”And also orange colored berries.” River replied gravely. ”They are hard to resist.”

”Zoe would say ’Only foolish people resist a good thing when it comes their way’.” Kaylee offered.

”The trick is telling good things from the bad.” River replied.

”Captain did say that back to her, didn’t he?” Kaylee questioned, looking from the flower to River.

”A lot of people have said that. It’s not special.” River debated, shifting positions so she was laying down on the bed next to Kaylee and looking up at the ceiling with her.

”You learn that in school? What people said what an’ all?” Kaylee asked with faint curiosity, the conversation having made her feel a lot better by now. She knew from her brother that River had been a real live genius in school, before what happened to her happened. Was why it happened in fact.

”The quality of language is ever to be measured by the veracity of those who have spoken it. In no other area can this be felt more strongly than in the memories they leave behind them.” River said it almost lyrically, very much like she was a lecturer and Kaylee was her class to teach.

”…Sounds pretty anyway.” Kaylee assessed. ”Not that I know what it means exactly… Who said it, anyway?”

”River Tam said it.” River told her lightly. ”Do you know her?”

Kaylee tilted her head to the side and regarded the other girl who was still looking up at the ceiling, a serene, careless look on her face. [Does she have to look so darn cute an’ innocent all the time sayin’ these things?] Kaylee questioned internally with a little mostly affectionate exacerbation. [Two can play that though.] ”I know everything about River Tam.” She said, looking up at the ceiling herself again.

This time River looked over at her. ”Do you really?” She seemed surprised.

”Her mind is an open book to me.” Kaylee said boldly. ”What? You didn’t know?”

Before she knew it, River was on top of her, held up by knees and hands and looking down into her face intently. Kaylee couldn’t help it, a shock of fear went though her at the look River’s her eyes.

”Liar.” River said, getting up off the bed and walking away. ”She scares you.”