"Ha" River yelled as she got Jayne in the gut with a punch.
"Yer gonna regret tha'" Jayne yelled as he reached out an arm and managed to snag River's arm as she danced away. He pulled her towards him, managing to twist her wrist before she tripped him with a long sweep of her right leg. He had to let go of her wrist and from there, he bent low, aiming to tackle her but she danced out of his way.
After a few moments, a crowd started to gather, watching the fighting. There were no hits that were particularly bruising. In fact, even when they actually hit each other, it seemed as if they were glancing blows even when they were direct hits.
"Oh come on, ya got better 'n that!" Jayne shouted, grinning at River as she twirled around him aiming for his head with her fist and Jayne knocked it out of the way.
"Your calculations are facetious!" River said in response. At Jayne's blank look she continued, "I'm giving you the best I have without actually hurting you."
Mal walked down the ramp into the dust storm that surrounded River and Jayne. Seeing the crowd gathered around them, he grinned. They'd been doing this a lot at the various places they had landed on the ground.
"Alright!" he called, clapping his hands and strutting around the ring that people had formed around River and Jayne. "Odds on the fight here. Four to one the big man wins!" he shouted. There was a rustling.
"Yeah I'll take that," a burly man said, slapping a fiver in to Mal's waiting hand. There were murmurings and money changing hands for the next few moments as River and Jayne flew around each other in a circle, insulting each other the entire time.
Mal took a brief moment from watching Jayne and River and noticed that an older rather fancily dressed couple that he had noticed studying his ship, as if trying to figure out exactly what type of ship it was, well, they were approaching the scene a little on the warily side. Deciding it didn't matter he hailed them. "Y'all wanna bet on the odds here?"
"Moonbrain! You pissin' words and not action. When'm I gonna see that dancin' fightin 'o yours?" Jayne taunted. "P'rhaps it's gone? You done lost your talent?"
"The differential to your equation does not match up. Perhaps it is you, man with a girl's name, whose actions are not equal to the speech?" River said with a graceful arch of an eyebrow. She followed this with an elbow into his gut as he tried to encircle her from behind. She ducked out and tried to get him with her leg, which he knocked down with his hand.
The couple seemed to try to glance around him, getting a glimpse of the two fighting. "Oh my god, Gabriel, Gabriel!" the woman cried. "That's River!" her hand came to cover her mouth. Suddenly, the older man made a move forward.
Mal stepped in front of him. "I'm afraid I can't let you break this up," He said, hiding his confusion. "After all, people have money on how this is going to end," He smiled genially.
"Now, you let me through!" the man shouted. The crowd around them had suddenly shifted their attention to them.
It was then that all of a sudden, River went still, her face slack. Unfortunately, Jayne had not anticipated that and found his fist nearly hitting River in the nose before he managed to deflect to glance off her cheekbone. "River?" he asked in a rather small voice for what Jayne could say. "River..don't make" he was cut off by a finger at his lips, River looking at him intensely.
"Circles go around, hands of blue fade away, something old comes to play," she said quietly. Jayne frowned, trying to work out what exactly she had meant by that. In these days, most of what she said was easily understandable and the majority of the time they weren't, he was able to somewhat translate what she meant based on their situation.
At that moment, though he heard mal shouting at someone to stay back for their safety. River turned her head away from him, hand dropping from his lips, which had held most of his concentration. "Heh?" he asked, mouth curling in confusion. He followed River as she drifted closer to Mal. "Wha's goin' on?" he asked. Mal jumped.
"Oh, I didn't hear you two. Aren't you supposed to be losin some kind of fight there Jayne?" Mal asked looking him up and down.
"I was givin' it my best. Not my fault the moonbrain's alliance trained," Jayne said, offended and drawing back from Mal. "Think I almost got her this time," he added.
"River!" the man Mal had been shouting at finally said, interrupting the two. "River why were you being hit by that man ape brute?"
"Who're you callin' a brute. I ain't no brute," Jayne said taking a step towards him.
