The young girl spun, her arms out and her head back. Her bare feet pattered on the metal grating of the cargo bay. She loved her new home, so shiny with life. She felt her brother’s eyes watching her, his thoughts fluttering against her mind like the beating of a butterfly’s wings.

Tiny bubbles of thought tickled her brain, from the scattered crew. She liked being each of them, so many thoughts, memories and secrets. They each had different ways of viewing the world around them. They were all so much more alive when inside of Serenity.

River tossed her head forward, a wave of brown hair crashing against her head, and trickling down her shoulders. She collapsed into a ball, as she collapsed her view into herself. Peripherally she heard her brother start and call her name. He didn’t understand that this was part of the dance. She drew inside listening for her own thoughts, such hidden, frightened things.

The clanging and thumping of boots on the deck signalled the next movement. The bubbles of thought exploded against the surface of her brain. Just as Mal, the captain, reached her, she sprung upwards again, grabbing him around the waist and leading a dance, only she knew. It was Mal’s dance, learned by being him. She spent parts of days, living and being others in the crew.

She swung into Jayne’s arms, his confusion and incredulity tickling her. He was not such a nice man, and being him had been a time of mixed fear and rage, completely different from Mal’s warm comfortable composure. Jayne shrugged, and danced woodenly with River, his feet thumping heavily.

Wash grabbed his wife and swung her through a couple of turns, dancing to the music only River could hear. Zoe laughed at her foolish husband, dancing around with a huge smile on his face. She swapped places with River to dance with Jayne.

River felt the bonds of love between husband and wife, the ocean sound of the interplay crashed in her head. It reminded her of being clean. She watched Mal bow to Inara to invite her to dance. They swung int