Jayne sat on a crate in the cargo bay swinging his legs while he watched the latest mercenary walk rather hurriedly down the ramp and away from the ship.

“Don’t let the ramp hit ya on the way out,” Jayne called out. The man didn’t turn around but kept on walking. Jayne laughed and turned to look at Mal who was also watching the mercenary leave. “So ya planning to hire any more like that?” Jayne asked the captain.

Mal didn’t say anything, nor even look in Jayne’s direction. Jayne had gotten used to that so he only shrugged. Mal hired any more mercs and Jayne would just scare them off like the first four. After all what else was there to do.

The rest of the crew, Zoë, Kaylee, Simon, River and Inara also watched the mercenary leave the ship. Zoë hit the button to bring up the ramp and close the bay doors.

“Well good riddance.” Simon said. He then turned and left the bay to head to his infirmary. Jayne grinned when he heard a distinct groan coming from that direction. He still loved to tease Simon, and making a mess out of the infirmary was the best way to do that.

“You shouldn’t scare them away.” River told him not looking in his direction.

“Why not, its fun.” Jayne answered.

“I don’t scare them away.” Mal said at the same time. “Why is it we get all the crazy ones.”

River rolled her eyes, “Wasn’t talking to you.” She said rather quietly and then leaves the bay to go to the cockpit to prepare to take off.

“I don’t know, sir.” Zoë answered Mal’s rather rhetorical question.

“Food flying, guns hate him, voices…” Mal grumbles, “The man was insane.”

From where he sat on the crate, Jayne laughed.

The rest of the crew scattered, heading to their respective places on the ship while Mal and Zoë went up to the cockpit.

Jayne jumped off his crate and went walking around the ship. When he passed by the infirmary, he noticed that Simon had cleaned up the mess Jayne had left. Jayne whistled to himself as he entered the infirmary and with a bit of concentration he managed to knock over a metal pan and open two drawers so that they dumped out their contents. Smiling, Jayne leaned against the counter to rest a moment. Once he had his energy back, Jayne continued to move about through the ship. Any doors that were closed were of course no problem, he just walked right through them.

Eventually he found his way to the cockpit. River was there by herself for once.

“You shouldn’t make messes.” River said to him.

“Ah mind yer own business, girl.” Jayne said. River of course never looked at him. She could see him of course, but Jayne wasn’t a pretty sight. A mercenary’s life was full of danger and a mercenary’s death wasn’t a peaceful end. The hole through his head and the blown out back of his skull rather attested to that.

Wash had been just as bad, walking about Serenity with the huge hole in his chest. At least until he finally accepted the call to move on a few weeks after Jayne had been killed.

“You should move on as well.” River said as she looked out into the black before them.

“Already know what’s waiting for me, girl and I ain’t going to walk into them fires.” Jayne said. “Got ta make sure Mal don’t give my girls to the next hundan of a merc he hires.”

River decided to ignore him. Jayne sat around in the cockpit for a while, and then moved on. He made sure to leave another mess in the infirmary.

As he moved through the ship, Jayne wished Wash and Book had stuck around. Book had left first, feeling that he needed to face what was waiting for them. Wash had stuck around to watch over Zoë. He had been more than willing to help Jayne scare off the mercenary’s that Mal had hired to replace Jayne and to help mess up the infirmary every so often. However, Wash had been haunting the ship for nearly a year before Jayne had joined him and Book in their strange Limbo. Not more than a week later, Book left. Wash stuck around for about five months. Zoë had gotten better, she no longer took unnecessary risks on the job and started wearing her armor again. Once Wash decided that Zoë would be alright, he had left as well.

To Jayne’s way of thinking, it was alright for a pilot, and a Shepard to think that going on toward their reward was alright, but Jayne knew there weren’t no reward waiting for the likes of him. He was a thief, a murderer and all around bastard destined for Hell, and he never believed otherwise. Or apologized for it.

Five Months Later…

Jayne wondered if Wash would be upset by what he was witnessing. The little man had always been jealous of the weird relationship Mal and Zoë had, and now the relationship had just gotten weirder.

Kaylee made a pretty bride’s maid. Simon was best man of course. River was there, dressed in a pretty yellow dress.

Jayne had to admit, Zoë made a beautiful bride. Mal didn’t look too bad as the groom. Jayne shook his head, he would never have believed that Zoë and Mal would ever get married.

Jayne sat on a crate in the cargo bay watching as the Shepard married the captain and his first mate.

The wedding went off without a hitch, and the party lasted well into the night. Jayne wandered about the ship as the rest of Serenity’s crew celebrated the wedding. Even the new pilot, a older man who had once fought in the war with Zoë and the captain, joined in on the celebration.

River found him in the cargo bay sitting on the catwalks. She had taken over as the new hired gun for Serenity, and was taking good care of Jayne’s girls. She sat down beside him, arranging her dress around her, then taking a deep breath she directly at him for the first time. “You need to move on. They are alright. They are safe and I will keep them safe.” River told him.

Jayne looked at her. Then looked down at the partygoers who were slowly winding down from the night. He sighed as he watched them clean up the mess in the cargo bay. He watched Zoë and the captain kiss and make their way toward their bunk. Then he looked at River. “Ya promise, girl.”

“I promise.” River answered.

“Guess the devil’s waited long ‘nough.” Jayne said.

“It won’t be what you think.” River told him.

“Heaven don’t want me, little girl.” Jayne said. “Done to much fer that.”

“No but someone else does want you. Two someone’s.” River smiled.

Jayne looked at her confused. Then he shook his head, “Well guess’n this is goodbye. Won’t be seeing ya were I am going. Leastway’s I best not.”

“Its never goodbye Jayne” River said.

Jayne just shook his head. River was never totally sane.

He made his way down the walkway and headed toward the passenger dorm’s. He stopped once in the infirmary to knock over a few trays and to mess up the sheet on the bed before he continued on to Book’s old room. Inside was a shaft of light. The last time Jayne had seen it was when Wash had walked into it after saying his goodbyes to Jayne and the rest of the crew. He stopped and looked back over his shoulder, wondering if he was doing the right thing.

On the catwalks, River could feel time running out and she whispered, “Hurry Jayne.”

Jayne turned back and looked at the light, then straightened his shoulders and lifted his head high. Defiant and proud, Jayne walked into the light.

Nine months later

“Here it comes, just one more push,” Simon said. On the table before him Zoë Alleyne Washburn Reynolds cried out as she gave one last push. Beside her, Mal held her hand and wiped her forehead with a cloth. River stood beside her brother assisting.

A cry emerged as Simon lifted up the blood and fluid covered baby into his arms and handed him to River. He was quick to cut the umbilical cord and River then wrapped the baby into the blanket she held.

“It’s a boy.” Simon answered.

“You did good, Zoë.” Mal said to his wife and he stroked her face and smiled at her.

River had taken the baby from her brother and watched as Simon cut the cord. Once the baby was wrapped up, she looked down at the little boy and smiled. “Hello Jayne.” She said.

Mal sputtered, “I ain’t naming my son after that jackass!”