Pride

Mal wasn't a ruttin' messenger boy. If the Doc wanted to find his sister, he should be out doing it himself. Oh, sure, he was running inventory after having picked up a load of medication in the capital city, but that didn't mean he couldn't take a little break to search the ship for his little sister. Mal grumbled and complained as he walked about the ship, checking crannies for any crazy little girls.

He found her in the galley, the gun she had borrowed from Jayne disassembled before her. She held one of the many pieces in her hand, and was cleaning and shining it carefully. She looked up as Mal walked into the galley, then looked back down at the pieces.

"What ya got there, Li'l Albatross?" Mal asked as he moved to stand behind her.

"Susan," she said as she began fitting some of the pieces together. "Must be very careful. Jayne loves his guns. Must not scratch her or harm her. His most prized possessions."

"Woah, back up," Mal had to sit down for this. "Jayne's guns? That's one 'a Jayne's guns?" River nodded, and continued to assemble the pretty pistol. Mal looked a little befuddled, having never seen anyone but Jayne handle Jayne's guns.

He decided he didn't want to think about it right then. He had too much on his plate with an eminent take-off, a psychic with a mercenary's gun, and an addled doctor on his hands. He chose the easiest route of the moment and chose not to think about any of them.

"Your brother wants you, but I think you already knew that. And when you get down there, you tell him I'm Captain not a ruttin' messenger boy."

She smiled pleasantly at the man as she completed reconstructing Susan. "Yes, sir." She stood, and lovingly placed Susan snugly in her holster. She bounded out of the galley like she wasn't packing heat on her hip, twirled once and disappeared.

"Least someone has some respect on this ship..." Mal told himself he had a headache and retreated to his bunk to forget about everyone acting screwy on his boat.

"River," Simon said once he had her sitting and quiet on the exam table before him, "I didn't ask last night because I didn't want to involve anyone else. This is just between the three of us: you, me, and Jayne."

She smiled broadly. "The three bears. Mother, father and child, all with porridge too hot to eat. The child complains, and Mother knows best." She patted his cheek comfortingly. He smirked slightly, then pulled her hand from his cheek to hold it firmly in his.

"Mei mei, this is very serious business. I need to know what happened, and I don't want to bring Jayne in here just yet..."

"This is an improper interrogation room," she said suddenly, pulling the bright overhead surgery light close and switching it on. "Needs better lighting." Simon switched the light off and moved it away.

"Please? I need to know."

River sighed and settled back into her seat. "The hands of blue," she said at first. Simon nodded.

"Yes, the men with the blue gloves."

"If Simon wants to hear the story he will stop interrupting," River said with lidded eyes. Her brother smirked embarrassedly, then mimed a zipper across his lips. River nodded haughtily, then continued.

"Father Bear protects his Mother Bear," she said, patting Susan comfortingly. "Simon was a distraction, and unfortunately had to be silenced. Blood of the blue-hands was not blue, surprisingly. Very human, very red."

"You mean to say that you killed the both of them?"

"Papa Bear and I. Covered in the red blood." Simon looked dubious, at which River's eyebrows tilted upward. He never thought she would look so sad in defense of Jayne. "Not the double-crosser you think him to be. For our protection. The Father Bear protects his family."

"We aren't his family, River."

A little grin took her, childish and mischievous. "Not yet."

It was a well-needed day of rest for the crew. They'd set in at a lesser-populated town on Dorian, Moore's Trace, that needed the commerce that a transport ship like Serenity could bring. Mal needed Zoe to head over to the trader's commons to maybe pick up a job or two with him, but beside the two of them, it was free-reign for the crew.

Kaylee had somehow wrangled Simon into taking her out on the town that afternoon. Most figured it had something to do with how she batted her big eyes at him. Jayne silently felt sorry for the doctor; he knew what it was like, now, to get that doe-eyed look and not be able to do anything about it.

