The reaction was instantaneous. Zoe shot up, teetering on numb legs, a tiny gasp slipping from her lips. Mal looked sharply at River before putting a supporting arm around his second in command. Jayne and Kaylee were exchanging a nauseated glance, and Simon stepped back from his sister.

“Don’t lie to me!” River screamed suddenly, throwing her glass onto the table, where it shattered into a million pieces. “Every one of you knows he isn’t gone! You had the funeral; you act like you’re grieving, but inside you are holding on to that faint thread of hope. But your palms are growing slippery on that tiny string, and it takes more than one to hold onto a thread. It takes all of you.”

“River, are you telling me my husband’s alive?” Zoe choked out.

“Wasn’t his body, the one we buried. I knew it then, but the clone knows it all. Ask her,” River sobbed into her arms, and Jayne nestled her against his chest, blatantly ignoring the looks Mal, Simon, Inara, and even Zoe shot him. “Ask her.”

Jayne knew breakfast the next morning would be frosty, at the least, towards him, but he kissed the top of River’s head and held her. Four months and he would still get a lecture every other day about his relationship with River. Public displays of affection and even the mention of River and Jayne being together would warrant another scolding, one from almost every crew member, especially Simon and Mal.

The only one who had no real problem with it was Kaylee, although Jayne doubted Book or Wash would have disapproved. It was a relationship not unlike Wash’s and Zoe’s, and while Zoe saw River as Mal and Simon did: a teenage girl, Wash and Book would have seen a girl in love with the absolute wrong person for her.

“We’re gonna go back to bed. The….clone’ll stay out for another six hours?” Jayne made sure before gently tugging back down the hallway with him, tenderly smoothing her hair.

Kaylee yanked Simon away with an apologetic look towards River and Jayne, and everyone drifted towards their bunks, only there was a sur