Epilogue

"You are familiar with this ritual?" River tilted her head in fascination, looking out at the frenetically gesticulating people on the dance floor.

Jayne glanced up from his piece of cake. It was real fluffy yellow cake, with white frostin', and this was his third piece. He'd eaten most of the word 'congratulations,' and was well on his way to eating through the hastily iced on 'River and Jayne.'

"Hmm? Hell, yeah. Everybody does the chicken dance at weddin's. S'traditional."

River appeared skeptical at this pronouncement. Certainly not on Osiris, her expression indicated.

"Simon is not enjoying himself," she bit her lip to keep from laughing.

That went without saying. Simon, looking mortified, was standing next to a bouncing Kaylee, half-heartedly trying to cluck and swivel with the Frye clan. Jayne so wished he had a capture.

"You were hungry," River observed as Jayne finally plunked his fork down on his plate and pushed back from the table. He grinned a little, she sounded so wifely.

"Yeah – couldn't eat before. Never imagined I'd be getting sparkly wine and real beef and cake in the afternoon. Thought I was gonna hafta eat those rations 'Nara gave me all by my lonesome in some crappy inn." Jayne looked around the little banquet hall that had been booked long ago for Kaylee and Simon's reception. It was real nice, better than anything he could have afforded. There was something to be said about hornin' in on somebody else's wedding.

River began laughing softly.

"What?" He had to smile.

"Not rations."

"Whaddya mean?" Jayne frowned, reaching around the back of his chair to retrieve his leather jacket. He'd tucked his gun and holster into one sleeve and his knife and sheath in t'other, so he didn't want to lose sight of it. He found the bulky lump in the front pocket and pulled it out.

He untied the cloth string and looked inside. Ha! A little packet of those almond cookies in crinkly paper. Inara knew he liked 'em. He glanced up at River, still confused.

She leaned over and reached in to take out the cookies. Underneath, Jayne recognized a long range transponder, the small red indicator blinking faintly. What?

River smiled again.

"You're a very obstinate man, Jayne Cobb. Kaylee was the one who finally convinced Simon, but you are also very stubborn. Everyone else thought the double wedding would be such a fun surprise, but I was afraid you'd still be so angry, or still so full of misguided nobility, that you'd leave all the same. Zoë was going to put the beacon in your baggage, but you never left it unattended. So Inara came up with this plan."

Jayne whistled. "A lotta schemin' took place in those last coupla hours."

River whispered, "I wasn't going to lose you."

Jayne's heart felt like it was melting. His wife. She was his wife. He must have been a gorram saint in that other life.

"You ain't never gonna lose me, ying tao nü hai."

Their kiss was another vow. Jayne was just gettin' real into it when they were rudely interrupted.

"Hey, what the hell do you think you're doin'?" Mal shouted, strutting up to them like the cockiest rooster in the henhouse, towing Inara in his wake. She was laughing so hard at his antics that tears were running down her cheeks. "Stop all that kissin'! This is a wedding! As your captain, I am orderin' you to chicken dance!"

- Fin -

Chinese: ying tao nü hai – cherry girl

A/N: Simon…chicken dance…irresistible…

Thank you for sticking with the story! Gem