Can a Fish Love a Bird?

River stood at the bottom of the platform, looking out from the ship over the barren desert they landed in. The crew was off on some heist, as always, leaving River with Simon on Serenity. Her bare feet were cold on the metal ramp and she took a few steps, sighing as her feet got adjusted to the hot sand. It felt good. Warmth. Serenity could be so cold. Space was cold and no matter how often they landed, the ship stayed the same. The wind blew her hair into her face but she stood still, watching the distance as if something would happen. The sun shone down on her, making her squint. Being in space made one not used to the light.

Simon raced down the platform, coming up behind his sister and grabbing her arm. He'd been looking all over for her. She wasn't allowed to leave the ship. What if someone saw her? These were rules she knew already but Simon always had to say them again. River looked over at him and Simon brushed the hair off her face to see her eyes welled up with tears.

"River...what is it?" He looked off into the distance as if he would see the answer. River just stared at him.

"The sky is crying..." She said sadly. Simon looked confused at her and then looked up.

"There's no clouds. No rain." He said, trying to make sense of what she was saying. "Come on. Let's go back inside."

"The sky...is trapped. No birds...No wind..." River sniffled a little and looked out over the distance again. "She'll be free if we go to the village...."

She looked back at Simon and smiled knowingly. "Then there will be no more rain."

"You want to go into the village? Well, I don't see any harm in that. Just stay with me, alright?"

Blonde hair was covering the face of the girl the men had captive. She was beaten and bruised and quite bloody. Her feet were dirty and her clothes were ripped. She was crying. They were taking her back. She didn't want to go back. Not to that place. Her life giving water was taken away. But Skye tracked her. This desert planet had a strong river. One much more peaceful then she remembered rivers to be.

"Sir we have her. Yes sir. Right away sir. Thank you sir." She was their prized possession now that their crown jewel was gone. That's all they were to the Alliance. Jewels in the central crown. She hated it. They were nothing but weapons.

"Rivers are strong...if one isn't careful, they'll be swept away by the water. A flood is coming...you can't stop it. You won't stop it. Nothing can." Skye was laughing through her tears as a girl walked in. She was a mechanic. Anyone could see that. Why she was here Skye didn't know. The Alliance guards grabbed her though. The small blonde in the chair fought to get out so they wouldn't hurt her but another woman came in. A companion. A companion on this planet? These women showed their professions so easily. The guards grabbed her too. They were going to hurt these women.

"No. No! Flowers so beautiful. You won't smash them! No!" The guard smacked the companion hard to prove his point that he would do whatever he wanted. Skye's training kicked in. They took her to be a weapon. An elite warrior...unstoppable. Only one was better then her and she was gone. Neither girl saw how she got out of the chair and the guards couldn't believe that she did. What happened after that stunned the two that had walked in. By the time Skye calmed down the mechanic saw the familiarity of her moves. Amazing.

"We need to go flowers...now. More are coming." They didn't need any more of an explanation. They ran out of the building and Skye started to follow them back to the ship.

"Cap'n ain't gonna like this."

"I know Kaylee but we don't have a choice. She saved us."

"River!" There were two people standing at the firefly class ship. One was a man she didn't know but Skye zeroed in on the girl. River. The only reader better then her. The asian blonde ran passed Kaylee and the companion and nearly jumped into River's arms.

"River...life giving river..."

Simon started walking River towards the village but River suddenly stopped. She gasped as if feeling something hit her in the stomach. Simon looked worried and asked if she was alright. River didn't hear him, though. She felt something awful was happening. Simon called her name over and over but there was that glazed look in her eyes and she shivered in fright.

"The sky...storm clouds..." She shook her head and tried not to cry. Of course Simon didn't understand. He never did. He pulled her to her feet and took her back to the ship but she wouldn't go in. "Where's everyone?"

She seemed hysterical and looked back over the distance toward the village. Mal and Jayne were walking back, the later rolling his eyes at River's display. They passed and River stood solid, her eyes fixed on the distance. Kaylee and Inara weren't back yet. But they appeared and there was a third woman. River gasped and almost fell to her knees.

"Simon..." She looked at him, beaming. "The storm has passed."

The women approached and Skye was hugging onto River. She hugged back, nuzzling against her friend. It had been such a while since they'd seen each other and River was more than grateful to see her again. The one person who truly understood her was now in her arms. Everything was going to be alright now.

Everyone was shocked but started ushering the two into the ship. River took Skye's hand and pulled her toward Serenity.

"It's safe here. They won't find us. No more rain clouds...no more floods..."

On the ship, everyone was curious. Who was this new girl who seemed just as unstable as River. She looked at Simon, who seemed to understand. Skye was another runaway from the facility. From the Alliance.

