A series of four related drabbles originally written for the Several_ways LJ community. Challenge #7 - Several ways to kill. The first is set during Shindig, the rest after Objects in Space. The fourth story is a sequel to Cowboys. _________________________________________________

Stifle

“Jaaaaayne” Kaylee’s voice was a wail.

He glanced up from cleanin’ his weapons to see her standin’ there holdin’ a hairbrush in one hand and a ribbon in the other. She was dressed in the pink ruffled thing from earlier, lookin’ for all the ‘verse like one of her strawberries. All pink and toothsome.

“Captain gave me 20 minutes to get ready ‘n’ I’m all thumbs. I can’t do my dress up and I have to do somethin’ with my hair too. ‘Nara’s gone, ‘n’ Zoe’s busy….”

“The Doctor?”

Jayne stopped when she blushed. ‘Cause she couldn’t ask him. He’d be all shocked and horrified and get stiff and proper.

Couldn’t ask the sister either, little crazy weren’t that predictable. Mal was probably tryin’ to turn hisself into a gentleman.

“Alright girl, turn yer back and I’ll do ya up.”

Since Simon had come on board he’d resolutely told himself that Kaylee was just like a sister. Most times it worked; this weren’t one of those times though.

Jayne sighed quietly as he looked at the expanse of creamy skin and the row of buttons workin’ their way from the small of her back all the way to her neck.

He frowned, “why’d they have to make the gorram things so tiny?”

Kaylee giggled imaginin’ Jayne’s large fingers with the tiny little buttons. “Try doin’ them up backwards when ya can’t see them.”

“No thanks.” He did the buttons up as quickly as he could, careful to avoid touchin’ her skin.

“What do ya think I should do with my hair? I don’t have time to do anythin’ fancy.”

“Ya could do like my sisters, pull some back with the ribbon and make twirly bits at the sides.”

“Twirly bits?”

“Ya know.” Jayne waggled his fingers round. “Twirly bits.”

When Kaylee stared at him like a moonbrain he grabbed the brush and started on her hair himself. He pulled a bit back from her face and fastened it with the ribbon tyin’ it in a big pink bow just like when he did his sister’s hair.

“See” he steered her so she could look at herself in the bulkhead.

“Oh, twirly bits” Kaylee took the hairbrush and twisted her hair round her fingers lookin’ over her shoulder at him.

“Do ya think I’ll fit in? Ya know what the Captain said ‘bout the dress.”

He never could understand why the girl got so bent outta shape ‘bout what the Captain thought. Didn’t she know how beautiful she was? What did a bitter soldier who flew round bein’ a criminal know ‘bout girls clothes anyways? ‘Bout as much as a mercenary he guessed.

“I think ya look fine, just like a core girl.”

‘Cause he thought that whatever Kaylee wore looked fine, coveralls or floaty dress, they was all the same to him.

He was rewarded with a big shiny Kaylee smile and a kiss on the cheek. “Thanks Jayne.”

He watched as she bounced away to join Mal in the cargo bay and stifled the envy he felt at the Captain gettin’ to take her to a dance concentratin’ instead on the picture of Kaylee all dressed to kill.

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

Counteract

Jayne was mutterin’ away and pouting to himself. How come no-one else ever got the prime job of mopping the cargo bay? He knew it was part of his punishment for Ariel, the Captain always rubbin’ it in.

But gorram it, it wouldn’t matter if he mopped from now till the ‘verse ended the bay weren’t never gonna look clean. Serenity was sturdy, but she was old and rusty, no amount of cleanin’ was gonna change that.

He could be proppin’ up a bar enjoyin’ a drink and maybe a whore, but no, here he was moppin’. Jayne was so deep in whining angst he didn’t hear the girl approach till she was there grinning at him.

“Jayne,” Kaylee smiled at him. “Captain says to leave off and come dump divin’ with me.”

He leant on the mop considerin’. He hated moppin’ but Kaylee always had some feng luh things she wanted him to do.

“Ya ain’t gonna find some huge hunk of metal ‘n’ make me drag it back here?”

“Nope.”

“Or give me some gorram greasy tubin’ that’ll take a week for me to clean it off my hands?”

