CHAPTER 18

6 MONTHS LATER

After midnight Mal walks onto the bridge where he finds Jayne leaning back in the chair a magazine in one hand and Charlie against his chest with a bottle in his other hand. "Take it River's out to the world."

Jayne looks up, "Doc sedated her. She's been up for two days."

"She did flip out earlier." Mal says thoughtfully. "You spent all day chasing her down."

Jayne shrugs "She'll be fine once she gets some sleep." He looks at Mal, "Why are you up?"

"Can't sleep." Mal drops on the co-pilot's chair. "Switching schedules has messed with my system."

"Since when do you have a system?" Jayne retorts setting his magazine on the console.

Mal glares at him.

"Besides I might as well be on duty since this is when Charlie's up anyway."

"I know. Just feels weird to be tryin to sleep this early."

"Hey you want this shift... you can also take Charlie." Jayne offers. "I can sleep longer."

"She is your kid; your responsibility." Mal retorts. "Still find that amusin." Mal chuckles looking at Charlie who is kicking her feet as she looks out the window.

"Why is that? I did help take care of my brothers and sisters ya know." Jayne points out.

"Yeah well I didn't know you then." Mal returns. "How old is Timmy?"

Jayne frowns thoughtfully "23, 24."

"Can't remember how old your own brother is?"

Jayne shrugs "Ain't like we were raised together." He shifts Charlie in his arms.

"Still weird." Mal remarks and the two men sit in silence the only sound heard is Charlie drinking her bottle.

HOUR LATER

Jayne sets Charlie in the crib then strips down to his boxers and crawls into bed beside River. He pulls her close, 'Tomorrow will be a good day.' He kisses her head draping his limbs over River's body.

MORNING

River stirs rubbing at her eyes she tries to move when she hears Charlie talking to herself in the crib only to find herself pinned by Jayne's body; unable to even squirm under his weight River nuzzles his neck hoping to wake him, "Jayne."

Jayne slowly opens his eyes and looks down at River who is looking at him amused, "Mornin already?"

River nods watching as he rubs at his eyes sleepily. "Charlie's awake."

"She hungry?"

River tilts her head then shakes her head in response, "Just awake."

"Then she's fine." Jayne grumbles

River tucks her head under his chin, "Going to have to let me up sooner or later."

"Later."

"OK" River smiles feeling him tangle his fingers in her hair.

A few minutes later Jayne growls in annoyance as he hears a bang on their door.

"Jayne"

"Go way Kaylee. I'm sleeping." Jayne returns as he nuzzles River's head with his chin.

"Jayne, come on please."

"No"

"You get to use the torch."

River giggles hearing him perk up at the idea.

"Come on Jayne. I know you love to use the torch."

"Why can't Mal do it?"

"Doin somethin else. Please Jayne."

Jayne looks at River who just gives him a smile, "Be right there Kaylee."

"Thank you Jayne."

Jayne groans in annoyance, "Nice and comfy now I have to get up."

"Go help Kaylee." River watches as he rolls out of bed and pulls on his clothes.

"Stayin in bed or what?"

"Getting up." River stretches yawning.

WHILE LATER: MESS HALL

"Thought we discussed food fights." Mal remarks watching as Jayne and River have a mini food fight.

Inara takes Charlie off Jayne's lap.

"Hey" Jayne protests

"I haven't seen this cutie in days." Inara smiles at Charlie. "And besides it looks like it is up to Simon and I to make sure she has decent manners... especially table manners." She looks at Jayne and Mal lifting her brow.

"Hey" Mal and Jayne protest

River giggles knowing Inara is right.

"She's right. Out of all of us you two have the worst manners." Zoë remarks as she takes a sip of her coffee.

"Hey even I have better manners than you two." Wash states with a grin.

"Only because I would shoot you dear." Zoë replies

"Kaylee's just as bad." Jayne argues

"Only here." Kaylee returns "Ma taught me manners... just don't use em. Had to learn em. Nanna used to get mad if we didn't. And that woman was scary. Once she smacked Jakey with a switch for eating with his hands... and he was only 3." She shudders "If she saw how we behave at the table... hell she'd take the switch to even Jayne. And for such an old lady she hits hard."

"Remind me never to meet her." Wash remarks

"My manners are fine." Mal protests

River giggles, "I got in trouble once for using the wrong fork at a dinner party."

"I forgot about that." Simon laughs at the memory.

"Got sent to my room for the rest of the night."

"What's the big deal bout that?" Wash asks

"We were drilled about the dinner rules when guests were over. One night River was fed up and incredibly cranky so she tested mother. Decided to use the desert fork rather than the salad fork."

"Big deal." Mal waves off

"Oh to Mother it was. Took two weeks to get her off the topic."

"Two hours every day she lectured me. Right fork and wrong fork. What to do. What not to do. She made my head hurt." River grumbles snatching a piece of meat off Jayne's plate.

