Crazy

[River Tam]

*River had quickly adjusted her clothing, yanking up her dress, running her fingers through her hair. She made a mental note to kill her brother...she had been so close, but ofcourse he had to decided to come back to the ship.

She remained on the mule, crossing her legs, only to force herself to calm down...in some way. She flashed a grin towards Jayne, before moving her gaze to the doors, waiting for any sign of Simon. He was close...she had felt him...she knew he was.

And she was rather sure that him and Kaylee were on good terms again, because her whispers were mingling with his*

[Simon Tam]

Simon led Kaylee back towards the direction of Serenity, the grin on his face getting wider as the moments passed. He had finally been able to get to the root of the recent communication problems between them, something which he was tremendously glad about.

He was a bit surprised when he saw Jayne exiting the ship, rearranging his shirt. 'He's just now leaving?' Simon thought. He was glad the the merc was leaving though. It would give himself and Kaylee the privacy of the entire ship.

Simon walked a few feet in front of the open doors and saw his sister sitting on the mule. That was enough to stop him in his tracks. River and Jayne were talking? He almost didn't believe it.

"River?" he called to her. "What're you still doing here?"

[Kaylee Frye]

*Kaylee had been full of giggles on the way back. She couldn't figure out why she hadn't just told him from the begining, instead of keeping it to herself, letting it eat at her.

It had never really occured to her how much just talking to Simon made things seem simpler.

She came to a stop when he did, blinking slightly. Her eyes had been glued to his figure, a look of want and desire in them, and she slowly turned her head to look in the direction he was. She tilted her head at River, but remained quiet.

Why on earth was she still on the ship?*

[River Tam]

*She slowly uncrossed her legs, letting them dangle over the side of the mule, her hands coming to rest at the sides of her legs, her finger tips stroking the cool metal. She gave a half smile to her brother, one she couldn't stop herself, like a child who had just gotten the cookie out of the cookie jar.

She shifted after a moment, before shrugging to him* Here or there, still do the same. *She jumped off the mule after that, before slowly walking over to the side panel, her hand resting on it, affection in her eyes very similar to how Mal looked at the ship* She doesn't like being alone...

[Mikey Cobb]

Mikey stopped a few feet away from the couple eliciting protests from Lex and Murray who were directly behind her. She silenced them with a Look and observed the couple.

The man didn't look all that observant, he was obviously from a rich upbringing. Mikey had a pretty good idea where his wallet would be so he would be easy to target. And the best part is that he would be loaded.

His girl on the other hand, she looked like she had some street smarts to her, so Mikey resolved to stay away from her and to make sure the girl didn't see her.

She turned to Lex and Murray and said, "Ok, all systems go, it's now or never." With that, she walked away from them and sauntered towards the couple, at the same time a small group of people were passing by them. It would give her both the cover she needed and the excuse to brush against the man.

It was almost too easy.

[Jayne Cobb]

Jayne stood in the "doorframe" of the ship's doors, his eyes on Simon and Kaylee. He had a pretty good idea as to why they had come back so unexpectedly.

'Don't they get enough sexin' every other day?' he thought, glancing over at River. He hoped that they wouldn't ask too many questions as to why he and River were still in the ship as it wouldn't end well if they did.

Something behind Simon caught Jayne's eye. He saw a girl, around River's age walking behind him, when a small group of people were as well.

One thought went through his mind. 'Pickpocket.' The doc surely wouldn't notice, at least not until his money was taken from him.

With sure, steady strides, Jayne walked down the ramp and to the girl, just as she was walking away, slipping her hand into her pocket. Jayne grabbed her by the wrist and said, "Ain't you a little old t'be stealin' from folk?" He put a bit of menace in his voice at that.

[River Tam]

*River's eyes shifted from her brother, the moment Jayne moved. She let her hand fall from the panel, and she tilted her head to the side, a curious look on her face as she observed the scene goin' on.*

[Murray Archer]

*Murray had been whispering to Lex when Mikey gave them a look that would silence anyone. So she quieted down, having no problems following an order, a habit she had installed in her at a young age.

