River was having a panic attack. That was nothing new. It was so normal now that the crew barely even noticed. What was new, and what everyone did notice, was that instead of running to a corner and hiding, she ran to Mal. Threw herself at him and he caught her like it was no big deal.

They were all shocked when he didn't reprimand her for it. Instead, he looked down at her with concern in his eyes, stroking her hair. "Hey, what's wrong little one? You remember another one of them terrors?" she nodded her head yes, squeezing her eyes shut. "How's about I tell you about the time I had to break out of an Alliance ship…wearing a dress?"

River leaned back a little so she could look into Mal's eyes. "You escaped the Alliance wearing a dress? Why were you wearing a dress Mal?" she looked sceptical, but everyone could hear the amusement tinging her tone.

He grinned down at her. "It was a might bit cold in the prisoner hold, and the only spare clothes I could find was a dress. I ain't no fool to question a gift from fate when I get one. Guess I was just lucky whoever owned that dress was…a handsomely size." He led her to the kitchen so they could sit. "Now, you come along and eat some grub and I'll tell you my heroic story."

x x x

The others were left staring at each other, wondering what had just happened. Simon was about to go after them, to watch out for his sister, when Zoe stopped him. "Simon, there isn't a person on this ship better suited to making River feel better after one of her scares. Mal will take good care of her, I can promise you that."

"He's only ever been gruff, if not out right cruel. Why would he make her feel better, Zoe? I don't trust him with her…" Simon argued softly. Mal had gone out of his way in the past to save them, but it didn't make Simon feel any easier about the current situation.

"Let me tell you a little known fact about Mal." Zoe led them further away from the kitchen so that neither River nor Mal would overhear. "He was married once. Loved the little woman to the ends of the 'verse. But then the Alliance found out about her and by the time Mal got to her she was…not quite all there." She threw a pointed look at Simon.

"Mal staid with Sophie for years, lookin' after her and whatnot. Until she threw herself into a jet. Damn near broke him, when she did that. But he pulled himself together and got himself a crew. Kaylee looks like Sophie did, Jayne's just as stubborn as her, Wash has the same loyalty…you seeing a pattern here Simon? A pattern to the people he looks after? We're not just his crew, we're his family. And if he can help River in any way, he will."

Zoe saw panic start to rise in Simon's eyes and took a moment to catch up. "Now wait just one minute, doc. Sophie…after he got her back from the Alliance, she wasn't no wife to Mal. More like a kid he had to take care of every minute. Anyone else would have left her with preachers and been on his way. But Mal said he took vows and just cos Sophie couldn't keep hers no more didn't give him no pass to skip out on her."