"Hey stop stealin off my ruttin plate." Jayne snags the roll off River's place.

"Hey." River protests

"Fairs fair." Jayne says smugly.

Inara looks at the grinning baby, "See Charlotte this is why you have us around... when your parents are acting like children themselves there's always an adult around."

"Hey" Jayne protests

"Jayne, you do act like a child half the time." Kaylee states

"Sometimes?" Simon snorts. "Any time those two are in the same room something childish happens. Whether it is River tying Jayne's laces together or Jayne chasing her around the ship to get even."

"It is fun." River shrugs

"Alright who's turn is it to do clean up?" Mal asks

"Jayne's." River says quickly.

"Is not. It's your turn."

"No it isn't." River argues

"Then Kaylee's turn."

"Nope last night." Kaylee shrugs

"Then Simon's."

"No. Lunch yesterday."

"One of ya is gonna haveta take it" Mal remarks looking between the two.

"You do them." Jayne says

"No." River shakes her head. "You"

"Highest card?"

"You got mad last time." River replies

"Fine you do clean up I'll clean up the bunk."

"Last time you found a magazine and I ended up cleaning up the bunk." River points out.

"Arm wrestle?"

River scrunches up her nose, "Nah... licked you last time and you got mad."

The group watches as the two continue to make deals.

"Because that's cheating." Jayne argues. "Well darts are out of the question."

"Why don't you work together?" Wash suggests

"Last time they didn't get any cleaning done. Found them makin out on the couch." Mal says dryly.

"Did not need to know that." Simon states

"You are still in denial Simon?" Inara asks amused

"I prefer to think of it as avoidance."

"Rock, paper, scissor?" Jayne suggests

"Know the odds." River shrugs "Cheating." She grins mischievously.

"I don't like that look." Jayne says warily. "That's what led to the incident."

"I don't like that look either." Simon remarks. "Reminds me of the time she glued my shoes to the wall."

"I will do the dishes under one condition."

"What?" Jayne asks warily.

"Why am I not liking her tone?" Mal asks Inara who just shrugs

"You have to be nice to Simon all day. No name calling and no annoying."

"A whole day?! Oh come on that ain't fair. I can't last that long and you know it."

"He's got a point River." Simon says amused at Jayne's tone.

"Hmm bein mean to Doc... doin dishes..." Jayne debates

"He is so doing the dishes." Wash remarks

"He can't help it. Not in him to not annoy me all day."

"Think your right." Mal agrees.

"Oh come on guys. Jayne may be grumpy but we all know he hates cleanin up." Kaylee points out.

"So where is Book?" Inara asks curiously.

"Dropped him off at some sort of retreat." Mal shrugs. "Pickin him up at the end of the week."

"Fine I'll do the ruttin dishes." Jayne surrenders.

"Knew it." Mal says smugly.

"Ah come on Jayne." Kaylee sighs "Couldn't you just be nice to Simon for a day?"

Jayne tilts his head then replies, "No." Jayne quickly finishes off his breakfast.

NOON

Simon stops in his tracks when he sees River lying on her stomach on the floor besides Charlie drawing as the baby coos happily playing with a toy. "So how is Charlie?"

River looks at her daughter then at Simon, "She's having fun. Says she wishes there were colors here. She wants to go outside soon." She looks at her picture. "She wants her Daddy to come back before naptime so they can play. Wants to know lots of things." River shrugs continuing to draw.

"How are you feeling River?" Simon asks concerned.

River shrugs "I'm fine."

"Alright." Simon sits on the couch with a book.

COUPLE HOURS LATER

River stirs awake when she feels Jayne stroke her cheek. She opens her eyes "Hi" she says sleepily.

"Hey baby" Jayne says softly well aware of Charlie napping next to her. "How's Charlie?"

"Wanted to play with you before nap time. But couldn't keep her eyes open." She watches Jayne carefully picks Charlie up and sets her in the crib.

Jayne strips out of his dirty clothes and pulls on his sweatpants before joining River in bed. "Let's get some sleep."

River snuggles against him, "Missed you."

"Wasn't gone long."

"Still missed you."

NEXT AFTERNOON: PLANET

As she roams Serenity while Mal, Simon, and Jayne are off ship trading for medical supplies, Inara frowns hearing the sounds of crying she enters the sitting room where she finds Charlie on the floor crying as River stares blankly into space. "River" Inara quickly picks up the baby, "Its OK Charlotte." She soothes "River"

Hearing her voice River snaps out of it and looks at Inara who is holding the baby, "She hears them. Feels their hunger. Its like hot pokers searing her brain..." She puts her hands over her ears. "Charlie, stop it!" She yells

"River" Inara says startled at her friend's scared and angry tone as Charlie's cries get louder.

A moment later Zoë enters "What is it?"

