Disclaimer: I do not own firefly though I wish I did. I love Joss for creating this amazing show.
:Also the song Gunslinger by Avenged Sevenfold inspired this story. This story means a lot to me, and I have really worked hard on it. But any constructive criticism is welcome.
A year had passed since Miranda. And it was clear that not everyone was completely healed yet.
Rivers heart had broken for Zoe for the loss of her husband, but found joy when they all learned of Wash's child in his wife's womb.
But now River's heart broke for Jayne. The once stone cold mercenary was shattered. And Mal had did his best to fix him. But Jayne sunk into his shell further.
"Jayne was close to Wash?" River asked one day when Jayne was lifting all his anger away into his weights. He grunted his answer, and River wept for him.
That's how their relationship started.
River would come to the cargo bay everyday and sit and watch the man work out. She watched how his muscles contracted, how his blue eyes seemed to burn with so much pain, and he was keeping all his pain inward. River new it needed to get out.
So she tried everyday to get the man to show emotions. She finally won.
Jayne was curled in her lap sobbing for all they lost that day. He sobbed for Book; the man of faith who gave Jayne a few new ways to look at certain aspects of his life, for Wash; the one true friend he had on the ship, for Zoe, and for all the lost souls that Miranda showed them.
"She cares for Jayne." She said softly as she petted his hair, as he cried into her lap. "She cares a lot."
Jayne looked up with his wet cheeks and watering eyes with a confused look on his face.
"She believes its love." She nodded and smiled proudly at him.
"Love?" The harsh tone River remembered in the man's voice came back suddenly as he sat up and looked at her as if she was stupid. For a fraction of a second River was pleased to see a hint of the old Jayne coming back, but the joy was now bubbling into fear.
"Yes. They way Zoe loves Wash and Kaylee loves Simon. She loves you."
"Why do you always call yourself she? Can't you say I? You can't just say I love you? You sound like a gorram idiot."
"You love her back!" River's eyes sparkled as she looked at Jayne, and he couldn't bring himself to break her smile. Because the truth was, in a weird way he did love her back.
"Yes." He got up and left River sitting on the floor smiling to herself as he left to go lay in his bunk with the door locked. He knew he probably just mucked up things for himself.
He tried to avoid her after that. But soon their feelings for each other were unstoppable.
When the crew wasn't around, or paying attention, they were there for each other.
Almost every nigh River would sneak down to her mercenary's bunk and crawl into his waiting arms and they would fall asleep together.
They shared a lot more than sleep as well.
The first time she asked, Jayne was against it, but he had learned that River was just one person you couldn't say no to.
They had become one soul, and that night Jayne promised that he would never have another girl, he would only have River.
They were in love, but when they crew was finally alerted on this, they all snapped at Jayne. Claiming he had taken advantage of River.
Soon after that Jayne announced he was leaving the crew. The shell River managed to drag him out of, he sunk right back into it.
She begged him to stay. But he left, leaving her to hold onto his last words to her, which were 'I love you.'
This chapter was just setting up these past events. The next chapters will follow the story and be more in depth. Just never really good at starting out. R&R please