Title: We all have our own battles
Part Three: River Knows
Author: Fire Fairy
Disclaimer: I don't own the bed I sleep in, don't own half the books in my room, don't own the food I eat, don't even own the television I watch... What in the 'verse makes you think I own Firefly?
Summary: Jayne has a hidden secret that's gonna come up right quick and Serenity gets a new member in the process.
A/N: Please review. Much thanks I give to those who already have. Sorry 'bout the swearin' in this chapter and the last. Also, I had to put that bit in about Kaylee. It should make sense in the end... I hope. Also, with the grammar. They live on the edge. What's the chance they're gonna actually say stuff like 'therefore' and such. I also figure that everyone kinda wears off on everyone else, which is why Simon's grammar is getting worse. One last thing. There are going to be two definite relationships defined from almost the beginning. 1) Jayne and River, if you don't like that pairing, tough. 2) Kaylee and Simon, the cutest couple if you ask me.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
" Yeah. She'll be fine."
~~~~~
" So, who's the girl?" Mal asked when the nine members were sitting around the table eating dinner together. When he looked up to answer Mal's question, River stole his bread again.
" Hey!" He grabbed for the basket again, getting another piece. " Does it matter?"
" I take it she's who you were supposed to meet?"
" Yeah." Jayne was avoiding that he had bellowed the fact that the girl was his sister.
" If she's gonna stay on the ship I need ta know who she is." Mal stated rationally.
" She's my sister, okay? Her name's Tara."
" Who shot her?" Simon asked from behind his fork.
" Our father. Abusive bastard." He glanced at Kaylee and River. " Sorry." Simon practically choked.
" What?"
" I said sorry." Jayne said, just louder than a mutter.
" Not that. Her own father shot her?"
" Yeah. Life ain't as perfect out here as it is in the Core. Lot more problems." Jayne was silent the rest of the meal.
" Jayne? You wanna sit in the infirmary with her?" Simon asked, as the hulking expanse of muscle went to stand.
" Thanks Doc." Jayne waited somewhat patiently as he stood up and went to arrange another bed for him. " I really... appreciate it." Everyone dissipated to their respectful quarters after that.
~~~~~
Once Kaylee checked the engines, she went to her quarters.
" Too bad I won't get to wear this again." She whispered before shutting the lights off. She had been looking at the dress Malcolm had bought her when they had gone to that party to get the job. The one were he got in a fight.
~~~~~
" Thanks Doc. Promise I won't kill ya in your sleep. If anythin' happens, I'll come and get ya."
" Okay." Simon backed out of the room as Jayne held Tara's hand between his own.
" Come on. Wake up, please." Jayne fell asleep in the chair, holding Tara's hand in a death grip.
Around midnight, River woke up, eyes strangely focused, and walked straight into the infirmary.
" Wake up. Come back, your job is not done here yet, little one." River unconsciously put her slender hand over Tara's forehead. " Your job is not done yet."
River woke the next morning in her own bed with no recollection of how the voice had taken over. Not even in passing.
" How'd you sleep River?" Simon asked, checking on the frail girl.
" Fine. You?" She stretched, feeling better than she had since she had gone to the academy.
" Good. I'm gonna go check on Jayne and Tara."
" She's gonna wake up. Don't worry." River spoke without thinking, causing Simon to pause.
" How do you know, sweetie?" She shrugged.
" Just do. Hurry up and check before Jayne comes lookin' for ya."
" Wouldn't want that now would we?" He teased.
" No." River wasn't concentrating on her brother anymore. /The voices have lessened. Is that good or bad?/
" I'll see you later. Try not to get in trouble."
" Kay." River shook her head and focused on getting dressed. Simon had forgotten the drugs last night and this morning. River wasn't about to remind him.
~~~~~
" So, how's she doing?"
" Still unconscious."
" It's to be expected. Excuse me."
" I'm gonna go to my bunk. I don't feel like staying here right now."
" If she wakes up, I'll get you. Promise."
" Thanks Simon."
Jayne offhandedly used the doctor's real name, the first time in a while. He shuffled to his bunk and fell asleep after falling face first on the mattress. Sleeping in a chair is just uncomfortable, doesn't do much to wake you up.
Couple a hours later, he woke to hear someone trying to quietly step down the ladder. Reaching for a gun, he leveled it at where the guy's head should be but found River just underneath it instead.
" What da you want?" He asked, his words muffled by the pillow.
" You never answered my question."
" Which one?" River had, in that last week since asking why he didn't dance, come to his room every night asking a million'n'one questions.
" What your family's like."
" River. I'm not up for this." He had rolled over onto his side to see her better.
" Okay." She thought for a second. " Scoot." She sat on the edge of the bed, forcing him closer to the wall. Taking off her shoes, she slid under the blankets with him.
" What are you doing?" He asked, trying to figure a way around her.
" You don't want to talk. Your sleepiness is affecting me. Just go to sleep." With that, River closed her eyes and tried to sleep.
" It's your funeral if Simon finds us." Jayne slipped farther down, trying to get comfortable. In five minutes, the two people were asleep in each other's arms.
