Title: Coming Together (8 of 10) Rating: pg-13 to be safe Fandom: Firefly Pairing: Jayne/Kaylee Word Count: 1873 Summary: BDHs and a big damn misunderstanding. This chapter is angsty. Warning: Sequel to story 'Pulled Apart'. Characters and places do not belong to me.

Authors note: Thanks to squish_67 for betaing. She rocks so, so much. If you want to read Pulled Apart or the previous chapters in this story, check out my journal, they're all there.

Only two more pieces after this!

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71. Hair

“Jayne?” He wasn’t saying anything. “Jayne please stop starin’ at me like that,” Kaylee begged.

“What do you want me t’say, Kaylee?” Jayne asked.

“Say that you believe me,” she begged.

“I can’t do this anymore. Think you should go back to your pretty little doctor and just forget ‘bout you and me.” Jayne turned away from her and continued to head for the guest quarters while Kaylee stood shell shocked, watching him go. Footsteps came behind her and she felt someone place an arm on her shoulder.

“Mei mei,” Inara said. “Why don’t we go back to my shuttle. I can brush your hair and we can talk.” Another set of footsteps breezed past her and the mechanic watched as Mal headed down the hallways after Jayne Inara slowly turned Kaylee around, wrapping her arm around her shoulders and leading her towards her shuttle. Kaylee sniffed and wiped her wet cheeks, not being able to do much else.

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72. Flat

“You’re a coward.” It was a simple statement but it certainly got Jayne’s attention. The mercenary stopped short of Book’s room and slowly turned to face Mal.

“A coward?” Jayne asked.

“Damn straight you’re a coward,” Mal said. “Soon as the doc shows interest in little Kaylee again you’re ready to tuck tail and give up. Means the doctor wins no matter what Kaylee wants. You think you care for her, but you can’t even spend a day fighting for her. Not if there ain’t real live fists involved.” Mal shook his head and started to turned away. He paused midstep returning to face his mercenary.

“Oh and one more thing.” Before the words finished coming out of Mal’s mouth, the captain’s fist connected with Jayne’s face, knocking the mercenary flat on his back. “You make my mechanic cry again, and make no mistake about it, I will space you.”

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73. Pain

Inara pulled open the shuttle door as quickly as she could, hoping the insistent the knocking wouldn’t wake Kaylee. Seeing Jayne on the other side of the door surprised her more than a little. Casting a glance back at Kaylee’s sleeping form, Inara carefully squeezed herself through the door and looked up at Jayne. “What are you doing here?” she asked softly.

“Wanna talk t’her ‘Nara,” Jayne demanded, trying to move past her, the companion didn’t let him by.

“Don’t you think you have caused her enough pain?” Inara asked.

“This ain’t your concern, this is ‘tween Kaylee and me and I’d ‘ppreciate it if you stayed out of it,” he grunted. Inara looked at him then glance back at the door.

“You do anything to upset her and I will do something very painful to you, Jayne Cobb,” Inara said, slowly stepping aside. Jayne brushed past her, walking into the room and closing the door behind him.

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74. Anniversary

Kaylee had heard the soft rapping on the shuttle door, jarring her out of her sleep. She didn’t open her eyes, just listened carefully. When heavy footsteps entered the room, Kaylee froze. She hadn’t realized it was Jayne who had come to the door, but there was no mistaking that heavy walk. Kaylee kept her eyes shut, not even moving when Jayne sat on the bed next to her. It was quiet for a long while and Kaylee was almost tempted to open her eyes just to know what he was doing. Jayne cleared his throat and she tried keep her breathing even.

“Don’t really know what I’m doin’ here. ‘Cept I didn’t think I could go t’sleep ‘fore I talked t’you. Only you’re asleep now and I don’t think I wanna wake you up,” Jayne said. “I ain’t never been with a woman long ‘nough t’have an anniversary or nothin’ like that, so I don’t really know how t’do all this stuff. But I wanna do it with you. I ain’t gonna let that gorram doctor take this ‘way from me. So I’m gonna let you sleep for now, but in the mornin’ we’re gonna talk. Night little Kaylee.” The bed shifted and Jayne stood up. Kaylee’s mind was going a million miles a minute. Should she say something? Should she still pretend to sleep? Before she could even decide Jayne was gone. She heard Inara’s soft footsteps and sat up slowly.

“What did he say?” Inara asked quietly. Kaylee just smiled at the companion.

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75. Celebration

Jayne headed out of Inara’ shuttle and back for his bunk. He couldn’t get the image of a sleeping Kaylee out of his head. She was just too gorram beautiful. Letting out a deep breath he tried to take his mind off Kaylee and his troubles with her and the doc.

“Jayne!” Speak of the devil. Jayne turned around to see Simon standing a few yards away. The doctor was jogging to catch up with him.

“What d’you want, Doc?” Jayne growled. He would’ve rather spit on the doctor than talk to him right then.

“I came to say you won,” Simon said.

“I what?” Jayne asked.

“You won,” Simon repeated unflinchingly.

“What in the gorram hell did I win, Doc?” Jayne asked, amused and annoyed at the same time.

“Kaylee.”

“Kaylee ain’t a prize t’be won,” Jayne pointed out. Jayne leaned closer towards Simon, licking his lips for a moment. “Is that what this all was? Some sort of game t’you?” Jayne clenched his fist, fighting off the urge to hit Simon for what he’s done. Kaylee probably wouldn’t have liked it much if he messed up the pretty doctor’s face.

