A/N: AU. Set a couple of days after the battle on Mr. Universe's moon.

Description: Inara, River and Jayne on Serenity alone while the rest of the crew are still in the Medship. Relationships are redefined, losses are explored and bonds are formed. River's mind takes steps to heal itself.

Many thanks to Badkarma00 for the beta!

PLEASE Review and comment.

Title: Back from the Edge

Part I – Then There Were Three

Chapter 1

The sounds of distress from one of the passenger dorms brought Jayne to his feet, gun in hand. Crossing quickly and silently to the doorway he slid the panel open. Seeing the dark form thrashing on the bunk, he uncocked the pistol and slid it into his waistband at the small of his back. Sinking into a chair next to the bunk he stroked the dark hair back from the tear and sweat streaked face.

“Easy now, you're on the ship. Everythin's fine. Shhh.” His mind flashed back to another time many years back and another form thrashing in the throes of a nightmare.

Inara screamed and lunged forward to sit up, her chest heaving with panic. Her eyes began to focus. “Jayne?” Her voice shaky with the remnants of fear based adrenaline.

“I'm here, alls fine.” Jayne's hands were in his lap fidgeting. He weren't quite sure what to do with them. The previous night hadn't been so bad, she'd had some t-shirt she'd borrowed from somewhere to sleep in. Truth is you'd pretty much have to wrap Inara in engine tape to keep her from bein' sexy as hell but she'd gone out and bought some clothes of her own today and she was sleepin' in some wisp of fabric that had Jayne fillin' up with all sort of mixed feelin's on the idea of comforting her.

The nightmares had been a steady thing, for Inara and River in particular, since the fight on Mr. Universe's moon a few days back. Even Jayne wasn't immune like he usually was. Comfortin' womenfolk wasn't something he'd had much cause to do since he'd left home. He'd have stayed clear of the need now but there wasn't anyone else.