Title: Over River

Author: rodlox

Fandom: A firefly fanfic -

Characters: Malcolm, Inara, Jayne, Simon, River

Pairing: River/Jane?

Summary: some things are horrific just to contemplate - others are horrific to misinterpret. Which is Simon doing?

Crossover?: No

Rating: PG

Genre: het

Status: Complete

Archive: Let me know where, okay?

Simon entered the lab, thinking about what he could fix for himself and River this `evening'...River's birthday was coming up, and he wanted to prepare her favorite. Looking around, Simon checked the tube that his sister had been sitting inside when he'd gone on his rounds, tending to the bruises of the crew of the _Serenity_.

River was in the tube still, Simon observed...

And Jayne was in there with her!

The two of them were whispering together. Simon, in a fit, yanked Jayne out of the tube; he was able to pull it off, primarily because Jayne hadn't been expecting anything.

"What are you doing with her?" Simon demanded of Jayne.

"What's it to you?" Jayne wanted to know, more amused than offended, so far. He stretched his body. As much as he'd enjoyed that, it was a wee bit cramped in there.

"I'm her brother."

"Then giver'er some space," and Jayne grinned.

"*What* happened in there?" Simon demanded, doing his best to get in Jayne's face - a tricky task, given the height difference between them.

"Back off," Jayne said, an undertone to his words saying that he was not joking.

"*Not* until you give me an answer - an honest answer!"

"You couldn't handle the truth," Jayne remarked easily.

"Try me."

Jayne smiled. "I think I'll try for Inara first."

"Answer My Question!" Simon insisted most vhelmently.

Jayne yawned, pushed Simon out of the way, and headed for his own room...his own bed.

Jayne was considerably surprised when Simon tackled him, knocking the mercenary to the floor. "Now - tell me!" Simon insisted.

Before Jayne could do anything particularly hurtful, Simon was dragged off of his back. "Break it up!" Mal ordered the two of them. "Both of you!" When both Jayne and Simon were on their feet - Simon glaring murderously at Jayne - "What the Uzi were you doing now?" Mal asked, using a very very old epithet.

Jayne shrugged. "I was trying to leave him alone," he said innocently.

Mal sighed. "Simon, take a walk."

"But -"

"Walk. I'll handle things here." Looking past Mal, Simon saw that Inara was on her way into the lab right now.

"Fine," Simon said, extremely reluctantly.

Inara headed over for River, seeing as Mal had Jayne occupied. "River?" Inara asked. "Can you tell me what happened?"

A nod. Then River just blinked, and started to whistle the song Jayne had taught her.

~~~~.
### The End ###