Hi it's me Angel, I don't own Firefly or serenity or the characters from but I do own Gavon and Ayme, they're originals. Oh and thanx for reading!

What is Human?

Chapter 4------A.E. and Teaching Jayne Manners

Shepherd Book had offered to help with dinner once Gavon saw the rest of Serenity, Gavon taking his leave to go and check in on Ayme. But first he needed to get her things from the cargo hold. He walked in from the very top of the ship, noticing that everyone was gone from the large, open area, even voices had seemed to stop in the room. Its dead silence was something Gavon hadn't heard in a very long time, it felt strange and yet at the same time inviting and calm.

He continued down the railing, his footsteps echoing as he headed for the large, silver container they had brought on board. It shined against the light in the room, its surface cold holding all that Ayme needed to survive.

He touched the bottom of the silver crate as its bottom opened, the gears inside grinding as the drawer shot out, three, long black bags settled inside. Gavon pulled out one, opening and shifting through its contents, more medicine, syringes, tubing, bottle after bottle of pills. He zipped it shut and set it aside, pulling out the other two and shutting the storage crate shut again.

River had quietly made her way closer to him, sitting on the railing and watching carefully as he looked through the next bag full of clothing.

"There is a popular theory that something is wrong with your friend," River stated, her voice echoing through the cargo bay as Gavon zipped up the bag. Gavon did not turn to her, but continued in checking the next bag.

"And what do you think?" Gavon stated as he looked into another bag of clothes, thicker, dressier, Ayme's bag.

"That is a complicated matter," River replied in return.

"Well, you either do, or you don't, kiddo," Gavon stated, throwing one of the bags over his shoulder, grasping its black handle and he tried to think of a way to carry the other two down below.

"I can help," River called down to him. Gavon glanced towards her, looking at her with a suspicious glance. "I can help."

"Take this bag, then," Gavon ordered, swinging one of the bags straps over his shoulders. River jumped down and headed towards him, picking up the extra bag and following him towards the guests quarters of the ship.

"It's River, right?" Gavon questioned. "Thanks for your help."

"You would have been unable to carry all this by yourself," River responded in a monotone voice.

"I could've tried," Gavon laughed, reaching the ladder to go down into the guests' quarters.

"You would have failed," River responded.

"You any good at catching?" Gavon questioned and motioned for her to step down first, taking the bag from her. River climbed down the ladder quickly, looking back up as Gavon placed the bag over the hole.

"Head's up," Gavon called down, dropping the bag. River caught it, setting it aside as he prepared to drop the next. She caught the next one while Gavon began to climb down himself, the third bag hanging across his shoulder and chest. He reached the bottom and grabbed the bag pushed aside, motioning for River to follow his lead as he opened the sliding door quietly.

Ayme had settled herself under the covers, the blankets pulled up to her shoulders and neck, her white hair spread all over the pillow she had set her head on. Her back was to them as she pressed her head against the wall, feeling the need to be close to something.

He set the bags down quietly in the middle of the room, leaning down and opening the one filled with medical supplies. River peeked her head around the doorway, not stepping inside and only watching. Gavon looked up at River as he pulled out a small device that looked to me like a small camera, wondering why she hadn't entered yet.

"C'mon in," Gavon said quietly. "I don't wanna change out in the hallway."

"She's sleeping," River said as quiet as he had been.

"Yeah, she'll be sleeping for a while," Gavon stated, standing up and walking over to the bed. River felt the calm in the room, abnormal for anyone to feel…but it wasn't dangerous…just not what she was used to living with her crew. She stepped in and set the bag down next to the other two, watching as Gavon slowly pulled the blankets from her back, exposing the black shirt she had been wearing under her cloak.

River felt her mind falling, water everywhere, even in her mouth…but it was alright…she could still breathe somehow…she was warm.

Gavon pulled up the back of her shirt and uncovered her pale back, her ribcage, her spine, her veins all easily seen even where River stood. Gavon pressed the small, rectangular device against her, a light shinning from the back of it and small numbers appeared on the back of it. It made a clicking noise, before Gavon moved it to the middle of her back, it clicking again as he did it once more.

