Jayne went back to his bunk. When they'd been sparring he'd barely been able ta see the girl, much less land a hit. He'll never be that fast; he's a big merc of a man, not no gorram ballet dancer. If he's ever gonna be good 'nough ta land a hit, will he have ta be that fast? Cause no way in the verse he could manage that. The girl though, the speed's half what makes her so deadly; ta 'ther half's smarts. She sees everything as numbers; how many, how fast, how long, how powerful? He just swings. Jayne's good at his job but there's no finesse; River makes everything a dance.
He pulls off his sweaty shirt, pulls out his sink and splashes water on his face. He used ta see her as a danger, a liability to his safety. Crazy kid was all she was. He grabs a semi-clean shirt, from the pile he keeps on the foot of his bed 'fore he takes the time ta put it away, and pulls it on. Everything changed after Miranda. They'd seen the weapon, not her skill in a bar fight, a weapon to mow down the boogeymen of the black. And he wanted it. She was like a shiny new rifle, with a sleek design, and core tech scope; a new toy.
But everyone else, since Mr. Universe's, they had a dif'rent reaction to the girl weapon, scared a her. Even her brother; he's 'fraid he'll never fix her, that she'll be the weapon forever. May'haps weapon's part of who she is now. Maybe somewhere along this path girl got fused to the soldier. He'd known plenty of soldiers; heck, Zoe was a soldier, through and through, didn't see the crew runnin from her. So's the girls a bit off, most fighters is anyways. The crew treats her like a time bomb afraid she'll explode and take them with her. But where would they be 'thout her; dead is where. Gotta be grateful fer that at least.
Jayne pushed the sink back into the wall. Starring at his reflection in the tiny mirror he thinks about how things 've changed, and what that means for him. Where did he stand in all this fang pi. His place here is solid. Zoë's grievin' still, she might do someat Jayne-like outa grief, like runnin' out from cover ta chop Reavers, again. 'Nara's stayin' on the ship for now, but her an' Mal still fight over nothin. Kaylee an the Doc have fin'ly got ta sexin. The girl's still crazy, least she's useful; on jobs she reads the situation, an' now she's flyin' the boat at times, good at it too.
Crew aside, they's still got troubles. The operative said Alliance'll still be after the girl, but the 'liance is in shambles, barely holdin' the central planets together. Parliament got mighty unpopular when Mal sent out that broad wave. Meanin' less patrols worrin' over small smuggling boats like Serenity, but there also seemed to be fewer jobs. Fer' now though, they were leavin' for Persephone next day, Harrow had sent a wave sayin he might just have a job for them. Anything to keep protein on the table; speakin' of he's 'possed to help Kaylee in the kitchen tonight. Jayne stop ponderin so hard on the 'verse and ever'thin in it and goes up to the mess.
After the fighting instruction in the hold, River went up to the kitchen. She walked in and stood staring at the cabinet doors.
"Alright, bao bei?" said Inara, who was sitting at the table, a needle and embroidery thread in her lap.
"Evaluating nutritional sources" replied River, who continued to stare at the wooden cabinet doors. Inara keeps her eyes on her work as she pushes the needle into and out of the fabric creating a pattern of dragonflies for Kaylee's new shirt, until she heard the hinge of a cabinet. Inara quickly looked up, but only to see River pull out a protein pack, labeled banana, from the cupboard. Inara continued to watch River from the corner of her eye, she didn't quite trust the girl so close to the knife block. River took down a mug, and opened the silverware drawer. Inara tensed watching River put her hand into the drawer. River's back was to her, Inara heard the clink of metal on the hard counter.
"She hears the tension, she wont hurt you," said River her back still to Inara, her head slightly bowed.
"River?" Inara's voice is full of soft hesitancy, afraid to trigger the girl.
"It's a spoon," River turned, and held up the utensil in question so Inara can see. The girl turned back and proceeded to make her smoothie, leaving a nervous and embarrassed Inara staring at her back, sewing lying forgotten in her lap. River took her glass and walked past Inara to sit on one of the oversized chairs in the living area, where she hunched over the glass as if the mysteries of the 'verse were unraveling in the protein powder. "All scared," the reader said to her glass. Inara looked up at the girl. She looked so small and vulnerable curled up, lost in the cushions and her oversized sweater. Maybe she was vulnerable, but she's also dangerous Inara reminded herself. "Love. She wanted to return it. All exchanges must be accompanied by a receipt. Mother hen, pecking. Protecting," River turned large eyes up to trapped Inara's gaze, "She was protecting those who protected her."
Inara stood up, she hesitated for a moment before making up her mind, and walking over to kneel in front of River. "I know honey, but R…Reavers are the monsters from our nightmares, and…"
"And River's now the monster's monster," whispered the girl.
"Yeah."
Jayne entered the kitchen. River was sittin, staring at a congealing protein drink, so quiet, if he weren't in the habit of scoping every room he walked inta he wouldn't a' seen her. "S'up moony?" he asked gruffly. River looked up with eyes wet and wide.
"It's Ariel," the girl said softly.
"'Nother planet ya needs ta rescue?" Jayne laughed.
"No, it's Ariel again, inverse, negative film. Jayne was the one scared then," she said, shaking her head.
"Hey I ain't scared o' nothing," he pointed at her with the knife he'd just pulled out of the drawer to emphasize this important bit of information about Jayne Cobb. He began to chop onions. Where's in the 'verse Kaylee got to? She had kitchen duty too tonight. Ya just can't leave Jayne in charge of the kitchen; he don't trust hisself not ta light someat on fire
"Scared of getting thrown out of the airlock," River said.
"Well, yeh," Jayne conceded.
"Scared of Reavers," Crazy said, staring at Jayne.
"Well what sane person aint?" the merc half yelled. River got quiet, and curled back into herself at Jayne's words. Ta ma de, there ya go mentionin' sanity and fright a' Reavers to the person who ain't got either, Jayne mentally berated himself. "I'm sorry girl, my mouths no good," he earnestly apologized as he put down the knife and walked over to her.
"Alright. You're not the one scared this time. It's them. And Serenity, she's whispering only. Subspace voices picked up on old rusted receivers. Nothing speaks any more. Afraid. Frightened of the girl monster, monster's monster…." Rivers words faded and Jayne sat down next to her. He kept quiet, musin' on her words. After a minute, he put one of his large hands on top of her head and ruffled her dark hair.
"Ain't nothing' ta worry on, little one. They'll come 'round soon 'nough. Ya saved our hides, an' I'm grateful fer that. Fer now help me with dinner. Make sure I don't poison us all," he said standing up and holding out a hand to her. River gave him a small smile and timidly took his hand.