Mal quickly made his way to the screaming. He ran into the kitchen to find all of his passengers and Kaylee and Simon. River was there too; she was the one screaming. Simon was trying to calm her. She was hugging Camille. Quite tightly.

"Calm yourself, Mei mei." Camille said, holding a sobbing River to her. "Shhh." River couldn't calm. It was obvious that she was happy, but she wouldn't be calm. Simon, after about fifteen minutes of this, was forced to sedate her. He took her to her room, and came back to the kitchen to find Mal questioning Camille. Simon was rather eager to know why River went nuts at the sight of this woman.

"So, how do you know her?" Mal asked, his arms crossed.

"We were in the Academy together." Camille replied, looking at Simon as he entered. "I tried to do what I could to look out for her. They let me go a few months back. They say I was a failure. I am surprised they didn't kill me. I got a wave from River, not too long ago. She told me where she was, and that she wanted me there too. I did what I could to find her. I have no other family. I had to see her one last time." Camille responded, looking at her shoes.

"River never said anything about you." Simon said.

"But think, how much does River really tell anyone?" Camille responded.

"Wait, when you say you were a 'failure,' what exactly does that mean?" Mal interjected.

"It means that they made it all the way through their experiments with me, and decided that I wasn't good enough. I am a weapon, like River, just not the exact weapon they wanted me to be." Camille said. "I am sure by now you know what I mean, having been around River so long."

"Why ain't you crazy like the other?" Jayne asked.

"I got completely through their experiments. They made it so I could handle the secrets and voices better. I can control myself, whereas she cannot. I have always been told that I have a very strong mind."

"So, I have another wanted fugitive on my ship. Wonderful." Mal sighed.

"Um, not exactly. They let me go. They don't want me. I am a citizen, allowed onto any planet, no problem." She replied.

"That don't sound like Alliance, sir." Zoe replied.

"No, it don't." Mal said, eyeing Camille.

"I know it doesn't. But that is what happened."

"Well, we'll see how it goes. But you had best make sure no alliance comes after my ship." Mal said, and walked away.

A few hours later, Camille went to the infirmary. Simon was cleaning up and taking inventory. "I was wondering about when River would wake again."

"She should wake up within the hour. Would you like to see her?" He asked.

"That would be lovely." Camille replied.

Simon led her to River's bunk. River was on her bed, sleeping. Camille walked in and sat in a chair. Simon watched as she touched River's face. She looked at Simon. "Thank you." She smiled.

"It's not a problem. I…she never talked about any friends from the Academy." Simon said. Camille could tell that he was confused. His thoughts told her that he was upset that River never told him about Camille.

"She doesn't like to talk about anything that happened there. Don't be upset with her. She couldn't handle it. I don't know how well she will handle me being here, but I couldn't help it. I love my Mei mei." Camille replied.

"I know. I just wish she would tell me." Simon sighed.

"Give her time." Camille answered, running her fingers through River's hair.

Simon watched as River's eyes opened and looked up at Camille. She smiled slightly, then asked "Not a fragment of imagination?"

"Not imaginary, real. Rest now, Mei mei." Camille said to her. "I'll be here when you wake." When she looked up, Simon was gone.

~oOoOo~

"I don't think I had any other choice. We don't exactly have anywhere to stop." Mal said.

"She's trouble." Zoe replied.

"I ain't said she ain't. But I can't just throw her out the air-lock for nothin'." Mal replied.

"Drop her on Verbena. It's right on the way."

"I will if she makes trouble. If not, she gets the full ride, and we get the full payment." Mal replied. Zoe nodded, leaving him then.

~oOoOo~

Everyone had noticed it, but no one had really commented on it. Having Camille around River calmed the girl. River didn't do much crazy rambling while she was around her friend. Camille even did the younger girl's hair, which wasn't much, but did make River look less crazy.

At the moment, they were sitting in the lounge area outside the infirmary, drawing. There was enough math involved in drawing that they could both do it with ease. Camille was coloring her picture of River when Mal entered, walking past them, into the infirmary, where Simon was running tests on one of River's blood samples.

"We'll be to Verbena soon. Got a possible job. Its underdeveloped enough, you could take your sister for a walk." Camille heard Mal say.

