Author's note: This chapter contains some sexual situations. Although this story will not go into gratuitous detail with such scenes, I have decided to change this story's rating to "M", just to be safe.
The first thing that Jayne Cobb saw when the dreams stopped was darkness.
The mercenary was confused by the abrupt transition at first. After weeks, months, perhaps even years (for the mercenary hadn't had any concept of time since blood loss had forced him into an unconscious state) of frantic mental activity, Jayne's mind didn't know how to handle the sensory deprivation caused by his own closed eyelids. However, after shaking loose the cobwebs of numerous memories, including the time a young Jayne had broken his arm by falling off a tree, walking Mattie to school on the very first day of the younger brother's primary education, and even "the Hero of Canton's" first kill (a serial killer/rapist that a teenage Jayne had been hired to track down by the villagers of a small town on the planet Silverhold), Jayne was finally able to regain his bearings enough to open his eyes.
Unfortunately, since the pleas of the rapist, a Mr. R.R. Muller to "Please don't kill me! I'll give you anything you want! Anything!", as well as Jayne's response, which had come only in the form of the young mercenary's gun firing with a loud BANG! after several seconds of shaking hands, and hesitation on young Jayne's part, were still on adult Jayne's mind, Jayne didn't realize what he was looking at right away. Seeing the face of the young woman who had been the subject of many of his nightmares (as well as some of his more intimate dreams) since she had left a permanent mark on his chest, alongside a familiar glint of steel, Jayne quickly sat up in his bed in the Skyplex's med-bay and grunted. "Gorramit, crazy! I thought we had a truce!"
River looked up from her position seated on the mattress next to Jayne's medical cot and glared slightly at the mercenary. "She means her mate no harm. But man-called-Jayne shouldn't try to get up yet. His wounds are healed, but his muscles are weak, atrophied, because ghuh-ghuh gave him too much medicine, and he slumbered a long time.. He must relearn to crawl before he runs."
Jayne shook his head as he recognized the wooden sculpture in River's hands. The one that the mercenary had originally started carving at the villa. However, upon closer inspection, Jayne realized that the half-formed wooden object that he had abandoned in his room the day that the black armored thugs had tried to kill him, River, and Serenity's crew was not in the same shape he had left it in. Instead, the object in River's hands was a fully formed, intricate model of a large bird. Jayne chuckled. "Oh, so that's what you were doing!"
River's glare intensified. "She said she would not harm him again. Why does he not believe her!? She recovered man-called-Jayne's personal effects. Confiscated the blade from Niska's goons. They aren't very smart, especially the big one. Man-called-Jayne's other things are safe, but the River wanted to make sure the man's work was finished on time."
River smiled and quickly jumped to her feet, then sat down next to Jayne on the man's large medical cot so he could get a better look a the wooden bird in her hand. " Man-called-Jayne was going to surprise her with this on her birthday, because he still felt bad after he argued with her in the bar that day. He was not to blame for her actions then, but she appreciates the sentiment. Kaylee and ghuh-ghuh got the River some strawberries, birth mother sewed her a new dress, birth father got the crazy girl a book of fairy tales, with legends dating all the way back to earth that was, months ago, and the rest of her family chipped into buy her some more comfortable shoes that she can fight in off one of the mercenaries at the bad man's satellite.."
River put one of her feet next to Jayne's head, showing off one of the lightweight, but sturdy leather shoes that she was wearing, even as she made a face. "She still prefers to have her limbs unencumbered, but these are better than most of the foot blockers she has been forced to endure, and Captain daddy says I will have to start wearing them when I'm not on the ship, so..."
Jayne started to rise from his bed again. "You still ain't making no gorram sense! Your birthday's still days away! Now, if you won't tell me where we we are, or how we got here, I'm gonna..."
But River quickly pinned Jayne to the bed with her arms, and the weakened Jayne was powerless resist as the psychic rolled her eyes and said. "He is not listening! Space is irrelevant, only time matters! Today is the girl's birthday! And man-called-Jayne made her the best present of all!"
River placed the wooden bird in Jayne's right hand and smiled. "He knew that she liked being called Albatross by Captain daddy! So man-called-Jayne took her avatar and made it real!"
Jayne, still somewhat woozy, shook his head. "No. I never finished that. You must have..."
River rapidly shook her head and laughed. "The River knows how to fly, not work wood. That is shiah hwa! Man-called-Jayne did all the carving..."
River tapped her right index finger against Jayne's head. "In here.. Man-called-Jayne's thoughts guided the Albatross' in his dreams.. His mind and her hands. Only together could they make the nebulous solid to create an image in her likeness. He helped her make that which was incomplete become whole. The Albatross will forever be grateful for this."
