A THING CALLED LOVE * Six foot six he stood on the ground, weighed two hundred and thirty five pounds But I saw that giant of a man brought down to his knees by love He was the kind of man that would gamble on luck Look you in the eye and never back up But I saw him cryin' like a little whipped pup because of love Can't see it with your eyes hold it in your hand but like the wind that covers our land Strong enough to rule the heart of any man this thing called love It can lift you up it can let you down take your world turn it all around Ever since time nothing's ever been found stronger than love * Thing called Love – Johnny Cash and others * ***************

It was seeing River surrounded by a pile of sliced and diced Reavers that had started it. Jayne had seen the corona of light around River's head, the green dress swirling around her pocket frame and the Reaver blood sliding so sweetly down the blade of that axe and he'd suddenly aquired a whole new lust object. Hadn't said anything to the Moonbrain girl, of course. Just spent some quality time in his bunk imagining getting all that coiled power, agility and precision under him and wrapped around him, begging for more. And, Lord, he'd make her beg.

It was the strangest and very violent flirting they'd had; right from the moment he'd clapped eyes on the little slip of a thing naked in her box. His mind kept replaying that moment and reminding him she wasn't a little girl, not even then. Okay, she barely came up to his chest and probably weighed 90 pounds soaking wet, but she had curves. Pert, tempting behind, long, long dancer's legs and a sweet swell of modest breasts with long, prominent nipples just begging to be sucked. Of course, trying to sell her to the Alliance hadn't helped, but she'd knifed him before that. Follow the knifing by being clocked with a tin of peaches and then darned near having his nuts ripped off in that bar. He should have been skittish around her after that - was most of the time - but her hand had drifted north; cupped and stroked his length so sweetly that he wasn't ever going to forget. Made him protective of the girl, and not a little horny.

So, she was a weapon. Jayne understood that and wanted to see what River's fire power was like. Wanted to rev her up and show her his own major weapon and then see what the two of them could accomplish together; in the sack and out of it. He wanted to push her and him together to the limit and bring the whole gorram verse to its collective knees in front of them. Imagined quite a few scenarios where they became effective king and queen of the 'verse and then on the dais River herself knelt in front of him, calling him 'master' and giving him a blow job that went on for hours and made the verse weep with the beauty and power of it.

Jayne silently argued with himself about letting on that River was invading his fantasies most nights. Even when he was getting trim from other sources. Somewhere along the line she'd got under his skin. Points against - their checkered, if not to say somewhat biased history; him being about three times her size; he was old enough to be her Pa and legally so; Simon would cut his nuts off; Mal would space him; Moonbrain could apparently kill him with her brain; none of the rest of the crew would be in favour; she was totally aloof to his brand of coarse behaviour. Points for – if she was that good in battle, she'd be awesome in the sack; he could teach her everything he knew; giving her an orgasm or three might do wonders for her mind; he was about three times her size. Thoughts of making her scream with pleasure as he ploughed her [presumably] virgin and eager furrow were more than a little alluring. It took three months of lusting before the truth finally hit him. He was pumping weights as per usual when he sat up, dropping the pole and weights with a clang, eyes wide in shock. “Gorram! I'm in love with her!”

River went into the cockpit. There was a small bunch of slightly crushed violets in a glass of water on her console. She bent down and melt them. Their own fragrance hit her nostrils, then underneath, gun oil, slightly nervous sweat and something even sweeter than the whole package put together. Mal saw the flowers, “You've been picking daisies on that last moon, River?” She smiled, “No; these are violets. Viola odorata. It's a gift of love. I'm being courted.” Mal smiled indulgently, “That tall, thin young man who spoke to you in the trading post?” River smiled back, “No, not him. Ursus major; draconis major; barbatos indagator. He's just realised he loves me.” Mal hesitated, “You haven't...slept with whoever it is, have you?” River began to pilot the ship, giggling, “No, silly. Hasn't even kissed me yet. But he will.” “And he loves you?” River nodded, “Yes. It's deep and true. I've read his love growing for me; but he only just admitted it to himself recently. I *am planning to love him right back.” “As long as your beau does right by you, otherwise Simon will probably emasculate him.” River looked at Mal, “After taking those Reavers apart, I could emasculate *any man who came too close that I didn't wholeheartedly welcome.” “Reckon you could at that; you managed to subdue even Jayne.” Mal hadn't a clue what was going on. River smiled to herself, “That I did; that I did.”

