Disclaimer: Joss' Verse. We all just live in it.
The Battle of Serenity
The sunset was beautiful. He never thought that he'd be one to enjoy something like that. Probably had to do with the fact that he'd never had the chance to sit on his own porch and appreciate it. Always looking for the next score. Hell, his whole life, surviving had been beautiful. Anything else was a waste of time.
He could smell the wildflowers that had taken root by the side of the house. His house, and no one else's. He supposed that he should marry one of the many girls of eligible age around hereabouts, but his heart just wasn't in it. After everything that had happened...
He'd never been a people person anyways.
He had his spread, here, the largest on this planet, and more than enough cash to live comfortably for the rest of his life. Didn't need anything else.
Sun was almost down. He stood up, a little slower than the day before, and headed inside. Tonight was the night, the anniversary, and it was time to celebrate. He put the dinner that Mrs. Chuang had left for him after doing the housework earlier today, and put it in the oven to heat. While it was cooking, he set up the table for two. He'd eaten alone on this day every year for the last four, and he had no real reason to believe that this year would be any different. Even if she knew where to find him, there was no telling if she'd even care.
He set out a second plate and glass anyways.
The timer on the oven went off, and he took the platter out of the oven and set it down on the counter before taking it over to the table. He turned around, reaching for it again, and froze when he saw the woman sitting at the table, staring at him intensely. She'd finally come.
He couldn't move, couldn't speak, couldn't take his eyes off of her. She said nothing. Just stared.
"You're here. Finally here," Jayne said. River stared at him silently, tilting her head.
"I know why you're here, and I ain't gonna try and stop ya. But listen to me for a minute before you kill me?"
River Tam sat and watched him, managing to sit as languidly as a cat while coiled like a spring. Her big dark eyes were completely emotionless.
"I didn't mean for anything bad to happen to noone. The Alliance Cruiser was just gonna pull us over, take you off all easy like, and we'd all be better off. I'd be rich, and you'd be... well, that part ain't so great, maybe, but they broke, ya, they could maybe fix ya."
Her gaze didn't waiver.
"Gorram it, it ain't my fault! If Mal hadn't gone nuts, we'd've all been fine! How was I to know that he'd fight 'em?"
Still unwavering.
"They was my friends too! I may not've liked your brother a whole lot, but I didn't want him dead! They shot Kaylee! She never hurt anyone in her whole ruttin' life! I... she was..." He stopped for a second, hiding how choked up he was. Her eyes never left him, never blinked.
"And Mal, and Zoey... and the Shepherd... It wasn't my fault! I didn't do it! I didn't kill 'em! The Alliance did!" He seemed unaware of the tears running down his face. "But Inara wasn't there! And you turned out fine! That's something, right? Right?"
He searched for absolution in her eyes, found nothing. He lost it completely, then, sliding down the wall he stood against and curling up inot a ball on the flor, sobbing, letting out the guilt that he'd held in for five years. He knew that she was some kind of Alliance assassin. He knew that she was here to kill him. He knew that he deserved it.
After a minute, his wracking sobs slowed down, and he looked up at River. She was gone, as quickly and quietly as she had appeared. He wondered for a moment if she had really been there, until he got up slowly and saw something on the plate where she had sat.
It was an origami sculpture of a Firefly class ship.
He sat down, unaware why he was still alive, but feeling for the first time in five years like he was.