River breezed silently into the dining area, smiling vaguely at Freya who sat in one of the comfortable chairs, her feet on the table, reading a book. River headed for the counter and opened a jar, taking a sugar stick out of it and putting it into her mouth.

“You’ll spoil your food,” Freya said, not looking up.

“He’s thinking of you,” River said, unexpectedly.

“Shah-muh?” Freya looked up.

“The Captain. He’s thinking about you. In bed. Doing …” The young girl almost blushed.

“Well, thinking is about as far as it’s got.” Freya smiled, sighing at the same time.

“Why don’t you tell him to stop?”

“Thinking or not doing?”

“Not doing.” River sat opposite her.

“I've tried. He won’t listen.”

“He’s afraid,” River said suddenly. “Afraid you’ll leave. Afraid we’ll all leave. He thinks we keep him sane.”

“He’s not the only one,“ Freya breathed, then said louder, “Probably do at that. He’s already lost two of us – friends, good friends, and he doesn’t count that many, not like that.”

“Are you going to leave?”

“Zoe won’t – she’ll follow her captain into the jaws of hell if he asked her, which he has. Neither will Kaylee, and if she doesn’t then Simon won’t, so you –”

“That’s not what I asked. “

“I know.” Freya shook her head and put her book down. “He knows what happened to him after Serenity, the emptiness, the loss of faith. In himself as well as more spiritual things.” She knew River could pick up what she was about to say, but had to verbalise it for herself. “Then with Miranda he found something again; a belief, or more that he could still believe. I took that away from him, and I so want to give it back. River, you of all people, more than most, know why I had to leave, to heal myself … elsewhere.” River nodded. “But if it happens again, if the darkness looks to take me, well, you’ll stop me, won’t you?”

“I will kill you,” River agreed, her words most at odds with her slight form.

“Good. Good.” Freya nodded.

“And you’ll do the same for me?”

“O