Rayne Fic: Reborn - Working

Feb 18, 2007 17:50

Title: Working
Series: Reborn
Author: nutmeg610
Rating: PG
Summary: Jayne gets a letter from home that could change their future, and River gets a job. Takes place after New.
Notes: This series deals with River and Jayne living by themselves off the ship. So I guess you could call that AU if you want. If you don't like that sort of thing, feel free to skip on by. :)

Round Up Post






As River pushed open the door of the Murray's General Store, a bag of groceries held in one arm, she spotted Jayne leaning against a pole supporting the porch of the town barber shop across the street. He was reading a letter, mouthing the words, and River smiled. She had felt happiness coming from his mind to hers while she had been shopping. It must have been a letter from his mother that had made him so happy.

She hurried across the street to his side and he glanced up, hearing her approach.

"Hey, git ev'rythin'?"

"Yes. The squirrels have enough nuts stored for winter now."

Jayne's mouth dropped open for a second, before he shored it up and narrowed his eyes at her. "I gitcha. But speakin' 'a nuts..."

River pinched him on the arm, more than a little irritated. "No making fun of my mental state."

Jayne chuckled and nudged her gently to get her walking. "Jus' teasin' my girl. Don't mean no harm." He plucked the grocery bag from her arms and shoved his letter in his back pocket.

"What does your mother say?"

"How'd ya know it's from her?"

River shrugged. "Who else would you get post from?"

"Oh, ha ha." he replied. After a pause he added, "But yeah, that's true. She, uh, jus' updated on how her an' Mattie are doin'."

"Doing well? Healthy and happy?"

"Yup."

"And what else?"

Jayne shot her a look. "Whaddaya mean?"

"She must have written about something else." Jayne shrugged a non-answer, and River sighed. "Please tell me."

"Why you gotta know?" he answered, sounding defensive.

"Because we don't hide things from each other. I've started telling you things... about my past."

Jayne frowned. She was right. She had slowly started opening up about what had happened to her at the Academy, because he had pressed her to, saying she shouldn't have to be the only one to know. It wasn't healthy to have all those memories locked in her brain and not talk about it. Though he wondered if he'd every get the whole story, or just fragments of it.

"She said the ranch is doin' good. Makin' money."

"Ranch?" River replied, confused. Hadn't his father been a miner?

"Uh, yeah, a few years back, the rich folks who owned our moon tried terra-forming again, and this time it took better, so all this grassland sprouted up real quick-like. So my pa quit the mine an' he an' my uncle got together and started a cattle ranch. That was 'fore my pa died. Now Ma an' Mattie help my uncle run it."

River nodded. She remembered when Jayne had gotten the letter from home about his father passing away. He had been reading it to the rest of the crew in the SkyPlex like always, but when he read over the words stating his father's death, he had clammed up and stalked back to the ship, not leaving his bunk for the rest of the day. Not even Kaylee pleading down the hatch door that he needed to eat something had brought him out. The next day he had appeared, saying he didn't want to talk about it, and they wouldn't be anywhere near his home anyways, so not to worry about it.

Jayne suddenly let out a bark of laughter. "She said we should move there, since the ranch is doing so well. I could work there, she says. Says my Uncle Jonas was building a house where his property meets ours fer his daughter an' her new husband. But they took off without a word and now it's empty. We could live there once he finishes it."

"Well, why don't we?" River inquired, her insides jumping at the thought. She knew how much Jayne hated being a miner. He worked long hours for little pay, and it was starting to affect his health. He had started coughing more since starting to work there, and if that wasn't bad enough, River constantly worried about him being injured, or about a cave-in occuring.

Letting out a snort, Jayne shook his head. "Can't do that. Got a job right here."

"You hate this job." River pointed out.

Jayne's eyes narrowed. "Yeah, well, still... we can't go."

"Why not?"

"'Cause my home moon's gotta be at least three quadrants from here, if not more. Ya know how much that's gonna cost us ta get a transport ship ta git us there? More than I can make, lemme tell you."

"We'll find a way." River answered firmly. "We have to. Everyone needs family."

Jayne sighed. "Yeah, how's that? We gonna rob the bank 'er sumthin'?"

"No." River replied, biting her lip in thought. Suddenly, a solution appeared in her mind. "I'll get a job!"

"What? No. Not 'round here." Jayne said with a shake of his head. "Them no good miners'll be all over ya. Don't want them tryin' anythin'."

River felt warm and bubbly at his protectiveness, but she tried to focus on the matter at hand. "Anita said last week than she was thinking of hiring someone to fill in while Ellen's on maternity leave. I could work at the store, and she'd be there all day to look after me."

Jayne's eyes took on a thoughtful look for a moment, but it vanished as quickly as it had appeared. "Still, it'd take alot of savin' ta get us off this moon."

"So we'll save." River murmured, taking his free hand in hers. "We will save whatever we can, and when we have enough, we'll go to the family ranch, and settle down and be happy."

