<div align="center"><strong>-=Dani, in the cargo bay observing the crew disembarking onto Persephone=-</strong></div><br/>Si's slight shift to a more protective stance was not lost on Dani, and a feeling of gratitude flooded through her. She returned his reassuring squeeze of her hand with one of her own...her way of thanking him.  Her frustration at her continued timidness did nothing to help her deal with the problem, and honestly, she didn't know if anything ever would. The attack that robbed her of her fiance stole so much more from her than she would have believed possible. Being aboard The Gamble for nigh on a year had helped - she was stronger than she used to be, but that was still a far cry from the confident outgoing young medical student she had been.<br/><br/>From her position behind Si, she couldn't help but smile as Mrs. Sylvester grabbed the backsides of both Griff and Lex in turn.  Dani would miss the old lady, who had unwittingly, or quite possibly intentionally, provided the crew with some moments of pure hilarity which would no doubt be rehashed over and over during their time traversing the black.  She doubted the men-folk aboard The Gamble would miss her, though.  Dani had heard tell of the woman's night time wanderings. Interestingly, she'd only started doing that after she'd learned that the Captain had a habit of doing the same.<br/><br/>Watching the new man, McPherson, treat Mae dismissively caused Dani some concern.  It seemed to her that despite Mae's tough exterior, the vivacious pilot was in many ways still a child looking for acceptance from the people who had become her surrogate family.  Dani's heart went out to the girl, still so young but trying so hard not to be, as she wandered away from the ship, trying to look like she didn't care that she had been virtually ignored by the newcomer.  Dani waited until Lex had lead the man past her and Si before stepping out from behind her protector and heading down the loading ramp after Mae.  Glancing around nervously before stepping off the safety of the ship and onto the uncertainty that was Persephone, Dani swallowed her misgivings, her conern for Mae greater than her fears for herself.<br/><br/>Approaching her from behind, Dani saw that something had caught the girls attention, but only for a moment, before she went back to staring into space.  Stepping softly to her side, Dani touched Mae lightly on the shoulder, causing her to turn toward her.  Smiling up at the teen who was a couple of inches taller than her, she looked steadily into Mae's eyes.<br/><br/>"You be careful, you hear?  I don't want to have to come put you back together because you've gotten yourself banged up, Mei-Mei. You know how much I hate to be planetside..." Dani hoped that by implying that she would, if necessary, come looking for Mae, that the younger woman would know just how fond of her she was.  As well as thinking twice before she did anything rash. Giving her an awkward hug, Dani finally gave into the rising panic that caused her heart to beat too fast and her throat to constrict and almost ran back to the ship, hurrying up the ramp to the relative safety of the cargo bay.  Concentrating on slowing her breathing, Dani flashed Si a weak smile to allay his concern, her anxiety level obvious in her blue eyes. Leaving the rest of the crew to go about their business, she headed for the infirmary, the place she felt most comfortable. Once she had restored her calm, she would find Lex and together they could wait for the cleaning crew to arrive.