"Corporeal Warnings"

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Seated around the table with the rest of the merry crew, River mindlessly pushed her food around her plate as she glowered at Jayne from beneath tresses of hair which had naturally fallen across her face.

The clatter of spoon and aluminum served as background music to Jayne's gruff voice as he prattled on between mouthfuls. The smug look on his face as he shared the rancid details of one of many whoring escapades made River's stomach churn.
"An' I were this close ta kissin' the whore on the mouth, too." The merc concluded, wiping at his mouth with a napkin and shaking his head at the memory. Laughter broke out around the table as if on cue.

"Ahhh, I see." commented Wash. "That explains so much, yet, it doesn't. Will you please repeat the part about the…..What was that delightful term again? Snow blow? Snow cone?"

"Snow Job, Dear." Zoë answered, still chuckling.

"Got it, and if you've ever loved me, please don't." Wash pleaded.

"Understood." Zoë affirmed. "I don't think we'll ever have to get that… adventurous."

River felt the bits inching their way up, nausea causing her to drop her spoon. The ape-man's crudeness never bothered her before tonight. In fact, most of the time, she found his straightforward view on things refreshing.

It confused her that she should feel so affected now.

Kaylee, noticing River's lack of amusement, turned to her with concern. She lifted a hand gently to the girl's slumped shoulder. "River sweetie, you haven't touched one bite. You feelin' ok?"

River managed a week smile. "My appetite has suddenly been depleted."

At that, she rose from her chair in one graceful motion, and glided from the mess. She couldn't leave with out, of course, shooting a disdainful glance in Jayne's direction. Jayne lifted his eyebrows at this, as if thinking, what in the gorram hell was that for?

Simon started up as River made her exit, but Kaylee placed her hand on his knee, stopping him. "Let her be Simon. We all know she's been better. River just ain't used to the change is all. Change is good, but that don't mean its easy."

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Up on the bridge, River sat with her knees tucked neatly under her chin, contemplating her recent behavior. Why did she feel so tetchy?

Happiness should be secure, planted. The voices had stopped screaming all at once, fading to nothing but a faint whisper. She felt as if the fog had finally cleared, and the sun shone bright for the first time in a very long while. Why, then, did she still feel so cold?

River's body took the mental suggestion. Shivering, she wrapped her pale arms tighter, squeezing her knees further into her chest.

There was also the loneliness. Her mind had been busy before, always moving, like Serenity in full flight. Now it seemed all she had was time, and quiet. She was not familiar with her newly found sanity.

Although she could still read people occasionally, it required much more effort than before Miranda. It was more difficult to decipher the waves that came to her now. She was sure that her intuitive gift was only temporarily latent, a result of finally unburdening her secret.

River's thoughts went to Jayne. She had begun to notice that every time she was in his presence, she felt unbalanced. Her stomach often felt rigid, queasy, like someone had wound her insides up tight. Whenever Jayne spoke, smiled, or said some god-awful thing, the feeling intensified.

The physicality of the situation couldn't be ignored. Her body had given her these corporeal warnings before on Ariel. She had seen the treachery, but the words came out only in fragments, pieces of complete thoughts turned backwards.

She had long since forgiven Jayne for that, accepting his mistake as a lesson necessary for growth. These feelings, though she couldn't be sure, reminded her of the impending dread of that day.

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Down in the cargo bay, Jayne heaved the bar back into its resting place, letting out a strained grunt. It's clang echoed, and then disappeared into the quiet ship. He had kind of gotten used to having a spotter around. Now that the shepherd was gone, things just didn't feel like they should. Wiping the sweat off his brow with the back of his large, meaty hand, Jayne shifted, adjusted his grip on the bar, and lifted his final set.

Through the corner of his eye, he thought he saw a flash of pink from above. A bead of sweat rolled into his eye, and he hastily blinked it away. "Gorram must be losin' it," he muttered to himself.

Sleep deprivation can do that to a man. 'Sides, no one's 'posed to be up anyhow, he reasoned. Even Crazy would have the ship set to autopilot by now.

