Title: Confidence Series Title: Both Sides (11 of 18) Author: Humbug Rating: NC-17 Fandom: Firefly Pairing: Jayne/Kaylee Word Count: 1256 Summary: Told from both sides of Kaylee and Jayne's relationship Disclaimer: Joss is Boss. I'm just borrowing his characters for fun!! Warning: Jaylee goodness! But other characters can't help joining in.

Authors note: Thanks to bookaddict for betaing.

Read the previous chapters posted at my username.

*********************** Thanks for daring me to write my own Jaylee story, Squish and Bookaddict! It’s told from both sides of the relationship. Each part is from Jayne or Kaylee’s point of view, or both! Other characters pop in and out. Some chapters will be from their point of view. Enjoy! (I hope….) Be gentle! It’s my first fanfic story.

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Confidence

Jayne sighed deeply and ran his hands through his hair.

“Let’s get this cargo moving and you can tell me what’s on your mind.” suggested Book.

He knew Jayne found it easier to understand and express his deep emotions if he was distracted by mindless, repetitive physical labour. Book smiled. That was why they had bonded over working out on Jayne’s weights. Whilst lifting weights, Jayne could open up and he had expressed things to Book he hadn’t told anyone in years.

Jayne took a deep breath. “It’s Kaylee….”

“Ahhhhh!” was all Book said, as he listened carefully to Jayne pouring out his heart about his feelings for Kaylee. How he just wanted to take care of her. The ear to ear grin as Jayne described his joy when Kaylee responded to him was mighty touching.

“Sounds like you’ve fallen hard for her, Jayne.”

“Never thought I’d ever feel this way about a woman” he admitted, straining to force a crate into a small hiding space. “Never thought Kaylee’d ever feel this way back!”

“I’m real happy for you, son!”

They continued moving crates into hidey holes around the cargo bay.

“I take it that the Captain knows nothing about this?”

“We gotta keep it that way or he’ll space me out the airlock! Captain made me an’ Kaylee promise we’d never even look at each other. He don’t like shipboard romances.”

“He accepts Zoe and Wash……”

“That’s only ‘cause he knows she’d walk off an’ leave him ta be with Wash.” Jayne grinned.

Book stood and and stretched out his tired muscles. “You know you’ve got to keep that temper of yours in check, Jayne. If you keep blowing up every time someone does something to Kaylee you don’t like, Captain will start to suspect - ”

“I know,” Jayne sighed, rubbing his hands across his face.

“And if you start spending all your free time with Kaylee, and stop your regular visits planet side….”

“I guess Mal’ll figure it out sometime soon! I just want ta keep ma job. Steady work, regular pay. And stay with Kaylee. That’s the most important thing. If I loose Kaylee, what’s the point?”

“Ah!” said Book, “The elusive meaning of life. We all struggle with that, but I think having a woman to love and a willingness to commit to building a life together, that’s something longed for by those who don’t have it. Admired by those who do and who know how much work goes into keeping it.”

“Seems ta me ya have quite a past, and quite a story ta tell if ya ever had a mind ta share it!”

“Wouldn’t you like to know?”Book smiled enigmatically.

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Just as Book and Jayne were finishing, Mal and Zoe came down the walkway.

“Jayne,” said Mal, “we’re gonna try to outrun that Alliance cruiser. Book and Wash are gonna pull a Crazy Ivan. Book, you get down to that engine room now. Wash I’ll tell you what to do.”

Book hurried down to the engine room.

“If that don’t work,” Mal continued, “Plan B is for you and Zoe to get weaponed up and to position yourselves on the walkways around the cargo bay. Book and I will meet them down in the bay. We’ll be real polite. You keep yourself hidden, Jayne. Only come into view if I ask ya to. No violence unless necessary. Do I make myself clear?”

Jayne nodded. “Where will the girls be? I mean Inara, River and Kaylee?”

“I’ve asked Inara to stay with Kaylee…”

Jayne couldn’t hide his sigh of relief.

“Simon and River must stay hidden. If the Feds discover them on board…”

“They’ll lock us all up and throw away the key,” said Jayne grimly.

“Mal, Ya not gonna wake Kaylee up, askin’ her questions about how ta pull a Crazy Ivan, are ya?”

“No, Jayne. That’s the last thing I want ta do. I’m just going to let her sleep. Inara will be there if Kaylee needs anything, and Simon and River are near by if there’s anything that Inara can’t handle. You keep your mind on the job. The last thing I need is my gun hand distracted.”

Jayne straightened up, mentally preparing himself to look intimidating. “Ya can rely on me, Cap’n!”

“I know I can, Jayne. Wouldn’t have you on the crew if I thought you’d betray us.” Mal said with a warning in his tone.

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Kaylee woke as she heard soft footsteps coming down the ladder to her bunk. “Jayne? Is that you?”

“No, mei-mei. It’s Inara.”

“Oh!” Kaylee tried to hide the disappointment in her voice.

Inara smiled and sat down on the bed next to her. “How are you feeling, mei-mei?”

“My hands are startin’ to sting a bit…”

“I’ve brought some things,” she looked through the basket, “Here it is! This will make you feel better.”

She gave Kaylee a smoother and began to stroke her hair. “Would you like me to brush your hair?”

“Yes please, ‘Nara!”

Inara pulled out her favourite hairbrush from the basket and began to run it through Kaylee’s hair. “Kaylee, your hair is so beautiful….”

“Thank you, Inara…..”

“I’m sure Jayne thinks so too?”

“Oh, ‘Nara! He’s being so sweet and shiny. I never thought he’d take care of me like this.”

“So you two are?”

“We’re not lovers; yet. “

“But he slept here with you?”

“Yes. He kissed me and held me in his arms and oh ‘Nara, if it wasn’t for this burn - When he kissed me and touched me I just melted - and the look in his eyes!”

“That’s a good thing in a possible future lover…..”

“It’s a very good thing!” Kaylee grinned.

“Oh, mei-mei!” Inara haugged her, “I’m so happy for you.”

Kaylee yawned. “I’m so sleepy!”

“Why don’t you lay back down, close your eyes and I’ll brush your hair ‘till you fall asleep.”

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The whole boat shook as Wash and Book successfully did a Crazy Ivan. Serenity left the Alliance cruiser trailing in her wake, unable to catch up.

Mal heaved a sigh of relief. No need for plan B. He patted Wash on the back. “Well done!”

He picked up the comm. “We’ve done it, Shepherd, the Alliance cruiser is eatin’ our wake! Congratulations! You can be our Apprentice Mechanic if you like. As long as lil Kaylee approves…”

“Thanks, Captain. I’ll be right up.”

Zoe had her arms around Wash, congratulating him on his fine flying skills.

Mal turned away to give them some privacy and patted Jayne on his shoulder. “You can go back to Kaylee. Inara can tell Simon and River they’re in the clear…”

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Jayne went back to his bunk and took off all his weapons and his boots.

He was about to put Vera back on the wall when he decided he should take her with him to Kaylee’s bunk, in case of another emergency.

He stopped to think and grabbed some clean clothes and a towel. He slung them over his shoulder. He was going to get cleaned up before going back to Kaylee.

He stopped at Kaylee’s bunk on the way to the showers. “We shook off the Alliance cruiser,” whispered Jayne, “So we’re safe now, Inara.”

She sighed with relief.

“Can ya stay here with Kaylee while I get washed up?”

Inara nodded, “We’ll have to think of some way to cover Kaylee’s hand so she can wash too!” she smiled.

Ai ya! What a thought to put in a man’s mind before going to shower.

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To be continued