Wash had decided to accompany his wife, considering the minimal level of danger and having her company after the dealings were done. Being on as respectable a planet as Dorian was good enough for Inara, and after purchasing a few niceties, she was on her shuttle searching for new clientele. Book had taken it upon himself to look after River at Simon's request. She claimed to be able to look after herself, but Simon would feel better if he at least asked someone to help out.

Jayne was showing off his guns.

While this was an inner planet, it still wasn't as fanciful as Osiris or Ariel. And while not quite Whitefall, it was also half Rim-planet. The odd combination of cultures clashed in some places, like the capital, but it melded in some of the smaller communities like Moore's Trace. And that was the reason Jayne could gather such a crowd with his guns.

"Y'see this one here's my LeMat," he said as he held up the gleaming pistol to let it catch the sun. The seven children, all with accompanying adults, gathered in a semi-circle around him 'ooh'ed at the shiny metallic of the deadly weapon. "This'n belonged t' my pa long time ago, handed down in the family longer'n I can remember. First and best thing he ever gave t' me."

"What about that one?" The oldest boy asked, pointing to the heavy gun strapped across Jayne's chest.

"Oh, this? This here's Vera, my very favorite gun. Full-bore auto lock, custom trigger. Got 'er in a tussle with these six other fellas. This girl here? My pride 'n joy, that's what she is. Ain't a better gun or a better shot in the 'Verse."

"Is that so?" A new, familiar voice joined those of the children. Jayne looked up to see River and the baby-sitting Book standing at the edge of the semicircle of onlookers. The girl was smirking, looking innocent and naive, two things Jayne knew she wasn't. Book was looking mighty smug, by the look on his face. He'd probably led the girl right to him.

"Well, yeah, I b'lieve it is," Jayne answered matter-of-factly.

"True of the gun or the man?" She asked.

He puffed out his chest importantly. "Hell, I'd bet on both of 'em!"

She grinned, then pulled out the newly-cleaned, impressive looking pistol against her hip. "Susan disagrees. She thinks that she is the best gun in the 'Verse." She strode through the crowd of children, which had grown in number since River had arrived. She poked at Jayne's chest with Susan's muzzle, something that made Book look a little edgy. "Susan and I say that Jayne should put Vera to the test."

"That a challenge, little girl?" He asked with a curling grin.

"Wager?"

A great deal of things ran through Jayne's mind, but the way her face screwed up made him rethink his tactics. "Winner's choice. Nothin' nasty, though. Cap'n wouldn't approve 'a you runnin' around in nothin' but your skin."

"Or you," she said with a laugh, scrunching up her nose. "Agreed." She held out her hand, which he shook firmly. The look that passed between them could have charged the air around them, a fact not lost on Wash and Zoe as they approached arm in arm.

"Oh, God," Wash said, cocking his head as Jayne and River prepared their guns without taking eyes off one another. "It's like some sort of animalistic foreplay..."

"What's goin' on, Shepherd?" Zoe asked.

"I believe I asked the same question the last time these two got themselves in a wager. Although, I'm afraid there are firearms involved this time around." He pointed between the two shooters. "From what I can guess, River has challenged Jayne and his favorite gun to a shoot-out to see who is the better."

"They're not shooting each other, are they?" One of the gathered children asked. None of the adults could assure anything, unfortunately.

"Hey," Jayne said as he knelt beside the smallest child of the group, a girl who couldn't be more than five. "You know your words, yet?"

"Yes," the girl said defensively. "Lots of them."

"Well, how 'bout you stop bein' a smartass and get us a couple'a cans or somethin' to shoot at, all right?" She stared at him until he growled a sigh and dropped a shiny coin into her hand. She and her little friend zoomed off to fetch a few good targets.

By the time the girls had found them and set them up along a fence a good pace away, a greater crowd had gathered to see the event. Something was intriguing about the girl with big brown eyes challenging the big, muscled man. But the more interesting draw were the quick glances between the two, something that set every watcher on edge and drew them in at the same time.

Vera was cocked and loaded, a heavy muscled action that shushed the murmuring. Susan was quieter, with a little click of the hammer. Silence, then, for a dreadful moment.