"A friend..." She said, barely making eye contact with anyone, still gripping onto Skye's hand as if they might take her away. "Let us stick together..."

There was arguments but the captain finally agreed that Skye could stay onboard, so long as Simon can keep the two under control. Everyone was leery about whether or not the two would become more deadly, but River's soft plea made them compliant. The ship took off and River showed Skye to the room next to her's. Simon followed but River gave him a look and closed the door behind them so they could be alone.

"You escaped?" She smiled and hugged onto her friend again. This was a precious asset that River would not let go of. To be understood by someone, anyone, was a rare gift that she so desperately needed. "I never thought I'd see the sky again, being so trapped in this ship..."

There was more then just those she met. There was a man with guns who seemed very intent to either stay far away from her or do many things with her, the captain who gave off a very safe feeling despite the very unsafe way he lived, and another woman. She was darker in color then the others and visibly round in her stomach.

"Little ones inside...eggs hatching...only a few more months."

"Zoe. This is River's new friend, crazy too. Can we go now?"

"Right away captain." The woman went back to where she came from and the girl named Kaylee headed toward the back of the ship. Everyone else dispersed as River led her to her room. It was so wonderful to be near her again. Her thirst was going away...everything was becoming calm again.

"Your thoughts...less turbulent then before. Did...Simon? help? Loves you very much he does. Always worried about the stablity of his beautiful flower. More radiant now then under the Alliance." Skye smiled as she hugged River again. Finally. They were always together when at the Academy. They trained together and put in the same room. Sort of. There was a thick glass wall between them. It was to give them someone to talk to. So they didn't feel so alone, but also so they didn't kill eachother in the middle of the night.

"River...how did you become free? The Academy thinks you're neutral now...unuseable."

"Yes. Simon helped me escape. We've been...hiding on this ship..." She walked around the room. It was small, but very similar to her own. She hoped Skye would stay. It was so nice to be around someone she could understand. Someone she could talk to. River looked back over at Skye and smiled softly.

"I am free. Trapped on this ship and over protected, but I'm...better. Simon is helping, though he doesn't understand. They're all scared of me here. That I'll hurt them. No one wants to be around me. I'm alone..." She sighed and went to sit on the bed. "I hope they let you stay. Now that you're here, I don't want you to leave..."

Skye moved and hugged River tightly. "They can't separate us...I won't let them. I found you again after searching for so long. I won't lose you River. My best friend." There was a knock on the door. The companion...

"My name is Inara. I just wanted to thank you for saving us today. If it weren't for you...I don't think we would've gotten out so easily."

"You're welcome." Skye smiled a little at the woman. She was intriguing.

"Dinner's ready if you would like to join us. After that Simon wanted to give you a physical. To make sure you're alirght and nothing's wrong." Skye looked at River before groaning a little and walking out the door to follow Inara to the mess hall.

"He's a doctor isn't he?"

Inara came to the romo and River blushed, looking away the whole time as if embarrassed. Skye saved them? She hoped her friend didn't make too much of a scene. River stood and followed after to dinner.

"Yes. Simon is a great doctor. He means well but he doesn't understand that he can't solve puzzles like us."

Dinner in the galley was always an anxious experience. River sat by her brother and played with her food, barely eating anything. No one noticed. They were all sharing stories and laughing and asking about Skye. River felt jealous. As if she wanted to keep Skye all to herself. River stayed quiet and didn't look into anyone's eyes. Simon asked her a few times if she was alright but he was just as intrigued by Skye as everyone else in the room.

River managed to slip out and run away to her room. There was a panic attack slipping in and she didn't want it. So she sat on the floor and pulled out some paper, drawing for a bit. She drew a few birds and felt sad. With a sigh, she drew a fish next to the bird. It would never fit. She crumpled the paper and threw it away. Then she threw the notebook and all the pencils. River cried and crawled into her bed, hiding and crying until she fell asleep.

Skye was nervous about everyone asking so many questions. She noticed that Kaylee and Simon were together...and the Captain was sweet on Inara. Jayne loved guns. The pregnant woman, Zoe, was the second in command. She was pregnant with her late husband's baby. He was the pilot...and now they didn't have one. There was a Shepard here once too but he died. So much information to take in at once. Everyone was telling her about the ship and the people that inhabited it. They wanted to know about her too...she didn't want them too. Her family and her past were hers alone. She didn't want that to be public. But she did give a bit of a background.

"I grew up on Persephone...I lived with Obaa-san...my grandmother. The rest of my family lived on another planet, they died in the war. I-...I went to school off planet when I was 12. I met River there...the rest is not important." Skye stopped and looked up.

