Disclaimer: Characters do not belong to me, they are the property of Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy and Fox.

Feedback is always welcome.

Takes place shortly after the series ended. Another Jayne/River piece. What can I say, I can spend hours pondering the mysteries of what makes those two tick....LOL

Many thanks to William Topley and The Blessing for their song "Delta Rain", it helped inspire this piece. River sings bits and pieces of it to Jayne.

Chinese translations:

Lao-tyen boo: Oh, Lord!

Mei-mei: Sister

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"Did you see the way she was hanging on to that ape all night?" Simon felt the rage he'd been holding in check all day boil up to the surface. "She spent all day watching him in the cargo bay as well, just sitting there watching him. Every time I went to check on her she was just...watching...him."

He looked over at Kaylee, sure that she'd be able to understand how wrong it was that his sister was showing such an obsession with Jayne. Only she was chewing on her lower lip with a puzzled look on her sweet face.

"Is it really so surprisin'?" she asked him. "I mean, ain't like there are a lot of choices for her to get her first crush on..."

"Kaylee" he was shocked at her comment. "...but Jayne? He's..he's mean and crude and...stupid." Simon wanted to tell her about what Jayne had done on Ariel, but he just couldn't bring himself to. She was so trusting of people and he never wanted to be the one that ripped that away, not even her trust of Jayne.

"Jus' 'cause someone ain't got the schoolin' you do don't mean they're stupid, Simon." Now she was looking at him with that annoyed/hurt look she got when she felt he was being an ass. This was not going well. He'd thought she'd understand. And why did River have to get a crush on anyone, and if she did then why not Mal...or Wash...someone, anyone other then Jayne. He rubbed the bridge of his nose trying to ease the headache he felt building and sighed.

"I know Kaylee...and I'm sorry it sounded like that, but it isn't just a lack of schooling. The man is clueless when it comes to being a decent human being. You know how many times he's tried to get us thrown off Serenity. How he is always calling her moonbrained. It just doesn't make any sense that she'd act this way."

Kaylee chuckled. "Well now, I think it makes perfect sense. He ain't bad lookin'. He's strong an' can protect her. An' it's not like she was really hangin' on him you know, jus' sittin' next to him and lookin' at him a lot. Book ain't an option any girl would choose, Zoƫ wouldn't let nothin' happen with Wash, Mal only got eyes for Serenity and 'Nara, you're her brother so that's plain out of the question...who else it gonna be? 'Sides, he did figure out that Blue Hands thing. Sure that ain't what's really buggin' ya?"

And that was a part of it, he had not been able to understand River's ramblings and Jayne had. But that whole protecting thing Kaylee thought Jayne would be so good at...Simon just didn't see it happening. If River ever got in a tight spot with only Jayne to get her out she'd be dead or back at the Academy and he'd be alone. Well, maybe not alone. He looked at Kaylee in wonder, he still wasn't sure why she'd picked him. In so many ways Jayne seemed the more obvious choice for her.

"Why didn't you and Jayne ever hook up?" Lao-tyen boo, had he really just asked her that? Out loud? He was not sure he wanted to hear this.

She burst out laughing. She was laughing so hard he could see tears forming in her eyes.

"Jayne? An' me?" she finally managed to squeeze out the words. "that'd be like you an' River hooking up. Me an' Jayne are more like brother an' sister then that kinda thing." She brushed the tears off her cheeks, still giggling at the thought. Simon felt the knot in his chest loosen slightly, calmed that at least he didn't need to fear that anymore.

"You are right about me being bothered by his understanding her when I couldn't." he told her softly. "It's not the only thing bothering me about this but it is there."

"I know Sweetie...you've been tryin' so hard ta fix her..." Kaylee's voice trailed off as River's scream pierced the air. Simon flew off the couch and headed towards her room. Part of him noting with relief and concern that it had only been one scream this time.

"Mei-mei, hush, it's Ok, I'm here..." he whispered the usual comments to her as he took in the sight of her sitting there with her arms wrapped around her legs, rocking back and forth, sobbing. He sat on the edge of the bed and put his arms around her. He looked up at Kaylee's worried face and gave her a half shrug. He had no more idea what was wrong this time then he ever did.

It took him almost an hour to calm her down enough to fall back asleep. He wasn't sure he'd ever sleep again though. The only words he'd been able to make out between her sobs had been "poor Jayne". He felt more drained then ever before as he headed back out to the common area and Kaylee's healing presence.

"She doin' all right?" she asked, even after all these times she still asked him that when he returned from River's room.

He sighed and said wearily, "I think so...she had some kind of nightmare about Jayne...near as I can tell. She kept saying "poor Jayne" over and over." his brow creased as he continued. "I just don't know what to think anymore. She was so distraught over what ever it was...like something very bad is going to happen to him."

"Ya think she saw somethin' that hasn't happened yet?" Kaylee asked.

"Yes, actually, I do...if it was something happening right now I don't think I could have kept her in that room. Much less gotten her back to sleep." Simon did not want his sister to be a reader, or have any psychic abilities at all, but it was getting harder not to consider it. Kaylee scooted over and snuggled close. It constantly amazed him how she made everything feel better just by being there.

"What in the 'verse did I do to deserve you?" he asked her with a soft smile.

"Hmm...nothin'?" she giggled up at him. "but don't you worry none, I'll think up somethin' you can do to deserve me."

Yes, there was defiantly something about this place he was glad of. He just hoped that she knew how glad of her he was.