Stars (firefly fanfic)

Dead people all around her, they just stopped living, didn't even mind. Dead but still talking though she was the only one who could hear them. The sounds of their voices filled her head and images of dead faces appeared suddenly in her vision. 

Stop! 

The voices went silent and the faces disappeared, instead she noticed the curious/concerned look the captain gave her.  

"Are you all right?" 

She nodded and smiled at Mal. "Don't worry. I've got a clear mind today, as you would probably call it." 

"Shiny." 

River turned her attention to the view in front of her. She loved all the sparkling stars, bright, precious spots of light in the endless dark void of space, in many ways they remembered her of the crew of Serenity and of course the ship itself, the main difference was, that there were so many stars while People like Mal and his crew were rare.  

She leaned back in the co-pilots, her, seat. Love, Mal had said, makes a ship a home. How she loved Serenity!  

She remembered the days back in her childhood when she and Simon went swimming in the lake near their house together with their parents. Though she had been sane and with her family in those days she didn't want them back. She had a new family now, a family where it didn't matter whether her brother and she would get a good job or not, where there were no neighbors to impress, a family which accepted, loved her for who she was, even in times when the madness overcomes her. She couldn't remember a time she was that happy before. 

This small ship in the star-sprinkled sky was her home. 

"I think I'll need a bit of rest and something to eat. Can you handle her momentary alone?", Mal cut in her thoughts. Of course she can., River heard him think. 

"Sure.", she replied. 

"Thanks, little albatross, I'll be back in an hour or so." He smiled and left the cockpit. She knew that this was kind of a test, Mal was slowly giving more responsibility to her and she wouldn't disappoint him, at least not today. 

Once again she turned back to the window, smiling contently, left alone with Serenity and the stars.