”Echoes of the void. There will be a war.” River replied, continuing on towards the shuttle without looking back.

Kaylee watched after her for a moment. Why was it, that every time she thought she had River figured, the woman’d say something so sideways like that? Somehow though, whether it was because she’d come to understand River Tam so much more these last weeks, or because of some other reason, she knew, just knew, than it would be smart to take what River had just said very seriously.

She hurried up to catch up with her shipmate.

Or, she supposed, River might actually be her girlfriend now.

———-

The next day, Kaylee watched from the bed, not just a little anxiously, as River set up barricades and traps in a very exacting manner. She’d offered to help of course, but River had firmly said no, that it was better if she did it herself, because things had to be just so (’course, she hadn’t used those words exactly, but Kaylee had caught her meaning just fine).

”Tell me again: if Reavers are coming here, why aren’t we just gettin’ elsewhere?” Kaylee asked, her eyes tracking River’s movements almost on automatic now, as though just watching her move and do things like she was doing would make her feel better. And it was – over the last weeks she’d gotten to very much like just watching River do things in fact (there really hadn’t been all that much else to do), because she’d discovered there were always so many layers to whatever it was she was doing. Since they’d become… closer, she found she liked it even more, in a way that was entirely unexpected to her, but, after what River had said, that comforting effect only went so far.

”This location is defensible, also our home. I have to protect you, skew the vectors closer to certainty. It’s essential.” River explained distractedly as she was bending down, the side of her head almost touching the floor as she looked at something she’d just set up from an odd angle.

”But, wouldn’t it make more sense not to have to… defend me, and everything? If we just left…?” She offered, unsure of what else to say.