"Troubled waters..." Getting up Skye left the room to everyone's confusion and moved to River's room. There was a mess of paper and pencils everywhere and her friend asleep in bed. Slowly the small teen climbed in bed with her to face her and covered up.

"Calm now...a sunny days are ahead of us River...I won't leave you...you're always first." Smiling a little she fell asleep. Twenty minutes later Simon went to check on River and found Skye with her. His brow furrowed but he allowed her to stay. Just tonight though...just tonight.

River looked so sad as she slept but suddenly Skye was there. She woke with a start, scared for a moment but Sky's soft voice quickly calmed her. She smiled and slipped a hesitant arm around her. It was warm now, where space was always so cold. She fell asleep again and didn't even hear Simon come in.

The night passed peacefully with no nightmares. It had been a while since River had a night like that. In the morning, Simon was pacing, ready for his sister to come out of her room screaming nonsense like usual. But she didn't. Instead, she woke up to Skye next to her and she smiled. Her friend was here and River was so happy to have her. She got out of bed and gathered her book and pencils and sat on the floor to draw her a picture. Skye always liked her drawings.

Skye woke up the next morning to River drawing. Smiling the girl sat up. "What are you drawing? Something for me?...Someone's outside the room." The teen looked to the door as Simon walked in. He watched River closely before turning to Skye.

"I'd like to examine you both later...after breakfast. River? Are you alright?" Simon looked curiously at her. This was the first morning in so long that she didn't wake up in an explosive manner. She was calm and seemed happy. Could this new girl really be the cause of such a docile version of his sister?

River smiled and looked up at Skye as she sat up. She was about to tell Skye about the bird she was drawing when she mentioned someone was outside. Simon. He never gave her a moment's peace. She scowled and looked down at the floor as he came in. Sometimes she hated her brother. He smothered her. Why couldn't he just leave her alone with Skye? Skye was the only one who understood her. Sure, Simon tried, but he didn't know anything. He thought too much like a doctor.

With a sudden burst of anger, she crumpled up the delicate drawing and stood up, watery eyed. "I need air."

She fled from the room and ran to her usual hiding spot. No one found her here. If anyone on the ship knew her hiding space, they were kind enough to leave her alone and let her have some precious privacy. Thankfully, no one ever told Simon. She sat, curled up in a ball, and cried.

Skye watched River run out of the room. Simon tried to follow but lost her fast. Skye however stayed in the room. She felt anger and frustration flowing over her. River wanted to be left alone for awhile. The thin girl went to the crumpled paper and looked at the drawing. Smiling softly she sat down and drew and beautiful fish in the water beneath the bird. It turned out to be a bird just above the water and a fish as close to the sky as it could be. She wanted to be in River's world...in the water. It just didn't seem possible. Skye moved to the door with the new picture and went out to search for her friend.

"River?....River where are you. Please come out. I don't want to be alone..."

After a while, River heard someone call her name. At first, she thought it was Kaylee, looking for her in place of her brother, but then she realized whose voice it was. Skye. She peaked her head out of her hiding place, a little crawl space beneath some stairs. No one was around but Skye. She had just walked by the spot, so River jumped out and took her hand, pulling her into the crawl space before anyone would notice where she went to. River, wrapped her arms around Skye and just clung to her, not sure what else to do. All these emotions she didn't comprehend. It was all just too jumbled up to make any sense.

Skye was walking by the stairs when she suddenly found herself under them. River...the reader held onto the other girl as they sat in the hiding spot. There was so much emotion. It was too much to understand. Skye just wanted to block it all out but knew that wasn't possible...not since the Academy did those surgeries on her. Still, she tried her best to keep the overwhelming ones at bay.

"River...look. I-I added on to your picture. Do you like it?" She was hoping that she would like and wasn't mad. Skye only wanted to cheer her best friend up. Though some felt it was impossible. She wasn't sure who on the ship it was but one of the crew at least felt that way.

River pulled away a little to look at the picture. Sky added a fish under water near the bird. She smiled and ran her fingers over the fish, as if she felt its longing.

"I like it." She said quietly, looking up at Skye. She looked away and down at the messy floor of the crawl space. "Oh no. You're going to get dirty..."

River pouted and suddenly wished she didn't drag Skye into here. She didn't want her friend to be uncomfortable in any way. She was too good to be covered in dirt. Like Inara. She was just too...regal to be cowering in filth like River tended to when she didn't know what else to do.

