Disclaimer* I do not own firefly or anything related to the 'verse except my very well used DVD's and soundtrack (so shiny)*
Simon knew from the second he woke up it was going to be one of those days.
Upon waking Simon was to dismayed to realise he had lost yet another shirt (due to the last mission gone wrong), the infirmary was running woefully low on supplies (again due to the same mission gone wrong), and then had spent the better part of an hour attempting to get River settled down enough to join the rest of the crew for breakfast the reasons for said outburst had yet determined.
Rounding out the morning's wondrous agenda, the Captain had announced over breakfast that he, Zoe, and Jayne would be meeting an old "friend" to trade off the goods from this week's latest heist and, in light of some minor personality issues that had marked their last meeting, not to expect them back before supper.
As usual the rest of Serenity's crew had reacted accordingly to the news
Shepherd Book had turned to prayer and meditation after a "light" workout, although considering that man's definition of light Simon was increasingly curious as to what kind of monastery did that man belonged too?
Wash had mapped out the quickest escape routes and marked which ones were nearest medical facilitates just in case the mission (for some unknown reason) went south . . . again.
Kaylee had gone to work ensuring all of Serenity's part were chugging, whirring, and humming merrily along to aid in any of Wash's anticipated getaways and if anyone had taken the time to peek into her engine room they would have seen the young mechanic happily dancing and singing to herself while she worked steadily throughout the day.
Inara had a lunch date and returned mid afternoon to retire to her shuttle trying not to appear worried for her wayward captain (who she swore up and down she could not care less about outside of their obvious business responsibilities, as if Simon believed that)
Simon prepped the infirmary as best he could, considering the circumstances, for the guests he expected to be gracing him with their presence following the hand off.
And River? Well River had for some reason come to the conclusion that she had, in fact, seen a fairy upon waking that morning and was content to spend the rest of the day following it around and attempting to hold a steady conversation (apparently fairies aren't known for their long attention spans), mystified when only Wash seemed to understand the presence of Serenity's latest "guest's".
Simon was exhausted. The trade-off had gone down as usual, meaning that when the crew returned 4 hours late he had found himself with plenty to do. Zoe had gotten off lucky, spotting the danger early and managing to receive only bumps, bruises, and a small graze on her arm. Mal had confirmed his hard headedness with a concussion and some bruised ribs courtesy of brawling tactics gone wrong and Jayne had somehow managed to get shot twice necessitating surgery . . . again. Now in the early hours of morning Simon was tired, dirty and ready to go to bed.
"Long day there doc, shouldn't you be in bed or something?" Zoe drawled from the shadows exhaustion evident in her voice.
Simon looked up startled and shaking his head "Zoe, I could say the same for you, unfortunately everybody's favourite gunman has proven himself to be a challenge yet again and I've only just gotten him settled for the night. He'll pull through but it was close this time."
"Which is why I repeat myself shouldn't you be in bed doc?" Zoe said with a kind smirk
"As soon as I check on River, I'm afraid I left her on her own entirely too long today, even if she was content to entertain herself. Book said she made it to bed well, but I just like to make sure" He said with a hapless shrug.
"You're a good brother Simon but you work too hard, you're no good to anyone if you run yourself into the ground and this crew finds itself in need of your services far too often to risk losing our favourite doctor"
Simon smiled tiredly while walking up to River's door and quietly sliding it open "Thank you Zoe I'll keep that . . . River? She's not here!"
"Calm down doc, what do ya mean she's not in there?" Zoe questioned deftly stepping around Simon to observe River's empty room and obviously unmade bed.
"Her room it's empty, Oh no Mal will kill me. He told me I wasn't to leave her unsupervised and besides our overbearing, stubborn captain's inadequate understanding of caring for an emotionally traumatised and mentally fragile teenage girl, do you realise how much trouble she could get into on her own, she could be hurt or cold or"
Zoe thought carefully for a minute "Wait just a sec doc, I think have an idea" and without another word Zoe quickly began to stride towards Serenity's bridge.
Simon followed Zoe silently as they left the passengers' quarters. Serenity hummed her quiet reassurance as the semi-anxious pair made their way through the ship, almost amused at their unnecessary concern.
Meanwhile, outlined softly in the bridge's dim night lighting, Wash was lazily pushing buttons while occasionally looking off to his side and smiling softly. Simon and Zoe easily climbed the final staircase only to be quickly shushed by the smiling pilot before either could utter a sound. Upon entering the room a peacefully sleeping River was revealed to be curled up, asleep, in the co-pilot's seat, not a sign of the pain or nightmares which had now became the norm in her night time existence.
