A/N: The first part of this trilogy was written more than two years ago, for the lovely ANGSWIN, as part of a fic exchange over on AO3. The second part came about, in April of this year, because she and dancing_dog said they would love to see more and I agreed that more could and should be done! Finally, the last part was completed very recently, because what started with Jayne seemed like it ought to end with River. So, here is a trilogy, for any Rayne fans that might still be lurking around. I hope if you read it that you enjoy it, because given how far I have floated from Firefly these days, it may be the last fic of it's kind that anyone gets from me!

Disclaimer: All recognisable characters from Firefly belong to Joss Whedon and other folks who aren't me.

To Catch A Shooting Star

They seemed to end up together a lot. Made sense when Jayne thought about it much, what with little Kaylee finally gettin' the doc to understand what she wanted from him, Zoe fussing over Wash more than ever since he got so banged up in battle, and Mal and Inara deciding to do somethin' about all that gorram sexual tension at last. The Shepherd had been lost to the other side and left the two most unlikely of his flock to turn to each other for company, if nothin' else. 'Course, the more Jayne thought on it, the more he kinda thought maybe somethin' else wouldn't be so bad. Not that he had a mind to tell her that, least not yet.

When she come aboard, he'd've had to been blind not to notice she was put together real well, in body if not in mind. 'Course she was just a little young then, but she sure had grown up these past couple o' years, had to, given all that happened, and she surely had grown up good too.

So much for bein' the brainiest one in the bunch, now Jayne wouldn't mind admittin' little River might just be the toughest of 'em all too, and he included himself in that. Pound for pound, she had a strength in her the like of which he never saw before, which only added on to everything else she had that was worth takin' notice of.

Watchin' her now as she threw herself into a series of punches, kicks, and flips around the cargo bay, she was as much a dancer as a weapon, as much a deadly force as a beauty. She was a kind of woman the like of which Jayne Cobb never expected to meet, one of a kind in ways he couldn't begin to count, and he wished to God he knew what to do about her.

"Staring," she said out of the blue, stilling her movement and peering up at him sat on the catwalk above her head. "Rude to stare," she told him, a smirk messing up what was supposed to be a glare, he reckoned.

"Ain't starin'," he grumbled, getting to his feet. "Who'd wanna stare at ya anyhow, Moonbrain?"

Stomping off to his bunk with River's laughter ringing in his ears, Jayne knew he was being dumb, name-calling and all. She never took no offence, which made it all pointless in the first place. Half the time, Jayne had a mind to think she already knew what he thought about her, how he dreamed of her sometimes. She was a Reader after all, so the Cap'n said, and if she hadn't gorram proved it with Miranda and everything, Jayne didn't know what could. 'Course she had made her promise to stay outta the heads of her own crew as much as she had control to do.

It messed with Jayne's head somethin' fierce and he could do without it. Dropping down into his bunk, he closed the door behind him with a loud clang and ran a hand over his face.

"Gorram girl," he muttered, kicking out at the nearest pile of clothes and such and sending it flying across the short space of flooring.

The problem was that, young as she may be, she wasn't a girl no more. She was a woman and he noticed, he couldn't stop noticing, truth to say. She was just about as beautiful as Inara, tough as Zoe, sweet as Kaylee, and something else altogether that was all her own, just River Tam. She was every kind of everythin' as far as Jayne could tell and she got under his skin the way no other woman ever had before. Seemed he was going to have to do somethin' about that, but gorramit, he had no idea what that somethin' was going to be.

"You be careful out there, you hear me?" Mal was telling Inara, kissing her cheek before she slipped back into her shuttle with a smile, as Jayne came across them.

"She goin' somewhere?" he asked as the shuttle door closed.

"Just a little private business, which by the way, is none o' yours," Mal told him with a look. "You got nothin' better to do than wander around this ship startlin' folk, Jayne? Thought I saw my little Albatross down there fixin' to lift some weights. Don't you usually spot her for that?"

"Sometimes," he agreed, shrugging his broad shoulders. "But I gotta talk to you about that first. About her."

"Who, River?" Mal checked, eyes a little wide before they narrowed considerably. "You two have some spat or other again? Because I am fair certain I told you-"

"Ain't even like that." Jayne shook his head. "It's not that we been fightin' exactly, least not really. I was just... The thing of it is Mal, I... Gorram it!" he grumbled then, cussing under his breath for good measure.

"Jayne if you got somethin' to say to me than I would take it as a kindness if you would spit it out already, and if not, leave me to get back to my Captainy duties."

