Serenity: Deception

Chapter Two

The cold black stretched onward seemingly endless.

River woke and remained in her bed for some time. She woke in what she thought was morning, though there was no sunrise to wake to or fresh scent of grass wet with morning dew. By their clocks, River had woken early and was only motivated to leave the warm embrace of her bed by gnawing hunger. She slowly sat up in bed, her tousled hair falling down her back and over her slender shoulders. She shifted her body to the end of the bed, stuck her feet out in front of her, cracked her toes and rotated her foot causing her ankle to crack as well. She put her feet onto the cool floor and then stood up. River walked to the mirror in her room, stared at her reflection for a moment and then wiped away a small bit of dried drool from the corner of her mouth. River stretched, throwing her arms out and arching her back; then she bent forward and touched the tips of her toes with her fingers.

She pulled the white nightgown over her head, folded it neatly and set it on her bed. Opening the trunk at the end of her bed, River took from it one of her favourite dresses. In layers of emerald chiffon, the dress fell midway down her thighs; River pulled the thin straps over her shoulders and then stared into the mirror, once more for only an instant.

River walked soft-footed up the stairs to the upper level of Serenity, passing the empty metal walls and then entered the dining room. She boiled water and poured it into a metal cup containing a teabag. Holding the warm cup of tea in her hands, she sat in one of the wooden chairs at the dining room table. With her eyes, she followed the lines of the vine and flower decorative painting Kaylee had done around the dining room. It was Kaylee's small touches that truly made Serenity a home. She sat alone for some time until Zoe entered.

"River!" Zoe said, startled by her presence. "You gave me quite a start. I didn't realize anyone was up."

"Couldn't sleep any longer," River said, putting a piece of protein bar in her mouth.

She watched Zoe pour a cup of water. River sipped her tea and wiped her pink lips with the back of her hand. She pushed a stray piece of hair behind her ear as her mind raced, watching Zoe lean against the counter, taking the occasional drink of water. She considered the information she gleaned from Simon.

Zoe swallowed the last of her water and set the cup on the counter. When she turned around, she jumped back, surprised when River was standing right in front of her. River placed her hand gently onto Zoe's stomach. Looking directly into each other's eyes, they were still and quiet as if frozen in a tableau.

"River," Zoe said in a calm, slow voice. "What are you doing?"

"I can feel it," River told her. "The baby."

"Did your brother-"

"Simon didn't say anything," River said, cutting Zoe off. "I just know."

"Oh, all right. What are you-"

"Please be quiet," River cut Zoe off again. River closed her eyes, her hand remaining pressed against Zoe's stomach. River took long, deep breaths and slowly pulled her hand away as she opened her eyes. "She's healthy," River said.

"She?" Zoe asked, "I'm having a baby girl?"

River nodded with a small smile on her face. When she looked at Zoe, she seemed upset. Zoe appeared on the verge of tears. River was confused. Had it been telling Zoe the baby's sex that upset her? River tilted her head as she considered it.

"It was wrong for me to say," River concluded out loud.

"No, no I just was thinkin' 'bout how happy Wash would've been even if he had hoped for a boy, someone to play dinosaurs with," Zoe replied.

"I'm sorry Wash is g-gone," River said in a soft, hesitant voice.

"We all are," Mal said, leaning against the dining room door frame. "Congratulations Zoe."

"What we congratulating Zoe for?" Jayne said, walking sleepily into the room.

"She's-," River began.

"Nothin' that's any matter of yours," Mal said, winking at River.

"Whatever. I need some grub," Jayne said, walking swiftly into the kitchen.

River crossed the room, sat back down at the table, and returned to sipping her tea. Slowly the rest of the crew made their way into the dining room; first, Inara entered and made a pot of tea; then Simon and Kaylee followed together, inseparable recently.

"Mornin' all," Kaylee called out. Her crewmates replied with varying amount of enthusiasm. "Glad to see ya up an' about Capt'n."

"Well you know the saying, can't keep a semi-decent, halfway honest man down," Mal said. "Or somethin' like that."

"So Mal, now that we're all in attendance, how 'bout you spill on how you went and gotcha self shot?" Jayne asked.

River and Mal exchanged a look. He didn't have to speak; she knew what he was thinking. Since the events surrounding Miranda, River had taken to co-piloting Serenity at Mal's side. They had bonded over the short period and River finally felt that she had a place, a true purpose aboard the Firefly class ship. In Mal's thoughts, River wandered through the images of his narrative, assessing the accuracy of his memories. She was confronted by the one question Mal focused up and silently asked her. Should I tell them everything? He thought. River gave a subtle nod as reply. Yes.

"Y'all wanna hear the tale then?" Mal asked the crew. 

They all ensured him that they did.

 "All right then. Where should I start, lil' one?" Mal asked River.

River without hesitation replied, "The beginning."

Mal sat at the dining room table next to River and the others sat around them. The room was quiet in anticipation. He waited a moment, gathered his thoughts, exchanged one final look with River and then proceeded to tell their story.

"Y'all remember the evenin' we touched down on New Melbourne?" Mal asked.

"That smell's mighty unforgettable," Jayne replied.

"Right, well we were all sittin' 'round the table havin' drinks and what have you when Jayne and a fisherman got to talkin' 'bout fishin' and the like," Mal continued.