Quickly recognizing the shock on their faces, Wash motioned for the confused duo to follow him and without a word began to lead them toward the empty kitchen.
Upon entering the kitchen, Wash rummaged around until he found his favourite mug (bright yellow with an odd purple dinosaur in a Hawaiian shirt that River had found planet side and the store owner had gifted her for being such a "sweet, odd child". Simon, on the other hand, was sure just looking at the mug could cause heartburn and the women had been grateful to get rid of the ancient and unmoveable merchandise), poured himself a cup of coffee and made himself comfortable at the table. Simon and Zoe observing his actions and curious for the upcoming explanation followed his example and grabbed their own mugs of lukewarm coffee before Simon burst out
"What is going on and why is my sister sleeping in the co-pilot's chair?"
Wash blissfully ignored him and took a huge gulp of his drink "mmmmm coffee, hmmm? How was your day lambytoes? Did the doc patch you up nice and whole?"
Zoe picking up on Wash's obvious ease was now amused and realising there was more to the situation than met the eye, happily replied after take a sip of her own brew "Why yes my dear husband, the trade-off went exactly as expected right down to the fire exchanged and the good doc has declared me right as can be expected for a member of this fine crew."
Simon watched the exchange with poorly concealed panic "excuse me, not to interrupt, but why is my sister not asleep in her room like she's supposed to be!"
"River?" the pilot questioned "Cause she's been sleeping on the bridge for the last hour keeping me company while my lambytoes did all those captainy things our fearless leader is currently unable to complete due to him being all concussed and such, didn'tcha know our room's all cold and scary when I'm alone so I have to wait for my beautiful and fierce wife to come and protect me" he finished with a goofy grin as Zoe leaned over smacking Wash upside the head.
"Okay, sorry doc, you look confused and you've had a long day so let me explain just be patient okay? I need to start at the beginning."
Simon interrupted "the beginning? This isn't the first time River has snuck up to the bridge?"
"Okay doc, that would be an example of not being patient" Wash said smiling still finding the situation humorous "A couple of months ago, I guess it was just after you guys got captured on Ariel now that I think about it. Well, I was up late making course corrections cause the Captain was being all paranoid and such being that deep in Alliance territory with that much merchandise on board. When out of nowhere, River dances into the cockpit like she owns the place. She takes one look at me, turns towards the stars and then plops, and I mean plops there was no scary gracefulness in that movement, into the other chair, grinning like the cat that had caught the mouse. She wasn't harming anything, and she looked so content, so I let her stay. She just watched the stars for about an hour and then got up and left, hadn't said or touched nothing, just looked out the window and smiled like she was daydreaming the whole time.
After that night, anytime you were up late doctorin, she couldn't sleep, or she was have trouble she'd come up and sit shotgun, watching the sky and grinnin' never saying a word. She'd always leave just as quiet and mysterious when she decided she was done.
I probably should have told you but I figured she wasn't hurting anyone and nobody else seemed to know or care, plus turns out she's great company. So I found an old blanket
"The blanket she was wrapped in now" interjected Simon only to be silenced just as quickly by a warning look from Zoe who was amazed by her husband's obvious and tenderness towards the youngest and most fragile crew member.
"As I was saying I found a blanket and left it up there, the next time River came for a late night visit I pointed it out to her, she smiled at me, whirled it around her shoulders and curled up in her usual spot. After that she started curling up every time, sometimes she was so comfortable that she even started napping during our 'visits' she looked like any other teen girl, no sign of those nightmares she's been through and yes we all know about the nightmares, some night we can hear 'em not that anyone other than Jayne blames either of you.
One night I finally got up the nerve to ask her why she chooses to make that her safe retreat, I mean I know why I love sitting up there: the freedom of flying, the sense of soaring, it's exhilarating, it's a place where you can forget and just be yourself but I was always curious what drew her to my sanctuary. It's weird, I mean we never actually made a rule that those times had to be silent we just sort of fell into that routine and it became an unspoken boundary we never crossed but I've never been good with curiosity apparently I'm like a little kid that way" Wash said with a grin before turning thoughtful
"She told me it was the dance. She loved watching the sky come to life, dancing through its cosmic choreography, whirling to unseen rhythms. She had this look of ultimate longing and wistfulness. Apparently watching everything move in its place calmed her mind, let her order her thoughts and find some peace, some refuge from the horrors in her head.
