Fic: The Cobb Women (4/?) (Firefly, Rayne)
Title: The Cobb Women
Chapter Title: Prince Not-So-Charming (4/?)
Author: nsahdmdto
Rating: NC17 (though not for a few chapters)
Spoilers: Set after BDM (big damn movie, i.e. Serenity) Any and all canon is fair game
Summary: Just as life was getting back to normal, the crew of Serenity got a new job from the man they knew as the Operative. Their new, precious cargo is headed for a safe haven and for one member of the crew, it's the homecoming he hoped to never face. Jayne Cobb is going home, and for himself and his brothers that may be the best thing that could ever happen . . . if it doesn't kill them first.
Master Post
Jayne glared down at the picnic table and picked at the remains of his second serving of Eliza’s fried chicken. He could feel Mal’s anger rolling off in waves from the end of the table. His briefly muttered “I was born here and I ain’t never planned on bein’ back” was obviously not enough “explanation” for the captain, not that Jayne really cared all that much. A shadow fell across the table and Jayne sighed and looked up, expecting yet another distant relative or old neighbor. He wasn’t disappointed in that as Eliza grabbed his arm. “Come on, Jayne, there’s lots o’ folks still waitin’ to speak with ya for a minute.” Mal didn’t miss the resigned sigh as his merc stood, or the defeated slump to his shoulders as he allowed Eliza to guide him over to a knot of folks near the makeshift dance floor where River and the girls were taking part in yet another round of high-energy dances.
The relatives weren’t so bad, really, although Jayne couldn’t seem to figure out why any of them would actually be happy to see him. He got passed around for hugs and kisses from the women, thumps on the shoulders and back from the men. Children wandered up at their parents’ beckoning for introductions, staring up at the merc with wide, slightly fearful eyes. Then a door across from the church opened and a drunken group of miners stumbled out. The biggest of them led the group over, a wicked grin twisting his mouth. Bailey James stopped mere feet from Jayne. “Well, lookee here boys,” he slurred, gesturing with his half-empty beer bottle. “The great Jayne Cobb, back on Isis after all this time. I always knew you’d come crawlin’ back here with your tail between your legs.” He paused to take a swig from the bottle before clearing his throat and spitting to the side of Jayne’s boots. “Wade come in to the tavern sayin’ you was back, but I just didn’t believe till I seen for myself.” His brother Wade made a rude comment under his breath, drawing raucous laughter from their cronies. “What was it you said when you left here again? Oh yeah, you was too good for the mines and you weren’t comin’ back til you got you a little core-bred wife.” He made a big show of looking all around Jayne, searching for a Mrs. Cobb. “Seems you’re still as much a loser as your old man. Always knew you’d be back after you failed at life.” Whatever Bailey had been planning to say next was cut off by the appearance of River and the new shepherd.
Jayne jerked in surprise as Crazy-girl grabbed his arm and nearly wrapped herself around him. His angry protest was cut off as she managed to both stomp on his toes and elbow his ribs and started babblin’ somethin’ nutty.
“Oh, my Jayne, it’s simply lovely!” River smiled and clutched at his arm before turning to the James brothers and their friends. “Oh, please do forgive my interruption, gentlemen. I simply can not seem to contain myself.” With a warning jab to Jayne’s ribs, she loosened her hold and stepped slightly forward, holding out her hand to Bailey. “You’ll have to forgive my fiancé. His manners suffer when he does not get enough rest, and we’ve traveled quite a long ways.” Jayne stared as River allowed Bailey to shake her hand lightly, babbling all the while at the dumbfounded miners. “It’s my fault really. I insisted I simply must meet his friends and family before we could wed, and I had such dreams of marrying in his family church. Oh, dear, where are my manners, I haven’t introduced myself, and here I was complaining about Jayne being rude. Please do forgive me. Miss River Tam, of the Capital City Tams, Osiris.” She did some kind of bow-y thing and looked at the miners, and the looks on their faces were almost enough to make Jayne smile. “If you gentlemen would excuse us, Shepherd Bell wanted a word with Jayne about the ceremony.” At that, she latched on to Jayne again and dragged him away from the goggling miners, carrying on about flowers and candles and how terribly sorry she was to have kept him waiting for so long to marry her.
As soon as they were out of sight around the corner of the chapel, Jayne jerked away and rounded on the moonbrain. Grabbing her upper arms, he shook her once before hissing angrily, “The hell you goin’ on about, girl! We ain’t no couple and we sure as hell ain’t gettin’ married. You tryin’ to get me killed?” Jayne glanced around them, seemingly searching the shadows for irate captains and angry brothers.
“The others have Simon and the captain well in hand. I do apologize for not telling you what I was going to do, but there wasn’t time. I did try to tell you in the wagon, but you would not listen.”
“Huh?”
River rolled her eyes and huffed out a frustrated little growl-y sound. “Manhood is no longer in doubt. He came back with a bride from the core. She will play the role until we leave.”
She skipped away giggling and babbling some nonsense ‘bout Osiris and Isis and husbands and wives and saving the pieces to put back together. Jayne couldn’t help shifting uncomfortably at the last bit. Then the things she said before started to sink in and a cold sweat popped out on his forehead. “AW HELL! Moonbrain! Girl, get back here!”
