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Aug 30, 2006 07:44

Title: Alone
Series: Haven
Author: Sevangel
Disclaimer: Not mine-Joss Whedon owns
Rating: PG

Previous chapters



-

"Kaylee, I gotta meet someone in town." Jayne stands just outside the engine room, Mattie held in his arms. "Can you watch her for me?"

"Of course." Kaylee replies. "I was gonna go wait outside the infirmary while Simon operates on Wash; she can just stay with me."

"Thanks." Jayne says. "Pumpkin, daddy's gotta go out for a bit; you listen to aunt Kaylee, okay?"

"Otay." Mattie agrees quietly.

Jayne kisses her forehead and then hands her to the waiting mechanic. "Thanks again, Kaylee."

"You're welcome." Kaylee follows him out of the engine room. "You're awful dressed up, Jayne."

Jayne glances down at his blue polo shirt and clean cargo pants. "Guess so."

Kaylee follows the merc to the bay and is a little surprised to see most of the crew gathered there, everyone but Wash and Simon.

"Doc thought it'd be best if'n Zoe got away from the boat for the operation." Mal says. "We're goin' into town."

"So is Jayne." Kaylee says.

"That so, Jayne?" Mal asks.

"Meetin' with someone." Jayne replies evenly, his eyes averted from the area River and Inara are standing in. "At a brothel called Stems."

River's eyes widen.

"A'right, pumpkin, daddy'll be back later." Jayne kisses the little girl's forehead again. "I'll see ya when ya wake up."

"Bye daddy." Mattie says, her head leaning tiredly against Kaylee's shoulder.

"I think we'll join you." Zoe says to Jayne.

Jayne shrugs. "Just don't hold me up."

The three leave Serenity quickly, Mal shutting the bay door once they're outside.

"He was wearin' his w-h-o-r-e shirt." Kaylee comments.

"No." River protests. "His w-h-o-r-e shirt is ugly."

"Yeah and a few months before you came back, a w-h-o-r-e stole it." Kaylee replies. "He had to buy a new one."

"Oh." River's face visibly drops. "I'm going to go check the bridge."

"Wash did that before he went down to the infirmary." Inara says.

"Yes, but I wish to check it myself." River replies quietly and then runs out of the bay.

"Kaylee, that wasn't his w-h-o-r-e shirt." Inara says once River's gone.

"I know." Kaylee grins, setting Mattie down so the little girl can play. "But River don't know that. Ain't nothin' better to get a girl goin' then jealousy."

"Are you sure that's wise?" Inara asks.

"No." Kaylee replies. "But it ain't like we got the time for her to figure everything out; he's leavin', Nara, and once he's gone, it'll be too late."

-

"Jayne Cobb, ya worthless pile of bones." A short but big guy with bushy beard and mustache bellows.

"Stan!" Jayne greets the man with a huge bear hug, lifting him off his feet. "Where's Vera?"

"Back at the house with the kids." Stan replies. "She told me to tell ya hi."

"Vera?" Mal asks the merc. "Like your gun Vera?"

"Yep." Jayne replies. "Named her after the first honest woman I'd ever met."

"She'll like hearin' that." Stan motions for them to follow him. "Gotta say, I was surprised to get your wave."

"Yeah, well, I was surprised myself to be wavin' you." Jayne replies as he follows him to the back of the brothel. They take a seat in the back and a waitress brings over a round of drinks without them having to ask.

"Stan, this is Mal." Jayne says. "He owns the boat I'm workin' on. And she's Zoe; his first-mate."

"Nice to meet ya both." Stan replies.

"You too." Mal agrees. "How is it that you know Jayne?"

"He was my first boss." Jayne says. "Worked for him near on six years till he met Vera and they settled here. I'd been bout twenty-three or four then. Went from one dead end partnership to another till you hired me."

"So, you wanna tell me why a man that done said he ain't leavin' the black is suddenly willin' to run cattle for me on a backwater moon?" Stan asks.

"Gotta little girl now." Jayne replies. "She needs a stable life."

"And the mother?" Stan asks.

"Ain't in the picture no more."

Stan raises an eyebrow at Jayne's tone and looks to Mal.

