River Tam, Psychic Eye - Chapter Seven
Title: River Tam, Psychic Eye
Author: Sarah-Beth (memorysdaughter)
Summary: Set in present-day America. To make a little more cash every month, Simon Tam rents out his empty garage to Braille printer Jayne Cobb. Jayne is scruffy and gruff, but he seems to have a good heart. And what’s more, he gets Simon’s mostly-silent sister, River, to open up. And when a strange man named Badger is murdered just a few doors away, it might just be up to Jayne and River to solve the mystery.
Series: Chapter Seven
Rating: PG
Spoilers: None
Disclaimer: Not mine. I just meddle and squee frequently.
Author’s Note: I must have some sort of brain damage if I keep writing Rayne-fic… but think of this as AU pre-Rayne. Which I can deal with. :)
Super-cute fluff in this one.
Chapters 1-6
Chapter Seven
Kaylee pulled up in the driveway, and River heard her slam the car door and head towards the garage. “Hello, Jayne! Hi, River!” she called as she approached.
“Hey there,” Jayne said, waving with a wrench in one hand.
“Would you like to stay for dinner, Jayne? We’re having macaroni and cheese.”
“That sounds great,” Jayne said.
“You all look happy,” Kaylee commented. “Good day?”
“We got a new teacher,” River found herself saying.
To her credit, Kaylee didn’t act as though anything out of the ordinary was occurring; she acted as though she and River had spoken recently instead of days ago. “Yeah? To replace that Mr. Nichols?”
“Mm-hmm. And she’s a friend of Jayne’s.”
“You have friends?” Kaylee asked Jayne, grinning.
“Only a few. Gotta have somebody to bail you out of jail, right?”
Kaylee laughed.
“But yes, she’s a good friend of mine. A client,” Jayne went on. “Miss Serra’s a good teacher. I think she and River will get along swimmingly.”
“Good,” Kaylee said. “Well, I’m going in to make dinner. I’ll let you know when it’s ready.”
“Fantastic,” Jayne said, and River laughed because that word sounded odd coming from his mouth.
When Simon pulled up in his Volvo fifteen minutes later, he went into the kitchen where Kaylee was chopping cheese and singing in her endearing, out-of-tune way. “You’re happy,” he commented, and kissed her.
“It seems like a good day to be happy,” Kaylee said. “Jayne’s staying for dinner and River’s talking.”
Simon dropped his briefcase on the floor. “Are you serious?”
“Well, I know he just had dinner with us the other day, but I thought…”
“No, I mean about River talking,” Simon said.
“Oh! Yeah, she was telling me about a new teacher at school.”
“And she…?” Simon was speechless.
“It was like she’d never stopped talking,” Kaylee said.
“Dear God. Jayne’s a miracle worker.”
Kaylee laughed. “I don’t know if I’d go that far.”
“He can stay for dinner as often as he’d like if he’ll get her to talk,” Simon said.
“I don’t think he gets her to do anything,” Kaylee said. “I think he just lets her know her silence is okay.”
“Isn’t that what we’re doing?”
“I think he’s just there. He doesn’t expect anything from her.” Kaylee gave him a quick kiss. “Now, go change your clothes and come set the table.”
Simon headed for the stairs, puzzling over Kaylee’s remarks. He thought that was what he had been doing for River. But what did he expect? What was it about him that caused his sister to hit the mute button?
“I must say, this macaroni and cheese is divine,” Jayne said, causing River to giggle. “What? You’ve never heard anybody use the word divine?”
“Well, not since the last time I watched Queer Eye for the Straight Guy,” River said, fiddling with her spoon.
“Or that show Divine Design,” Kaylee interjected.
“And definitely never out of the mouth of a man as strapping as you,” River said.
“I’m a sensitive guy,” Jayne said defensively. “I print books for the blind. I listen to NPR. I took a date to the symphony last Christmas.”
“Aww,” Kaylee said. “How romantic.”
“Was it Miss Serra?” River asked.
Jayne looked at her. “How did you know that?”
She shrugged, beaming. “Lucky guess.”
“We’re just friends,” Jayne said. “I’m far too sensitive to settle down.”
