What the Captain doesn't know won't hurt him
Title: What the Captain doesn't know won't hurt him
Prompt#4 : Hortatory : adj: giving strong encouragement
Author:Bookaddict
Characters:Jayne/Kaylee, Book
Rating:PG
Word count:875
Comments: a joint project between squish_67 and myself, click here for chapter 3 and link to the table
I whimped out and used the definition rather than the word!
Prompt #4 - Hortatory
He must’ve thought she meant the cat from home Kaylee realised as he looked away from her again. ‘Cause his not talkin’ look was all over his face. Maybe he was hurtin’ ‘bout somethin’ that happened back then.
She put out her hand to grasp his wrist, her fingers hardly meetin’ round it. “Hey look there she is!” She pointed toward her hammock glad to have a distraction.
The kitten had caught onto a danglin’ blanket and was pullin’ itself into the hammock.
“Smart critter,” Jayne was grinnin’ again. “Found the most comfortable place in the room.”
“Jayne Cobb, are ya sayin’ my engine room ain’t comfortable?”
He looked at her quickly, he knew how she felt ‘bout Serenity, but was pleased to see the teasin’ smile that lit up her face. “I meant the most comfortable place for a cat.”
“Hmmm.” A little boot tapped the floor.
“’Course the whole room’s real comfortin’ for humans.” He went on hastily, “with the engine whirlin’ and all those bits movin’ it’s kinda like a heart beatin’.”
Kaylee’s eyes were glowin’ and her face went all soft as her fingers tightened on his wrist. “Ya really think that?”
“Sure.” Jayne gently pulled away, bein’ this close was makin’ him all jumpy. “I’m ‘sposed to be meetin’ the Shepherd.”
“Misty can stay here ‘n’ I’ll put her in ya bunk before dinner.”
“Thanks Kaylee.” Jayne left before she could ask anythin’ else or go all girly on him again.
“Alright,” Kaylee sighed and muttered to Serenity. “No askin’ ‘bout home for awhile.”
*******************
The Shepherd watched Jayne as he set about making dinner. Their workout had been conducted in almost complete silence, a not uncommon occurrence and Jayne had pushed himself hard to finish the extra set. Now he was concentrating fiercely on providing the meal.
The silence and concentration made him wonder. In his experience, Jayne’s workouts intensified in proportion to what he wanted to forget or ignore and the man only became silent when he was trying to work something out.
“Is there a problem son?”
Jayne swung round to speak to him, but was gazing instead at a point behind his head with a look of amused horror. Turning to see what the mercenary was looking at, the Shepherd was amazed to see a tiny kitten balance walking along the beam.
“Misty.” Jayne crossed the room and held a confident hand up to the beam.
“Misty!” Kaylee yelped from the doorway.
“Misty?” questioned Book, a baffled expression on his face as he watched the bubbly mechanic rush past him to stand next to Jayne.
“Our kitten,” the girl nodded completely oblivious to his befuddlement.
”Your kitten? As in yours and Jayne’s?
“Ain’t ours Shepherd, Kaylee sorta talked me into helpin’ look after her, till we get to the next stop.” He gave the girl beside him a stern look. “Right.”
“Right.” Kaylee was sad just thinkin’ ‘bout it. Jayne had coaxed the kitten onto his hand and she reached out to pat it. “We’re gonna find her a good home.”
“I see.” What he saw was that if the Captain found the kitten it probably wouldn’t be Kaylee that got into trouble. “I gather that Mistys’ presence is a secret?”
“Except for ya and River,” Kaylee smiled and turned her sparkling eyes up to his, “and ya won’t give us away. Will ya?”
“Um, well..” The Shepherd caught Jayne’s sardonic glance and shrugged helplessly, loath to disappoint her. “I won’t mention her to anyone. However I would point out that dinner time is almost upon us.”
“Gorram it! Kaylee watch the taters.” Jayne ordered taking Misty swiftly from the room.
“Is he keeping it in his bunk?” Book tried to keep the amazement out of his voice.
“Yeah.” Kaylee picked up the spoon and stirred the potatoes, checkin’ to see if everything else was doin’ alright.
The girl’s powers of persuasion were truly remarkable the Shepherd thought. All the more so because most of the time she was unaware how powerful they could be. “How did you manage that?”
“Just asked Shepherd,” she frowned at him. “Jayne likes ‘t help if ya ask him right.”
Book glanced down the passageway to make sure Jayne wasn’t on his way back. It was obvious Kaylee knew the mercenary differently than he did, perhaps she could answer his questions.
“Do you know what’s troubling Jayne? He’s been in an odd mood all afternoon.”
“That’d be my fault. I got to askin’ too many questions ‘bout home.”
“And?” the Shepherd encouraged her.
“I must’ve stirred up some bad memories ‘cause he stopped talkin’, got all nervous ‘n’ left as soon as he could…” her voice trailed off as Book signalled that Jayne was comin’ back.
“Misty’s all locked up now ‘n’ she’s gonna stay that way dong ma? Otherwise yer goin’ be cryin’ over a dead kitten.”
“Jayne!” Kaylee punched him in the arm and giggled when he growled at her. “Yer still got the same code?”
Kaylee knew the code to Jayne’s bunk and was allowed in there? The Shepherd goggled to himself. No-one was supposed to know that code and no-one, as far as he knew, was invited in. Now he was now definitely intrigued.
