16. Breaking
"No!" River cried out, leaving her protected position to run to the fallen body. Unconsciously she dodged bullets from both sides, her body protecting itself while her heart was breaking.
"Jayne, my Jayne-bear," she sobbed, collapsing in the dirt next to his prone body, the reality of the fighting around her fading into nothing while she focused solely on her lover. "You promised," River's voice was thick with emotion and tears, "You promised you'd never leave me."
Later, the crew would try to pry her broken and hollow body from his, but in the end they would be buried together.
17. Belief
For a month after the events of Miranda, Jayne spent his time away from the rest of the crew, reflecting on his life and what he had been through aboard Serenity.
His conversations with Sheppard Book played through his mind in an endless loop, replaying and repeating like a broken record, constantly going back to conversations about believing.
Not about believing in God or a supreme being, but believing in something. Mal had found that belief in doing the greater good. After many days of reflection, Jayne found what he believed in-- River's strength to fight the things he couldn't.
18. Balloon
They wandered through the crowded aisles of the festival, examining the variety of food and game booths; Jayne keeping one arm around River at all times, whether to ward off other men or to keep her from getting lost in the crowd was anyone's guess.
"Jayne! Look at the bear!" River pointed excitedly at a large purple bear hanging from a booth.
Jayne couldn't help but smile as he paid for a game. It was simple, he found, throwing darts at balloons. Minutes later the pair moved back into the crowd, laden down with a bear the size of River.
19. Balcony
"What're you doin' out here, baby girl?" Jayne asked from behind her, his voice thick with sleep.
"Just looking," River replied, staring out over the bright lights of the city. Instinctively knowing when he came up behind her, she leaned back into his warmth, letting him warm her skin against the chilled air.
"Oh yeah?" he asked huskily, his lips brushing her neck with each word. "How 'bout you come back inside and let me do some lookin'?"
"What, afraid someone will see us if we do it out here?" River teased, reaching behind her to trace his naked thigh.
20. Bane
"But mei mei, you know he hates me!" Simon pleaded.
River sighed with exasperation, nearly ready to give up on her brother altogether. "He doesn't hate you, Simon. Stop being such a boob!"
"River, he's been the bane of my existence since we stepped onto this ship! You can't honestly expect that either of us can just forget the last year existed!"
River rolled her eyes at her brother's misgivings. "The least you can do is to agree to be nice to him. Please, for me."
"But I don't understand why that means I have to plan the bachelor party!"