"Do you remember that time I was kidnapped by mountain hicks?" Simon asked.

"Couldn't forget it. Just hope that means you won't let it happen this time." With that, Mal walked away. Camille, without meaning to, heard Mal's thoughts. ~ The girl hasn't been as crazy lately, deserves a walk around. ~

"I know." River said, looking up from her drawing. "He thinks loud." This made Camille smile.

They landed a few minutes later, and Simon came up to River. "Lets go for a walk, Mei mei. Maybe we can find something for you to buy."

"Camille comes too," was all River said as she stood. Camille raised an eyebrow to Simon, asking permission.

"Of course Camille is welcome to join us." Simon said, making River smile.

They set out, and came to a small town. This was obviously a logging town; every building was a log building and there were stacks of logs everywhere, being shipped everywhere.

Simon led the two girls into a small general store. They all looked around, Camille having to keep River from touching too much. Camille decided to buy herself a bag of spearmint hard candy. She was looking around at everything, when she saw it. It was the most beautiful dress she had ever seen. The top was short sleeved, and twisted around the collar. It was well fitted to the hips, where the skirt started. The skirt wasn't straight cut, but had long points then short spots, always ending in a long point again. She quickly bought it and stuck it in her bag.

Then it hit her.

She ran to the front of the store where River and Simon were waiting. River was already twitching slightly, her fingers pressing into her temples.

"River, what is it?" Camille heard Simon ask River.

"It's Reavers. We have to get back to the ship. NOW." With that, Camille grabbed Rivers hand and pulled her behind her as she ran back toward Serenity. As they got near, they heard gunshots.

Mal, Zoe and Jayne were blocked from the ship by a group of thirty or more Reavers. They were putting bullets into them, but it didn't seem to be doing much good. Camille ran up toward Jayne, who had a long gun in his hand. She ripped the gun from Jayne as she passed, and, holding it by the barred, she ran toward the Reavers.

The first one she came to, she smashed through his head with the gun. She grabbed the dead Reaver's sword and began to kill the others. One by one, they fell.

Mal thought she fought with grace, but that she was crazy. Who just runs into a huge group of Reavers? He watched as she kicked and slashed with a long-sword. She really was a piece of work. When she finally stood in a heap of Reavers, blood dripping off her body, Mal couldn't think anything but how useful she would be. Anything ever went sour on a job, she could handle it; maybe even know it would happen before it did.

They all got on the ship, and Mal went up, seeing as River was not doing well at the moment, and got them the Diyu off that rock. Once they were broke atmo and he had navigation set, he went down to look for the woman who just saved their skins. And his ship.

He found her in the infirmary, slightly cleaner than she was when they got on the ship, but still bloody. She was stitching up a gash in her arm- on her own!

"One of those zanf houzi buyao lians got me." She mumbled. "And Ive done this before, no need to be surprised. I was a nurse before they took me." She said, the needle in between her teeth as she tied off the string.

"And you don't need to be reading minds." He answered. She never even looked at him and knew he was surprised to see her stitchin' herself back up.

"You think loud." She said, smirking around the needle.

"I think loud? Is that even possible?" He asked, crossing his arms over his chest.

"It is when you have two psychics on your ship." She raised an eyebrow, then sighed. "Plus, when either River or I get stressed we get closer to a breakdown, like she had earlier. If we can concentrate on one person's thoughts, it really helps. It keeps us grounded. I'm trying to teach River that. She has trouble."

"Well now, that is weird." He replied. She only shrugged. "Well, anyway, I wanted to offer you a spot on my ship, for good. You could come in handy on a job, being able to tell when something will happen before it does. And that fighting of yours could be an advantage."

"I suppose it could be." She responded, washing some of the blood off her arms. "But it does ruin dresses." She sighed, looking at her torn and blood stained dress. It had been very beautiful before.

"You could also stay around River. I am sure you would both like that. She seems a might calmer with you around." He said.

Camille was silent for a few minutes. Then she sighed. "I don't have anywhere else to go. I don't have any family. River is the only family I have. And Serenity has been more of a home than I've had in awhile. Maybe ever. So yes, Ill take that job offer." She said, giving the captain a small smile, "Thank you."

"Well, you're useful." Is all he said before walking away.