam's age, who had a somewhat apologetic look in his eyes. Zod's hearing was almost as good as his sight…

"Reggie, you didn't have to do this," Simon was saying.

"Sorry, Simon," the man was saying. "But I thought it was you, and you're a wanted man. The bounty was too good…"

River was shivering, her hair a curtain covering her face, and she was babbling on about _hands of blue, two by two…_

_How do I get them out of this?_

The pair was already handcuffed, and being led away.

_Probably to the nearest holding facility._

There wasn't really any chance of getting the Tams out of this right now.

_Maybe I'll be able to find something when they get to the jail, or whatever they call it here._

It was a security substation, and fortunately, someone had left an outer window open on the fifth floor. It was a risky thing to do, but Zod allowed himself a little flight, to get up to that window. Once in, it was simply a matter of moving like he was supposed to be there, like he belonged there.

No one questioned him on it; especially after the reaming he gave the lowly subaltern for leaving that "gorram window" open.

After that, judicious use of his X-Ray vision enabled him to locate the Tams, in a separate cell on the first floor. They had the cell entirely to themselves; and there were ducts and hatches all through the building; even ones that led to different floors.

He would have to do an awful lot of crawling, but he would get there, and he _would _rescue the Tams.

So now, Zod was in a hidden overhead passage, just above the main Federal Office, peering through a grate, when he saw two men who didn't seem to be Feds.

Zod's breath caught.

_They're wearing blue gloves…_

They were…killing the Federal Officers, each and every one of them.

_Blessed Rao, they're using sonic weapons…_

He knew exactly where the Tams were being held.

_Got to get there before those Blue Gloves get there…_

* * *

><p>River was curled up into a fetal position, whimpering like a small child, Simon doing his best to comfort her. But, right now, he didn't have any comfort to give.<p>

_Reginald DuMaurier…My best friend in Pre-med…We got drunk on Graduation Day, made utter fools of ourselves, promised we would be friends forever._

Reginald DuMaurier had betrayed him; condemned him to death, and his sister, River, to an eternity in hell from which there would never be an escape. For money…

Now, all Simon could do was stroke his sister's hair and make soothing noises.

_For what little time we have left together…_

Abruptly, River jerked upright, tear-streaked face turned up, looking at the grate overhead.

The grate was shifting, moving. Then it was gone, and Simon could hear it being settled to one side. He barely dared to hope…

Drew Todd poked his head out, staring at them, seemingly upside down.

"You need to get out of here now," he said as he offered a hand to River. She took it, and now he was hauling her up, through the grate hole. Then, with her up with him, he offered his hand to Simon.

"There are men wearing blue gloves here," he said. "They're using sonic weapons to kill the Feds."

Simon didn't need any encouragement after that. He grabbed Todd's hand, and Todd hauled him up too; every bit as easily as he had hauled River up.

_His upper-body strength must be…incredible._

"Follow River," Todd spoke tersely as he settled the grate back into place. "She's going in the right direction."

"But-"

"I'll tell her when to stop," Todd reassured Simon. "For now, move!"

There were a few minutes of silent crawling, and then Todd told them to stop. He moved ahead-that took some awkward maneuvering on the Tams' part to let Todd through. Then, Todd set to work on releasing this grate.

Once standing, he caught River as she dropped from the hatch, and Simon too.

"Drew," Simon was feeling rather breathless. "I don't know how to thank you-"

"We're not out of danger yet," Todd cautioned him; and-as if to lend emphasis to his words-the door at the end of the hall began to open.

Todd quickly shoved both Tams behind him.

_Surely he's not going to fight whoever comes through that door…_

Then, quite suddenly, Todd exhaled, a sigh of…relief?

The door opened…

Two forms stood, backlit against the brilliant daylight; one male, the other female.

"Captain Daddy," River, too, sighed in relief, as she ran to meet them.

"What happened with you guys?" Reynolds demanded.

"We hit a bit of a bump," Todd spoke dryly. "But we're all here now, and I would strongly suggest getting the hell out of here."

"I'll explain everything on the ride back to your ship, Captain," Simon was almost sagging in relief.

"Did you get what you came for?"

"Oh, yes, Captain," Simon slipped the scans he had taken of River's brain out from under his shirt.

