It was another late night on the ship. Most of the crew had gone to bed, with the exception of Simon. With the news of Kaylee’s pregnancy, Simon had begun research on pre-natal and pediatric care. He knew that he was unsuitable for the job since not only was this not his field of expertise, but the fact that the patient was his wife threw any sort of objectivity out the airlock. But having your patient being a family member was something he was used to so he remained determined in his quest for knowledge. Oddly enough, he felt that this was just another leg in the journey he’s been on for the last four years.

Simon’s eyes began to tire, so he shut off his digitexts and closed up the infirmary behind him. As he climbed up the stairs, he heard River playing softly up in the cockpit. This in itself was not unusual. What was unusual was that it was a viola. It was playing a familiar tune, something from his childhood. He walked through the kitchen and past him and Kaylee’s bunk and into the cockpit. She was in the pilot’s seat, slowly moving the bow back and forth. She was engrossed in the music she was playing, and the melody that was packed with so much longing and desire. She looked up and smiled. He smiled back and sat in the co-pilots seat.

“You missed movie night.”

“Sorry about that. I was busy doing research for Kaylee’s sake. Wasn’t in the movie mood. What was it?”

River looked surprised. “This doesn’t ring a bell?” She struck up the tune again, and stared intently at him, to try to make him realize what they watched and what he was playing. Suddenly, it dawned on him and he sat back in realization.

“All six?”

“Just SITH and JEDI.” She stopped playing and put the guitar, which was in viola mode, in her lap. “Grand stories of tragedy and redemption.”

“I could never get past the wooden dialogue and the special effects. Plus all the inconsistencies. There’s no sound in space.”

River just shook her head. For all his smarts, her brother could never see beneath the