Jayne pondered River's words as he inspected the wood carving in his hands. The small, wooden representation of an albatross perfectly matched up with the image that the mercenary had envisioned when he had started making the carving, and was an exact replica of the wooden object he had finished shaping in many of his dreams. But when the mercenary looked up at the expectant hazel eyes which were watching him with rapt attention, he knew he couldn't give the crazy girl the satisfaction of knowing how good a job she had done. Where would be the fun in that? "Well, for your first wood carving, you did...okay. You were able to do all of that just from plucking an image from my mind?"
River nodded. "Yes. But her hands are not as practiced as man called Jayne's. She knows that he could have made it better. He can improve upon the design for her, if he wishes to. But she is satisfied with what they built together."
Jayne shook his head. "Don't be yu bun duh! I was only fooling with you! You might as well as ask me to improve the Venus of Willendorf. That's the old statue without arms, right?"
River laughed. "That's the Venus de Milo! She has never seen it, or it's likeness, but the girl...the woman has read that it was one of the most beautiful works of art on Earth that was! Some stories say that it's beauty was without equal, despite it's intentionally imperfect design..."
River smiled widely as she readjusted herself on the medical cot, so that her face was inches away from Jayne's. An in that moment, as the mercenary looked into the big hazel eyes, complete with half-moon shaped circles over them, of the self-proclaimed "crazy" brunette in front of him, who had sacrificed her sanity to be something both more and less than most people, Jayne couldn't help but feel he was looking at a work of art more beautiful than any work of wood, stone, or canvas had ever been. River's smile widened in that moment, and as if to respond to Jayne's thoughts (which, for all the mercenary knew, the psychic may have been doing on purpose), the brunette said. "But to her, this..."
River took the wooden Albatross in her own hands, threw the sculpture up in such a way that it spun as it rose a short distance into the air, then spun the opposite direction when the artificial gravity in Niska's Skyplex pulled it back down toward the med bay floor. For just a moment, as the wooden sculpture's trajectory shifted, Jayne could have sworn that the Albatross' wings had moved slightly of their own accord, and that the the "bird" was actually flying. However, the moment quickly passed, and the sculpture landed in River's petite hands less than half a second later. Even so, the mercenary knew that the memory of the "flying Albatross" would forever remain with him, even as the woman who had made the sculpture take flight smiled at Jayne and finished speaking. "Is the most beautiful work of art the woman has ever seen. Because man-called-Jayne made it for her with her own hands. She will treasure it always."
Jayne nodded, and his throat suddenly became dry as River carefully leaned over the edge of the bed, causing her shirt to ride up as she gently placed the wooden sculpture on her mattress on the floor, and the mercenary's cheeks were red by the time River had drawn herself back onto the cot and laid her head on the pillow right in front of Jayne. As River grinned at him in that moment, Jayne couldn't help but feel that the girl...no, woman in front of him, would one day be the death of him as he found himself speaking without thinking. "Actually, I uh...I can think of one thing that's even prettier than that carving.."
Jayne tried to look away then, as his words suddenly failed him. The mercenary mentally berated himself for become so tongue tied in front of someone who was barely a woman, when Jayne had no problem telling many a whore how attractive he found them in very colorful language. But the mercenary instinctively knew that his usual bedside manner would not fly with River, and that even thinking about River in comparison to common doxies was somehow wrong. However, the large man lacked the vocabulary in that moment to describe what he was feeling to the sexy, no more than that, the beautiful, woman in front of him.
Jayne's worried thoughts were soon swept away, however, by the spark in River's eyes as she replied. "She understands what he means. The albatross can fly into man-called-Jayne's thoughts...and his heart. And she is glad he feels...I am glad you feel, that way about me..."
Jayne's heart rate increased as River put her hand on top of the man's bare chest. The mercenary cleared his throat as he said. "Yeah? And why would that be?"
The psychic leaned towards Jayne's ear and whispered. "Because the girl has become woman, a fact now recognized on every planet in the 'Verse. And she wants a man...a man called Jayne, to be her mate now."
Within moments, River's lips were upon Jayne's, and this time, the mercenary didn't pull away as he let himself surrender to the moment. At first, River's movements were erratic, tongue and lip going all over and around Jayne's own lips as the inexperienced and overly excited psychic struggled to properly kiss the mercenary. Jayne gently took River's head in both his hands, however, and he guided River's mouth towards his own and pressed his lips against hers. Eventually, River relaxed into the kiss and gently pressed her lips back against the mercenary's for several seconds. After five seconds of this tame osculation, River pulled away from Jayne and smiled. "For one who doesn't usually kiss on the mouth, man-called-Jayne is quite proficient at it!"
Jayne gave River a half-smile.. "I haven't always had a no kissing rule, crazy girl. Now, do you want to ask me more gorram questions, or do you want me to teach you how to kiss properly?"
