His ship is talking. Her voice in his ear pressed against the cool metal panel is like the whisper of silk over the barrel of a gun... like the soft sound of wood against leather. She comes to him when fatigue takes him into dreams, her voice drifting through the nightmares of what was, what is, and what still may be, soothing him into peaceful dreams. So many hours staring into the black, and the stars spin as his head touches the cool metal that connects him to his true love.

In his dreams, his ship looks like River, laughing to him as she throws her dark hair back over her shoulder and she weaves her way among the thousands of stars, alone until she grasps his hand and spins him with her as the stars sing like the violins on Persephone.

By day, River is just the fugitive. She's trouble, and curiosity, and perhaps even reepifying, as Jayne would say. By day it is Inara he sees, Inara with her eyes like smoldering fires, hair dark like the black of space, beautiful and cold, like space itself. But by night, there is no River, no Inara, no people at all... just Serenity, and the stars-- and him.

It was not always so. Once, nothing had taken him from Serenity Valley. But after Jubil Early, after River's plans, and the way she had usurped the identity of Serenity... it felt right that his ship's voice should be her body. River was an old soul trapped in a young body-- and Serenity was a free soul trapped in an aging metal cage. They were kindred spirits, his ship and the fugitive...

"Malcolm..."

Serenity is beautiful. She is an old soul, but dances so agelessly... As she whirls him around through space, she whispers his name, so lovingly, so tenderly, he knows nothing is hidden from her. He loves the ship more than himself-- more than most people.

"Come home to me..."

Serenity has taken him into his embrace, and he has rested his head upon his lover's breast, to hear her heartbeat. The slender thread of life dances among the stars with the rhythm Kaylee has fought to keep together. He hears her heartbeat, he feels her breath, as the dark hair comes tumbling over him, perfumed with stars and space and cool metal...

His head lifts as the gentle hand of Serenity touches his face. Her fingers, cool, like the metal of her physical body, ease him from nightmares into the gentleness of her touch, bringing him into the dancing of his ship through space. He rises with her, their fingers lacing, as the music swirls around them for the solitary, dance, sweeter than any ball in Persephone, more sacred than any prayer the Shepherd can say.

She releases him and drifts him back to his seat, and he watches beautiful Serenity dance through the stars. It is her dance for him, because she loves him as he loves her. The stars sing like violins, and Captain Reynolds feels the first tendrils of serenity reaching for his heart as she reaches for his hand again.

"River!"

This is not the voice of Serenity. It is Simon Tam, and Mal snaps awake just before the ship, the peace of mind, and the dream can touch him. There stands only River, her hand extended towards him in a silent entreaty, a wordless invitation Mal wants to accept.

"River, leave the Captain alone!"

Simon comes, with heavy features, to take his sister away, but Mal's voice is cold as he stops the progress of heavy feet. "She's doing no harm, Doctor. Go back to your infirmary."

Simon stutters momentarily before disappearing. He knows that tone. It is to be obeyed. He backs away, almost nervously. River's fingers reach out and brush Mal's, and the scent of stars and space and cool metal tumble over him as she pulls him to his feet, takes his hands into her own.

"Malcolm..."

Hers is the voice of Serenity, and together they spin out of Mal and River and into Malcolm and Serenity, no longer captain and girl, but man and ship, explorer and vessel, inextricable life forces linked by a bond stronger than love and more fragile than a bridge of glass.

And Simon Tam watches, seeing but never understanding.