They made the drop and got their cut, the recipient having wired Badger his fee. The crew found themselves on a relatively safe moon on the Rim, flush with credits.
"Four days, max," Mal shook a finger at Kaylee who had given him puppydog eyes while listing the repairs they could now afford. "If it can't be done in four days, it aint gettin done, dong-ma?"
"Wo dong," Kaylee jumped up and down and placed a kiss on Mal's cheek.
"Since when do the womenfolk on this ship run the show," he shouted to no one in particular. River laughed at the memory Mal had from when he was younger, his older sisters dressing him up in a frilly dress and parading him around the homestead. They so wanted a baby sister. His weakness was making the ladies he cared about smile. She uncurled herself from her hiding spot in the spare shuttle. She couldn't enter Inara's old dwelling so took to hiding herself away in the other one. There was an unpleasant flash of Kaylee and Simon making love in it but once she located Jayne's mind she was able to block it out. Currently he was listing all the parts of his favourite gun, Vera. He must be showering or working out. She had come to recognize the thought pattern over the years. The former was to pass the time, the latter was to keep his focus off the burning in his muscles. She walked out onto the catwalk to find the bay empty. With bare feet she picked her steps carefully and slowly. She liked the hum of the old ship running through her body, the coolness of the metal transferring to her hot feet.
Before her she saw orange, which meant Echo was near. Echo was orange, Zoe was an earthy green like matured plants and late summer leaves, Mal was brown as if he could be any other color, Kaylee and Simon shared a purple what connected them no matter how far away they were from each other, Jayne was blue that was sometimes a cerulean when he was happy or drunk but cold go navy in the middle of a fight. On one occasion it turned to a sky blue like was seen over the ancient oceans, right after the blast doors opened on Miranda.
"Echo," she called softly.
"Echo, echo, echo," he called back, getting fainter each time. It was a silly joke they shared after she told him the myth of Echo and Narcissus.
"I'll find you," she teased.
"Find you, find you, find you." She rounded the corner and dug her fingers into his sides. This elicited a very unmanly squeal from the Pilot. He turned to chase her, but tripped over a bit of uneven grating. She stopped in her tracks and turned to laugh at him. His color darkened to a beet red that matched his face. Embarrassment. She held out her hand and helped him up.
A vision struck her of him pressing her up against the wall and kissing her hard. Her lips bruised and the metal made her back cold. She could feel it as it it was happening so she backed away from him.
"No," she shook her head, pressing her hands on her temples.
"Hey," he reached out to her but she backed further away. "River, hey it's me. You okay?"
"Never," she shouted. "You're not him. No kissing!" She made her way to the common area outside of the infirmary and sat on the couch. The very confused Pilot followed her at a safe distance in case she was having an episode.
"Did I think too loud," he asked sheepishly.
"Yes. Sorry," she curled up around a pillow.
"I wasn't going to do anything. You're pretty. I like you. But I wasn't going to touch you," he offered, kneeling beside her. "I like you but I'm scared of you. Nothing's going to happen between us. No use lying to you. You'd know anyway wouldn't you?"
"I see all the lies we tell to each other. White and black and grey lies. Red, red looks better in red. Not smart but bright. Should have been me. Silk and sweat. Could have stopped it. No one not ever. If only I'd stayed. Blood and whiskey and sex and weight and..." her eyes glazed over as she trailed off until her words were soft mutters into the pillow. The only word he could make out was 'Simon.'
He watched as her brother administered the drug and lay her down on the couch. Mal covered her with a blanket as she dozed off.
"They gettin worse, Doc," Jayne asked, running his hand through his short hair. The younger man sighed and put a hand on the Merc's shoulder.
"I can't tell anymore," he gave Jayne a knowing look.
"But she's lucid more offen than not, yeah? She weren't violent this time."
