"We should reach Whitefall in about four days."
Everyone was gathered around on the bridge, talking about a job they were about to do. Mal was the one talking, just having gotten up from the pilot's seat. Only a year since Wash died, little dinosaurs and palm trees still littered the console.
"When we get the-" Mal had started a scentence which would have continued a lot farther if he hadn't been interrupted by River's incessant laughter.
"What's so funny?" Jayne said, staring in the direction River was looking. Seeing nothing, he dismissed the laughter as some craziness factor. River was laughing so hard she had forgotten anyone were around. She clutched at her chest, short of breath and hair raining down her face. Her mouth was open in a large, wide smile.
Everyone stared at her.
She looked around. Mal looked confused, Jayne was completely convinced River was crazy, and Kaylee looked a little worried. Zoe looked at her and the blank air next to her with concern. River ceased laughing, too quickly to actually stop, and started to edge out of the room. Suddenly she started up again.
Simon walked in, about to ask the captain about something, when he saw everyone staring at his little sister. River was trying to stop laughing, but failing miserably. She continued to edge out of the room.
Her laughter settled down a lot at once, like someone turning down the fire on a stove. "It's broken," she said, looking at empty space. Zoe looked at River in confusion. But suddenly, the air in front of River wasn't so empty anymore. Everyone but River and Zoe jumped back, breath caught in their throats, looking at the newcomer.
He was a boy. He was about River's age, and he had dirty blonde hair and amber eyes. He had a goofy grin on his face as he looked around at everyone. He was wearing baggy clothes and his hands were stuck in his pockets.
He looked down at his hand. Zoe walked over to him. Much to everyone's surprise, she held up his hand like the map to an unexplored area, examining one of his fingers. "Why doesn't it work?" he said to Zoe, his eyes darting between her and his silvery-blue ring. "It's been working just fine my whole life."
"I don't know. River?"
"Some things broke just can't be fixed," River said, imitating Kaylee, who, like Mal, Jayne, and Simon, looked completely lost and confused. Hating this state of helplessness, Mal piped up.
"Who is this?" he asked, looking at Zoe and pointing at the boy.
Zoe looked up at Mal, then to the once-nonexistent boy. She looked cornered. Sighing, she hesitantly replied:
"Sir, this is my son."