Review Responses:

SusanMarieS – You're welcome! Thank you for the review!

NightStar28 – I heard the sigh, glad my story is getting the proper response! Thank you so much and I'll see what I can do to ease those pins and needles.

Annie – Haha, thank you! In regards to your question…

I don't know whether or not I touched on it in the fic, but I'm glad you asked and certainly don't apologize! River picks up the stray thoughts because their blocks aren't as strong and because of the way they tend to push them at her. I imagine Jayne has better control of his blocks seeing his closeness to River and the way he can control him self-he keeps his emotions, the ones more complex than what she associates with her stone, in the walls and away from her. Don't get me wrong, River knows the whole lust of it but with Jayne that's more of a natural emotion as she sees it.

TCandBTVSluver – Thank you! Those two are so stubborn, I'm starting to think maybe the crew really will have to interfere-the wackiness that can come from that! Oh, and it's been so long I'm not sure which name is right, the one at the start of this or Orwell_is_watching-xoxo. Let me know please?

Night Lotus Blossom – Cool! Thank you so much!

Jayne laughs as he wraps an arm around River's shoulders, the crew relaxing around the warm flames of a bonfire.

"Well, ya'll behave yourselves. 'Nara and me are gonna go in and crash. I'm leavin' Zoe in charge so if anything happens...blame Wash." Kaylee giggles at Wash's affronted look and Zoe pulls him closer to her.

"Cap, I resent that! We all know that any trouble happens it leads back to them!" Wash points to Jayne and River and then to Kaylee and Simon. He grins slightly, "Only occasionally does it come back to me."

Kaylee nods seriously, "Yea Cap'n, it's mostly us. Less there's a dinosaur involved, that's all Wash."

They share one last laugh before Mal and Inara depart to the house, words of love exchanged from the protectors of the crew.

Zoe sighs lightly and closes her eyes, "Guess we'll have to wait a while to go in and get any actual sleep."

Simon winces, "Dui bu qi, Zo, let's not go down that road of scary talk."

Wash nods emphatically, "I agree. We have to hear them every night, let's just pretend for once that we're not a captive audience to those two's..."

River smiles slyly, "To their feng liu yunshi?"

Kaylee giggles, lifting her mug of engine wine, "Hey! I'd say we best be thankful that this crew has passionate romances abounding. Seeing as we have our fair share of the dreary end of the stick as well."

A twinge makes River pull slightly away from Jayne as all she wants is to move closer, to be enveloped by him. She smiles one more smile that does not reach her eyes and Kaylee hands her the mug, slowly the remaining crew passing it around and killing it off.

Jayne watches River from the corner of his eye and debates whether or not marrying her was so smart after all. It seemed to him that since their union River had nothing but false smiles and odd behavior. He resigned himself to holding back for her sake but it suddenly seemed like he'd missed a step in their dance and she'd started a whole new show while he was catching up.

"Man called Jayne, I fear for brother boob and little sunshine-I believe they are zui jiu."

Jayne glances from River to Kaylee and Simon as they lay on the dirt and laugh loudly. "Huh. It seems a lot liken you're right lao po, think it's time we get the two to their rightful beds."

River smiles at the way he calls her wife so easily but it pulls the knot in her stomach a little tighter. She stands and grabs Kaylee, pulling her up and trying to support her as Jayne grabs Simon and Zoe and Wash cuddle and watch in amusement.

"Hey! Riv! I'm so happy you an' Jayne are all pei he! I mean, ya'll are real fittin' for one another and it's the sweetest thing the way you two are so...so...Simon, what's it say?" Kaylee giggles as she stumbles along and talks, confusion on her face making Simon smile as he answers.

"So...ni? Timid? I think you two are timid and fitting. Buddha knows you're both so ke ban that it's really going to be a battle to get a niece or nephew out of you both when you'll hardly admit to being so taken with each other."

River and Jayne exchanged shielded glances as they lay the couple down, both immediately grasping for the other and cuddling up.

