A/N: OK, so the last chapter obviously wasn't the last one before I left… I had an interesting time writing this. Actually did some restructuring of it after I finished writing, which is mildly shocking...

Every time he opened his eyes, the white barren walls reminded him that he was not in his own private bunk. He was on the Alliance ship Kinderlager, the ship that Operative commanded. Serenity in pieces, Kaylee had been drugged. Simon and he had been shot and Mal... Well Mal had just been a gorram idiot.

Unfortunately for all o' them, it had been worse 'n normal. In fact the only two who'd gotten out o' this without so much as a scratch was Inara and the moonbrain girl. And the girl was a story unto herself.

He stood, refusing to be in this zhengqi de goushi dui of a room any longer. He didn't gorram know where he'd go. But he couldn't be alone with his thoughts no longer. Turning down the hallway, he did his best to seem small and insig-gorram it, whatever that word was. Trouble was bein' that he was taller n' the most people, it was hard not to notice him. He growled as the soldiers glared at him and the civilians scuttled out of his way.

There was something odd about their expressions however, so Jayne was unsurprised the moonbrained girl suddenly spoke from behind him.

"Big man is in search of something." River trailed after Jayne. He glanced back at her, snorted and continued on.

"But does he know what he is searching for?"

"Big man knows when he's bein' followed an' he don't like it," Jayne said.

River giggled. "In order to fly, the bird has to test her wings. She has to make amends to the one who she hurt." She finished on a somber note.

Jayne grunted. "Go test your wings elsewhere, moonbrain."

"Thirty five minutes and forty two seconds until Simon wakes up. I have nothing to entertain me. You are entertainment."

"Fine. Just don't be a pest." Jayne said, stopping and waiting for her to catch up. River was curious as to where they were going. He had purpose on his brain. Needed to work out his grief.

"Jayne-man is a rock. Unreadable but the color is dependable. Red."

"What are ya prattlin' about?"

"At present time, I find it easier to follow you around than be lost in my own thoughts. Your red color is always there. Everyone else is fluctuating."

There was a pause as Jayne sized her up. "You sayin' I'm predictable?"

"Only your color. Red. Comforting to know you'll be red."

"Huh. Well, guess I'm glad to help. You thinkin' on helpin' me find the gym?"

River's smile lit up her entire face and Jayne eyed her warily, having stopped to face her.

"I know where the gym is. Come." River scampered off and Jayne followed, a rather bemused expression on his face. She was confusin' as all hell, but she seemed to be in control of her faculties. Somethin' about her eyes was different from what he'd ever seen before. Before, she hadn't quite been there. This was new. She was there and Jayne could not have explained it for the world. He didn't like her, but he found, after the reavers, that he trusted her.

"And just how do you know where it is?" he yelled after her, nearly jogging to keep up with the half pint sized girl.

"Not all minds are stone," River called back over her shoulder, giggling.

Jayne frowned. "You calling me stupid, girl?" He said.

"No. Stone. There's a difference." Not much of one, River added to herself, but enough for her. Jayne was good at what he did, but she would be the brains of the operation.

She opened a door and there was a gymnasium. A hoop for hoop ball and a bench to lift weights on. A few other weight machines as well. Jayne thumped a hand on her shoulder in thanks and walked a beeline for the bench. River sat in proximity, knowing his shoulder was weaker than he was admitting to anyone. He would be tired earlier than he was happy and someone would have to get him off the chair. Even if it was by unhappy means.

She wasn't quite sure what those means were yet. It was immensely too bad that they were not in the dining area. Far more inspiration existed there. Such as syrup in the hair. She lay against the ground, listening to the blank white soldiers tap past the rather small gymnasium, minding Jayne's heart rate and the spiking of his shoulder.

The ship itself was blank and white. Not like serenity. Serenity was a home. It was loved and it loved in return.

"Ship is dead."

"It'll come back to life. Just gotsta fix it is all."

Jayne was talking about Serenity. "Here. Ship is dead. Or it never started living. No beating heart."

"Ah," Jayne said, still rhythmically doing his sets.

Jayne's shoulder became spiky. He wouldn't last much longer.

River opened her mouth and screamed. It was actually rather bloodcurdling. She was proud of herself.

"WHAT? Gorramit girl!" Jayne was swearing to himself as he hoisted the barbell back onto the hooks. River kept screaming. He stood over her, trying to make her shut up, but River kept going. "You're gonna bring the whole ship in on me here an' I'm going to be blamed! Stop it!" River added shivering to her body language as she continued to scream.

Scowling, Jayne scooped her up and started running for the door, back towards where the crew was stationed. River buried her face in his large shoulder. Big man had good reflexes. And he could touch her without flinching. Progress. She stopped screaming but allowed a few whimpers to come out, trying to maintain the illusion of her upset.