"It's a battle we're winning very slowly, Jayne, But just because no one got hurt doesn't mean she's getting better," he looked to the older man sadly. Echo saw something pass between the two men. He understood where Jayne was in the family now. The larger man stalked off, cursing under his breath. If he didn't know the man so well, Echo could have sworn he was going to cry.
Jayne sat in the bay, drinking and idly strumming his guitar. Without looking up, he called to the Pilot to join him.
"No use hidin, boy," he told him. "I been trackin since I was a littlun. Could smell ya and that go-se you splash on yerself from a mile away." He handed Echo the bottle. He took a long drink, gagging on the burning liquid. "Ya gotta be careful whatchya think round Crazy. Ya break her again an I won't feel bad bout breakin ya. Somethin unimportant sos Mal can't get too cross at me."
"Um," he choked out, "thank you?"
"Yeah, no problem." They sat in companionable silence for a while when the sound of soft footsteps made them both look up. Jayne shot a stern look his way. "Better Moony?"
"Won't ever be," she smiled as she descended the stairs. She walked gracefully over to the two men who had sat themselves on the floor. She sat between them and grabbed the bottle from Echo. After taking a big swig she turned to Jayne. "Stop. Be Jayne."
"Well at least ya didn't cut up on no one," he said passing the bottle to Echo. "More trouble than yer worth."
"Thank you."
"Always, Crazy." She leaned her back against Jayne's arm and fished his knife out of its sheath on his leg. The Pilot looked worriedly to the Merc. "She just likes it. Binky done saved our asses one time."
"Now she talks to me," River informed him. "Likes to be useful. The episodes aren't getting worse," she looked at Echo. "But they won't get better. Simon doesn't know yet. I know, I'm there...no chance at a normal life. So sad. Baobei," she mimicked his accent. The last word came out more like a brother crooning to a baby sibling. "Don't pity me. I have my family. I am happy. No, I am me." She shot Jayne another look. "Stop."
"Weren't you."
"Was too, stop."
"Fine." She left, and the two men decided to go take their drinking party out of the ship.
-o0o-
After a few strong drink of a local brew traditionally used to strip paint, Mal and Simon joined them.
"So why does she tell you to stop all the time," Echo finally asked Jayne.
"Yer not tha only one gets inapp- inaproit-"
"Inappropriate," Simon cut in.
"Thanks Doc," Jayne clapped him on the back and turned back to Echo, "thoughts bout 'er," he was slurring. Mal started to wag a finger at him but was stopped by Simon who got him up to get more drinks.
At the bar, their tray was loaded up with glasses and a fresh bottle.
"Leave it," Simon told Mal.
"Yeah, yeah, " Mal relented. "Jus she's my 'Tross."
"And my meimei. They aren't doing anything about it. Their working relationship is good, more often than not he keeps her on track, and he respects her. Wow, I can't believe I just said that."
"Mus be what goin mad feel like?"
Just then the cool night air gusted into the bar. When the men looked to the door they saw River and Kaylee enter. Kaylee spotted Simon and came up to him, stealing the drink out of his hand and downing it. He placed a long deep kiss on his wife's lips, then had an inspired idea.
"Tequila," River said to the bartender. "And lemons. Salt."
"Why meimei it's like you read my mind, " he smiled at his sister, drunkenly.
"Because I did, Boob." A drunk next to her was getting loud while she was waiting for her drinks so she elbowed his face. A pleased smile graced her lips as his head fell onto the bar. She took the tray to the table that found her partner, the Pilot and her captain chatting merrily at.
"Hey Crazy," Jayne greeted her, grabbing a chair for her. "Didn't know yud be joinin." He voice was rough from the smoke of his cigar and the shouting needed to be heard.
"Mr. 3% had the inspired idea of tequila shots," she motioned to Simon who was kissing Kaylee's neck. Seven years or marriage to an affection woman will make even the tightest of men loosen up about public displays. Echo picked up a shot glass and poured himself a drink. Just then River lay a hand on his wrist and stopped him. "Salt first." He licked the back of his hand and sprinkled the salt onto the wet patch. He licked the salt off his own hand, shot the tequila then hurriedly grabbed a lemon wedge. One he sucked the juice out he hissed, spitting the rind onto the table.