River grinned, and she was just about to open her mouth to speak, when her eyes went vacant for several seconds, and Jayne had to gently shake River's shoulder to snap her out of it. The psychic then shook her head and turned to look at Jayne with wide, hazel eyes. "She is sorry. The River did not mean to flow so deeply into his thoughts again, but she couldn't help it! She saw her, the girl with blonde hair and green eyes that boy-called-Jayne once knew. He kissed her once, and heart met heart when lips met lips. But she broke boy-called-Jayne's heart. He say her kissing another boy behind a fence after school. Afterwards, boy-called-Jayne swore he would never kiss another girl again. Not after Sa..."
Jayne shook his head and gently drew River's face to within inches of his own. "It ain't your fault if your brain-pan has its own will sometimes, but you don't need to say her name. That was a long gorram time ago, and I rarely give that meh lien duh jyah jee a thought now, so there's no use dwelling on the past. I'm here with you now, and you sure as go se aren't her.
River shook her head. "No she is...I am not her. She...I promise I will not break your heart like that foolish girl did."
Jayne gulped as River gently rubbed Jayne's chest with her hands over the man's medical gown, in the exact same place she had slashed the man with a knife several months ago, then looked Jayne in the eyes and spoke. "The River will never hurt the man-called-Jayne again."
Jayne sighed, the looked away. "You shouldn't make promise you can't keep."
River frowned at Jayne and shook her head. "No! Man called Jayne is her mate, and she will never hurt or leave him! The choice has been made, the die has been cast, and the Albatross mates for life! Man-called-Jayne belongs to the River, and the current will never let him go as long as he is willing to brave the rapids and stay between the shores!"
Jayne looked at River, then shook his head. "River, ..."
But the rest of that sentence never left the mercenary's lips, as Jayne's mouth suddenly found it being attacked by another wave of River's osculations. But this time, the kissing was different. Rougher, more forceful, but somehow, more controlled. It was only after over a minute of River kissing him, during which time she had forcefully pressed her mouth to Jayne's, opened her mouth to the mercenary and moved her tongue against Jayne's in seductive manner that a woman taking part in her second kiss ever had no right to know how to pull off, and the psychic had pulled away slightly to nibble and suck on Jayne's bottom lip, that Jayne finally figured out what was going on. River was kissing Jayne in a way that the mercenary had often kissed River...in his dreams about the brunette. And Jayne knew that should make him upset. That River must be actively reading his mind to do that. But at the moment, he was too wrapped up in lust and...other feelings, to care.
The mercenary did mind, however, when River put her right hand underneath his hospital gown, then started moving south. Jayne shook his head and put his hand on River's wrist to draw the young woman's hand away from his manhood. "No. I ain't rutting on no gorram hospital bed!"
River shook her head. "But ghuh-ghuh said you should stay on this bed until..."
Jayne rolled his eyes and sighed. "I don't care what he said! If I'm spry enough for rutting, then I'm spry enough to get out of this gorram bed! Besides, I don't want you mentioning your brother when you want to be rutting, no how."
River shook her head rapidly, then put her head in her hands. "She understands the man's meaning! She had killed the mood! Man called Jayne will never want to be the woman's mate now!"
Tears began to come out of River's hazel eyes, and Jayne sighed. The mercenary had never been good around crying women, even ones, like Kaylee, who he didn't have any sexual interest in (despite the occasional lewd joke that falsely gave a contrary impression). And around women that Jayne fancied, well, that just made things doubly confusing, as the mercenary's brain would get stuck somewhere between lust, and the fraternal instincts that he had developed back home, when Jayne hadn't been especially good at comforting his sisters when they were feeling sad, either.
But seeing River cry, especially after the mercenary had heard about the extent that the Alliance had messed with her brain pan, did things to Jayne's insides that the mercenary had never been comfortable with. Every time he saw the hazel-eyed young woman in distress since that day, the mercenary had to fight the urge to try to comfort the crazy girl. And sometimes, like the time that River had gone freaked out and fallen to the floor when she had sensed reavers coming, during what was supposed to be a routine bank robbery, his better instincts had failed him, and Jayne had found himself rushing to the aid of the feng le who had once threatened to kill him with her brain.
Now that Jayne knew that River, for reasons the mercenary was sure he would never be able to fathom, had took a shining to him, the man's protective instincts towards the craziest gorram woman that Jayne had ever known had become even stronger. And this time, as he watched moisture fall from River's hazel eyes, the mercenary found he did not have the will to resist the urge to wipe the tears from the brunette's face. "Hey now, there's no need for foolish talk like that. A man would have to gorram feng le not to want..."
Jayne scrunched up his nose in thought, but the best the relatively uneducated man could come up with was, "You know...someone like you. I still don't understand why you would take to fancying a hwen dan like me, but I'd be lying if I said I didn't want you in my bed..."
The mercenary shook his head. "That came out wrong. I didn't mean that I just want you for sexing..I just meant..."
River smiled at the mercenary's clumsy attempts to explain his feelings, but the psychic took pity on the man and interrupted. "She understands what he meant. Also, she will not mention Simon again when trying to become intimate with her mate."
