Serenity: Modern Day. (Well, modern as in 500 years from now.)

Captain Reynolds, in his usual swagger, strolled the corridors of his beloved ship. It was late night, according to the Universal Time Units. Mal often walked alone at night, just listening to the sounds of his ship. Serenity hummed like a satisfied queen. Patching her up after the Reavers attack had been quite a chore, but surprisingly no one had minded the work. It felt cathartic to be able to fix something, to put on fresh paint and start anew. Mal didn't know how well this crew- well hell, it was more a family now- was going to hold together. How did you tell a wife that she had to move on? How did you console a ship full of people who'd lost someone so near and dear to them it felt as though everything had shattered to pieces? How did you honor the memory of a lost Shepherd when you didn't believe anything he preached? Very big questions clouded Mal's mind and kept him awake long after everyone else had retired. Mal thought about Zoe as he passed her bunk. He thought about how she lay there, alone, probably hugging the pillow Wash slept on. How she'd probably cried herself to sleep. He thought about Kaylee and Simon, and how now apparently he'd be spending a lot of time in Kaylee's bunk. He thought about how Zoe must look at the two new lovers, and how could she not feel the stab of spicy envy? And then River, who now slept in the lower part of the ship all alone. Mal thought about his family and their problems, and how they were going to fix them.

He tried best he could to not think about his own problems, Inara included in them. He tried not to think about how he wanted- ached- for her to stay, to take a page from Kaylee's book and ignore the gaping hole between their social status and just sweep Inara up into his arms and carry her off. He tried not to think about how life on this ship would be ruin for a companion who was looking for stability, and how their relationship couldn't last a day if he thought for a minute he'd have to share her with anyone else. He tried not to think about losing her again.

It was funny, but as a matter of fact, the only person Mal wasn't worried much about was Jayne. Jayne had always been a cause for concern. Most of the time Mal knew he could count on his hired man, so long as the money came in. It could come slow, but it still came. Jayne was surprisingly patient. But there was always a seed of doubt, always that little space in the corner of Mal's mind that wondered, would today be the day Jayne turned tail? But lately, the merc had been pleasant and helpful and eager to please. He was good to Zoe, kept his scathing comment about River to a minimal. Maybe you couldn't watch a comrade fall and not change, if even just a little.

Meandering his way to the bridge, as he often did on mid night strolls, Mal came to see that he was not alone tonight. River sat in the pilot's chair, folded into herself. Her chin rested on her on knees, and her hair fell in tendrils around her oval face. "Why do you suppose he doesn't love me anymore?"

The question was an unexpected one, and for a few seconds Mal was at a loss for words. "You mean your brother?" he asked, to clarify. River nodded, though did not look at him. "Well," he said, shrugging a shoulder, "I'm sure he does... I mean, of course he still does, your his sister. Why would you think..." Mal trailed off, getting a feeling as to why she was asking. "Is this about Kaylee?" She didn't reply, but he knew he must be right. "You gotta understand," he began, "that Simon is... well, he's got... what I mean to say is-"

"Simon has needs," River finished for him. "He has sexual urges and desires that he needs a woman- not his sister- to fulfil." Her tone was bitter and dark. "I hate that he needs her. Whore."

"Hey now," Mal said angrily. "I'll not have you talking about anyone on my crew that way. 'Sides, I thought you an' Kaylee got on nice enough."

"I do like Kaylee," she said tragically. "She is sweet and kind and good." River's face fell. "She cannot be what he needs anymore," she murmured.

"Why not?" Mal asked against his better judgement. You got yourself involved in crazy talk with River, you might never see yourself out of it. But at least now he didn't have to think his own thoughts so much.

"Not Kaylee," River explained. She seemed disinclined to explain who, however, since she apparently didn't mean the mechanic. Mal crossed his arms and frowned, trying to make any sense of what had just come from his new pilot's mouth. River's voice interrupted his thoughts once again. "Maybe she needs someone new," she reasoned aloud.

"Kaylee?" Mal asked, this time sure he was on the ball again.

"No," River replied, making a you-are-a-moron-for-suggesting-that face. "Me."

"You?" Wait, when had they started talking about River? But suddenly, as if moonbrain fever had caught, Mal understood. Simon had someone other than River keeping him happy. That person was Kaylee. Understandably, River felt left out. So River had decided that she needed to find someone other than Simon to keep her happy. "Makes sense enough," Mal reasoned, proud of himself for cracking the crazy conversation code. "You're getting old enough I guess." But where in hell would she find someone? Truth be told, he didn't like the idea. She was still so young, and there weren't no one he could think of who could handle her too well. On top of being all Alliance messed up, she was way too smart for anyone she could find on this side of the black.

"Why not you?" she asked, finally turning her head to look at him.

"Me?" he replied, flabberghasted. "No," he chuckled uneasily, "not me. I'm too old for you. I could be your-" Father, was what he was going to say, but he didn't want to admit how old he'd gotten. In all actuality he could have fathered her. "Not me," he finished.

"Jayne?"

Mal scoffed. "You really wanna shack up with the likes of Jayne? I wish you all the best." And then he added, "And no."

"No," River agreed. Jayne was too domineering and macho. And he hated her, which immediately put a damper on things. And she wasn't too keen on him, either. "We need new crew," she said slyly.

Mal couldn't help but crack a smile. She was just being so normal right now. "I ain't hiring someone new just to feed this fantasy of yours," he informed her. "I'm not your dating service."

River swiveled the chair around to face him. "You're not that old," she told him softly.

He quirked an eyebrow, frowning. "I said no."

"You won't have to share me," she promised. "I don't service others."

"You hush," he scolded. Apparently his thoughts on Inara were reading loud and clear to his Reader.

River got up from her chair, gracefully stepping over plastic dinosaurs that littered the walkway. She stood before Mal, smiling up at him. "Think about it," she said.

"Don't need to," he told her, getting a little worried that she seemed so stuck on the idea. Was this one of those River things where she was serious, or one of those River things where she pretended to be serious to push your buttons? Either way it was making him uncomfortable. "I've already decided the answer is no, no way, and not gonna happen. Not gonna think on it." He smiled at her. "Dong ma?"

"Yes you will," he replied in a sing-song voice. She floated down the steps and away, twirling here and there as she made her way back to her lonely bunk below the deck.

Mal watched her go, a strange look on his face. She was being weird, and that was saying something for River.