Playing with Fire by Djinn

Sometimes the ship got to Jayne. Those were the times he found his way to the cargo hold to work out. He usually found Book down there, too. Like now.

"Can't sleep?" Book asked as he curled two dumbbells.

"Something like that." Jayne snuck a look at Book's grip--the man never screwed up by putting his thumb on the opposing side. Somehow, Jayne didn't expect a shepherd to know to hold the weights right. Or to be so buff. Book was definitely more than he seemed.

"We've got company," Book said softly, looking up at the catwalk.

River was walking the grating slowly, placing one foot delicately in front of the other. After every four steps, she'd pirouette twice, foot going down at the end without a wobble.

Jayne watched her, marveling that she never lost her balance. "It's like a dance." He glanced at Book, saw him nod. "Seems like she's always dancing." Even in her head. Maybe that was what was wrong with her? Her thoughts didn't run true so much as dance around all ways?

"Was she dancing when she stabbed you?" Book winked at him.

"Maybe so, but it wasn't any kind of dance I want her to do again." That had hurt like a mother-humpin' devil. "You ever figure out why she did that to me?"

Book shot him a look. "Haven't the faintest idea. Do you?"

Jayne could feel himself turning red. "Nope. Wasn't provoked, that's for gorram sure." Unless you counted the fact that the girl was some kind of psychic, and Jayne had been about to sell her and her uppity brother down the river on Arial. He often wondered if she'd been punishing him in advance, or if maybe she'd been giving him the final push so he'd just go and get it over with. He'd had chances to sell her out since, and he'd ignored them.

Which was a good thing. He didn't fancy another spell in the airlock with Mal on the right side of the door and him on the wrong. He'd never been so scared. He'd also never been so ashamed. And shame wasn't a feeling he wore real well. Mad