In the galley, Mal was singing a song about cows in fancy party dresses. No one had ever heard the song before and, if it didn't rhyme and have a coherent tune, everyone in earshot would be certain he was making it up as he went. The rotgut probably helped his poetic side come to the forefront.

Jayne left the room when Wash and Zoe showed up. The room was a bit crowded for his tastes. It was too early to go to bed, he'd already inventoried and set his guns up on their shelves in his cabin and he'd feel silly if he did it again before morning. He brushed a hand under his nose and headed for the cargo hold.

He'd set up a bench press there, one of the few places he could get a little bit of privacy on this boat. He headed down, straddling the bench and lying down, grabbing the bar with both hands. It wasn't smart to bench without a spotter... of course, Jayne had never earned a reputation by always doing the reasonable thing.

He had done two reps when River's head appeared above his. He cursed at her sudden appearance, dropping the heavy bar back down onto his chest. The wind was pushed violently from his lungs and he was unable to gather the strength to lift it again. "Oh... f'r..." He coughed, his face going red.

River reached down and wrapped her fingers around the bar, lifting it with little effort and laying it on their placement. Jayne leapt to his feet, one hand moving to his throat as he tried to catch his breath. "Shun-sheng duh gao-wahn... what the hell do you think you're doin'?" He remembered the healing slice on his chest. "Come to finish the job?"

River calmly stepped around the weight set, tilting her head at him. She was barefoot, wearing her regular frumpy dress. She smiled up at him, which was somehow more frightening than anything else she could've done at that moment. "I'm sorry I cut you," she said. "But you do look much better in red."

"Yeah, and you look much better in the stockade. And I look much better in one gorram piece, thanks." He coughed and shook his head. "Where's your damn brother?"

"Sleep."

"Yeah, well, all good little children oughta be in their beds by now, ya know."

River kept getting closer.

"Just stop walking, little girl."

"Not so little."

Jayne widened his eyes. "Not so innocent, neither. Back up a skoshi or two."

"I won't hurt you again." She brought her right hand up, the index and middle finger crossed. "Promise."

Jayne scoffed. "How much've this is an act, huh? I think you're more right than we give ya credit for." He stepped forward, bringing himself closer to her. "What? You keepin' a low profile? Watchin'? Waitin'? Listenin'? Gatherin' what you need for when you go out on your own?"

River leaned forward, craning her neck and doing her best to match Jayne's expression. When she spoke, her voice was a low drawl, a mimic of Jayne's own accent and cadence. "Well, I reckon you ain't near as dumb as you pretend sometimes."

He stepped back, frightened at how well she copied his voice, but she grabbed the lapels of his shirt. "Dance."

"I don't dance with crazy girls," he said, trying to push her hands off of him. "Hell, I don't dance. Get your hands off'a me, you crazy shee-niou..."

She jumped, lunging at him. He reared back, but she wrapped her legs around him and forced him back against the boxes of cargo. "You..." She silenced him by pressing her lips against his. His eyes widened as far as they could, his face turning beet red as he redoubled his efforts to get her off of him. When he finally got his lips free, he gasped, "Wuo de mah!"

He wrestled River away from him and roughly deposited her on the ground, making sure she stumbled backwards into a stack of cargo boxes. "You're damned lucky I ain't the gossipy-kind. You try this kind of gos se with Kaylee or..." He paused, picturing that situation. Shaking the image out of his head, he said, "Stay away from me."

He started to walk away, but River ran to catch up with him. He spun before she could jump on him, grabbing her wrist with one hand and spinning them both until she was pinned against the wall of the hold. "What is the matter with you?" he spit.

"Maybe little sister likes it rough," she cackled, squirming against him. "Come on, big boy, show me what you've got. I promise I won't tell."

He loosened his grip on her neck and she raised her eyebrow at him.

"Gorram nutcase," he said, stepping back and shoving her in the direction of her quarters. "Go. Walk away."

She looked over her shoulder at him, finally turning away to look where she was going.

That's when he attacked, running at her and slamming into her from behind. She shrieked and he immediately clapped a hand over her mouth, wrestling her into a corner. There were stairs leading up, with a dark little corner tucked behind it. He managed to get them both into it, shielding her body with his own as he yanked her dress up. "Like it like this, do ya? Huh? You little biao-tze..."

He ripped her dress and she shrieked, so he covered her mouth with his hand again. He slid between her legs, pulling at the catch on his trousers and freeing himself. It had been a long time since he'd had it rough. So few whores liked to be slapped around nowadays, it was a cryin' shame.

He slid into her, hearing her moan low in her throat. Thrusting forward a few times, climax came quick. He groaned into her hair, working his hand into a fist and holding it tight. He pulled her head back and bit her neck; hard enough to hurt, gently enough it wouldn't leave a mark.

When he finished, he backed out of the crawlspace and rearranged himself. River came out as well, putting her dress back in place and circling him slowly. She stopped in front of him, rising and looking deep into his eyes. He was about to push her away when she dragged her fingertips along his chest; the same trail she'd cut along. He flinched at the touch.

She smiled widely.

He sneered at her. "I just raped you," he said, his voice low and threatening. "Remember that."

"You did what I wanted you to."

"I--"

"There's evidence, you know. My brother is a doctor... he'll notice. Captain Reynolds would be mighty sore."

Jayne worked his jaw. "You... didn't..."

"I did. Mal put you in the airlock? Poor baby." She pushed her bottom lip out and he resisted the urge to smack her. "I have you wrapped around my little finger. Between the captain... me... Inara..."

"What does 'Nara haveta do with--"

"Sh," she said. "I'm talking. You think you're big? Bad? The big man of the ship?" She rose onto her tiptoes and said, "You're not even the biggest man in this cargo hold." With a giggle, she dropped back down and walked towards the stairs. She stopped halfway up and turned. "You were a good lay, Jayne. Thanks." She grinned again and trotted up the stairs, disappearing around a turn.

Jayne dropped onto a cargo box, staring across the hold and working his jaw. Finally, he just muttered, "Like hell..." He stood and went back to his quarters, very slowly.

It didn't seem too early to sleep anymore.