A violent bang sounded suddenly, making most in the gathered crowd jump. Susan was smoking, and the girl holding her smirking. Jayne barely had time to furrow his brow before the girl had popped off three more shots, never taking her eye off of him, and downing three more cans effortlessly. Her opponent wasted no more time, and Vera let loose with two dead shots to take out two cans simultaneously.

The action came too fast for most to follow. It came too fast for Jayne to follow. The girl moved smooth and quick, something that made his throat run dry and his grip falter. In what seemed like one split second, the rest of the targets were hers. Some had been shot twice before they fell. No one dared to speak. River brushed the hair from her eyes and smirked pleasantly up at the man beside her. She hadn't even broken a sweat.

Her smile faltered instantly when she saw an unfamiliar mask take hold of Jayne's face. A terrible mix of emotions slammed against her like a wall, and the shock was evident on her face. Jayne was angry, and a little hurt--more than anything, she realized, she'd broken something in him with that little display. He looked around at the crowd, knit his brow, and gave a loud huff. Without a word, he spun on his heel and stalked away.

River didn't even get to apologize. The crowd didn't know what to do with itself. Some picked up the fallen cans. The children rushed about to gather the fallen cartridges. The girl recognized the warm feeling of Zoe approaching from behind, and her hand landed on the girl's shoulder comfortingly. Big brown eyes turned to stare pleadingly up.

"I don't comprehend. Our wager was legitimate. Why does Jayne feel so red?" She still clutched Susan unthinkingly.

"It ain't your fault, honey," Zoe said, looking off to where Jayne had trudged. Back to the ship. "You're right. You won fair'n square. There's no fair reason Jayne should be upset with ya. But things like this ain't always fair."

"What Zoe is trying to say," Shepherd Book said as he stepped forward, "is that men all have pride in one thing they have or that they do. Your man isn't used to being outgunned by anyone, let alone you."

"Knew what he was getting when he signed up," River said with a pronounced pout.

"Unfortunately, that's not the point," Wash added, sighing and adding his hand to River's free shoulder. "Now, I can understand someone being able to fly better than me. But if Zoe suddenly showed me up in front of a crowd of people, I'd be a little miffed. I'd still love her," he added with a grin at his wife, "but there are some things that we need to be good at, as your men. I mean... What if Jayne suddenly got a brain out of nowhere and outdid you in front of an academic panel?"

"A little miffed," she admitted, looking toward where Serenity was docked.

The boat was empty; everyone was out having a time and Jayne was sulking in the galley. He felt a little childish doing so, but something about being shown up by that girl was both infuriating and admirable. He wanted to be proud of her and, at the same time, he felt cheated to have his one use on this ship contested by that girl. If it'd been someone else...

She didn't surprise him as she appeared behind him, slipping thin arms around his neck and burying her face there comfortingly. He didn't make a move either way.

"I'm very sorry, Jayne," she murmured. "I am sure Vera is a wonderful gun. Didn't mean to discredit her."

He didn't answer for a good pause. "She's awful hurt, ya know. She's an emotional gal, Vera."

"Oh, Jayne," her little voice turned up slightly, and, after only a brief pause and shift of position, she had crawled effortlessly to sit curled in his lap. "I know it's yours. Your job, not mine. She promises to return Susan, lock away the key, never fire her again, just don't be angry with her anymore, Jayne. She could stand Simon or Kaylee, but not Jayne. Please, don't be red anymore, hui xiong."

When he didn't answer, she could feel sadness bubbling up in her chest, and she cursed herself inwardly for having no control over her emotions. Just as she began to shake, she felt his comforting hand anchor itself on the small of her back.

"Now, cut that out," he told her in a small voice. "I ain't angry and you know it. I'm just a little... Hell, I don't know. Just never been showed-up like that before."

She smiled against him, tightening her grip around his neck. His fingers ran smoothly through her long hair, something that had always calmed her considerably. She released all of the tension in her and simply slumped against him.

"Very sorry, Jayne," she murmured against his neck, pulling one kiss from the flesh there before levering herself to watch his eyes.