He pulled her shirt back down and covered her with the blankets again, clicking the small device open and pulling out a small, thin video screen. He lifted it to his eyes and hit the screen, an image of a heart beating inside the small reflective screen.

"It's a little bit fast…" Gavon muttered to himself, hitting the screen again and the image clicked to the next, one of her red, branch like lungs as it expanded in and out. Tapped it again to the other and saw both were normal now.

River blinked out of her trance and observed carefully as Gavon placed the small video back into its casting.

"You're pretty young to be traveling on this boat," Gavon stated. "What're you doing on here?"

"Safest place to be," River stated simply. "When is she going to be in the water again?"

Gavon stared at her as he pulled a small syringe out filled with white liquid.

"Now how would you know about that, kiddo?" Gavon questioned quickly, popping the cap off and exposing the needle to the air.

"I know lots of things," River replied, her calm becoming creepy. He tried to ignore the strange instincts rising in his gut, walking back over to the bed and pulling Ayme's hair back from her neck.

"I know you killed people."

Gavon gently pushed the needle under her skin and pressed the liquid into her body.

"Yes, I have," Gavon said calmly as he pulled the needle out, Ayme still sleeping soundly. "You probably know why to."

"To get her out," River responded. Gavon turned to her and nodded.

"You're somethin' else," Gavon replied lightly.

Ayme coughed a little bit, a small amount of blood on her neck where the needle had gone in. It stung and somewhat woke her out of her sleep.

"Woah, woah," Gavon said quietly, scooping his hand under her neck and helping her to sit up. "Careful now, slowly."

"Did you give me—"

"It's already taken care of," Gavon said quietly as she blinked sleepily. "We've got a guest, by the way."

Ayme turned her head to the door and saw River standing in the doorway staring at them.

"It's you…" Ayme replied. "You know what I am, don't you?"

"A.E.," River stated. Gavon glanced at River narrowing his eyes at her.

"Very good," Ayme stated, pulling the covers off of her legs and holding onto Gavon's shoulder as she stood.

"Stop fretting Gavon," Ayme said smiling at him.

"And how precisely am I supposed to do that?" Gavon grumbled. "How does she know…I mean…she knows things she can't have possibly known, Ayme."

"She's psychic, Gavon," Ayme responded, looking to River and smiling, "She's been reading us like a book."

"Do I even ask how you know that…" Gavon stated, sitting on the now messy bed and staring at River.

"She helped me today," Ayme stated, "She's the reason I didn't choke on the tube, she was telling my brain what to do when it couldn't think by itself."

"Well that's a lovely thought," Gavon stated. "You wanted to go on a ship with a reader?"

"What're you doing out in the black?" Ayme questioned River, leaning her hand against the wall and pulling some of her weight off of her feet.

"Same as you," River replied.

"Ayme…" Gavon mumbled. "There's something you're not telling me."

"Are you afraid of me?" Ayme questioned her.

"No reason to be," River replied.

"That doesn't mean a thing, sometimes," Ayme responded. "People are afraid of what they don't understand."

"I understand you," River stated. "No reason to be afraid."

"What happens if she tells them?" Gavon suddenly whispered, realizing he wasn't going to be answered.

"She won't, will you?" Ayme stated.

"You have to," River said, "You said you would."

Ayme nodded her head slowly; the feeling of weightlessness beginning to take over her legs and arms.

"See? Nothing to be worried about," Ayme responded, turning her head to Gavon. "Would you change your shirt? That can't be a comfort to this crew to have a bloody shirt on."

"I've buttoned up my coat," Gavon stated.

"Change it," Ayme ordered, her eyes turning to the strange gold.

"Yes, mother," Gavon said sarcastically. River smiled as Gavon took off his coat.

"Do you see what I have to put up with?" Ayme questioned to River. River looked up suddenly, looking around at the ceiling as if something was moving up there.

"Simon," River said in a quieter tone.

"Go on, go on," Ayme stated. "Don't let us keep you."

River walked backwards slowly, staring at Ayme before darting for the ladder and climbing up them gracefully.

