I feel like I'm absolutely insane starting another story when I already have two others I'm still working on, but River kept nagging me with this one until I typed it up. So this one is set in the present and Jayne is about 28 to 30 haven't fully decided yet. River is 17 going on 18. I want to thank my amazing Beta Irishbrneyes who has worked with me on this for the past week or two to get it just right. I do not own anything and not profit was made from this.

Jayne was late. He knew Mattie was going to be furious. They always had lunch together at the hospital, but, like always, he had lost track of time at the garage again. He was just trying to get as many hours in as possible to help pay the bills before Mattie finally came home. He raced up to the front doors as fast as he could almost running into a few people in the process. He was stopped from going in by a woman with in a wheelchair with a brand new baby being pushed outside to a waiting car. As he stood there patiently waiting he looked at the fountain for just a split second and saw a young woman, about Mattie's age he figured just staring at the water. She seemed so out of place next to all people who congregated outside to smoke. Her hair was long and dark and it blew into her face as a sudden gust of wind came out of no where. It didn't seem to bother her though. She was extremely thin and pale. Probably a patient Jayne thought to himself. He saw a man, about mid-twenties, in scrubs running towards her, and shouting what Jayne thought could be her name.

"River!" The doctor shouted repeatedly. When he placed a hand on her shoulder she whipped about smiling at him for the briefest moment before beginning to move her hands about in a strange fashion. Whoever the doctor was he seemed to take this odd behavior in stride and waited for her to stop before he started speaking again. "River, you know you can't be out here without an escort." He grabbed her shoulders and began to push her towards the opposite entrance. Jayne shrugged it off. It wasn't really any of his business after all. He walked in a daze to Mattie's room barely acknowledging the nurses who now knew him so well. He couldn't seem to shake that girl's smile from his mind. He almost walked into a nurse leaving his sister's room. Muttering a quick apology over his shoulder he sat down in the seat next to Mattie's bed.

"You're late!" She said crossing her arms. She reminded him so much of their mother.

"Yeah well, I've been picking up more hours. Gotta make sure we still have money when ya come home." He grinned at her. She looked nearly identical to him, just more girlish. Same tan skin and bright blue eyes, it was like the Cobb trademark. He frowned when he noticed her untouched food. "Mattie, the doctor said ya have ta eat." He said flatly.

"Not very hungry these days. The medications make me sick." She frowned down at her food.

"Yeah, well I see ya got room for the puddin' they bring ya everyday." He raised an eyebrow.

"Ain't it enough I eat that?" She spat back at him.

"Brat."

"You know you love me." She stuck her tongue out at him and then quickly drew it back as a doctor walked in the room.

"Ah Matalee. How are you feeling today?" He grinned.

"Mattie, if you please." If looks could kill that doctor would be six feet under. "I'm fine." She smiled at him. Jayne laughed at its obvious fakeness.

"Alright Mattie, I'm going to have the nurse come in to get another blood sample after lunch so I would like all your food gone, please" He said cheerily before exiting making an eating motion with his hand to his mouth.

"What a big horse's ass." She hissed down at her tray. However as she looked up her expression softened. Jayne looked confused for a moment before turning back to the door to see the young woman from outside standing there. She didn't even seem to see him as she made a strange circular motion over her chest with her right hand. Jayne looked back to his sister who appeared to know her, and was smiling. "Oh, it's okay Riv. You weren't bothering no one." Mattie said happily. "Oh! Where are my manners? River, this is my older brother Jayne. Jayne, this is my friend, River"

"Hi." He nodded. The girl made no sound, but simply nodded at him, and then turned her attention back to his sister.

"So how are ya feelin' today Riv?" The girl shrugged and held out a pudding cup towards Mattie. She still hadn't budged from the door. Mattie grinned mischievously at her. "You know your brother is eventually going to figure out you've been stealing from the cafeteria." Another shrug. "Well thank you Riv." The girl handed her the pudding before raising her right hand in a cupping motion and swing it down towards her belly in an arc formation. Mattie smiled at her and said, "Why don't ya come sit down and talk awhile." River looked at Jayne for a moment before taking the seat on the other side of Mattie's bed. "Jayne why don't you tell River about the time we went camping" Jayne shot her his best 'shut up' look before Mattie started smiling.

"See Jayne here decided that it would be a good idea to go camping, but he didn't bother to learn how to put up a tent before we went." River smiled at the start of the story encouraging Mattie to go on. "After four hours of him cussin' up a storm and me yellin' at him to ask someone for help a park ranger took pity on us and set it up."

"Now wait a minute he just helped me." Jayne spoke up, he didn't know why he cared, but he didn't want to look bad in front of his sister's new friend.

"Oh Jayne! He set it up himself! You were too busy kicking stuff." Mattie giggled.

"Yea and as soon as he set it up he got ta hittin' on ya!" Jayne steamed at the thought of some older guy taking advantage of his baby sister. River smiled at the argument between the two. Simon would never be seen talking like this, which made it all the more interesting.

"Yea well that wasn't none of your business! Ya just had to scare him off didn't ya?" Mattie was staring daggers at Jayne.

"No you did that all on your own." Jayne turned his attention back to River who was smiling from ear to ear. "Mattie here forgot to put on bug repellent. She was polka dotted when we left and the guy couldn't get away from her fast enough." River did her best to not offend her new friend, but the idea of Mattie covered in bug bites and being polka dotted set her off and she let a loud laugh slip through her lips as she grinned at Jayne, who was also laughing. Mattie looked between the two for a moment before joining in. They were all cut off by a loud knocking on the door frame as a nurse popped her head in.