If it were as simple as all that, he would just say it, but even after so long, Jayne couldn't help remembering what it felt like to be shut in that airlock, the vast void of space just waiting to turn him inside out the second Mal pushed the button to make it happen. Like as not, he'd be in twice as much trouble for liking River as for wanting her off the boat altogether.

"Losin' my patience, Jayne," the captain told him, folding his arms across his chest. "Now, if you got a notion to be tipping that girl off this boat-"

"Furthest thing from my mind, Mal." Jayne shook his head, squirming yet.

"Well, if that ain't it then... Shun-sheng duh gao-whan!" Mal exclaimed suddenly, realisation apparently dawning all at once. "Seems maybe I got this turned about. Also seems I owe 'Nara twenty credits and ain't she just gonna love that? You got... feelins... for River?" he asked, clearing his throat awkwardly as Jayne nodded. "Uh-huh. Don't go takin' this the wrong way, Jayne, but I wasn't altogether sure you even had feelins as such, for anybody."

"Me either," he admitted, making a face. "I dunno how it happened, Mal. First, I thought I was just missin' womenfolk, you know how it is, but that ain't it. I had my share o' trim in recent times, don't seem to make a difference... and afore you ask, that ain't all I want with her. I know the Shepherd's old sermons on the special hell well enough."

"Don't we all." Mal shuddered. "So, this is for real, whatever this is you're feelin' for her?"

"Reckon so." Jayne nodded, scratching at his beard. "Just wish to hell I knew what I was supposed to do about it. You got any advice?"

"No. No, no, no," Mal intoned, hands held high in mock surrender. "I am not... There's no way that I... You figure this out on your own, you and her. I ain't her daddy, though she does have a tendency to look to me as such of late. I'm not sayin' what can and can't go on, 'cept to say if it starts affectin' the work or the general harmonious nature of things amongst the crew, we're gonna have us a problem, but you keep things on an even keel, what you do outta my sight ain't my business."

Jayne couldn't help but feel relieved that Mal didn't want to space him for looking at River like a woman and all, but it didn't seem like he was going to help him out with what to do about it or anything, so most of their conversation was a huge waste of time.

"Hey, Jayne," said Mal, turning back from a few feet down the gangway. "You take a care with her," he advised. "She may be smarter than you and beyond her years in ways we can't ever understand, but there's things she don't... Just take a care, dong ma?"

Jayne nodded that he understood well enough and then watched Mal walk away. Heaving a sigh, he headed down towards the cargo bay, figuring maybe River would be looking for him by now if she wanted a spotter for her weight training. He found her finishing up a round of chin-ups on the overhead bar instead.

"Just in time," she said pleasantly, landing on her feet, all graceful limbs and a sheen of sweat.

"What fer?" asked Jayne warily, getting a few ideas that Mal definitely would space him for, despite what had been said.

River strolled right up to him, smiling brighter than the sun. "His turn now."

Jayne swallowed hard, looking down at her. "Turn?"

"Equipment is available, all finished with it," said River plainly, a frown marring her pretty face as she stared at him yet. "That's not what he came for?"

He could've told her. Jayne knew if he just opened his mouth and explained himself it'd probably save a whole lot of trouble later, and yet.

"'Course that's what I came for. What else?" he asked, shoving past her towards the weight bench, cursing himself for being such a gorram fool.

Unfortunately, he didn't know how to be anything else, unless somebody planned on telling him just exactly how to deal with what he was feeling.

"I ain't gonna stand here and take that, little man," Jayne growled, but that didn't keep Wash from chuckling, nothing could.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry," he said through peals of laughter, trying hard to stop but failing miserably each time. "I just can't... I mean you and little River? It's just the most unlikely pairing in the 'verse."

"Really, dear?" said Zoe, staring at him with one eyebrow raised.

"Oh, come on!" her husband insisted. "I know not everybody gets us but... but Jayne and River?"

Zoe rolled her eyes when Wash failed to contain further giggles and Jayne himself felt just about ready to put his fist through a wall. Last thing he wanted right now was to be made fun of. He figured the only married couple aboard might just have some sound advice for a guy fixin' to start a real romance with a woman, 'specially since Zoe and Wash weren't exactly an obvious pair either. With the pilot's fits of giggles and loud exclamations about the whole thing, Jayne was only glad the door from the bridge was locked and bolted during this conversation.

"Jayne, I wanna apologise for my husband," said Zoe eventually, arms folded across her chest as she perched on the console nearby Wash's seat - he was still bent double, laughing like a loon. "Seems his near-death experience a while back has left him with some over-abundant joy for life."

"Seems less like joy, more like he's gone all out fong luh," Jayne grumbled.

