Here we are again.
Without further ado...
River knocks with her foot, her whole left arm useless.
She waits a minute, listening to Mal as he stands and walks over slowly. He unlocks and opens the door, letting her in with no acknowledgment otherwise.
She walks in and sits a cup in her seat, taking a step over she holds the other cup out to him.
Mal stares into the black for a few moments before reaching up without looking and taking the mug.
River smirks and returns to her seat, picking up her mug and sitting with her legs tucked under her.
They sit until the smells of dinner come wafting in.
River waits still, Mal is stubborn.
Finally she clears her mind and takes a deep breath, "Risk. Not needed. Sorry."
Mal looks down to his cup of coffee and then back out to the stars.
"Little Albatross, where in the rosy sphincter o'hell do ya get off thinkin' that I'ma let ya do things like that? First time ya started a fight-fine. I'm okay with this usually.
"This time was different an' ya know it. For six years ya been on my ship, part of my crew. I think I'm fairly good at understandin' ya. So talk and ya best not dally."
River takes a sip of her coffee and stands, stepping over in front of Mal. She kneels in front of him and rests on her heels.
"You know I had good reason to fight at that bar."
Mal quirks an eyebrow, "Ah, but there's always reason. Ya always find a reason fer yer fightin' and ya always gotta be pulled in. This time was different."
River looks into her coffee, "Well, I wanted you all to leave. I could take them. And it's what she wanted. She does not want you all hurt, herself, other story."
Mal tenses and clenches his jaw, "Ya don't mean ta say,"
River met his eyes, "She means to say she only stopped this time because she saw you all getting hurt. Zoe would have been shot. It's why she told you to get Jayne and she took Zoe, she was the one who had to take the bullet.
"Zoe would have been dropped to the ground with her rhythm and uniqueness stopped. She can get hurt. She doesn't care if she is hurt. Her family is not to be hurt because of her or if she can avoid it.
"She will be pilot and hired gun. She takes the hits and blows when she can and sometimes when she can't."
Mal stares at her in perplexed awe and she blinks slowly, "If you three had not been there she was ready to fight until she dropped herself.
"She does not place value in herself. This time was different. But she's always been different."
Mal was so many emotions he felt his head swimming.
River stands and flits out, "Dinner is going to chill."
And then she was gone.