(Untitled)

[crazyspacegirl]

River looked at the bulletin board in the compound nearly every day. She liked knowing what was going on, and finding things she could help with, and fun things to do. It was a handy thing, she had always thought

Comments

[weemanmurray]

Ian was without his son, but Rollo was with him, and the half-wolf nudged his flat head against her thigh as Ian strolled down the corridor towards her. There was sawdust in his dark hair. It didn't take him more than a moment to register the look on his face, his brow creasing in concern.

"Wee star? River? What's up, lass?"

[crazyspacegirl]

River was so far gone into her own mind that she barely registered Rollo, much less Ian who was not ramming his head into her leg. Once she noticed the dog, she slid down to sit on the floor with her arms around him. A big wolf who liked her might be good protection, she thought, in case anyone tried to take her in just then.

"I think they've found me," she said, her voice shaking along with the rest of her.

[weemanmurray]

His face a picture of concern, Ian dropped down into a crouch beside Rollo and River.

"Nobody's found you, sweetheart. Ye wilna come t'any harm, Wee Star."

It was a promise he'd made to her before.
He knew he wasn't the only one.

[crazyspacegirl]

River's gaze remained on the poster, even from her position on the floor.

"They know I'm here," she insisted. "No one can run forever."

[gorramcheerful]

Kaylee as always, had seen, or rather heard River briefly in the morning, but she'd been in the engine room, calling out a cheerful greeting to the passing girl from under the silent, still structure. Having left Serenity just to fetch supplies, she noticed River at the noticeboard standing still, staring. Picking up her feet to clamber playfully over to her friend's side, she skidded to a halt seeing how captured by the picture she was, River was not a girl you could sneak up on, especially when Kaylee'd been bounding about loud as anything

[crazyspacegirl]

River was slow to notice Kaylee, but when she saw her friend she felt a fresh wave of fear. The Alliance wouldn't stop from hurting Kaylee or anyone else to get to River, she knew as well as anything. All she could see just then was the destroyed Haven settlement, all those dead people, and Shepherd Book dying, and she shook her head, trembling all over. She couldn't let that happen. Not again.

"Who would put that there, that's not Alliance? It's not safe here, not anymore."

[gorramcheerful]

As much as she wanted to say it was safe here, that bad things didn't happen. They did, people they loved left, they got thrown in the middle of dinosaur infested lands. Reavers. She couldn't stop staring at the poster, at the pictures of two people very dear to her, she'd never want either of them caught.

The posters were clearly from home, they were clearly Alliance. What could she say? She saw River tremble and put a hand on her shoulder. "It don't matter anyhow." She said, wanting to sound certain and defiant like Mal could, or Jayne. "We got Serenity, an' Cap'n- ..he always knows how t'get outta anythin'. This ain't no different River, you and Simon're with us.. so's ..you can just tear that thing down, we ain't gonna let anything happen."

[crazyspacegirl]

"The Captain." Just his name made River feel better, even if only slightly. "He does always seem to know what to do about things like this."

She stared at the poster some more, afraid to touch it.

"I don't want any of you in trouble again because of me. Isn't fair, or right, or anything good."

[apocralyptic]

Crimes Against the Alliance, it said. Coin wasn't quite sure what that meant, but River was staring at it like it meant the end of the world.

Coin knew what people facing the end of the world looked like.

He stood there thinking hard for several minutes about what he should do in this situation. It all depended, he supposed, on what the problem actually was.

"Should we take it down?" he asked, finally.

[crazyspacegirl]

River blinked, almost surprised to be spoken to by someone that wasn't yelling that she was bound by law.

"Can we?" she asked after a moment. It didn't seem like something she could do, without making things even worse.

[apocralyptic]

"It's only held up with pins," said Coin doubtfully. River seemed so convinced that this was a problem that he was beginning to think it was one of those things he couldn't see.

[crazyspacegirl]

"But... someone put it there. They'll know I took it. They already know I'm here on the island. I don't think I ought to be telling them I'm in the building."

She looked around, wondering who among the people passing by were the most dangerous to her now.

[tightpantscapn]

Mal had been in the compound only t' head o'er t' the Council's office t' speak t' John 'bout the Miranda 'gain. As he walked down the corridor, he didn't take notice t' much on 'ccount o' not carin' t' stop n' make small-talk with folk he either didn't know 'r only knew by sight.

Only he did know the person standin' at the bulletin board. n' she didn't look too gorram happy 'bout whate'er she was lookin' at.

Forgoin' his typical greetin', Mal walked right up t' her n' got t' the point o' it, starin' right down at her. "River?"

[crazyspacegirl]

It wasn't until Mal said her name that River knew he was there. Her initial relief was quickly replaced by another surge of fear for him. He didn't deserve to have her bring this on him again, but she wasn't strong enough to handle it on her own.

"I -" She tried to speak, but not much more than a strangled squeak came out. She just pointed to the poster with her picture on the board with a shaking hand.

[tightpantscapn]

Mal was near loathe t' look 'way from River jus' then, seein' as how she was all shades o' upset. His curiosity got the better o' him, though, n' so he turned t' follow what she was pointin' at.

"Fèihuà," he muttered, eyes widenin' in surprise.

On the board was a gorram wanted poster, River n' Simon's pictures on 'em.

Not botherin' t' ask River if'n she wanted t' do it, Mal reached out, a hand tremblin' with rage, n' ripped it from the board. His jaw was clenched terrible tight n' a vein in his neck stood out 'gainst his reddenin' skin.

[crazyspacegirl]

River gasped, shocked not because of Mal's action but because it confirmed that the poster was really truly there. Not that she had doubted it before, but one tiny part of her mind had really hoped she was just crazy this time.

"Mal," she managed to say. "I didn't really think they'd find us here. Should have been expecting it. Where are we going to run to this time?"

[flyboy_shepp]

Getting used to having a puppy that walked kinda funny and got himself into trouble more than not was a little distracting, but John didn't really mind it.

"Hey, River," John said on his way back out, but when he saw how she looked, he slowed to a stop a few feet away, and Lil' Deathscythe (name change still pending) bumped into the back of his boots. Poor thing never saw it coming. "You okay?"

He was asking River, not the puppy. The little dude just gave John what he could have sworn was a glare and went to sniff at something near the wall.

[crazyspacegirl]

River jumped at the sound of his voice. She knew and liked John, but she also knew that he worked for the IPD. He was the Law, and therefore probably looking for her. She didn't even notice the puppy, she was so scared.

She stared at him for a moment, weighing her options. Running seemed best, because she didn't want to hurt him, but she was too startled to make up her mind.

She just shook her head slightly and unsuccessfully tried not look at the poster, just in case he didn't know already that he was supposed to be bringing her in.

[flyboy_shepp]

John missed a lot of things, sure, but just the fact that River hadn't even said ni hao back was enough to send alarm bells ringing, let alone the look on her face. "Are you sure?"

Somewhere furthur down the hall, Lil' Deathscythe let out a loud yip and came barrelling back - and into - John.

[crazyspacegirl]

"Not sure of anything," River said softly, more to herself than anyone else.

She flinched at the puppy, because he surprised her. She didn't want any puppies getting hurt because of her, either. She took a step back, because even with a puppy, this was the Law, right next to her, and any moment he'd probably be dragging her off to lock her up.