Rejected Scene from "Awareness" Chapter 2
Firefly a "cut" scene
pre-Rayne
They all - besides, of course, Jayne - tried to convince her to come out, but she stayed in her bunk until breakfast the next morning. Mal had flown them off the planet and temporarily taken over the duties of pilot. It wasn’t like River to shirk her responsibilities, so he had suspicions that something was more than a little wrong with his albatross.
Everyone went silent when she came to the table the next morning. Mal and Simon exchanged glances, watching with concern as River shoveled eggs and protein onto her plate.
Simon chanced a timid smile. “Good morning, mei mei.”
“Good morning, Simon. I trust you had a pleasant night.”
“Um… Oh, well yes. Yes.” His smile grew a little bolder. “Did… Did you?”
“Indeed.” She took a prim bite of her breakfast, staring down at her plate.
The rest of the crew sat there slightly dumbfounded, unsure how precisely to respond to River’s strange behavior. Jayne scoffed. “Hey,” he said, pointing a chopstick rudely at her head. “What the hell’s wrong with you? Y’were bein’ all weird an’ avoidin’ us last night an’ now you’re gonna act like there weren’t nothin’ wrong?”
River raised her head and looked straight at her brother. “Did you cook this morning, Simon? Meal is surprisingly flavorful.”
Jayne blinked. “You ignorin’ me?”
Mal cleared his throat. “You, uh… You sure you all right, albatross?”
“Oh yes,” she said, nodding. “Your concern is appreciated, Captain Daddy, but unwarranted. I am fine.”
“Hey.” Jayne leaned over the table a little, his expression dark. “I asked you a question, girl. You ignorin’ me?”
River didn’t respond. Kaylee’s eyes shot between the two. “Um… River?”
“Yes?”
“Think Jayne’s tryin’ to talk to you.”
River just nodded and smiled. “I know.”
“Oh.” Kaylee giggled a little nervously. “Y’gonna answer him?”
The girl shrugged. “I am disinclined to acknowledge his existence at the present moment.”
Jayne growled and asked again, “Are you igno - “
“Yes, Jayne,” Inara said tritely, putting her chopsticks down on the table. “She is ignoring you.”
“I don’t like bein’ ignored,” he said angrily. “You best look over here an’ answer me girl, else I’m gonna - “
“Going to what?” River asked shrilly, standing up. “Cannot drive the girl mad when she is mad already! Would never overpower her! What consequence will my action bring? None!” she spat.
Jayne stood up, as well. “What the hell’s your problem, girl? I didn’t do a ruttin’ thing to you!”
“No,” she agreed. “You didn’t. But I have… noticed you and found that path disagreeable.” She let out a long, low breath, visibly deflating. After blinking twice, she lowered herself daintily back onto her seat. “So I will ignore you.”
“Notice me? What the hell’re you talkin’ ‘bout, moonbrain?” His brows knit together and he stared at her warily as he sat back down, as well.
“Yeah,” Mal agreed, holding back a smug grin. “He’s so big I don’t see how you could not ‘a’ noticed him.”
Kaylee giggled and Jayne scowled, glaring fiercely at Mal. “Tha’s right,” he agreed, his voice hard. “I’m big an’ intimidatin’ an’ mighty fine-lookin’.”
“No.” River shook her head, her shoulders hunched. Her face was slightly flushed and her eyes were on the table. “You are just an ape. Not intimidating. Not worthy of notice. Not fine looking. Not at all.”
Jayne sneered. “Well you ain’t so nice lookin’ yourself! All little an’ scrawny.”
“River…” Inara stared at the girl thoughtfully. “Do you - “
“No!” River shook her head, looking over towards Inara with wide eyes.
~~~
The actual chapter 2 here!
pre-Rayne
They all - besides, of course, Jayne - tried to convince her to come out, but she stayed in her bunk until breakfast the next morning. Mal had flown them off the planet and temporarily taken over the duties of pilot. It wasn’t like River to shirk her responsibilities, so he had suspicions that something was more than a little wrong with his albatross.
Everyone went silent when she came to the table the next morning. Mal and Simon exchanged glances, watching with concern as River shoveled eggs and protein onto her plate.
Simon chanced a timid smile. “Good morning, mei mei.”
“Good morning, Simon. I trust you had a pleasant night.”
“Um… Oh, well yes. Yes.” His smile grew a little bolder. “Did… Did you?”
“Indeed.” She took a prim bite of her breakfast, staring down at her plate.
The rest of the crew sat there slightly dumbfounded, unsure how precisely to respond to River’s strange behavior. Jayne scoffed. “Hey,” he said, pointing a chopstick rudely at her head. “What the hell’s wrong with you? Y’were bein’ all weird an’ avoidin’ us last night an’ now you’re gonna act like there weren’t nothin’ wrong?”
River raised her head and looked straight at her brother. “Did you cook this morning, Simon? Meal is surprisingly flavorful.”
Jayne blinked. “You ignorin’ me?”
Mal cleared his throat. “You, uh… You sure you all right, albatross?”
“Oh yes,” she said, nodding. “Your concern is appreciated, Captain Daddy, but unwarranted. I am fine.”
“Hey.” Jayne leaned over the table a little, his expression dark. “I asked you a question, girl. You ignorin’ me?”
River didn’t respond. Kaylee’s eyes shot between the two. “Um… River?”
“Yes?”
“Think Jayne’s tryin’ to talk to you.”
River just nodded and smiled. “I know.”
“Oh.” Kaylee giggled a little nervously. “Y’gonna answer him?”
The girl shrugged. “I am disinclined to acknowledge his existence at the present moment.”
Jayne growled and asked again, “Are you igno - “
“Yes, Jayne,” Inara said tritely, putting her chopsticks down on the table. “She is ignoring you.”
“I don’t like bein’ ignored,” he said angrily. “You best look over here an’ answer me girl, else I’m gonna - “
“Going to what?” River asked shrilly, standing up. “Cannot drive the girl mad when she is mad already! Would never overpower her! What consequence will my action bring? None!” she spat.
Jayne stood up, as well. “What the hell’s your problem, girl? I didn’t do a ruttin’ thing to you!”
“No,” she agreed. “You didn’t. But I have… noticed you and found that path disagreeable.” She let out a long, low breath, visibly deflating. After blinking twice, she lowered herself daintily back onto her seat. “So I will ignore you.”
“Notice me? What the hell’re you talkin’ ‘bout, moonbrain?” His brows knit together and he stared at her warily as he sat back down, as well.
“Yeah,” Mal agreed, holding back a smug grin. “He’s so big I don’t see how you could not ‘a’ noticed him.”
Kaylee giggled and Jayne scowled, glaring fiercely at Mal. “Tha’s right,” he agreed, his voice hard. “I’m big an’ intimidatin’ an’ mighty fine-lookin’.”
“No.” River shook her head, her shoulders hunched. Her face was slightly flushed and her eyes were on the table. “You are just an ape. Not intimidating. Not worthy of notice. Not fine looking. Not at all.”
Jayne sneered. “Well you ain’t so nice lookin’ yourself! All little an’ scrawny.”
“River…” Inara stared at the girl thoughtfully. “Do you - “
“No!” River shook her head, looking over towards Inara with wide eyes.
~~~
The actual chapter 2 here!