Chapter three: Picnics and Predictions

One month passed by the crew of Serenity without incident. They relied on jobs from trusted contacts, and they took care to find safe routes between jobs. As they gained more money and peaceful days, they fell into a false sense of security. River could feel the approaching storm, but it was too ambiguous to comprehend. Work, her brother, and her captain distracted her most of the time. In fact, everyone was happily distracted. Overall, the crew couldn't be better.

To their delight, they had enough money to take a day or two on a decent moon. When they touched down, Mal was already on the bridge with River. He glanced at her with a handsome smile. "Are you gonna go have some fun with the rest of us criminals?"

Her head tilted to the side. "Fun. A time or feeling of enjoyment or amusement."

"That…would be the definition. But, I didn't ask you what it meant. I asked if you're looking to partake in the funness."

"Funness isn't a word."

"And mind readers ain't supposed to be real."

She thoughtfully paused. "Banter."

"Banter?"

"That was fun."

He shook his head, always amused by her quirkiness. "All I'm saying is that you have my order to leave the ship and have a good day. In fact, I'm gonna order everyone to blow off some steam. It's been a mite uncomfortable with the Alliance hunting us like deer. I need my crew focused when we're back to work to avoid any unpleasantness that might ensue. It'd help if they'd stop complaining about how I have tight pants and won't let anybody have a good time these days."

"Both statements are correct. Pants are tight and complaints have been fairly warranted."

He frowned. "I let people have fun," he stopped as he got a typical River glare. "Well, when we ain't working."

"The ratio of time spent working to not working is—"

"Okay, okay. Stop the math before you hurt my pretty head."

"Pretty?"

This time, he glowered and began to leave. "I get it. We've been working too hard. But, here we are. I said okay to this mini vacation thing, so it better loosen everybody up."

She popped out of the pilot's chair and skipped to his side. "Can we have a picnic?"

He raised an eyebrow. "Picnic?"

"Yes. An informal meal prepared for the purpose of consuming in the open air of a planet's atmosphere. The food goes in a basket. The basket is important."

"I know what a picnic is. If you really wanna go…I guess. Though, we don't got a basket."

"It's important. Can't go without one."

"Why is a basket so gorram important? I'm actually agreeing to a picnic and you're saying we can't go without a basket?"

She stuck out her bottom lip, pouting. "Tradition."

He sighed. "Maybehaps Kaylee has one or knows where one is."

A grin crossed her face and she hugged the captain, floating off to find Kaylee. Mal shook his head, muttering about her persuasive eyes, and walked to the nearest intercom unit. "Everybody, this is the captain. We're taking the day off…for a picnic…and somebody find a ruttin' basket."

Jayne appeared out of his bunk and tapped Mal on the shoulder. "A picnic?"

"Not my idea. Just be glad I ain't working you. Go grab some food."

"Can I bring the good whiskey? And my guitar?"

"As long as there's no getting drunk or songs about you being a hero."

Jayne mocked laughter and wandered into the kitchen. The squeals could be heard throughout the ship as Kaylee and River ran into the kitchen with a beat up basket. Mal followed the noise and rubbed his temples when he saw the battered wicker container.

"Look, Cap'in!" Kaylee exclaimed with enthusiasm. "I found it! I used this to carry back some wrenches and whatnots a few years back. I forgot I had it wedged behind a few things 'til we started digging. Oh, this will be shiny!"

Simon entered with a smile for River and Kaylee. "This must be about the picnic."

They nodded and continued talking as they shoved Jayne out of the way to pack food for the day.

"Why exactly are we having a picnic?" Simon questioned with a perplexed look. Mal went to answer the doc, but River summed it up shortly.

"I asked. Captain agreed. Trying to stop the complaints."

"You mean the complaints about us sayin' we work too damn hard and don't get to relax?" Zoe questioned, joining the group. "I don't know why people would be saying that, sir."

"All right, I want everyone to be calm-like, okay? This is a vacation, but it'll probably be some time before we get another. Take in while you can."

They all grumbled unenthusiastically at their captain and began to exit the ship for a serene day. River had the heavy basket on her arm, and she led the way with a bounce in her step. She was moving too fast for most of the group, so Simon caught up to her and tried to help by taking the basket. She pointedly took it back and kept skipping. He sighed, "You're such a brat!"

She paused, sticking her tongue out, and continued on her way. Simon ran after her, Kaylee ran after Simon, and Mal ran after them. Zoe and Jayne didn't bother trying to keep up. Eventually, they found River in a clearing, standing with her head tilted to the clouds.

Kaylee brought a blanket and spread it across the grass. Simon went to River, quietly asking, "River?"

"Clouds. They look solid, but they aren't. Push and you fall through. Water vapor. Waiting to collect. Waiting to fall. The cycle. Rain will come and wash everything away. Nothing is solid. Everything falls. Washed away. Gone. Cycle continues. It has to. No one can hold onto what they've lost. We all lose. That one looks like a duck. Quack."