Jayne nodded. "That would make things easier, yeah. Is there a room in this place where we could, you know, get more comfortable?"
River smiled at Jayne's seductive tone of voice, and, after the genius had done something to the machines monitoring Jayne's vitals so that the doctors Tam would not be made aware if Jayne left his medical cot, the psychic helped unhook the mercenary from the medical equipment and helped the large man off of the bed. "I think...I know a place..."
River giggled as she lead Jayne out the room, completely ignoring several of Niska's armed mercenaries that she and Jayne passed in the hallways, despite Jayne's protests. "Wait. I don't even have on proper underthings! And who the hell are these hwen dans?"
River shook her head as she continued to forcefully lead the mercenary by the hand. "Just mercs hired by the bad old man. Man-called-Jayne shouldn't worry, as long as we don't try to leave the satellite of death, hired guns will not ruin their fun!"
Jayne's face turned pale, but he found himself unable to resist River's surprisingly strong grip as she continued to pull him through sterile metal hallways. "Bad old man? Satellite of death?! Wait a second, I recall this gorram place. This is Niska's rutting Skyplex!"
River released her hold on Jayne's hand, sighed, then turned around while rolling her eyes. "She told him that their location in space was unimportant! Elder Tams and family seeking serenity are safe here. That is all man-called-Jayne needs to know right now! Now is the not the time for talking! It is time for the man and the River to become one flesh!"
River took Jayne's hand again, then she practically dragged him from one short hallway to the next as she ran. Jayne stumbled along as best he could, and River had lean against Jayne to keep him from tripping and and falling on his face several times. Despite his own post-coma clumsiness however, Jayne continued to follow River as best he could, for two reasons. One, Jayne had long ago realized that when River actually focused her mind enough to really want something, she always found a way to get it, eventually. Sometimes, this made the psychic come across as capable and determined. Other times, River's unyielding nature made her seem like a brat. But either way, Jayne had learned long ago that it was usually best to go along with River's crazy notions when she got a desire stuck in her head.
The other reason that Jayne continued to let River lead him through Niska's Skyplex at a break neck pace was far simpler. Despite the fact that he knew rutting around with River would probably be one of the worst decisions he could ever make in a life filled with poor decision making, in this moment, Jayne couldn't help but be captivated by the smile on River's lips, and fire the fire in her eyes, whenever she would turn back to make sure Jayne had made it around a turn without losing his balance. And, also, Jayne admitted to himself with a grin, the fact that running behind River gave him a great view of the woman's ass didn't hurt either. A fact that the psychic apparently knew all to well, considering the way she was twirling her hips in much more seductive manner than she usually did when she walked or ran.
Jayne's thoughts were interrupted, however, when River suddenly stopped in the middle of one hallway, causing a "distracted" Jayne to run right into the person he had just been admiring. Thankfully, however, River had quickly recovered her balance by leaning against a wall for support. The psychic turned to Jayne with a mischievous grin on her face that indicated she knew exactly what part of her body the mercenary had been busy admiring when he had run into her, but the expression soon morphed into a frown. "Rerouting. Unforeseen impediments on current route. They must engage evasive maneuvers to avoid unwanted questioning."
After a couple more seconds, River suddenly smiled and added. "Alternate route selected."
River then quickly took Jayne's hand again and dragged him in a direction opposite the one she and Jayne had been going. Before the mercenary could ask what game River was playing at, he heard the distinct sound of Simon Tam's voice, coming from the hallway he and River had vacated only about thirty seconds ago. "I can't believe that hwen dan would just up and leave his bed like that, before I even gave him a preliminary exam to make sure he is well enough to walk! Oh, wait, this is Jayne we're talking about, of course he did! In fact, it wouldn't surprise me if he wasn't taking advantage of River's infatuation of him right right this second..."
Jayne didn't see River rolling her eyes and making funny faces as she silently mouthed Simon's words at the same time her brother said them. The psychic and the mercenary only heard the first part of Reagan Tam's reply to her son's words before the Tam matriarch's words were out of earshot. "Now, Simon, you said yourself that Jayne would probably be fine to walk after the neuron-stimulation therapy you and your father administered while he was asleep. And, as of today, River's old enough to make her own choices..."
Jayne was so busy being relieved that he and River hadn't been spotted by Simon or Reagan that he didn't notice it when he and the psychic entered the same hallway that Kaylee happened to be walking in until he was passing within inches of the blushing mechanic. And it was only at that moment that Jayne remembered that he was still in his gorram hospital gown, which left the mercenary rear somewhat exposed. Before Jayne could open up his mouth to explain himself as he covered his rear, however, River smiled at Kaylee and said, "The woman will be taking her fully healed mate to the master bedroom for birthday rutting! She would would prefer it if Serenity's caretaker did not tell her ghuh ghuh what she is doing, or all fun could be ruined!"