"River sweet heart, you're late for your appointment with Ms. Serra." She smiled at everyone in the room as River stood up to wave goodbye to Jayne and Mattie.

"Bye Riv, I'll see ya tomorrow." Mattie waved.

"Nice ta meet ya." Jayne nodded as River waved at him. As soon as River was out of sight Jayne spoke up.

"That girl don't say much does she? Just makes those weird movements with her hands" Jayne smirked.

"She's mute Jayne." Mattie glared. Jayne immediately felt like a huge ass. "That's sign language. It's how she communicates with people. Although from what the nurses told me she only uses it with her brother and myself. So I've been studying, picking up a few things to make it easy on the poor girl."

"What's wrong with her?" Jayne continued to look at the ground, feeling shamed by his sister. Mattie was always doing things like that. Going above and beyond for people she hardly even knew.

"She was in a car accident with her parents. They died, but she had no physical damage. An awful lot of emotional trauma though. She's got nothing wrong with her physically it's all just mental." Mattie shrugged digging into her new pudding.

"Didn't think the nurses could tell ya that stuff about other patients." Jayne said trying to call his sister on her bullshit.

"They can't. Her brother told me. He's a doctor here." Mattie put another spoonful into her mouth and smiled.

"Well, if there ain't nothin' wrong with her why's she here?"

"She lives upstairs in the psyche ward. She just wanders around during the day, but the hospital staff are all friends with her brother. Besides she isn't dangerous." Mattie shrugged.

"And just how long has she been pilfering puddings for ya?" Jayne laughed, knowing without a doubt that his baby sister probably suckered this poor girl into stealing for her.

"Bout a month." Mattie grinned. "Got into an argument with the nurse about eating. Riv must have heard the only thing I really eat here is the pudding. Next thing I know she's bringing me one for every meal."

"Seems like a sweet kid." Jayne shrugged.

"Yes, and she's awful pretty Jayne. Don't ya think?" He turned and stared at his sister with his mouth hanging open. "I'm just saying I've known her a month and I've never heard her laugh; you're hear a day and she can barely contain herself." She teased.

"Yea that's what I need. A Crazy girlfriend that don't talk." Jayne laughed.

"Don't be rude Jayne!" Mattie hissed. "So how have you been?" He discussed his day with Mattie and told her about what all needed to be done at home, while she informed him of all the good hospital gossip. Apparently the nurses and doctors got around a lot. Before he knew it his lunch break was over, and he had to leave. He gave his sister a quick kiss on the forehead before heading out the door.

He had just about made it to the front entrance when he slammed into someone. He thought at first it was a little old lady or maybe a child, but he looked down and came face to face with his sister's strange little friend River. He had knocked her to the floor so he tried to help her up, but she just brushed him off. They stood there for a moment in total silence, blue eyes staring into chocolate brown ones when a thought popped into his head. The motion she had done walking into the room; a hand in a circular motion over the chest. If he had figured it correctly that had meant something along the lines of sorry. She didn't seem to be saying anything, but simply staring at him. She looked as though she might be studying him. He quickly signed sorry to her, hoping he was correct, and saw with relief that she didn't look anymore upset than she already was. She signed back to him. He shook his head signaling he didn't understand her. Now she looked mad.

"River!" They both turned to see the man from earlier standing there. "Sir, I am so sorry for whatever she did." River turned and glared before punching him in the arm.

"No it's my fault I wasn't paying attention. I knocked her down." He signed sorry to her again. This time he got a more upset look and she signed something again. Jayne looked to the doctor, who looked amused, and shrugged.

"She says I'm not deaf you don't have to sign." Jayne blushed at that.

"Sorry. Just going off basic information from my sister." She glared and signed at him again before storming off. The doctor smiled at him.

"She said Mattie wouldn't tell you that she's deaf." Simon laughed. "You're Mattie's brother?"

"Yea." He nodded "Name's Jayne." He stuck his hand out for him to shake.

"It's a pleasure to meet you. I'm Doctor Simon Tam, River's brother. I believe she likes you." Simon smiled at his sister, who was once again staring at the fountain.

"Don't think so by some of those looks I got." Jayne smirked "She really likes Mattie though. Mattie likes her too. Said she's been learning some sign language." Jayne was proud of his baby sister.

"Oh yes! Mattie is just delightful. River really has taken quite the shine to her. Which is nice, she doesn't really have any friends." Simon didn't bother looking at him while he spoke, choosing rather to keep a watchful eye on his sister. "But she does like you. If she didn't she wouldn't have bothered speaking to you."

"Well ain't that something." Jayne smirked as a warm sensation overtook his chest. His sister wasn't wrong; she was a very pretty girl. "Probably just cause I'm Mattie's brother." Jayne shrugged.

"With River one seldom knows." Simon smiled toward his sister. "Well Jayne it was wonderful to meet you. I best go get her or she'll wander off again." Simon waved as he raced after his sister who was walking through some flowers. Jayne smiled musing on River and her brother as he walked to his car. He was glad that Mattie had someone here to talk to, even if they didn't talk back.

Alright so let me know what you think and whether or not I should continue. Constructive criticism is always welcome. Read and review.