Welcoming Committee: Part 5 by Nailani Williams

Disclaimer: No Copyright Infringement intended so Joss put down the Sword of Infinite Truths!

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: Thanks for reading and responding everyone, you’re awesome!

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Zoe:

Dinner was uncomfortable, but not for the reason I expected. Beverly and Bishop were fine, I guess after all this time keeping a secret as big as the one they were holding for over four decades, one more day was nothing.

There was tension at the supper table though, but the tension was between the brothers. Matty refused to look across the table at Jayne and this obviously hurt Jayne deeply. I put my hand on his knee and he visibly relaxed only a little.

Supper was wonderful, and Beverly was true to her word about that extra serving. Her chicken with stuffing, candied yams, and collards were absolutely fantastic. When Beverly tried to feed me some more I laughed and pleaded with her to stop. Jayne smiled for the first time since he got back from the cemetery and he took my plate finishing the thirds Beverly had given me.

After we finished supper I left Jayne, Matty, and Bishop in the living room as I help Beverly clear the plates. I watched as Matty excused himself to the basement. Jayne followed and I got worried. I wanted to go downstairs with him, but Beverly sighed.

“They can’t stay mad at each other for long, let them work it out, I know my boys will,” she said and I nodded, looking towards the basement door.

Jayne:

I went downstairs, ducking down as I did. It had been along time since I had been in my Daddy’s workshop. It was still the same, but instead of all of pa's old equipment crowding the basement there were large welded sculptures. Old scraps of metal people had gave up was turned into metal angels.

“Matty, these are beautiful,” I said and he grunted.

“Yeah right!’ he said and I put my hand on his shoulder.

“I wouldn’t lie about this, they’re wonderful,” I said and noticed that he didn’t shrug off my hand from his shoulder.

“I was so sick, Jayne. My livelihood was destroyed, I scared off my fiance, and Mama was completely distraught…I need you to help me through it all, but all I could get from you was some credits for a doctor. Not even a letter, Jayne!” he said and I immediately felt guilty.

“I’m sorry, lil’ bro, I didn’t want to come back here after Vera and Ruby’s deaths. I wasn’t brave enough to come home,” I squeezed his shoulder and he turned to look at me. “And I think back on it now…if anything woulda happened to…I’d have never forgave myself. I truly am sorry lil’ bro,” I said and after a moment he finally grinned. He looked up at me and I knew that look. It was the same look he gave me after I apologized about melting his army men when we were kids. I was forgiven.

“Aren’t you lucky we Cobb’s are hard to kill,” he joked and I nodded. He hugged me and I smiled.

“I love you, Matt,” I said and he nodded.

“I love you too Jayne,” he said and then we broke apart and cleared our throats.

“Enough of this mushy go-se, let’s go to the barn and have a drink!” I said and he laughed.

A few minutes later we were in the red barn and well on our way to getting good a sauced. At least Matty was, it’d take a few more shots of the good stuff to make me dizzy. But, I was taking it easy, since Zoe and I were going to be heading back to the hotel and I had to be sober for her little surprise I had Mary cook up for her.

“You ain’t drinking, come on Jayne drink! You need it moren’ I do,” Matty slurred. I grinned and put my hands up.

“Unfortunately, I gotta woman to look after so I’m not gonna get fired up, at least not tonight,” I smirked and he grunted.

“You more like your Daddy than you know. Always thinking about sexin’ up the ladies! You even care for that cup of brown sugar in there?” Matty asked me and I rolled my eyes.

“You think I’d let her anywhere near Ma if I didn’t?” I rebutted. “Besides you drunk ching-wah tsao duh liou mahng, we both know Daddy was far from a womanizer,” I grinned thinking about our stead-fast father.

“Yeah my father,” he grumbled and I looked at him strangely.

“You so drunk you talkin’ out the side of your neck, boy,” I laughed.

“I ain’t no boy!” Matty yelled angrily. I nodded patronizingly.

Matty went to take a swing at me for laughing at him swayin around the barn like a wet noodle, but he missed. I caught him before he fell and hurt himself.

“You go ahead, Jayne! Go ahead and laugh!” Matty slurred. “By tomorrow things ain’t gonna be so funny, I promise you that,” Matty said and I put his arms over my shoulders and cussed. I was the big brother and Ma was gonna be pissed that I let him drink.

“You’re drunk as hell,” I sighed. “Ma’s gonna beat my ass down for this.”

Matty pushed me away when we were outside he stumbled and then caught himself. He turned to me looking me straight in the eye. “Mama aint gonna do nothing! You know why? Cause she’s scared,” he poked me in my chest and I rolled my eyes.

“Who is she scared of? Me?” I asked and he nodded.

“She’s afraid you gonna hate her, but I know you, you ain’t gonna hate her,” he said and I saw Zoe stand up through the living window. She was dressed and ready to go back to the Hotel. I watched her as she kissed Ma and then shook Bishop’s hand.

“Why would I hate Ma?” I asked grabbing him by the back of the shirt I put his arm around my shoulders again and walked him over to the main house were Zoe stood waiting patiently by the doorway. Matty waited until Zoe and I were only an arms length apart when he looked at her and said to me. “Why don’t you ask her?” and then he passed out.

I carried him upstairs in to his room which was also decorated minature in iron Angels and I put him in his bed. I walked downstairs were Ma was waiting for me. I gave her a huge hug.

“Sorry about Matty?” I said sheepishly and she grinned.

“I knew what you two were up to before you even left the house,” she said and I squeezed her. I shook Bishop’s hand. I was still wary of him, but I saw how my mom looked at him. I wasn’t going to ruin that no matter how much Bishop annoyed me as a young merc.

