The Alliance Spins, Part 4
Title: The Alliance Spins, Part 4
Author: CharlieBZ
Summary: With Mal and Zoe away, the rest of the crew manages on their own. Kaylee repairs and vents. Jayne has a bit of a vacation.
Rating: PG for language
Characters: Crew, but this part features Kaylee and Jayne
Pairing: Canon, if any
Spoilers/Timeline: post BDM
Disclaimer: No money is being made from by me and I certainly don’t own Firefly/Serenity.
Author's Note: This fic takes place within my little version of the post BDM 'Verse. If you’re a little lost see my blog entry here.
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
The Alliance Spins, Part 4
Situated in the dock district of Marseilles New, Harvey’s Shiny Shipyards occupied about two acres of some of the most un-prime real estate in the city. The Yard was surrounded by a large fence covered in heavy, thorny shrubbery that grew wild and thick on this part of Persephone. By design, the place was hard to get to by any means other than the big gate at the front. Harvey had told the Federal Business Licensing Division Officer that the perimeter of his place was kept this way to discourage any visitors of a mind to rob him of tools and ship parts. The naïve young bureaucrat, freshly graduated from Kingston University on Londinium, readily bought the explanation without question.
Three ships were presently housed at the Yard. One of those was a bona fide legitimate freighter - honest papers and all. The legitimacy of the ship earned it a spot in the most conspicuous part of the Yard which was near the front gate. The other two ships, however, were parked in the back behind the large shop and not at all visible from outside the compound.
A battered ’98 Universal Sailer IV had been in the Yard close to six months. Nothing was mechanically wrong with the thing except the Captain had been thrown in prison for smuggling and was on month five of an eight month sentence. The man’s no-good crew had a notion to take the Sailer but Harvey had a code concerning ships under his protection; no one was allowed to mess with anything in his Yard. So, he and his Model D5 Peacemaker persuaded the ship-jackers it would be best to scatter to the winds and seek out new job opportunities.
Harvey also had a code regarding old friends which is why he allowed that very hot Firefly to take up space in his back lot. Towed and dropped off she looked about ready for the scrap heap. Yet, there she was receiving loving attention day and night.
“Try it now!” A voice from within the ship called out.
Under the belly of the Firefly, a tall woman with coal black skin maneuvered a leaver which only succeeded in creating sparks that flew from the ship.
“Oh!! Put it off! Put it off!” The worker in the ship frantically cried out.
Cursing at the ship, the woman on the ground struggled to put the leaver back in place. Within seconds, a head popped out.
“Hey! No call for talkin’ that way! I ain’t never gonna get these landing legs fixed proper if you’re usin’ words like that.”
“Kaylee, honey, it’s just an inanimate ship. I understand that -“
“Sheila, are you trying to help me fix her? ‘Cause if you ain’t takin’ this serious then I got no need for you.” Kaylee said with a grin letting the other woman know she was teasing.
“Right. You’re the boss, sweetie.”
Kaylee was inordinately proud of her status with the hired repair crew. At first, their attitude was patronizing, to say the least, for they believed that no green girl such as her could possibly understand the workings of a Firefly. Their opinions changed considerably within ten minutes. Within an hour, the three man and one woman crew were in love.
Withdrawing back into the ship, Kaylee crawled further into Serenity’s nethers.
“Come on, little baby. We need you to work proper. Won’t be leavin’ if you’re a stayin’ stubborn. I know you wanna work.”
She applied the sonidriver once more. After a few moments, her fine tuning and verbal cajoling finally met with success.
“I got it! Try it again.”
All four landing legs disengaged properly. Smiling brightly, Kaylee lovingly patted Serenity thanking her. No one would ever convince her that her sweet talk hadn’t helped.
She finally slid out of Serenity covered in oil and other mechanical fluids - none of which she found disgusting. No, to her, there was nothing more satisfying than being covered in goo.
“I feel like I been birthed!” Kaylee told Sheila who just smiled indulgently.
“I gotta hand it to you. You really have a way with this ship.”
