Kaylee glared at Jayne and he glared back. She sighed and picked up the net. She knew that holding a fishing pole one-handed would be hard, but she wanted to do it anyway, wanted to pull her weight. Jayne didn’t see it that way and was startin’ to get ornery so Kaylee gave in and settled for doin’ net duty. Since her main aim was getting Jayne off the ship for a break, she was goin’ to try real hard not to argue with him again.

“We ready to go yet?” Jayne demanded

“Simon’s just comin’ to give me a shot, and then we’re off.” She watched as the doctor and Wash approached.

“I hear you went dancing last night” Wash greeted Kaylee. “Did you have fun?”

Dancin’, Jayne knew what that meant; he’d watched from the sidelines a time or two. Skirt swirlin’ round her thighs, body swayin’ to the tune, hair bouncin’, smile just ‘bout lightin’ up the room, lightly flirtin’, Kaylee drew men to her like a magnet.

Give the girl her due, she could keep them all at arms length and always seemed to know which one to pick for more fun. They’d go off together and she’d come back all bright and glowin’.

Hadn’t been dancin’ like that since the doc came on board, hadn’t been glowin’ either. Somethin’ else he could dislike Simon for. Girl like Kaylee needed more ‘n’ toys and hands to satisfy her, that’s why she’d needed to go out last night. But she hadn’t come back glowin’, just drunk.

Unless every fella in the bar was blind and deaf Jayne just couldn’t see how that could be. Like Mal said, no-one could resist Kaylee when she was flirtin’. How come none of ‘em had got to see the teddies? He leaned closer to hear what she said to Wash

“Didn’t go out with any of ‘em,” a shadow passed over her face. “But the dancin’ was shiny.”

Wash drifted over toward him as the doctor started to give Kaylee her shots. “Do you know what’s wrong there?” The man’s eyes were bright with concern. ‘Course he’d seen the dancin’ and the glowin’ a few times too.

“No.” Jayne shrugged. He aimed to find out though, if they ever got out of here.

“Ya ‘bout finished doc?” He was gettin’ all impatient.

Before Simon could answer his sister drifted in, “Girl would like to see her namesake.”

“What?” Jayne looked at Kaylee; he never understood half of what the moon-brain said to him.

“I think River means that she wants to come with us.”

“Mei mei I don’t think that would be a good idea.”

Kaylee saw River’s face fall and the light go out of her eyes. Maybe she was like Jayne and needed to be off the ship. Poor River hardly ever left Serenity and Simon’s company; it’d do her good to go fishin’.

“I’ll look after her” she offered.

Simon was doubtful “River can’t swim.”

“Well we ain’t goin’ swimmin’, wish we could.” Kaylee held up her cast impatiently. “Jayne says it’s too cold anyway.”

“Gorram it, let the moon-brain come.” Jayne had seen the girl’s face fall too and knew that no way would Kaylee disappoint her. He was itchin’ to get off the ship and wanted no more delays. “She’d better behave herself though.”

He started down the ramp and was rewarded with one of Kaylee’s bright smiles and a grateful look from River as she hastily grabbed a bucket and followed him.

“Bye, bye kids. Have fun.” Wash waved as Kaylee ran after River.

**********************************

Kaylee wandered along admirin’ the scenery and thinkin’.

She hadn’t intended for River to be comin’ with them. But maybe it was a good thing. It might stop her from jumpin’ Jayne.

Her thinkin’ and fantasisin’ ‘bout the man were gettin’ out of hand. The whole time he’d been arguin’ with her in the cargo bay she’d been thinkin’ ‘bout his lips. His lips and how much she wanted to kiss him. Kiss him on the mouth and have him kiss her back. If Jayne didn’t kiss other girls there, it’d make it special if they did it. Be just for them.

‘Course she hadn’t even got the man to do more than touch her yet, and that had been sort of involuntary. Meanwhile she’d better get back to her program of gettin’ Jayne relaxed and maybe thinkin’ ‘bout her. She was goin’ to try and take it slowly, gain her not-tame mans’ trust.

But first she had to keep River and Jayne from disturbin’ their day. Those two were a lot alike in some ways, two half-wild things tryin’ to get along in a ‘verse they didn’t fit into. She figured that’s why they didn’t get along. Even now she could hear Jayne layin’ down the law.

“No dancin’, no runnin’, no talkin’. It’ll disturb the fish and we won’t catch nothin’.”

“Fish don’t have ears.”

“Nope. But they feel the movements and such above them, makes ‘em harder to catch.”