"I'm sorry." Wash waved his hand, finally gaining some control, especially in the face of Zoe's stern look. "I am, I'm just coming around to the idea. Jayne Cobb in love? You gotta admit that's a heck of a concept, Lamby Toes."

"Man has a point," she agreed, looking at Jayne, "but then I guess it had to happen at some time, and River's just the type to get your interest, I suppose."

"You saw this coming?" Wash checked with wide eyes.

Zoe rolled her eyes but didn't answer just kept focus on Jayne, which he appreciated.

"Seems to me if you like the girl, you have to tell, or better yet, show her," she said definitely. "No good comes of hiding and pretendin'."

"Yes, that is exactly how it was with us," said Wash straight-faced as anything by now. "Zoe was completely forthcoming about her feelings for me."

"You tryin' to get yourself kicked out of our bunk for a twelve-month, husband?" she said, shooting him a look.

Jayne might've found the whole thing amusing if his brain wasn't already stuck on Zoe's advice. 'Course he knew he oughta tell River how he felt about her, but it didn't come easy.

"You know me, Zoe. Ain't no good with words and such," he told her. "As for showin' her... Reckon Mal'd have my pigu in an airlock faster than you can blink if I just went ahead and..." he said, making some gestures with his hands that seemed to offend even the hardened warrior woman.

"I'm not talkin' about dragging her into your bed like a backwoods cave-dweller, Jayne," she told him sharply. "I'm talkin' about bein' kind, bein' helpful, thoughtful even. Bein' gentleman-like if you can conjure such a thing in yourself."

"You mean all pansy-assed like the doc?" asked Jayne, making a face.

"I'm not sure the way to attract River is to emulate her brother," Wash considered. "Might be a little strange for the girl, but nicer is good, thoughtful is a winner."

"Thoughtful," Jayne repeated, not entirely sure he understood what that entailed anyhow. "Like, buy her a gift?"

"Sure, you could do that." Wash nodded. "But you don't have to. It's more... if you were both waiting on your turn at something, let her go first."

"If she needs help with somethin', offer to be the one who helps," Zoe suggested.

"When she puts on a new dress, tell her it looks nice," said Wash.

"Without mentioning sex if you can," added his wife fast.

"Thoughtful, nice, compliments," Jayne recounted. "I can do that," he said, not sure he sounded all that confident, but he probably could be that way he if put his mind to it.

A clattering sound near the door got all of their attention then and then Mal's cursing voice could be heard.

Wash disengaged the locks and let him in, smiling sheepishly.

"Sorry about that, Captain," he said as Mal glared. "Must've locked it by mistake."

Jayne didn't hang around to see what was going to happen next, just took himself off down the hallway to the galley. He found River and Kaylee together in the kitchen area, giggling over something or other as they started on fixing dinner.

"Hey, Jayne," Kaylee greeted him when she saw him in the doorway. "You doin' okay?"

"Just fine," he told her, nodding once. "Uh, you womenfolk need a hand with anythin'?"

"They're coping," said River, rolling her eyes at him. "Can manage quite well without a man, when needed."

"I was just tryin' to be... thoughtful," he said uncertainly, starting to feel a might dumb when she looked at him that way. "All s'posed to pitch in where we can, right?"

"I guess so," Kaylee agreed easily, "but we got dinner covered here. I reckon maybe Simon could use some help in the med bay though. He had a notion to shift some cabinets around and the lifting of them was givin' him some trouble."

"Guh guh tries." River sighed. "Not built for manual labour."

"I can lend a hand," Jayne said fast, figuring if he couldn't help River out maybe being nice to her brother was the next best thing, even if it was prob'ly the last thing either he or Simon would want. "Want me to?"

"If he wishes." River shrugged, coming out from behind the kitchen cabinets to lay flatware on the table.

"That some fancy new get up?" asked Jayne as he passed through the galley. "Don't reckon I saw it before."

"One of Inara's, revised and reworked," River said, glancing down at her dress with an awkward smile. "She knows it does not suit her, no need to make a fuss," she said, concentrating on the task at hand and unwilling to even look at Jayne it seemed.

He opened his mouth to apologise but wasn't even sure he should try. What was the gorram point anyhow?

"Jayne you oughta come to me first with all this," said Kaylee, swinging back and forth on the edge of her hammock. "You know me and River is like sisters these days, and how much I like folks being sweeties and all," she said, grinning wide.

"Weren't exactly sure you'd approve, little Kaylee," Jayne admitted, scratching the back of his neck. "Sure is no way that doc you're seein' is gonna be likin' me takin' a run at his sister."

"If he thought all you was doin' was takin' a run, he wouldn't, but Simon knows better than that." Kaylee rolled her eyes. "Sure'n he used to think you was nothin' but a shiong-mung duh kwong-run, but he knows better now. He sees you with River, same as me. You care for her."