It was only two minutes later that they burst into Kaylee's room. Simon looked up from the chair he was sitting in and moved fairly fluidly to a standing position.

"Wha-What is going on?"

"Yer sister started screamin. No clue as to why. Make sure it don't happen again. Gorram nuisance," Jayne growled, dumping River onto the empty bed and stomping out of the room.

River started giggling when she was sure the big man was far enough away. That had been an amusing response.

"River? Mei mei?" Her brother's voice reminded her that Simon didn't know. She rolled over to look at him.

"Big man's shoulder would have collapsed after three more bench presses. Would have set him back significantly in his progress. Could not allow that to happen, so I screamed to make him stop." River looked up at her brother whose lips quirked, nearly smiling.

"Didn't have any syrup to drizzle on his hair," she added, running a finger on her brother's cheek.

"And I'm sure you are far better off for it at the moment," Simon said, a slow smile curving his lips. "Jayne would not have taken well to that. Do you remember when I stole your books? You drizzled syrup everywhere. My hair, all of my clothes, my bed!"

"Distractions were needed. And I remember you took all of the new books for a week. You deserved it" River said, reiterating the fact. "Big man will have to be the pole upon which we all lean. Must be strong for this." River played with her hands.

"What do you mean, meimei?" Simon asked after a pause.

"The rest of us are still recovering from the traumas of the last few days. No one is fit to lead. All will have to lean on the big man to pull us through."

***

Keeping track of the hallways, he somehow managed to find his way down, off the ship. People were teeming about. He stood off to the side, watching as a team seemed to be picking up the broken bits off of Serenity and preparing her to be moved out of the rather awkward location she was in. He'd been standing there for nigh on half an hour when he felt a presence at his back. He glanced and snorted.

"Apologies to the big man. Was terribly frightened by a soldier." That wasn't quite the truth, but River assumed Jayne would feel... emasculated if she said the truth. He also wouldn't believe her. He snorted and went back to staring out to the distance.

"That was some fightin' ya did back there," Jayne said lowly, not looking at her. Silence always unsettled him somethin' fierce.

"Knowing and learning are two different things. Can't be given credit for something I didn't learn."

"Ya mind 'splainin' that?"

There was a pause so Jayne glanced down at the small girl. She was looking up at him, a slight frown on her face. "The alliance gave me the skills to defeat the reavers. I did not learn how to do that."

"Ah. Ya don't know your own self how to fight?"

"Yes."

"Do you want to take it from yer trainin' an' make it yours?"

River looked up at him. "Learn what I was taught?"

"Yeah. Practice fightin' with me. Help you learn your own moves."

"Learning would be nice. Beginning now?"

"Iffen ya want." Jayne turned to her. They were in a fair open space. Most people were a fair distance off. "How d'ya get your skills to work?" He asked.

"Minds are still and calm an' I remember what it felt like at the bar."

"Let's start with that then. You start an' I'll keep up." Jayne faced her and kept himself relaxed. He knew she was talented. Hell, he'd been impressed when he'd seen her and even more so when those blast doors had opened to her an' a bunch o' dead reavers. Almost made him wish he'd been able to see her fighting them. Musta been somethin'.

'Course that'd mean-Wo de ma she was fast. River's hand came fast out of nowhere, headed straight for his neck, trying to knock the breath out o' his air-tube. It was only a not-so-graceful dodge to his right that he managed to avoid it. He growled and made to punch her in the nose, pulling some of the weight from his movement. But it wasn't necessary. She danced out of his reach and he found himself stumbling slightly.

He dove for her and again, she managed to dance out of his reach, landing a foot on his back and sending him tumbling to the ground. He rolled and got up again, ignoring the throbbing in his back. Moonbrain had a hell of a kick. And whatever trainin' she'd had, it was good. His fightin' was good but he weren't like this girl.

He eyed her carefully. She move closer to him and as soon as her left fist shot out, he knocked it to the side, grabbing her by the elbow and twisting her arm, enough to make it slightly painful. She stomped on his instep and Jayne found his grip loosened just enough so that River was able to take her arm back. She elbowed him and tried to kick him in his gut. He caught her right leg and dragged her to him, snagging her left arm and dropping her on the ground. He was on top of her, sitting on her waist and pinning her arms above her.

She stared up at him and Jayne grinned. "S'what comes with size an' experience, moonbrain."

"I will make that concession. Lessons to continue would be appreciated."

"I'll fight ya any day-"

"Here now, what is going on here?" an authoritative voice spoke from above them. Some hun dan of an official alliance officer was standing there.

"Teachin'" Jayne said, letting go of River's wrists.

"You're teaching a girl rape?"

"Wha-What the yu ben du are ya on 'bout?" Jayne scrambled up, towering over the shorter man.

"Seems clear as day you are trying to take advantage of a little girl."

Jayne snorted. "Little girl? D'you know who she is?"

"She looks like a little girl who is far too young to be interested in a man like you."