Kaylee forced a smile. "Sure. That...that's just shiny! Glad you're awake again Jayne! Have fun having sex!"
River smiled at the mechanic before grasping Jayne's hand again, then shouting over her shoulder as she attempted to drag Jayne to their destination. "Much fun will be had! The River and man-called- Jayne will fly, and fly, and fly again, never crashing down to the ground, just as birds of a feather do!"
Before River and Jayne proceeded down the hallway, however, Kaylee tapped the mercenary on the shoulder, and the big man planted his feet long enough to hear the mechanic whisper in his ear. "River has a dear heart. Don't break it. Dohn-ma?
Jayne nodded and back and whispered "Dohn."
And that was all the mercenary had time to say before River was dragging him through the maze of hallways again. Finally, after what seemed like forever, the mercenary and the psychic came across a large metal door with an electronic keypad next to it on the wall.
River smiled as she punched in a six digit code into the keypad, causing the door to quickly open upwards from the ground. The psychic shook her head and mock sighed. "Bad old man is smart enough to run an empire of blood and credits, but he uses his wife's birthday as a pass-code"
The psychic laughed and said in sing-song tune. "Not smart! Bad old man must be going senile!"
River then took Jayne's hand and led the mercenary into one of the most opulent rooms he had ever seen. The king-sized bed had a base and headboard that seemed to be made entirely of gold, and had silk sheets, the carpet was made of a very fine looking red material, there were several pieces of jewelry and fine wigs on mannequins, and there were expensive looking paintings on each of the rooms four walls, as well as the oak bedside table and dresser in the room. The mercenary didn't recognize most of them, but one picture of a smiling woman did catch his eye. Jayne briefly felt the urge to steal the painting, but his strong instinct for self-preservation stayed his head.
Jayne shook his head as he stood in front of the painting of the smiling woman. "Well, gorram! I've seen that picture in one of Mattie's old books! Mal's gonna throw a fit when he finds out someone actually did manage to fence the Mona Lisa!"
River sighed. "Sadly, no. She is only a very good replica. Original accidentally left behind on Earth that was. A fact well-documented and bemoaned by art historians. Fortunately, many good replicas are still extant. This one still has the original's nice smile..."
Jayne shrugged. "I guess so."
The mercenary couldn't help but think he's seen better, however, when River turned away from the painting and back towards Jayne with a large grin on her face. "Shall we commence rutting now?"
Jayne gulped. "That's why we're here right? Can I have some gorram clothes when we're done?"
River chuckled. "She promises he will get more suitable garments later. But right now, man-called- Jayne is overdressed for the occasion." As if it was trying to prove River's point, the door to Niska's private bedroom closed and locked automatically.
The psychic walked towards Jayne, then quickly brought her arms around and behind the mercenary. Then, quicker than Jayne could blink, the back of his medical gown was untied, and the garment was falling to the floor. River smiled as she walked around Jayne, looking the naked man over in a way that Jayne wasn't entirely comfortable with. "Crazy...River. What are you playing at?"
River abruptly stopped walking once she had walked all the way around the mercenary. River frowned. "The gir...woman is unfamiliar with social protocol involving coitus. She is sorry if she offended man-called-Jayne, but she wanted to see her mate naked with her own eyes before they...Before we, commence rutting."
Jayne frowned. "What do you mean with your own eyes..." But then the mercenary remembered the part of his talk with River at Niska's villa where River mentioned that she had accidentally invaded some of his erotic dreams about her. It was at that very moment that River grinned and looked right at Jayne, implying that she knew he now understood what she had been talking about.
The psychic's smile widened when she said "Man-called-Jayne has more scars in real life, and he...embellishes certain aspects of his physique in his mind..." River looked pointedly at an area below Jayne's waist to make her meaning clear, and Jayne had to resist the urge to cover that part of his anatomy as River continued speaking. "But man called Jayne still looks shinier outside of Morpheus' realm. The woman is...I am..most pleased."
Jayne shivered. "Well, that's just shiny. But a man gets cold standing around in his birthday sui.."
Before Jayne had even finished speaking, River Tam had somehow managed to take off her dress, and the mercenary found he couldn't quite remember what he was going to say as he took in the sight of the half-naked brunette in front of him. River shook her head at Jayne as the mercenary struggled to keep his jaw from dropping. "Man-called-Jayne is silly. It is her birthday, not his. But the birthday girl knows how to keep her man warm."
Jayne was just about to ask what River was talking about when the psychic gently pushed Jayne backward just hard enough to knock the mercenary off his feet. Jayne was about to cry out, when he felt his back hit a big, soft object. It was only then that the mercenary realized that, for the second time in recent memory, River had maneuvered him towards a bed without him realizing it, and for the exact same purpose.