“You could make somebody really happy,” Kaylee said meaningfully, grinning at Simon.
“I’m sure I’ll have a chance someday,” Jayne said. “Pass the broccoli, please.”
The rest of the meal passed in happy chatter, and far too soon the plates were empty. Simon’s cell phone rang; he looked at the screen and stood up. “It’s Dr. Harris,” he said. “Excuse me.”
At the same time there was knock at the back door, and Kaylee went to open it. “Oh, Mrs. Kelleher! Come in!”
“No, thank you, dear. I just wanted to ask you about the new mailbox stand. Harry put it up today. Will you come and take a look?”
“Sure thing. Are you guys okay?” Kaylee asked, turning to look at Jayne and River.
“Go ahead. We’ll clean up these plates,” Jayne said, waving her off.
Kaylee headed out; the screen door closed behind her.
“Psst,” River whispered from across the table.
“What?”
“You want to see something?”
“Only if it’s not disgusting.”
She made a silly face at him. “It’s not disgusting. Although I’ll keep that in mind for the next time I want to show you something.”
She got up and went over to the refrigerator, opened it, and pulled out a chocolate pudding cup.
Jayne raised his eyebrows. “I thought you and pudding weren’t on speaking terms.”
River grinned. “We weren’t.”
With a quick move she ripped the top off and grabbed a spoon from the table. Standing as tall as Jayne had ever seen her, still grinning, she scooped up a spoonful of pudding and stuck it in her mouth. He waited for her to spit it out, and was therefore completely surprised when she swallowed.
“Wow,” he said.
“Pudding - zero. River - one,” she said proudly, and smiled. There was chocolate pudding on her teeth.
Jayne applauded.
“But don’t tell my brother.”
“We haven’t been having many heart-to-hearts, in case you haven’t noticed.”
“Well, you’re so sensitive,” River said. “I thought you might just have a boys’ night out or something. You know, paint each other’s nails and talk about public radio.”
“I think I liked you better before you started talking so much,” Jayne said. “You were far less of a wiseass.”
She stuck her tongue out at him, and then promptly ate another spoonful of pudding, just to prove that she could.
Author: Sarah-Beth (memorysdaughter)
Summary: Set in present-day America. To make a little more cash every month, Simon Tam rents out his empty garage to Braille printer Jayne Cobb. Jayne is scruffy and gruff, but he seems to have a good heart. And what’s more, he gets Simon’s mostly-silent sister, River, to open up. And when a strange man named Badger is murdered just a few doors away, it might just be up to Jayne and River to solve the mystery.
Series: Chapter Seven
Rating: PG
Spoilers: None
Disclaimer: Not mine. I just meddle and squee frequently.
Author’s Note: I must have some sort of brain damage if I keep writing Rayne-fic… but think of this as AU pre-Rayne. Which I can deal with. :)
Super-cute fluff in this one.
Chapters 1-6
Chapter Seven
Kaylee pulled up in the driveway, and River heard her slam the car door and head towards the garage. “Hello, Jayne! Hi, River!” she called as she approached.
“Hey there,” Jayne said, waving with a wrench in one hand.
“Would you like to stay for dinner, Jayne? We’re having macaroni and cheese.”
“That sounds great,” Jayne said.
“You all look happy,” Kaylee commented. “Good day?”
“We got a new teacher,” River found herself saying.
To her credit, Kaylee didn’t act as though anything out of the ordinary was occurring; she acted as though she and River had spoken recently instead of days ago. “Yeah? To replace that Mr. Nichols?”
“Mm-hmm. And she’s a friend of Jayne’s.”
“You have friends?” Kaylee asked Jayne, grinning.
“Only a few. Gotta have somebody to bail you out of jail, right?”
Kaylee laughed.
“But yes, she’s a good friend of mine. A client,” Jayne went on. “Miss Serra’s a good teacher. I think she and River will get along swimmingly.”
“Good,” Kaylee said. “Well, I’m going in to make dinner. I’ll let you know when it’s ready.”
“Fantastic,” Jayne said, and River laughed because that word sounded odd coming from his mouth.
