A/N: A little bit of preamble.

Part Two ~ Mystery

You set up your place in my thoughts Moved in and made my thinking crowded Now were out in the back with the barking dogs My heart the red sun Your heart the moon clouded I could go crazy on a night like tonight When summers beginning to give up her fight And every thoughts a possibility And the voices are heard but nothing is seen Why do you spend this time with me May be an equal mystery ~Indigo Girls, Mystery

It never seemed to turn out like how he intended it to.

He’d always been attracted to her—hell, was there ever any doubt in anyone’s mind? The girl was gorgeous. Didn’t matter what she was doin’—or wearin’, for that matter—she was always the prettiest gorram thing Jayne’d ever laid eyes on.

‘Cept when she was cryin’, which was exactly what she was doin’ when he found her. “Hey! Hey, now,” he said, sittin’ down next to her in the hammock, almost-but-not-quite touchin’ her. “What the hell’s up with you, girl?” She sniffled and shuffled away from him. “Go ‘way, Jayne.” “Not till you tell me what the gorram hell is wrong!” “Don’t really concern ya, Jayne. I’d ‘preciate ya goin’ away now.” “Is this about that ruttin’ stupid doc?” he growled. His face softened slightly when her head bobbed. “Aw, hell, girl. You don’t need ‘im. All he ever does is make ya cry and spend too much time with his moonbrained sis. Hell, ya want my opinion? I don’t think he thinks ‘bout anyone…if ya know what I mean.” He was secretly delighted when she giggled. “See? That’s the Kaylee we all know an’…know. Git up. Cap’n’s expectin’ us at supper.” He took her hand and yanked her up. “Forget him.” She nodded, knowing that was the answer he wanted. She didn’t know, then, just how well she could forget.

He kept comin’ back. She could set her watch by Jayne. He’d show up four or five minutes before supper was s’posed to start and just sit. Talk to her, hand her a wrench, make her laugh. It felt empty, strange, and hollow on the days that he couldn’t be there, as if there was something huge missing from her.

She couldn’t remember when it was that she stopped thinking about Simon and started thinking about Jayne.