"Yeah, I know." He ran a big hand up and down the length of her spine in thought. "Thinkin' on it, s'more my fault. So don't get your panties in a bunch or anythin' when I act like a big oversized kid. I don't know no better."

She shook her head with a smile. "My hui xiong. Big protective Papa Bear." Her fingers felt their way through his short hair. "Haven't asked for my prize. Won the wager fair and square."

He shrugged, playing unthinkingly with the hem of her short skirt. "Yeah. 'Sides the fact y' had yer brain fiddled with." He smirked to show the jocularity of his comment. She huffed slightly.

"What should I demand as my prize?" She thought on it for a short moment, then grinned giddily. "Susan."

"What, keep 'er?" He asked suddenly, sitting up a little straighter. "Ni zi, I don't think that'd sit well with the Cap'n--"

"Have been keeping her safe for ages," she defended. "Captain Reynolds hasn't noticed until today. Didn't seem miffed." She leaned down gracefully and angled her head to kiss him short and sweet. Lingering just barely above his lips, she smirked. "I would like Susan, Jayne."

He offered a mix between a growl and a groan, pressing forward to capture her hovering lips again. Thankfully, she let him. She teased him, pulling back just barely before darting into him again, brushing his lower lip with the tip of her tongue then denying him access with a playful smirk. He couldn't decide whether he liked being toyed with or not, but she definitely made him hot by being such a tease about it. Just the way she wanted it. He bunched the fabric of her skirt up the further up her thigh he inched his hand. Wanting to keep the upper hand, she caught his bottom lip between her teeth and bit down lightly. His hand gripped instinctually at her upper thigh, and he uttered a low noise in the back of his throat.

She released his lip from her teeth to place her voice directly over his ear. "I would like Susan, Jayne," she repeated. He groaned, knowing there was nothing he could do.

"All right," he conceded at last, feeling lightheaded and glad he was sitting down. "Keep the gun, just--" He kissed her soundly. "Such a gorram tease..."

Wash and Zoe arrived back first, the former worried and looking around for Jayne's limbs strewn about the place. They needn't have worried, however. Wash reeled backward, crying out and covering his eyes with both hands as he walked into the galley. He'd found River sitting on the table, arms linked behind Jayne's head as he stood before her, kissing quite openly and loudly. One of her knees had been hooked around his hip, his big hand having bunched her skirt up and his fingers flared out on her backside--pink underwear, quite fancy.

At Wash's sudden and loud entrance, Jayne jumped backward like he'd been shot, and River lost her balance and fell back on the table with an 'oof!' All three looked as if they'd been caught in the headlights and were about to be smashed into millions of pieces.

"Oh, God, I eat on that table!" Wash said at last, white as a sheet. Zoe was laughing despite herself behind her husband.

"They had all their clothes on, Wash," Zoe said as she walked past him into the galley, patting her husband on the shoulder. "Be glad for that."

Mal found it odd the way Wash stared white-faced at the table that night at dinner, but no one said a word about it. As River swished into the room, smirking widely, Simon observed that Jayne's pistol was still in the holster around her little waist. Without looking up from his plate of food, Jayne scooted the chair beside him out from the table, and the girl sat beside him wordlessly. A sick feeling settled into Simon's stomach as everything started clicking together in his head, like a puzzle whose final piece had been missing for months and suddenly found. The doctor excused himself from the table after only another five minutes sitting in silence. He didn't return that night, and River found him in an uncomfortable sleep when she came down to the passenger dorms herself.


AN: DUN DUN DUNN! Cliffhanger-esque, I know, and I'm sorry. The next few chapters are the last; I think I have three after this one. Virture, vice, virtue. I'll bet you've narrowed down what vice is left (bwahahaha!) and therefore can draw your own conclusions as to what the climax and denoument of this story are to be. Glad to see you guys are still rallying behind me, and your support sends me soaring on wings of love! The next chapter is almost done, so it depends on when I get my lovely internets again after this as to when you'll be seeing it. Thanks much for reading, and STAY COOL!