When Simon pulled up in his Volvo fifteen minutes later, he went into the kitchen where Kaylee was chopping cheese and singing in her endearing, out-of-tune way. “You’re happy,” he commented, and kissed her.
“It seems like a good day to be happy,” Kaylee said. “Jayne’s staying for dinner and River’s talking.”
Simon dropped his briefcase on the floor. “Are you serious?”
“Well, I know he just had dinner with us the other day, but I thought…”
“No, I mean about River talking,” Simon said.
“Oh! Yeah, she was telling me about a new teacher at school.”
“And she…?” Simon was speechless.
“It was like she’d never stopped talking,” Kaylee said.
“Dear God. Jayne’s a miracle worker.”
Kaylee laughed. “I don’t know if I’d go that far.”
“He can stay for dinner as often as he’d like if he’ll get her to talk,” Simon said.
“I don’t think he gets her to do anything,” Kaylee said. “I think he just lets her know her silence is okay.”
“Isn’t that what we’re doing?”
“I think he’s just there. He doesn’t expect anything from her.” Kaylee gave him a quick kiss. “Now, go change your clothes and come set the table.”
Simon headed for the stairs, puzzling over Kaylee’s remarks. He thought that was what he had been doing for River. But what did he expect? What was it about him that caused his sister to hit the mute button?
“I must say, this macaroni and cheese is divine,” Jayne said, causing River to giggle. “What? You’ve never heard anybody use the word divine?”
“Well, not since the last time I watched Queer Eye for the Straight Guy,” River said, fiddling with her spoon.
“Or that show Divine Design,” Kaylee interjected.
“And definitely never out of the mouth of a man as strapping as you,” River said.
“I’m a sensitive guy,” Jayne said defensively. “I print books for the blind. I listen to NPR. I took a date to the symphony last Christmas.”
“Aww,” Kaylee said. “How romantic.”
“Was it Miss Serra?” River asked.
Jayne looked at her. “How did you know that?”
She shrugged, beaming. “Lucky guess.”
“We’re just friends,” Jayne said. “I’m far too sensitive to settle down.”
“You could make somebody really happy,” Kaylee said meaningfully, grinning at Simon.
“I’m sure I’ll have a chance someday,” Jayne said. “Pass the broccoli, please.”
The rest of the meal passed in happy chatter, and far too soon the plates were empty. Simon’s cell phone rang; he looked at the screen and stood up. “It’s Dr. Harris,” he said. “Excuse me.”
At the same time there was knock at the back door, and Kaylee went to open it. “Oh, Mrs. Kelleher! Come in!”
“No, thank you, dear. I just wanted to ask you about the new mailbox stand. Harry put it up today. Will you come and take a look?”
“Sure thing. Are you guys okay?” Kaylee asked, turning to look at Jayne and River.
“Go ahead. We’ll clean up these plates,” Jayne said, waving her off.
Kaylee headed out; the screen door closed behind her.
“Psst,” River whispered from across the table.
“What?”
“You want to see something?”
“Only if it’s not disgusting.”
She made a silly face at him. “It’s not disgusting. Although I’ll keep that in mind for the next time I want to show you something.”
She got up and went over to the refrigerator, opened it, and pulled out a chocolate pudding cup.
Jayne raised his eyebrows. “I thought you and pudding weren’t on speaking terms.”
River grinned. “We weren’t.”
With a quick move she ripped the top off and grabbed a spoon from the table. Standing as tall as Jayne had ever seen her, still grinning, she scooped up a spoonful of pudding and stuck it in her mouth. He waited for her to spit it out, and was therefore completely surprised when she swallowed.
“Wow,” he said.
“Pudding - zero. River - one,” she said proudly, and smiled. There was chocolate pudding on her teeth.
Jayne applauded.
“But don’t tell my brother.”
“We haven’t been having many heart-to-hearts, in case you haven’t noticed.”
“Well, you’re so sensitive,” River said. “I thought you might just have a boys’ night out or something. You know, paint each other’s nails and talk about public radio.”
“I think I liked you better before you started talking so much,” Jayne said. “You were far less of a wiseass.”
She stuck her tongue out at him, and then promptly ate another spoonful of pudding, just to prove that she could.