Before Jayne's thoughts could dwell on River tricking him again much, however, River had literally jumped onto the opposite side of the bed. In a flash, the psychic was literally on top of him, with her nimble legs straddling either side of his stomach. The psychic gave Jayne a look that was simultaneously lustful and playful before she bent her head down and whispered in Jayne's ear. "The birthday girl has been patient long enough, don't you think?"
The psychic didn't give the mercenary time to answer before she leaned her lips towards Jayne to give him another deep kiss. Once again, the mercenary was powerless to resist the girl-turned woman's soft lips on his own rougher ones. Once again, the mercenary broke his promise to himself to never kiss a woman on the mouth. And once again, tongue met tongue, lips met lips, and heart met heart. All too soon, however, the moment passed, as River pulled away from Jayne with a smile.
Jayne's disappointment did not last long, however, as River put her hands on her plain, white bra. River frowned for a moment. "She knows her underthings are plain as unbuttered bread. But she will endeavor to find items more appealing to man-called-Jayne in the future. The woman hopes...I hope, you still find me shiny to gaze upon." The young woman then took off her bra, revealing her bare breasts to Jayne.
The mercenary gulped. "Don't worry, you look...well, very nice without fancy underwear."
River smiled as she guided one of Jayne's hands towards her left breast. "She has read a lot about the physical act of love, and knows how to induce pleasure in both herself and her mate. Touch me like this."
As River guided Jayne's hands with one of her own, her other hand maneuvered its way down to her panties. In a process that took several minutes and a great deal of flexibility, River managed to shed her remaining undergarment without moving Jayne's hand away from her. The psychic then looked down at Jayne and grinned as she started moving her right hand down Jayne's body, starting from the man's chest, but heading ever southward.
Before River's hand could reach its intended destination, however, Jayne grabbed her wrist with his left hand to stop her. "Stop."
River's face scrunched up in a look that indicated she was simultaneously confused and on the verge of tears.. "She doesn't understand. Does man-called-Jayne not want her? He said he did!"
Jayne sighed as he thought of a way to explain his actions. "No. That ain't it at all. I just..." The mercenary struggled to put his thoughts into words. To explain it weren't right for a woman to look as beautiful as River did when she was naked, and still have such an innocent look about her in her eyes and smile. To make River understand that he hadn't earned the trust in River's hazel orbs, or the way those eyes looked at him so lovingly as the physic straddled Jayne's stomach, naked as...well, as the day he had first laid eyes upon her. How, in the moment before River's hand had...touched him, Jayne's traitorous mind had reminded him of all the times he had insulted River. All the times he had betrayed her. Convincing the captain to leave her and her brother behind on Jiangyn. Selling the Tams out to the Feds on Ariel. Trying to ditch River on Beaumonde after she had injured him at the Maidenhead. All of the reasons that Jayne did not deserve River.
The mercenary shook his head. "I just...I think this is a bad idea. For you. I mean. I just..."
River shook her head. " Man-called-Jayne's surface cognitions are like eggs. Scrambled. She does not understand. But she could, if he let her."
Jayne grimaced. "I don't know what you're talking about."
River nodded. "But man-called-Jayne will understand. If he opens the door when she knocks. He can trust her with himself."
Jayne was about to open his mouth to reply that he still didn't know what River was jawing about when he felt a presence in the back of his mind, A gentle nudge from a mind not his own, requesting entry to Jayne's innermost thoughts, but not forcing its way in. Jayne turned to River, who was staring right at him with a gentle intensity, and he knew right then that River was requesting entry into his mind. For a moment, Jayne thought of refusing her, because the thought of someone else sorting through his thoughts and memories seemed somewhat creepifying. On the other hand, the mercenary knew that if River saw every dirty thought that had ever run through his head, every bad thing he had ever done, and reminded her of every time he had betrayed the psychic, she would finally see him for the man he was. Finally understand that she deserved better.
Therefore, after a moment's hesitation, as Jayne's stomach tied up in knots at the thought that River would probably hate him in a minute or so, even as the rational part of the mercenary recognized that would still not be as bad as him breaking her heart later, Jayne followed River's instructions as literally as possible. The mercenary imagined River standing on one side of a door, with himself on the other. Jayne then visualized himself unlocking and opening the door to River, and braced himself for the rejection he knew was coming soon.
As he felt River's mind meld with his own, and felt the concern, affection, and trust the psychic had for him, the mercenary couldn't help but feel guilty that he was about to take all of that away from the girl, and probably whatever innocence she still had left with it, as Jayne summoned up memories of every bad thing he's ever done. Every man he had ever killed. Every woman he had told he loved them when he didn't. Every lie. Every betrayal. Every time Jayne had fallen short of the few ideals he held himself to. But instead of condemnation, as every bad memory came and went through his and River's minds, Jayne received only understanding and forgiveness from River as the psychic thought, over and over again. 'She can see the motivations behind his faults, and she understands why he did this thing. And she forgives him.'
