I don't own the sandbox, Joss and corporations do. Soot Sprite betaed it for me. Our heroes are still stuck between the Battle scene and the funeral.

This Land

Lt. River was worried. Her brother's squad was cut off. They had been playing cat-and-mouse with the Browncoats led by the infamous Malcolm Reynolds. Her brother didn't really take her worries seriously. Well, he was a boob, there were the dinosaurs, and if you looked very carefully you could see Reynolds and that scary corporal of his.

*****

"No sir," Zoe replied, "I wouldn't expect Captain Tam to use dinosaurs either. Not that I wouldn't expect The Alliance to cheat by using dinosaurs, my experience with Tam was he's too honorable to cheat. Jayne just looked like he would rather shoot 'em and be done with it, or grab a coil of rope and beat 'em. Kaylee just wanted to cuddle them.

"Gorram it, Sergeant …," Jayne whined. "I don't need to go there again, Jayne," Mal growled, "There's an Alliance patrol out there. You go shootin' at 'em ... or pettin' 'em" he held Kaylee's eyes, "Tam'll see you dead, can't get back to our lines if we're dead, dong ma? Tam may be Alliance but he's still ruttin' 3%, and that ain't nothing." "Yeah," Zoe added, "and his sister is twice as smart and 4 times the shot he is."

*****

"Book, take Inara," Simon whispered, "head back a bit up our back trail lets see if we can work around these dinos." " NO, wait" River started. "Sorry, Simon, ... shepard's coming." "Gorram girl must have an O'Reilley radar unit hardwired to her skull," Book thought as a very ugly but loud shirt became visible at the far edge of the meadow both sides were skirting.

The newcomer seemed unaware that eight very deadly military grade firearms were pointed at him. He just whistled once and the mean looking T. Rex came bounding to him and lowering his head to be petted.

"Wo de ma!" they all thought when they saw the little man petting the fearsome beast. "Ok, Rex, round 'em up, and lets get'em home. Be dark soon." Rex gave a bellow and three other Tyrannosauri emerged and started the mixed herd of triceratops and brachiosaurs moving to the mouth of the meadow toward the shepard.

They waited until the dinos disappeared then headed back to their lines. River was disappointed. Nothing for it now, resorting to cannibalism was out, yet another meal of rosemary flavored technicolored tofu cubes for dinner ... again. Wonder what the Browncoats were having for dinner?

*****

They entered the dining area and the 3 plastic dinosaurs were on the table, the Tyrranosaur was off to the side keeping watch. Wash was in the galley finishing dinner and got on the intercom to call the rest of the crew to come eat. As the other four came in, the sounds of guns drawn and cocked echoed.

"Its the gorram Alliance/Browncoats" both sides shouted in unison. "What are you talking about," Wash asked, "we're all on the same side here." "And what side would that be, shepard," Mal asked, looking at Wash. "I do understand how things can get confusing out here in the Black." Book replied, "Trust Wash, Captain, we are all on the same side here. We have to work together or they'll win."

Sergeant Reynolds was confused. Why did the Allied private answer when he was talking to the shepard? Captain Tam was equally confused. Why was Book addressing the Browncoat sergeant as captain and not letting the shepard talk? How were they all on the same side? "The lines get blurrred, sometimes the wrong thing to do turns out to be the right thing, but I have to believe we are all on the side of Right."

*****

Young River turned to stare at the young woman caught under the bell jar, the young woman who, she noticed for the first time, bore such a remarkable but feminine resemblance to Simon. In fact she could be Simon's sister ... could be, must be River!

*****

She awoke screaming, knees pulled to her chest, sitting in a strange bed. White and black streaks blazed through her brain leaving phosphorescent contrails in their wake. She felt them, running down the companionway toward her, heard the door open, knew who it was, who would be the first one to her.

IT came charging off the bed as her her mind went red. "Danger," IT yelled forcing River's body off the bed and hurtling toward Simon. "NO, … love" River yelled back fighting to regain control of her body forcing her way out of the jar that had her trapped. She pulled her arms back to her body, with less than a millimeter between her knuckles and Simon's throat. Eyes closed, she continued her spin and whipped her left foot into Simon's right wrist causing him to lose his grip on the syringe.

"No drugs," she shouted at Simon as IT retreated back into the shadows of her mind and the real River retrieved the syringe and emptied it onto the floor. Just after the nick of time, the captain arrived. "No drugs, Simon," River repeated, "Don't help, just make you feel like you're helping. No harm first." She walked over to Mal, handed him the syringe and leaned against him. He smiled and pulled him against his chest and kissed her on the forehead like he always kissed Kaylee. She looked up at him with those bottomless pools of brown eyes. "She understands, and she comprehends."

***

Later that night, River lay dreaming. She was back on Serenity, literally. She was dressed in her EVA suit clinging to the hull watching the stars through the carbonite lens of her helmet. A shadow crossed her face. She looked to see Jubal Early’s ship coming up from behind Serenity. She smiled at the pilot, the other River waving at her. She heard the voice over the speaker in her helmet: "Good job on the dinosaurs, now what’s with all the laughing hens?"

Not bad for their first night away from home. With luck, Monte’s crew wasn’t too shaken by her outburst … or was it her bursting out.