The Welcoming Committee: Part 3 by Nailani Williams

Disclaimer: No Copyright Infringement intended, Joss “Do the dance of joy!”

Summary: After the BDM. Zayne, pairing. Taking place after, “The Bravest Thing” Jayne’s going home to Deadwood and he realizes that only his Mama’s happy he’s home.

Rating: R

A/N: Be Kind…Drop a line! ~

Jayne:

I was excited to see Mama again. I had my yellow hat in hand. When I entered the shuttle, Zoe tried to erect those stern walls she built to protect herself. She tried to look like she was tired of me, but she couldn’t get her look to meet her eyes. She probably didn’t realized that since we slept together she couldn’t help grinning at me no matter how she tried not to.

She was trying her best to fight the fact that I made her happy. I minded, but I kept it to myself, she needed time to work through her confusion. So, I just decided the best thing for me to do was to court her proper as she wanted.

“Hey, bao bei, you ready to meet my kin?” I asked and she shook her head.

“Not in the least, but it is what it is,” she sighed.

“Well, the exit’s that away,” I grumbled, before I could smother down that flash of anger. Didn’t she realize how important this was? I was taking her to see the only woman in this verse that I loved.

“You know that’s not what I meant, Jayne,” she responded and I nodded, curtly.

“How bout we not argue?” I said and she remained silent.

Things seemed to be okay after our talk yesterday. It weren’t like it was before we got to Deadwood, but it was better than I expected after my blow up. She even slept in my bunk last night, to my everlasting wonderment; though I got a knee in the groin when I let my hands go exploring below her waist.

“Bout last night I was outta line,” I said, assuming that was the reason for her mood.

“No it was my fault,” she sat back in the pilot’s chair and turned so she was facing me. “I should have stayed in my own bunk. I can see how, me crawling in your bunk in the middle of the night gave you the wrong idea.”

“Well,” I said not disagreeing with her, she rolled her eyes.

“How’s the so called love birds?” Mal walked into the shuttle to see us off. He was smiling ear to ear, practically beaming like him an Inara had a real good night. He was met with silence and he took the hint. “That good, huh? Well, alright then,” he grinned slapping my back. “Have a nice trip. See you two in a few days.” he nodded and then left.

“We ready?” I asked and she nodded, looking out the window silently. It was going to be a long trip.

Zoe:

I wasn’t mad at Jayne, I was mad more at myself. My emotions the last few weeks seemed to be out of sorts, with so many ups and downs; I couldn’t seem able to get them in control. I was happy with Jayne, and guilty for being happy. And even though he could be the biggest jackass in the verse, he still managed to make me smile.

It was different than Wash. Wash was happiness and fun, his wit and his humor came so natural to him. And Jayne wasn’t in the least witty, but he had something else about him that came natural that I couldn’t quite put a finger on. Maybe it was the scraps of his humanity that turned my head. Like when he walked into the shuttle, he was smiling like a little kid in a toy emporium just because he was going to see his Ma.

Or last night when he blatantly tried to seduce me, when I looked into his eyes I saw something there so deep that scared the go-se outta me. I shuddered at the memory.

“I want you, Zo,” he whispered in my ear.

It was dark in his bunk and he was so warm. His body felt so good against mine. I let his hands run over my body. I was facing away from him and he was spooning me. He began placing small kisses on my neck and I moaned arching back into him. I felt him, his hardness against my butt. Temptation; such temptation, I turned to face him and he kissed me. His tongue slipped so easily inside of my mouth I just knew it would be just as easy for his man parts to slip inside me elsewhere, I broke away.

“Stop,” I whispered and I felt his hand slip in between my folds.

“Zoe,” he groaned when he felt how wet I was, it made him shift enough that I could bring my knee up where it needed to go before something I didn’t want to happen, happened.

“Jesus, Zoe, what the hell?” he cried out. I got up and ran from his bunk.

I hid in my bunk like a little girl who was in trouble with her Daddy feeling ridiculous, but scared all the same. Listening for the sound of his boots against the metal grating of Serenity’s floor. After a few breathless minutes I relaxed. He obviously wasn’t coming, either that or I hurt him worst than I thought. Worry got me crawling out of my bunk, I opened his bunk to check on him. He was still lying where I left him.

