River Tam Part 2
After motivational speeches from both Cameron and River, I have decided to continue chronicling the adventures of the fair ladies in question along with the crew of the Serenity and the Connor family. Mainly, I just got tired of Cameron staring at me and River talking in vague riddles about her killing me with her mind.
Serenity shook violently as she broke atmosphere, causing Mal to swear repeatedly in his broken Chinese. River frowned and silently focused her concentration on the readings of the gauges on the bridge's instrument panel.
"Take it easy, River! She ain't made to take the stress you're puttin' her through. Just get us into the black," Mal ordered.
River didn't speak as she eased off the throttles, cutting the thrust propelling Serenity out into the black. The ride smoothed out as Serenity made her way out of the atmosphere and into the black. Without speaking, the petite psychic handed the controls over to the Captain and left the bridge, making her way back towards the common area.
Mal sighed, unsure how to respond to River's attitude. Footsteps caught his attention as he entered the coordinates into the autopilot.
"That you 'Nara?"
"Just me, Captain," Zoe's even voice answered. The First Officer slipped gracefully into the co-pilot's seat and looked out into the black. "River will be fine, Cap'n. Lil' Albatross will be back. Just a shock to learn the Alliance still wants her, wants the Connors."
"Yeah, you're right. Bit of a shock, that's all. Thought we was done with that. Just had to avoid the local law. Only trouble with the Alliance would be over jobs we ain't done yet."
Mal felt the firm touch of his First Officer on his left forearm.
"Thing are different now, Cap'n. River's got Derek now, Cameron, too. She still needs Simon and she'll always need her Cap'n. River's goin' to be as good a pilot as my Wash. We've got the Connor's now, not just Jayne. We're a stronger crew. Alliance don't know that."
"I wish the Sheppard was here, Wash too."
"So do I, Cap'n. So do I. But they ain't. We're just gonna have to be bad guys without 'em.
A glance at Zoe made Mal smile. His First Officer and friend was smiling as she stared into the black, thinking about Wash and the complaints he would be voicing at the mention of conflict with the Alliance.
"You still miss him."
"Always will, Cap'n. Always will."
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"Twin!"
Cameron looked up from the receiver of her Glock and glanced in River's direction. Jayne grunted at the distraction and continued lovingly cleaning Vera's barrel. River sat down next to Cameron and leaned over, resting her head with its disheveled hair into the terminatress's shoulder.
Without speaking Cameron continued the process of reassembling her weapon. Minutes later both Glock's had been reassembled as well as the new pistol Sarah had given her and Jayne had customized. She turned her head slightly and gazed down at the somber River.
"I am not the best at offering emotional support or consoling an individual. It is not part of my basic programing. The skills I do have in this area have been learned and primarily are effective only with my John."
"The girl knows. It is enough that you listen, do not judge, and are aware I need consoling."
Cameron nodded and reached for her cleaning kit to put away the tools. Carefully and with the precision of a terminator, Cameron placed the tools in their respective places before shutting her cleaning kit.
"Does Twin feel better?"
"Yes and no," Cameron answered. "My glitch is better now that I have terminated the eleven bounty hunters along with their partners. You were most helpful in completing that mission. But I am concerned with the fact the Alliance wishes to take my John into custody. There is too much I do not know. It is also disconcerting the Alliance has taken an interest in you and Simon again."
Jayne looked up from Vera, his mouth slightly open in irritation. Before Jayne could speak, River held her finger up to her lips, silencing him. "Jayne not a girl was helpful and both of the assassins are appreciative of his help and his skill with Vera."
Appeased, Jayne went back to ministering to the needs of Vera, his mistress of sorts now that he had made some headway with Sarah.
"Did you hear that, Vera," the mercenary whispered. "Moon Brain and Lil' Metal appreciate us."
"Are you sure this is wise?"
"I don't see any better options," John replied, staring at his uncle. "We don't have a clue what we're up against. At least we understood Skynet."
"But the crew here is known to the Alliance," Derek protested.
"Don't forget part of that crew is your new girlfriend," Sarah said curtly.
"Family comes first," Derek snapped back, standing to pace back and forth in the workout area of the cargo bay.
"It's not just that," John said firmly. "We stand a better chance as crew. They know what we're up against. We just need to be worth the added risk they'll be taking by letting us stay."
John leaned back against the cargo bay wall and propped his feet up on a box in front of the folding chair he sat on. Ignoring Derek, John watched his mother standing in her workout clothes, sweat dripping off her forehead and nose as she stared at the airlock at the back of the cargo bay. If Sarah sided with him, Derek would come around.
John spoke again. "Cameron doesn't want to leave. She's content here and River is important to her. Cameron has never had a real friend before."
"I don't want to leave either," Sarah finally said. "This is Jayne's home."
Appalled, Derek stopped his pacing and stared open mouthed at his nephew and Sarah. "So your romantic lives are going to make this decision for us?"
"I wouldn't let River hear you say or think that," John said with a grin.
At the mention of River's psychic ability, Derek turned red in the face. "I don't mean it like it sounds," he said quickly. "You know I like River, my staying puts her in danger," he added. "I don't want that."
