Wash and Kaylee had dodged the Reavers on Whitefall, and everyone was emerging from engine room and shuttle to congratulate and talk about their parts in it all. It was a warm and happy group, if a little worn out from stress and action and bullet wounds, and they did not even notice the two who silently slipped away and into the passenger quarters. After all, they were a different family, in their own different world.

Simon had decided that River would sleep in his bed. Three passenger quarters had been prepared, but he did not want to go near where Dobson had been, and would not trouble anyone to make up another chamber. No, he would rather sleep on the floor.

The lights were a warm yellow on Serenity, something that surprised Simon after his limited experience with the blue-white ships of the Alliance. The infirmary wasn’t, which gave Simon a place on this ship where he could feel in his element, but he decided that, since the captain was not leaving them on Whitefall, this chamber would be his and River’s home for their stay. The rest of the ship—it looked homey, but it was the crew’s home and he felt like a stranger. But here, in this little room, he and River could have a safe world. One where no captain would yell at them, where no Alliance would find them, where sleep and rest could be taken, assuming the ship was not being shot at. It would do for now, until they got to Boros, or wherever the captain intended on leaving them. Simon would have to ask him later.

As Simon searched through his bag to find a nightshirt that River could use to sleep in, she sat down on his bed, her slender arms wrapped closely around her, and rocked back and forth a little. “Is it safe here?” she asked in a small voice.

“I-I think so,” he answered, frowning a little as he realized that he had nothing really suitable. Unless—yes, there was probably a hospital gown in the infirmary. He turned back to River, who was slowly scanning every inch of the small room’s walls. “Do you need anything?”

“Tired, but can’t slee