A/N: Thanks to all who reviewed the previous chapters, Kudos and complaints are most welcome as they allow me to grow as a fanfiction writer. As usual I own nothing
As he moved through the ship Jayne saw Zoe going into the helm, even after all this time he still didn't get those two.
"Love is anterior to life, Posterior to Death, initial of creation and exponent of earth" River quoted softly.
"Huh", Jayne cast a confused look at the small woman who stood staring at the door where Zoe had disappeared.
Rolling her eyes River brushed past Jayne, "Emily Dickinson, silly"
Jayne chewed over what River had said, "Oh, I get it. Zoë loves Wash cause he wasn't in the war." Happy that he had finally figured out Zoë and Wash, he stuck his head into the engine room. "Damn Kaylee ain't here, she must be in here bunk. C'mon girl"
"Kaylee's disappeared, two have become one."
Even with the twin speak, Jayne still had trouble understanding at times, River huffed her frustration. Oh how she wished that the others could be made to understand her, but it was only this one that had the optimum linguistic qualities. River tilted her head sideways, studying the large man. His thought processes were simplistic, take women for example, they fit into four categories, Mothers (already filled by his ma who knitted him hats), whores, women who he had no interest in and sisters.
It was into the latter category that River now found herself in his mind, Jayne had in a seamless transition moved her designation from women who he had no interest in, to sister.
Lost in thought River made her way back to her room, she was not sure if she was comfortable being designated as Jayne's sister. This meant she could never experience what Kaylee had, as she would never be a normal girl, and there was no one except Jayne who simply accepted her as she was. They were never in port long enough for a young man to get to know her in that way. River knew that sex did not necessarily involve afeeling of caring, Jayne and his whores proved that point clearly enough, but, thinking of that River examined Jayne's thoughts and feelings for a moment.
Even though Jayne paid for sex with the women, he always tried to make sure that they had a good time. Often Jayne was invited back, and the woman actually meant the invitation, for all his uncouth ways, Jayne was a thoughtful and caring lover.
River felt the prick of desire dart across her skin, with a moan she darted out of her room. Her eyes frantically scouting for Jayne's form, she darted toward the mess and found Jayne carefully putting Betty back together.
Immediately River felt the prickles fade away, she breathed deeply and closed her eyes, as usual being near Jayne made the others fade away. River considered her options to make Jayne stay in the common room with her. After discarding several plans as unworkable, she decided on giving Jayne a neck rub.
River approached and Jayne eyed her warily, after ensuring she didn't have any weapons on her person he relaxed. He noted the way she held her body stiffly, almost as if she feared letting anything touch her skin, he knew what was coming, a long night of her trying to teach him how to play chess.
Resigned he sat down on the couch and started to set up the board.
"No" crawling up behind him River sat on the back of the couch and started to rub Jayne's neck, he pulled away in shock and stared at her over his shoulder.
"Must learn to touch other people, eventually people will be able to touch me" With a strength that belied her fragile looks, she spun Jayne back and again started to rub the tension out of his neck.
Never one to look a gift pleasure in the mouth, Jayne settled back and let River massage his neck, hissing when she hit a particularly tight spot.
River smiled at the sound Jayne was making, a sound not unlike a purr rumbled from somewhere in his chest. His head had fallen forward sometime ago, eyes closed Jayne had fallen into a semi sleep.
River kept massaging as she was pulled into his dreams, the scent of crisp leaves filled the air as they ran hand in hand under trees clothed in all colours of gold. Their feet crunched and occasionally slipped in the carpet of leaves that had already fallen.
Barley breathing hard, the young man stopped suddenly, his head cocked to listen, throwing River a grin that promised mischief and fun, the young Jayne Cobb again started forward.
River frowned at Jayne, she pulled him to a stop, "Why did you bring me here?"
Heaving a sigh at the question, Jayne asked, "Why did ya follow?"
River cocked her head to the side, unconsciously imitating Jayne of a moment ago as she thought. "It is better here"
"Yeah ain't it, now c'mon." Reaching the end of his patience, even less than what he shows as a grown man River noted, as she allowed herself to be pulled along again.
They approached the edge of a clearing, there in the middle sat colourful wagons, people wandered around the clearing dresed in bright colours, they looked to River like a bunch of jewels swirlingin a gold cup.
"Yeah they sure are colourful ain't they" River cast Jayne a confused look, before realizing that he had somehow picked up on her thoughts.
A young man not much older than Jayne spotted them waiting at the edge of the clearing. He loped over to where the pair stood; River noted that he was one of the most beautiful men she had ever in her life seen. A strange emotion flowed from Jayne, but River ignored it in favour of listening to the music that had started up.
The young man and Jayne had finished speaking and where now moving toward the centre of the camp. River tugged her hand free of Jayne's and moved toward the musicians, a part of her was surprised that she could take part in a different section of the memory from Jayne.
The music was wild and stirred Rivers blood, the wail of the fiddle mixed with the plaintive calling of the flute. Several children stood up and started to dance, River joined in, her face shining with her enjoyment.
Out of a corner of her eye she spotted Jayne and the beautiful young man, sitting at the edge of the gathered crowd sharing a mug.
Jayne watched as River danced with abandon, a part of him knew that she had not been with him that long ago afternoon that he had gone to visit the nomads, but somehow it seemed right that she was there now.
Platters of food were passed around as the moon peered over the edge of the far hills; the air had cooled since the afternoon. They had wrapped a blanket around their shoulders to ward off the chill, as they sat and listened to the storyteller.
The scene faded, River felt the scratch of the nubby fabric of the couch scrape her cheek, and slowly River allowed her senses to filter back in. The couch was pushing a spring into her hip; there was a weight across her knees, she could hear Jayne's snoring.
River shifted so that the spring was no longer poking her, and laid her feet across Jayne's lap.
The thought, 'Just another day in the life of Serenity', followed her as she fell back into a dreamless sleep.