River led Shepherd Book to his old quarters. He was silent and deep in thought. River's mind was racing. She knew she must tell someone, anyone. She thought of the job description of a Shepherd, and made her decision.

"Shepherd Book?"

He turned to her in surprise, he had never heard her use his name before, "Yes, River?"

"Are you up to a confession?"

"Perhaps..."

"It is relevant to the events of recent times."

They arrived at his quarters and he sat on the bed and motioned River to sit next to him, "Go ahead."

She sat next to him, "After the events of Miranda things began to change. There are days when I can express what I really mean to say, when others can comprehend my meaning, without translation." She took a deep breath, "Today is one of those days. I need to take the opportunity to tell you some things that everyone needs to know. I chose you because I know you are the only one who can understand the significance of what I am going to say."

Shepherd took a deep breath, "I hope I can help you."

"I know you can. First I need to say that I don't see just pictures, most of it is feelings. I feel everyone's emotions magnified. Since Miranda the only emotions I had been feeling were intense loss and segments of physical passion from Simon and Kaylee." The shepherd smiled at that, "Her arrival was the only bastion of good emotion I could seem to find. The first moment I saw her, I was flooded with pictures and feelings of wonderful moments, and I knew she was the angel we had needed for a long time. The one thing that could fix Serenity, could make her whole and give her life again."

"What did you see River?"

"Many things. Things I can not reveal even now, for I am terrified they may change." She looked at Book with a pleading in her eyes.

"I understand River, go on."

" The first instance I experienced was two days before we reached Frontier."

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The crew had just dispersed from their meeting in the galley. Jayne had left grumbling something and Mal had gone in the opposite direction. Jia caught up with Mal quickly.

"Captain?"

Mal turned, "What?"

"I have a request."

Mal crossed his arms in front of his chest. The last time he had heard that phrase ti had ended with Zoe saying, 'Do not interfere' when she had wanted to marry Wash. "And?"

"Can you order Jayne to see his family when we reach frontier?"

That was not what he expected, but this woman had a way of doing that to him, "Why?"

"He needs to see them, he wants to see them, but he will never go for fear it would make him look weak."

"How exactly have you gathered this information, reading his diary, cause if so I'd like in on that."

Jia raised an eyebrow, "No, he brings his letters to the galley to read them. He really misses them. It's not that much to ask."

"What makes you think he would listen to an order of mine like that?"

"He will take any excuse to see them sir, I guarantee it."

Mal considered her for a while, "I'll think about it."

Jia smiled, "Thank you sir."

As she turned to go back to the galley and he added to her back, "That is not a yes."

She gave him a smile over her shoulder for a second and kept going. Mal smiled and shook his head.

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"And from this you gathered what?"

"She was concerned about the well being of a man who had done nothing to endear himself to her. He hadn't said much of anything to her. I also gathered she was intuitive and would feel what needed to be done. I had felt her nervousness on her first days, her sadness when talking of her family, but overall it was concern. She took special care to cook our feline passenger's food just right, and spent time with her when no one else was."

"Feline Passenger?"

River had forgotten for a second he hadn't been there, she had always felt him there, but the physical was different. "We took on a very expensive passenger before we went to Jayne's home planet. Before that Kaylee had been attacked while the Captain, Jayne, Zoe and I were on a job. I knew it was going to happen, but knew she had to let everyone know what she was capable of." Seeing Books confused expression, "She is a boxer and has extensive training in fencing." Book nodded, not really understanding, but trying his best to keep up.

"I knew she would never allow Kaylee to be hurt. After that she talked to me about my life and the Alliance's place in it. She asked me then why I called her the angel."

"What did you tell her?"

"That she was an archangel with broken wings, but that only Serenity could make her fly again. She didn't understand but it was enough for her to be comfortable with me."

"You like her a great deal don't you?"

"She is like no one I have ever met, not even my mother cared as much for me." She paused, "but that's not important. What is important is my own questioning of my sanity again. When the magician came aboard I started to doubt that my pictures would ever be developed. When I saw her, I was so confused. All I could sense around her was a brick wall. It's all I could think of, all I could feel. I knew she was blocking me, and others."

"What do you mean by that River?"

"When she would talk to anyone, she would use magic. A Magician uses a plausible distraction to confuse to audience. With Inara she used something Inara had been thinking about for a long time. She keep her thoughts on an emotional subject to screen thoughts of herself."

"Is that why Inara is not here?"

"No, Inara is not here because her life no longer coincides with Serenity's." Again Book didn't understand, "She needed to be away from here for life to go on, to move forward, not stagnate."

Now he understood. "The Captain."

