Aria A Cappella

Part 3

Author's Note: Thanks so much for all the feedback! You guys make me feel loved.

Beta: I'm in the market, as it were. (Seriously. If anyone would be kind enough to want to beta my work, I'd love it.)

Madame Rosseau reminded River. She was very much like a dance teacher River was almost certain she remembered. An austere woman, with a tight braid of graying auburn hair. Her mouth was firmly set, and her eyes were also firm. It was obvious that this woman could hold control over an entire room without much effort. But she was also kind. River smiled dreamily to herself. Even the harshest had soft hearts. She enjoyed this comedy of opposites.

Jayne ate and River watched him, unable to look away. He was like an animal. But it was obvious that he was attempting to hold some semblance of manners in the presence of such a commanding lady. A bear with table manners. She giggled to herself. Like the circus bears she had seen in old, grainy scans while growing up. They were the most clever things. Balancing on balls, and doing ballet. She did a bear ballet once. Her instructor asked if she was feeling ill. That was before people stopped talking to River. River wasn't good at conversing. She was too smart. She scared them. And sometimes she thought faster than she could talk, and words and whole sentences would get skipped in the excitement of speech.

"Just a sound or two, string them together and the world stands still," she whispered to her salad. She smiled with their shared secret. She heard Madame Rosseau shoot a questioning look at Jayne, and she felt his obliviousness. He didn't pay good attention. Poor study. Wouldn't please Father. Mr. Tam held with no excuses for failure. His children had the finest equipment, the finest tutors, the finest genes in the entire 'verse. He saw no reason why they shouldn't be the finest children anywhere. So Simon was smart, and River was beyond brilliant. But it was not enough. Brains could not be enough. Simon was not dedicated enough. River was too easily distracted. Most of the time, things were fine. But once in a while…that biting disappointment would tear into her flesh.

"Papa requires all standards of excellence. The world spins to his whim."

This time, she felt Madame begin to speak, but the main course was being served. The plate was set in front of her. She bent over, nose almost touching and peered at it. Slowly she lifted the plate, and tilted her head to listen to the meat. Suddenly, her eyes widened, and with a shriek she hurled it against the wall.

"River!" Madame exclaimed in horror.

"Gorramit, feng le," Jayne began to swear colorfully in Chinese under his breath, forgetting his gentleman charade. River stared down at the meat.

"Never see the sky. Took it from them, took it so far."

"What the rutting hell you do that for, crazy girl!" Jayne looked very angry now, and Madame looked frightened. River slowly turned to look at them. She blinked, then straightened.

"Inappropriate measures have been taken," she said, as though explaining it to herself, "the ends do not justify the means." She felt the fear from Madame and her eyes softened. "Do not fear her," she whispered. "Sometimes the tree grows away from the woods."

The shuttle landed and a flurry of dust blew into the air. Jayne stepped out, and looked around. So this was the market. Madame Rosseau had insisted he go and 'explore our fine planet', so here he was. River was not allowed to go. She couldn't leave the house. There was always the chance that someone would spot her, but it was ridiculously high here, on a Core planet. She had grinned at him as he left the mansion, hanging upside down from a banister.

'Bring me something'

That's what she had whispered in his ear as he walked out the door. He shook his head, trying to get her face, with her big, shining eyes out of his head. He most certainly would not be purchasing anything for her. He was Jayne Cobb, toughest gunslinger to ever hit the Outer Rim. He did not buy presents for the crazy sister of the rich boy doctor on his ship. Hell, especially if he didn't even like the rich boy doctor or his sister.

He passed a stand where a short, round man with a very dark tan and very little hair was selling ornately engraved chopsticks. He was claiming they were priceless heirlooms, and Jayne snorted. Even an uneducated man like him could tell they were brand new, and probably made by the man himself. What some people tried to get away with. Those too dumb or cowardly to steal properly did it some other way. He smirked to himself. What a fine truth. He'd have to write that down. It deserved to be embroidered on a pillow, or some such thing.

A haggard looking woman in an equally haggard dress bustled five children along in front of her. It was unclear whether all of them were hers biologically, but it was obvious she was the one in control. However, when the others in the group were distracted by a cart laden with parasols, one of the boys broke away and dashed down the narrow path. He ran directly into Jayne, and wrapped his arms tightly around the much larger man's leg.

"What the—gorramit, boy, leggo!" He shook his leg slightly, but the weight of the child was too much. However, the boy looked up in wonder at him.

"Is that a real gun?" He asked, feeling the hidden pistol strapped to Jayne's calf through his tan breeches.

"Sure is," Jayne said, making himself as scary as he knew how, "now why don't you get 'fore I shoot you with it."

It was more surprise than fear that made the boy immediately release him and Jayne straightened his pants leg and continued walking while the child scurried back towards his warden, who was looking around in a panic.

What had he been thinking about? Oh right. He would certainly, absolutely not buy something for River. She did nothing to deserve a gift, and he was not some gorram fop trying to impress some blushing girl. He was a manly man, full of rage and ammo. He did not listen to little girls, he was not some slave to protocol, and there would be no present for River Tam today.

"Oooh…." River lifted the multicolored silk scarf up to the light and twirled around with it, letting it wave from her circular motion. "It's beautiful."

"Ain't nothin'," Jayne said, shrugging and rubbing his nose with embarrassment.

"Colors like the wind, ever changing, ever lovely, ever new." She stopped and hugged the scarf to her chest. Then, she turned and, without so much as a warning, leapt into Jayne's surprised arms. "Thank you."

"Told you it was nothin'," he said, shifting his weight uncomfortably. He was easily able to hold her, but it felt extremely wrong. Especially since Simon had specifically stated that there was to be no contact between River and Jayne's hands. He walked over to a hovering sofa and rather unceremoniously dumped her out of his arms onto it. She lay in the exact position she landed, feet still up in the air, scowling at him. He scowled back at her. They may have continued like that for quite a while, until he noticed that her flowered skirt was hanging quite far away from her legs, at which point he turned around.

"I'm gonna go unpack my things," he grunted in a last ditch effort to save some semblance of his dignity.

"I'll come with," River was on her feet in an instant.

"I can manage," Jayne shot back at her, starting up the stairs.

"Wanna help," River followed.

"No!" Jayne raced up the stairs towards his room, with River in hot pursuit.