All of a sudden, the bright lights from the cargo bay dimmed, as a shadow blocked his view. Jayne blinked, adjusting his eyes on a face full of crazy girl, hovering just above him. If it hadn't been for the darn weight, Jayne would have jumped straight into the air.

"What the gorram hell, girl!?" Jayne managed to grunt out menacingly, despite feeling like a scared little schoolgirl. "It's not right sneakin' up on a man in the mid…"

Jayne was cut short when he felt the bar being slowly pushed downward into his chest. Panicked and confused, he chanced another look toward his aggressor, only to meet a solemn glare. His veins strained against his temples as he struggled to push back, but his resistance was futile.

River spoke in an unnatural tone, her eyes penetrating his core as she looked down at him. "The tide. It's rushing in."

"What the?" Jayne spat through clenched teeth, fighting to keep the bar from crushing his lungs.

"Flee the waves before they carry you back out to sea."

Jayne shifted uncomfortably. His arms were burning something fierce as he grunted and strained against the girls freakishly abnormal strength. "Don't know what yer going on about. Get this gorram thing off me, loony-bird...fer someone gits injured!"

"You wanted to send me away. On Ariel... after the maidenhead. Going to try again." River argued.

Looking up into her determined eyes, the merc remembered a time when he wanted nothing more than to get the freak as far away him and the crew as possible, back before she saved their asses. For all the world he couldn't conjure up why'd the girl would be thinking he'd want to do the same again.

River suddenly stopped pushing, and helped Jayne set the weight back in its place.

Jayne sucked in a deep breath, his lungs starved for oxygen and narrowed his eyes at River. "You going bat-shit crazy again, girl?"

With a look that could kill, River said nothing and turned with a swish of her pink skirt, retreating into the shadows from which she came.

Jayne sat up, a touch bewildered and stared blankly after her.

---

Now, stretched in his bunk, the merc was anything but comfortable. As the events of earlier raced through his mind, it sparked a whole mess of reflection that was keeping him wide-awake. Glancing over at his clock, Jayne groaned when he realized he had to be up in two short hours.

No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't shake this weird, antsy feeling crawling through his blood. The little slip of a girl had a way of getting under his skin and sticking. He didn't know why, but it kind of bothered him that she didn't trust him none.

His feelings about the girl had long since changed. They'd gone from irritation and loathing to a sort of odd fascination. What with her crazy, super girl powers, he couldn't help it.

Hell, he thought, they'd all be dead and buried next to the Shepherd, God rest his soul, and that Universe fellow if it hadn't been for her. Made her pretty damn worthy in his estimation.

Wash had surprisingly made it, when they all thought he was gone for sure. The man didn't have any use of his legs on account of the spinal damage, so they rigged the ship up good so he could get around.

The girl had taken to the flying when Wash was laid up and now they both shared the work. Jayne figured he was still alive, so that meant she must be doing something right.

Things had gotten a mite weird around here in the nine months past. It was like everyone on the gorram ship had gotten permanently canned off Kaylee's moonshine.

Or, maybe they were all just happy to be alive.

Could explain why the Doc and little Kaylee were sexing each up on a regular basis, acting all moony and whatnot. Also, why Mal and 'Nara stopped going at each others throats every waking minute. Damned shame about that one, 'cause he kinda missed the entertainment.

Soon after Wash was up and about, him and Zoë were practically inseparable. Then the woman went and got herself knocked up. And he thought she was the sensible one. Wouldn't be surprised if the rutting place turned into a baby mill hereafter.

Now to top it off, the feng le girl thought he had it in for her again. Making him feel all guilty for things he weren't even thinking. Everyone on the damn boat had gone and lost their gorram minds.

Jayne turned onto his side, punching his pillow up under his head and sighed irritably. He supposed it wouldn't hurt any if he tried a little bit harder to set things right. Just to head off anymore creepifying, late night visits, he reasoned.

Sleep would be good, too.

TBC

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