Gavon took his shirt off and opened his bag for a new one, slipping it over his head as Ayme still leaned hard against the wall.

"Looked at your lungs, they seemed to be okay," Gavon replied, straightening his shirt down. Ayme nodded, touching her collar bone lightly and glancing down at her bare neck.

"Where's my necklace?" She questioned nervously, her eyes shifting to a deep blue. Gavon glanced over at the bed and saw a thin, silver chain just under one of the pillows, a small silver key sparkling at the end of it. He picked it up and walked over to her, replacing on her shoulders and clasping it against the back of her neck as she lifted her hair.

"You hungry?" Gavon asked.

"Mmm, a little," Ayme responded, turning back to him and crossing her arms, her body cold and growing colder.

"There's a companion on board," Gavon replied. "She wants to meet you if you're up to going to dinner."

"A companion? On this boat?" Ayme questioned as Gavon made his way over to her black cloak, pulling it around her shoulders to warm her up.

"Dunno, so don't ask me," Gavon stated nervously. Ayme slipped her arms through the cloak and held her head against her palm.

"Can't punish them for being curious," Gavon replied.

"I can't tell them yet…" Ayme whispered. "It's way too soon."

"You don't have to tell them anything," Gavon said quietly. "It's just dinner, not an interrogation."

"Alright, we'll go," Ayme sighed heavily. "Have you gotten in contact with Ted yet?"

"No, gotta talk to the Captain about that before I send out a signal," Gavon said.

"He's probably worried sick by now," Ayme stated, walking over to the bed and beginning to make it slowly.

"Yeah…he probably is…" Gavon said in a lower tone and watching Ayme carefully.

"Do you think they're coming?" Kaylee questioned quietly to the group. "I mean…d'you think she might come?"

"Dunno, so why don't we just wait and see?" Mal questioned, becoming slightly annoyed with everyone waiting.

Mal sat at the head of the table, Inara sitting on his right as well as Kaylee and River. Shepherd Book sat across from Mal while Jayne, Zoe, Wash, and Simon sat around, two other sets made on the small table. It was decorated in food, not anything fancy but something to keep bellies from rumbling. It became quiet again, still no sign of the guests from the doorway as they all watched it carefully. Jayne grumbled, shifted in his seat, grumbled again.

"You know what, I'm hungry now, so I'm gonna eat now," Jayne stated, reaching for the protein plate when Inara gave him a swift hit with her spoon.

"OW! WHAT THE—" Jayne whined.

"You will wait for the guests," Inara grumbled.

"I ain't waitin' for jack—"

"I'm going to teach you manners one way or another," Inara grumbled, her eyes widening in anger. Jayne reached out again but Inara whacked it away.

"Don't make me use my knife," Inara threatened, Mal laughing behind his hands at the comment. Jayne leaned back in his chair, his mouth tight and in a pout.

There were footsteps coming, all the crew whipping their heads around to the sound as Gavon stepped into the dining room, gently helping Ayme step inside as well.

"Sorry we're late," Gavon apologized.

"Oh, no, don't worry," a fluster of voices stated as well as any other combination of the phrase.

"Just what we needed another gorramn weird girl on this boat," Jayne mumbled, staring at Ayme's pale skin and hair, unable to keep his mouth an his mind separate. Inara hit him hard against in the head this time, before placing her spoon away from her plate as not to eat with it.

"Come, sit down," Inara said warmly, showing them the open spots in between Simon and Mal. Gavon let Ayme step forward in front of him and sit next to Simon, taking his seat next to the Captain.

Inara watched Ayme carefully, Ayme examining the food hopefully but she couldn't eat most of it.

"Would you like some tea?" Inara questioned happily.

"Yes, that sounds perfect," Ayme answered, looking up at her for the first time. Mal cleared his throat nervously as everyone seemed to go quiet besides Inara.

"So, did you have a good rest?" Mal questioned her.

"Yes, very," Ayme answered as Gavon glanced around, taking some of the food nervously as no one else had. Inara poured from the kettle some tea into the small mug in front of Ayme, it steaming around her face.