So she stood beside Lex, her back pressed against the brick wall, her eyes locked on Mikey. She couldn't help but grin, she knew that boy was going to have enough to buy them dinner every night till end of the week. It was exciting, just the prospect.

But then a man, a man she hadn't even noticed until that moment, grabbed hold of Mikey. Murray immediatly straightened up, her smile fading, her hand reaching out to smack Lex's arm...like he hadn't just seen it himself.

She didn't know what to do*

[Simon Tam]

Simon was jostled forward a bit as the crowd moved behind him. Crowds were normal for Persephone but he couldn't understand why people kept bumping into him.

He saw Jayne walk away from the ship and move behind him, grabbing ahold of the wrist of a young girl who was walking away. Simon started to say something when Jayne spoke.

"Ain't you a little old t'be stealin' from folk?"

Simon's eyebrow raised at that and he felt his pocket with his other hand. It was flat and empty...the girl had taken his wallet.

[Lex Sutherland]

Lex stopped talking to Murray when Mikey looked at them. He folded his arms and smirked a bit as she walked towards her target. Bastard would definitely feed them for a good long while.

His eyes widened when he saw the big man come out of nowhere and grab her by the wrist, catching her in the act.

For as long as he'd known her, Mikey had never been caught. Not even the time the Alliance personnel had questioned them. This guy clearly knew what he was doing. Seeing as none of them had seen where he had come from, he may have even been a thief himself.

"Fuck," Lex whispered under his breath, looking at Murray in astonishment.

He had no idea how they were going to get out of this one.

[River Tam]

*River glanced to her brother, part of her wanted to give him a lecture. He always lectured her, and he was starting to lose authority to do so, and the child that was still alive in her wanted to relish in it. Wanted to tell him how he needed to be careful...needed to watch his surrondings. Maybe then he'd stop treating her the way he did on more then one occasion.

Instead, she just remained standing, though she couldn't push a way the almost delighted grin as she continued to watch Jayne.*

[Murray Archer]

*Murray's eyes jumped to Lex, the look of shock still plastered all over her features*

Should we...help? *She didn't know what they could possibly do. The man that had grabbed hold of Mikey seemed to be the only visable threat, but still, she doubted her and Lex running to Mikey's side would do much good.

It'd most likely just make the situation worse.

But this has never happened before, and Murray had no idea as to what they could do other then to watch helplessly*

[Mikey Cobb]

Mikey was grinning to herself as she began to walk away, enjoying the feel of the heavy wallet now inside her pocket.

That feeling didn't last long as someone grabbed her wrist and stopped her dead in her tracks. A trace amount of fear coursed through her body at the thought of being caught. Mikey Cobb was never caught. Not since she was a child had this happened.

Mikey turned to face who had caught her and was caught again by surprise. "Dad?!" she exclaimed, eyes wide with astonishment. It was indeed her father, almost 15 years older, but she recognised him in an instant. When she was younger, her mother showed her pictures of her father and told her all about him. Mikey still had a picture of him in her room at the flat.

She continued gaping at him, unsure of what to do.

[Jayne Cobb]

Jayne Cobb had never been more surprised in his life. He was a bit confused by her words until what she had said actually registered in his mind.

It brought back a flood of memories for the merc, memories he had long since suppressed.

Meeting Eva, her blonde hair standing out like a beacon in the night.

Finding out she was pregnant, and it making him happier than he could ever have known.

Playing with his daughter on the floor of Eva's house.

Leaving Persephone to be a mercenary, the fight he and Eva had had about it and the resulting bitterness afterwards.

Now that he looked at the girl, he could tell he wasn't lying. She had his nose, his eye shape, his hair, her mother's face and lips. And most of all, she had his old coat on, the one he gave Eva before he left.

He was speechless.

[River Tam]

Dad? *River spoke out, before she had time to really think about what she had just heard. What did the girl mean "Dad?" She couldn't have been talking about Jayne...that was impossible.

River's eyes moved up and down the girl's form, a sour look growing with each passing moment. She pushed herself off the side, moving off towards Jayne. But she stopped, thinking better of it, and instead stood by her brother's side.

Her eyes fell on Jayne, she wanted an explination, and she had this feeling in her stomach that even if she got one, she'd hate it.*