"Never gorram meant to," Jayne grumbled. "Never saw it comin', not from a mile off."

"That's the best way, when love takes you by surprise," said Kaylee, eyes sparkling as she grinned. "You do love her, don't ya?" she checked, as much the annoying kid sister as she had ever been, just grinning at him until he cracked.

"Mei yong ma duh tse gu yong, if you already knows it, why you tryin' to make me say it?" he complained.

"Come on, Jayne, if you can't tell me, how're you gonna tell River?" she countered. "And I think you should tell her. I mean, what Zoe told you about compliments and thoughtfulness and stuff, thems nice things, but it ain't gonna matter if'n River can't tell why you're doin' it. The way her brain's all been wired backwards and upside down, seems to me she does better when people speak plain to her. So, just tell her you like her and ask her if she wants to maybe go out sometime. You know, we'll be planetside in a couple o' day and Aberdeen ain't such a terrible place for a first date."

"You reckon I just ask her like that, she'll say yes? Jayne checked warily. "That simple?"

"Sure." Kaylee shrugged. "Why not? I know I'd've gone leaping for joy at the chance of a date with Simon if he'd ever asked me like that. Sure'n River ain't me but I reckon she likes you well enough."

"You do?" he checked, unable to keep the smile from his lips. "You bein' truthful to me, little Kaylee?"

"Jayne, when you known me be anything else?"

He couldn't deny she did have a point on that. Taking a deep breath, he made his decision to just go do it before his nerve went again.

"You're a good girl, Kaylee" he told her as he went, striding down the hallway, seeking out River.

He found her down in the cargo bay, dancing around like she had a habit to when no-one was around.

"Hey, River girl!" he called to her as he lumbered down the steps, already feeling dumb as she twirled and floated over to him, graceful and light as a butterfly. "So, I was thinkin'... which ain't my strong point, you know that."

"Being called muscle doesn't mean brain is non-functioning," she told him, frowning as she stared up into his face. "But something troubles him?"

"Ain't trouble as such," he told her, shifting awkwardly in place. "Just that... well, you and me, we been workin' together a while now and it's all pretty good. Reckon we're a passable good team, ain't we?"

"She concurs." River nodded.

"Right, and... the thing of it is... I was thinkin' when we get over to Aberdeen and all, you and me, we could maybe... Oh, gorram it, woman, can't you just switch on that Reader sense o' yours and know what I'm tryin' to say so'n I don't have to spit this out?" he complained.

River's face suddenly cracked into a bright smile, one that could be equal parts pretty and dangerous as far as Jayne could tell. He was never sure when she looked like that whether to be happy about it or start to runnin'.

"He gives her permission to look inside," she said slowly, shifting another step forward, right up into his personal space. "She likes what she sees," she said, her hand creeping up between them and landing on his chest.

Jayne watched River's eyes fall shut and coulda sworn his heart skipped a beat beneath her palm. She swayed in a place a moment and then her eyes popped open.

"Pretty pictures, one and all," she said then, the intensity of her gaze suggesting she saw just a little more than Jayne had exactly wanted her to. "She would be happy to be seen upon his arm," she said then, hand slipping away as she backed up a step and performed a perfect curtsey. "To make a pair for dinner, for recreation, for... pleasurable activities, in time," she said, smiling in such a way as to do things to Jayne she probably had no business doing where they could be seen.

"You sure on that?" he checked, wondering why his voice wasn't coming out quite so clear and even as normal.

"Sure on that." River nodded easily. "She is grateful. Nobody ever invited her inside before. Not much permission asked of her for anything either," she said, frowning a little as the bad memories seemed to creep in a while.

"I know you had your problems, woman," Jayne told her gruffly. "What they did to you, them assholes are jwei gai won se. Need shootin' off every world spinnin'. Ain't my place to protect you, I know it. We all seen you can do that for yourself well enough, but I'll stand by ya. Can't promise much better'n than that and... well, I'd try and treat ya the way a woman oughta be treated by her fella."

River smiled, tilting her head and gazing up at him. "She should like to be treated as a woman," she said, up en pointe by now. "Copper for a kiss?"

"Since you're askin'..." he said, leaning down to close the gap between them.

Maybe he would end up in the special hell because of her, Jayne thought, as he kissed River like she asked him to. She sure was dangerous in all kind of ways, but that might just make life interestin' enough that he'd never be bored. He knew already he never wanted to do her wrong and that now he had her in his grasp, he never wanted to let her go. She sure didn't seem like she had a notion to go anywhere anyhow.