By the time River was done sorting through all of the bad things the mercenary could remember having done at the moment, Jayne was overwhelmed by the amount of acceptance and forgiveness he had received from River. So the mercenary was embarrassed, but not surprised, when he realized there were tears in his eyes after River withdrew her thoughts away from Jayne just enough that he could use his physical senses again, and River said. "Don't worry. I will not tell the others that man called Jayne's eyes rained." Then the psychic delved into his thoughts again and flooded him with memories from her own mind,
Memories of the Academy, where scientist had tested River's conditioning by using subliminal messages to trigger her combat protocols, forcing River's body to kill several individuals that were brought before her, including an Alliance doctor who had a crisis of conscience and had attempted to leak the truth about the Academy to the public, even as her mind had screamed in protest about what her limbs were doing. After being shown these things, however, Jayne was quick to reassure River. 'That weren't your fault. You didn't kill those people, the hwen dans who brainwashed you did!'
River had mentally responded that. 'Their blood was still on her hands.' But Jayne could still feel relief emanating from the psychic at both Jayne's easy forgiveness of River's actions at the Academy, and the anger the mercenary felt at that moment for the Alliance scientists who had turned River into a weapon.
There were other memories as well. River showed Jayne the moment she had begged her parents to send her to the Academy, where the Alliance's brochure had promised River she would have "an unparalleled educational experience." In River's mind, this decision had been the moment that had ruined both her and Simon's futures. However, Jayne was quick to point out that. 'Smart or not, you were still an inexperienced little girl back then. There ain't no way you coulda known the Alliance's offer wasn't on the level. And besides, you and Simon didn't turn out so bad. He's sickeningly happy with Kaylee now, and you're the most bad-ass woman I know, even if you are a bit crazy!'
River followed Jayne's train of thought to it's logical conclusion, as she remembered killing a large number of reavers at Mr. Universe's satellite. The psychic shared memories with Jayne of running on adrenaline, using every close combat maneuver the Alliance had ever taught her, as well as her psychic abilities, to ruthlessly mow down wave after wave of the cannibalistic psychopaths. The psychic felt Jayne's admiration for this feat, but countered that admiration by sharing with the mercenary just a small portion of the fear, rage, and pain she had experienced vicariously through the reavers' thoughts as River scolded Jayne. 'She did not enjoy killing them. They had minds of their own! She felt every slice as she cut into them! Every punch or kick! She felt their fear as they bleed out on the floor! She did not want to kill them, but...'
'You did what you had to do.' Jayne gently reassured River. 'To save your brother, and the captain, and your friends. Besides, even if they had minds, those reavers weren't men no more, just mad dogs that needed to be put down. Killing them was a mercy.'
River was not so easily convinced, however, as she quickly flashed the mercenary with the memory of her hand hitting Jayne in the groin at the Maidenhead, even as her mind, once again, screamed at her body to stop. Then, River showed Jayne her memory of slashing him in the chest with a knife in Serenity's dining room in a fit of delirium and anger that her damaged mind had tried and failed to control. The mercenary could feel River's great sorrow as she recalled the two times she had seriously injured Jayne as she thought. 'Was she merciful then!?"
Jayne had mentally sighed then, even as his teeth physically clenched at the memory of the pain River had caused him 'We already talked about that. You weren't yourself at the Maidenhead, so that weren't your fault. And you weren't fully in control of your thoughts and actions back on Serenity, either, on account of what the purple bellies did to your brain. Not until you took us to Miranda, anyway."
When he felt River's mind start to wander towards the memory of millions dying on Miranda, Jayne quickly withdrew his mind a bit from River's so he could use his five senses again, then sat up and drew River into a deep kiss that lasted for almost a minute. After Jayne and River's mouths and tongues withdrew from each other, the mercenary took River's face in his hands and said. "Hey, you don't have to think about them no more. Those people got justice when we sent that wave to the 'Verse. Let their spirits rest, and live your own gorram life!"
River smiled and wiped away the tears that were still in Jayne's eyes from earlier as she said. "Man- called-Jayne is good at helping the woman ground her thoughts. She understands him even better now, and she knows she chose her mate well."
Jayne didn't know how to respond to that, so he drew the psychic into another make out session. The mercenary still wasn't sure that this was the right thing to do, but he was tired of fighting his feeling for the brunette who was now straddling his lap again. Tired of trying to convince the woman whose adoration he could feel through the mental link that was still open between him and the psychic as River started moving her own pelvis towards Jayne's. So the mercenary gave in.
The new lovers were quickly overwhelmed after Jayne and River were joined together, as the psychic link that was still partly open between the two of them meant Jayne could feel almost everything River felt at that moment, aside from a few unpleasant sensations that River held back from the mercenary. The psychic was also vicariously experiencing all of the mercenary's physical and emotional sensations.
