(Untitled)

[crazyspacegirl]

River had of course spent a lot of time with Samantha Halpert. Just never much all by herself. A few hours of babysitting so Jim could have some time on his own was really the least she could do to help her friend

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[queeninthenorth]

"You seem to have your hands full," said Jeyne, falling into step with River. She smiled at the little girl River was holding; she looked to be about Eddara's age, and the fact that she was chewing on a toy squirrel made Jeyne giggle.

[crazyspacegirl]

"I do," said River, unsure whether to be grateful for someone to distract Samantha from whatever it was that had been making her cry or annoyed that she was now acting like the most pleasant child who had ever lived. "This is Samantha. We're spending the day together."

It certainly seemed like a day, at least. Maybe a week. A lot more than three hours, anyway.

Samantha waved her squirrel at Jeyne and gurgled happily.

[queeninthenorth]

"You must be Samantha Halpert," said Jeyne to the little girl. She was such a precious thing, and Jeyne had heard Susan and Jon speak of their friend Jim whose wife had disappeared, leaving him with their daughter. "She's so cute," she added to River, "though I've been around Eddara to know that girls her age can be angels one minute and tiny hellions the next."

[crazyspacegirl]

Samantha blew spit bubbles in response to her name and went back to chewing on Squirrel Jim.

"She is cute," River agreed. "And I love her, but yes. Hellion." She shook her head and adjusted her grip on the baby. "I wonder if I was like this. I'll have to ask my brother."

[tightpantscapn]

Mal stepped off the wooden path, headin' for Serenity. Catchin' sight o' River walkin' toward him, dogs nippin' at her heels, he sped up some. Cuttin' the distance 'tween them, he raised a hand n' called, "Ni hao."

When he got closer still, Mal realized two thin's: 1) She was holdin' Samantha, and 2) She didn't look none too pleased.

[crazyspacegirl]

River had been more than glad to see Mal a lot of times. Times he'd saved her life, and times she'd been in a bad place in her head and just needed him. Right now, when Samantha started to cry again for no reason, even though River hadn't stopped walking yet and nothing at all was different than it had been the second before, was on par with those times.

"Did they teach you about crazy babies in wartime?" she asked, only partly joking. "I think they'd be a pretty good weapon, but mostly I don't know what she wants. Why can't she talk yet?"

Not that she really expected Mal to know, but it was worth asking.

[tightpantscapn]

"Taught me 'bout crazy folk n' such, but nothin' 'bout babies, crazy 'r otherwise." The small smile that'd been on his face as he 'pproched River faded a considerable 'mount.

He knew River well 'nough t' recognize that look on her face. She weren't too far 'way from fallin' 'part.

"Is she hungry?" Mal asked. "'r mayhap she wants a story 'r...somethin'" The last part was nothin' more'n a desperate stab at fixin' River's problem. He didn't know a damned thin' 'bout babies other'n they were small, pink, wriggly, n' made a hell o' a lot o' noise.

[crazyspacegirl]

"You would think that everyone ought to know about babies, seeing as how every single person was one once." River took a deep breath, trying her hardest to just not hear the crying anymore, even though it was right next to her head.

"I fed her and I changed her and I didn't let her eat rocks. And we watched Simon Chicago and Remy have some kind of canine wrestling match, though I don't know who won. Maybe she's got more teeth coming in." She suddenly remembered reading about how that could make a baby fussy, and decided to check. "I can't tell," she admitted, though just the act of having her mouth looked into was sufficient distraction for Samantha. She waved her squirrel at Mal as her little laugh rang out in the sudden silence.

River's laugh echoed Sam's, though she did feel a little bit like she was going crazy.

"Now we're going to see Shadow. Once she gets tired of that, then story time is probably a good idea."

[gorramcheerful]

Though it was rare for Kaylee to find herself in a bad mood; she had been especially buoyant since Sansa's wedding. Kaylee had wandered off Serenity and found River upon the path. Or she had heard Samantha first, by the time she caught up with the girl, her steady pace seemed to have quieted the wailing, but she didn't look so happy.

"Got y'work cut out for y'there huh?" Kaylee offered quietly with a sympathetic sort of smile, trying to offer a very brief tickle of a single finger to Sam's chin; but both baby and her babysitter looked a little uncomfortable, but Kaylee couldn't blame River, that little one had a real set of lungs, and she wouldn't have known what to do. "Anything I can get? Help y'out somehow?"

[crazyspacegirl]

"You could tell me what she wants?" River answered hopefully. Maybe Kaylee could understand babies talking to her like she could ships. "She's been fed and changed and nothing's stabbing her and I really don't know what's wrong but she won't stop crying."

Samantha chose that moment to say, "ba" and start chewing in Squirrel Jim as though she'd never had a moment's worry in her life, save for the last of the tears on her face.

River sighed. "People say I'm crazy. They must know any babies."

[gorramcheerful]

"Maybe it's her tummy?" Kaylee knew so little about babies; they were so sweet and very cute, but truth be told she thought she'd be better suited fixing things than with a litter in tow, she knew how to understand machines. "Or she's cuttin' new teeth? 'Sposed make'm wail somethin' awful, that."

Kaylee gave a small laugh to River's words, she had a point. Figuring out what a wailing squirming tiny little person wanted was tough. "I guess it must be kinda frustratin' not bein' able t'just tell folk what's goin' on." She mused of the baby, tilting her head to regard her with a smile. "I mean I ain't sayin' she's doin' problem solvin' in there; but all she can do is use those lungs n'hope someone figures it out quick."

[crazyspacegirl]

"It really is," agreed River, finding herself very much understanding Samantha's dilemma even if she still didn't know what her problem was. "When you don't know how to say what's in your head, it's terrible."

She hugged Sam tight, making her squeak but mercifully not cry again.

"I'll help you if I can figure it out," she promised.

Samantha pulled her hair and laughed.

[nevermarried]

Book was heading back to Serenity when he came across River, holding a baby, and walking up the path toward him. He smiled crookedly, eyebrows raised. "I'm pretty sure she's not yours. I would hope that I would have noticed a pregnancy." He pursed his lips, eyes twinkling. "And maybe would have merited being told the news."

[crazyspacegirl]

"I would hope you'd notice something like that, too," managing a laugh. Samantha joined in, making River shake her head at the change in mood though she certainly wasn't going to complain that the baby wasn't crying anymore.

"Don't worry. I would have told you. But don't be waiting for news or anything. I'm not the baby-having type. I'm not even really the baby sitting type, apparently. This is Samantha Halpert, my friend Jim's daughter. He needed some time off. Now I know why."

[nevermarried]

"I ain't waiting by the news feed, don't you worry." He chuckled. "And I'm sure you'd do just fine if it ever came to that." Though, Mal as a father... That'd be a sight to see. He grinned to himself and lowered his head to the baby, his hand involuntarily going to her chubby fingers. "Hello, Samantha. I'm Shepherd Book." He stroked the soft skin and smiled widely.

[crazyspacegirl]

"No, I don't think I'd be fine at all," admitted River. "Too much room for error, and at the end you've messed up a person. I'd rather not. I'd probably freak out and Mal would have to do everything, and that wouldn't be fair. He'd do okay, though." River's faith in Mal was pretty much unlimited in all situations.

Samantha grabbed at the Shepherd's fingers and babbled nonsense at him.

"I think that means she's pleased to meet you," translated River.