A small smile came to his face. "Ya make it sound easy, Moonbeam. We'll still be here awhile yet, til we have enough. An' ya don't even have the job yet. 'Don't count yer chickens 'fore they hatch,' my Ma used ta always say."

"She can bestow that wisdom upon me when I meet her." said River, swinging his hand back and forth happily.

*********************************

"I gotta tell ya River, yer doin' such a great job." Anita's voice carried over to River from the back of the store.

River smiled. It had been a little over a week since she'd started working for Anita, and she had been having a wonderful time getting out of the house and seeing new people. "Thank you." she answered, as Anita came up to the front of the store from stocking the shelves, holding an empty crate.

"Think we're gettin' some new customers actually." Anita continued, leaning against the counter. "Prob'ly all them boys at the mine tellin' their friends that a pretty girl works here." She chuckled, straightening up. "Though the looks on those two young fellas faces when ya told 'em you was married ta Jayne Cobb! Why, I never seen two faces go so white, then so red that fast! He must scare the pants off 'em down at the mine."

River giggled. "I think they realized that if word reached my Jayne that they were trying to flirt with me, he would be very upset."

"Very upset?" Anita replied. Letting out a snort, she added, "More like, 'very likely to rip their arms off an' beat 'em with their own limbs.'"

River blushed. It was true that Jayne was very protective of her. Some might think a bit over-protective, seeing as how he glared at any man, married or not, that talked to her. She felt bad for poor Adam, Erin's husband, who had bravely withstood Jayne's fiery glare on more than one occasion.

As if on cue, Jayne walked in the door, coming straight from work to pick her up and take her home.

"Well, speak 'a the devil!" Anita said, moving behind the U-shaped counter to retrieve something behind River in the built-in shelves.

"Talkin' 'bout me, huh?" Jayne asked, sounding amused. His tone didn't match his look however, and River could feel his depressed mood, had felt it before he had even walked in the store, in fact.

"Oh yeah, jus' sayin' how these young folk from the mines shouldn't be flirtin' with yer gal. Liable ta git them killed."

"What?" Jayne's head snapped from Anita to River. "Who's been flirtin' with ya? If I find out who it was, I'll--"

"Jayne," River said quickly, holding her hands up as if they alone could hold back his rage, "there is no cause for alarm. I simply told them I was your wife, and they realized their tactical error in flirting with me."

"Damn right they realized it." Jayne muttered under his breath. He moved closer to her, on the opposite side of the counter, and gently placed his hand over hers where she had set it down after trying to stop his anger.

River could still sense his depression from earlier, and asked, "What's wrong?"

He glanced quickly at Anita, who was still preoccupied with finding something under the counter, and leaned down closer, speaking quietly. "I, uh, jus' came from the transport office. Looked at some prices fer ship passage."

Her eyes lit up, but the look died away as she realized his mood. "And?" she pressed cautiously.

Jayne's lips were pressed together in a tight line. "Let's jus' say it'll take us about a year ta save enough ta git off this rock."

"Oh, Jayne." River murmured softly. "Maybe I could get a second job--"

"Nah, I ain't havin' that." Jayne said quickly. "Ya can't be stressed with two jobs. Sumthin' might... happen."

River wanted to argue that fact, but deep down, she knew he was right. If she took on more than she could handle, she might have an episode, and that was the last thing she needed. She nodded silently, wondering if anything could be done to get them to Jayne's home moon faster.

"You two 'er movin'?" Anita asked, coming up beside River with the result of her search, a clipboard. Seeing the looks on their faces, she quickly continued, "I mean, I wasn't trying ta eavesdrop 'er nuthin', jus' couldn't help but hear, really. Plus it ain't any 'a my business anyhows, so--"

"No, it's all right." River assured her. "Jayne's mother has kindly invited us to live with her, and work at her ranch."

"Oo, a ranch!" Anita said, bobbing her head in agreement at the idea. "That's way better than a mine." The last part was directed at Jayne, who gave a short nod. "An' yer passage is gonna cost a pretty platinum, huh?"

"Yeah." Jayne muttered.

"Oh, I'm real sorry ta hear that, but you'll git there, no worries!"

River smiled her thanks at Anita. No matter what situation, Anita was always cheerful, looking at the bright side. She, and her daughters too, reminded River of Kaylee, and thinking of Kaylee made her think of the others as well. Her throat feeling tight, she moved around to Jayne's side, and took his hand in hers, holding back her tears.

"Well, my shift has ended. It's time for us to go." she said in a small voice. Anita nodded, looking a bit worried for her young employee as she observed her somber mood.

"Off you two go then. Have a nice evenin'."

"You too." the quiet couple voiced in unison as they headed out the door.

Anita watched them leave, then stared at the door, deep in thought. She hoped her friends wouldn't have to wait too long to start their lives over in a familiar place. She hated seeing them both so sad. With a resolute nod of her head, Anita headed into the back room, to make a change to her pay sheets. She decided that River needed a pay raise.

Previous: New :: Next: The Beginning

pairing: river/jayne, series: reborn

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