I stood over his bed for a moment, looking down at him, he was staring straight up at the ceiling. I was about to say something and when he took a deep breath, I prepared myself for yelling, that never came. He just shifted over towards the wall so I could climb back in. I hesitate for only a second before slipping back under the covers. When my head hit the pillow his arms wrapped themselves around me. I tensed not knowing if he was going to try again. He didn’t.

“I’m sorry,” he whispered after awhile, I was silent feigning sleep.

Now, we were in the shuttle. Twenty-five minutes out from Serenity an another three hours and twelve minutes away from Sol Star, and we hadn’t spoken a civil word to each other. I put the shuttle on autopilot and turned to him. He was playing with one of his smaller pistols. I watched him silently until he noticed I was watching.

“The trigger sticks, I was just trying to figure it out--,” he mumbled.

“Me too,” I whispered. Jayne went back to his side arm grumbling about how confused women drive him feng le.

Jayne:

It was the afternoon and we had just landed in Sol Star. Zoe and I grabbed our things and walked into town. I was shocked after seen how progressed Swearensburg was, to find Sol Star as it was. It was as if I never left. Things that were dilapidated when I broke atmo ten years ago were still falling apart. The town was still one bar after another followed by a gun shop, that always made me laugh.

Zoe and I walked quietly through the busy farmer’s market, I saw a pretty red flower, I picked it up, and before Zoe could protest I placed it in her hair.

Zoe took the flower out of her hair and looked at it, “Thank you , it’s beautiful,” she smiled and I put my arm around her and kissed her cheek.

“You’re beautiful,” I said and she smiled again and then she stepped away from me and took my hand.

Zoe:

Jayne was estatic. He squeezed my hand smiling as we were coming up on one of the biggest Saloon’s I’d ever seen.

“Hey, look there,” He to pointed the place. “That’s Dority’s, it the oldest Saloon on Deadwood, rumors say that it was the second building ever built on Deadwood after the planet was terraformed,” he grinned.

“What was the first?” I asked and his grin went wider. He pointed down the hill to this large foreboding building.

“Deadwood Penitentiary,” he led me to the Saloon. We went inside and everyone stopped what they were doing. A deadly silence hit the place and my hand went into my jacket clutching my sidearm. It was a mighty unfriendly silence, the kind of silence that made you nervous.

“Who do you think you are? Walking in here like your some kind of prodigal son? Nobody’s happy to see your sorry mug,” A thin elderly man with a bushy white beard and a deep foreboding voice said. He was sitting at a table with other equally foreboding men were playing poker. Jayne hunched his shoulders.

“Maybe, I’m just happy to be back on Deadwood, Earl,” Jayne said grabbing a seat and sitting next to him. Earl din’t look to happy about that and I was about to protest him sitting so close. I knew from experience guys like these usually had their firearms out underneath the table, but Jayne was smiling and he was relaxed.

“You kept yourself outta trouble?” Earl asked not even looking up from his cards. The other players who were about as old as him barely glanced at Jayne.

“Not really, but I ain’t got dead so…,” Jayne hunched his shoulders.

“Who’s the lady?” Earl asked not even looking at me.

“My woman,” Jayne said and that drew Earl’s attention, he took the time to look me up and down.

“Well well,” he approved and I was starting to become extremely vexed. Who the hell was Earl and why was Jayne talking to him?

“She don’t look like a whore,” he said after a beat.

“That’s cause she ain’t,” Jayne said and Earl nodded and went back to his cards.

“Beverly’s gonna be happy your home,” Earl said.

“Are you?” Jayne asked and then I realized Earl had to be one of his kin.

“No,” he said and then looked Jayne in his eyes. “There been some changes around here, you ain’t gonna like‘em. If you can act like you got some sense when the time comes, then maybe I’ll be happy you’re back,” he said. And Jayne smiled and placed his hand on Earl’s shoulder and squeezed affectionately. “Sounds like a plan,” Jayne smiled. “Earl, this is Zoe, my woman. Zoe, this is Earl, my grandpa.” he introduced us and Earl gave me a nod. I returned his nod with one of my own.

There was a moment of awkward silence and then Jayne led me back out to the town’s thoroughfare.

“That’s your grandfather, Wo de ma, how old is he?” I asked shocked and Jayne laughed.

“Old Earl’s got to be at least 87 to 90 years old, but he’s sharp as a tack. They’re rumors that he was one of the first settlers of Deadwood, but if that were true he’d be well over one hundred,” he grinned. “Don’t mind his attitude he’s been that grumpy since before I could remember, but he loves me.”

