Bedlam Part 2

By Kaynara

It’s Joss’s ‘verse—I just borrow it.

Please comment!

***

A barefoot River slipped silently, stealthily into Jayne’s bunk. The room was empty, but then she’d known it would be. Without making a sound, she slipped out of her dress, folding it neatly on Jayne’s dust-covered chair: his one piece of furniture aside from the narrow bed. In a stack of laundry, she found one of his t-shirts, a soft gray with frayed sleeves. When she pulled it over her head, the hem fell nearly to her knees. Pleased, she wrapped her arms around herself and, lying back on the bed, let her eyes drift closed in contentment. Very comfortable. Cozy, River decided. She flopped on her side to count his guns like sheep until she fell into a restful sleep, curled like a ball on his bed.

“Just get the gorram mule ready, Jayne.”

At the sound of Mal’s voice in the hallway, River eyes sprung open. She rolled over in time to see Jayne enter the room, stumble back against the wall in fright.

“Gorramit, girl. What the devil you doin’ in my bed?”

“Scared you.” She sounded pleased.

“Damn right, I’m scared. Scared Mal and that no-good doctor-brother of yours gonna find you in my gorram bed, little psycho.”

River rose to her knees in the center of his bed. Jayne watched the fabric of her shirt—his shirt, gorramit!—rise as she stretched. He darted a quick glance toward the door, took a step away from her.

“Not foolin’, girl. Get your ass outta my bunk…and my shirt. You tryin’ to get me dead, little witch?”

“Just practicing. Good sleep, very deep. I like your bed, Jayne Cobb.”

“Yeah…well, I like all my parts where’n they are so get outta my comfy bed ‘fore the cap’n cuts em’ off.”

“Jayne’s got man parts.” River smiled. “Strangers coming today. Not so strange, though. One boy, one girl.”

“Jayne?” Mal’s voice echoed from the hall. “I got no time and about as little patience for whatever you’re doin’ in there.”

“Comin’, Mal.” Jayne turned to River, panic rising in h