She seemed to be in so much pain when she was talking, she actually looked afraid I might tell her she had to leave and that she'd lose her sanctuary. I couldn't do it, I'm a sucker for a sad face and those puppy dog eyes, I told her on nights like these when she needed too, she could come up and watch the stars for as long as she needed, so long as she didn't touch anything. Kind of a mi casa es su casa thing, only we already share a house like space so maybe that's the wrong metaphor. Anyway she's honoured her part and I honoured mine. She's been a twice weekly minimum visitor ever since. You're not mad at us are ya doc?' Wash asked with an anxious look finishing up his coffee in one swig. "We really meant no harm just two lonely friends trying to help each other out"
Simon paused considering what he had just learned. His little sister had been sneaking out under his very nose for months in order to sit and look at the stars with a lonely pilot and their faithful ship. How was he supposed to feel? Should he be upset? Any number of things could have gone wrong during these visits and Simon would have been none the wiser. River was his responsibility he should have known.
Zoe looked on nervously at the two men. She knew the doc might be a problem. He was so protective of his sister it rivalled the way the captain took care of those under his command. At the same time she knew her husband was merely trying to help a broken and scared girl find some peace and maybe find some of his own, she swore that man must have had a dozen stray animals as a child that he just couldn't bear to leave alone. What was the doc going to do?
Before her question could be answered, however, the late night conversers found a new participant joining their party. Through the door danced River herself, looking sleepy, peaceful, and far more grounded than she had in days.
Upon finding the late night coffee meeting River smiled and in a dreamy voice admonished "silly crew even the stars know enough to say goodnight."
"River! What are you doing come I'll put you to bed."
"Simon your brain is tired." River said sticking out her tongue playfully "and so am I, why are you so worried, Wash takes care of me and Serenity won't harm me, you are my brother but they are my family too. You worry too much and rest too little, doctors should heal themselves."
"But River" Simon sputtered, Zoe's earlier warnings about his health resurfacing.
"No Simon I had to watch the stars, hear their song, see their dance, Wash understands why can't you? Come the fairies say you need to sleep."
Simon rolled his eyes and shook his head. He was far too tired to understand everything River said, although she was surprisingly coherent all fairies musings aside, the thought of bed now that River was found safe and sound were too tempting to pass up. So when River gently pushed him in the direction of their quarters, Simon offered no resistance, instead smiling in remembrance of days long past when his younger sister used to do this very action when Simon had stayed up to late studying and had fallen asleep over his homework.
River went to follow her brother but before leaving paused and looked back to where Zoe, taking River's cue, had started to help a sleepy Wash rise and head for bed themselves. Wash looked over to where the young girl had paused, smiling and responded with a gentle smile of his own and a slight question in his eyes.
"til next time?"
"til next time."
Simon still didn't know quite what to think upon waking the next morning. Truth be told the last 24 hours complete with failed mission, Jayne's surgery, River's disappearance, and late night coffee with Zoe and Wash were all still melded together into a confusing blur, Simon didn't think he had been this tired since his med school days. But what to do about River's late night excursions, he still didn't feel comfortable with the idea of River wandering around and being near so many of Serenity's vital system's while the crew slept without his supervision. After all he was River's brother, her protector, and he wasn't going to fail her again.
Shaking his head Simon headed to River's room to collect her for a morning check-up and their daily breakfast ritual. Upon arriving at her door, Simon was surprised to hear silence rather than the rummaging around she normally did as part of her morning routine. Opening her door Simon peered in, afraid that he may once again be faced with an empty space and a rumpled bed, but was surprised to find the complete opposite. There, lying quietly was River, looking just like any other teenage girl peacefully asleep and curled up in her covers, seemingly oblivious to the world. Deciding to let his mei mei sleep just a little longer. Simon realised that although the doctor and protector in him would never be comfortable with River's first steps towards regaining her life, the big brother in him was cheered to see hints of his mei mei returning from her personal hell.
Unnoticed in these moments by Simon, Wash had been silently watching these early morning musings from the hallway and quickly realised that he and his co-pilot's late night meetings had received her guardian's official blessing. With a smile on his face, Wash headed back to his room with a new spring in his step, maybe next time he'd instruct his co-pilot on the importance of the relationship between flying and plastic dinosaurs.