Later, as they lay sated, wrapped in a tangle of limbs and River's hair, Jayne faced the enormity of what he'd done. Of what they'd done. While he had dismissed his fear easily in the heat of passion, now the Merc fought back a momentary bout of panic.

Instead of surrendering to it, he tightened his grip around the soundly sleeping woman and kissed the top of her head. She is mine, gorramit. Ain't nobody gonna take her from me, he vowed.

But he knew they'd try.

He figured Zoe would just as soon cut off his balls as look at him. Inara would most likely help her. Without blinking, Mal would promptly space him when he found out, with the Shepherd pushing the button. Wash would probably just laugh him to death.

Simon was outraged, no doubt, and probably ran to tell the Captain as soon as he could speak coherently again. Only Kaylee seemed truly happy for them. Jayne doubted that even her bright smile and sunny disposition were enough to convince Simon that his sister and the 'trained ape' were good for each other. Because they were.

She made him want to be a better man. He made her feel normal.

So, he optimistically figured that he had till they were done with the job before he was called out. But he would fight. For a chance at this...he'd tell Mal the truth from the get-go and hope he understood:

He loved her, plain and simple.

At that moment, River sighed and stretched languidly, flinging one arm and one leg over him in sleep. She looked so beautiful, so content, so peaceful--he hated to wake her.

Gently, Jayne tucked a bit of hair behind her ear and pulled her body up higher on his. He tilted her head up to study those delicate features and stared at her for long moments, then lowered his mouth to hers.

River's eyes fluttered open and she parted her lips to let him plunder her mouth. Once again, he had only intended to kiss her, to softly awaken her and then send her back to her own room.

Some say the path to hell paved with good intentions.

But to him, it felt like the path to heaven.

Instead, his hands and tongue left left no part of her untouched, uncaressed, unloved. He savored her like a condemed man would his last meal, making love to her as though it would be his last chance to do so. He didn't want to admit that it most likely could be.

Won't give her up, he firmly promised himself as he finally entered her.

Simultaneously River thought, He is mine.

She could feel his desperation in his touch. But she would not allow anyone to hurt him, to take him from her. Not the Captain; certainly not Zoe--not even Simon. But the girl knew it would take a very long time, if ever, for her brother to accept that she loved this man. That he made her laugh, he made her feel safe, he made her fly, he alone made all the voices fade away with his mere presence.

River looked up to meet Jayne's gaze and saw herself as he saw her: just a girl--a beautiful, sexy, smart, strong one. Not a fugitive, not a thing, not a cause, not...broken.

And as she surrendered to him, she softly repeated her earlier claim in time with his thrusts.

"Mine."

Simon paced Kaylee's room for hours. The mechanic had given up on trying to soothe and placate him; on trying to convince him that River was happy and that it should be the most important thing. Instead, she sat in one of the comfortable chairs reading the book she had gotten from her friend.

The agitated man ranted on and on about how he was going to kill Jayne. First it was in his sleep; then it was 'accidentally' giving him too large a dose of smoothers next time he was injured.

Suddenly he turned on her, "Did you know anything about this before tonight?"

Unable to lie, she smiled uncomfortably and told him, "Sorta."

"What do you mean 'sorta'? Why didn't you say anything? You should have told me!" he accused

"Why? So that you could pop like y'are now? Wasn't my place to tell--and I don't see nothin' wrong with it. Certainly didn't when all they was doin' was kissin' and stuff."

Throwing up his hands in anger and frustration, trying hard to remove the image of them together from his mind, he went back to pacing.

Sick of his tirade, irritated at how his obsession with 'fixing' his sister seemed to control his life, Kaylee eyed Simon's medical bag. One of his ranting threats had gotten her attention and given her an idea.

She wasn't gonna hurt him; just dope him enough to shut him up and help him to relax.

After all, he was giving her a headache.

After leaving the casino floor, Mal had walked the Sky-plex contemplating his dilemma. Realizing he smelled like he had bathed in whiskey, he went back to his room, showered and changed his clothes. He then spent an hour there ruminating, trying to decide what to do. Still unable to come to a decision, he went to consult Zoe.

Mal patiently waited outside of the room as Zoe hurriedly dressed. She was worried because he wouldn't have bothered her if it was not something important and from the look on his face she instantly knew that it was.

Hastily, the Captain told her about what he had discovered in the docking area and in the cargo hold, and of his subsequent conversation with Jester.

"We're takin' a big risk haulin' that. But, it's up to you, Sir," she told him.

But before Mal had a chance to answer there was a loud hysterical scream from the other end of the hall. Quickly glancing at each other, and knowing that most of this floor was crew, they ran to see the cause of the commotion.

It had come from Kaylee.

And in her arms lie a multiply stabbed, profusely bleeding and very naked Jayne.

"He...got her," Jayne choked out, struggling to breathe and to remain conscious.