* * *

><p>Dru Zod, sitting at the kitchen table with all the others, listened incredulously as Dr. Tam gave his report on what he had discovered.<p>

_They stripped her amygdala? Blessed Rao, why would anyone do that to a healthy brain? No wonder the poor child is the way she is…_

"Do you think you'll have a chance of fixing that?" the Captain had asked.

"I don't know," Tam's shoulders were slumped; he looked weary beyond belief.

"She feels…_everything_," he explained. "She can't _not._"

But, as it turned out, Tam was beginning to formulate a treatment plan for his sister. Only time would tell if it would help any.

On the other hand, the…_thievery_ side of the job had gone way better than expected. Sure, Mal and Zoe had found pills, tons of pills, of every kind, and for every need.

They had also found money there, _cashy _money, tons of untraceable money.

"For once," Mal was grinning like a loon. "We're actually coming out ahead. Way ahead."

Just as well…

_Simon's going to need a substantial amount of money to fund his treatment for his sister…_

After the meeting, Zod fled to his room, feigning weariness, and a need for sleep.

What he needed really, was just to be alone for a spell.

He rinsed his face with cold water from the sink by his bed, caught his reflection in the mirror.

The years away from Krypton, the years of hiding, had changed his appearance.

_What would Jor El think if he saw me now?_

His hair was longer now, no longer short-cropped as it had been when he was Krypton's Military Commander.

Now, it was a tousled mess, and the beard he had grown to disguise his features was heavily grizzled.

But, every time he saw a red star out in the black, he was pierced by such home-sickness.

_Krypton is gone, _he reminded himself. _And Rao only knows if Jor was able to find a place for our people._

Lying down on the small bed in his bunk, though, he realized that he loved the people he now worked with; the prickly Captain, his stoic Second, her flighty husband, sweet Kaylee with a smile for everyone, Shepherd Book, always with good word of advice for anyone who came knocking at his door, the generous, and highly educated Companion, and the Tam siblings…

_They_ were Dru Zod's people now.


	7. Chapter 7

**In Space, No One Knows You're an Alien**

**Chapter 7**

_Serenity, out in the Black_

In retrospect, he should have seen it coming…

Kaylee had kept on asking Dru Zod when his Birthday was; pretty much nagging him about it until he finally caved in and told her.

Not that he told her his _actual_ date of birth…

All told, the Serenity crew was a pretty accepting bunch, but asking them to accept _the Third Trine of Rao Ascendant, 29,337 Post-Reunification Calendar _as Zod's Birthday-even though that really _was_ his Birthday-would have been asking too much of a crew of Humans who didn't know that they weren't the only sapient species in the 'verse.

Instead, Zod had picked a date-a Terran date, off the top of his head. Then, he had promptly forgotten all about it.

Kaylee hadn't.

Which was how a bemused Zod found himself the target of a surprise birthday party.

Fortunately, Captain Reynold's…business dealings…had gone better than the average, so there was money to spend on non-essentials; like real meat for the Dinner part of the party, and the inevitable chocolate cake that Kaylee had insisted on baking.

As a rule, Terran social norms generally confused Zod; men and women marrying whomever they pleased, whenever they pleased, and having babies with whomever they pleased, with hardly any recourse to genetic assays.

But this was _their_ society; and other facets of their society meshed well with Zod's Kryptonian upbringing. Birthday celebrations were one example; although the Warrior Caste were generally known to be austere in their birthday celebrations.

_This_ crew's idea of a proper Birthday Celebration was anything but…

_Summoned by Captain Reynolds, over the ship intercom, to report to the Dining Room/Council Room, Dru Zod had reported in immediately, as was his wont…_

"Surprise!"

Fortunately, x-ray vision saved the day, so the crew was spared the sight of a Kryptonian startled right out of his skin-a hole in _Serenity's_ hull wouldn't have been a pleasant experience for anyone on the ship.

Once Zod had accepted the idea, however strange it might have appeared, that the _Serenity_ crew _wanted _to surprise him with this Birthday Party, he looked at them all, feeling just a touch rueful…

There was, of course, Kaylee's wonderful chocolate cake; and there were presents too; a LeMat from the captain, along with a box of ammunition, a book of Terran philosophy from Inara Serra, a leather jacket from Zoe Washburn, an animated video of a…goose-juggler from her husband, a recording of collected music from the Rim Worlds from Kaylee. A brand-new Bible from Shepherd Book, a collection of Core World music from Simon Tam, and from his sister…

Zod's knees went weak when he saw _her_ present to him.