"Liu koushui de biazi he houzi de ben erzi" River was standing now, looking at the man before her.

"This here's the girl who took down a room full o' Reavers. I'm just fightin' with her. Hundan" Jayne growled and stomped back towards the ship. Mebbe he'd go back and dump the girl with Simon and Kaylee. She was too much trouble anyhow.

"Big man has not the will to harm a small girl. Considers it wrong." River was trailing after him.

"I don't take what ain't mine."

"Man in gray was wrong about you. Shouldn't let him affect your red soul, turn it black."

"What?"

"Anger is best left to those who ought to suffer."

"Ya sayin' I shouldn't be angry at that hundan, that his anger will be his punishment?"

"Yes," River said.

"I'll think 'bout it." Jayne growled, stomping through the hallways, not botherin' to try and make himself

"Inconspicuous. You are never inconspicuous, but your size will keep others from questioning."

"What in the-Gorramit girl, stay out o' my head!"

"Unintentional. Hard to keep a bird from flying tree to tree."

Jayne clamped his mouth shut. He didn't follow the advice often, but his ma'd always said if you don't got nothin' good ta say, don't say a thing. The moonbrain was gonna be a boon ta Serenity with her talent an' he best get over it.

He hadn't been paying attention to where he'd gone, but as he pushed open the door, he found Zoë and Mal sitting-well Zoë was sitting. Mal was laid out in the bed.

"Gorram hun dan," Jayne swore, mostly to himself as he noticed River trailing in after him.

"River's hardly a hun dan, Jayne. She saved our lives," Zoë tried to correct him.

"Weren't talkin' 'bout the girl. Talkin' 'bout the hun dan what thought I was tryin' ta rape the girl." Jayne's lip curled as he threw himself into the only other chair in the room. It was barely large enough for his considerable bulk of muscle.

"Jayne, you got a worse side to ya than I thought?"

"What? NO," Jayne blinked. "Gorramit, River thought it would be good ta know how ta fight. We were practicin!"

"Jayne, we've all seen River can fight."

"Having knowledge and learning are two very different concepts. Want to have the knowledge by myself, have learned it. No dependencies on false knowledge," River broke in at this point.

Jayne sneered. He was fairly confident that somewhere in that mess o' words River was backin' him up. But it didn't help the fact that he hated her crazy talk.

"Jayne was helping you?" Zoë asked. Mal, surprisingly, had continued to sleep through this outburst.

"Yes."

Jayne snorted slightly to himself. Most coherent response she had ever made. River glanced at him, eyebrow quirked.

"Ah."

River saw all of the colors coming off of Zoë. Turbulent, painful, all of it. Jayne didn't seem to see that Zoë needed to be alone with her thoughts and her captain. It had only been a couple of days since-River bit down on her lip, hard enough to draw blood.

"Ya ok, girl?" Jayne never called her by her name.

"What if the bird never finds her nest? Or is knocked out of it? Does it need space to find it again?" River asked, eyes wide.

"Huh?"

River rolled her eyes. She marched over and attempted to drag Jayne out of the room.

"Hey, don't appreciate yer fussin," Jayne said.

"Space and time make blood and fuss fade. You are kicking up a storm that does not need to be kicked up." River took a breath, trying to think of the best way to say something. "Zoë is fraught with bereavement. Fading best on her own."
 Jayne pushed past her, necessitating her letting go of his huge wrist. She glanced over at Zoë who was staring at Mal, having dismissed both of them from her mind as soon as River had started fussing about leaving. Zoë didn't care that the two of them were spending time together. She didn't care about anything at the moment.

She turned back and slipped out the door, quiet as a mouse. Or, at least, she tried to.

"River," Zoë's quiet voice called her back, back into the room.

"Yes?" River said as she stood in the doorway.

"What are you doing, following Jayne around?"

"He is flashing from deep red to yellow like you. He has to be the red we can cling to. I remind him to be red. Have to make sure he does his job." River looked over at Zoë.

The older woman was stone-faced. On all accounts, she appeared fine. But River knew it wasn't true. Her colors were off and you could see it in the way Zoë's mouth was tightened, fending off monsters of grief. She knew Zoë didn't understand what she had just said, so she tried something else.

"Asked him to help me. Need to conquer my fears. He is the best one for that. Won't hold back nearly as much as you or the Captain." River smiled. Loosing that secret from her brain had helped. And she knew Simon had gotten his hands on something that would help even more. Her thoughts would be clearer with it, but her words would still be amiss often.

"That wasn't the question, River girl."
 "He is in need of company in time of grief. You need space and silence. He needs voices and people. Reminds him of life and that he is alive. He will be the guiding light of our seven pointed star."

Zoë nodded. "I understand."

River turned without a word and slipped back out the door. It only took a moment's work to discern where the big ape-man had gone and another moment to catch up to him.