A/N: Okay, time for that escape you've all been waiting for... kind of. Thank you for your reviews and your patience ;)

(For disclaimer, etc. - see chapter 1)

Chapter 14

Jayne woke up at first light, a habit he had gotten into more years ago than his mind could recall at such an hour. Working with his Pa had him up at the crack of dawn just as near to every day as ever there was. He always figured when he worked his own way, for his ownself, he could sleep in all day long. Strange how even when there was nothing to get up for, Jayne couldn't help but stir so gorram early.

Of course, today he had more than enough reason to be waking and getting out of bed early. Might've suited Jayne better if he had been sleeping on a bed since this couch he'd chosen to spend the night on was too short for the height of him. He had thought it was wider than it felt now though, quite large enough for the size of him in that regard, but the slightest shift of his muscles soon proved to him why he suddenly didn't have enough room to hardly breathe.

"Gorram, little woman" he muttered as he realised too much movement was like as not to tip River clean off the furniture!

Heaven only knew when she'd crept over here from her bed and curled up beside him like a cat. Heaven was right too, 'cause she slept like an angel with her head on Jayne's chest and an arm slung across his body. When he had come to be hugging her just the same, an arm wrapped around her shoulders, was anyone's guess. He ought to wake her up, Jayne knew that, tell the ruttin' feng-le little woman that she weren't to mess around like that, got no business getting snuggly with him 'cause he weren't no teddy bear nor some such.

Problem of it was, it felt kinda nice holding onto her this way. To say so out loud, Jayne knew he'd sound like some nancy boy idiot, but laying here with River held close was the weirdest mixture of comfortable and not. She was soft and sweet as she looked, he realised, pretty as a picture, like one of them dolls his little sisters always wanted whenever they passed the toy store window. Probably as fragile as anything made o' china too in some ways, though Jayne knew she had a strength in her. When she ranted an' raved in one of her fits, she could scratch and bruise him, without ever meaning it. Channelled right, she could be one hell of a fighter, 'specially with them dancin' skills he'd seen...

Thinking so much pretty and nice about River, 'specially when she was right here curled up beside him, brought a goofy grin to the face of the bodyguard, that never did ought to be there. He was serious again in a second as reality caught up to a daydream and shattered it to pieces.

Today was the day they got outta this place, when Jayne took his charge out of this house, never again to come back. There was equal parts of love and hate in Jayne for the very idea of making River now live a life too much like his own had always been. Getting her away from here, pulling the wool over the eyes of her evil gorram folks and the staff that couldn't be trusted, plus them Alliance fellas that'd come for her, that was all to the good. On the flip side, poor little woman was gonna have to learn to live a whole new life, far away from the fine fripperies she was used to here, that showed in every aspect of the room they lay in now.

No more gilt-framed mirrors and fancy frocks. Far away from servants and technology both that made life both simple and fancy in so many ways. Life out in the real world was gonna be a bigger shock than she was ready for, Jayne was certain, no matter how much River seemed to know. What she thought she understood, looking outta the window of her ivory tower, it was a whole other thing to go livin' in the 'verse, with all its ups and downs, more bad than good. Still, anything was safer than here where every person knew her and most wanted to take her away to a place that'd only do her harm.

In amongst too much deep thought for Jayne, River began to stir, big brown eyes opening and looking up to meet his own gaze.

"What the gorram hell you think you're doin', you crazy little woman?" he said, nudging her body away from his own.

Though he made it seem like all he wanted was for her to get away, his scowl and angry tone were betrayed by his actions. He did not release her from his arms grip until he was sure she had her blanace, not wanting her to fall on the floor and hurt herself. River bit back the smile that would give away the fact she knew. Jayne would be embarrassed to think she had any idea he cared at all. Men were not supposed to care, at least not men like him. The big bad wolf was supposed to want to eat Little Red Riding Hood, not escort her safely to Grandma's house, hoping always for a kiss. Fairytales never did get it quite right, she mused, as she scrambled to her feet and watched Jayne try to shake off what had passed between them these past few moments.

"She slept well" said River, pushing her hair over her shoulder.

Jayne chose to not look at her as he got up and glanced around every other possible spot in the room. He wasn't willing to admit he'd slept pretty well his ownself or that she had anything to do with anything at all he was feeling. As far as he was concerned he weren't supposed to have any feelings, and wished she'd think the same. Unfortunately, when your partner in a runaway could read minds whenever she wanted, it was kinda hard to keep a secret or fake a lie too long.

"You don't sleep alongside folks unless they invite ya, dong ma?" he told her crossly, a finger pointed at her as if a father scolding a child.

River did not appreciate it and stuck out her chin with defiance.

"She will be eighteen before he can calculate it" she huffed, "Not a baby and will not be spoken to as one" she told him hffily, turning her back to him as she stormed across the carpet to her bed.

Stomping away was not quite so effective barefoot, but then Jayne was used to the fact she almost never had anything on her feet. Hell, he was fast getting used to a lot o' things about her, 'cept her uncanny ability to suddenly do stuff he weren't ready for at a moments notice. For instance, the very next second when she stripped her night gown off over her head without a seconds pause.