_The Sigil of Hope…_

* * *

><p>Simon Tam had watched his Sister as she worked on her present to Drew Todd, and her sheer artistic capability and creativity never failed to amaze him. Even now, after all that the Academy had done to her, to that incredible thing that was her brain, River Tam could still create beauty out of nothing more than colored paper, glue, and a little gilt wrapping.<p>

It was an origami _S_, comprised mainly of royal blues and shimmering reds, with gold and silver accents; and the sheer beauty of it reminded Simon of the manuscripts from the Medieval Era of Earth-that-was, with their incredibly detailed capital letters, hand-written, and covered in the most delicate of artistic filigree…

And Drew Todd, holding her gift in his hand…

The color just…drained from his face as he looked down at it…

"Drew?" Simon had a sudden fear that Todd might faint…

_Or burst into tears..?_

It was a good thing a chair was behind Todd. The man collapsed into it bonelessly, head still bowed, holding River's gift to his chest, like it was the most precious thing in his universe.

"Drew?" again, Simon spoke to him.

This was getting just a little alarming.

A deep sigh trembled its way out of Todd.

"It's all right," Todd's voice trembled as he lifted his head. His features were composed, but Simon could see the effort that went into it.

"I'm…fine," Todd continued. He looked down at the beautiful _S _that lay, like a blue and red rose in his hand.

"Thank you, River," he brought his gaze to Simon's sister. "I will treasure this forever."

And Simon knew Todd _would_ treasure River's gift. It meant something to him.

_Something Important._

* * *

><p><em>Three years ago. Where Krypton used to be…<em>

The fleet on New Krypton hung there in space, hovering over the slowly forming asteroid belt that was all that was left of Krypton.

Prime Councilor Jor El stood on the Bridge of the _New Hope_, and he had to close his eyes.

_I promised I would return and find Dru…_

He had come too late, it seemed…

"Scan the area one more time," he ordered, and he heard General Ul sigh…

"We've been here for a whole week, sir," Faora said, looking at the view-screen, at the destroyed planet that used to be her home.

"We've discovered nothing," she continued, grief in her eyes and voice. "No ship, no shuttle. Not even a Life-pod. Either he died when Krypton died, or Krypton's destruction never released him from the Phantom Zone. Either way, General Dru Zod is beyond our reach."

Jor El bowed his head, closed his burning eyes.

_I should have come sooner. Forgive me, Dru…_

* * *

><p><em>Serenity, out in the Black<em>

After the party, the cake and everything, Dru Zod was able to flee back into the peace and quiet of his bunk.

He hadn't escaped without getting a hug and kiss from Kaylee. Even Zoe Washburne had given him a one-armed hug as she wished him a Happy Birthday.

Now, feeling a touch breathless, he turned to the sanctuary that was his bunk.

_These Humans are so free with their emotions! Jor El would have loved to meet them…_

Jor El…

Zod looked down at the hand-crafted _Hope Sigil _in his hand. He couldn't put it down.

_How could the child have known?_

She knew. That much was inescapable.

_She knows what I am, where I came from…_

The Sigil was proof of that.

_Will she keep my secret? Would the others believe her if she told them?_

He sighed.

_She won't say anything, _he realized. _She made it to give me hope._

Such was the gift from a loving soul…

He sighed again, then carefully taped River Tam's present to the wall by his bed.

There, it would be the first thing he saw every morning, and the last thing he saw at night…

_Hope._


	8. Chapter 8

**In Space, No One Knows You're An Alien**

**Chapter 8**

River Tam was having one of her Bad Spells today. What that meant was that she was hiding somewhere in the Hold; which was full today, Serenity on the way to Harvest to deliver all sorts of supplies; tractors and plows, and hidden within those, some contraband on behalf of a rather unsavory fellow called Badger…

So there were plenty of nooks and crannies for a disturbed little girl to hide in. Simon Tam was, of course, completely frantic with worry, as was Reynolds; although he was worried more about her _spoiling the contraband._

Not that Zod could see the point.

