Author's Note: This is a short chapter. Just a little introduction to Ophelia and her little group. I appreciate all of you that have been reading this and thanks to the couple of reviewers I've had. I hope as I continue the story, more of you will weigh in. Like I said, this is my first Firefly fic and I'd like to hear more from those of you who've written them, or read them, it can only help me write a better story.

Chapter 3

Jayne stood in the doorway of the infirmary and watched the labored breathing of the girl on the med-table. Images flashed through his mind. A frightened child tumbling naked from a crate. A wild-eyed girl slashing him with a knife. A warrior, chest heaving, standing over her fallen foes.

He ran one hand along the line of his jaw. It bothered him more than a little that he couldn't stop watching her. Irked him somethin' powerful. Sure, he'd gotten used to having her and that uppity brother of hers around, didn't mean he liked 'em any better. Had more respect for 'em now. Maybe even thought of them as part of the crew.

Up on the hull tonight, he'd been sure he was gonna be watching her take a swan dive. He could see bruises beginning on her arms where he'd grabbed and held her while her brother had doped her. It made him a little sick to his stomach seeing the ugly purple marks on her white skin. She'd been so calm until he touched her, then she'd fought like a banshee. Absently, he rubbed his fingers against the angry red marks on his arm where her fingernails had torn into his skin. She'd been like a wild thing, like the girl she was when she'd first come to Serenity.

Jayne could hear the whispered voices of the others coming from the galley. He knew they were all concerned about River, all wondering the same thing as him. What the hell made her go bat-shit tonight?

oOo

Jerimiah Stone moved languidly through the dark. His senses were open and he could feel tendrils of energy slithering out from the darkened corners of the city. Fear, lust, anger, pleasure. He ignored them all, they weren't what he was looking for. He was searching for something less tangible, more visceral.

Phelia? You sure she's still here? I can't find a damn thing. All I'm seeing is the usual sludge that comes out of this part of town.

I know what I felt. I was right about you, wasn't I?

Jeremiah laughed, drawing looks from his companions. He should have known better. In the years he'd been with Ophelia, he'd learned one thing, not to question. When she'd found him he'd been half-starved and feral. His mind a maze of pain and insanity. She'd brought him back from the brink, taught him to control the raging noise in his mind.

Looking over one shoulder, he called out to the woman standing on his left, "Tara? You picking anything up? Come on girl, help me out here."

The woman, tall and slender, raised one eyebrow and grinned, "What's the matter Wonder Boy? Super powers not working tonight?"

"Well, you know, he was making eyes with that little red-head right before we got pulled out. Maybe he jus' ain't thinkin' with the right head."

Tara laughed, "Now Matthias, that sounds more like you. Always can count on you to pick up on the.."her voice trailed off as they rounded the corner, "Now isn't that interesting?" she said as she moved to stand in front of a run down building.

Jeremiah scanned the area, quickly picking up what Tara was seeing, "Well I'll be damned." There in the dirt, mixing with the other psychic vapor was the unmistakable vibration of a talent. A pretty powerful one, too. "Mattias, you seeing this."

"Sure thing boss, got a bead on it," came the reply followed by a low whistle, "Damn, this girl is all over the place. Spiking out of control."

Phelia, we got a trail. Just outside of the Phang Brothers old place. Big ass spike, too. Looks like she had 'em running wide open.

Back in her room above the club, Ophelia grimaced. Where did she go? Can you tell?

"Tara, can you track her?"

The woman's eyebrow shot up again, "Seriously? Girl left a trail through the street like she was bleeding out. An initiate could track this girl."

She probably was bleeding out Jeremiah. Earlier tonight I was speaking to the council, there was a spike. I think she may have...

Jeremiah winced. Ophelia didn't have to finish the thought, he knew what could happen to one of them if they accidentally ran into the psychic energy of one elder, let alone the whole damn council.

"Okay people, we gotta find this girl now. She's probably already slipped into a dissociative fugue and if we don't get to her soon, she's going to go over the damn edge."

The other two trackers nodded, indicating they understood the seriousness of the situation. Silently, they moved away from the building and began following the girl's trail toward the docks.

oOo

Jayne couldn't sleep. He turned in his bed, trying to find a comfortable position. Something was off. Something just wasn't settin' right in his mind. He kept going over it, trying to find what they'd missed, trying to see what might have set River off, but there just wasn't anything. Nothin' he could put a name on anyway. Ain't gonna do no one any good if you're blown in the mornin' Cobb, he thought, Gotta' let it go. Girl ain't your concern anyhow. He flipped onto his back and closed his eyes trying to let go of the image of their pilot lyin' in that sterile room lookin' like a ghost. Eventually his breath evened out and he slipped into an uneasy rest.

oOo

Jeremiah stood in the shadows, looking at the ship in front of him. It was quiet now, as the city had drifted to sleep, the energies around them had settled. It was his favorite time, he could relax his guard a little without being buffeted by the constant barrage of thoughts and emotions streaming from the people around him.

We found it Phelia. Firefly class ship called Serenity. The girls trail ends here. It's likely she's being kept inside.

Can you retrieve her?

A second voice entered his mind, Mattais.

We'd need Catorina and Mikal. Even if we got in undetected, I can feel someone inside that's connected to her. The minute we moved her, we'd run the risk of detection.

It's your call Phelia. Do we go in?

Ophelia thought for a moment before replying, No, we wait. Get back here, I need to do some research.