"Jayne's right. No brute," River said quietly, playing with her hands. "Wondering why this is here, why you're here?" she said as if it weren't her asking the question.
"River-" the elegant woman said. Jayne rolled his eyes.
"C'mon Moonbrain. Let's get away from these idiots. We'll go fer a drink," he grabbed River's elbow, but she shook out of it.
"I want to know why you were hurting River!" the man said, looking up at Jayne defiantly. Something about his expression reminded him of something but he couldn't quite put his finger on it.
"T'weren't no hurtin' of moonbrain here, she started it," Jayne growled. "Probly finish it too if you're that concerned about it," he smiled down at River. At this, there were shouts from the crowd. The people who had given up money started to demand it back.
"She's a little girl, you're a a a gorilla compared to her!" the man protested. "She can't possibly beat you."
"Experience says otherwise," Jayne scowled. "Two times out of three she beats me in these tussles and in anythin' important she's beaten me senseless," he glowered at the man, not liking to be reminded of it.
"Fire in the horizon," River muttered, playing with her necklace.
"I'm tryin' to put it out, darlin, you just ain't patient," Jayne said quietly down to her.
"What right do you have to call my daughter darlin'?" The man suddenly roared.
"Your what?" Jayne roared right back, both embarassed and infuriated. At that moment, the woman broke down.
"River, darling, come home! We miss you!" She hurried towards river who shrank back against Jayne.
"Butterflies come down to earth sometimes, Jayne," She said looking rather panicked.
"Look I don't care if she's your siamese twin, mister," Jayne snapped, reigning his temper in as much as possible. "But River needs her medication, so's I expect this conversation is over," he picked up River, cradling her to his chest and ran inside the ship.
Gabriel, the man was called made to follow Jayne shouting incoherently after him.
"Afraid I can't let you do that, Mr…" Mal said with a slight, sarcastic smile and his arms crossed over his chest. "Seein' as how that there's my ship and those are my crew you just upset. I'm not feelin' particularly inclined towards allowin' you to board said ship," he smiled politely. "Now, is there a reason you might be able ta convince me?" he asked.
"My name is Gabriel Tam and this is my wife Regan Tam," the man said drawing himself up straight. "We have been attempting to locate our children for the last month and someone told us that they had spotted my daughter boarding a ship like yours headed here for this planet and this dock."
"Ah, I see. And what could you want with River?" Mal asked, feigning ignorance.
"She's our daughter and Simon Tam is our son!" Regan Tam finally spoke up. "We'd just like to take them home, if you please," she said, nearly begging.
"Well, I'm very sorry, but River Tam is an essential part of our crew as well as Simon and I can't very well just surrender them to you, now can I?" Mal asked with a smile.
"Problem here, sir?" the cool collected voice brought everyone's attention to just behind Mal to his right.
"Ah! Zoe, I would like you to meet Gabriel and Regan Tam, they claim to be River and Simon's parents," Mal said with a grin.
"Do they, sir?" Zoe asked with an arch of an eyebrow. "What do they want?"
"We want our son and daughter back! On our home planet and we want Simon to be working as a doctor again," Regan Tam said.
"Oh, I assure you, Simon is working as a doctor here," Mal said. "Plenty of trouble seems to find it's way here. Zoe? Can you do something about that?" Mal asked, scratching behind his ear.
"Do something about the trouble sir? I'll do my best," Zoe said with an implacable tone. "Do you want me to go find Simon?" She asked.
"Why don't you," Mal said. "We'll be waiting here." He turned as Zoe was jogging back on to the ship. "And Zoe?" She half turned, looking at him questioningly. "Don't warn him," he said. She nodded and disappeared into the hold.
"If I hear that you have mistreated River in any way, whatsoever, I swear to God on earth that was-" Gabriel Tam shook his finger in Mal's face.
"First of all, I doubt you'd be able to do anything. Secondly, well, I wasn't the one to turn her into what she was. That would be the alliance. In the school you sent her to, so technically, I should probably be doing whatever it is you're threatening, to you," Mal said this with his trademark smile in place, rocking back on his heels.