It was just coffee. But it was _real _coffee; not the fake stuff that passed for coffee on most Rim Worlds, and worth its weight in gold hereabouts.

Fortunately, Zod's x-ray vision quickly located the girl, hiding under one of the plows…

Quietly, he walked over to the plow.

"Come on out, child," he said. "It's just us here."

"Too loud!" River was whimpering. "It's too loud, too bright, and too itchy!"

Zod sighed. Dr. Tam was right. She _did_ feel everything.

But now, Zod had an idea.

"I can help you," he said. "I can teach you to master your senses."

River peered out from under the plow, looking up at him with tear-stained eyes.

"Stem the flood?"

"Maybe," he nodded. "But you have to concentrate."

When Simon Tam found them, around five minutes later, he found River Tam sitting next to the plow she had been hiding under, sitting in lotus, her right hand held in front of her eyes, staring at her fingers, Drew Todd sitting nearby, watching her, talking to her quietly…

* * *

><p>"It was the oddest thing," Simon Tam said to Kaylee. "There Drew Todd was, sitting next to her, talking to her like he was her dojo instructor, telling her to focus on her hand, that it was the only thing in her universe; and it worked, Kaylee. River calmed right down, and I could take her back to Sickbay."<p>

A thought occurred to him.

"You don't think he could be a dojo instructor?" Tam hesitated. "I mean…we know so little about him."

"I dunno," Kaylee shrugged. "Cap'n thinks Drew used to be Alliance military; high rank, like Admiral, or something. But Drew's so strange sometimes; there are things about the Alliance, and about _us_, that he just don't get. Like love, marriage, and baby carriages. He's sweet, but there are times I could swear he wasn't raised by normal folk."

"Maybe he really is from the Core Worlds," Tam spoke thoughtfully. "Our Family was of good standing. But we weren't anything like The Five Families…"

The Five Founders of Osiris…

Fabulously wealthy, with members in the Alliance Senate; the Five virtually owned the Seat of Prime Minister.

But The Five Families were also reclusive-barring those who entered public office-and some had quite the reputation for…oddness.

The name, _Todd_, wasn't one of the Five.

_So, he's using an alias. Could he belong to one of the Five Families? And, if he is, what brought him out here?_

Serenity landed on Harvest around three days later, and dropped off all of her goods. For once, payment was received in full, both for the plows and tractors, _and_ the contraband.

Medical supplies were more than good, especially since Ariel, and no one had gotten hurt lately either. So Simon Tam was able to blow a little of his pay on a surprise for Kaylee; a small basket of fresh strawberries and real cream…

Then, Captain Reynolds dropped a surprise on the crew…

Simon Tam didn't know the woman Reynolds had brought aboard, but Zoe Washburne did, if her sneer was anything to go by. Drew Todd's distaste for the woman was also equally clear.

As for the woman herself…

She called herself _Saffron_, and she apparently had a job for the Captain…

* * *

><p>"What's so special about this…Lassiter?" Drew Todd had asked.<p>

"You've never heard of it?" Malcolm Reynolds was startled to hear this.

"No," Todd shook his head. "Should I have?"

"It's only one of the first true laser hand guns in history," Wash nodded as he spoke. "It's priceless, and I think we're going to steal it; right Mal?"

"That's what the…lady…is hiring us for," Mal nodded too. He swung his gaze back to Todd.

_He couldn't be any kind of military and not know about the Lassiter._

Well, Drew Todd was a mystery, but it would keep until they had done the job…

Inara had also joined the group, and Mal felt a touch of glee.

_What Saffron don't know…_

* * *

><p><em>Now I'm helping to steal a historic weapon from its legitimate owner…<em>

Dru Zod shook his head ruefully as he got ready for his role in all of this…

_Helping Kaylee reprogram a trash receptacle…_

He convinced Kaylee to stay inside the ship.

_You can relay the instructions on to me, and I'll do the actual reprogramming. No sense in both of us risking our necks doing this…_

And, with Kaylee inside, there was no one to witness Zod risking a little flight to put him in reach of the little trash collector.

He followed Kaylee's instructions to the letter, sending the flying trash can off to the desired location. Then, he went back inside.

"Good to fly a little bit," River Tam was standing there when he walked down the hall by Sickbay.

