3.0Variable
River had a new secret.
Her lips curved upward sweetly and her body hummed in delight. It wasn't a bad secret or a dangerous secret.
It wasn't how many pulse points the body had—18—and how to apply the proper pressure.
It was a good secret. But not hers to have.
She nearly skipped and spun her way to the cargo bay. Her dress today was butter yellow with tiny flowers, a variant from her standard darker colors.
Her hand skimmed over the large stacks of boxes carrying their newest cargo to be delivered in a few hours.
"Hey!" A voice shouted from above her. "Watch for the crates, Crazy."
River sent a glare up at Jayne, but didn't bother to move. Instead, she hoisted herself up on a crate, crossing her legs primly.
A second later, the sound of heavy boots banging on the stairs sent River scrambling to her feet. She placed her hands on her slim hips, her eyes narrowed.
Jayne stood in front of her crate, his jaw tight in anger. "Git offa there now!"
"Preposterous!" River scoffed. She daintily began in a plié and moved into a pirouette.
For a moment, Jayne seemed speechless by her dexterity, but regained his bearings. "Yer gonna break the cargo if ya don't get down," he warned her.
River rolled her eyes, halting her movements, her feet in a relevé.
"Git off or Mal'll space ya an' I'll laugh as ya turn to space ruttin' trash," he growled at her.
"Ineffective terrorization," River teased, smiling again.
"Off or so help me I'll yank ya down by yer hair," Jayne told her seriously. "An' what're ya smilin' 'bout?"
"I know the solution to the conundrum," River told him conspiratorially. "Surprise in a box."
Jayne shifted nervously. "I don't like no surprises in boxes. Ya sayin' there's a grenade or somethin' in there?"
Laughing uproariously, River plopped down into a seated position. "Silly ape." She tilted her head, tapping her chin thoughtfully. "Parasite may be more accurate in description." She shook her head, "Ten and ten make twenty."
Definitely worried, Jayne backed up. "Ya sayin' there's a giant bug thing in there?"
River, perplexed, blinked with a slight frown. "Do you snatch answers out of thin air? Ridiculous speculations. I can't give the key to the lock."
Finally, Jayne had enough of her crazy talk. "Mal," he shouted, his voice reverberating through Serenity. "Gotta a situation here!"
A minute later, a harried Captain clambered down the stairs. "What? What's wrong?"
Jayne pointed an accusatory finger at River. "Crazy here's been prattlin' on 'bout either a bomb or creepy-crawlies in the crates."
"Erroneous conclusions!" River inputted with wide eyes.
Mal glanced between the pair, trying to assess the situation. "Would someone here talk sensible-like? I ain't doin' nothin' to one of ya explain."
Before River could correctly state the situation with facts, Simon burst into the cargo bay, looking extremely anxious. Kaylee followed with an equally worried expression.
"River, are you alright? I heard shouting," Simon turned to Mal. "What's going on?"
"Don't rightly know. Jayne seems to think lil' one here says there's a problem with the goods," Mal said carefully, crossing his arms.
"Problem?" Kaylee echoed. "River, sweetie, can ya…tell…if there's somethin' wrong?"
"Stop!" She shouted, feeling the repressive anxiety. "Disturbing deviations. No explosive device, no parasite!"
Simon took a step back, speaking low. "I think I'll get a smoother just in case…" He shook his head, puzzled by the sudden negative change of River's mental state.
River leaped off the box, grabbing her brother's arm. "Zygote," she told him with an expectant stare.
Simon paused, his expression turning from nervous to disbelief. "Oh! Someone's pregnant?" he paused, "River…?"
She gave him her patent look. "No, not me. I can't…can't tell," she said significantly.
"Wait," Jayne interrupted. "She was talkin' 'bout a gorram baby?" His incredulity echoed in his voice.
"Now hold it," Mal held up his hand. "I don't like the sound of this. Ain't nobody pregnant on my ship."
"It's possible they don't know," Simon volunteered and then slid a glance in Kaylee's direction.
A faint blush covered the mechanic's face. "Ain't m-me," she stuttered slightly.
"Well then," Mal continued, "reasonably, that leaves two other options."
All five members of the crew stood there uncomfortably, waiting for someone to speak up.
River brought a hand to her head, rubbing her temple. "This is not well. All muddy…It's not mine to tell!"
"Well maybe," Jayne said angrily, "ya shoulda kept yer feng-le trap shut!"
Glaring at the large man, River crossed her arms defiantly. "You retaliated. Called for Captain unnecessarily," she snorted. "Afraid the girl would do something irrational."
"Bi zui!" Mal yelled before Jayne could throttle the girl's skinny neck.
"Jayne, you an' me are gonna check the crates. Albatross, yer gonna check our status, make sure we're on course." Mal gave each of them the look, daring someone to refuse.
"Yes, Captain," River replied, her voice tinged with displeasure as she exited the cargo bay.
Instead of griping, Jayne complied reluctantly, and Simon and Kaylee took the opportunity to leave quietly.
River sat in the pilot seat, her knees tucked under her chin. In less than a second, she had mentally assessed their course and how many hours left till they reached Srika.
"River?"
"Approximately 2 hours and ten minutes."
"Ain't why I am here," Zoe told her honestly, "but thanks for the update."
River didn't face the woman nor speak, just kept her steady gaze on the stars.
Zoe moved gingerly, seating herself in the co-pilot chair. "Captain says you know somethin'."
River ducked her head. "Sorry," her voice was muffled.
"He says he don't know who," Zoe continued. "You didn't tell him?"
"Not mine," River spoke clearly. "Not mine to tell, not mine to know. It was an accidental collision, unavoidable. Ape-man was greedy, tore off the ribbon too soon. But individual remains unidentified."
There was a long pause before Zoe spoke again, "Thank you."
"Welcome."
Without a sound, Zoe left the bridge, disappearing down into the dinning area.
A little smile flickered across River's face. "Tiny parts and pieces, growing…big day."
"'s dinnertime, Moonbrain," Jayne called into the room gruffly.
River rose to her feet and glided across the floor to the doorway where Jayne was standing edgily.
With her half-annoyed, half-expectant expression, River told him, "You violated pinky swear." She brushed past him, her skin tingling slightly.
"Also, Zoe is going to kill you."
(A/N: Not a ballet person so if I butchered the words, sorry! Thanks for all the reviews, keep 'em coming, they're awesome.)
