CHAPTER 4

COUPLE DAYS LATER

River lifts her head and smiles seeing Jayne sticking his head into her hiding place. She brings her finger to her lips, "Don't tell Simon."

"Hide and seek again?" Jayne asks

"Needles." River pouts

"Ahh. Then I won't tell." Jayne swallows heavily at her pout. 'No don't think about it. One time only.'

"Jayne"

River brings her finger to her lips hearing Kaylee's voice.

Jayne backs out quickly covering her hide out he stands to see Kaylee on the steps, "What?" He asks gruffly.

"Have you seen River? Simon's lookin for her."

"If he'd stop givin her drugs all the time we wouldn't end up lookin for her."

"And if he didn't she'd scream a lot more." Kaylee points out.

Jayne tilts his head debating whether or not to tell after realizing Kaylee's right. He inwardly winces when he feels a sharp pinch to his lower leg, "No I ain't seen Moonbrain."

"OK if you do be shiny and take her up."

Once Kaylee is out of sight and no one is around Jayne crouches and leans into River's hiding spot, "What was that for?"

"You were gonna tell"

"But I didn't." Jayne points out.

River nods then leans in kissing him lightly on the lips before crawling through the hidden crawl space.

Jayne stares after her then backs up and closes the hatch. He sits on the floor stunned by the kiss. 'Damn that girl.' He stands walking out of the cargo bay.

NOON

River runs into the mess hall surprising Inara, Wash, Book, and Jayne. She grabs a piece of bread then says "Shh" before crawling into the cupboard and closing the door.

Inara looks at the men lifting her brow.

"The doctor has been trying to find her all morning." Book states returning to his reading while Jayne continues to sharpen his knife and Wash eats.

"She's been hiding all day. Kaylee and Simon have been looking for her all morning." Wash adds

"She's tired of the shots." Jayne says absently.

Inara looks at the mercenary curiously just as Simon enters.

"Has anyone seen River?" Simon asks frustrated.

"Still hiding?" Wash asks

"I swear she keeps getting better at hide and seek." Simon says frustrated.

"If you'd stop pokin her she wouldn't hide every time." Jayne says annoyed

"And if I didn't you would be complaining that she's bothering you." Simon argues

"She seems lucid today Doctor. Perhaps today you should forgo the drugs." Book suggests feeling sorry for the small girl.

"She has been good this week." Inara points out

Mal walks into the mess hall, "Still looking for your sister?"

Simon nods

"Well I found her hidin under my bed earlier." Mal muses

Simon winces "Sorry about that. I'll talk to her about staying out of rooms."

"It's fine. She showed herself when she realized it was me." Mal leans against the counter. "Where have you guys found her?"

"Hid in the bridge for a while." Wash answers

"Haven't seen her." Jayne lies

"River knows where she can go and can't. I'm sure when she's ready to come out she will." Inara assures

Simon sighs "Probably right." He walks out of the mess hall.

Once Simon is out of the mess hall and out of hearing distance Mal speaks, "So where is she?"

River pushes the cupboard open, "Simon gone?"

"Yes sweetie." Inara answers. "Are you hungry? You didn't come in for breakfast"

"He woke up thinking about needles so I hid." River says not moving from her hiding spot.

"Hide where you want but stay out of the engine room." Mal warns

"I have." River answers

"And how do you fit in there?" Mal asks

"I'm little." River grins crawling out of the cupboard she stands grabbing another piece of bread she looks out the door then runs down the catwalk.

"She's in a good mood." Mal says with amusement at the genius's childish actions.

"That she is. After all that has happened it is good to see her having fun... even if it involves hiding from her brother." Book smiles

HOUR LATER

Jayne sits in his room reading when he hears a knock. He frowns realizing that the knock is not at the door but at the crawlspace above his bed, "Girl that you?" He stands on the chair and reaches up removing the piece covering the crawlspace to find River there grime covering her face her hair a tangled mess... but she's smiling. "Come on you." He helps her out setting her on her feet before returning the metal. "Still hidin?"

River nods "Its fun. Simon's frustrated." She giggles doing a pirouette.

Jayne smiles at her antics, "Heard you hid in Mal's room."

River nods "Had no choice. Kaylee was right behind me."