Skye smiled at River, especially when she mentioned the dirt. Her arms wrapped tighter around River. "I don't mind the dirt. I'm with you. That's all that matters to me. You're here. I'm here. And no one from the government is here...no one that's going to take you from me. I hope your brother doesn't try...This bird wants her fish. I won't let you go again...never again..." Skye sank lower on the floor as she moved closer to River.

"I missed you too much to even begin to imagine losing you again."

River felt so safe here. She nuzzled against Skye and held onto her, trying to let all the emotions just run out of here. Things could be okay like this, having Skye close. If only she didn't have this gut feeling that they'll take her away. How could she enjoy some little happiness when she knew it was going to end? So many times before, this has happened. River was starting to lose hope.

"This fish...is forgetting how to swim..." She choked up a little but she refused to cry. Why did it feel like the whole ship was crashing down on her?

"No...my beautiful River. They may take you away from everything you know and lock you up to keep you 'safe' but they can never take away your heart River. Your heart is what lets you swim and what gives me my wings to fly. They can never take that from you...not unless you let them. It's yours River." She wished she could have it though...it made her feel oddly fuzzy to think about it.

"Don't let them take that away."

"I'm scared..." She said, being completely honest. She finally had someone to talk to and she really needed to. "I'm afraid of the nightmares...I'm going to wake up and realize it's all been a dream and my nightmares...they'll be reality again. The machines...cold tile and harsh laughter. I don't want to go back there. Not ever. Simon...he's so ready to protect when all he does is smother and keep me from tasting any kind of freedom...."

River tensed up but she took a deep breath and tried to force it away. "I hate them all..."

"You don't. I know you don't...Just give them time. They'll loosen up eventually. Like that engineer. Kaylee? She adores you and knows you can handle yourself. She worries but like a big sister would. And Zoey, the first mate, she thinks you need protecting but not the overbearing kind. Your brother though saw everything. He knows what happened. He knows what you were like before. It pains him to see you like this...it pains me too. He'll learn. I think it's just in his nature. He's a doctor. He wants to heal you of everything they did. He just doesn't know he can't." Skye curled up with River.

"Time heals everything."

"I don't even remember what I was like before. All I know is...this." She shivered a little and clung tighter to Skye, not wanting to ever let her go. But Simon was worried. Really worried. She could feel him pacing in the galley and all the others giving their opinions on her. Jayne hated her and River hated him back. The women were worried and Mal confused.

"I should...should go see Simon. He's scared I'll hurt myself again." She got out of the crawl space and offered her hand to help Sky out. River brushed the dirt off her friend and then set off to see Simon, who practically dragged her to the infirmary. She let him do his tests with little complaint until he wanted to give her medication. But Simon overpowered her and gave her something to help her relax.

She must have fallen asleep because she woke up in her bed, feeling cold. It was always cold in space.

"Skye?" She called softly, blinking her eyes a few times to focus. Where did her friend go?

Skye was still in the infirmary. River was back in her room and had been for a good few hours. The doctor apparently wanted to enter all her info in and get all the regular stuff out of the way. It took hours and was very boring.

"I want to go...are we almost done?"

River sat up, shivering a little. Skye wasn't there. She frowned and reached for a blanket, covering herself. Why was it always so cold on this ship? She got out of bed and opened her door to pad across the hall to the room Simon set up for Skye. She wasn't there, either. River groaned, the medicine making her really dizzy. She turned and walked to the little sitting area outside of the infirmary. She could see Skye in the room with Simon but she really didn't want to go back in there today, so she curled up on the couch and fell back asleep.

Another hour went by and she was finally done for the night. Thankfully. Simon was going to do more tests tomorrow though. Skye frowned but left the lab to find River. She moved quickly over to her friend and woke her up.

"River...come on. Bed. I'm tired and so are you...my fish is cold." Skye got her friend to bed and curled up next to her, holding her close.

"See? I'm not leaving you. Sleep River...tomorrow will come soon enough."

"The medicine..." She mumbled but let Skye drag her back to bed. She was quickly out and clinging to Skye, who kept her strangely warm. It was so peaceful to be warm and the hum of the engine just added to the comfort of the ship, making it so very easy to sleep. And Skye, well, River needed her. Simon could see that. He didn't even say anything about them sleeping in the same bed. He knew he didn't understand but he figured that, because Skye came from the same situation, she might be able to unlock River's secrets better than he can.

River woke up and it was late. Skye was still asleep but River was really hungry. She hadn't eaten all day. She slipped out of bed, being sure to keep Skye covered with the blankets. The ship seemed quiet, like everyone had gone to bed. Wow, they slept the whole day away. Walking carefully to make no noise, she made her way to the galley to find something to eat. Crackers. It wasn't much but it worked. She brought some back with her for Skye, in case she woke up hungry, too.