All of the desire, pleasure, and another, more tender feeling that Jayne was afraid to name, and River didn't feel the need to label just yet, that Jayne and River were feeling was amplified by the echo of the same feelings in the other, until the psychic and the mercenary's thoughts, feelings, sensations, and even some memories, entwined closely together. In some moments, it was almost hard for River and Jayne to tell where their own thoughts, feelings and sensations ended, and their lover's began.
Finally, after several minutes, River was able to collect their thoughts enough to ask Jayne a question, although the psychic wasn't sure if she asked the question with her mouth or her mind. "She is sorry she didn't ask first. Is this okay?'
Jayne didn't even need the psychic connection between him and River, which the anxious psychic was starting to withdraw, to know that River was talking about keeping her mind connected to his while the two of them made love. Jayne had to suppress the urge to laugh at River's question, because Jayne wasn't about to withdraw from the connection with River that was making this moment the most intense sexual experience he had ever had. "Hell, yeah! Don't stop what you're doing!"
River smiled as she rejoined her mind with Jayne's, and the merc and the psychic continued making love. She appreciated both the intensity and the tenderness their psychic link brought them, as Jayne continued to use his connection to River to bring the psychic pleasure while still using some discretion to minimize the pain and discomfort the former virgin experienced during her first time, which River had psychically shielded him from. Several minutes later, River's discomfort and pain ceased entirely. Then, after her and Jayne had ceased sexual activity for a few minutes to clean up, the lovers started rutting all over again...
Over an hour later, River was lying in Jayne's arms, and the mercenary was staring at the ceiling of Niska's room, which had some weird painting on it that, as far as Jayne could tell, involved a naked younger man trying to the touch the index finger of an older man who was clothed in robes. Truth be told, Jayne had found the painting a might creepifying when he had first seen it, but the mercenary was not thinking about the painting now. River looked towards Jayne's eyes with a sleepy look in her own hazel orbs as she said. "What is man-called-Jayne thinking about now?"
Jayne laughed. "Don't you already know the answer to that, moonbrain?"
River shook her head slightly and smiled at the fond tone of voice Jayne used, turning an old insult into an affectionate nickname. "She is too tired. The River flows freely when the girl sleeps, the albatross can fly when she is awake and alert, but when the woman is merely tired, she cannot read others."
Jayne chuckled. "Now I know I've been spending too much time around you, seeing as I actually can actually understand what you're saying ...most of the time. You shouldn't trouble yourself too much with what I'm thinking, moonbrain. I ain't that interesting."
River smirked. "Clearly, she thinks otherwise, or Jayne would not be her mate."
Jayne sighed. "I suppose that's so. I just...I've been pondering over whether to tell you something. But even if I did...I'm not sure you'll believe what I'd have to say, on account that I've been careless with some of my words in the past. Concerning, you know, women folk."
River smiled and give Jayne a brief kiss, then said. "She...I love you too, Jayne. She knows man- called-Jayne has said the words in the past when he did not mean it, but this woman could see inside his heart and mind when they were one, and she knows that his feelings for her are true."
Jayne gulped. "Well, ain't that just shiny!"
River nodded, then yawned and closed her eyes as she said. "The woman is tired now. It is time for the river to flow into the land of Nod..."
Jayne smiled at the sight of River falling asleep on his chest, then suppressed a sigh so he would not wake the psychic up. In that moment, the mercenary still feared that his and River's new...whatever they were, would crash and burn before long, once she understand what kind of man he was, and that either Simon or Mal would personally insure that Jayne died in the aftermath of that fiery inferno. And there was no doubt in Jayne's mind that his new relationship to the mentally unstable brunette slumbering in his arms would bring him no end to trouble come the morning. But right now, in this moment, as Jayne allowed his right arm to fully rest across River's side, and his fingers to gently touch River's slender stomach, Jayne couldn't think of any type of trouble that he'd rather be in.
AN: Okay, I know there is no excuse for getting this chapter out so late, with so little content, but I will attempt to do so anyway. I apologize to all of my readers for the long delay between chapters, but, without going into detail, real life stuff just got in the way. That being said, I hope that at least most of you enjoyed this chapter, and the moment that many of you have been waiting for (and some of you have probably been dreading), the official consummation of Rayne! But please, readers, let me know what you really think of this chapter in a review! As always, thanks go out to all my readers for supporting this story, and a special thanks go out to Hawki, Mondtanz, and bjq, for reviewing my last chapter! And a very special thanks goes out to my beta reader! Without your encouragement, I probably would have given up on writing this story a long time ago.
Also, my apologies to any ornithologist or art scholars reading this for anything I got wrong about birds or any famous works of art in this chapter. Please note that, 500 years in the future, any knowledge of artworks, or birds from our world might be a little sketchy. But any outright mistakes are my own.
Thanks again for reading! Until next time, I am...
-supercode