Kaylee grinned at him again. “None of that’ll happen, I swear.”

Truth was he didn’t mind going dump diving with little Kaylee, the girl had a way of makin’ the most borin’ job fun and anythin’ was better than the everlastin’ cleanin’.

Jayne considered a bit more, she was lookin’ a little off lately, like somethin’ was upsettin’ her, maybe a drink would do her some good.

“Do I get a drink at the end?”

“Cross my heart ‘n’ hope to die.”

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

The girl’s chatter and cheerful ways had knocked his bad mood on the head and he followed her willingly to the bar.

Glancin’ round he found a table far enough back in the buildin’ that every fella in the place wouldn’t be over here pantin’ after Kaylee like dogs in heat.

“What do ya want to drink Kaylee girl?”

“How ‘bout we kill a bottle together” she suggested with a grin.

“So why are ya wantin’ to get drunk?” he asked after the first couple of glasses.

Kaylee tilted her head and looked at him. “I just needed to have a friendly drink with someone and I thought ya might tell me what’s goin’ on?”

The girl always saw more than she let on, ‘n’ if he was gonna talk to anyone it’d be her. Jayne looked down at the table weighin’ his words, whatever he said she was gonna be disappointed in him.

“I’ll go first then and we’ll have a drink everytime we say somethin’.” Kaylee sighed and took a big drink. “I’ve decided that I ain’t gonna chase Simon no more.”

Jayne drank his glass in one gulp “I turned the Doc and his sister in at Ariel.”

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

Ice

Kaylee giggled up at Ben as they left the bar. He was a nice guy, real good lookin’ too and not interested in serious, he was just the right guy for a little tumble tonight.

“Hi there Ben. Little lady.”

Kaylee looked at the four men suddenly surrounding them and grasped Ben’s arm.

“Maybe we’d best be goin’ back to the bar.” The bar meant safety because the Captain and Jayne were there.

“I can’t do that,” he shook his head lookin’ ashamed. “Sorry Kaylee, I need the money.”

“Yer goin’ to leave me with them?” Kaylee tried to pull away.

“They need slaves ‘n’ I need money. Sorry.” He let go her arm and one of the others reached out a hand to grab her but she wriggled away and screamed at the top of her voice.

A second man came up from behind and put both arms round her and Kaylee thought this was the end till she heard a voice growl “Kaylee?”

The man behind her tightened his grip and whirled keeping her in front of him. Angry and frightened she slammed her elbow into his stomach causing him to let go and she dropped to the ground as a shot rang out.

Jayne had two guns trained on the men who were left his expression enough to frighten a statue. “Anyone else wanna die?”

The three men left standin’ turned tail and left leavin’ Ben standin’ gapin’ after them. “Kaylee I…”

“Was goin’ to sell me to slavers,” Kaylee clenched her fist and hit him in the mouth sendin’ him staggerin’ into the mercenary’s path.

The ice in his eyes truly terrifying Jayne swung his leg up, boot connectin’ with Ben’s face and sendin’ him flyin’.

Kaylee turned her head into Jayne’s back with a wince as she heard the sound of breakin’ bone and scurryin’ feet.

Clenchin’ her fingers in his shirt to prevent him followin’ she asked, “what were ya doin’ out here anyway Jayne?”

“Just killin’ time.”

No way was he gonna tell her that him and the Captain always looked out for her, that one or other of ‘em always followed her and the current fella.

It weren’t that they didn’t think she was capable of lookin’ out for herself. It was just that she was Kaylee and it was real dangerous out ‘n’ about even for them and lots more so when ya were gorram beautiful and trusted everyone.

This was the first time though that he’d had to interfere; the girl usually knew how to pick ‘em. He knew she’d be all shook up ‘bout pickin’ the wrong one and what had almost happened.

Knowin’ she wouldn’t he nodded at the bar, “want to go back in and pick someone else?”

“Not this time.” Kaylee shook her head, she needed to recover herself. “Think I’ll just go back to Serenity and sleep.”

She glanced up at the big man as he fell in step beside her. “What are ya doin?”

“Ya don’t think I’m gonna let ya walk back by yerself do ya?”