"Just don't go touchin stuff in the crawlspaces. Captain will have your hide."

River drops on the floor with a flounce, "Didn't touch anything."

"Good." Jayne sits on the floor beside her and returns to his magazine. He ignores her as she watches him.

River smiles

"What?" Jayne asks seeing her smile

"You're happy."

"Lookin at new guns. Maybe get a new sister for Vera." Jayne shrugs looking back at his magazine.

"Jayne?"

"Huh?"

"Why are you avoiding what you want?"

"I'm not."

"You want to kiss me."

"Don't go readin my mind." Jayne says gruffly.

"Do you?"

"No. Now leave me alone."

"Then why have you been thinking about it?"

"Gorramit girl... told you to stay out of my ruttin head." He says angrily.

Feeling his anger and a dash of confusion, River flinches and scrambles to her feet climbing the stairs she leaves Jayne's room.

Jayne stares after her "Stupid girl." He mutters turning his attention to his magazine.

Simon looks up to see River run past the infirmary and into her room, "River"

River climbs into bed pulling the covers over her head. 'Jayne's mad at me. Don't like it.' Hearing Simon enter her room River peeks out from under the covers, "Go way Simon."

"What's wrong mei-mei?" Simon asks concerned.

"Taking a nap." River pulls the covers over her head. "Go way"

"River"

"Leave me alone!" River grabs her boot off the floor throwing it at her brother.

"Ow" Simon yelps as the boot hits him.

"I'll throw the other one if you don't leave me alone... and that one will hit your head." River warns

Simon walks out of the room rubbing his arm

"Problem in sibling paradise?" Mal asks amused

"She threw her boot at me." Simon says surprised

"Sounds like she would have thrown more than her boot." Mal remarks

"Now I see why Jayne avoids her when it comes to flying objects."

"Well the good thing is she hasn't thrown a fit." Mal points out

"True."

EVENING: MESS HALL

Simon walks into the mess hall rubbing his head.

"So she throw the other boot at you?" Mal asks

Simon nods wincing. "And two books... almost threw her snow globe at me."

"That would probably hurt." Wash states

"Well at least she didn't throw a tantrum and try to stab you." Jayne says between bites

"No she only does that to you." Zoë says

"Hey" Jayne protests

"I'm sure she'll be fine." Inara assures Simon "She probably just wants to be alone. Sometimes girls just want to be alone."

"Still not like River to throw things at me... Jayne maybe but she actually likes me." Simon glares at the mercenary.

"Yet she's been hidin from you all day." Jayne retorts standing he walks out of the mess hall.

Kaylee pats Simon's arm, "Oh ignore Jayne he's just grumpy."

"So what next?" Wash asks Mal changing the subject.

Jayne groans when he sees River, "Girl, leave me alone."

River walks up to him and kicks his shin.

"OW" Jayne yelps, "You kicked me."

"You're being mean!" River huffs

In the mess hall Simon groans hearing that, "Well seems like Jayne has managed to anger River again."

"You kick hard." Jayne says with annoyed appreciation

"Good." River stomps passed him and the mess hall as Simon and Mal walk out.

"OK what this time?" Malcolm demands

"She kicked me."

"He's stupid."

"We know that." Mal sighs

"Hey" Jayne protests "she kicks me and I get called names?!"

"River, why did you kick Jayne this time?" Simon asks

"I felt like it." River huffs

"I didn't do anythin this time." Jayne protests 'Except want to kiss her again.' He winces at his thought.

"Alright that's it. Next two days you two stay away from each other!" Mal says annoyed. "You can be in the same area if someone else is with you! River you kick him again without a good reason... you will stay in your room. Jayne you pick on her you will stay in yours. Got it?"

"Fine." Jayne glares at River

River sticks her tongue out at him then flounces away as Jayne stomps down the stairs to the cargo hold.

"Those two are starting to drive me gorram crazy. One minute, they are perfectly fine... next they are yellin and throwin things at each other." Mal says annoyed. "Just keep River away from Jayne. I'll keep Jayne away from River."

Simon nods in agreement. "At the rate those two are going I'm going to end up stitching up Jayne or sedating River for attacking him by the end of the month."

LATER

"Come in." Inara invites

River enters

"Hello sweetie. How is everything?"

