I Talk A Lot

I see a lot of "Simon meeting Grace and Rocky, and immediately body slams Grace to the floor". I see a lot of "Simon meeting Grace and Rocky and believing that he'd dead/Grace is an angel". There's nothing wrong with either option, both are equally fun to play around with.

But you know what I want to see?

Simon behaving.

Simon cooperating, following every 'command' (aka, Grace asking Simon to let them help). Simon staying in the med bay. Letting Armando patch his wounds. Answering Grace and Rocky's questions even if it makes him uncomfortable. Simon being willing to do anything they ask, no matter how scared or confused he is.

Bonus points if they pull him from the SM-13 and keep it on board. They actually just want to study it, but Simon is fully convinced that it's an unspoken threat. 'Behave, or we'll put you back.'

Give me a Simon who spent the last days of his 'life' fighting those who were giving him orders. Days battling, days growling and snarling and snapping at anything that got too close. Give me a Simon who's tired. Who just wants to be left alone, but who suddenly has this guy asking him all kinds of uncomfortable questions about what happened to him. Who's terrified of Rocky, but lets the alien watch him sleep because heck, he wouldn't trust himself either.

Give me a broken abused shelter dog of a man, who bows his head and follows the one holding the leash because he's too exhausted to fight a losing battle anymore. A Simon who doesn't realize that Grace isn't holding any leash. Give me a Simon who, despite Grace's best efforts, responds to any and all requests with a meek "Yes, Sir." because he doesn't want to know what these strangers will do to him if he doesn't address them with proper respect.

He doesn't want to go back. He never wants to go back. And he'll do whatever these strangers want to ensure they never have a reason to punish him. The first time he breaks, the first time he says no to someone, Simon is screaming, crying, tucking himself into a corner as tightly as he can, all while begging Grace and Rocky not to send him back. And that's when Grace realizes.

Simon doesn't listen because he trusts them.

Simon listens because he's afraid of them.