Jayne woke up to River’s face, tilted inquisitively towards him. He groaned and shoved his head under his pillow, trying to block the image from his mind. “What the hell do you want?” he growled, and it came out muffled, because he was still trying to pretend she hadn’t just wakened him up in the middle of the night. “It’s always dark out here. Dark is night. Early came back to kill me, and you are going to help me get rid of him, for good this time,” River informed him quietly. “Back to kill me, just like I said, bullet to the brainpan.” She shook her head to clear her thoughts. “He’s blocking me out. No one can block me out; people’s minds are books for me.” “So I’m a book, huh?” Jayne mumbled as he finally sat up and grabbed Vera. Yanking his boots on his feet, he glanced at River, and she was smiling. “I didn’t say some books weren’t interesting.” With that she stole out of his room, moving with the darkness itself; she was naught but a shadow. She moved more than gracefully, she was fluid, melting into the darkness. Jayne blinked and laced his boots. **** River slipped onto the bridge to check on Zoe, who was still watching the dinosaurs intently. “Don’t glare at them,” River said, and Zoe turned her gaze on River. “I can’t hear them. I’m trying to listen harder, but I still can’t hear,” Zoe groaned. “Don’t listen harder; hear harder.” With that, River was gone, leaving Zoe alone in the Black. Zoe prayed to whatever god might be listening that she made it back from it. ***************** “Did you think I was dead? No one would be that lucky. That psychic monster has been living on your boat all this time, and I was floating in space for the equivalent of three days before my ship finally got to me. Does that seem fair to you?” Early asked, waving the gun around Inara’s temple. “Sit. Both of you. I’m going to lock you in, and once she is dead, you can go about your normal lives.” But Mal and Inara knew something he didn’t; it wouldn’t be that normal without River. River was the pilot, but most of all, River was family. “Early, I don’t think normal was ever on our agenda,” Mal growled. “How unfortunate for you,” Early replied. “Oh, yeah, we’re real broken up about it,” Mal mumbled as Early walked out, locking the doors behind him. “So- you gotta a plan?” “Somehow I doubt Early can take her on,” Inara said dryly. “Yeah, she’ll come get us as soon as she takes him out,” Mal agreed. “She better.” “Weren’t you coming in here to be with me alone, anyway?” “It’s a mite different when I’m forced into it.” ^*^

Jayne was slipping down the hallway, surprisingly silent for a man of his stature, and nearly had a coronary when River slid out of the shadows into his path. “Gorramnit, girl, are you trying to kill me?” he demanded, even though he couldn’t help but notice how her luminous eyes danced and flickered in the darkness. “If I was trying to kill you, you would be dead,” she informed him, and he knew how true that was. “Have you seen him?” “He’d be dead.” “Do I just wander around aimlessly until you find him?” “He’ll find you. You’re my bait.” She laughed softly at the wounded look on his face, a silvery, tinkling sound, and it made him wonder how this girl, this fragile beauty could be a killer. “Very easily, Jayne.” “Do you ever not listen to people’s thoughts?” “I can’t not.” The words were hauntingly familiar, but the look in her eyes faded as quickly as it appeared. “I won’t let you get hurt.” How could those words be more reassuring coming from a tiny, delicate teenage girl than from Mal telling him everything was going to go according to plan? “’Cuz Mal’s plans don’t always work.” And with the brush of a shadow against his cheek, she was gone, searching for the man that meant to kill her. ** She found him much easier than to be expected, but she realized then that he remembered as nothing but a bounty that had foiled his plans. He did not realize that she was a walking weapon; even more dangerous than the Alliance expected her to be when her family was threatened. And Jubal Early was a threat. She heard his footsteps before the cocking of the gun, and the breath he took before speaking. “I have come to kill you,” came the voice; he sounded almost regretful, but River knew better. He was trying to be the dignified killer when all he was, simply, was a psycho. She turned to face him as he pulled the trigger, but she had already ducked and spun, knocking the gun out of his hands the second after the bullets left the chamber. She trained her aim on him and fired into his forehead twice. Stepping back numbly, she surveyed what she had done, almost automatically, and sprinted down the hallway in search of Jayne. She would need help with the disposal of his body, and Jayne could help with that. She liked Jayne. Whipping around the corner, she stopped short at the scene in front of her- Jubal Early holding a gun to Jayne Cobb’s head. “Your life for his,” he told her. “This isn’t personal…..This is revenge.” “What’s more personal that vengeance?” asked River, and she caught a flicker of movement in the shadows behind the two men. “What’s more personal than holding him next to a loaded gun?” Now she was just stalling, waiting for…yes, the jug of water to come crashing down on Early’s head. “That took too long. What if Jayne had gotten shot?” River asked, borderline angrily. Jayne looked up at her in surprise, but she pretended not to notice. She usually didn’t get angry…. “Oh, yeah, that would have been a real loss,” Zoe said dryly, a flicker of her usual self surfacing. She helped Jayne shove the body into a room and lock the door. Then she blinked wearily, settling back into the rut of pain she had been in, and she turned to walk away. “You go get the captain…I’ll be on the bridge.” “Poor Zoe,” River whispered as soon as she was out of earshot. “He needs her to listen, needs