Let's face it, you already know what I'm going to say. I'm going to either say something witty or I'm going to intersperse names with nonsense, but either way, it will still be a disclaimer proclaiming my non-ownership of the Firefly universe and that Joss and Mutant Enemy could pwn you with their little toes, so I see no reason to waste my time typing something of that nature up.

Warning: PG-13 for mild adult situations, be advised that continuing is at your own discretion. Also, the following contains slash, so if you're not into that, you might want to rethink reading beyond this point.

***

"Can she be your escape?"

Zoe hadn't heard her come in, she'd been too occupied staring off into space. So, when the girl spoke, it startled her quite a bit. She turned to look at the reader, a little confused by her words, yet at the same time, intrigued. "River?" She wondered what brought the girl to her bunk so late at night.

River advanced a step or two toward the bed, the crystalline depths of her eyes filled with a sense of loss and sadness, but there was hope there too. "Saw you weren't asleep, thought maybe she could help."

A sorrowful sigh left Zoe's lips and she merely shook her head in a rather defeated way. River hated to see her so broken, this wasn't how her warrior woman was supposed to be. She was supposed to be sardonic and deadly and terse. "Sleep don't come so easily these days." Zoe replied, "Ain't nothin' nobody can do about it."

By now, River had reached the bed. Slowly, she slid one knee up onto it, using it to slide herself up so that she was kneeling next to Zoe. It was only now that she was right next to her that Zoe noticed the difference. The girl had an almost frightening depth to her eyes, almost like there were whole other worlds in there-and knowing River, there might have been. But it wasn't just her eyes, it was everything about River. The way she moved, the way she sat, the way she breathed, the way her cheeks were so flushed...

Zoe sat up and drew her knees to her