Jayne set out to catch the gorram crazy girl before things got any worse for him.
Chapter Title: Prince Not-So-Charming (4/?)
Author: nsahdmdto
Rating: NC17 (though not for a few chapters)
Spoilers: Set after BDM (big damn movie, i.e. Serenity) Any and all canon is fair game
Summary: Just as life was getting back to normal, the crew of Serenity got a new job from the man they knew as the Operative. Their new, precious cargo is headed for a safe haven and for one member of the crew, it's the homecoming he hoped to never face. Jayne Cobb is going home, and for himself and his brothers that may be the best thing that could ever happen . . . if it doesn't kill them first.
Master Post
Jayne glared down at the picnic table and picked at the remains of his second serving of Eliza’s fried chicken. He could feel Mal’s anger rolling off in waves from the end of the table. His briefly muttered “I was born here and I ain’t never planned on bein’ back” was obviously not enough “explanation” for the captain, not that Jayne really cared all that much. A shadow fell across the table and Jayne sighed and looked up, expecting yet another distant relative or old neighbor. He wasn’t disappointed in that as Eliza grabbed his arm. “Come on, Jayne, there’s lots o’ folks still waitin’ to speak with ya for a minute.” Mal didn’t miss the resigned sigh as his merc stood, or the defeated slump to his shoulders as he allowed Eliza to guide him over to a knot of folks near the makeshift dance floor where River and the girls were taking part in yet another round of high-energy dances.
The relatives weren’t so bad, really, although Jayne couldn’t seem to figure out why any of them would actually be happy to see him. He got passed around for hugs and kisses from the women, thumps on the shoulders and back from the men. Children wandered up at their parents’ beckoning for introductions, staring up at the merc with wide, slightly fearful eyes. Then a door across from the church opened and a drunken group of miners stumbled out. The biggest of them led the group over, a wicked grin twisting his mouth. Bailey James stopped mere feet from Jayne. “Well, lookee here boys,” he slurred, gesturing with his half-empty beer bottle. “The great Jayne Cobb, back on Isis after all this time. I always knew you’d come crawlin’ back here with your tail between your legs.” He paused to take a swig from the bottle before clearing his throat and spitting to the side of Jayne’s boots. “Wade come in to the tavern sayin’ you was back, but I just didn’t believe till I seen for myself.” His brother Wade made a rude comment under his breath, drawing raucous laughter from their cronies. “What was it you said when you left here again? Oh yeah, you was too good for the mines and you weren’t comin’ back til you got you a little core-bred wife.” He made a big show of looking all around Jayne, searching for a Mrs. Cobb. “Seems you’re still as much a loser as your old man. Always knew you’d be back after you failed at life.” Whatever Bailey had been planning to say next was cut off by the appearance of River and the new shepherd.
Jayne jerked in surprise as Crazy-girl grabbed his arm and nearly wrapped herself around him. His angry protest was cut off as she managed to both stomp on his toes and elbow his ribs and started babblin’ somethin’ nutty.
“Oh, my Jayne, it’s simply lovely!” River smiled and clutched at his arm before turning to the James brothers and their friends. “Oh, please do forgive my interruption, gentlemen. I simply can not seem to contain myself.” With a warning jab to Jayne’s ribs, she loosened her hold and stepped slightly forward, holding out her hand to Bailey. “You’ll have to forgive my fiancé. His manners suffer when he does not get enough rest, and we’ve traveled quite a long ways.” Jayne stared as River allowed Bailey to shake her hand lightly, babbling all the while at the dumbfounded miners. “It’s my fault really. I insisted I simply must meet his friends and family before we could wed, and I had such dreams of marrying in his family church. Oh, dear, where are my manners, I haven’t introduced myself, and here I was complaining about Jayne being rude. Please do forgive me. Miss River Tam, of the Capital City Tams, Osiris.” She did some kind of bow-y thing and looked at the miners, and the looks on their faces were almost enough to make Jayne smile. “If you gentlemen would excuse us, Shepherd Bell wanted a word with Jayne about the ceremony.” At that, she latched on to Jayne again and dragged him away from the goggling miners, carrying on about flowers and candles and how terribly sorry she was to have kept him waiting for so long to marry her.
As soon as they were out of sight around the corner of the chapel, Jayne jerked away and rounded on the moonbrain. Grabbing her upper arms, he shook her once before hissing angrily, “The hell you goin’ on about, girl! We ain’t no couple and we sure as hell ain’t gettin’ married. You tryin’ to get me killed?” Jayne glanced around them, seemingly searching the shadows for irate captains and angry brothers.
“The others have Simon and the captain well in hand. I do apologize for not telling you what I was going to do, but there wasn’t time. I did try to tell you in the wagon, but you would not listen.”
“Huh?”
River rolled her eyes and huffed out a frustrated little growl-y sound. “Manhood is no longer in doubt. He came back with a bride from the core. She will play the role until we leave.”
She skipped away giggling and babbling some nonsense ‘bout Osiris and Isis and husbands and wives and saving the pieces to put back together. Jayne couldn’t help shifting uncomfortably at the last bit. Then the things she said before started to sink in and a cold sweat popped out on his forehead. “AW HELL! Moonbrain! Girl, get back here!”
Jayne set out to catch the gorram crazy girl before things got any worse for him.