“She just needs to know she is loved.” And Kaylee did love Serenity like nothing else.
Well, almost nothing. Thinking on Simon made her remember that she had an important favor to ask of Inara. Not wanting to forget again, she set out find her friend but another voice called out to her.
“Sweet Kaylee!”
A stocky unkempt man of about thirty years ambled over to her. His coveralls were as filthy as hers but the main difference was his had days and weeks of accumulated dirtiness of both the mechanical and dietary sort.
“Hey there, Corky. What’s up?” Kaylee asked.
“Got yer engine reattached. We’re working on the rewiring but…uh…,” he paused scratching his head thoughtfully. “Well, we found something on the strange side.”
At Kaylee’s blank look, he continued.
“Looks like there’s pieces of somebody in there.”
“Oh.” She’d forgotten about Niska’s man; that seemed a lifetime ago.
“Yeah. A real mess. Seems to have been awhile back. Probably some poor schlep walked too close when the engine was at a go.”
“Huh,” Kaylee managed to look properly mystified.
“We’ll clean it up - no extra charge.” He said with a wink.
Kaylee gave him a slight smile glad he wasn’t asking her too many questions. Corky’s outfit liked her plenty and she didn’t want to give them cause for doubting her. Plus, they had been doing extra stuff for Serenity at no additional cost to the Captain.
She sighed as her thoughts turned to the Captain. Concern for him settled over her. One week ago, a fancy man in yellow showed up with a case of what Kaylee assumed to be money. Every day since then, the Captain had disappeared. The fact that he’d left Jayne behind worried her to no end. She suspected the Captain was having to do a bit of unpleasantness for the sake of Serenity.
Well, she wouldn’t let him down regarding Serenity. Only he loved her as much as Kaylee did. Her hands lightly glided over the ship’s bulkheads as she climbed the steps heading to the dining area.
She found Inara in the galley unpacking boxes of food.
“Ooh, is it lunch time already? I’m starved!” Kaylee looked at the boxes with interest. “ Did ya get more of those Kimchi Tamales?”
“Please, Kaylee. Serenity needs you healthy.”
“Say, ‘Nara. You think you could keep an eye on River. Keep her real closelike.”
“I could,” Inara leaned back crossing her arms. She favored Kaylee with an indulgent look. "Why?”
“Things between Simon and me are good. Real good.”
“Oh, I see,” Inara said.
“Let’s just say I won’t have a need for that birthday present you gave me last year,” Kaylee said grinning. “ 'Course, I need your help with the actual consummation."
Inara looked at her quizzically.
“It’s just …a little while ago, we were on the verge of some sexin’. You know the spontaneous kind. I got his shirt off. He’s feeling around gettin’ to know me. We start to get horizontal. Then he looks up and there she is! Just watchin’. It’s a real mood killer havin’ yer baby sister spyin’ like that!”
“So what happened?”
“He jumped up all embarrassed.”
“And you?”
“Told River she’s ruinin’ my sex life!”
"I think River and I can figure out something to do down in the common area."
"Oh, that'd be great!" Kaylee beamed. “Maybe we’ll have a real date. I’m so excited-“
As suddenly as it appeared, Kaylee’s smile faded.
“I feel bad. I mean ‘bout bein’ excited and happy at a time like this. But, ‘Nara, I ain’t never felt like this for a guy before.”
“Don’t feel bad. This is life. Sometimes you just have to find happiness where you can."
Kaylee nodded, her smile reappearing.
“Oh, I just know he’s gonna be good. Bein’ a doctor and all. Think he knows special anatomical secrets?"
“Let me know if he does. I can use that information back at the Training House.”
As quickly as it had arrived, Kaylee’s eager smiled vanished replaced by a worried frown.
“You ain’t goin’ back, are you? Not after everything’s that’s happened?”
“I have to, Kaylee. I have responsibilities there.”
“Why can’t you just be our Ambassador again?”
Inara sighed and turned from Kaylee.
“It didn’t work out. There’s a reason I left.”
