"You've mended well, I hope." The operative's sleek voice whispers and you turn to him.

"I have," you acquiesce, your gaze locking with his. And in that instance you realize that he knows the truth and you brace yourself for him to continue.

"Imagine my surprise," he begins as he crosses over to you, a gleam in his eyes that threatens to harm you. "When your fingerprints showed that you are not exactly who you claim to be."

"I am Dr. Simon Tam," you reply briskly, desperately not wanting to continue this conversation, knowing the consequences if he does.

"And an Alliance Operative," he states clearly, his voice calm, almost proud. You suck in a quick breath and he simply smiles in reply. "You have fooled them well."

"Have you told them?" You question, hoping that he has followed the rules that have been ingrained into your head for years.

"It's not my place to tell them," he smiles. "They have rescinded the warrants, now that they know you are continuing the experiment on your own. All this could have been avoided."

Could have been avoided.

His words taunt you; it is your fault that people that you have learned to care for our dead.

Book.

Wash.

You shouldn't care, you've been trained not to- but these last few months on Serenity have changed you. You found a home you weren't looking for, a family.

You school your features, not wanting to give him anything else to taunt. "Is that why you healed our broken crew and ship?" You find yourself questioning and he simply smiles in return. You grit your teeth, forcing a smile to your face and you restrain from engaging him when all you want to do is wipe that smug smile off his face.

"Good day, Simon." He nodded, pressing his fingers together. "I hope we meet again, under better circumstances."

You curse and you take a cleansing breath of air. You freeze, realizing that someone else is near, and that he has been listening the whole time. "You can come out now," You state and you hear a muffled curse and his footfalls nearing.

"Is it true?" He questions, his face blank but his thoughts racing, cursing. He has more of a reason to hate you; he has not been far off from the truth since the beginning.

"Mal," you begin and he straightens, his hand immediately going for his gun.

"You've been on my gorram ship, lying to my crew-"

"You protected me and my sister." You state, his eye flashing with anger.

"Is she your sister?" he asks, not believing, but needing too. You can sense it; feel that he needs this clarification more than anything else.

"Yes," you nod. "Everything I have told you has been the truth. I've just omitted certain things-"

"Like the fact that you're a gorram fed!" He growls raising his gun and pointing it at you.

"A minor detail," you shrug and in an instant you have the gun in your hands and your positions are reversed.

He stares at you in shock, his mouth gaping open. "It's true." He manages to stutter as he continues to stare at you.

You lower the gun and sigh. "I was at the school first, they changed protocols, they wanted to test her further- they cut into her brain!" You confess, mumbling your words, unable to clearly state what you mean to say. "I had to get her out- I couldn't see her in there."

"Oh, an' that makes it all shiny then?" He gasps, searching for something else to fight with. "It was all an act- you put us all in danger, you lied to us! Book, Wash- they died because of you an' your fong luh sister!"

You want to deny his words, but you find that you can not. You sigh and hand him the gun. "You once said if you were going to kill me, I'd be awake, facing you, and be armed."

"I reckon, I did." He agrees, as he snatches the gun from your hand and you raise your empty palms at him.

"I give you permission to disregard your prior statement, you have the right." You state as his gun wavers slightly. You know he won't shoot you, you can feel it.

He wants answers, he needs to know- he wants to know. You close your eyes briefly pushing down your barriers and letting yourself feel.

He wants you dead; he can imagine the bullet ripping through your skin and the sickening thud of your body hitting against the floor.

Part of you wants it, you know he'll take care of River, Kaylee- you would be free.

"Kill me," you whisper opening your eyes. "I know you want too."

His eyes widen slightly, "you're a gorram reader too, ain't you?"

A slow smile spreads across your face and you know you can deny it, but what would be the purpose? "Yes," you admit and he turns away from you, cursing under his breath.

"You knew this was comin'," he grumbles, unable to understand, to see.

"I'm not like River," you begin as he turns back to you. "I can control it, I have barriers that she does not."

"It was all an act," he repeats once more, pointing the gun at you.

"Pull it." You command and he does.