“Again,” River commanded, her arms hanging causally at her sides. Jayne grunted, then curled up his fist and aimed for her head. With all the speed he could muster, he swung back his arm and punched foreword. She easily sidestepped, dropped to the ground, and brought her leg up at his feet. Barely realizing what was happening; he tripped on her leg, and fell to the mat. Grinning, she jumped on top of him and pretended to pin his arms down. “Gotcha!” she yelled, triumphantly. “prisoner must now obey his captor.” Jayne grunted into the mat, trying his best to sound disappointed. “Aww…you cheated,” he said, feeling a small grin spread across his face. River frowned, indignantly. “did not. Rules did not specify against the use of medial malleolus to take down opponent.” “Huh?” Jayne grunted, confused. “I could use my leg,” she explained, and felt humor from him. “So, what are ye planning on doin to me, now that you’ve caught me?” he asked, a grin on his face as he turned his head. River put on a sly smile. “must go to bed without food…and can have no one to keep you warm in your bed.” Jayne frowned. “Aww, that ain’t fair!” he protested loudly. River spread her legs out across him and lowered herself down so that she was laying on his back. Jayne grinned. “That ain’t fair,” he repeated with a sly grin of his own, “I gotta have food!” River let out a gasp, feigning indignation, and started to get up, but Jayne rolled suddenly and pulled her to where she was under him. He put one hand on the mat to steady himself, and the other he put firmly, but gently, on her stomach, as he gazed at her eyes. She found herself having to draw deeper breaths as she stared back into his eyes. She didn’t need to touch his mind to know how he felt...but what that feeling was, he wasn’t sure about. And she wouldn’t start anything that he wasn’t sure about. “Jayne? What in the spicter’ hell you doin on my pilot?” came the Captain’s voice as he walked beside them, and stopped. Jayne jumped, and lost his balance, falling to the side to avoid falling on River. She grinned, using only one arm to gracefully push herself off the mat and sit down on a nearby crate. She picked up the fake knifes that they had used earlier and examined them while Jayne pushed himself up and tried not to look embarrassed. “No need to be like that, Mal. ‘Si Bea’, here, was just tryin to teach me some combat moves. Seemed to think I needed em,” he said, and Mal grinned. “That so, lil’ Albatross?” River nodded. “But its useless…not good at listening.” Mal laughed as Jayne frowned at River. She grinned, innocently. “Lil’ Albatross, if you get my merc to listen to ya…then I’ll double yer pay. Been tryin to teach him to listen for three years now.” He turned to Jayne’s scowl. “Mission briefing in the mess in five. River, you get to the helm and get er sailin straight for Hephaestus,” he said, then started towards the stairs. Jayne noticed River’s disappointed look at not being a part of the mission, and he turned back to Mal. “Hey, Capt’n…seems as if this one is like to be a bit more dangerous than usual. Might be good to have a reader with us,” he said and River beamed at him. Mal narrowed his eyes at him, and then at River. “That might be true, but our pilot here just got herself shot a week ago and I think she’d to better to stay here.” He noticed River’s sad expression, but didn’t back down. It had rattled them all to have River hurt, and he was a bit surprised himself that Jayne was wanting to take her along. Jayne looked from her and back to him. “Aw, Mal…she’ll be fine. Doc said she’s all healed…and she just took me down more times than I’d like to admit. What’s wrong with just this once?” Mal started to talk, but River interrupted. “Week and a half…no complications…all healed. Please, daddy?” she pleaded, and tried not to ruin it by smilin at Mal’s reaction. Rolling his eyes, he started up the stairs and called over his shoulder. “Fine,” he sighed. “Mess in ten!” River stood up, smiling and began packing up their training things. Jayne helped her, without even realized it. Once they were done, he pulled her into a hug. “I’ll get you next time,” he growled, and she pulled away. “Sure,” then skipped off towards the mess. He frowned, realizing something. “Hey, didn’t you tell me you were gonna teach me how to dance?” he asked, wondering if she had forgot. She only grinned. “I did,” and then turned back around and skipped down the hallway. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ River felt Serentiy’s cool metal beneath her feet. Things had gone well…Daddy was even gonna let her come along on the job. And he hadn’t killed Jayne yet, which was good too. He was thinkin about it though… Daddy had been easy, as she knew he would….could tell the truth of things…and judge them so. Zoe had been the one she was surprised about… < “River, you in here?” Zoe called up at the helm, and River turned around. “Right here,” she replied, and Zoe climbed the steps towards her. River flipped a few switches, and turned around to notice Zoe was staring at the dinosaurs…Wash’s dinosaurs. She felt the usual grief from Zoe…the sadness…the regret that it was River in that chair instead of her husband. River lowered her head. “I’m sorry…wish he was here, too,” she said, quietly and Zoe looked at her. “He wouldn’t mind, ya know,” she said with a small smile. “with you pilotin. He’d want someone good to take care of Serenity, and you’re one of the best there is. He wouldn’t have a problem with anybody sittin in that seat,” she said, and her thoughts started to drift away. River traced the back of one of the smaller dinosaurs, lovingly, then picked it up and put it in Zoe’s hand. “You’ll need this soon,” she said, looking at it, and Zoe frowned in confusion. River looked up into her eyes with a big smile. “You’ll see…soon.” “Si Bea? Where are ya?” came a gruff voice from down the hall, and River broke into a grin. Zoe looked at her with a half bemused, half humored expression. “Girl, you sure did pick an odd one to be with,” she said as Jayne started climbing the stairs. “Ain’t a one of us that would have put you two together, we just don’t understand it,” she said smiling. Jayne came up behind River’s chair, and she gave him a long look before turning back to Zoe. “You understand…better than anyone.” There was meaning behind her words, meaning that Zoe understood. “Guess I do,” she replied. Then, left the pair alone and climbed down the stairs and into her bunk, rubbing the dinosaur softly with her fingers.> River smiled, stepping through the doorway of the mess, and was glad no one was there yet. She wanted to be alone for a few minutes, before the mission briefing. She closed her eyes, and absorbed the sounds and smells of Serenity. She felt the Captain, talking to Inara. He was irritated, as he often was with her. River shook her head…she had to do something about those two. Then s he felt Kaylee, making the finishing touches to the Engine Flux so the Whitewash wouldn’t back up and clog the pipes…like arteries of a heart. She remembered Jubal Early’s words….a beating heart. She grinned…Kaylee’s reaction hadn’t surprised her either. River smiled, as she felt Jayne come up behind her and wrap his arms around her waist. She leaned into his arms. “Want to talk to you in your bunk…after the meeting.” Jayne grinned. “About what?” She turned around to look in his eyes, and his grin grew wider. It was a wonder how her brown eyes could sparkle out here in the black. “About your heart.” The words were soft, and he pulled his head in closer, his lips nearing hers. “Ahh......ji dan sei! GET…AWAY..from my SISTER!”