DISCLAIMER: It's all Joss.
NOTES: This is short, but there will be more. Thanks to all who reviewed and liked this story. I just thought this would be an interesting take on River. We'll see where she leads me.
Friends and enemies
„What the hell you think you're doin'?"
She didn't even turn to look at him as Jayne jumped the last few inches down the ladder that led into his bunk.
"You've been watching me all week. It has to stop. Mal is already getting suspicious." She answered unperturbed.
Jayne wasn't sure what bothered him more, the fact that she felt free to drop into his quarters unannounced, the way her slender fingers inspected one of his guns with adept touches or the disconcerting fact that his threatening demeanour did not seem to impress her at all. True, he'd indeed been watching her all week long. Mostly because it puzzled him how completely she played her part, how she managed to seem completely out of her mind one minute and all composed and business- like the other. From time to time he'd even wondered if he'd just imagined that nice little chat of doom they'd had. But then there'd be those moments where she'd shoot him looks from behind her unruly hair and he'd see some of the strain this acting took on her. He'd never been a man of big thoughts, action was his domain and he revelled in a good fight….but she was good; he'd have to give her that. He didn't like it, but he could respect it.
He pursed his lips at her as though he tasted something sour in his mouth and took of his gun-belt. Hanging it on a hook next to his bed, he watched her inspect the weapon. It seemed much too big for her tiny hand.
"Oh …now that you made sure I'd keep my mouth shut ,you starting to worry my looking at you might tip him off?" he asked her scathingly.
She rolled her eyes, finally turning to look at him. "Not suspicious of me, you idiot. Suspicious of you …maybe worrying you might get stupid again and try to pull another stunt like Ariel."
"Oh …great. Thank you …..Just what I gorram needed was Mal breathing down my neck every ruttin' step I take!" It was all her ruttin' fault of course.
River shrugged, her attention turning to the weapons once more. They were all very well maintained, she noted with amusement. She'd bet anything, he'd named every single one of them. "You know …I thought after that one incident, a man like you would find a more cunning place to store his guns. I thought you might have locked them away or something, but just hanging some rug over them ….that is justnot very smart!"
Jayne watched her impatiently with narrowed eyes. Was she getting some gorram' kick out of busting his balls? She'd been trouble when he'd thought her insane, but Jayne was beginning to realize that River Tam was entirely more trouble now that he knew she was all there and sharp as one of his knives.
"Did I thank you lately for ruinin' my life?" he ground out. She checked the magazine of a semi-automatic, but he could tell she was all ears….despite the fact that she seemed pretty preoccupied with checking his arsenal. She'd not lied after all. He had not been sure what to believe so he'd gone and checked the cortex himself. If at all she'd played the whole thing down. The police station had been a bloody massacre. They'd blamed it on some psycho that allegedly had gotten free and gone on a little rampage. Yeah, right.
He didn´t like the fact that she was some misbegotten experiment and the only living specimen at that...
What he liked even less was the fact that she´d been right on the money about what those guys who wanted her bad so badly would do. It seemed they wanted her back very, very badly ...no matter what the cost. How could she be so ruttin' calm about this?
And who the hell where those people? After what he'd seen on the cortex...he was more inclined to run into Niska than those guys.
"You know …" he continued angrily. "…my aunt Ida used to warn me that one day some woman was gonna be the death of me. But I'd always thought she was referring to the unsavoury, promiscuous type that would slit your throat in some dingy back alley while her pimp was standing guard. Didn't think she'd have a pretty lil' thing like you in mind when she warned me. "
"I apologized." River said, putting down the gun."Would you have rather had a knife in the back?"A furrow developed between her eyebrows as she looked at him intently. "You think I am pretty?"
Jayne raised an eyebrow. How the did she come up with that….Gorrammit! He had called her pretty just now, hadn't he? What had he been thinking of?
She still watched him intently. "Aw, C'mon now…." He growled, shrugging his broad shoulders. "Have you taken a good look at yourself lately? You look like one of those gorram' china dolls you put on a shelf and don't ever touch cause they're so …expensive and ...well, allpretty like."
River seemed to mull over that while Jayne wondered how they'd gotten from her little secret turning his life upside down to talking about her looks. Was she blushing?
Jayne shook his head, trying to look away from her. Nah, had to be the light.
"Whatcha doin' here anyways?" he asked gruffly, trying to change the subject. River looked around his untidy bunk as though she was taking a mental inventory. It was her turn to shrug and suddenly Jayne realized that she looked somehow forlorn and unsure.
"I came to warn you about Mal. You have to stop watching me as though I was a very interesting bug."
"Yeah, you did that already. No more watching you play the ruttin' loon, I get it. Soo …."
He motioned towards the ladder, but the gorram girl made no attempt to leave.
"I guess….I wanted to talk to you."
Jayne's eyebrows shot upwards. Now that was a first…..people sure as hell had never sought him out for any particular conversation skills. The reason was easy …he had none.
"Talk …to me? 'Bout ruttin' what?" She bit her lip and Jayne couldn't help to find that almost endearing. Still …..She was a woman, a girl ….he didn't talk to girls…or women. Wouldn't even know what about…..well there it was, she was crazy after all. He didn't even like her …or her fancy ass brother.
"I don't know." River answered, sitting down on his bed. Jayne stared at her. He wouldn't have been more surprised had she sprouted wings and started to fly around his head.
"You are the only one on this ship who knows the truth, who knows I'm not crazy. It's exhausting, you know? You are the only one I can talk to …being me."
Jayne crossed his arms in front of his chest, staring at her questioningly. This was so not good.
"We're not exactly friends. While ago you and me ….some people would say wemight have beenenemies even."
If his assessment shocked her in the least, it didn't show. River Tam just looked up at him, unflinching and with an openness that made Jayne a little uncomfortable.
"Maybe an enemy is the closest thing I have to a friend right now."
Jayne liked the sound of that even less.
