Disclaimer: I do not own Firefly, it belongs to Joss Whedon.

------------------------------------------------------------------

River sat at the dinner table with the rest of the crew, laughing lightly at some of the stories they told. She liked dinner with the crew, it was always a fun time, a time where everyone could decompress. No one worried much and the thoughts didn’t overwhelm her. She didn’t feel anyone’s pain or fear or worry, not even her own. She felt almost normal when she was at dinner with everyone else.

She picked at her food, taking small nibbles here and there, laughing along as Jayne told stories of his escapades back before he’d joined the crew. Somehow Jayne always made killing sound funny. Sure, it was morbid, but that’s where a lot of the humor came from, just the fact that Jayne could be so completely lighthearted about it.

“An’ so I was holdin’ ‘is arm tight-like, makin’ it look like I wasn’t goin’ to let go and right as he tried to climb up over the edge of the gorge I let go an’ told ‘im joke’s on you!” Jayne regaled.

The whole crew laughed, imaging the man Jayne had made out to be a complete moonbrain falling to what he assumed would be his death, but had really only culminated in a cold swim in the river below. River’s head snapped up as she heard her pet name.

“Well, I think that’s enough of Jayne for the night,” Mal chuckled. “Why don’t you tell us a funny story, little albatross?”

River paused, setting her chopsticks down slowly. A small smile curved her lips as she looked up and around the table. Simon was smiling at her encouragingly. They were involving her, trying to make her feel at home, and she appreciated it, even though she knew she’d never really fit in. She thought it over for a moment and nodded.

“I remember the smell of cinnamon and fresh apple pie,” River said airily. “We were little, only children, me and Simon. We were at grandma Tam’s for the summer. We were helping with the baking before supper. I remember flour everywhere, white al