Mal's glare deepened. "How the hell did you get on this boat?"

"It's a long story," Simon intervened. "She got here last night."

"I don't need a stowaway on this ship," Mal growled. "We're leaving her at the next stop."

River smacked his arm. He recoiled and she smiled sweetly. "She stays, Captain."

"No. No. I ain't letting a stranger stay on this boat. You know the rules. We screen everybody and they pay upfront. We don't take in surprise space girls."

"Surprise space girl?" Rose snarled and literally stood up to him. "I was transported here a few hours ago by mistake. I just kind of materialized in something that looked like a cargo bay. I'm from somewhere far, far from here. I have no way to get back and nowhere to go, so I need to be here."

Mal mirthlessly laughed. "You want me to believe that?"

"Captain," River roughly intervened. "Given our position in space, there is no conceivable explanation for her appearance on this ship. You are aware that vessels are not regularly in this sector. If a ship docked, the crew would have been alerted. It has been two weeks since we were on a planet. She couldn't have stowed away for such an extended period of time."

Rose tossed her device to Mal. "This is what brought me here. Look if you want. I understand that you don't have technology like this."

He reviewed the information and his face changed. "Where are you from?"

"A different reality. Earth is populated there."

River tugged on Mal's sleeve to get his attention. "She stays."

"She's got one week. Tops."

The Captain walked off and Rose shook her head. "That's who runs this place?"

"He's cuddly once you get to know him," River simply took Rose's hand and began to drag her towards the kitchen.

Rose didn't buy it. "You're messing with me."

"Naturally. It's amusing. Breakfast."

The bright paint and homey feel of the kitchen made Rose feel warm. However, she couldn't say the same about the food. She could smell it as Simon started to cook with River's help. Rose sat at the table with a cup of coffee and uneasily waited for them to finish. As they were working on the protein mush, Jayne entered with bedhead and eyes that were hardly opened.

"Hey," he gruffly said to Rose as he went for a cup of coffee. It took three sips before he realized that Rose wasn't part of the crew. "Who in ruttin' hell is that?"

"She's new," Simon explained.

He moved to get a closer look and instantly leered. "Well, hello there. You are a sight to see. Who might you be?"

"Rose Tyler."

"I like how your voice sounds. I'm Jayne Cobb. Maybehaps we could get to know each other a little better."

Rose paused and smirked at his advance. "Jayne Cobb? Isn't Jayne a girl's name?"

He glared as River and Simon chuckled at the sink. Defeated, Jayne sat at the opposite end of the table. Kaylee was the next to enter. She stopped in her tracks and grinned brightly at the new addition to the ship without caring about how she got there.

"Well, hello there! I'm Kaylee Tam. Welcome to our ship. Who might you be?"

"Rose Tyler. Just got in a few hours ago."

"Shiny! I'm so excited to have another girl on this boat!"
Kaylee went to help Simon and River, and she gave her husband a large kiss. Just as River was plating the food, Zoe wandered into the kitchen and paused by the table. "She wasn't here yesterday, was she?"

"No. I just got here."

Zoe appeared slightly suspicious, but all she cared about was a cup of coffee. In between slurps, Rose thought that she heard, "I'm Zoe Washburne. First mate."

Breakfast wasn't comfortable. Luckily, Mal had work to do and took his food to go. Once it was all done, River suggested going to sleep. Rose was exhausted, so River showed her to Simon's old room in the passenger dorms. Rose fell asleep harder than she had in a year.

... ... ... ...

"I've traveled through space and time. Worked in Torchwood for three years. Saved worlds and universes. Faced monsters and even the devil. I'm the bloody Bad Wolf, and what does the Captain tell me to do? This is humiliating."

Rose stood in the tiny laundry area with baskets full of clothes. She just started to add the newest load to the washer when Mal poked his head inside. "When you're done with the laundry, I'll show you how to clean the septic tank. Welcome aboard, Lily."

"It's Rose."

"Sure."

He walked away whistling as Rose groaned. River's hand appeared from the air with the powder detergent. She was lying on a shelf beside supplies and cleaners. Rose took the detergent and added it with rage. River rolled on her side and her chin sat on the edge of the shelf. "Don't worry. He's like this. Didn't like Simon. Definitely didn't like me. Took a year to adapt."

"What's his problem? I could really help around here. I have loads of skills."

"Doesn't trust. He's broken like us. Hides it. A diamond in the rough. This ship is his life. His crew is his family. Strangers might hurt us. Might cause problems. He's afraid to lose anyone else."

Rose softened as she started the washer and moved to the drier. "Did you lose more than Book and Wash?"

"Not in that fight, but yes. We lost Inara."

"Who was she?"

"She rented a shuttle from us. Mal loved her. Still does. She had an illness. Incurable. Took its course and she died. Two years ago now. She had left, but he got her to come back. They barely had time together. Broke his heart. I was the only one who knew how badly he hurt. Made us closer. I wish that I could have helped him more."

"We can only do so much, River. We have to let things go."

The younger woman stared through her. "Good advice. You should listen to it."

A pause filled the room. Rose could only nod and motion to the clean clothes. "Are you going to lie there all day, or were you going to help me fold this mess?"

River leapt gracefully to the floor and climbed onto the washer. They folded clothes together and finished the laundry in a few hours. Once that was done, River carefully snuck Rose to the bridge so that Mal couldn't rope her into septic duty just yet. They sat in the chairs as the stars passed them in a slow dance. River hummed the song in her head and tapped her toes to the rhythm.

"Are you dancing, River?"

"Yes," the pilot responded. "With the black."

"Why don't you really dance? That doesn't look like much fun."

Smirking, River got to her feet and pulled Rose into a dance. It reminded her of dancing on the TARDIS with her first doctor, but this was clearly different. It was merely innocent fun between new friends. They were laughing and twirling like nobody could ever see.

"Fantastic," River whispered. Rose's blood chilled. "You miss him."

Rose blinked. "Yeah. I do. He was…the man travels alone and will do anything to save the day, and he never gets a thank you. He deserves so much and gets nothing back."

"Wrong. He got you. You saved him, Rose Tyler. He misses you too."

"You can see him? Hear his thoughts now?"

"Some. Through you. Broke his hearts to see you leave. But, he's strong. He'll be okay without you. You'll be okay without him. Fixed point in time. Not meant to be forever."

She pushed tears away with a sad smile. "Thank you. I needed to know that."

"I know. Reader, remember?"

"Yeah," Rose laughed. "I'm not used to having a psychic around."

"You will be."

Very used to it. There was no doubt about that.