Elena sat in her class and grinned. This was so good. So much to learn. So many things to make her day bright. And a friend to talk to, someone who understood, who enjoyed it all as much as she did. She glanced across the room towards Freya, her blonde head intent on the book on her desk. Then she looked across, and they both smiled. They always did know what the other was thinking.

The teacher rapped her pen on the desk. “Elena Rostov, you are supposed to be working.”

“I've finished,” she said, holding up her book.

“Then bring it to me.”

Elena got up, aware of all her fellow classmates eyes on her as she walked to the front. She handed the book over. “It was easy,” she said quietly.

“I see.” The teacher thumbed through the exercises. “And so it appears to be.” She handed the book back. “Then for the rest of the lesson I think you should go onto chapter eight. See if that is a little more taxing.”

“Yes, Madam Fong.” As she headed back to her desk her heart soared. She’d never felt like this before, so jing cai, and to be amongst others just the same … She sat back down and called up chapter eight. Oh, this was so much fun …

The teacher watched her for a moment, the girl’s pen hurtling across the page as she solved one problem after another. Then she brought up the class roster on her screen, delicately tapping in a command code, waiting until a blue light appeared next to Elena Rostov’s name …

---

“Mal?”

Serenity’s captain was sitting in the pilot’s chair, staring out into the black, and didn’t turn as Inara stepped onto the bridge. “Couldn’t sleep?” he asked.

“I was thinking.” Inara sat down in the other seat.

“Yeah. I find myself doing that a lot, this time of night. When I'm wakeful.”

“And when was the last time you got more than a couple of hours sleep?” she asked.

He dropped his head slightly. “Probably a while.”

“Try since Freya was kidnapped.”

He looked back out at the stars. “Reckon you might be right.”

“Why aren’t you with