I'm sorry this has taken so long, I had major computer failure so lost everything. Including the entirity of this chapter which has had to be rewritten from memory.

Jayne's song is Cocaine Blues by Johnny Cash and Kaylee's song is Juke Box Blues written by Maybelle Carter and Helen Carter. Both feature in the movie Walk the Line.

Italics as usual are flashbacks.

Title competition is still open. Prize is a personally written for YOU story by moi!

The document editor won't let me insert lines to seperate stuff so using stars instead. Hope it makes sense still.

Please enjoy!

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Chapter 4: Take That And Party

Someone has found Jayne a guitar. Mal can't think of anything worse than Jayne with a guitar. Except Jayne drinking while playing it, like now.

"When I was arrested I was dressed in black
They put me on a train and they took me back
Had no friend for to go my bail they slapped my dried up carcass in that country jail
Early next mornin' bout a half past nine I spied the sheriff coming down the line
Talked and he coughed as he cleared his throat
He said come on you dirty heck into that district court
Into the courtroom my trial began where I was handled by twelve honest men
Just before the jury started out I saw the little judge commence to look about
In about five minutes in walked the man holding the verdict in his right hand
The verdict read in the first degree I hollered Lordy Lordy have a mercy on me."

Mal retreats to a distance where his ears won't start bleeding, carrying his metal mug of potent locally brewed alcohol. He thinks his crew may have some sore heads come morning. He circles the haystack-sized bonfire and glances over to where a band is playing. Just some guitars, a fiddle, a handheld drum, tin whistle. Every so often a townsperson gets up to sing.

In the small area cleared for dancing Wash is swinging Zoë about energetically. Kaylee is dancing with one of Jayne's brothers, Mal can't tell which one. Inara is laughing at one side of the space.

He spies River sat one a chair at one side, wistfully watching the dancers. She is minding baby Mal who is pushing a t-rex into a patch of mud.

"How you doing?" he asks her.

She pulls a face. "Too fat to dance."

"Nonsense."

He sets down his mug on a nearby table and pulls her to her feet. He draws her close to him and dances a few steps with her. She smiles as he twirls her away from him momentarily, and then draws her back. The song ends too soon and he releases her.

"Thank you Captain."

He bows low over her hand with a crooked grin and mashes his lips against her knuckles.

When he straightens he looks her right in the eye. "Tell anyone and I'll deny I ever saw you."

She grins at him. "Yes sir."

He retrieves his mug from the table and carries on walking. He finds Simon sat on the ground looking pretty worse for wear already. He is swigging from a bottle and staring over at where Kaylee is taking the stage to sing.

Mal wonders what is it that is making his crew burst into song.

"I walked into a honkey tonkey just the other day
I dropped a nickel in the juke box just to hear it play
I didn't have no tune in mind, I didn't wait to choose
Just dropped a nickel in the slot and I played the juke box blues," Kaylee sings, only slightly drunkenly.

Simon's face is pretty much unreadable, apart from the slight frown line between his eyebrows.

"You say anything to her…" Mal begins warningly.

"Yeah yeah I know. I'll go out the air lock," he answers flippantly before taking a slug from his bottle.

Mal thinks about giving him a swift kick as he walks past but decides that he isn't worth the effort.

He drains the last of his drink from the mug and sets it down. He feels the alcohol create that low buzz in his skull. He is sure he isn't drunk. Then he spots Zoë standing at the back of the dancing, alone while Wash and Inara whirl about the floor. He sidles up beside her and slips an arm around her waist. She looks at him, briefly, startled, before he whips her onto the dance floor with a grin.

She relaxes slowly in his arms as he drags her around the floor. Mal leans forward and speaks softly in her ear.

"Need to talk to you."

She frowns at him. "Why sir?"

He shrugs and won't meet her eyes. "Meet me by the barn." He steps back from her and smiles, before walking away.

Zoë watches him go and wonders what is happening.

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"Hey baby girl," Jayne stops dead in front of River with a crooked smile. "Wanna go for a walk?"

River gives him a smile, grateful to be given an excuse to escape the throng of Jayne's family who all want to know the girl who tamed Jayne Cobb.

They head in the direction of Serenity. Jayne loops an arm around his wife's back. "So how is everything?"

River nods. "Your mama is lovely."

"Good she likes you too. Likes everyone. Foolish woman," but he is smiling. "Soft spot for Mal for some reason."

River grins. "I liked the party…"

"But everyone is a little overbearing? I get it."

River laughs lightly. "Yeah. And Simon is still sad."

"Simon ain't sad," Jayne says with a smirk. "Simon's getting hammered. There's a difference." He pokes a finger into her forehead. "In your little girl brain they sometimes get muddled."

River pushes his hand away with a laugh. "Shut up. I suppose your big man brain knows everything."

Jayne grins. "Damn straight. I know you want me to kiss you."

River stops and looks up at him. "Yeah why not."

He grins and leans down to kiss his wife.

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Mal hasn't felt this guilty since his mama caught him behind the barn with his hand up Jenna Jackson's skirt when he was twelve. His mama had whupped him so hard for that.

He reaches out a hand to touch the shoulder of the woman sat on the hay bale, her back to him, but she turns before he makes contact. Her eyes are chocolate pools full of anger.

"Zoë…" he starts dropping his hand.

"Don't," after a moment she adds, "sir."

Mal stares at her for a moment the buzz in the back of his head getting stronger. Then he says the words that are possibly the most stupid ones he has ever said. "I love you."

She gapes at him for a minute or so. "I'm a married woman!" she finally utters in shock.