Author: Fire Fairy
Disclaimer: I don't own the bed I sleep in, don't own half the books in my room, don't own the food I eat, don't even own the television I watch... What in the 'verse makes you think I own Firefly?
Summary: Jayne has a hidden secret that's gonna come up right quick and Serenity gets a new member in the process.
A/N: Please review. Much thanks I give to those who already have. Sorry 'bout the swearin' in this chapter and the last. Also, I had to put that bit in about Kaylee. It should make sense in the end... I hope. Also, with the grammar. They live on the edge. What's the chance they're gonna actually say stuff like 'therefore' and such. I also figure that everyone kinda wears off on everyone else, which is why Simon's grammar is getting worse. One last thing. There are going to be two definite relationships defined from almost the beginning. 1) Jayne and River, if you don't like that pairing, tough. 2) Kaylee and Simon, the cutest couple if you ask me.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
" Yeah. She'll be fine."
~~~~~
" So, who's the girl?" Mal asked when the nine members were sitting around the table eating dinner together. When he looked up to answer Mal's question, River stole his bread again.
" Hey!" He grabbed for the basket again, getting another piece. " Does it matter?"
" I take it she's who you were supposed to meet?"
" Yeah." Jayne was avoiding that he had bellowed the fact that the girl was his sister.
" If she's gonna stay on the ship I need ta know who she is." Mal stated rationally.
" She's my sister, okay? Her name's Tara."
" Who shot her?" Simon asked from behind his fork.
" Our father. Abusive bastard." He glanced at Kaylee and River. " Sorry." Simon practically choked.
" What?"
" I said sorry." Jayne said, just louder than a mutter.
" Not that. Her own father shot her?"
" Yeah. Life ain't as perfect out here as it is in the Core. Lot more problems." Jayne was silent the rest of the meal.
" Jayne? You wanna sit in the infirmary with her?" Simon asked, as the hulking expanse of muscle went to stand.
" Thanks Doc." Jayne waited somewhat patiently as he stood up and went to arrange another bed for him. " I really... appreciate it." Everyone dissipated to their respectful quarters after that.
~~~~~
Once Kaylee checked the engines, she went to her quarters.
" Too bad I won't get to wear this again." She whispered before shutting the lights off. She had been looking at the dress Malcolm had bought her when they had gone to that party to get the job. The one were he got in a fight.
~~~~~
" Thanks Doc. Promise I won't kill ya in your sleep. If anythin' happens, I'll come and get ya."
" Okay." Simon backed out of the room as Jayne held Tara's hand between his own.
" Come on. Wake up, please." Jayne fell asleep in the chair, holding Tara's hand in a death grip.
Around midnight, River woke up, eyes strangely focused, and walked straight into the infirmary.
" Wake up. Come back, your job is not done here yet, little one." River unconsciously put her slender hand over Tara's forehead. " Your job is not done yet."
River woke the next morning in her own bed with no recollection of how the voice had taken over. Not even in passing.
" How'd you sleep River?" Simon asked, checking on the frail girl.
" Fine. You?" She stretched, feeling better than she had since she had gone to the academy.
" Good. I'm gonna go check on Jayne and Tara."
" She's gonna wake up. Don't worry." River spoke without thinking, causing Simon to pause.
" How do you know, sweetie?" She shrugged.
" Just do. Hurry up and check before Jayne comes lookin' for ya."
" Wouldn't want that now would we?" He teased.
" No." River wasn't concentrating on her brother anymore. /The voices have lessened. Is that good or bad?/
" I'll see you later. Try not to get in trouble."
" Kay." River shook her head and focused on getting dressed. Simon had forgotten the drugs last night and this morning. River wasn't about to remind him.
~~~~~
" So, how's she doing?"
" Still unconscious."
" It's to be expected. Excuse me."
" I'm gonna go to my bunk. I don't feel like staying here right now."
" If she wakes up, I'll get you. Promise."
" Thanks Simon."
Jayne offhandedly used the doctor's real name, the first time in a while. He shuffled to his bunk and fell asleep after falling face first on the mattress. Sleeping in a chair is just uncomfortable, doesn't do much to wake you up.
Couple a hours later, he woke to hear someone trying to quietly step down the ladder. Reaching for a gun, he leveled it at where the guy's head should be but found River just underneath it instead.
" What da you want?" He asked, his words muffled by the pillow.
" You never answered my question."
" Which one?" River had, in that last week since asking why he didn't dance, come to his room every night asking a million'n'one questions.
" What your family's like."
" River. I'm not up for this." He had rolled over onto his side to see her better.
" Okay." She thought for a second. " Scoot." She sat on the edge of the bed, forcing him closer to the wall. Taking off her shoes, she slid under the blankets with him.
" What are you doing?" He asked, trying to figure a way around her.
" You don't want to talk. Your sleepiness is affecting me. Just go to sleep." With that, River closed her eyes and tried to sleep.
" It's your funeral if Simon finds us." Jayne slipped farther down, trying to get comfortable. In five minutes, the two people were asleep in each other's arms.