River nodded, "He needs to be open, not distracted in the future. He needs to not be confused." Book nodded. "Anyway, when she talked to anyone it was the same smoke and mirrors. I confronted her one day while she was cooking."

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"The magician is not welcome here. She demands the angel's return."

She looked up, "What are you talking about sweetie?"

River stamped her foot, "Where is our angel?"

Jia's eyes turned to stone, "You should go find your brother darling."

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"I would have continued but my mind was once again flooded with images of a brick wall. I couldn't think of anything else. I just hid until I knew she was leaving Then I came out to make sure they followed her instructions. When they did I knew our Angel was here to stay." River smiled, having been able to articulate herself for the first time in years.

Book seemed lost in thought once again, "Who is this woman?"

"I told you, an angel."

River sat on his bed and told him Jia's story, at least what had happened up until then. She had learned telling the future would get you into trouble

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At the same time, Wash was leading his distraught wife down the hall towards their bunk. His thought a jumble of emotions and confused scenes. When they got down inside their bunk, he found himself holding his wife while she cried for the first time ever. He shushed her for ten minutes before she was once again herself. For the next hour they simply held each other in bed while each had their own train of thought. After that they made love, slowly, never wanting to forget.

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Mal hadn't slept in three days. He had stood vigil over Jia, even when it was other's turns. He was absolutely confused, and yet everything was so clear. River's prophetic words, The strange behavior of 'Jia' over the last days, everything. While everything around him was returning to normal, he was not. He remembered thinking that this woman made him confused more than anyone he had ever met, and he was right. He had met people who wouldn't even spare a nickel to save a million lives, but she had been willing to give her own just for a chance at giving this bunch of criminals their lives back. He was off kilter, uncomfortable in his own skin, changing deeply held ideas. Yes, he was definitely right about this girl. Just as he thought this he saw her move. Her head had been turned the other way, now it was turned towards him.

"Hello , Captain."

He went up to her and held her hand, "Hey Cook."

"How are the others?"

She amazed him yet again, "Everyone's good, thanks to you."

She smiled slightly, "What's the damages?"

"Doc's real good at what he does. Knitted all your broken bones and insides. You're gonna be stuck with a lot of bruises, but you'll pull through."

"Sounds good. Everything working out?"

"Havin' a little difficulties, but that ain't nothing new."

"When can I get back to work?"

Mal shook his head, "If you start worrying about that I'll strap you to this chair myself. You can get back to it when you feel better."

Simon chose that moment to rush in, "Why didn't you call me?"

"Having a nice chat with my cook, telling her to get up and cook me something."

Simon gave him a look and went back to Jia, "How are you feeling?"

"Not as bad as I did when I came on board this ship the last time. Thanks doc."

Simon smiled, "My job."

She tried to sit up and sat back in pain.

"You are still going to have a lot of pain while your bruises heal. You can move to your quarters in a few days when you feel better."

"Sounds good."

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It was four days later when Jia moved to her bunk, Kaylee spending most of her time with her there. Now that she was awake, Mal stayed away. The day she moved to her bunk she had unexpected visitor. It was a man with grey hair and equally grey clothing. She was resting, trying to fill her time with what she deemed useless activities, when he entered.

"My name is Shepherd Book. I understand I owe my existence to you."

Jia laughed a little, "I wouldn't go that far."

"I and everyone else would. Thank you."

"Your welcome." Jia was clearly uncomfortable with being thanked, so Book went on to more important subjects.

"River and Kaylee seem quite taken with you."

"I like them too. I've never really had time for friends, so it's different for me. How is everyone else?"

"Zoe and Wash spend most of their time together alone, but no one can blame them. Simon is working on new improved ways to help you recover faster, along with trying to figure out how myself and Wash came to be. His theory is that it's a very advanced form of cloning. Our Captain spends his time between brooding and working, so nothing new there. Kaylee is with you when she's not sleeping. And River and I have been talking a lot."

Jia waited. When he didn't continue, she asked, "And Inara? I mean I know she doesn't care for me, but she could at least come and say hi."

"You don't know then."

"What?"

"Inara left. She discontinued her rent on the shuttle."

Jia was stunned, "Why?"

Book searched for the right words, "According to River, the future. I'm not quite sure how that works, but that is what she says."

"I didn't expect that."

"I don't think anyone but River did. That's usually the way things go around here though. So what have you been doing?"

"Trying to find things to do. D you know any books I could read that would be interesting. Simon gave me his library reference, but I don't know what to look up. I quit school kinda early."

Book smiled. This was a subject he knew. They spent the rest of the afternoon discussing reading material.