When she speaks, her voice is tight, "Sleep my lovely, drunken family. Sleep and enjoy the night as your hangover shall provide many laughs."

River and Jayne slip out of the room and walk back as they carefully avoid touch and looking at each other.

Zoe clears her throat as the door to the house closes, "Think it's our part yet?"

Wash nods, standing, "I believe so lamby toes. Kaylee and Simon will do their part but I think we need to take the cue and slip away."

Zoe nods and smiles seductively to him, "Well husband, how do you suppose we spend the rest of our night in hiding?"

Wash grins and bends, lifting Zoe into the air and striding toward the ship, "I think we need a bit of time alone on the bridge, hm?"

Zoe smiles against his neck, kissing him teasingly as her hand raises to tangle in his hair, "Oh, I think you're on to something. And we won't even have to worry about sealing off the bridge."

Wash sighs happily as his woman taunts him, heart full of love as warmth radiates through him.

River stops short at the sight of Zoe and Wash gone, her head tilting as she zones out a bit, she can sense her family. Mal and Inara in the house, Simon and Kaylee on the opposite end, Wash and Zoe in Serenity's bridge and Jayne by the fire. But they are all so closed off to her she immediately pulls back and wrinkles her nose.

Jayne smiles to her, "See a bit too much moony?"

River shakes her head, "No, mercifully they are all protected in their minds. But...well, they are so strongly fortified I know on instinct just what it is I am to not see. That, or they are all planning something that involves keeping me in the dark." Her tone jests and Jayne laughs lightly.

"Right Riv, 'cause our little qun is so keen on trying to keep you outta things."

River shrugs and twirls to Jayne, plopping down across from him as the words of Simon and Kaylee swirl in her mind.

Jayne stares across the way to River as the crackle of the fire fills the air, the smell of smoke teasing them both as they soak in the scents of their partner. River smelling Jayne's unique scent of musk and guns, of alertness and strength. Jayne sensing River's cinnamon spice and warm rain, the scent of musky roots and a hint of steel swirling in her unique essence.

Jayne watches the way River fades a bit from reality, her hand moving absently to lay on her stomach as her eyes grow sad and dark. He stands and moves, sitting by her on the ground and laying his hand on her knee lightly.

River blinks quickly and looks toward him in surprise, her mouth slightly open as she gains her footing. "Jayne," she whispers and he can hear something in her voice he never has before.

River looks away to the fire quickly, trying to control the longing in her voice as she fights for control in front of Jayne.

"Qin ai, what's the matter?"

River shakes her head and refuses to look at him, "Wan shi da ji."

Jayne snorts, "If all's well with the 'Verse then I shouldn't be seein' ya so...sad."

River sighs, "It does not matter Jayne. Nothing that can be changed."

Jayne's gut tightens and he pulls his hand away, wondering again if she regrets having married him in their rush to save her from her parents. He looks to the fire, mirroring her, and murmurs, "Matters to me when you ain't happy River." River looks at him with a small smile but at his expression she falters a bit. "If you ain't happy 'cause of the way this all happened then ya just gotta say the words and I'll change it for you Riv."

River shoots to her feet, arms crossing over her stomach, "No! That is not what she meant! She is not pleased with it but she is pleased with you, Jayne. Please do not change, qing."

Jayne stands quickly at the panicked tone in her voice, "Xu, it's okay. I ain't gonna change girl. I was jus'...gorramit River-tell me right now you ain't sad 'cause a' something I did."

River shakes her head and steps closer to him, her hand floating up to cradle his cheek. He turns into it and River smiles, a smile that lights her eyes and fights off a bit of the sad, "You are the source of my joy Jayne. The sad is from myself, it just...it hurts when things are impossible."

Jayne shakes his head, moving closer still, wrapping his arms around her slim waist and trying to will her the strength to tell him what was wrong in her, "What's that go se? Last I heard it told, no power in this big bad 'Verse could stop you nuwu shen."

River tosses her head back in laughter, moving her free hand to his shoulder as the other slides to cup his nape, "If I am to be the nuwu shen you are in every way my da xia. Noble warrior to be alongside the Valkyrie."

