Simon stood on the catwalk watching River dance. It was always a bittersweet experience. He loved to watch her, the graceful elegance of each and every movement was a testament to her talent. She was ethereal in her beauty and fluidity. Each time she put on the point shoes he had gotten for her and let herself go and dance as she once did it gave him hope that she was recovering and would one day be whole again. It was a sweet victory that the Academy hadn't taken that from her, her ability to dance with childish abandon. Though there was always the pain that followed that thought. The weight of the knowledge that he had been unable to protect her as was his duty. His mei mei had suffered greatly at the hands of the Academy and he had been utterly powerless to keep her safe. The atrocities she had been forced to endure still haunted him; his failure to shield her from the verse and all of its monstrosities was like a constant shredding of his very soul.

Now that he had her back he was determined never to fail her again but his efforts to protect her seemed to cause as much harm. He could admit that he still saw her as the little girl that had left for the Academy. He knew in his mind that the horrors she had lived with had aged and matured her in their own way. She was no longer a child but a woman. Though his heart could not agree. In his heart she was still his little mei mei who had fallen out of the neighbor's lemon tree when she was eight and hurt her arm.

His defensiveness caused friction with the crew, but he couldn't help it. It was a knee jerk reaction to staunchly oppose any plan in which they wanted to make use of River's unique abilities. Almost an uncontrollable, primal need to keep her safely out of the Captain's dealings.

"Ge ge thinks too loudly." River said, coming up behind Simon and startling him from his musings.

"Apologies." He answered, smiling affectionately down at her. "How do you feel?" He asked in his usual way.

"She is well, as he knows." She said dismissively, a knowing look gracing her features.

He almost laughed but settled for a small smile and a slight shake of the head. "Shi." He replied.

A noise caught their attention and both siblings turned to watch Jayne lumber into the cargo hold and over to his weight bench. As he sat down he pulled his white muscle shirt over his head and dropped it on the floor next to him. Looking up he caught sight of River and grimaced. "Moonbrain been doin' her twirly goh shi again?" He said, his voice lacking its former disgust. Ever since Miranda the merc had lost his bitterness towards the siblings, now his jabs were more familiar taunting that true bile. "Never seen anythin' like it." He said before reaching for his weights.

At his words the lithe girl froze, her eyes glazing over, her body shuddering slightly. "Death in darkness. Clicking, gnashing, tearing, bleeding in steaming wet darkness. Death in darkness met its match and was found wanting. Death's end approaches and with it comes one who long ago was lost." She rambled frantically.

"Xiao mei mei…" Simon said softly, trying to reach her in what ever place her mind had wandered to.

The change in the Tams had caught Jayne's attention, seeing River's state he put down the weights quietly, having learned long ago that loud noises while she was like this had bad consequences. Moving across the cargo bay and up the stairs to stand in front of her. "Moonbrain, come back to us. Come back to Serenity little girl." He said gently, careful not to touch her.

His words brought River's attention to him though her eyes were still glazed and hazy as first light on Sihnon.

"Da bienhua." She said, her eyes moving back and forth. "Xiong can sha shou." She mumbled. "Xiao mei mei."

Her eyes suddenly cleared and focused to meet Jayne's. "They are coming…" She whispered gently.

Translations:

mei mei - younger sister

ge ge - big brother

goh shi - crap

xiao mei mei - little sister

da bienhua - big changes

xiong can sha shou - ruthless killer