Disclaimer: I am not Joss Whedon, and can therefore make no claim whatsoever to owning Firefly. This written purely in homage.

Anchor

The voices crash around her like waves. They flood her mind, threatening to wash her away. Their roar is deafening.

River wonders if she should be her namesake for the voices. She wonders if she should flow away, to mingle with the ocean of minds and emotions, lost in the greater currents. It frightens her, but it seems to promise an end to the confusion; how can she be confused if there's no 'her' anymore?

Simon's hand finds hers, and she remembers where she is. The tide of voices ebbs, for now. He is her anchor. He will hold on.