"Help?" River holds the hairbrush out. "Simon said I got to brush my hair before bed but I got a knot and can't get it out. Kaylee's busy. Simon's busy. Jayne's mad at me. And Zoë's busy with Wash"

Inara smiles "Sure." She pats the bed.

River sits handing her the brush. "Last time I got Jayne to get the knot out. Simon was patching up Captain Daddy and Kaylee was fixing something."

Inara lifts her brow amused, "How did you get Jayne to do that? Mal order him?"

River nods

"You and Jayne had a big fight today." Inara says casually as she undoes the knot. "Why did you kick him?"

"Didn't mean to say something and he got mad." River picks at the bedspread absently.

"Jayne's a little bit of a hot head." Inara agrees as she continues to brush River's hair. "I heard you threw a boot at Simon. Did you do it because you were mad at Jayne?"

River shrugs "A little."

"Why else?"

"Simon always worries. Doesn't let me do things."

"He is your brother."

"He treats me like a baby."

"That's a brother's job isn't it? To take care of his sister?"

River frowns "I guess."

"Just shows your brother loves you."

"You don't like when Captain Daddy calls you names."

Inara pauses

"I hear it when he says it. You try to ignore it but it still hurts."

"Sometimes it does hurt." Inara admits as she continues brushing River's hair

"He doesn't mean too. He just gets frustrated."

"He does?"

"Uh huh."

"Why is he frustrated?"

"He's confused. Worried."

"Worried about what?" Inara asks

"That someone will hurt you and he won't be there to help you. Like Wash worries about Zoë. Zoë worries about Wash and Captain. And Captain worries about everyone. But he worries most about you."

"He does?"

River nods, "Uh huh, like you worried when she was here."

"Saffron?"

River nods "You were scared he would like her."

"A little." Inara admits knowing that River knows it anyway.

"He didn't. He just wanted to help her. He likes trying to do the right thing... even if it gets messed up."

"Oh" Inara continues brushing River's hair careful to get all tangles undone. "There. Tangle free."

"Thank you." River hugs her. "Night"

"Night sweetie." Inara watches as River skips out the door and Mal enters. "Malcolm" She greets

"What was River doing here?"

"Oh she had a knot in her hair and everyone was busy."

"Ahh. So how is everything?"

"Fine."

"Business?" Mal asks

"Going as well as it can."

"Good." Mal nods

"Why are you in here?"

"Just wanted to let you know we're heading to Saylos. We should be there in a few days."

Inara nods

"Night"

"Good night Malcolm."

MIDNIGHT

Mal sighs seeing River sitting on the catwalk, "What are you doing up?"

River shrugs her eyes on Jayne who is studiously ignoring her from below. "Are you mad at me like Jayne is?"

Mal crouches beside her, "Nah. Sometimes you two just get on my nerves with the pickin on each other." He looks her over, "So I heard you got your hair brushed."

River nods, "Inara did it. Got a knot. Simon said I had to do it before bed."

"Ain't you supposed to be in bed?"

River shrugs "Can't sleep."

Mal looks between her and Jayne, "Because of your fight with Jayne?"

River plays with the hem of her nightgown, "Sometimes I say things and feel bad. Others I say things and don't member so I don't feel bad."

"And right now you feel bad?"

River nods "I shouldn't have kicked him. Wasn't fair to kick him."

"Well then lets make that better." Mal stands "Come on" he pulls River to her feet. "You can say your sorrys and go to bed all peaceful so we can have a good day tomorrow."

"Will I still have to stay away from Jayne?"

"Probably a good idea til he calms down."

River walks with him down to the cargo bay.

"Jayne"

Jayne looks up to see Malcolm standing with River, "Thought we ain't s'posed to be near each other"

"Long as you two are supervised." Mal says then looks at River, "Ain't you have somethin to say to Jayne here?"

River looks at her feet squirming, "I'm sorry for what I said and for kicking you."

"You kick hard."

River looks up surprised to hear the approval in his voice and grins at him.

"There now. You said your sorrys so go back to bed."

"OK" River releases Mal's hand and runs up the stairs

"Still you two keep away from each other." Mal warns

Jayne nods as Mal walks away he looks up at the catwalk to see River standing there watching him, at the intensity of her gaze he looks away.

TBC… Hope you like it.