Author: Kate (Armygirl96)

Pairing:Mal/Inara, River/Jayne, Simon/Kaylee

Length: 931 words

Rating: K, but could go up later

Summary: Set right after the BDM. River runs into and old classmate from the academy, and things start to get a little squirrelly for the crew. I'm horrible at summaries, but give it a chance!

Chapter 1

River

"What was that?" Mal asked, annoyance coloring his tones. River could hear him cursing Kaylee (in good nature, of course. The cap'n could never really be mad at Kaylee.), the ship, the parts dealer they'd gotten the new primary buffer panel that had just flown past the bridge window from, the Alliance... basically everyone he could think of.

"Was that the primary buffer panel? Did the gorram primary buffer panel just fall off my ship again? After I just went and spent cashy money we needed for other things on a shiny new-ish one?" He asked, looking over at River for answers.

"Don't need an answer to a query already known. She could have told you that you had approximately two solar days, seventeen hours, fifty two minutes and four seconds before the primary buffer panel detached itself from Serenity and flew away like a bird. Didn't want to be attached to the new ship, wanted to be free even though it was welcomed like a child to Serenity's bosom." She looked back at Mal, who was looking at her with a confused expression on his face.

"You didn't ask."

Mal sighed and stood up. "Well, Li'l Albatross, I'd take it as a kindness that you tell me next time I'm about to be cheated outta money we stole fair and square, even if'n I don't think to ask. We aren't all mind-reading, genius killer women here on this boat. Dong ma?" At her nod, he turned away. "Well, I should be going to find Kaylee, then."

"She will be indisposed with Simon for the next half an hour. The girl can get us to Persephone in time for our next job, but she needs to be felt alone to calculate entry vectors and to plot the best route so she doesn't make us explode. Inara wants to speak to you."

Nodding, Mal left the bridge for Inara's shuttle, wondering if he should knock or not.

As annoying as it could be to hear the thoughts of those she lived with, it could be amusing to listen in on Mal and Inara when they were bickering- the actual fighting just hurt River. It was obvious to everyone but them that they belonged together- the ceaseless ribbing just served to keep the swirling inferno of their emotions at bay.

Kaylee and Simon- well, River chose to keep her thoughts as far away from their shared bunk as possible. As much as she loved her brother and her best friend, they were a little too... loud for River.

Zoe, while being stoic around the crew, cried at night in the bunk she shared with the memories of her fallen husband. The life growing inside of her wasn't real enough to her yet to help with her sorrow. River wished that the fog obscuring her brain had lifted earlier- if she could have seen what was coming, she knew she could have saved the pilot.

Jayne was the easiest to be around, as strange as it was. His thoughts were simple- not stupid, just not so... snarled up as the rest of the crews. He wasn't as loud and intrusive on her brain.

"Yes, Jayne?" She called, hearing him lurking about outside the door to the bridge.

Lately, since he'd seen what she was capable of, he had been more respectful around her. He still called her moonbrain and feng li, but she was used to that. He was truly sorry for what he had done on Ariel, and River couldn't make herself stay mad at him when he was trying to make it better.

" I, uh, well, Mal wanted me to talk to you about-" He trailed off, frowning.

River knew what he wanted, but in her experience, people didn't like it when you muddled about in their private thoughts. She'd let him get it out in his own time.

"Mal wants me to train you. Can't see as why, what with you takin' out all them Reavers like they weren't nothin, but he wants you as a second gun hand, and since I'm the first..."

River nodded. She had seen this coming, even without the reader abilities. "I will train with you. It will be- Ahh!" An unbearably sharp pain flashed through her mind, like someone was trying to stir her brains up with a hot poker. She grabbed her head and slid off of the chair to the floor.

She vaguely heard Jayne asking what was wrong before yelling for Mal and Simon.

Mal was the first to arrive, taking control of the pitching ship as Simon ran in with his medical bag.

The pain was fading, so she waved Simon off. "What happened, mei mei?" He asked, kneeling beside her.

There was only one answer- she'd only felt that pain once before.

"Jason"

A/N: oooh, a cliffhanger already lol! Who's Jason, and why is the pain related to him? You'll only find out if you hit that little purple button. Constructive criticism welcomed! It's my first firefly fic, so I hope they were all in character!