Title: You make me feel like dancing Prompt: None, this now strays away from the Firefly 100 Characters/Pairings: River, Jayne, pre-rayne. Rating: PG Wordcount: 500, Disclaimer: Not mine, not paid, don't sue. Notes: This time the fairy tale is "The Twelve dancing Princess" Thanks to crazywriterchic for suggesting it, Rumplestiltskin was going nowhere. Not beta'd.

You make me feel like dancing

Jayne awoke.

Someone was moving around outside his bunk and it wasn't right.

Crew passing through to the galley or bridge didn't sound like that, there were no steady or even stumbling steps, the muted drag and thump of feet didn't make sense.

The last time he'd heard strange noises in the night there'd been a Bounty Hunter aboard after the girl.

He threw off the bedclothes, loaded up with Betsy and Binky and waited until the noises disappeared down the corridor before he snuck out of his bunk.

It was River.

Jayne hugged the shadows and watched her dance around the dining table and out into the aft passage.

That was all it was, the girl was dancing.

He hovered between going back to bed and following her, curiosity and a vague unease won.

By the time he caught up, she was in the cargo bay. Dancing around the twelve hulking crates of cargo he'd stowed earlier that evening. He hugged the shadows of the walkway, remembering the last time he'd done that, when River's dance had been light and playful. This time she danced with a purpose, every movement strong, jumps and twists straining her to the limit. It was beautiful, controlled, violent, angry and passionate and he wondered if she had been like that amongst the Reavers.

Her feet twinkled; she was wearing the mirrored slippers.

She danced on. Jayne should have gone back to bed, he was cold and uncomfortable but he didn't. He watched her dance through the night hours until she stumbled more than she danced, until she fell down more than she stood up.

Awe turned to confusion, confusion to anger and he stormed down the stairs like a bull, puffing and bellowing. "Crazy! What in Sam Hill ya doin'?"

River span, tipped and fell, looking up at him, eyes astonished above purple black shadows. "J-Jayne, I-I didn't know you were there!"

"Ain't the point. Don't know what screws loose today but yer stoppin' this now!" Jayne grabbed her by the shoulders and pulled her to her feet, shaking her a little, "Dancin' till yer fit ter drop. What good are ya gonna be ta anyone?"

"Needed to atone." River's head drooped and her words slurred, "Danced the shoes to rags to release you."

"Huh," Jayne looked down at the little mirrored shoes on her feet; they were dusty and worn, the uppers coming away from the soles.

There were smears of blood on the cargo bay floor.

He lowered her down, none to gently and grabbed one foot. The sole of her shoe had worn away at the toes, ball and heel and the edges were crusty with blood. He yanked the slipper away ignoring her pained whimper. Her sole was one big burst blister filthy with ground in dirt and two ragged cuts oozed sluggishly across her heel.

He looked down at her, confusion and fury in his eyes, "What you doin' crazy?"

River's mouth opened and closed, then she fainted.