A Jaylee story which originally started as a set of lyric prompts for the lyric_ficathon at Live journal. This chapter is post OIS and the BDM isn't going to happen. Prompt: Covenant woman, intimate little girl Who knows those most secret things of me that are hidden from the world. – Covenant woman by Bob Dylan

Parts 1-4, Part 5, Part 6 _________________________________________________

Kaylee pushed a weary hand through her hair and leant against the bench waitin’ for the water to boil.

She hadn’t slept for more than an hour since the crash. As the only able-bodied person on board she was dividin’ her time between checkin’ on the injured crew, tryin’ to fix the communications and cookin’.

Kaylee had searched the infirmary and after she and Vic read the books she found they decided to straighten the other girl’s legs.

Kaylee had doped her up good beforehand, but it had still been awful painful and the sound of the bone crunchin’ as she pulled the mercenary’s legs straight was gonna stay with her forever. She was sick then; and so was Vic and they both cried. But Vic seemed much easier with her legs straightened and bound up and in some ways she was the least badly off.

Monty was conscious but Kaylee had had to lead him to the catwalk because he couldn’t see very well and weren’t his regular self in his mind. He kept driftin’ off and bein’ real vague. She’d sat him beside Vic makin’ them as comfortable as she could, draggin’ a mattress up from the crew quarters and gettin’ them off the cold metal floor.

She’d had to leave Dan in the engine room though, there was no way she could move him, even if Monty were able to help.

Over the last day she’d managed to fix the internal communications, so she left the comm. on in the engine room to listen for Dan and gave Vic a handheld.

Kaylee knew that the Captain would come lookin’, but she had no idea how off course they’d been; it might take Serenity a long time to find them. She didn’t think Dan had that long and every time she thought of his wife and babies she got all choked up.

Determinedly she had set herself to fixin’ the ships’ beacon. Wash would be keepin’ an eye out for that. They’d long since installed one on Serenity and a time or two back they’d talked Monty into puttin’ one in the Falcon.

Finally she’d managed to jury-rig the beacon and now needed a power source to start it. But first she had to feed the others and check their injuries. Carefully Kaylee made soup and carried it up to Monty and Vic.

“Got some for yerself girl?” Monty rasped.

Kaylee nodded. Rememberin’ guiltily he couldn’t see she answered. “Sure Monty.”

“The smallest portion, I’ll bet.” Vic’s voice was quiet. She’d never set much store by the perky mechanic till now. She knew the girl was a genius with engines, Dan never stopped singin’ her praises, but she’d always thought Kaylee a bit of a lightweight. Didn’t like violence, was no good with guns and was always so bouncy and cheerful. But the little girl was provin’ herself now, she was bein’ both brave and resourceful.

“No,” Kaylee shook her head and teased. “Ya got the smallest bit seein’ ya ain’t doin’ any work right now.”

How’d Vic know that all the foodstuffs were scattered to hell and gone all over the ship? The tin stuff was mostly alright – but she had to look for it all over and it took so much time. Time she could spend findin’ a power source and lookin’ after the others. She stood up quickly.

“I’m gonna go check on Dan, then search for a battery or somethin’.”

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

Jayne stood in a corner of the bridge listenin’ closely to what was happenin’. He’d never felt so useless. He wanted to be out there, searchin’ for Kaylee.

“Local authorities say there’s been pirates around the last few days.”

“Why in di yu didn’t they tell anyone?”

“Bad for business I would assume.” The Shepherd remarked. “However they’ve provided me with a map of the latest pirate sightings.”

“So you’re thinking that the Falcon might’ve run into them?” Wash queried anxiously.

“Could’ve,” The Captain was grim. “Wash head out of atmo and start flying the regular route. Let’s look at that map Shepherd.”

Jayne turned and followed them down to the kitchen and watched silently as they muttered over the map. He was barely hangin’ onto his temper and his calm, worryin’ ‘bout Kaylee.

He wanted her back. Teasin’ him, knowin’ all ‘bout him, carin’ ‘bout him in spite of the knowin’; the little girl was precious to him and everyone else. The worst thing was he couldn’t be out and out worryin’ ‘bout her like the doc, he had no right. The doc didn’t either really, but the others took it better from him.

Simon was askin’ questions, frettin’ over what might be happenin’, imaginin’ all sorts of things occurin’ to Kaylee.

If even one of those imaginings happened to Kaylee, Jayne was gonna be killin’ some folk. If his – friend – got hurt, Jayne would be huntin’ pirates for the rest of his days.

“Jayne! Jayne!” Zoe’s voice interrupted his thoughts. “Go collect your weapons and some for me and the Captain.”

“We ain’t found the beacon yet, have we?” asked the Captain.

“No sir. I just like to be prepared is all.” And she wanted to get Jayne out of there before he heard anymore of the Doctors’ conversation.

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

“The beacon’s workin’,” Kaylee smiled at Vic as she bent over to look at her legs. “Now we just gotta wait for Serenity to find us.”

“Do ya really think they will?” Vic thought Kaylee much too hopeful.

“Why sure, The Captain don’t leave no-one behind,” she clung to that thought. “’Sides he’s way too stubborn to just give up.”

“Sounds like ya know him real well. Ya and him an item?”

Kaylee was surprised that anyone would think such a thing. “The Captain and me?” she shook her head. “He’s still hung up on ‘Nara even if she is gone.”

“Ya hung up on anybody?” Vic kept talkin’, it took her mind of the pain.

“No.” Kaylee unconsciously touched her throat. “Maybe.”