Jayne ought to have turned his back, sure'n he meant to. Part of it was that in built voice of his Ma reminding him how gentlemen ought to behave. That would normally be something he could over-ride, but knowing how young and innocent and fragile River was, well, the two things together ought to have been enough. It wasn't. As much as he tried to put her away in his mind as a child and nothing more, there was a reason Jayne always called her 'little woman'. She might be half his age, but she'd grown up fast. Innocence of a child she may have, but curves of a woman and mind of an adult she surely did possess.

"She packed essentials" she said, her voice cutting through the fog in Jayne's mind and bringing him back down to reality with a sickening thump.

They had to get out of here, out of danger, out of harm's way. No time for thrill and fantasy, not when their lives could be in danger, and certainly would be before the day was done.

"Er, you got cash?" he asked, thinking fast, "Gotta have enough coin to go as far as we can get"

"She has multiple accounts" confirmed River as she pulled open her bag and checked she had everything, even though she was already certain of it.

"Accounts ain't no good, girly" he enforced the childish endearment upon her.

Jayne wasn't sure if he was doing it to put her down some, or to force the image of her as a child into his deceitful mind. Whatever it was, it didn't really work.

"Gotta be cash, untraceable" he reminded the genius of what he thought she ought already to know.

Seemed he underestimated her as she pulled papers from her bag to show him what she'd really meant. Seemed those many accounts she had were getting low on funds. One withdrawal after another made by River herself, a little at a time so as no-one would notice. The dates suggested she'd been plannin' this trip outta here long afore Jayne ever came around. He wanted to ask how the hell she ever thought she was gonna survive alone in the 'verse but fast realised it didn't matter none now. She had him to watch her back, and watch it he would.

"Shiny" he admitted, handing the paperwork back to her, "Now, you go get your breakfast had, don't say nothin' to none of the other folks here 'bout us headin' out, not even Nancy" he warned her, "Can't keep you safe less you do as I tell ya, you got that, girly?"

"She understands" River nodded once, "She puts herself in his hands" she smiled then as she brushed past him and headed out the door.

'Yeah', thought Jayne painfully, ''cause she just couldn'ta said that any other way, could she?'

It was a strange feeling for River as she stood at the docks, looking back the way she and Jayne had travelled. Not two hours ago she had been stood before him in her own room, talking of their escape that she so longed for. Now it was happening, and she trusted in Jayne and fate between them to keep her safe from here on out. Still, it was an odd and unsettling feeling to leave the only home she had ever known.

It was not the people she was sorry to leave, though Nancy had been a faithful friend and one to be missed, and a building held no sentiment for a young woman of scientific mind with a need to run free. No, River could not complete the calculations that would give her a suitable conclusion as to why she was sorry to leave Osiris. There was no logic, no rhyme, no reason, to this strange feeling akin to pain and sorrow.

"You gonna hurl?" asked Jayne as he turned to look at her, hefting both her bag and his a little higher on his shoulder, "Ya ain't lookin' so good there" he noted as he studied her sad face.

"She is only perturbed by that which she cannot fathom" she sighed heavily, half-knowing her words would be lost on him, but forced to go with the only flow of thoughts she could find clearly right now, "He has freed her from the guilded cage, and she is grateful, but… the bars were comfort as much as prison"

Jayne couldn't make any sense o' that, not when he was trying to concentrate on the task at hand of getting them safe passage out of here as much as he was anything else. Hard enough to unravel what the little woman rattled on about half of the time anyhow, now weren't the time for riddles as he soon told her.

"Ain't got no time for your fancy talk" he told her, saving her further upset by tryin' his darndest not to snap as much as he'd like to, "You learn to talk plain and fast or this whole trip ain't gonna work out so well, dong ma?"

"She apologises" said River, tearing her eyes from the skyline to meet his, "To run will be better, but home is all she ever knew" she shrugged, "Not counting the darkness of elsewhere" she shuddered then, ducking her face behind her hair, as if ashamed to have mentioned the Academy at all.

Jayne weren't right sure what to say to her, though he had now grasped her meaning. She was afraid, scared of leaving all she knew even if what she knew weren't so nice no more. He knew how she felt 'cause he'd been there. Big and brutish as he was, it was still a wrench for a young Jayne to leave his Ma and Pa and sisters behind that day he stepped offa land and onto his first voyage through the 'verse. He hadn't figured on River feelin' the same when she'd been in such a mind to run, and yet he'd been just as conflicted about leaving home, even if his reasons for wanting out were vastly different then.

"Hey" he said, getting River's attention back, "Ain't got nothin' to fear, little woman. Gave m'word you was gonna be protected, and I stick to my word… well, mostly. I will this time, that's all you need to know"

He ended with a little less confidence than he started, but at least River was smiling after that.

Jayne turned from her grin to the rows of vessels docked all around them. Had to choose careful, didn't want no suspicions raised and they was a pair as likely as not to do that anyhow. He reckoned if anybody recognised River, he'd just say he was taking her to meet her folks on their vacation, most like nobody'd check nor bat an eye. Course it'd come easier if nobody paid no mind to the little woman at all. 'S long as she didn't have one of her fits or some such, they oughta be okay.

Guilt weren't something Jayne Cobb much felt, and yet the drugs in the bottom of his bag were taunting him. He didn't care for the fact he had to thieve 'em outta Nancy's room when she had her back turned, nor that he even brought 'em along on this trip at all. Seemed to him he weren't ever gonna be in a position where he wanted to stick needles in the one he swore to protect always, but insurance was necessary, he told himself, and hoped to God he never needed it.

To Be Continued...