TITLE: "DREAMING"

AUTHOR: Alison M. DOBELL

FANDOM: "FIREFLY"

PAIRING: River/Mal. Kaylee/Simon. Wash/Zoe.

RATING: PG-13.

STATUS: SEQUEL to "TIMING"

ARCHIVE: Yes. Just let me know where.

FEEDBACK: Welcomed.

EMAIL: AlisonMDobell@aol.com

WEBSITE: http://carlajane.50megs.com/Ali00.html

SUMMARY: "River wants. Needs. And she has been so

very patient."

The usual disclaimers apply. The characters and 'Firefly'

are the property and gift of Joss Whedon and Mutant Enemy.

No infringement of copyright is intended.

"DREAMING"

"Firefly" story

Written by Alison M. DOBELL

* * * *

It was that dream again. Faceless men with identical expressions. "Two by two, hands of blue. Two by two, hands of blue..."

A shudder ran through River's slim frame, her eyes popping open. Wide and afraid, lips still moving even after the words had trailed away. Slowly the thrum of Serenity's engine soothed her but the nightmare was too vivid and the inside of her eyes too brightly painted with memories for her to close them in sleep. She sat up and pulled the blanket around herself, wished Simon were still sleeping in the next room but he was with Kaylee now. She wasn't jealous it was just sometimes she missed him. Reaching out and touching nothing was so very cold. River got up and padded through the ship, her bare feet loving the murmur of the deckplates as the engine idled. As she walked she trailed a hand along the metal walls, picking up thoughts and conversations recorded in the memory of the ship and replayed over and over inside her mind. She only had to touch the ship to feel him. The reassurance almost hypnotic.

She paused, eyes closing, body echoing a rumour of the slow deep passion building between Zoe and Wash. Loved the way they complimented each other in such an instinctive way. There was no disparity between the sheets and no dischord. River waited for them to finish, loving touches lingering in their