"I don't know." Inara says puzzled "I just heard Charlotte crying and found River like this." Inara shifts the baby.

River looks at Zoë, "Their coming."

"Who?"

River closes her eyes and rocks "Their hungry... bored... its not just food... hunting."

Zoë stares at River, "You mean Reavers?"

River shudders, "So much anger in them."

"Might want to get back here Captain. River says Reavers are comin."

"Have Wash ready to go." Mal stands "All that you needed Doc?"

"Damn" Jayne mutters

"Think so." Simon says as he looks over the equipment they traded for. The three grab the bags and walk back towards Serenity

Once aboard Serenity, Jayne drops the bag he is carrying takes the steps three at a time he reaches Inara who is holding a crying Charlie and River nowhere in sight, "Where's River?"

"No idea." Inara replies

"She didn't leave Serenity would have seen her." Mal remarks as he and Simon walk up the stairs with the bags.

"She could be hiding anywhere." Simon says worried.

"I think I know where she is." Jayne clomps down the steps.

River sits in her hiding spot tears still falling. 'So much anger... hunger.' She remains still as she feels Jayne's presence approaching.

"We're leavin baby. Why don't you come out?" He suggests

"Yelled at Charlie."

Jayne rests his head on the container as he watches River, "Why?"

"Got into their heads... wanted to show me." River presses the heels of her hands over her eyes, "Didn't want to see it. Wanted her out. Tried to push her out... wouldn't let me. Dug in... like a hook. Wanted me too see darkness..." River glances at Jayne, "Didn't mean to yell... just wanted her out... to stop it."

"What did you see?" Jayne asks

River shakes her head, "No"

"Scared you"

River closes her eyes, "Their coming."

"We're leavin baby girl. Won't be there when they get there." He reaches out to touch her only to have River shrink away.

"Don't touch. Like needles digging into me." She shudders

"Gonna come out of here?"

River shakes her head "Go way."

"River"

"Please" she begs

Jayne nods "Know where to find me." He stands walking away.

"She hidin?" Mal asks as Jayne enters the mess hall.

"Yes."

"What happened?" Simon asks

"Seems Charlie wanted to see the Reavers head... thought River should see as well." Jayne takes the crying baby.

"Oh no... must have scared River big time." Kaylee says worried.

Jayne nods

"Then why did she yell at Charlie?" Inara asks

"Seems Charlie wanted River to see... even though River didn't want too."

"So is River comin out of hiding?" Kaylee asks

"Don't think we'll see her for a while." Jayne replies walking out of the mess hall with Charlie. "How bout we go look at the shiny new guns? Always cheers me up."

Simon shakes his head at Jayne's statement. "Only Jayne would think guns could cheer up a baby." He walks out of the mess hall heading to the infirmary to work.

Jayne leans back against the wall Charlie cradled against his chest and opens a magazine. "Nice" He says with approval, "do some damage with that one."

EVENING

River turns her head to see Jayne hunkering down to check on her.

"Gonna come up for dinner?"

River shakes her head.

"Want me to bring you somethin to eat?"

River shakes her head before returning her head to the wall.

"Alright."

River closes her eyes listening as Jayne's footsteps fade away.

Jayne enters the mess hall, "She ain't comin out."

"Same hiding spot?" Mal asks

Jayne nods glancing at Charlie who is lying on a blanket on the floor playing with some toys and sits.

"Do you know where all her hidin spots are?" Wash asks curiously.

"Know where a few are. But she has more. Some she hides in when she doesn't want anyone to find her." Jayne shrugs "She'll come out sooner or later."

3AM

Stripping down to his boxers Jayne drops on the bed with a groan too tired to move he falls asleep with the lights on.

HOUR LATER

Jayne awakes when he feels a weight on his thighs and opens his eyes to find River staring at him. "Finally come out of hidin huh?" He asks softly not wanting to wake the baby.

River stares at him

Jayne sits up and brushes her hair back, "What's wrong baby?"

"Make the screams stop."

"River"

"Don't want to think. Want silence." She whispers tears threatening to fall, "Please Jayne." She takes his face between her hands, "Please zhang fu... need silence... need to feel. Need them out." She trails her fingers over his face before kissing him.

DAWN

< "We'll keep coming for you. You can block us but we'll find you."

"Just leave me alone." River screams

"Soon we'll find you River Tam. We'll keep coming. They'll keep coming. You can't hide for long. They will die protecting you." >

River awakens with a gasp and looks at Jayne who asleep beside her. She winces at the endless possibilities of her life and the deaths of her family as they flash. She lifts her hand to Jayne's cheek, 'I could lose him... lose Charlie. Lose Simon... my whole family.' She tucks her head under his chin her mind made up. 'When I can... I leave. They can live without me. I can't live if they die. Can't let them kill my family.'

TBC…