Something I didn't have room to mention in the description: Please review! It doesn't have to be a good review! I don't care if you say it's the worst thing you've ever read (though I would take it as a kindness if you didn't) just as long as you review. Also, you don't have to read my other story, but I'd really, really appreciate it if you did! Also, in case you haven't realized, I am terrible at titles. Anyway, enjoy!

~Kitty G.

Meifeng wandered through the crowds, savoring the faint scent of incense and the smell of whatever was on the grill (she knew better than to try it, but it smelled delicious), the shouts of haggling, the tinkling of the wind chimes that were the wares of one stall. She admired the small jade statues, the parasols, the jewelry that waited in ambush for anyone with money to spare. Most of all, she liked the people. So many people just pass by everyone they see, don't even spare them a thought, but she liked to observe them, think about them. Where was that woman running to, or whom was she running from? Were that couple always flower sellers? What was a proper-looking man like that doing on the Eavesdown docks?

Meifeng reminded herself that she wasn't here to people-watch. She doubted any ships were going where she was headed, Greenleaf was a long way from Persephone, but if nothing else she could get a lift in the right direction.

"Where ya headed?" said a voice to her left, and she turned to see a girl about her own age smiling at her.

Walking closer, she replied "Greenleaf."

The smile grew. "Really? That's where we're going! Well, technically we're only taking passengers to Boros, but we can take you a bit farther. Why Greenleaf?"

"My wedding. My family lives on Greenleaf and they were dying to host it so-"

"You're kidding! You have got to be joking! My folks are on Greenleaf, and we were going there for my wedding!" She was positively beaming now. "Simon, honey, come here!" The prim-looking man she'd seen earlier came. "This woman's going to Greenleaf for her wedding, isn't that so strange?"

"Greenleaf? I thought we were only taking them to Boros."

"Well we're going to Greenleaf anyway."

The man leaned towards her and they argued in whispers for a bit. Meifeng thought she heard the word "River" and was very confused. What did this have to do with a river?

"Just don't get ahead of yourself," he said finally, "I'm going to talk to the captain."

"You already talked to the captain, and he told you what he thought. Don't think anything will have changed. You know how stubborn Mal is."

"That I do," he said wearily, and after kissing her briefly, went inside the ship.

"What was that about?" Meifeng asked.

"Oh, nothing…He doesn't think there will be enough space with passengers. Which I stupid; we've had too much space ever since…" She trailed off, her smile fading. After a moment, she hitched it back up, though it looked a bit forced now. "Well, he's just being silly."

They heard raised voices coming towards them. "They're coming, and that's final. We haven't taken on passengers since we took in the two of you, and we need the extra money." Simon and a haggard-looking man, presumably the captain, entered the cargo bay and immediately stopped talking. The new man smiled, a little strainedly.

"Hello," he said, striding towards them, "You must be our new passenger," Simon started to object, but he ignored him. "I'm captain Malcolm Reynolds, what's your name?"

"Meifeng Jones. But please, call me Mei." They shook hands. "My fiancé will be joining me, I hope that won't be a problem," she cast a glance at Simon.

"No, no. The more the merrier, as long as you can pay. You can pay, can't you?"

"Of course. Just let me call Lawrence."

She got an earpiece out of her pocket and pressed a few buttons before inserting it into her ear, "Lawrence, darling, I think I've found the perfect ship," there was a pause. "Umm, I'm across from a paper fan seller, there's an ad for Blue Sun to the left…Well, I know there are, but this one's slightly bigger than the others. Fine, I'll turn on the tracker." She took a small, rectangular electronic device out of her pocket and turned it on. "Hmm, you're a while away. Do you mind if I take the tour without you?…See you soon, bao bei. Love you!"

"How does that work?" The smiler asked.

"Whenever this is on, I can see where he is and he can see where I am, as long as we're on the same world. It's pretty cheap stuff."

"That, though," Mal said, pointing to her earpiece, "That's an expensive piece of equipment. Where'd you get it?"

"My parents gave it to me when I left home, so we could stay in touch. But it's not that expensive. Its at least five years old."

"Sorry, but we're not the most…modern...crew. We don't have much technology."

"Well, like I said, my parents got me this and Lawrence got me the tracker. I've never been the biggest fan of technology myself."

"Then you'll fit right in on this ship. Speaking of which, why don't I show you around, and you can get to know the crew," he gestured to the room they were standing in front of, "This is the cargo bay, nothin' much to say about it." They walked on. "This is our infirmary, I think you've met Simon, our medic. Best doctor flyin'. Anything happens, he'll patch you up." They ran up some staircases with open grating that gave Mei a strange sense of vertigo, then into a room with soft yellow walls and a floral pattern on the edges. Sitting at the table was a stony-looking woman who glared at Mei when she tried to smile at her. "This is the dining room, that there's the kitchen, you can help yourself. There are three sit-down meals a day; next one's in about 3 hours. And this is my first mate Zoe." The woman said nothing. Mal gave her a sad look before moving on.

"Is there something…wrong...with her?" Meifeng asked once they were out of earshot.

"Zoe? She hasn't been right since Miranda. Granted, I don't think any of us were quite right after that, but she just never really got over it."

"Miranda…you mean- Oh God! That woman, in the video, did she know her?" she asked, horrified. The footage from Miranda had given her nightmares, she couldn't even imagine what that would be like.

"No, it wasn't that." He didn't expand, and there were a few moments of silence. "Just try not to smile in front of her, that makes her mad. Though it might just be when we do it. I think she considers our moving on an insult to his memory."

"Whose memory?"

"And this is where you'll be sleeping, and your fiancé if you don't mind. If not, we have another bedroom right next door he can use."

"Whose memory?" she repeated.

He ignored her and walked away.

There was something suspicious going on here, and Mei was beginning to thoroughly regret choosing this ship.