Next Mal followed, taking it a bit better than the Pilot did. After him, Kaylee licked salt off of Simon's neck, finishing her shot by plucking the lemon from between his lips. The table next to them erupted in hoots. Jayne was next but as he went to lick his own hand, River's wrist appeared in front of him. She tilted her head and gave him a lopsided grin. He watched her face and he ran his tongue over the soft skin of the inside of her wrist. Her eyes started to flutter closed as he licked again, taking the salt from her skin. After he poured the tequila down his throat he took the lemon from her fingers, letting his lips linger on the tips of her fine boned hand for a little longer than it should have.
Echo leaned over to Mal, "Wait but this is okay?"
"Yeah they do this, then go separate ways until morning," he motioned to River where a boy had come to talk to her. "She ain't a little girl. Woman grown an as long as they aren't messin up jobs we're a-okay here. She never goes off with anyone when she's batty, she's a smart girl." He saw Jayne had started to lean into a blonde woman. Their backs were to each other but they still touched at the hips. River looked at Echo sternly.
"No. We're not," she said with finality.
"Didn't-"
"Thought it. We're not." He took that as his cue to head back to the ship and relieve Zoe of her watch.
-o0o-
He found Zoe sitting in the Pilot's chair talking to herself sadly. No, not to herself. Someone named Wash. He left her there for a while, just wondering the ship until he heard Mal and Jayne come clambering up the ramp.
"Where's River," he asked the two drunks.
"Off with some cornfed," Mal answered. "Right mean lookin bastard. She sure has a type," he shot Jayne a look.
"What," he asked, feigning offense. "I aint never touched 'er! Aint my fault I'm such a 'xample of mascul-uscl-masculinity." He smiled as he managed the last word out, "I'll comm 'er in a coupla hours." The two men stumbled off to their bunks. He assumed the doctor and his wife had found a place to hole up for the night. About a half hour later his comm hissed.
"Reavers" River said through the static. Before she could even get the whole word out, Zoe, Mal and Jayne were running out of the ship, calling to him to get her fired up and ready for a speedy take off. It was amazing how quickly that word sobered people up. He rushed to the cockpit, flicking switches that made the whole bridge light up and come to life. Kaylee rushed in a few minutes later, her face flushed and panting.
"When we go," she started.
"Full burn. Hard thrust. We get 30 seconds at 3g and we should be far enough," he finished. She nodded her head. "Where are the others?"
-o0o-
The bar was in chaos, chairs and drinks spilled over, people practically trampling each other. River stood in the middle of the pandemonium, calm as a marble statue. She walked carefully out of the door, against the wave of panicked bodies. She spotted Jayne in the distance and felt for his mind. Her axe, he had it. She was wearing her gun, Darcy. He was in a second unholstered, cocked and pointed to the skull of one of the Reavers. Taking a deep breath she smiled as she put a bullet through the head of one of the monsters that came toward her. Just as another leaped to get on top of her, Jayne tossed her the same axe that had taken down so many. She cut him in half mid air. She felt Jayne try not to panic as he pulled her by the arm away from the gore. They shot and cut down any of the boogeymen who got in their way until they got to the port. River spun and kicked her way through the three that were gathered at the entrance to the ship, allowing the others safe entry. In one motion, she slit three throats while spinning on her toes like a mad ballerina. Zoe grabbed her around her waist and pulled her in as the airlock engaged.
"Hold on, ta somethin yall," Echo's voice came over the comm.
Jayne looked at River who was holding on to the railing at the bottom of the stairs.
"Shiny," they said in unison.
"Stop," she scolded.
"Sorry," he smiled, not meaning it.
