“WHAT is going on!” Jayne wakes up at the sound of the shout, and realizes that he is still laying on the couch, and looks up to realize River is laying on top of him, still asleep. He would have smiled, except he realized that the Captain was the one that shouted, and looking very angry.

“Uh…Captn…this ain’t what it looks like!” River looks up suddenly.

“Yes it is.” She looks at Mal. “We snuggled.” Jayne gapes at River and Mal shakes his head.

“Let’s jus skip right ahead of that statement, and ya’ll tell me why my merc is layin underneath my pilot?” He looks at the two of them expectantly, and Jayne can only stutter. Smiling, River puts her legs on the floor and gracefully climbs off of Jayne. She puts a hand on Mal. “It’s ok, daddy. We did not engage in intercourse.” “WHAT?” Jayne yells, jerking up, his face several shades redder than it usually is. Mal raises an eyebrow. “I think our lil’ Albatross is growin up, makin the big merc squirm.” He tries to put on a stern face. “But I will not hear such crude language from my pilot, and there’s no need of makin me feel older than I am. So, if you two are done, River, I’d like you to take the helm and set a course for Demeter.” “Yes daddy,” she replies, smiling, and skips off. Once she disappears, Jayne starts to strut off, but Mal stops him. “Jayne. Want to explain what that was all about?” he asks, sternly. Jayne looks at the floor. “Not really.” “That’s good. Cause’ i’m sure you know enough math to calculate the age difference between the two of you. Wouldn’t be safe if I found you two in that particular position again. Dong ma?” Jayne just nods, and then struts off towards his bunk, muttering in Chinese. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Jayne awoke in the middle of the night to the sound of feet. Trying the clear the hazy sleepiness of his eyes, he looks up and realizes River is standing on the corner. “Jiadan Maing! What in the Spicter hell are you doin here, girl?” She stares at him, sadly. “You were having a bad dream.” “So?” he asks, irritated. “That don’t give you leave to come in my bunk, so git out. If Mal found you here, hed probably throw me in the airlock so best you go on.” River doesn’t move, only continues to look at him. “You were dreaming about Ariel. Haunts you…like a spider…it creeps up when you least expect it and when it pounces it injects you with grief…and regret. You try to crush it but it disappears. You hate it…cause its unusual….never regret. But this one you do. You hate what almost happened….to me.” Jayne stares at her, not knowing what to say. “But its okay. I forgave you a long time ago. Time to forgive yourself.” Jayne stuttered, unnerved that he knew exactly what she meant, and unnerved at what she said. She explained it in a way that he never could have, but was perfect. “River!” a shout rang out from above. It was Simon’s voice. Jayne looked up, and then back to his little sister, who was standing in the corner with a dress that was a bit more revealing than Simon normally let her wear. “Quan do” he muttered. River looked away from him. “Ya should probably go to yer brother. I’d wait till he passed by, though,” he said, as Simon called out her name again. She shook her head, and a few tears started down her cheeks. “Don’t want to. He’s making me take more medicine. It hurts…but he says its making me better. I…I don’t want to tell him….it’s…” she trailed off, dissolving into tears, and muttering other, incoherent words that didn’t make sense. Jayne, feeling way not like himself, got up, scooped her into his arms, and carried her to his bed and laid down beside her. She curled up like she had did the previous night and closed her eyes. Jayne stared at her, and found himself smiling. It don’t make no sense, but it felt right. Simon’s voice went away, and long after she went to sleep he laid watching her. The doc shouldn’t be making her take that stuff. I should tell him to stop. He stared at her sleeping form, and sighed. I’m goin to the special Hell. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The next morning, River slipped out of bed before anyone else was awake. Jayne stirred, opening one eye to look at her. “Where ya goin?” he asked softly. “Shh…going back to my bed. Wouldn’t be safe to let Daddy find us, remember?” He grinned, not altogether happy at losing his heat source, and went back to sleep. She smiled, then climbed up the ladder and made her way to Simon’s bunk. Opening it quietly, she knelt down beside Simon’s bed, and he began to stir. “R..River, where were you. I looked, but…” She held a finger to his lips to stop him. “I found another place to sleep. Serenity likes it, she’s happy I’ve found it. But its secret. Can’t tell you.” Simon frowned, confused, but offered no argument. No doubt she had found some place inside the ship with wires and other bits that was comforting to her. He wouldn’t take her away from it, if she was happy. “But Simon, I want to tell you. I don’t want to take the medicine anymore. It…it hurts me…and does no good. I’m not gonna get better that way. You’ve done all you can for me…now I have to find a way to heal from someone else.” “Mei Mei, someone else?” She smiled. “Serenity will help me heal. Now go back to sleep,” she ordered softly. Simon watched as she left his bunk and closed the door, sad by the fact that he couldn’t help her, but happy that Serenity could. If Serenity could somehow help her heal, then it was good enough for him. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Everyone was asleep the next week except Jayne, who was lying in bed impatiently with his favorite T-shirt on. After several minutes, the hatch of his bunk opened quietly and he grinned as small feet descended the ladder. He lifted an arm, and River laid down next to him and curled up beside him. “Thank you for waiting.” “Couldn’t go to sleep without ya.” “Jayne…will you play for me tomorrow? So I can dance?” “For you, anything.” River smiled, and closed her eyes.