"We're about seven days from Newhall, but we'll need to stop at a fueling station sometime within the next few days," Mal stated as Ayme took the cup carefully in her hands, sipping the hot tea as it traveled down her cold throat, warming her from the inside out.

"Sounds good to me," Gavon responded as finally everyone began to actually take food, including Mal.

"How long were you two on Persephone?" Inara questioned lightly as Ayme set her glass down. Kaylee's eyes darted all over the place, wondering if she should say something like Mal and Inara or keep her mouth shut like the rest. The tension rising with everyone except River who curled her legs on her chair.

"Two weeks, six days, seven hours, and 12 minutes," Ayme responded easily, taking another sip of the tea.

"Well, that's…very exact," Inara responded.

"You sound like our little River here," Mal stated.

"That's just what I wanna hear," Jayne mumbled as he stuffed his face full.

"My name is Inara, by the way," Inara said eloquently.

"Ayme, my name is Ayme, you probably already know Gavon," Ayme responded, sipping her tea again. The silence took over the room again.

"D'you got business on Newhall? Pretty outskirt planet," Kaylee asked nervously. Ayme's head rose to her and her eyes examined Kaylee carefully.

"That's where Gavon's brother is," Ayme replied. "He's got a large piece of land out there."

"And I hear he's your fiancé," Mal replied. "Is that right?"

"Yes, it is," Ayme laughed, her cheeks slightly coloring.

"Well congratulations to you," Wash said for the first time. "Would you like to hear our good news too?"

"Our good news?" Ayme questioned, glancing around the table.

"OH! I'm sorry," Wash said calmly. "I'm Wash and this is my Wife Zoe."

He placed his arm around Zoe's waist.

"Hi there," Zoe said, nervously grinning at Ayme.

"We're going to have a baby," Wash said in a happy tone.

"That's wonderful," Ayme said, for the first time her body and voice seeming to lighten and show true emotion.

"I still say we just get a dog," Jayne grumbled, spitting some of his food out with the words. Inara grabbed her spoon and whacked him again.

"I know, Zoe's excited too, she's just a little nervous about you," Wash stated comically. Zoe hit him hard in the ribs.

"I understand," Ayme said, trying not to smile at his humor.

"Do you want anything to eat?" Inara questioned, seeing her plate was still empty. Ayme looked at her plate and then the food, debating over the question. Shepherd Book looked back and forth to Mal and Ayme, wondering when the silence would be broken.

"You can try something, won't harm anything," Mal stated. "We got plenty if that's what's worrying you."

"Oh no, thank you," Ayme stated, trying to apologize. "I—It's hard for my body to digest solid foods."

"Try a little, it might be better than yesterday," Gavon replied, putting a small about of food on her plate. "Do you have any hot water?"

"Oh, of course," Inara replied, beginning to stand when Mal stood for her.

"I got it," Mal responded, walking into the kitchen. "What d'you want it in?"

"A small bowl, thanks," Gavon responded.

"So, what brought you to Persephone?" Shepherd Book questioned lightly, his calm countenance a soothing factor at the table.

"We got stalled there for a little while," Gavon responded as Ayme easily took the food into her mouth with her fork. "Kinda like a little vacation."

"Not a very good vacation spot," Wash responded.

"Very, very true," Gavon stated. "But, it wasn't all that bad."

He looked to Ayme as she had finished the small amount of food hungrily. He laughed at her.

"What?" she questioned him with her frowned white eyebrows.

"Don't eat so fast," Gavon ordered. Mal set the bowl of hot water in front of Gavon and sat back in his seat.

"Thank you, Captain," Gavon thanked, taking a small piece of protein and setting it into the water, cutting into it and turning the warm water into a small amount of soup or broth. The crew watched him carefully, before he set the bowl in front of Ayme and took her plate, setting it under his. "Try it this way."

Ayme took her spoon and began to put it into her mouth and down her throat.

"Well, I'll have to remember that the next time one of y'all get sick," Mal stated.

"You albino or somethin'?" Jayne questioned rudely. Kaylee, Inara and Shepherd Book all hit him this time. Humor spread across the table as ease took over, normal conversations beginning as dinner continued.

End Chapter 4