Jayne grins and shrugs slightly, "Ya heard little Kaylee, we mesh so well-it ain't no wonder what with who we are."

River smiles and the sadness is creeping back into her eyes as thoughts of their words return, "Yes. We mesh very well."

Jayne tenses, "Impression they gave didn't seem liken they saw it as a bad thing. Why is it you seem to?"

River starts and frowns, "I don't." Her voice is confused and Jayne narrows his eyes.

"Oh. I must be mistaken to see ya look so sad every gorram time something like that is brought up."

River moves her hands to Jayne's chest, trying to push away from him, "Have you lost your mind?"

Jayne holds fast to River, refusing to let go as he shakes his head, "No, I'm thinkin' I'm starting to see things real clear. Hell Riv, I think I got it all figured out."

River pushes harder and growls, "Well I can assure you you're wrong. Let me go."

Jayne pulls her closer, refusing to let her run from the fight. "Really River? How'm I wrong? You don't want a no one thinking that there's a chance in hell we could ever make things work in a way more'n friend like. Earlier ya looked near sick at the thought of a kid with me. I told you I wouldn't turn this into a way to trap ya and try to do nothing mor'n be there for ya but ya don't gotta go lookin' like a kicked puppy at the mention of us in the sense of us River."

River stills, turning wide eyes to Jayne she works her jaw wordlessly. Finally she tries to pull herself together, "I-you, I..." River stills completely, staring at him. Her mind whirs and she whispers after minutes on end, "Let me go."

Jayne scoffs and shakes his head, refusing to feel sad at the truth of his words and feeling anger instead, "I'll be...Riv, I ain't the sharpest knife in the arsenal and I sure as hell ain't some core hun dan but I never woulda guessed you were so sick of the idea of being with me. Took our friendship to mean that you wasn't still thinking that you was too good to be around my kind."

River clenches her jaw, anger swelling as pain clenches her heart. The words begin to bubble to the surface and she almost shouts the truth of herself when Jayne glances at her silently moving lips. She takes a deep breath and does the only thing she can think to shut him up and hold in her secrets and prove him wrong and maybe, just maybe steal a moment of real happiness before the rest of their crumbling relationship traps her in misery.

River raises on tip toe and plants her lips to Jayne's, her hands moving to steady herself by way of gripping his shoulders.

Jayne blinks in surprise at the feel of River's lips on his. In the fire of the night she looks so beautiful, eyes shut and so close to him he never wants to let her go. He feels her warm lips move against his in a moist, pleasurable slide and his eyes fall shut as his whole body melts into kissing the woman he loves.

River moans low in her throat as Jayne moves his hands from locked around her waist to cradle her shoulders. She pushes closer to him, their bodies molding together in a perfect fit and tears spring to her eyes as her subconscious swirls with the words of her family and of her Jayne and she never wants the moment to end but she knows they'll part and Jayne will know that she loves him and then she'll lose him and her heart.

Jayne smiles into the kiss at River's little noises, hoping to earn more as he raises a hand to her cheek and he slides his thumb over her smooth skin to feel wetness.

River tenses as he feels her tears and breaks the kiss, pulling away quickly and watching with lust hazed eyes as he watches her.

"Riv?" Jayne whispers. His voice is confused and he doesn't let his hope sound through, just waits for her to tell him what the hell is going on between them.

River sniffles and her face crumples slightly as she tries to find the words to make him understand that he was wrong and that she was so lost in this. "I should have told you before everything with my parents and the wedding and...I couldn't Jayne. I couldn't tell you. I couldn't help myself. I just...bao han." River swallows hard and steps away from him, "I am full of love. For you. I'm sorry. I couldn't...I'm sorry."

Jayne's jaw drops as he watches her struggle with the words. She takes in his surprise and the way he is still and nods slightly, "Excuse me." River smiles slightly before turning and though she tries to walks away her feet pick up in a run and she flies over the land, her whole body flying as her heart stays grounded with the man she is running from.