Mal looks ruefully at her. "I know."

Zoë suddenly feels incredibly uncomfortable under his gaze and in the simplicity of his response. "You're drunk," she counters.

He shakes his head and moves towards her. He drops into a crouch in front of her in the scattered hay. "No. Zoë I love you."

Zoë stands, roughly brushing loose hay from her trousers. "Get up."

She stares at him until he gets slowly to his feet. "You are drunk sir. Go get some fresh air."

Mal shakes his head, feeling the buzz turn into a wave of dizziness. "Remember what I told you Zoë? When you left Serenity? I told you I needed you. I always have and always will. That hasn't changed." He reaches forward and cups his hand around her cheek. He leans forward as though to kiss her again.

"Zoë?" The shout interrupts the moment.

She leaps away from him and heads towards the door, towards her husband, leaving Mal standing in the hay.

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Inara carefully lights the candles, shielding them against the light breeze until the flame catches. She moves them gently back into their positions on the stone plinth before sitting back on her heels. An undignified way to sit but right now she doesn't care. This cold stone plinth, these candles unmarked with names, but Inara knows exactly which one belongs to who. The two to the left for River and Simon, the ones to the right for Jayne and Book, the one in the middle for Mal. All too lifeless to sum up any of the people they commemorate. It's been three years. Three years tomorrow and Inara has cleared her schedule. Somehow she can't think of doing anything on this day. She feels the tears prick her eyes for a moment, then overflow taking her mascara in black rivulets with them.

She had been strong for Kaylee at the funeral. She didn't have to be strong for anyone now. The other Companions knew better than to disturb Inara here. She lets the full wave of emotion take over her and sobs, her body heaving until she has to hold onto the plinth just to keep herself from falling to the ground. She keeps her eyes fixed on the flickering flame of Mal's candle before a sudden chill breeze snuffs it out.

Inara asks Simon to dance, trying to keep him from drinking himself into a stupor.

"I don't know how to dance to this," he admits as she pulls him onto the dance floor.

Inara smiles. "Its not that different from Osiris. You danced well enough then."

Simon's cheeks go ever so slightly pink and he loops his arm around her back. Inara settles one arm around his neck and push his arm lower down towards her waist. "But less structured. Relax." She laughs lightly.

"You remember what happened after we last danced right?" he says wryly as they start to move.

Inara nods. "Yes"

They twirl in time with the music in a rough approximation of a fast waltz.

"Simon are you ok?"

He shrugs as much as he can with her in his arms. "Fine."

"Really?"

"No. But then you're used to me telling you that I'm not alright aren't you 'Nara."

She sighs lightly and feels sad for him. This confused man in front of her who only seems to confide in her.

"You still haven't resolved things with Kaylee have you?"

He shakes his head. "I don't know. No."

"Why not?" Inara presses in a question that he doesn't want to think about.

Simon dips her low with an ironic grin. Inara squeals in surprise. Simon pulls her up and they come face to face.

"Why can't I work it out with her Inara?" a beat. "Why do I always end up dancing with you?"

Then the screamed words that send the world crashing down around their ears.

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Simon leads them back up the stairs to the bedroom, looking white and exhausted. River quivers so much beside Jayne as they walk that he can actually feel her trembling despite not touching her. He reaches out his hand and gives hers a squeeze. Then drops it as they reach the door. Simon opens it slowly revelling the man lying in the bed.

Book gives them a weak smile, and then coughs.

River takes two paces into the room then stops, looking like she might take flight at any moment.

Jayne however walks over to the bed. "How you doin' Preacher?"

Book rolls his eyes to the mercenary. "Not so hot Jayne," he croaks painfully.

"Is that so?" Jayne continues. "Far as I can see you'll be up and about in no time."

Book coughs again. "Doubt it boy. Don't worry I know my time is up."

Simon has drawn River gently towards the bedside. He looks down at Book. "I want to say thank you," he says softly. "For everything Shepard. Goodbye."

Book nods, his eyes closing. He is obviously failing.

Jayne looks down at the dying man. "Goodbye Shepard. You shoulda told Simon you were sick earlier though."

Book laughs and looks at them all tiredly. "Take care of each other." His voice is a tiny dry whisper.

River's voice is tiny. "Dance with the angels Derrial. I know you can."

Book's eyes close again. "Take care…dance…" then he is gone.

Jayne turns away as Simon leans over to take a pulse from the old man's wrist. River stares down at the body, then looks at the ceiling. "He's happy now."

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River sits at the table in the dining area of Serenity while Jayne makes some tea.

Suddenly River cries out. "Jayne!"

"What?" he asks nearly dropping the teacup in his hand.

"She moved!" she has her hands pressed to her belly.

"Really?" Jayne puts everything back on the worktop and crosses the space in four paces.

River stands and he puts his hands against her bump. "I can't feel it," he says frowning.

River takes one of his hands and moves it. His eyes light up.

"I can feel her!" there is childlike wonderment in his voice.

River smiles at him then pulls a face. She blinks a couple of times, then her eyes seem to cloud over. "Jayne?"

Something in her voice is wrong. Then her legs buckle under her. Jayne catches her before she can fall.

"River? River!"

"They're coming. Someone is going to fall." She stares at Jayne, her face terrified. "They know where we are. They're coming here."

Jayne hates to think that he knows who is coming. "Who River?" he asks desperately.

"Going to cut us open and watch our innards squirm. Flay us alive. For fun!"

"WHO?" Jayne yells at her desperately.

"Reavers."