Disclaimer: All characters of Firefly are the sole property of Joss Whedon and his crew, yo!

All Grown Up: Part II

Screaming. River was screaming in her head, and running. Scrambling up the steps of the ship, her footsteps beating on the metal grate of the floor. Her breaths in sobs now, she fell on the door of Jayne’s room, pushing it and climbing to the floor.

“What in the hell?” Jayne skillfully reached in his stock of guns and for his knife hidden underneath his pillow.

“I knew you were up to something, girl. You ain’t gettin’ near me with your knives and claws.” Still confused from his dreams of cats tearing at his shirt, Jayne held his weapons in front of him as a shield to the desperate girl who just showed up in his room in the middle of the night. “How’d you get in here? I spent me some money on that lock.”

“Lock, stock and barrels. Lots of barrels. Give me one,” River said in a calm manner as if she were asking for asking for a glass of water. She was staring at the hoard of weapons, each one gleaming of care and maintenance.

“One what? A gun? You’re crazier than I thought if you think I am going to give you somethin’ that’s mine and, oh yeah, somethin’ to kill me with.”

River was bleeding; her heart pounding in her ears and tears threatened in the back of her throat but something was taking control of her. Some voice was telling her to exterminate the danger in front of her, arm herself with his weapon, and take over the ship to save her brother. She tried to quiet the voice. “I need a weapon,” she said in her most convincing tone. Jayne did not feel threatened by her but she had to convince him to give her a weapon. Everything depended on her being armed. Instinct was taking over and everything was turning into black and white, good and evil, allies and enemies.

“You ain’t gettin’ a weapon, you’re gettin’ a scoldin’. Now, they’re gonna be mad ‘bout the hour but let’s go see the captain and that brother of yours.” He put the gun on the bed and made to take h