"It's a long story." Mal explains. "One that I can tell Jayne ain't gonna want me to tell."

Stan waves his hand at the waitress. "A few more drinks and he'll be ready to tell."

"He's sittin' right here." Jayne growls as he slams back the rest of his drink. "And he ain't gonna talk bout nothin'."

-

"Mei-mei, can we come on?" Simon asks quietly.

"How's Wash?" River asks quietly, her legs curled under herself on the pilot's chair.

"Fine." Simon replies. "The surgery went well. He's resting now."

"Okay." River doesn't turn to look at her brother, just continues to look out at the parking lot.

"River, you've been up here for almost three hours." Simon says.

"Two hours, fifty-three minutes and twenty-seven seconds but who's counting?" River corrects.

"Mei-mei, you need to talk to him."

"Can't."

"Why not?"

"I'm scared."

"River, Jayne won't hurt you." Inara says softly.

"We had sex." River comments.

"Oh." Simon tugs on his ear, unsure how he feels about that. "When?"

"The night before he broke up with me." River replies. "It was…I lost a part of myself and I don't think I'll ever get it back. And if that happens every time, there won't be a me left."

"River, that's supposed to happen." Kaylee says. "You don't think Jayne feels the same way? That I don't feel the same way with Simon? It's a part of bein' in love."

"I'm not…."

"Mei-mei, don't lie to me." Simon interrupts. "I know you better than that."

"How do you know it won't go bad?" River whispers. "That it won't work out?"

"You can't know that River." Inara says. "You know that. Just like you know we could all die tomorrow. You can't live your life in constant fear of what may or may not happen to you."

"I know that." River replies.

"I don't think you do." Simon says, his tone rather harsh.

"Simon." Kaylee warns.

"No." Simon crouches down beside his sister. "River, I love you, that will never change, but I can't keep putting my life on hold for you. You have a chance to be happy, to have the kind of life you wouldn't at home. Jayne worships you, River, and you're going to throw that away because you're afraid he's getting too close? I understand you're scared because I get scared too, but if you throw away the life you could have with Jayne because of it, then you are letting a man control you: Mike."

River's eyes fill with tears and she throws herself at her brother. "I'm scared."

"I know." Simon's arms wrap around her, his hand rubbing comforting circles on her back. "But do you want to watch Jayne and Mattie leave?"

"What?" River pulls back, her eyes full of panic. "He's not leaving."

"Yeah, he is."

Heads turn to see Zoe and Mal standing in the doorway of the bridge.

"I stopped by but he was sleeping." Zoe says to Simon. "How'd it go?"

"Fine." Simon assures her. "It was a picture perfect operation; he should be awake in eight to ten hours."

"Okay." The tenseness that had be present in the soldier for the past week practically dissolves at Simon's statement.

"Jayne's leaving?" River whispers.

"He's talkin' to an old work buddy of his." Mal replies. "Apparently, this guy owns a huge ranch a few moons from here and has been tryin' to get Jayne there for years. Jayne waved him a few days about takin' the job."

"He doesn't want to go." Zoe's arms cross over her chest as she studies River. "But he's doing what's best for Mattie."

"Where is the little runt anyways?" Mal asks.

"She's in bed." Kaylee replies. "She said she was tired."

"I think I'll go check on her." Simon says. "She's been very tired lately and I'm getting a little worried. Jayne said she used to be really sick as a child."

"I'll go with you." River starts to stand up.

"No, River, it's time for you to make a decision." Simon kisses his sister's forehead and stands up. "Jayne is going to leave if you don't give him a reason not to."

"He doesn't expect you to suddenly stop being scared." Zoe says. "He just wants you to stop running from him when you are scared."

"Do ya really want someone else raisin' Mattie?" Kaylee asks. "Or Jayne bein' with another girl?"

River shakes her head, her hands clenching tightly at that thought. She doesn't want them to leave, the thought of not seeing Jayne ever again fills her with an unbelievable panic. The thought of never touching him again or never being held by him again brings tears to her eyes. But the thought of Jayne and Mattie starting a family with someone else, brings her to her feet. "Simon, I need to borrow some money."

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