her to come and save him, but the dinosaurs whisper secrets to no one but me…..When he needs her to hear what he’s saying the most, she’s deaf with pain…..” “C’mon, girl. Are you hurt?” Jayne grumbled, and rolling his eyes at her are-you-really-that-big-of-an-ape expression. “Fine, then, let’s go get the captain.” “Are you alright?” she asked him hesitantly, as if expecting the firing squad for caring about the big ape. He paused in his brisk stride, and glanced down at the diminutive girl. “Me? I’m fine,” he finally said gruffly, trying his best to avoid the dormant emotion waking up in his chest and dancing the tango. River struggled not to laugh at this metaphor and thought to herself exactly how the big ape would know how to tango. “They’re in Inara’s shuttle. He locked them there,” River said suddenly, remembering the task at hand. Jayne was poised to knock on Mal’s door, and he glowered at her. “Couldn’ta mentioned that before?” he asked, spinning on his heel, and grabbing River’s arm tenderly, he tugged her in the opposite direction. As his callused fingers grasped her slender arm, a shiver shot up her spine. Jayne unlocked the door, and Mal came stumbling out, holding his head. Inara was perched on the bed, midpoint between amusement and concern. “Really, Mal, why would slamming into the door have worked anyway?” she questioned him, a tiny smile tugging on the corners of her lips. “There’s always a possibility…..Did you get him?” asked Mal woozily, still clutching his head. Inara smiled sadly, and rose to her feet, cradling Mal against her. Jayne and River exchanged a disgusted look; it was amazing how little public displays of affection the crew could take from captain, even though they’d been pushing for this pairing for ages now. “Where’s his body?” Mal demanded. “He’s locked in one of the passenger dorms,” Jayne replied nervously. “Why is he not dead?” “I shot him. Twice. In the head,” River said. “I left his body to go find Jayne. I found Jayne with a gun held to his head. Jubal Early came back to life.” “Right then. Jayne, what happened, and why is my pilot talkin’ nonsense?” Mal turned to Jayne. “’Cuz it’s true?” “Gorramn lunatics…….,” Mal mumbled to himself, stumbling into the cargo bay and grabbing the microphone. “Everyone, rise and shine, and get your asses in the cargo bay.” “Except for Zoe. She needs to talk to the dinosaurs,” River said earnestly. Mal sighed and yanked the microphone again. “Everyone except Zoe get your asses down here,” he amended. “Better?” “No. She’ll still come. Hates to be left out,” River answered, jumped up onto one of the cargo crates, her long legs barely brushing the floor. Without thinking, Jayne plopped down wearily beside her, and none but Inara noticing the young girl’s brief look of satisfaction. “Jayne alright?” “I said I was fine,” he grumbled, leaning back against the wall and letting his eyes drift close. “But you’re a liar,” pointed out River. “And I know when any of you lie.” Jayne opened one eye to look at her, and she wrinkled her nose at him. He shoved her playfully, and she shoved back. “What ARE you doing with my sister?” Simon tried to sound intimidating, but he couldn’t muster anything past sleepiness. So he sighed and let Kaylee put her head on his shoulder. “Were you two actually sleeping? As in, restful sleep?” Jayne teased, still shoving River away, only she was caught off balance and began to slide off the crate. Jayne caught her wrist and yanked her back towards him, and she wound up sprawled on his lap, giggling. At the sight of her small face laughing up at him, he couldn’t help but laugh, too. “Do you mind? Can we get to business here?” Mal snarled, and River snapped up, slowly relaxing against the cold, metal wall, and she wondered briefly why her brother was eying her and Jayne like such a boob. “Sir? Can I say this? He did have two bullet holes in ‘em,” interrupted Zoe. “Where were you?” Mal asked. “She had to leave the dinosaurs. She had to keep Jayne from getting shot. Clubbed with the jug- BOOM! She woke up for a moment, but she’s back to sleep….,” River said. “I think River needs her medication,” Simon said, starting for his sister. “No, she don’t. I know exactly what she’s sayin’. She’s sayin’ that Zoe had to come save us from that hun dan, and for a moment Zoe was a little bit like her regular self, and then she went back to moping,” Jayne explained, leaning forward slightly protectively. “She don’t need the gorramn medication.” “How would you know?” Simon said irritably. “Knows more than he lets on. Doesn’t see me as a fragile crazy anymore,” River said softly. “He’s the only who listens me more than half. Remembers I’m the psychic when the rest of you don’t. Why I went to him tonight instead of Simon and Kaylee. Before getting out Mal. He listens.” “River, I would’ve listened-,” began Simon, reaching for his sister. “What part of sit down and shut the hell do you people not understand?” Mal yelled. Simon stepped back hesitantly as Jayne wrapped an arm around River that she snuggled into. More than a few shot them a look, but it was blatantly ignored. “Can’t we just interr-o-gate him in the mornin’?” yawned Kaylee, stretching her arms above her head. “What part of this guy getting shot and not dying is not bothering you people?” Mal howled. “The part where he’s locked up tight and can wait until mornin’?” murmured Kaylee, and suddenly Mal realized Simon and Kaylee didn’t actually know who’d snuck aboard. “Kaylee, girl, you do realize who it is we’re talking about? Jubal Early?” Mal said gently, and Kaylee’s eyes widened. So after a moment’s more debate, it was decided that Jubal Early was a threat that warranted immediate action. “Let’s go, then,” Simon said tiredly, and a loud snort caught everyone’s attention. River was sound asleep and snoring, nestled in the crook of Jayne’s arm.