Kaylee interrupted their argument before it really started. “No bickering.” She glared at them, “we’re gonna have us a nice time just relaxin’ and catchin’ fish, dong ma?”

Jayne grunted and River nodded so she figured they did understand. Good.

**********************************

Kaylee stretched. They’d been havin’ a good time. Jayne and River hadn’t argued. They’d caught some fish, she and River had shared net duty. She’d got so relaxed that she’d dozed off for a while.

“How many we got now?”

“Enough for dinner for a couple of nights ‘n’ some left over.”

Jayne looked at her sideways; she’d been dozin’ in the weak sunlight and was lookin’ some easier. Crazy girl was wanderin’ round just out of earshot, now would be a good time to ask some questions.

“Kaylee.”

“Jayne?” He was lookin’ at her all serious.

“How come ya didn’t go out with any of the fellas last night?”

“Ya been listenin’ to my conversations?” Kaylee put her hands on hips and looked at him as he shrugged.

Of course Jayne wouldn’t do the proper thing. Tellin’ him how she felt ‘bout him right now would just send him away from her. But she knew the zhu tou man wouldn’t stop askin’ questions. She could talk to him ‘bout other things though, she trusted him.

“The thought of anyone touchin’ me, I got nervous. Guess I’m not over Early after all.” She tried to make light of her fearful feelins.

Jayne kept his voice even “Takes a while I ‘spose. How come ya don’t feel that way ‘bout us.”

“Ya all are safe.”

“Safe, ya think I’m safe? Girl ya need to get out more.” Jayne shook his head in disbelief and looked round. “Hey, where’s the crazy girl?”

Kaylee looked round frantically finally seeing River on a rocky outcropping bending right over to gaze into the water. “Over there!”

“What the hell is she doin’?” Jayne was exasperated as River lay down on the rocks and wriggled forward, face nearly in the water. “Didn’t the doc say she couldn’t swim?”

Even as he said the words they saw the girl push herself into the water, sinking out of sight.

“Ta ma da” Jayne cursed, dived in and started to swim toward the rocks. He was relieved to see the fong luh girl’s head break the surface. She didn’t look to be panickin’ either he thought as he reached out to grab her.

Kaylee watched anxiously as Jayne towed River towards the bank, she should’ve been keepin’ a better eye on the girl. Zhong yu they were within reach of her so she could grasp River’s hand and help her out. Kaylee stopped in mid pull when she caught sight of Jayne climbin’ out of the water.

Wet water had smoothed his hair right down over his skull and dripped downwards showin’ up the sharp angles and planes of his face. His clothes were plastered to his skin in a way that left nothin’ to the imagination. ‘Course she’d seen Jayne without a shirt before, but now his wet shirt outlined every muscle, from shoulder to chest, to stomach. The wet pants clung to his massive thighs, outlinin’ the body part she was real interested in. Kaylee licked her lips ai ya the man really was big all over.

River’s body shiverin’ recalled Kaylee to herself and she blushed all over at the way she was actin’.

“We gotta get ya dry honey.”

Jayne turned away slightly so Kaylee couldn’t see his all too male reaction to the hot look she’d just given him. She wouldn’t be thinkin’ he was safe if she saw that.

“Kaylee help Crazy take off her clothes, wrap her in my coat.” He looked at her arm, “can ya do that?”

“Girl can help” River nodded violently

“Thanks sweetie.” Kaylee started tuggin’ the girl towards the tree, “What ‘bout you Jayne?”

He was shiverin’ violently every beautiful muscle ripplin’. “I don’t count. Get that girl changed” he ordered as both girls stopped to look at him.

“He does count, he does.” Kaylee asserted while helpin’ River strip off her clothes. “How can he think that?”

River’s big dark eyes looked mournful, “no-one to tell him otherwise.”

Kaylee thought ‘bout that, thought ‘bout it all the way back to Serenity with Jayne shiverin’ away beside her. She’d made him take his shirt off cause it was just makin’ him colder. He’d actually teased her ‘bout that, said she was actin’ like his Ma.

She didn’t feel like his Ma. The way she was lustin’ after him was downright embarrassin’. If he’d noticed how she looked at him Jayne hadn’t let on.

Jayne couldn’t figure it out. The way the girl had looked at him, it was unsettlin’, that’s what it was. He knew he had a good body, used that knowledge often, but Kaylee had never been interested. Still weren’t interested, not really. She was just feelin’ lonely was all. Just needed sexin’ up, a bit of relief, but not from him. He wasn’t goin’ to think of Kaylee like that, not now, not never, no way.

Zhong yu = at last Zhu tu = stubborn Ai ya = damn