River let her mind wander the minds of the ships crew as they glided through the stars. The captain was awake and pacing in his bunk, confused about this entire situation. Zoe sat in conversation with Inara, both their thoughts were on the captain. Kaylee was working on the engine, a clear picture of Simon grasped firmly in her mind as she twisted and cajoled pieces into place. Jayne was counting reps. Other than that she heard only thoughts of money and 'If this was my gorram ship' this, and 'if this was my gorram ship' that. She giggled at his inacurracies. Jayne had always amused her. She ventured into the infirmary to her now two of her three favorite minds to explore. Simon was wrapped up in going over Bo's vitals. They had peaked an hour before and had not lowered, though he showed no outward signs of trouble other than the now stitched bullet wound. Simon was immensly puzzled. She brushed Bo's mind to ensure the cold was gone from around it. Indeed it was, so she ventured inside. It was like entering a forest. So many thoughts and feelings spaced so close together, all tied beneath her by some logic she couldn't find. A fog of anestesia covered all coherency, but River enjoyed it none the less. Bo was dreaming, though of what was vague. She thought she heard voices and young men shouting. Then she saw a boar run into the forest before her. Two young men chased after it. One was most definitely Mal, while the other could have only been Bo. Both were after the pig with fire arm in hand. Bo carried a rifle much like Zoe's current weapon, only with a full butt and barrel. Mal carried a pistol. It was different than the one he had now but it identified him none the less. The boar rounded a corner and came to a wall formed by a small cliff. It gave out a frightened squeal. Bo came to it first. He raised his rifle and took sight. The small boar gave another pitiful squeal and Bo lowered the rifle for a moment. Just as he did a sow attacked his side and knocked him to the forest floor. A shot rang out and the older female pig vanished. The young boar scampered away as Mal helped Bo to his feet. Here something peculiar happened. River watched as a both men changed to look like they did now, and a dark figure slowly appeared behind Mal. Bo grabbed the captain and flung him away and the shadow disappeared. Bo looked around to find neither Mal nor the shadow present and turned towards River. "Enjoying my mind little one?" He asked her politely. Shock erupted in her as she was rocketed back to her chair. She grasped the arms of the chair tightly as she shook. The stars above her glimmered slightly as though they were laughing at her revelation. River leapt from the chair and went looking for Mal. Her bare feet made no sound on the grates of the ship's floor as she moved through the now-familiar corridors. She found herself outside the infirmary, listening to the voices of Bo, Mal, and Simon echoing out of the sterile room. "I really think I should keep you here for observation." Simon said in his usual worried tone. "No offense doc. Think you did a mighty good job sewin me up and all, but I have my own crew to get back too. Monte's liable to have gone close to mad without me there for so long. I figure Smiley and Chung nearly driven her straight out an air lock by now." Bo said with joviality. "So you're just gonna show up to save my life then disappear on me again are you private?" Mal asked, masking his true worry. " 'fraid so Sargeant. Like I said got people to get back to. So if you could have that gorgeous pilot of yours-"-River couldn't help but blush, though she couldn't tell why- "get us directed towards my ship I'd be greatfull." Bo answered. River felt Mal's heart sink. He had lost the young man once, and she could feel he wasnt ready to give him up again without a fight. "How 'bout you pull this job with us. Looks like it might get on the wrong side of fun and Zoe aint in the best condition to be wieldin a gun right about now. Jayne has his uses but thinkin ain't one of them and I know you've got a good head on your shoulders." Mal offered. River probed her brothers mind. His thoughts swam around the wound in Bo's right shoulder. Apparently it wasn't healing as well as it should have. She jumped from swimming in Simon's head to dipping her feet in the shallows of Bo's mind. He was considering the offer pretty hard. Thoughts of his crew tugged at the outer reaches of his mind. A thought brushed through that, but disappeared before she could read it. "Let me get a hold of Monte and we'll see from there." Bo said decisively. Mal's mind eased slightly as he helped Bo from the chair, against Simon's better judgement. River felt Bo's mind brush her's as they rounded the corner where she had just been. Goosebumps ran up her arm and she felt as though she should grab his mind