"I-I-How dare you!" Regan Tam said as her husband stood speechless. "We gave River the best education money could buy until she decided of her own volition to go to such a prestigious school. It's not our fault that Simon broke her out and she became a fugitive!" Regan snapped.
"A prestigious school? Oh really?" At that point, he heard the clattering of footsteps. Cutting off the movements of these two core-bred-well he'd probably be better off not finishing that thought, he turned and headed up the ramp.
"Simon!" he shouted. "I hope your sister's alright?" he asked. At Simon's uncertain nod, he continued. "Well, I think you might be best suited to dealing with this situation here." He turned and nodded towards Simon's parents.
Simon leaned around Mal and his eyes widened dramatically. He took several steps forward. "Mother? Father?" he said, as if he could not believe his eyes.
"Simon Tam! What in the world were you thinking?" his mother asked shrilly.
"I was thinking of saving my sister!" he defended, body posture suddenly far more rigid and formal than it had been just moments ago.
"From what? School?" his father Gabriel asked.
"I-didn't you just see River?" Simon asked flabbergasted. "Of course from her 'school'" at which point he used the visual quotation marks. "They were torturing her!" Simon said, frowning. He didn't understand why his parents were here and were accusing him still as if he hadn't done the right thing.
"Well we might have been able to talk to her but she was talking in riddles like she did when she was really little and then that man ape who was attacking her took her back on to the ship! We don't know what to think!" Gabriel Tam said, gesturing towards the firefly ship behind them.
"The man-ape?" Simon snorted as he remembered the times he had called Jayne that as well. "That was Jayne and River probably started the fight," he shrugged. "Besides, Jayne likes River far too much to ever let her get hurt" He said.
"He didn't seem to like her much when he was punching her in the nose," Regan Tam said.
"They pull their punches if they actually make contact, but it's mostly just sparring for them, keeping their training up," Simon shrugged, nonchalantly. As much as he did not particularly like that River and Jayne seemed attached at the hip, he found himself defending them easily.
"Simon?" he turned to find Kaylee standing on the ramp down to the dirt. "Simon, what's going on?" She was wearing her cover alls with the top draped around her hips and one of his favorite shirts of hers. She was all confusion in her expression and her stance.
"Kaylee," Simon hurried up the ramp, kissed her cheek and took her elbow, leading her down. She smiled up at him and patted his hand with her right hand.
"Kaylee, I would like you to meet my parents, Gabriel and Regan Tam. Mother, Father, I would like you to meet my fiancee Kaywinnit Lee Frye," he smiled uncertainly.
"Hi Mr and Mrs Tam," Kaylee said with a small wave. Her smile was hesitant and nervous. Simon ran his hand down her arm, catching her hand and squeezing it. She squeezed back.
"Simon-" Regan Tam said before she was cut off.
"Congratulations son," Gabriel said with a smile. "And it is a pleasure to meet you, Kaywinnit."
"Do you want to come on the ship for some coffee or something?" Kaylee asked. "It's instant, but I think it's pretty good," she said with a shrug.
"I-That would be lovely," Regan Tam said as gracious as she had ever sounded with someone who she clearly deemed as lower class than she. Simon held onto Kaylee's hand, clutching it as if it were his life line. Kaylee squeezed his hand reassuringly as they walked onto the ship with probably the last two people he would have ever expected to willingly come aboard the ship. He ignored the way his father snorted at the perceived dirt around the hold and the general untidiness. His mother simply pressed her mouth shut so that it formed a white line. He knew this because he knew his parents and what they liked. So he knew from the way that his mother, Regan, was practically gasping, breathing in short little spurts and the way his father's footsteps fell that they were not happy. He ignored this, tightening his grip on Kaylee's hand. Kaylee glanced up at him, a slight frown, well, he couldn't say marring because even with a frown, she was beautiful.