“You sure about that?” I asked and Jayne nodded.

“He’s been angry with me ever since I joined my dad’s old gang. He wanted better for me,” Jayne nodded, wistfully. After a moment Jayne touched my arms.

“I didn’t tell Mama I was coming, so um … we might have to get a hotel room at Booth’s Hotel,” he said, nervously as we came upon what I noticed to be the third largest building in town Booth’s Hotel, I nodded. “We can get separate room’s if you want,” he quickly added.

“One room’s fine,” I said and we entered the hotel.

It was a lot more beautiful inside than it was outside. The lobby had a beautiful center staircase leading up to the rooms. On one side of the lobby, there was a large very beautifully decorated dining room with small tables covered in white table cloths and polished silverware. The floors were all polished hardwood like at night they‘d pull the tables against the walls for dancing and the walls were half mirrored. I hadn‘t seen finer since we were on a Core world. On the opposite side of the lobby, there was a bar with billard tables, a few people were shooting pool.

We went to the front desk and there were no one there. Jayne rang the bell and then gasped as a thin petite brunette woman walked out. She was holding a silver tray that had a silver tea pot on it. She nearly dropped it when she saw Jayne.

“Hey Mary,” Jayne said. She let out an ear piercing screech and ran around the counter and gave Jayne a big hug. I felt a swift pang of jealousy, what number was she? I wondered.

“Bev’s gonna spit when she see’s you!” she squeaked.

“Zoe, this is my cousin Mary Booth,” he smiled and I felt a rush of relief. “Mary this is Zoe.”

I noticed the resemblance then, as small as it was. It seemed all the Cobb’s so far were brunette with clear blue eyes. Though the shades of blue seemed to vary.

“She’s gorgeous and really tall,” she said of me in awe. The top of her head barely hit my shoulders. I smiled, politely. This day just kept getting more interesting.

Jayne:

“When you waved me last night and said you needed a room… the honeymoon suite no less,” she whispered to me. “It’s the nicest suite in the hotel, Jayne. To say Darren was wary about this…” she sighed, worrying about her husband.

“I’ll pay him for the room,” I whispered back watching for Zoe who was looking in the restaurant at the old picture wall. It had pictures from the very first settlers in Deadwood to now.

“That ain’t it, you’re family, and you know I’ll get him to cover the room,” she sighed. “You must really love her.”

“I just want to show her how much I care about her,” I sighed and Mary smiled at me, knowingly…a look the reminded a little too much of her aunt, my mother.

“She don’t look like the type who cares about fancy things, If you care about her then tell her,” Mary said poking me in my ribs.

“It ain’t that easy, she just lost a husband about seven months ago, and besides I told her I cared about her… She don’t believe me!” I growled that fact in frustration.

“Well, you’re a Cobb, you inherited your Daddy’s charm with the ladies, use some of that on her!”

“Yeah, I tried to use some of that charm last night and I got a knee full in my man parts,” I said and she rolled her eyes.

“Damn you are as thick as a board!” Mary shook her head. She pushed me towards the door. “When you get back from the ranch I’ll have the room perfect for romancin, and I say romancin, Jayne Cobb, not sexin! Ya hear?”

“There’s a difference?” I asked and she hit me upside my head.

“Ow,” I rubbed and pouted.

“Meanwhile,” she sighed ignoring me. “You better get to thinkin about how you can tell her you love her with words and not your privates!”

“I care about her I ain’t sure it’s love,” I began and she raised her hand again and I flinched away.

“C’mon, Jayne, you’re telling me that you’re doing all of this for someone you just like?,” she rolled her eyes. “God, you need to go talk to your Mama, now get!”

Mary pushed me out of the lobby and onto the thoroughfare. I watched her from the sidewalk through the window as she politely told Zoe, I was outside waiting for her.

“Why didn’t you tell me you were ready to go?” Zoe said, looking at me all big eyed and confused.

“I- Well you looked like you were enjoying the scenery,” I stumbled out and she shook her head with a grin.

“Let’s go meet your mother Jayne,” she said and I took her arm and led the way.

Post A/N: Happy Thanksgiving! I’m going to be to busy to post until next week. So I hope this tides you over. Thanks for reading and have a Happy Turkey Day! Oh, and thank you all for your feedback!