Prompt#4 : Hortatory : adj: giving strong encouragement
Author:Bookaddict
Characters:Jayne/Kaylee, Book
Rating:PG
Word count:875
Comments: a joint project between squish_67 and myself, click here for chapter 3 and link to the table
I whimped out and used the definition rather than the word!
Prompt #4 - Hortatory
He must’ve thought she meant the cat from home Kaylee realised as he looked away from her again. ‘Cause his not talkin’ look was all over his face. Maybe he was hurtin’ ‘bout somethin’ that happened back then.
She put out her hand to grasp his wrist, her fingers hardly meetin’ round it. “Hey look there she is!” She pointed toward her hammock glad to have a distraction.
The kitten had caught onto a danglin’ blanket and was pullin’ itself into the hammock.
“Smart critter,” Jayne was grinnin’ again. “Found the most comfortable place in the room.”
“Jayne Cobb, are ya sayin’ my engine room ain’t comfortable?”
He looked at her quickly, he knew how she felt ‘bout Serenity, but was pleased to see the teasin’ smile that lit up her face. “I meant the most comfortable place for a cat.”
“Hmmm.” A little boot tapped the floor.
“’Course the whole room’s real comfortin’ for humans.” He went on hastily, “with the engine whirlin’ and all those bits movin’ it’s kinda like a heart beatin’.”
Kaylee’s eyes were glowin’ and her face went all soft as her fingers tightened on his wrist. “Ya really think that?”
“Sure.” Jayne gently pulled away, bein’ this close was makin’ him all jumpy. “I’m ‘sposed to be meetin’ the Shepherd.”
“Misty can stay here ‘n’ I’ll put her in ya bunk before dinner.”
“Thanks Kaylee.” Jayne left before she could ask anythin’ else or go all girly on him again.
“Alright,” Kaylee sighed and muttered to Serenity. “No askin’ ‘bout home for awhile.”
*******************
The Shepherd watched Jayne as he set about making dinner. Their workout had been conducted in almost complete silence, a not uncommon occurrence and Jayne had pushed himself hard to finish the extra set. Now he was concentrating fiercely on providing the meal.
The silence and concentration made him wonder. In his experience, Jayne’s workouts intensified in proportion to what he wanted to forget or ignore and the man only became silent when he was trying to work something out.
“Is there a problem son?”
Jayne swung round to speak to him, but was gazing instead at a point behind his head with a look of amused horror. Turning to see what the mercenary was looking at, the Shepherd was amazed to see a tiny kitten balance walking along the beam.
“Misty.” Jayne crossed the room and held a confident hand up to the beam.
“Misty!” Kaylee yelped from the doorway.
“Misty?” questioned Book, a baffled expression on his face as he watched the bubbly mechanic rush past him to stand next to Jayne.
“Our kitten,” the girl nodded completely oblivious to his befuddlement.
”Your kitten? As in yours and Jayne’s?
“Ain’t ours Shepherd, Kaylee sorta talked me into helpin’ look after her, till we get to the next stop.” He gave the girl beside him a stern look. “Right.”
“Right.” Kaylee was sad just thinkin’ ‘bout it. Jayne had coaxed the kitten onto his hand and she reached out to pat it. “We’re gonna find her a good home.”
“I see.” What he saw was that if the Captain found the kitten it probably wouldn’t be Kaylee that got into trouble. “I gather that Mistys’ presence is a secret?”
“Except for ya and River,” Kaylee smiled and turned her sparkling eyes up to his, “and ya won’t give us away. Will ya?”
“Um, well..” The Shepherd caught Jayne’s sardonic glance and shrugged helplessly, loath to disappoint her. “I won’t mention her to anyone. However I would point out that dinner time is almost upon us.”
“Gorram it! Kaylee watch the taters.” Jayne ordered taking Misty swiftly from the room.
“Is he keeping it in his bunk?” Book tried to keep the amazement out of his voice.
“Yeah.” Kaylee picked up the spoon and stirred the potatoes, checkin’ to see if everything else was doin’ alright.
The girl’s powers of persuasion were truly remarkable the Shepherd thought. All the more so because most of the time she was unaware how powerful they could be. “How did you manage that?”
“Just asked Shepherd,” she frowned at him. “Jayne likes ‘t help if ya ask him right.”
Book glanced down the passageway to make sure Jayne wasn’t on his way back. It was obvious Kaylee knew the mercenary differently than he did, perhaps she could answer his questions.
“Do you know what’s troubling Jayne? He’s been in an odd mood all afternoon.”
“That’d be my fault. I got to askin’ too many questions ‘bout home.”
“And?” the Shepherd encouraged her.
“I must’ve stirred up some bad memories ‘cause he stopped talkin’, got all nervous ‘n’ left as soon as he could…” her voice trailed off as Book signalled that Jayne was comin’ back.
“Misty’s all locked up now ‘n’ she’s gonna stay that way dong ma? Otherwise yer goin’ be cryin’ over a dead kitten.”
“Jayne!” Kaylee punched him in the arm and giggled when he growled at her. “Yer still got the same code?”
Kaylee knew the code to Jayne’s bunk and was allowed in there? The Shepherd goggled to himself. No-one was supposed to know that code and no-one, as far as he knew, was invited in. Now he was now definitely intrigued.