(WARNING!!!!, I use a song in this one(but it’s a really sweet song and I think it suit’s the moment), warning-couldn’t help it, I’m a sap at heart)(and the song is Lullaby by Spill canvas)

Chapter 8

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As the hours pass, Kaylee shifts in the engine room.

“She usually comes in here by now…what’s going on? I thought fore sure she’d come after earlier….”

She grumbles to herself as she lays under Serenity’s engine. Working on tightening a loose part clanging about. Sighing, she slides out from under the ships heart as she finishes. Getting onto her feet, wiping her cheek off and effectively smearing it with grease. Giving everything a once over before slipping out of the room.

“I bet Simon put her in her room again. I’ll go check.”

She grins to herself at the thought of irking Simon by visiting River. Heading down to the passenger rooms quietly. Wondering faintly why they still slept here. Simon and River, even Book, were crew now. She’d have to ask him about it later, after all, if they weren’t enough rooms she’d be more then happy to share with River. The thought of them sharing the same room, the same bed, made her blush, but smile at the though.

“A room with River…”

She grins, reaching the bottom of the stairs and heading back to the guest rooms.

“River…?Bao bei…? Are you back here?”

She hears a soft groan, almost a whimper and frowns instantly hurrying down the hall. Gasping softly when she finds River laying practically comatose on her bed. Paler then normal, beads of sweat on her forehead.

“What did he do to you…??”

She barely hears her own voice, kneeling by the teens side quietly. Smoothing sweat dampened hair away from her face.

“Shhhh…sweetie…I’m here. Its alright.”

Kaylee coo’s softly, eyes worried though. Watching as the girl she’d given her heart to suffer in some nightmare. Trying to wake her gently. Eyes widening in panic when she gets no reaction.

“River?? Wake up!”

She shakes the pale girl once more, a bit harder this time. Slowly, as if it cost her a great deal, River forces her eyes open a mere slit. Head feeling thick and heavy. Tongue like clay in her mouth, unable to talk properly. Kaylee relaxing when she sees her eyes open. Smoothing her hair back again tenderly.

“There we are…you scared me for a moment bao bei…”

“..-lee…”

Rivers voice is barely a thick whisper, unable to speak further. The mechanic pressing her fingers to the girls lips gently to hush her.

“Don’t, I can tell your only barely here. Just try to stay awake for me. I’ve only seen you sleep that deep once before…it scares me.”

“hurt…”

The teen mumbles, referring to when she got injured and was out cold for weeks. Lost to the world. Kaylee bites her lip, but nods.

“Yeah…spooked me…I don’t ever wanna come that close to losing you again…Don’t think my heart could stand being broken that badly.”

River weakly manages to slide her fingers into Kaylee’s hand, gripping lightly. That small act was enough to calm the older girls nerves, making her smile.

“I’m alright bao bei…don’t worry. I know your alright now. Everything’s okay.”

She leans down, kissing her forehead softly, shifting so she’s laying beside the teen. Pulling the taller girl into her arms gently, cradling her head upon her breast. Rivers eyes closing again, pain of her nightmares retreating at the steady thudding of Kaylee’s heart against her cheek. The mechanic smiles stroking her hair, humming to her softly, then quietly singing the words of the tune to her. Having heard it on the cortex a while back, it an older song from Earth that Was, and she thought it pretty, and that it suited River perfectly.

It's the way that you blush when you're nervous. It's your ability to make me earn this. I know that you're tired, just let me sing you to sleep. It's about how you laugh out of pity, 'Cause lets be honest I'm not really that funny. I know that you're shy, just let me sing you to sleep.

If you need anything, just the say the word. I mean anything. Rest assured, if you start to doze, then I'll tuck you in, Plant my lips where your necklace is close.

It's those pills that you don't need to take, medicating perfection, now that's a mistake. I know that you're spent, just let me sing you to sleep. It's your finger and how I'm wrapped around it. It's your grace and it keeps me grounded. I know that you're weak, just let me sing you to sleep.

