Author's Notes: Written for a friend, who requested: "write me a river/simon (not incesty, just of them) with the line "you used to love to dance.""
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River remembered the grass. She used to love to sit in the park and look at it, and the trees, and nature. It was green and alive and beautiful.
Serenity didn't have grass, of course, it was a ship. It was made of metal and sharp corners and things that worked and had uses. Well, they were supposed to work, anyway, and things on ships were supposed to have uses, but she was certain the Captain had added things he didn't need. She didn't bother telling him so.
It was home, now. Simon had come and he was there and with her, and Serenity was home, but she had to admit that she missed the grass. Among other things. Lots of other things. She wished she could piece all of it together, or at least be able to explain it to Simon, because she wanted to help him fix her. She wanted to, because he wanted it, but she didn't know how.
And that was the most frustrating part. She always knew how – except that right now, she didn't. The world was in chaos.
She was in the kitchen. She didn't remember going in there, but somehow she was standing among the cans and fruit Jayne had bought, the stove, the utensils. The cans were what mattered. Take the label off, destroy it if she could, destroy every reminder, everything.
That's how Simon found her, and she felt guilty, of course. She wasn't getting better if she was breaking things, she wasn't fixing herself. She didn't know how. Destroy the labels.
"Shh, River, shh," he was holding her, rocking her as if she were a small child. She felt guilty, taking up his time like this, but she had to admit that she enjoyed it. Her brother loved her so much, and she enjoyed it, didn't want to let it go. She let him comfort her, even though he didn't understand.
"Bad, they were bad," she whispered. "I didn't mean to."
"It's okay, mei-mei. It's okay, you didn't hurt anything. I'm going to help you, I promise I'm going to help you."
She smiled. "Are you going to teach me to dance, Simon?"
He hugged her. "You used to love to dance. I'm just trying to help you find the music again."