“Why did you?” Refusing to let the other woman turn her back to her, Kaylee walked around to stand in front of Inara. She was becoming irritated with Inara's evasiveness.
“It’s -“
“Complicated. I know. You always say that.” Maybe she didn’t show it like everyone else but the emotional upheavals had taken a toll on her. These days, her emotions easily teeter-tottered between happy and sad but anger hadn’t settled in. Until now. All of a sudden, she was tired of being the sweet, cheerful one.
“Because it is.”
“Life don’t have to be nearly as complicated as you want it to be. Seems to me you like complications. Gives you a reason to run.” Kaylee squashed her inner voice telling her it wasn’t right to pick on Inara who only had her best interests at heart. The thought of her abandoning them, again, tore through her prompting her to ride out the emotional tide.
“I’m not running, Kaylee.” Inara’s voice was calm but Kaylee heard the warning in her tone.
“Are too. You ran to Serenity and then you ran from her. Simple as that.”
Anger flared in Inara’s eyes. “There is more to life than mechanics and living in a ship isolated from civilization. Maybe you shouldn’t judge until you’ve actually seen something of the Universe besides criminal activity.”
Stung, Kaylee replied angrily. “I seen plenty of the ‘Verse. Maybe not your kinda life -“
Inara walked past Kaylee intending to leave.
“ ‘Course, you should run back to your lovely Training House where life is so pretty. Where you don’t have to feel nothin’. Forget all about-“
“Kaylee,” Inara warned, turning around to look Kaylee in the eye. “This isn’t any of your concern.”
“You’d choose to give empty happiness to rich strangers rather than find somethin’ true and meaningful.”
“That is quite enough!” Inara snapped. “Whatever your little romantic fantasies may be about Mal and me you need to forget them.”
“I ain’t just talkin’ about the Captain! I’m talking about us.” Kaylee’s voice cracked with emotion. “All of us.”
For a few moments, they stood staring at each other shocked about what had just transpired between them.
Kaylee abruptly laughed. “Well, we did it! Popped that cherry good!”
“Shen me?”
“Our first fight. Guess we’re real friends after all.”
Inara looked at her warily not bothering to hide her anger. Kaylee found that to be an improvement. Almost worth the whole sorry episode.
“We are. I’m sorry about what I said. I didn’t mean it.”
“Yes, you did,” Kaylee said. “But that’s okay, ‘cause I meant every word I said.”
“Well, I hope you feel better.”
Kaylee heard the touch of bitterness in Inara’s voice. Her anger vanished replaced by regret and the ever present sense of sadness and worry.
“It’s just, if you go, what’s gonna happen to us? I think about going back to the Black and it scares me. Too much time for thinkin’. Too much time for everything to go wrong.”
“I know, mei mei.”
***
Sitting in the flimsy lawn chair with his feet propped up on a crate, Jayne looked to be a man relaxing the day away. But he was bored and bored Jayne was bad news.
Threading his fingers behind his head, he watched Kaylee's little repair crew scamper about working on Serenity. He was tempted to go start a little row with the portly fellow, Corky, but he was anxious to get Serenity back on her feet and didn't want to interfere. All this sitting wasn’t doing his nerves any good. Or his pockets.
Simon and River were taking a turn about the perimeter. He pondered starting something with the doctor but lately that hadn't been the fun it had been before. No, the last few weeks he’d steered clear of those two. Pretending to like someone was not something Jayne was able to do with any success.
He mentally went down the crew roster to see who could provide the most diversion. Zoe was gone. He didn’t think too much on her absence because he knew she would be back. Her and Mal’s bond was a strong one.
Inara… That could be interesting but Jayne wasn’t entirely sure he was up to the mental challenge of picking a friendly quarrel with her. He did have that bit of fun with her when she went out to buy food and he asked her to bring back an issue of Double Jugs of Fun. She calmly stared at him for a bit then turned around without a word. Sure enough, when she returned she dropped the mag on his lap pretty as you please. That she would buy the bawdy mag for him, Jayne Cobb, impressed him greatly.