in hers and pull him in. She shook her head and made her way back to the bridge before them. Mal stepped in before Bo and asked River to wave the other ship. Thoughts ran through her head. She should tell Mal what she knew, that Bo was a reader like her. Something made her stop. She looked Bo in the eye and felt something for Mal. It was tangled with confusion but there was a decisiveness to it. Bo loved Mal like a brother, she could feel that. She nodded as she decided to let it pass, for now. "What frequency and channel?" she asked as her fingers danced across screens and buttons on the console. "Freq 4, Channel Victor." Bo answered as he watched her. The wave was sent and all three sat in silence while they waited for the return. River hugged her shoulders. Mal leaned on the far console and ran his fingers over one of Wash's old dinosaurs. Bo drummed his fingers on the locker where extra blankets and tools were kept. "Firefly Class Transport, Serenity. This is Harrier Transport, Voodoo. I'm acting captain Raustan Chung. What can we help you with?" crackled the transmission as a face appeared on the screen in front of River. "Chung. Get off the cortex and put Monte on. Now." Bo said as he moved into view of the camera. The young man looked startled then disappeared. A young woman with a large smile and flowing blonde hair replaced him. "Good to see you're still alive boss. Thought you might not be coming back when the transport beacon stopped sounding." Monte cracked. "By the way Cheek, gotta follow the rules you set out for us. Status?" "13. Oh-two Mike. Oh-six Delta. Eight-niner Yankee." Bo said. Mal looked at Bo with a wide grin on his face, River looked at him like he was crazy. "Thank you sir. It's all secure here, just like you left it, only I'm about ready to take a walk in the black if you leave me with these two much longer. I mean, I can deal with Smiley till he's too drunk, but Chung..." She let the last part trail off as she twirled a knife in her fingers. "Unfortunately girly, I'm gonna have to leave you with them a bit longer than expected. Mal has a job he'd like me to help him with." Monte dropped her knife. "YOU'RE GONNA WHAT?! No! Bo, seriously! Smith is constantly drinking all our alcohol, and Chung is more grabby than a pickpocket at a Persephone ball!" Monte shouted. Bo looked back at her silently and watched her huff and puff until she slouched back in her seat with a pout on her face. "And I was hopin you'd be able to spend some time with me after you delt with your whole 'war torn past' crap with your sargeant guy." River's heart sank. So he was with this woman. She didn't know why that affected her at all, she had only just met the man, but then he was like her. He had been able to tell when she was reading him, and he had been able to stop her from reading him all together. He could teach her, help her understand some of the things still tangled in her own mind. "Jessica, this is happening. Got it? I'll see to you when it's done." Bo said in a very comanding voice. The girl on the screen cut her eyes sharply at Bo, then at Mal, then finally at River. River heard the young woman's thought without probing, and it was far from a polite farewell. Bo reached over her shoulder and shut off the screen, then turned and looked at Mal. He crossed his arms in an unconscious mimic of Mal as the he spoke. "So what are we looking at here? What is this job you need my help on?" "Got the wherebouts of something somebody wants. Somebody what willing to pay, and pay well, for. Doubled our take on the whole thing." Mal elaborated without elaborating. "Gonna tell me what this thing is? Or how we plan on getting it?" Bo asked, raising his brow. "When the time comes. Your people got enough food and stuffs on your boat to last them a while?" "A good while, and Monte knows where to get more if she needs it. We gonna be long with this job?" "Might take a week or two. Don't actually meet the buyer for another month. They think time equals safety. Don't consider that my holding their property for so long makes me a-" "- A target for every gorram fed patrol that comes floatin by. Gotcha." Bo finished for him. Mal looked shocked as Bo formed the exact words he had been about to say. They all sat in silence for a moment while the ship soared through the black. River stood first and looked Bo in the eye. The cold was gone now, completely. A warmth resonated from him, but it was swirled with confusion. Mal had the same warmth and for the first time River realized how close the two were to each other. Though they couldn't see it, they were empathetic to one another and thought the same. River smiled and left. She felt Bo's eyes follow her and her own confusion mixed with theirs. One thought echoed in her head as she moved silently along the corridor to the dining area. 'What now?'