They entered the kitchen area and Kaylee shook her hand free of Simon's absentmindedly rubbing it. Simon winced slightly. He knew she worked with her hands just as he did and could not afford to injure them. He turned to his parents. "Mother, Father, why don't we sit down?" he asked politely. He wondered where Jayne and River were holed up. When Jayne had come barreling into the sick bay, clutching River to his chest, he hadn't bothered to explain what had happened and why River had gone rather quieter than she had been recently.
River had just asked for her medication. This was a new thing in place with the two of them. Because River's progress towards sanity had jumped so much after Miranda, Simon had decided that the smoothers he used to give her every evening could be suspended and only given when she needed them. Back then, it had been fairly often, but now it was only once in a while.
"Simon, dear, why are you working on this-this death trap?" his mother, Regan, asked.
"Serenity's not a death trap!" Kaylee said in an injured voice, whirling from the cups on the counter. "She's tha mos' beautiful girl in the sky. Can't do better n'her when you want ta fly," Kaylee pouted as she advanced towards Simon's parents.
"Kaylee, honey, my mother didn't mean it, alright? Serenity's beautiful and we all know it," Simon soothed.
"I don't think your parents do," she said, sounding hurt and turning back towards the coffee.
"I'm sorry-Serenity is something of a.." Simon trailed off trying to think of words to describe how Kaylee thought of serenity. "A second love for Kaylee. She's our mechanic," He said, shrugging. "And a brilliant mechanic at that."
His parents looked at him incredulously, before turning to look at Kaylee. "Dear, you're a mechanic?" his mother asked, disbelief sounding in her voice.
"Yeah, m'dad ran a fixing shop out on Trinidad. I fixed Mal's ship when I was-" Kaylee blushed, probably only because she was with people 'of class' Simon realized. "Well, I was visiting the mechanic an' I got the ship runnin' again. Got the job. T'weren't a hard fix neither. Don't know why he couldn'tve just fixed it," Kaylee shrugged as if she had no clue how special her talents were.
Her mom sat back, flabbergasted. "Mother, out here, on the more border-like planets, women work for a living and they do it well, too," Simon took the moment to explain. And it wasn't as if women couldn't work on the core planets. It's just that, in his and mother's-his old circle and his parent's circle, he corrected himself, women didn't work. Unless it was to raise money for some cause or another.
Just then, there was a pounding from the stairs coming up from the passenger lounge area. Footsteps rang, clanking on the metal and River appeared in the doorway. She smiled at her parents. "Mother, Father, Even though your presence is an erratum of elephantine apportionment, and the differential to the equation does not quite match up, your presence is not refused," River said. Jayne suddenly joined her in the doorway, glaring down at her while she smiled beatifically up at him.
"Moonbrain, I told you, no runnin' off on me when I'm doin my sets," he lectured, ignoring the other four people there. "You don' want me to die, now do ya?" He asked, glaring.
"Your calculations are imprecise," River said with a smile.
"I know you think I'm invincible, and I'd like to be, but I think you need to remember I'm not as young as I once was. I'm not immortal, girly" Jayne said, growling and nearly smiling.
"Girly knows you're not immortal," River said quietly, looking down. "Wishing I were not reminded quite so often," She said, looking back up at him. "Not being shot, maybe next time, you let me do the shooting of the bad guys?" she asked hopefully at which point, Jayne burst into rough guffaws.
"River!" her father shouted, getting over his stunned reaction. "You can't go around shooting people."
"Why not?" She asked innocently, turning towards her father and batting her eyes.
"Because-because you're a girl!" her father sputtered. Simon leaned back.
"Now, just cuz she ain't a boy don't mean we have ta keep her from shootin' someone," Jayne said, looking rather murderous. "She don't need guns for that, anyhow," he added after a moment. "Got plenty 'o skills in those hands o' hers."
Her father gaped like a fish. "River, you can't go around shooting people. It's not right, it just isn't done," her mother tried.
River smiled serenely. Simon felt perhaps it was time to step in. "River saved the entire crew from Reavers a few years ago," he said gently. He didn't elaborate as he wasn't sure how his parents would react.
"Reavers!" his mother cried, covering her mouth.