"Captain Daddy's plan worked this time," she grinned.

"Yes," Zod nodded. "How are you today, child? Are you practicing what I taught you?"

"Yes," River nodded gravely. "The world is kind today."

_A kind world,_ Zod thought as he walked down the hall. _That would be nice…_

Even though the Lassiter Heist was a total success, it could truthfully be said that the world was _not_ being kind to Captain Malcolm Reynolds.

_Naked…The captain is naked. Saffron took…his clothing..?_

Reynolds seemed to be taking it all in stride, verbally sparring with Inara, who had been a special boon on this job, talking to Zoe Washburn, and ignoring her husband's giggles.

They had gotten the Lassiter, a priceless antique. There would be yet more money, a goodly bit of money, for Serenity, and her slightly unhinged crew…

* * *

><p>River Tam sat quietly in the now-empty Cargo Hold, going through the Disciplines of Sul Van, and Drew Todd had taught them to her.<p>

_Focus on what you need to see, and only that…_

She loved her brother, Simon. He had given up everything, wealth, his place in society, to save her. But now, all he had to help her were medications.

Pills that soothed her brain, but dulled her mind too.

What Todd had offered, however, was a way for her to control her own mind, her own senses.

Even now, after only a few days of this, she could feel the good it was doing her; the control and focusing keeping her senses and mind clear.

In a way, it was sad, though…

_He gave me hope, but he has none for himself…_


	9. Chapter 9

**In Space, No One Knows you're an Alien**

Chapter 9

_What a time for a Reaver attack,_ Captain Malcolm Reynolds thought to himself.

Of course, his luck had been better lately so that probably had something to do with it…

_Can't seem to catch a break, no matter what I do…_

The last job, on Haven, had paid well enough. But no one had any idea the Reavers were beginning to range that far.

Now, Serenity's crew was just…a little scattered.

Because Mal's contact had paid up so promptly, Mal had sent Drew Todd and Zoe Washburne back to the ship, Zoe carrying the cash, with Todd her bodyguard.

Which now left Mal in a bit of a bind, running for his life, hoping there were enough miles between him, and the horror that was occurring back at Deadwood…

* * *

><p>Dru Zod heard about the Reavers when Zoe Washburne did.<p>

_Reavers… What in the Prime Ascendant would cause men and woman to go feral like this?_

The tales he had heard about these Reavers horrified him.

Zoe's first thought was of her Captain, still on the planet, in the main settlement, Deadwood.

She was already loading the Mule and setting out, although Zod wasn't sure she would be able to do much if Mal were truly in danger.

_I could save him…_

But, if he did, his secret would be out, and Zod wasn't sure he trusted Captain Reynold not to react badly to that…

"Mal's bad in the Latin," River's voice almost made him jump out of his skin.

Feeling a touch rueful, he turned to face the girl. She still had her bad times, but even the worst spells weren't quite as bad as they used to be, and the girl was learning to move silently; silently enough to sneak up on a Kryptonian…

"Mal's bad in the Latin," the eerie girl repeated. "But good in his heart. We should trust our Captain Daddy."

Zod nodded at that.

She was telling him…what?

_That it's safe to rescue him?_

Well…

_Yes…_

Now Zod knew what to do.

He nodded to her again, then went to join Zoe Washburne.

"You want me to wait?" Washburne was dubious.

"I can find the Captain easier on my own," Zod explained.

"I'm going out to get the Captain!" Zoe snapped. "And I don't want-"

"I know," Zod interrupted. "Believe me, I'm the best for this job."

_I can fly…_

"Believe me, Zoe," he insisted. "I will find him and bring him back, safe. Give me fifteen minutes."

"I'll give you ten, Drew," Zoe nodded. "Then, we're coming out."

_Better than what I was hoping for…_

Zod turned and left _Serenity_. As soon as he was out of sight of the ship, he abandoned all pretense at humanity and hurled himself skyward.

Mere minutes later, he located Mal, running like there was no tomorrow, Reaver ship gaining, and a cliff dead ahead.

Zod's Kryptonian-sharp eyes clearly saw the look on Reynold's face as he saw the cliff; the sense of weary resignation of his luck screwing him over; one more time, a final time…

And Zod just _knew _what the Captain was going to do.