Simon grinned and led her to the blanket where she plopped down next to Mal. He looked at her briefly with a mouth full of protein mush. Kaylee was snuggling with Simon, so River made a face and glanced at Zoe and Jayne instead. Jayne was playing his guitar as Zoe took a shot of liquor. She lightly elbowed him in the ribs.

"Ouch! What's that for!" Jayne grumbled.

"You should play the other one. The one with the upbeat tempo."

"You could of just asked me, Zo."

"Where's the fun in that?" she laughed.

He switched songs and Kaylee stood up, pulling Simon with her to dance. They began to twirl around the field and laugh together. River watched for a moment and reached across, touching Zoe's hand. "I know."

Though Zoe was tougher than nails, there were times that the young couple reminded her too much of Wash. As happy as she was for them, her grief bled deep into her soul. The captain had a similar feeling from time to time. Inara would pop into his mind and he'd only push it away. Today, he was delightedly distracted and a million miles from the past.

River merely added to the distraction. The graceful assassin stretched across his lap like a purring cat, and it made Mal very agitated. "River? What—you—why—?"

"Shush, Captain. Finding faces in clouds. That one looks like Jayne riding a unicorn."

"It ain't on no unicorn, moonbrain!" he hissed, still plucking guitar strings. "It'd be a regular horse with a knife on its head."

She laughed and idly played with Mal's suspender strap. Again, Mal felt a bit uncomfortable at her comfort…and his own…with their positioning. "River, can you, not…?"

"Enjoy it while you can, Captain. Smiling faces don't last."

"Aren't we supposed to be relaxing, sir?" Zoe inquired with a raised eyebrow. He went to answer and she stopped him, "So relax."

He huffed and tried to ignore the slender fingers playing with his straps. Simon was too enthralled in his girlfriend to notice his sister across the captain. "You are beautiful," he whispered against her ear.

"And you're handsome and smart and way too proper," Kaylee replied as she ghosted kisses along his jaw. "You are stuck with me, doctor."

"I wouldn't want it any other way."

They kissed briefly and sweetly. Kaylee glanced past him and finally noticed River draped across Mal. The captain looked stiff, but he was looking down at her and gently prying a strand of her hair from her face. "Simon," she said carefully, "You notice that Mal and River are awful close nowadays?"

He thought for a moment. "Yes, but she's that way with everyone. Zoe has taken her in, and Jayne has accepted her in his own way. But, the captain has really become taken with her. They're such good friends. It's nice to see."

"Yeah, it is. It's just."

"What?"

"Mal and her are different."

"I know."

"Know?"

"He risked his ship for her. I think they're like…father and daughter…or brother and sister."

Kaylee glanced at them again, spotting River tugging on his suspenders and his arm cradling her head. "Sure, Simon. Whatever you say…"

River stared at the captain's jaw with a frown. He felt her big eyes on him and inquired, "What? I got protein on my lip or something?"

"You need to shave."

"I do?"

"Yes," she answered as she carefully trailed a finger across his face. Before he could say anything about it, she picked up on Kaylee's gaze. "Must cut in."

"What?" Mal stuttered over the pounding of his heart in his ears.

River popped up and ran over to her brother and his beloved girlfriend. She cut in on the dancing and Kaylee joined the blanket. She playfully bumped Jayne's shoulder with a smirk. "Play that song Zoe likes again for River and Simon."

Jayne sighed as if it bothered him, but he secretly enjoyed making everyone—especially Zoe—smile. Mal smirked and moved his thumb toward the Tams. "I see you got the boot, mei mei."

"So did you, Cap'in," Kaylee laughed. He looked confused. "Please. I saw you two."

"He was just relaxing," Zoe interrupted. "Right, sir?"

Mal had no idea what they were talking about, so he just nodded.

"I'm happy for you, River."

"Why, Simon?"

"Because mei mei," he grinned, twirling her around, "You've really found home."

She smiled back. "Because of you. You saved me."

"That's what big brothers are for. I'm just glad that you're safe and have friends. A place out here."

"It's where I belong. Won't be right to leave again."

Simon looked at her strangely. "What's that mean, River?"

"Don't know. Just said it. Step quicker. You aren't doing it right."

Mal smiled at the chuckling siblings. Zoe pointed to them. "Go cut in, sir."

"I don't want to dance with Simon."

"She weren't talkin' bout Simon," Kaylee laughed.

Jayne suddenly stopped playing, cursing at the burn of the string hitting his face. "My gorram string snapped off at me!"

"Well, guess that's the end of the picnic," Mal shrugged, collecting the items back into the basket.

Everyone complained, but they began to follow him back to the ship. Simon was dragged by River in a childlike manner, and clearly the doctor enjoyed the nostalgia. Kaylee didn't feel like keeping up, so she stayed back with Jayne and discussed possible guitar lessons. Zoe was left with Mal, and they traveled in a comfortable silence. Once everyone was inside, River went back to stand on the edge of the ramp in the cargo bay. She stared at the clouds with darkness and precision.

"Everything falls. We all lose. Smiling faces. They don't last. Washed away. The cycle continues…"

Mal realized River was missing and ran back to get her. "What?" he asked upon seeing the look on her face.

"War…it is coming."