Mal hadn’t planned on being stuck as River’s “babysitter”, but that’s the way it worked out. As his crew went about their assigned tasks on Onyx, they trickled out of Serenity until it was only him and the 17 year-old left aboard. River had been a little more cogent lately – he wasn’t sure if the Doctor’s meds were working, or if it was just her brain healing itself – but outbursts had been more rare, and sometimes he could even fool himself into believing that he was speaking to a normal, regular 17 year-old super genius.

He had revised his opinion of River since the enigmatic bounty hunter, Jubal Early, broke into Serenity in mid-flight and single-handedly overpowered the crew – except for River. Had it not been for her eerie and absolutely convincing performance, her quick wittedness, and her sheer audacity, no doubt he and his crew would all be dead and River would be back at the Academy (wherever that was) by now. Mal may not have liked the unstable nature of the teen’s behavior, but he knew when he owed someone his life. Perhaps, he decided, she could be more use than danger in the future.

When Kaylee and Wash had taken the mule out to the scrapyard it was just the two of them staring at each other across the cargo hold. River stood stock-still, statue-like, and stared at him with a bemused smile and slightly crazy eyes. It wasn’t her fault – without a functioning migdula, it was difficult for her to conceal her moment-to-moment emotions like everyone else in the ‘verse did. He stared back for a few moments, then shrugged and went back up to the kitchen. River followed him.

As he put the coffee pot on, River sat down at the table, still staring. He tried to ignore it. He turned his back and pretended that she wasn’t there. It didn’t work. The longer he went without acknowledging the girl, the more the tension in the room grew as she fixed her eyes steadily on him. Mal smiled nervously, tried to hum, gave it up, watched the coffee pot as it heated up, fiddled with the sugar bowl, got out