_Well, it's cleaner than dying by Reaver…_

Zod got ready to power-dive to the rescue…

* * *

><p>Captain Mal Reynolds looked down from his position at the edge of the cliff, a little bit of doggerel playing through his mind.<p>

_Oh, Mother dear, pray what is that which looks like strawberry jam?_

_Hush hush, my dear, 'tis your Papa, run over by a tram…_

It looked like _that _kind of fall. But no way in hell was he going to let Reavers get him…

"Sorry, Zoe…" he muttered softly. Then, closing his eyes, he stepped off, into nothing…

And was caught, by strong arms clutching him close.

_Reavers!_

He tried to struggle free.

"It's all right, Captain," Drew Todd's voice was in his ear. "I've got you."

"You've got me?" now Mal was completely disoriented. "Who's got _you_?"

* * *

><p>Zoe Washburne would never forget the sight; not for as long as she lived; Mal standing on the edge of the cliff, looking back briefly, the set of his shoulders telling her he was abandoning all hope.<p>

_The Reavers must be right there…_

She _saw_ it, the moment her Captain decided to die, to step off the cliff…

And she couldn't stop the frightful wail that erupted out of her.

_We're not gonna die. We can't die, Bendis. You know why? Because we are so __**very**__ pretty. We are just too pretty for God to let us die…_

Zoe stared up at her Captain, the man who had seen her safely through the War, and back to _Serenity…_

_No…Mal…Please, no…_

He stepped off the cliff…

And _something_ swooped down, like a hawk on prey, snatching the tumbling body right out of mid-air…

Whatever it was, it righted itself in mid-flight, paused, floating briefly, then headed for Zoe's Mule, and that was when she recognized the flying man, and her mare's leg slid from suddenly nerveless fingers.

_Drew Todd…_

He was flying over to her, the Captain's body slung over one shoulder.

He landed gently, set Mal firmly on his feet. The Captain promptly slid to all fours, breathing in deep gasps of air.

Zoe could hear the engine rumble of Serenity as the Firefly hove into view and settled down right behind the Mule.

She came back to her senses.

"Everyone inside now!" she commanded.

She turned to Todd.

"Carry him in if you have to," she said.

Todd nodded, and picked Mal up again, over a shoulder, as if he weighed less than a five pound bag of sugar…

Zoe turned the Mule around, drove it back into _Serenity's_ Main Hold.

"All aboard?" that was her husband.

"Yes, dear," Zoe replied over the Comm. "Get us the hell out of here."

* * *

><p>Dru Zod was standing in the Dining RoomCouncil Room, just off the Kitchen. Everyone else was there too, Shepherd Book, Inara Serra, the Tams, Wash and Zoe, and the Captain; and Zod had to admit that the cat was well and truly out of the bag…

Captain Reynolds' hands were only shaking a very little as he took a sip of the ersatz stuff that passed for coffee here.

"You've got some explaining to do," was all he said; and Zod had to hand it to him. Only an hour or so before, Reynolds had been staring certain death in the face.

Only to be rescued by said certain death by someone was was-by any definition-an alien of non-Terran ancestry.

Yes. Dru Zod _did_ have some explaining to do. But he had no idea _what_ to say; except for this…

"You are not alone."

"Besides," River suddenly spoke. "We're all aliens out in the Black."

"Might be true, 'Tross," Reynolds sighed. Then he turned back to Zod. "What's your story? How did you come here?"

So…Zod told him. Everything; his origins, the loss of his home planet, the hope he had that Jor El had found a new home for Krypton.

It took a while, and he found he was trembling, almost on the verge of tears when he finished.

"Catharsis…"River Tam had murmured.

Reynolds remained silent for a minute after Zod stopped talking; looking up at his face with a quiet intensity. Then the man sighed.

"Okay," he sighed again, hauling himself to his feet. "We all got chores to see to out in the Black. Best be seeing to them."

"Captain?" Zod cleared his throat

Reynolds turned back to him.

"Yes, Zod?"

"You just found out I'm an alien," Zod looked down at the man. "Aren't you going to do anything about that?"

"You're crew," Reynolds turned away, as if what he had just said explained everything; and, maybe it really did.


End file.

Firefly, Adventure, Drama