If you need anything, just the say the word. I mean anything. Rest assured, if you start to doze, then I'll tuck you in, Plant my lips where your necklace is close.

While you were sleeping I figured out everything, I was constructed for you, and you were molded for me. Now I feel your name, coursing through my veins. You shine so bright it's insane, you put the sun to shame.

(Oh)

If you need anything, just the say the word. I mean anything. (I really do) Rest assured, if you start to doze, then I'll tuck you in, Plant my lips where your necklace is close.

If you need anything, just the say the word. I mean anything. Rest assured, if you start to doze, then I'll tuck you in, Plant my lips where your necklace is close.

Rivers body calms, eyes closing again. This time when she sleeps, its peacefully, not the drug induced nightmare forced on her by Simon. Kaylee stays in the room with her, still softly humming the tune as her own eyes eventually drift shut. Falling asleep herself, holding the younger girl gently.

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Mal sighs softly, sitting in the kitchen, elbows on the table and head in his hands. Waiting.

“…Gorramit Jayne! I told you to get your pigu in here!”

He swears under his breath softly, shoving himself up, off to go look for the big merc. Finding Jayne out in the cargo bay, lifting weights.

“I said I wanted to talk to you Jayne… So why ain’t we somewhere talkin’?”

Jayne grunts, sitting up and looking over at his Captain.

“I know Cap but you never said to see ya now…”

Mal blinks, rubbing the back of his head.

“Oh…um, well. I meant today. So lets talk. I want to know what happened. You had something to do with River getting hurt. Admit it, or I’m shooting you into space.”

Jayne swallows faintly, glancing at the air lock. Slowly nodding.

“Alright…fine. I’ll tell you what went down durin’ the job…But I ain’t the one that ‘caused it, I got into a scrape outside, River saw…she came rushin’ over goin’ all warrior girl on’em. But I tried to say something and I distracted her, and they got a clear shot in…”

Jayne shifts in his seat on the weight bench, keeping his head down.

“It was pratically me who shot her…All this is my fault.”

Mal watches him quietly, as if making sure he was telling the truth.

“…Why’d you get in the scrap?”

Jayne shifts again, rubbing the back of his neck slightly.

“Old enemies Cap…I handled it, don’t worry.”

Mal studies him quietly. Crossing his arms over his chest, thinking for a moment before answering quietly.

“…I told you before, get this crew in a hot place and fail to tell me, there’d be trouble. Now, my reasoning is, you tried to sell off our albatross and she had other ideas. Now, if it happened otherwise, tell me now or I’ll assume my story is the true one.”

Jayne stands up quickly, barbells clanging on the ships floor. Narrowly missing their feet.

“I said I’d never do that again! I keep my word Mal! It happened as I said. I got in trouble and...and that moonbrain girl came runnin’…saved my life like I’m worth something’! I owe some crazy 17 year old girl my life Mal! And she woulda been fine, But I called to her, angry at her helping and one of them Gorram shot her! She ain’t but a small little thing…shot yanked her clean off her feet like she weren’t nothing but a rag doll…her head smacked against th’buildin’. That’s when you came runnin’ outside. You know the story from there…we went runnin’, got River on th’mule, then high tailed it back to Serenity.”

Jayne moves, leaning against the wall, back to Mal. Arms crossed over his chest.

“…Its like I shot’er myself Mal. I’m a mean ol’ Hwoon dahn, but I got a heart. Girls crew now. An’ I got’er nearly killed.”

Mal watches him quietly, thumbs hooked in his belt. Not saying anything right away, considering his answer.

“…..Rivers a logical mind, all for she’s a bit touched in the head. She never does something less she sees a reason for it. She saw some worth in you, even if you don’t. She knows…knew, that you are important to this crew.”

The merc grunts faintly, shifting slightly. Pushing off the wall.

“I’ll be in my bunk.”

Mal sighs as he watches Jayne stomp back to the crews quarters. Shaking his head. The captain runs his fingers through his hair, shaking his head faintly.

