She Always did Love to Dance
AN: Wonderful comments on the previous chapter, thank you so much!
PART 5
When Mal walked into the room to announce that they were landing, he was surprised to see both Simon and Jayne asleep. Simon was leaning sideways on the wall, a teddy bear under his arm, and Jayne had let his head fall straight back, his mouth gaping open.
Mal cleared his throat loudly and they both jumped, looking around confused. Then the remembering started again and after a quick glance at each other, they both turned pained expressions on Mal.
"Uhh, we're touching down on Haven in a few minutes, I already waved and they have a . . . a coffin we can use." His duty done, Mal went out to the cargo bay, waiting to greet the people of Haven, or at least those who had been able to escape into the mineshafts when the Alliance had attacked and some of the new settlers that had moved in afterwards.
Once Zoe gave word that they had landed, Mal opened the bay doors and lowered the ramp. The people of Haven were gathered at the bottom of the ramp and a pang went through his heart, remembering all the times when Book had stood in their place, ready with open arms and a non-judgmental sermon that wasn't a sermon.
Mal shook off past sadnesses only to be hit hard with the new one as two Haven men carried forward a small open coffin. Mal gave them a nod and turned around to lead them to the infirmary.
He stopped in the doorway when he saw Jayne and Simon on either side of River's body, each clutching a hand. Simon looked up and motioned for the men to carry in the coffin. They brought it in and placed it next to the bed.
The two men looked uncertainly at River's guards until Jayne murmured, "We got it from here."
The Haven men nodded understandingly and left just as quietly as they had come. Mal watched as Jayne lifted River and gently placed her in the coffin. Simon smoothed her dress while Jayne rearranged her hair.
Then they each took an end and, carefully lifting it, they marched out of the infirmary, through the cargo bay, where Kaylee and Inara were quietly crying, and off the ship. They didn't pause or even change speed until they got to the hilltop that already held three markers.
They placed the coffin near them and stepped back as the rest of the crew and some of the Haven men and women walked up the hill. Some had shovels, but some were driving a wagon that held another marker. As everyone began to dig, Jayne and Simon walked over to the wagon. The rest of the crew walked up behind them.
"Have you picked something?" the technician of Haven sat in the wagon next to the marker.
"Yes, this one please," Simon handed a capture card to the man.
"Right, this shouldn't take long." The technician turned the marker around to get to the wiring that would create the holographic image on the top of the marker once it had been turned on.
And there it was, literally carved in stone, River Tam.
Kaylee came up and leaned into Simon's side. He put his arm around her shoulders, but it was impossible to tell who was holding up whom. Mal stood off to the side, holding Inara to his chest. Zoe wasn't near the wagon, she had gone to sit next to Wash's marker, a tiny plastic dinosaur and a Chinese prayer card on her lap.
Jayne looked back at the two couples, then went toward the coffin that was waiting as the hole beside it grew bigger and deeper. He slowed as he approached, but then suddenly sped up, walking quickly toward the cliff's edge.
He scooped up a large rock on the way and with a few running steps, he let it fly with a ferocious yell. All the pain in his heart pouring out of his mouth, burning his throat. The rock fell loudly down the cliff, its broken crashing in harmony with Jayne's harsh yell. His lungs demanding air, he collapsed to his knees. His eyes stared out over the rocky valley, but he didn't see anything.
He lost track of the time, jumping when a soft hand landed on his shoulder. He looked up into Zoe's face, "It's time." And she walked back to the now finished hole.
Jayne took a deep breath and got back on his feet. As he walked, he pulled the little white box out of his pocket.
The Haven men hung back by the wagon as River's grave was surrounded by the entire crew of Serenity, even those who had been gone for seven months.
Mal looked around, knowing that he should speak, Captain's duty and all that, but he didn't know what to say. Everyone was a little surprised when Kaylee's tearful voice rang out clear.
"She told me once that this was the only true family she had ever known. I joked that not every family had a Jayne, but she said, of course they did, he was the puppy who growled and tore up the furniture, but everyone can't help loving it anyway."
They all gave a tiny laugh at that. "She said we were a family and I know everyone here believes that and if there's one thing I know about family it's that they can get through Hell so long as they stick together."
Simon tightened his hold on her. Everyone was standing a little bit straighter. A seed of comfort was planted with Kaylee's simple words.
Jayne stepped forward and knelt beside River, the box still in his hand. "Well, you know I ain't no good with words, but you always said that my eyes said everythin' I couldn't get to come out my mouth. Well, there is somethin' that I hope you saw there because I never knew how much I'd regret not havin' the courage to say it. But I'll make a deal with you, if you wear yours, I'll wear mine and it'll be like I asked one of the million times in the last month I went to say it."
He opened the little white box and pulled out two simple gold bands, "River, will you marry me?"
A sob choked his throat then as he slid the smaller band onto her left ring finger and then did the same on his own hand with the larger band. He kissed his fingers and then pressed his hand to her cheek for the last time. Standing, he walked back to the group where Zoe put a comforting hand on his shoulder.
The Haven men came back with the coffin lid and with a hollow thump, closed River into the box. Simon couldn't help thinking that if Mal just went up and kicked the lid back off, she'd wake up screaming and alive.
But Mal never moved and Simon knew it was impossible as the men lowered the coffin into the grave.
They stood and watched as the hole was filled once again, and then all eyes were riveted to the hologram capture as it began to move over the marker. Simon and Jayne had found it under River's pillow the night before and they knew this is what she would have wanted.
In the hologram, River was dancing, twirling and leaping in the cargo bay, barefoot as always, lost in her own world until, mid-spin, Jayne stepped into frame and scooped her up, continuing to spin with River in his arms. Even without sound, it was plain to see by her face that she was laughing joyfully as she spun in the arms of the man she loved.
The hologram paused and then started over.
It continued to play as the crew left
continued to play as Serenity lifted off and out of atmo
continued to play as the sun set
continued to play just as the three other holograms continued around it
continued . . . River Tam-Cobb dancing happily forever.
AN: Well, that's it, thank you again for reading, this story accomplished many things for me and I felt good writing it even as it made me sad, I hope there was something in there for each of you, too.