Author's note: I'm going to leave you on a rather grim note. The fluff was causing pain in my teeth. Hah.

Part 4~Say Yes

I’m in love with the world through the eyes of a girl… ~Elliott Smith, Say Yes

“Marry Kaylee?” Jayne’s eyes widened slightly in disbelief. “Aw, hell, Mal. I can’t marry ‘er…” “So you’re to stop seeing her.” “…I ain’t got a ring.” It was Mal’s turn for disbelief. Always a surprise, his merc. “You would marry her?” Jayne shrugged. “Sure. I like her well ‘nuff. She’s pretty, and she sure as hell can cook.” Not to mention you right near cease to function without ‘er , something in the back of his mind said. Shut up, he told it. “Then you do that, or you keep it the hell offa my boat.”

~*~

Jayne’d never much been one for plannin’. He was a take what he wanted, point-n-shoot kinda guy. Way he saw it, life was too short to go ‘round plannin’ your every move. Might as well leave yourself out in the open as Reaver fodder, you do that. But he was plannin’ now, sure as there was stars in the sky. He couldn’t—wouldn’t—give Kaylee up. Not for nothin’. He’d kill Mal ‘fore he let that girl get away from him. Smilin’ to himself, he grabbed Vera and walked outta his bunk.

~*~

Kaylee was dozing peacefully, her hammock rocking placidly. He watched her for a few long minutes, enthralled, before stepping past the threshold of the engine room. Kaylee, recognizing familiar footfalls, opened her eyes, smiling. “Hey, Jayne.” The smile melted off of her face when she spotted Vera. “Jayne? Why ya got Vera? Somethin’ wrong?” Jayne swallowed hard. “I…uh…I want ya ta have ‘er.” He thrust the gun into her hands. “What? Jayne, I can’t take your gun!” “I know that stupid fancy doc’d got ya a right proper ring that cost a heap’a platinum, but I ain’t got nothin’ ta give ya like that. She, uh, she useta be my favourite girl. But…” he shuffled his feet. “That was ‘fore I met ya. You’re the most perfect an’ prettiest girl in the whole ‘verse, Kaylee, an’ I know I ain’t all lily-white an’ clean-shaven, but I need ya, girl. An’ I’m gonna need ya fer the resta my life.” Kaylee’s arms came around his neck. “Aw, gorramit, Kaylee, I love you.” “I love you, too,” she managed, voice thick with tears. “Don’t cry, now.” Jayne’s voice was edged with worry. “Oh, it’s just so shiny! I gotta tell ‘Nara an’ my folks an’—well—I guess River already knows. An’ we’ll hafta get a preacher an’ a dress an’ cake—hey, maybe the cap’n’ll let us get one a them big beds like Wash an’ Zoe got? Oh, Jayne!” She kissed him hard. “I just gotta tell ‘Nara!” she ran off, shouting Inara’s name down the corridor. Jayne stood in the engine room, grinning stupidly. He wasn’t as big of a fool as Mal’d pegged for after all.

~*~

“That’s great, mei-mei.” Inara smiled politely. “I’m happy for you.” Kaylee frowned. “No ya ain’t.” Inara sighed. “You’re good at reading people.” She sat down and invited Kaylee to follow. “Just…Jayne?” “He ain’t like how everyone thinks he is. He’s real sweet, an’ he’d rather die than hurt me, ‘Nara. And oh, when he proposed, it was so shiny, he gave me Vera and made the shiniest speech ‘bout how I’m the best girl he’s ever met and how even though he ain’t Simon, he needed me an’ he would forever. Oh, ‘Nara, I want you to be my maid of honor, an’ River can be my bridesmaid an’ prob’ly my family’ll come an’ you can help me pick out my dress an’ it’ll be the shiniest weddin’ ever!” Outside the door, River sighed. Poor Kaylee, she thought miserably.