Chapter 5

Simon picked up the sleeping River effortlessly and walked towards their bunk. He gently placed her on the bed, pulled the covers around her, and kissed her forehead. He loves his wife, and still blames himself for not being there to protect her from all that happened to her. He marvels at her strength, beauty, and intelligence. The new medicine that he has concocted, is strong enough to keep the monsters in her head away for a while, but is gentle enough for their unborn child resting in her womb.

Simon stood, grabbed his med kit, and silently exited his bunk towards the occupied shuttle; he wanted to see the secluded woman with the equally mysterious illness. As he stood outside the shuttle door, tried to eavesdrop on the couple, not interrupt them on something private. He heard guttural growls and Ethan calming Velia down. He knocked on the door and the inside became silent, suddenly Ethan opened the door and stood there with a smile on his face.

"I… The Captain asked me to check on Velia, see if there's anything medicine can help with." said Simon, raising his med kit in his hand.

Ethan looked at Simon as if debating whether or not he should let him examine his wife. He knew that medicine would never help so the Captain wanted to verify his story. He looked back at his wife, curled up at the corner of the wall, drapes ripped from where she grabbed in protest and pain. Velia looked back at him and softly nodded, with that Ethan looked at Simon and let him in.

Simon saw Velia at the corner and was momentarily reminded of River, he took one step closer to her and the room was filled with an overpowering growl emanating from the woman with blazing red eyes.

"Sorry, Doctor, I just don't like closeness." Velia tried to apologize and explain.

"I'm going to have to get close to be able to examine your sickness."

"Says who?" she sassed, "I'm sorry Doctor, try going at a slow pace,"

Simon hesitated, her warning growl was loud enough to be heard from a distance away, but he was scared to be within close proximity of those blazing red eyes which watched his every move. The second step was more peaceful, she didn't growl but closed her eyes and slammed her fist against a wall, he saw that her fist left a dent in the wall which held a painting of a woman and child, and somehow it reminded him of someone. The third step had tears flowing out of her eyes, he was only one step away now, and when he crossed the distance, her eyes were covered by her blood stained hands.

Simon examined her as best as he could, but was flabbergasted when he couldn't find anything wrong. He took a blood sample and decided to examine it under microscopic lenses, maybe, he thought, the sickness lies within her blood. He left the shuttle with five minutes left before River would wake up and decided to head straight for their bunk. He arrived the minute she started to wake, and when he got the bottom of the ladder, he put down his med kit, went to the edge of the bed and kissed her. When they broke the kiss, he kneeled on the outside of the bed and softly stroked her hair while his other hand caressed her belly. She smiled at him and saw the love he had towards her, a love that they both share.

Her smile faded away and she closed her eyes saying, "While everyone peacefully sleeps, she stays awake, her hunger killing her sleep, destroying her senses till all she feels is hunger."

"River, Wǒ de ài, what are you talking about? Who are you talking about?" inquired a most puzzled Simon.

"Her name means secret, it suits her, and her secret is big and helpful in times of need to come."

"River?"

At this, River opened her eyes to look at her husband, "Simon, listen to me, she's not dangerous, she's broken and in pain, like I was. Her secret is just different from mine, but she won't hurt us or the crew."

"And you know this, how?"

River just gave him an annoyed glance that spoke for her.

"Brat," Simon teased, "Are you sure?"

"Yes, dummy," she teased back, and after a few moments of laughter, she lifted her head and kissed him. When she broke the kiss for a breath, she whispered, "I love you," and kissed him again. The kiss deepened and after a while of just kissing, Simon broke the kiss this time to reply, "I love you, too."

XXXXXX

Wash was playing with his dinosaurs, as he so often did, when Zoë entered the Bridge. She stood behind him and when he still didn't notice her, she wrapped her arms around him and felt him slightly jump. She never shows this side to others, partly because they don't need to see it, 'cept her husband. Wash placed the dinosaurs back on the top of the console and shifted his wife from behind him to on his laps. He caressed her cheeks and softly stroked her hair before kissing her. He felt her relax into him and only deepened the kiss. When their lips finally parted, they both silently stared at the vast expansion of stars which they were accustomed to travel in.

"Beautiful ain't it?" asked Zoë.

"Yes, you are." answered Wash. Earning another kiss from Zoë, this one was longer and deeper than the last. When they finally broke the kiss, they heard someone clear their throat behind them. Zoë was the first one up when Wash turned on his chair and they saw the Captain standing in the doorway.

"Aren't I beautiful?" he teased them both. Wash up roared and Zoë let herself smile at the situation. When Wash recovered, he told Mal, "Captain, to be able to answer that question, you're gonna have to ask Kaylee 'cause she's the one crazy enough to marry you." And the room burst with laughter once more.

"You got me Wash, and it hurt," told Mal, "I'll take over from here." And he watched as Wash and Zoë made their way to their bunk, hand in hand. Mal sat down in his pilot's favorite chair and leaned back to watch the stars drift by.