Still, after perusing through the skin rag, he had quickly became bored again; he wasn't really in the mood to visit with the lovely ladies within.
His attention was diverted by the sight of Mal heading to the gate.
Jumping out of the lawn chair, Jayne rushed over to Mal. “Where you off to?”
“Business that’s none of yours,” Mal said continuing past Jayne.
“Can I go?”
“What part of none of your business did you find unclear?”
“Just got nothin’ to do is all,” his voice came out whinier than he intended.
“Go with Inara. She’s doin’ all the buyin’. Be her gorramn chauffer.”
“You gonna see Badger ‘bout a job?”
“He’s on the other side of the world. ‘Sides, you really want to get in with him after that last mess?”
“Just wanna see coin on the horizon.”
“I’m takin’ care of things. Just sit tight and keep an eye on Serenity.”
“Mal, I gotta get off this boat and outta this RepairYard. I swear if I have to look at the doctor’s face today… Well, can’t be liable for what I’d do.”
“Fine. Go get drunk or whatever. Just stay out of trouble.”
“I ain’t the one who finds trouble.”
Mal stopped and took a deep breath. Jayne was pleased to have rattled him.
“Just stay close. Don’t really know what’s what now. Dong ma?”
Jayne watched Mal leave the RepairYards knowing the Captain was involved in something. Had to because he knew Mal didn't have the kind of money Serenity was needing right now. Briefly, he toyed with the idea of following him to see if he needed backup. Nah, Mal deserved to work off this particular debt on his own. Jayne wasn't in a charitable mood toward the Captain at this particular juncture.
He went up to the dining area finding Kaylee and Inara quietly setting plates on the table. He looked the two of them over sensing something wasn’t right.
"Ya'll mad or somethin'?"
"What is it, Jayne?" Inara asked. Her tone was off.
Damn! They fought and I missed it!
"I'm goin' out."
"Thought the Cap'n wanted you stickin’ around?"
“Got permission to vacate the lot of you.”
“Try to stay out of trouble,” Inara said.
“Why does everyone think I’ll get in trouble?”
Kaylee and Inara exchanged a quick glance.
"As long as Crazy there stays put, I ‘spect I’ll find none,” Jayne said jerking his head toward River who hovered in the galley.
"You want to get started with the sexin'," River said.
"She's a helluva genius to sort that one out."
He left the dining area without another word. Truthfully, he was sick of them all and anxious to hit the town.
Closing the gate behind him, Jayne glanced around getting his bearings. His gut told him that to the left the town improved somewhat. He could always smell out the makings of a better neighborhood. He turned right.
The bar Jayne found himself was his favorite kind - it was brewing for a fight. And so was he. The mind-reading genius was wrong; he wasn't after sexin' at all. No, a good, dirty, old-fashioned brawl is what he was interested in.
He walked straight to the bar and ordered the harshest rotgut the place had. Leaning against the bar, he looked around and found the biggest badass in the joint. He quickly downed his drink and left some coin on the bar. It was much more than the price of the drink - the additional money was to cover the cost of the mayhem that was about to ensue.
Jayne slowly approached the table where the Big Guy was sitting. “You’re in my favorite spot.”
The man looked up and glanced over Jayne. He met Jayne’s steady gaze. With great satisfaction, Jayne saw that the man was game for a scrap.
“Now, how can this by your spot when I sit here every gorramn day?” Big Guy asked menacingly.
“Ain’t sitting there today.”
The man rose. He was even bigger than Jayne had estimated.
“Why don’t you get your scrawny ass back to your mama’s teat. This here’s a place for men.”
Now Jayne respected the etiquette involved in fighting in a place like this. It was up to him to make the first move. He grinned at the man and took a quick glance around looking out for Big Guy’s buddies. Not seeing anyone creeping up to his back, Jayne swung with all his might landing a solid punch on Big Guy’s jaw. After the hit, the man nodded in appreciation before he pushed the table aside and launched himself at Jayne.