“No, I know it’s not a game, and you’re right, she isn’t a prize; but that doesn’t change the fact. Kaylee talked with me, told me that it was you she cared for, not me. I’m conceding, pulling myself out of the race if you will,” Simon said. Jayne just grunted and turned to walk away.

“Aren’t you happy? I mean, shouldn’t you be celebrating or something? I’m stepping aside, I thought you would be happy,” Simon called after him. Jayne swung around and punch Simon, knocking him to the floor. Gorram doctor couldn’t keep him mouth shut.

“I was looking forward t’the challenge,” Jayne mumbled as he kicked open his bunk door and climbed down.

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76. Spray

Kaylee rounded the corner to the crews bunks, yawning as she walked. She’d spent the night in Inara’s shuttle, talking things over with the companion. Kaylee couldn’t have been in a better mood that morning. She might have been heading straight to Jayne’s bunk to talk to him if it wasn’t so early in the morning. She’d have to work on Serenity for awhile until the mercenary woke up. She needed a fresh pair of coveralls though.

Kaylee sniffed the air for a moment, noticing a faint aroma; something familiar she couldn’t quite….it was paint. Who’d been painting? As she approached her door, Kaylee stopped midstep. Spray painted above ‘Kaylee’s Room’ on her door was a wooden plaque that said ‘Jayne and’. It wasn’t fancy or nothing, just a dull greenish paint; but it put the biggest smile on her face. Kaylee moved down the hallway to Jayne’s bunk and knocked on the door.

“Jayne Cobb get your butt up right now!” she called.

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77. Paper

Kaylee kicked open Jayne’s bunk door and climb down, surprised to find him dressed and up. It was still very early. “You’re up,” she said a little shocked.

“Plannin’ on wakin’ me if I wasn’t?” Jayne asked with a cocked eyebrow.

“Suppose I hadn’t thought that far ahead,” she admitted. “I liked the sign,” she said with a small smile. Jayne grunted. Kaylee licked her lips and looked up at him. “Can we talk?”

“I think we should,” Jayne nodded.

“Yesterday…”

“’Fore we do though,” Jayne cut her off, “I want you to read this.” He pulled out a piece of paper from his pocket and handed it to her. She took it and began to unfold it. “Shepherd helped me write it. Was ‘fraid I wouldn’t be able t’tell you what I was thinking, Shepherd thought it might be helpful if I wrote it down. Just…wait till I leave ‘fore you read it, though. Don’t wanna hear you laugh it if sounds funny or something.”

Kaylee nodded and watched as Jayne headed for the ladder and climbed. She slowly finished unfolding the rest of the letter as her eyes began to go over the messy words he had written.

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78. Other

Simon lead River towards the galley after their morning tests. He passed near Kaylee’s bunk and froze for a moment, seeing the sign above her bunk. “Jayne and Kaylee’s bunk,” he read aloud, shaking his head. His head still hurt from the sucker punch Jayne had delivered him the night before and seeing that sign wasn’t helping matters any.

“You don’t like it,” River said.

“Like what?” Simon asked, sighing as he headed for the galley again.

“Being the ‘other’ man. You wanted to be first,” River observed.

“Of course I did,” Simon replied. “Everyone wants to be first with the people they care about.”

“You should be happy for her. She’s first now,” River said, moving ahead of him into the kitchen.

“I suppose I should,” Simon sighed again.

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79. Unknown

“Grrrr I will fight for this land,” the green stegosaurus growled.

“And you will die on this land. Muhahaha!” the T-rex growled back advancing towards the stegosaurus.

“I am good,” the stegosaurus said, “and good always wins over evil.”

“Not this time! Grrr!” the T-rex jumped, his teeth sinking into the stegosaurus neck.

“Ahhh!” the dying creature cried. “My son shall avenge…my…death.”

“Husband?”

Wash jumped and wheeled around, dropping his plastic dinosaurs on the console. “Lambytoes, didn’t hear you coming,” the pilot said sheepishly.

“I can see that,” Zoe smiled. The console in front of them beeped as something came up on the radar.

“What’s that?” Zoe asked, her eyebrows drawing together in concern.

“I don’t know,” Wash said, leaning forward and looking down at the screen. “We’re near Whitefall though, might be another transport ship coming up this way?”

“Just keep an eye on it,” Zoe said. Wash nodded and smiled up at his wife.

“What was it you needed?” he asked. Zoe only grinned and moved to sit on his lap.

“Just got Sky down for a lap…” her voice trailed off.

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80. Enemy

Wash tried not to day dream about his wife too much as he scanned the ship that was rapidly approaching them. Probably larger freighter, bigger engine. At least he hoped that was what it was. Wash finished the scan and stared down at the results. He leaned back in his chair, letting out a long breath. Oh god. Wash rose and reached for the comm.

“Captain, we have a situation,” Wash said. He hung the comm back up and sat down in his pilot’s chair. ‘What to do, what to do?’ Wash thought. He heard the captains footsteps approach the bridge and turned the chair to face Mal.

“What’s going on?” Mal asked, a sleepy look in his eyes. Wash pointed towards the screen and Mal let out a long breath. “No.”

“Reavers,” Wash nodded.