“No. Guess not, seein’ as I’m weak and all.” Kaylee was angry that once again she’d needed his help.

Jayne gave her a sidelong look “yer ain’t weak. Probably would’ve wriggled away from them without me, that elbow of your’n is pretty lethal. And I’d walk anyone back, even Zoë.”

“Better not let her hear ya say that.” She grinned at him thoughtfully, “could ya show me some fightin’ moves?”

He grinned back “as long as ya don’t use ‘em on me.”

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

Slay

We got us another film” Mitch grinned at Jayne over the wave, “and we was wonderin’ if ya could bring Miss Kaylee again.”

“No.” Bring Kaylee to the picture house? No ruttin’ way. Not that he’d brought her the last time - - she just came. The fellas would be all over her.

“Thought we had a rule, no women.”

“That was whores, not real girls. Ya could just ask her.”

“No.”

“Thought from the way ya were lookin’ at her last time ya two might be an item.”

“We ain’t.” Worse luck.

“We could ask her.” Mitch was obstinate and Jayne could see the other guys grinnin’ behind him.

”No”, he sighed “I’ll ask her”.

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

“Hey Miss Kaylee,” Mitch greeted them as they walked in the door. “Glad ya could come again.”

Jayne glanced at the poster of what was showin’.

“Kaylee can’t watch that!” He was horrified.

Kaylee looked at him in surprise. “Why not?”

“Yeah Jayne why not?” That was Rich puttin’ his oar in and earnin’ hisself a glare.

“Yer gonna be terrified, there’s too much killin’ and there’s monsters girl.”

“I’ve seen scary movies before Jayne.”

“Not like this one.” He shook his head and turned to go. “Think we should go.”

“Ya can go; I’ll stay here with the fellas and watch the movie.”

She was lookin’ at him obstinately and he sighed, no way would he leave her here with these three fellas. They were all lookin’ at her as if she were lunch or somethin’.

Jayne frowned at them, and frowned again when instead of sittin’ all over the place they came and sat right next to him and Kaylee.

Course he didn’t blame them, wantin’ to be near her and all but… he sat down heavily next to Don and put Kaylee in the outside seat. . Havin’ learnt his lesson from last time Jayne held the pro-corn himself and set Kaylee’s drink in the little tray beside her seat. His precautions were useless. The first time the woman on the screen dreamt of the thing in her stomach Kaylee jumped and knocked her drink over.

When the creature hit the jar in the lab and everyone in the movie jumped, Kaylee damn near flew out of her chair knockin’ the pro-corn out of his hand.

She clutched at his hand when they found the little girl all by herself and were tryin’ to get her to talk and latched onto his arm with a death grip when the soldiers were dyin’.

Her disappointed sigh echoed around when the bad guy was found out and she cried when the heroine told ‘bout her girl dying.

When the scary things attacked in the med bay Kaylee was right on the edge of her seat. He had to put his arm round her cause she was shiverin’ when the aliens attacked the remainin’ crew members.

And when the bad mamma alien appeared at the end Kaylee climbed onto his lap and hid her face in his shoulder.

“We could go now ifen ya want” Jayne whispered in her ear.

“No” Kaylee peeked at the screen “I gotta see what happens.”

She didn’t move out of his lap though, tightenin’ her arms round his neck when it looked like they got left on the planet and flinchin’ at every tense moment of the final fight between human and alien.

When it was over she sighed and grinned over at the other fellas, who probably hadn’t seen one bit of the movie. “That was real scary hey boys?”

‘Course they all had to stand round talkin’ ‘bout the movie and it was ages before he could get Kaylee to come away.

She walked along beside him rehashin’ the whole story “…and weren’t she so brave, fightin’ for the little girl?”

A crash came from a nearby alley and Kaylee jumped grabbin’ hold of Jayne’s hand like it was some kind of lifeline

“Ya ain’t gonna have nightmares are ya?” Jayne held tight to her hand.

“If I do will ya cuddle me?” Kaylee was lookin’ up at him that come hither look in her eyes he’d seen directed at near on everyone but him.

A warm feelin’ settled somewhere in his chest “If ya want me to.”