Jayne's joy in the brawl was palpable. He took a mean right hook to the cheek with glee. When thrown heavily against the far concrete wall, he shook his head and made a motion with his hand inviting the guy to continue. His fists and face were on fire but he was happier than he’d been in weeks.
Jayne had picked the right bar. Moe’s was the sort of place that attracted those favoring a brawl and so when Jayne and Big Guy were going at it the rest of the patrons saw it their duty to join in. Soon, the entire place was tussling.
The fight continued for about five minutes. Jayne was already planning the drink he was going to buy Big Guy for he was that impressed the fight.
His enthusiasm ebbed considerably when the law showed up.
As he and the other brawlers were loaded into the paddy wagon, he exchanged an amused glance with Big Guy. All in all, not a bad way to spend an evening.
An hour later, Jayne stood before the Sentencing/Bail Officer with blood still leaking from his nose.
"Mr. LaRue. You are guilty of creating a public nuisance and fighting in a licensed liquor establishment. What say you?"
"Yeah, I did it."
"Your fine is fifty plats or five days lockup."
Hmmm. Jayne thought over his choices when there really wasn't any choice at all. Most of his Lilac money was gone and what was left he had to save. His future was more uncertain than it had been in a long while. Even if Serenity got repaired, would the crew still stick together? Did he want to stay with these people? He figured it was best to keep what was left of his money.
"Lockup."
"Lockup it is. Bailiff, please escort Mr. LaRue to Cell Division Beta."
Jayne changed into the lime green jail coveralls. He handed the bailiff his blood and sweat stained clothes. Giving the man a slight smirk as he did so knowing that when he got them back they would be clean. Law did do some things alright.
The Officer checked in Jayne's belongings. He didn't bat an eye at the assortment of small knives Jayne had had on his person. "Please proceed to the Comstation to your left. You may have one five minute transmission to settle your affairs."
The Bailiff and Jayne exchanged a glance both amused at the very notion of Jayne having any affairs to settle.
Kaylee answered the wave. "Jayne? Where are you?"
"Jail."
"We'll be over to get you out. Inara!" Kaylee called out to Inara who shortly appeared on screen.
"Jayne's in jail!" Kaylee whispered to Inara.
"Is the Captain there?" Jayne didn't want to face him now.
"No," Inara said. "How much is your fine?"
"Forget it. Can't spare the coin. Be here for five days. Wasn't doin' anythin' anyhow."
“We can’t just leave you-“
“I said to forget it! Ain’t any trouble for me being here. Anyway, just think on the money ya’ll save on food.”
“Well, if you think you’ll be alright,” Kaylee said.
"Yeah. Uh…,” he hesitated, his previous bravado forgotten temporarily. “What are your thoughts on the Captain and this situation?" He asked in a low voice.
Kaylee and Inara exchanged a worried look.
"I mean he ain't exactly been 'round much and it would only trouble him more knowin' I was here. Don't you think?"
"We won't tell," Inara said.
"Shiny.” Jayne grinned. “See you in five."
The transmission ended. Jayne looked over at the Bailiff who had been eyeing the vid screen with interest. He wasn’t able to hear the legally privileged conversation but he wasn’t blind.
“Guess that settles my affairs. Had to tell the wives not to hold supper for me.”
As Jayne had expected, the Bailiff looked amazed at the women who were his wives.
The cell opened and Jayne walked in. It was one of those group cells that housed about ten men.
Truth be told, Jayne always loved the first few minutes in jail - gave him a chance to indulge himself in a bit of bullying. He looked around disappointed that no one seemed up to the challenge that was him.
He walked over to the most comfy looking bunk.
"Yer in my bunk," Jayne said to the man dozing on the cot. The man looked up warily, saw Jayne and quickly gathered his things and moved to the floor on the opposite side of the cell.
Jayne sat down. "I'm short a pillow here!" He bellowed.
Two pillows appeared on his bed. Jayne laid back crossing his ankles. He let out a contented sigh. Yep, the next five days weren't going to be bad at all.