Baby set down on Persephone a little rough for Dean's liking. Impala-class ships were tough as nails and then some so he wasn't too terribly worried, but the stars would go out before Dean failed to fuss over his Baby. Cas slept through the entire landing, still knocked out from a nasty concussion two days ago during a particularly tough spirit hunt.

Sam looked a bit agitated too, for an entirely different sort of reason, which Dean questioned him about over a lovely breakfast of protein with a side of protein.

"You feelin' okay?" he asked. "No trouble with the..." he paused, gestured as his head. Sam snorted and rolled his eyes and the nervous tension was eased.

"You can say 'crazy,' you know," his little brother said. "But no. There's something here... someone. Someone familiar," he corrected himself.

Dean silently sent a quick prayer up to a God that was certainly not listening at Sam's denial before focusing on the remainder of his statement. "Not Hands of Blue?" he asked, knowing as he did that it was certainly not true (if it was, Sam would be clutching his head and mumbling tearful nonsense, and it broke Dean's heart a million different ways to see him like that) but he needed to hear it aloud.

Sam shook his head. "No. I... don't think it's Alliance."

"Huh," Dean said, shoveling his mouth full of more food to avoid thinking of a response for that, already trying to work out who (or what) else it could be. All of Sam's friends were dead or gone. The uncertainty formed a knot in his stomach and all of a sudden the protein was even less appetizing than usual.

~o~

Serenity landed light as a whisper on Persephone, River's pale hands dancing over the controls like feathers. As soon as the cargo door slid open, the crew was assembled in the bay to take their first breaths of fresh air in weeks. It had been a long hall to and from Greenleaf, and a stressful job once there. The Alliance were thick as flies on the planet, so much so they'd have turned the job down if they could've afforded it.

Mal immediately took command, directing Jayne and Zoe to collect their money from Badger and see if he had a new job for them.

The rest of them were going shopping to restock the ship with all the many, many supplies they needed for their next long run. Kaylee also was searching for a new fuel pump ('Serenity'll blow first chance we don't switch it out, cap'n') and Simon for more painkillers. The crew got shot up so much they practically chugged the stuff. River was trailing along because although she'd been better lately, much better, no one really wanted to leave her alone on the ship. It wasn't a matter of distrust as much as it was protection.

River was drifting, her eyes slightly unfocused and her head tilted a little to one side, watching something only she could see and listening to music only she could hear. "Class reunion," she murmured to herself.

~o~

Sam and Dean were wandering through the planet-wide slum that was Persephone, a name incongruously beautiful for a planet that was civilized, yes, but covered in desperation and crime. They too were looking for supplies for their next job, although with some... unusual supplements along with the standard fuel and protein and engine parts. Silver (which was usually stolen, buying in a place like this, but it wasn't like they hadn't stooped to the same lows), salt (in bulk), iron and rarer things, palo santo stakes and lamb's blood.

Sam still seemed distracted, which in turn made Dean nervous, which came down to both of them being twitchy as all hell. Every time someone so much as looked at Sam askance (even though it was reasonable; he had dark circles carved under his eyes and the shaved patches of hair hadn't grown back all the way and gave him a ragged, uneven look) Dean would reply with a death glare that had them quickly looking away, all too aware of the old Colt resting prominently on his hip.

Then Sam went still and for a horrible sick moment Dean was sure he was going to start seizing right in the middle of a crowd but he didn't, his hazel eyes were focused on a little wisp of a girl who met his eyes and stared right back with an intensity Dean had never seen outside of his own brother. Another psychic, he thought with sudden certainty as both moved forward at once, meeting in the middle and halting, by some unspoken rule, about four feet apart, not breaking eye contact the entire time. Dean took stock of the people behind the girl; the stiff-looking man with worried eyes that Dean recognized as his own (her older brother), the giggly girl in pink and army green at his side, the hardened veteran as behind them.

"River?" Sam whispered, his voice carrying somehow despite its quiet. The girl might have smiled, a quick flick of her lips and flash of those burning eyes.

"Sammy," she said, head cocking to one side in a manner eerily reminiscent of Cas, looking at the world on a slant. "Sammy Like-the-Rifle."

~o~

Mal, Simon, and Kaylee kept walking for a few seconds before they noticed that River had frozen, staring off at nothing over the heads of the crowd. Simon was instantly hovering over her shoulder, not wanting to shock her out of whatever trance she was in and trigger a negative response. He followed her line of sight and saw a ragged man staring back at her, another at his side.

"River?" he asked gently, placing his hands on her shoulders to guide her away, but she slipped out from under his grip.

"It's okay, Simon," she said softly, taking a step forward, and then another. "Class reunion."

By then, Mal and Kaylee had taken notice and joined him at River's side, but she didn't even notice, walking forward with the man mirroring her movements until they both halted at an unspoken signal. Simon froze up when the man said River's name, said it with such easy familiarity, like an old friend, like family. She echoed with what Simon assumed to be the man's name, Sammy, a flash of something like happiness on her solemn ghostly face.

"You got out," she sighed.

"So did you."

"Not all of me," she said, her voice trembling. "The girl lost pieces, Sam. They pulled her apart and put her back together all wrong."

The man hugged her then, scooping her up and holding her close as she shook, both seemingly oblivious to the crowd parting around them. Simon started forward at the sudden movement but Kaylee placed a hand on his arm, holding him back.

"I think she's perfect," Sam said, and they just stood for a moment, supporting each other like pillars crumbling under the weight of years and miles. Simon was suddenly aware of someone next to him, and looked over to see the man who'd previously been standing behind Sam, who had a leather jacket and green eyes and the same war-hardened veteran feel as Mal.

"She's your sister?" the veteran asked suddenly. "The other Reader?"

Simon started at the unexpected question. "Y-yes. ...how'd you know?"

"You've got the look," he said. "You'd do anything for her."

Simon nodded slightly and let his eyes slide back to Sam and River, who were now talking animatedly, River still leaning against Sam and resting her head on his chest.

"Yes," he agreed. "I really would."

The man nodded like it was the answer he expected, then held out a hand worn and calloused from drawing a gun too many times over too many years. "Dean Winchester."

"Simon Tam."