Jayne stopped going planetside for trim. He made out that was where he was headed, even went to see some of his old squeezes and tell them he was off the menu. He lingered around River, as much as he could get away with without blowing his cover. After a month without sexing up anything except his hands, he was getting ornery. He needed sex as much as he needed to fight. Now all his eggs were in one sweet little basket and he'd barely got more than a couple of limpid glances that kept him hoping. He'd left little gifts for River as often as he could. A pebble from a beach on some dirt moon they visited, all polished and shiny. A necklace of blue beads from a market stall. More posies of flowers. 'I know.' He heard the words in his head. His eyes flicked up and across the galley table. River's eyes were midnight dark with arousal and a whole heap of other things that gave him a whole lot more than hope. “Wuh?” He turned the query into a coughing fit when the others looked at him. 'I know you love me, my big beautiful sexy bear. I love you too.' His gaze flicked right back to hers. It was all there, in her eyes. Love, need, desire and good old fashioned lust. His mouth curved into a wicked grin. 'Oh, God! River, moonbeam; when, where?' He was talking to her in his head. He was probably going crazy, but lord, it felt good. 'Moonbeam?' 'Slippery, elusive, teasin' me. Wanna pin you down an...' The images that followed were *very graphic. There was a soft feminine moan in his mind, 'I want that too; soon. Cargo bay, tonight.'

It was dark in the cargo bay. River was standing near one of the boxes, barefoot in a slip of blue satin which dipped low at the front and skirted the tops of her thighs. Her nipples were hard and tenting out the satin temptingly. “You ain't gonna kill me, are you?” She giggled and drifted closer, “This is love, Jayne. I *can make the pleasure between us better than anything else you've ever known.” Jayne grinned and caught her by her waist, “Thought that was *my job, sweet River-moonbeam.” Her hands touched his chest and fire raced all over Jayne's body, making him gasp, “Think that felt good? Imagine what my hands will do to your manparts.” Jayne drew her into the shadow and started kissing up her neck, “Later! Fer now I wanna drive. River-honey; are you a virgin?” She shuddered under his touch, “If you mean hymen intacta, then no. Been using one of Kaylee's...toys and thinking of you. Plus, *they put...*things inside me. Might not be a virgin, clean and true.” “Put summat inside you soon as'll take all that away!” “I know. We were made for each other. You'll heal me completely and I'll heal you.” “You can call it what you like as long as I'm deep inside you and makin' you scream!”

Jayne captured her lips. The kiss went on and on. It was the sort of kiss that ought to have moved the whole 'verse by its sweetness, impact and sensuality. Jayne's knees buckled and he sat on a handy crate. River sat with her legs spread over his. “River, honey-moonbeam...are you wearin' any panties?” “No!” Jayne gently and slowly lifted the hem of her silky blue dress, “Gorram. Thought not. Sweetest quinny flower I've ever seen. An' ya shaved for me, hmm?” River shook her head, “Read in your mind that you like it like that. Stopped the hair growing.” “Gorram.” He cupped her face tenderly as her slip drifted back down, “'M about as hard as an iron bar for you right now.” “I can make that grow too!” Jayne chuckled, low and wolfish, “Darlin'; he's as big as he can get an' that's pretty big!” River naughtily trailed one finger up the length of Jayne's erection. To his surprise, fresh blood pumped him even fuller. “I want you bigger than you've ever been before; then I want every last millimetre deep inside me.”

Jayne tore his tee shirt off and his lips kissed River hard and long until they were both breathless. Her hands trailed fire all over his chest. “My big, muscly, sexy bear!” Jayne's hands were creeping north. They landed just under the delicate swell of River's breasts. He teased his mouth and goatee down, paused for several heated moments over the satin, then closed his lips around one succulent, tempting peak. River gasped and came on the spot. “Are you gonna come every time I suckle those nipples of yours?” “Yes!” “Gorram; you sweet responsive darlin'...” He trailed his mouth over and took in the other peak, through the dress. River came again, gasping with pleasure. She slid down his legs until her mound was right against the swollen evidence of his arousal. “Please. Make love to me, Jayne.” Her hands were undoing his belt. Jayne started helping, then in a few more seconds he was out and free. River's hands circled him and there was room to spare. Jayne tenderly removed her hands. “Much more of that an' I won't last. Tryin' to take it slow for you. You've seen the size of the monster and you're such a gorgeous wee thing...” Her hands drifted up to his face, “We'll fit, I promise. I'll be fully whole and so will you. I love you.”