"The Alliance still wants River, Derek. You're staying will give her strength to get better, to get stronger to fight against her fears. You staying makes River safer," Sarah said in her blunt tone, ending the discussion.
"I will tell the Captain we've made our decision. If he and the rest of the crew will have us, we want to stay and become permanent members of the crew."
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Without warning River sat up and frowned.
"The decision has been made."
"What decision, Moon Brain?"
"The Connors have decided to ask the Captain to become full members of the crew. No thanks to Derek," River petulantly sang out.
"Do not be too angry," Cameron monotoned. "Your Derek sees the 'verse differently than you do. For far too long his first priority was defeating Skynet and keeping my John alive. He will also think his presence and that of our family will endanger you."
Fighting back the tears, River's eyes welled up with water, making her nose sniffle. Tilting her head and with eyes closed, River's expression became focused.
"Oh no, you don't, Moon Brain," Jayne shouted. "Mal, Moon Brain's doin' it again! She's snoopin' in someone else's brain! I figure its Derek! Mal, you listenin'?"
With eyes opening wide, River leaped across the table, landing on Jayne's chest. One hand buried in his short-cropped hair and the other one pummeling Jayne's chest, River screeched in fury.
Cameron watched in curiosity, observing the skirmish. Jayne grabbed River's wrists in his hands. With his right hand, the big mercenary carefully and slowly tried to extricate River's little hand from his hair, all the while bellowing for Mal to come. Using his other hand, Jayne did his best to restrain River from landing more blows. Despite his tremendous advantage in strength, River was able to wrest her arm away and began jabbing Jayne, first in the face and then in his ribs.
Laughter carried from the bridge, making Jayne bellow even louder.
"It ain't funny, Mal! You ain't got Lil' Crazy tryin' to beat you senseless."
Catching a glimpse of Cameron, Jayne changed tactics.
"Tin Miss, will you do sumptin' with Lil' Crazy afore I lose my calm and do somethin' I might regret later?"
Jayne's words spurred Cameron into action. The moved the table aside and took River in a bear hug from behind, using her right arm. With her left, Cameron pulled River's hand from Jayne's hair, eliciting a shriek of pain. Turning around with her twin now firmly in her grasp, Cameron moved towards the center of the common area. Not to be deterred, River continued to kick wildly at Cameron's legs while she continued throwing punches at the air and screaming at the top of her lungs.
"That would be enough," Mal shouted loudly enough to be heard over Zoe's laughter, Jayne's complaining, and River's screaming. "River, I do declare girl, you ain't let loose like that in a long time. Now what set you off? Ain't no good reason I can conjure for you to be beaten on Jayne like that."
"He's male," River answered, giving Mal an evil look. "Like Derek."
"She was readin' again, Mal! I just know she was. Probably readin' Derek and then she done got crazy and attacked me! I ain't done nothin' to her, I swear Mal."
"Cameron?"
"Jayne did not provoke River."
"Was River readin'?"
Cameron carefully sat River down and stepped aside, looking River directly in the eye. River first looked away before glancing down at her bare feet.
"The Connors were arguing. John wants to stay. Sarah wants to stay. Derek wanted to leave me. John and Sarah outvoted Derek. Sarah is going to ask you to let them join Serenity's crew."
"Now River, you don't know Derek wanted to leave you. Might be he had other reasons."
Inara entered the commons area and hurried towards River. Following close behind were Simon and Kaylee.
"Are you okay, River?" Simon asked in his usual frantic manner. Taking River's face in his hands he visually examined her until his sister pulled away.
"Derek is a boob," River announced, pouting with her arms folded across her chest.
"I can second that," Sarah said, entering the common area. John laughed as he pushed his uncle into the room ahead of him.
River stuck her tongue out at Derek and ran past him, hurrying towards her quarters. Inara and Kaylee both followed glaring at Derek as they followed River. After a few seconds, Cameron shook her head at Derek and followed as well.
"It would seem you will need to be a mite careful for a bit," Mal said, his face red as he struggled not to lose his composure. "I've told you not to hurt River for no good reason and now it would appear you've gone and done just that."
Mal pulled out his chair at the head of the table and sat down.
"John, would you mind taking your uncle and goin' somewhere else. Do something useful, or not. Jayne, you too."
"Cap'n, I do believe little Emma is about due to wake up and need a feedin'."
Mal nodded as his first mate left.
"Simon?"
"Ah, yes. I'll be leaving now, Captain."
Sarah waited until the Doc had left before taking her usual seat at the other end of the table.
"I imagine that little scene I walked in on was due to River snooping in on our family discussion."
"It was," Mal answered.
"Then I ask Derek not be punished by you. River only heard half of the discussion. Derek cares about her a great deal. Had she not been snooping, there would have been no drama."
Mal thought for a moment before answering. "I reckon you're right. River'll punish Derek enough for whatever it was she caught wind of. But, in the mean time, you and me need to talk."
Sarah looked Mal straight in the eyes and spoke confidently. "We want to be crew. Full time. Equal shares. I think we've demonstrated what we're capable of bringing to the crew."
"There's no doubt you and yours bring a lot to the table that we'd find more than helpful. But then, there's some baggage you bring with you. Baggage that could land me and mine here on Serenity in a heap of trouble we weren't lookin' for."