"Well, I sees y'all least know what they are," Jayne said from his position standing behind River. Regan Tam just wrinkled her nose at him.
"Would you step away from my daughter or so help me, I'll kill you!" Gabriel Tam said, taking a step forward.
"I'd kin'ly thank ya to stop threatenin' on me. Moonbrain here don't take to it well," Jayne growled.
"Super cell thunderstorms have the ability to create tornadoes," River said, eyes gazing into the distance.
"Means shut your gobs or there'll be pain aboundin'" Jayne said with a grin. "An' seein as how I don't know you two folk, I'm 'bout ready ta 'low it." Jayne stepped to the side of River and slung his arm around her shoulders. "Now, here's how I see it. River here sent a message home askin' ta be sprung from her prison. You two refused an' so Simon here threw his life away and saved her. The two of you proceeded to ignore their existence until the warrant on their heads lifted. Don't seem right that you come in and demand that they come with you an' that we're not their family." Jayne said with a grin.
Simon looked to Jayne. "Why Jayne, I do believe"
"Shut it, ya pansy. Jus' cuz your my girl's brother don't mean I like ya. Jus means you're family," Jayne growled without even looking at Simon.
"Welll, isn't this just a wonderful family reunion," Mal strode into the kitchen followed by Inara.
Gabriel and Regan Tam turned to Inara. Mal smiled. "Mr and Mrs Tam, this is Inara Serra, she is our ship's companion."
Inara sashayed forward. "I'm sure it is a pleasure to meet the both of you, she said quietly. "Simon's told me so many stories about his childhood," She half smiled.
"I-I am pleased to make your acquaintance," Gabriel Tam said.
"Is there a problem?" Inara said quietly.
"No problem, I just did not expect to see a companion on board this-" he caught the glares of both Kaylee and the captain and shut his mouth quickly.
"Many are surprised, but I chose this ship specifically," Inara said with a serene smile. "I like it," She said simply.
"And you put up with this-this rim-bred scum in a relationship with my core bred daughter?" Regan Tam asked bitterly.
"Jayne and River are far more similar than they are different. They choose to be together and are happy for it," Inara said quietly. "If you feel differently, it would be best to keep your opinion to yourself, as Simon can well tell you," Inara sat primly, sipping on her tea. Even now, Jayne found himself marvelling, she was capable of appearing loftier than all of those around her.
"Roses and thorns go together and those who try to separate them will get pricked," River said, looking directly at her mother. Jayne snorted, and pulled River closer in to his side.
"She means you'll get hurt if you try an' break us apart. An' it won't be me what does the hurtin'" Jayne leered at River's mother who recoiled in disgust.
Simon shook his head. "River near broke my ear drums and my arm when I tried to" he raised his hands and did little quotation marks at this, "talk sense into her." Simon paused, studying the two. "I will admit, she becomes easier to understand when she's with him and she actually seems happy," He said with a shrug.
Jayne's brow rose in slight disbelief. "I do believe that's the nicest thing you've ever said 'bout me there, Doc," He growled. Simon grimaced and shrugged.
"Well, as much as I do appreciate family reunions, I'm going to have to ask you all to leave. You're upsetting my pilot and I need her now as we have a very important job ta do," Mal said, looking at Gabriel and Regan Tam.
Both of them opened their mouths to protest. Simon stepped in. "Mother, Father, I will wave you soon, I promise to make sure River is there," he said with a flinty eyed glance towards River who appeared to not being paying attention. "It was very nice to see you. I'll walk you out to docks," Simon said, by sheer force of will making the two of them stand and walk out of the room with longing glances sent in River's direction.
"I still don't understand why River is acting like that," Regan Tam said.
"I'll tell you about that on a wave," Simon said gently, maneuvering her out of earshot of the rest of them. Jayne sighed, settling down and River immediately returned closer to earth.
"Withstanding firestorms is more difficult than that. I thank you for not blowing up," River said, running her hand over Jayne's chest before disappearing to start up Serenity to fly it.