Jayne sucked down the last of the bourbon from his mug and looked at the bottle. Nearly empty. Still, he had another stashed, but it weren't gonna last long at this rate. Most nights, now, since Tetris, he’d been sitting up, staring into the bottom of the mug until his mind was woozy enough for sleep.

It niggled him, more than anything, that going down to that damn place had made him feel like this, and he couldn’t even take it out on the person who had made him. Told him, in no uncertain terms, with graphic descriptions, what she’d do to him if he didn’t.

“Ain't gonna let the father of my child die down on that moon, Jayne,” she’d said. “And neither are you.”

In the end he’d agreed just to keep her quiet, make her leave his bunk, but he’d kept his word, and Mal had come back. Only now he couldn’t sleep without benefit of rot gut.

Not that he minded tying one on, once in a while, or more regularly if it were offered, particularly if it came with female-type company, but Jayne was becoming aware this solitary drinking was happening all too often now, and it was taking more and more bourbon to make the dreams go away.

“They’ll go,” River said from the doorway. “Given time.”

“Wondered when you’d be getting here,” Jayne said, not bothering to look up. “Can’t seem to turn around lately without you getting in my way.” He shook his head. “And you’re supposed to be in bed. What would that doctor brother of yours say if he knew you were wandering around this time o’night?"

“No point in sleeping,” River said. “Not yet. It’s too noisy.”

Jayne cocked his head but couldn’t discern anything above the usual hum of Serenity’s engine. “Ain't nothing to hear.”

“Not that kind of noisy,” the young girl said, shaking her head at him as if he were the child and not her. “Simon and Kaylee are having sex, although how they can manage that around the baby, I don’t know.” She giggled suddenly. “I think Simon likes it though. And Mal and Freya are –“

“I get the picture,” Jayne said, his lip c