"River, I need you at the bridge. The Doc says that Wash can't pilot yet, and I want you here to keep Serenity safe." Mal responded tightly. "You ain't comin' on this job, no matter what logic you got. Do your part for the crew and get on the bridge."
"Can't protect the crew when I'm locked inside." River replied slowly, close to panic. "Can't be a reader when not close enough to read."
Mal stepped in close to her. "I need you to be the pilot, not the reader, just for today, dong ma?" he asked quietly, carefully. "The crew that's settin' foot on moon can take care of themselves. Serenity can't though. I need you to protect Serenity for me, alright mei mei?" he stared intently into her eyes, letting her read him.
Big eyes blinked up at him. "Protect Serenity. Wait for you to come back. We'll be here." She nodded once before disappearing in the direction of the bridge.
xxx
Strong arms wrapped around her middle where she stood on the bridge, staring into the Black. "I know you ain't fond of being kept away from the danger, but sometimes I need you here. Sometimes I need the certainty that Serenity is in safe hands." Mal explained softly, feeling out his words slowly.
River turned in his arms to face him, to study him. "The moonbrained girl is safe hands?" she asked curiously.
Mal scowled at the words, just as he always had done. "The woman in front of me is safe hands, I ain't seen the moonbrained girl in a long while. There's not many folks I would trust with my boat, River, best you understand the full weight of that trust…"
He opened his thoughts to her so that she could see all that she meant to him and all that he thought of her. It had been a long time since she was in Mal's thoughts, given his natural inclination to guarding his mind.
River found acceptance and awe, trust with his crew and his boat, and hope. Hope that his patchwork family and home could be enough to keep her around because he didn't want to see her go anywhere else.
She leant against his chest, wrapping her arms around his waist. "Don't need the crew or the ship, Mal, I'd stay just for you. I'd stay on any gorram rock as long as you were there." She whispered quietly. She felt him tense, and the buzz of his thoughts as he assessed what she meant. When he didn't relax she tugged him to the co-pilot chair and forced him to sit, then curled up in his lap.
"River?" his voice full of uncertainty. "You mind telling me what you're up to mei mei?" he asked softly. She knew he was uncertain and wary of his own motives, but didn't want to hurt her. Always careful of her feelings.
She took his hands and wrapped them around her waist and he slowly started to relax. "Showing you, Mal. Showing you what I mean. I'm not your mei mei." A small hand crept up to his shoulder, slender fingers fiddling with the hair at the nape of his neck. "You worry that you'll lead me astray, that I'll do things I don't want to. Worry that you're too old and too jaded. Not going to happen, Mal, any of it. Only good things." She murmured quietly before reaching up to brush a kiss across his lips.