“Hes’ got a good heart Mal, for all he’s something of a Xiong meng de kuang ren sometimes…”

Mal jumps when he hears Inara’s voice behind him.

“Gorramit woman!! What did I say about sneaking up on me???”

Inara smirks softly, always enjoying getting the better of the old military solider. Mal scowls at the woman, but his heart wasn’t in it. Crossing his arms over his chest again.

“How long you been standing there?”

“A few minutes…I heard Jayne’s story. He’s not a bad man exactly…Not quite the smartest, but a good man.”

“Yeah, well, I know that. Otherwise I wouldn’t have hired the lug.”

The Captain of Serenity and her crew shrugs faintly in a modest way. Making the Companion smile.

“I will admit though, I never expected Jayne to feel like he owed River something. Usually he’s trying to get as much outta her as he can, that’s usually money. But he hasn’t since Ariel”

Mal blinked, looking over quickly.

“How’d you find out about that??”

The companion chuckles softly, smiling faintly.

“I have my ways Mal. You’d be surprised at what I know on this ship…Speaking of which, you should really close your door more tightly in the evening. Your not very quiet.”

She grins to herself at Mal’s horrified look as she moves past him, heading up into her shuttle.

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Simon, meanwhile, is in the ships kitchen now that Mal has abandoned it, trying to get something to eat. Though the food they ate in space still made his stomach churn at the very sight of it. He finally sighs, wiping his mouth off, purely out of habits sake. He’d NEVER get food on his face, pushing the bowl away.

“I wish we’d get some proper food on this ship…”

“sick of canned things Doctor?”

Simon lifts his head, looking over at Sheppard book in surprise.

“No, well, yes. Aren’t you? I wish we’d buy some fresh foods once in a while. All this blasted technology, and we havn’t got anything on the ship to keep food from going bad.”

Book chuckles softly, grinning a bit.

“I’m sure its more a matter of cost then what we have on the ship, Doctor.”

Simon sighs faintly, but nods a bit. Smiling faintly as he shakes his head and gets up, putting his dishes in the sink.

“Well, next job, well after this one, I’m insisting on NORMAL food.”

“Be grateful for what you have. Your sister is healing, you’ve got a roof over your head, food, even if you don’t like it, and friends.”

“Yes, well, I wish I had something better then this to give to River. She deserves more. A proper home, food, and friends.”

“Your sister, deserves to be happy. I think you should ask HER, what she wants. Not what you want for her.”

“She’s not well, she doesn’t know what she wants.”

“She is a young woman, who seems to be doing better recently. I think she’ll know.”

Simon grits his teeth slightly, eyes snapping over to the surprised Book.

“Do NOT tell me what is best for River. I’m her brother and her Doctor. I know whats best. I’m all she has, I’m all she’ll ever have. No one knows her as I do. No one else can love her like this.”

Book frowns, more then a bit surprised at the young doctors words.

“Now that’s not true-”

“What would you know about it Sheppard? Do you have a sister like River? Whos both a genius and insane at the same??”

Book raises a brow faintly, frowning deeply. Crossing his arms over his chest.

“Do you truly love her Simon…?”

“Of course I do! How DARE you suggest otherwise!!”

Book frowns again, raising his hands in surrender, though he still seems concerned on some level.

“Calm down doctor, I’m not judging your love for your sister. But you seem so set on the fact no one else will ever love her…River isn’t impossible to love…Quite the opposite, she’s an amazing young woman who’s overcome tremendous hurtles to be where she is now. I find that very admirable.”

Simon grits his teeth again, glaring.

“You know nothing about her. She doesn’t need your admiration. She needs pity. I’m the only one she’ll ever have because I understand her. She….can’t…be fixed. Its impossible.”

Simon moves, shoving past Book and heading down to the infirmary. Leaving one very frazzled Sheppard standing in the kitchen. Holding a bowl of his half eaten oatmeal of some sort.

“…That was unexpected.”

Xiong meng de kuang ren -violent madman

Hwoon dahn- Son of a Bitch