His face was etched with the control he was having to display as he gently slid his fingers into her slick folds, “Love you too, sweet River-moonbeam.” He lifted her as she rose in his arms, then she slid down and he was easing sweetly inside her. In seconds he was all the way home, deep inside her. “God; I love you, River-moonbeam. Marry me sometime soon?” She laughed softly, “This is us getting married...” She lifted a couple of inches and slid back down. Jayne peeled off her dress and they began moving together. River had been right. The pleasure was better than anything Jayne had ever known before. It was like he was coming with every stroke. His lips found hers and he felt the moment when her mind met and mated with his. It was marriage; right down to the very depths of their souls. All the empty aching places in him were filled with River and all her empty places were filled with Jayne. They were free; they were whole. He felt his climax coming and River urging him on. Her head went back and her inner muscles began milking him with her voice urging him on with ecstatic cries of 'yes!' and 'now!'. He exploded, long and hard. His climax went on and on in relentless waves and he knew that he was given to River for the rest of his life. Finally they drifted slowly back down from the mountain top.

There was the unmistakeable click of a gun next to his ear, “Jayne? What are you doing to River? No, don't answer that, I can see well enough; but why?” “I love her, Mal and she loves me.” “Get dressed real careful and we'll have a talk. One false move and you're history, dong ma?” Jayne apologised to River with his eyes and helped her on with her dress. He pulled up his pants and hauled on his tee shirt. Zoe, Mal, Simon and Inara were there, most of them armed. Jayne put his arm around River's shoulders protectively. Mal gestured at River, “For the record, how old are you?” “Eighteen...nearly.” Mal looked at Jayne, “And you?” “Thirty eight...nearly. I know I'm old enough to be her Pa, but I love her.” “Deflower many virgins, do you?” “Don't rightly know River was a virgin; don't much care if'n she weren't. She's mine and I'm hers for keeps as of about five minutes ago.” Simon's face was white and tight with rage, “Why you ruttin' animal!” Jayne clenched his fists but didn't move. River stepped forward, “Didn't you hear Jayne? We love each other, Simon. He healed me. I'm not broken any more. You should be glad!” “But healing you is *my job!” “Actually,” River replied, “It's *mine. You helped me more than you know; with your medicine and your love. Jayne's love for me and mine for him healed me all the way. I'm free; I'm whole. He was the catalyst. It just took us a long time to realise it.” Zoe stepped forward, “Jayne's not capable of *love.” “Hey!” Jayne began to protest. River stepped towards Zoe, “Yes, he is. My big, beautiful sexy bear is *very capable of love. Under the growling, there was a big poppa bear aching to be loved. And he loved me in silence for a long time.”

Mal lunged and grabbed River, keeping his weapon on Jayne, “One step nearer and you make like a human colander.” Jayne looked like ten sorts of blue murder, but fists and feet weren't any defence against bullets, “We just married each other, gorramit. She's my *wife!” “You can give it that fiction if you like, but we all know that you turned River's head, then seduced the heck outta her. She's a teenager, for Yesu's sake!” They were never going to believe him, believe River. “I. Love. Her!” Serenity landed gently on the surface of some moon. A few moments later, Kaylee came down the stairs, bringing Jayne's pack. “Here. It's got all your stuff in it, all your precious guns.” Jayne glanced down then back up again, chin high, “I'll trade the gorram lot and every last coin I own for River.” “She's not for sale.” River started to fight and was doing pretty well until Zoe grabbed her and put a gun to her head. Jayne tore his gaze away from River and turned to Mal, “You really gonna do this? Split me up from the love of my life?” His heart started tearing apart inside. “Get. Off. My. Boat. You animal!” Jayne fixed River with a deep glance. 'No-one but you, my love. Never gonna be anyone else but you.' There was a hole a mile wide inside where River had filled and completed him. 'I know. I'm given. I'll find you. May take years, but I'll find you.' Tears were running down her face. Jayne could see the damage their forced parting was doing to her and he ached. “I love you, my sweet moonbeam River.” Only River could see the unshed tears in his eyes. “Love you, my big bear Jayne.” He took a long look, committing her to memory. 'I'll be waiting right here on this dirt moon.' 'I'll come to you.' And in an echo, as he walked away, and Serenity rose into the air, he felt a flash of heat and love from her. 'And our babies.' “We got pregnant?!!?” Jayne looked into the sky, gobsmacked. 'Twins, darling.' “Wuh de mah!” “No power in the 'verse can keep us apart, Jayne.” He closed his eyes, “Just come to me. Heal me all over again an' I'll do my ruttin' best to heal you.”

*** Ursus major; draconis major; barbatos indagator [great bear, great dragon, bearded warrior]

Moon River, wider than a mile, I'm crossing you in style some day. Oh, dream maker, you heart breaker, wherever you're going I'm going your way. Two drifters off to see the world. There's such a lot of world to see. We're after the same rainbow's end-- waiting 'round the bend, my huckleberry friend, Moon River and me. * Moon River – Andy Williams and others