“You ready to go, bao bei?” I asked Zoe and she yawned and nodded.

“Why don’t you ask her?’ I heard Matty’s voice replay in my mine. Then I brushed it off. I was one hundred percent certain that if I needed to know something she’d tell me. Especially, if she knew it was about Mama. When she didn’t say anything on the way back from Cobb Ranch to Booth’s. I thought nothing of it.

Zoe:

I thought Matty’s drunken rambling blew my cover. When he looked into my eyes, his eyes pleaded with me to tell him, but I couldn’t. I was wrestling with the facts; it wasn’t my secret to tell and if I do tell him, what would this mean for us. I knew he’d react badly, but I didn’t want the wrath of Jayne falling down upon me. Especially when my feelings for him were evolving.

When we got into the hotel Jayne became tense. Mary ran quietly up to him and whisper into his ear. Jayne smiled then and relaxed only a little before he walked us up the long large central staircase and down the hall to our room.

He stopped us in front of the door and asked me to close my eyes. I was going to protest, but he just gave me those big pleading blue eyes and I sighed…closing my eyes.

I heard the door to our room being opened and I felt his hand on the small of my back as he ushered me into the room. I immediately smelled Lilies. I wanted to open my eyes so bad, but he told me to give him one more second. I swore if I opened my eyes and found him naked I was going to shoot him, but instead he ushered me into another room. I heard the sound of water.

“Jayne!” I said in frustration and he laughed.

“Okay, okay, open your eyes,” he said, I did and gasped.

We were in the bathroom. It was one of the largest bathroom’s I had ever been in. It was decorated with large white lilies and candles, in the center of the room was a huge bathtub on a platform that was designed to overflow creating a waterfall effect over the edges of the tub. It was so beautiful I was speechless. I smiled impressed and shocked all at the same time. Who knew the old dog had it in him?

He obviously caught my shocked look, “I ain’t taking all the credit for this, Mary helped a lot with the pretty stuff, but the bath idea was all me,” he grinned proudly. “I remembered a few months ago that you said you’d do anything for a long hot bath.”

“That I did,” I agreed, amazed that he was even paying attention to me then. I said that, two months after Wash had died. My back had healed, but it was still a bit scabby and itchy before Simon could graph my skin over the scar. And all I wanted was a really soothing bath, but since we were in the black I had to settle for a five minute barely tepid shower everyday.

The bath looked warm and inviting and it smelled absolutely wonderful and girlie. Jayne came behind me and took off my coat. I let him take of my gun belt and he lifted my button up shirt from my slacks. I was amazed that every place he touched me felt like it was glowing. He slowly unbuttoned my shirt and slid it from my body. He then unclasped my bra and slid that from my body.

He picked me up then, Placing me on this ivory colored high backed chaise that was on the other side of the bathroom near the vanity. He took off my boots and then slid both my pants and my panties off at the same time. Passion clouded in his eyes turning them into a dark blue, but he controlled himself.

He helped me to my feet and led me into the bath. I placed one leg in and groaned in pleasure. I could visibly see the side effect that groan had on Jayne through his pants. He helped me to get into the tub fully and I leaned back. I groaned again closing my eyes and he took a sharp breath.

After a moment of quietly luxuriating, I finally opened my eyes and Jayne was grinning at me.

“You look like a Goddess,” he whispered. I saw that he had a sponge in his hand and some soap that smelled like vanilla.

“You ever do this with Vera?” I asked as he soaped up the sponge and began rubbing it over my body.

“Before Ruby was born we’d sometimes take baths together, but I never did something like this for anyone,” Jayne admitted just a little red and I smiled as he ran the sponge over my body in soft circles.

I put my hand on his face and stroked, “Thank you it’s beautiful…I wasn’t expecting this at all Jayne,” I sighed.

“I know, that’s what makes it fun,” he grinned and I kissed him softly.

“Jayne,” I looked him in his eyes with everything in my heart that I was afraid to verbalize and he stopped bathing me and gasped. He backed away and stood up.

Jayne:

“Whoa,” I gasped, I backed away from her slowly. There was the answer I had wanted from her so badly written in her eyes and it was so intense it turned me yellow. I started pacing. Trying to process it all. I wanted those walls to fall, but I ain’t ever thought about exactly what I was gonna do when they did. I guess I just was waiting for the point when she told me to beat it. I never thought she’d truly want me.

“It’s okay to be afraid, Jayne,” she whispered pulling her legs to her chest. “I know that sounds amazing coming from me, but it’s true. You made me realize it all tonight.” She said with a smile that left me shaking my head.

This wasn’t right and I told her so in a panic, she rolled her eyes.

“You deserve better and I…what are we doing? We’re Zoe and Jayne, you’re the First Mate of Serenity and I’m the dumb cold hearted merc!”

“ And we have something special here that feels very close to love. I’m tired of arguing with myself over us. Aren’t you?” she asked me and I went down on my knees by the tub.

“I’m scared that I won’t be able enough to keep you safe, Zo, I’m afraid if I start lovin you, you’ll get hurt. I’m not an easy man to be in love with.” I argued.

“I think I can handle it,” She put her hand on my cheek outlining his jaw. “You know why? ‘Cause you’re so strong, Zoe. Fierce. I am telling you, you won’t put up with me for long. I’m a hard man. An outspoken man, this is a bad match, Zo,” I said trying to convince her to get out now.

“I’m pretty sure were not going to be a perfect couple. It wasn’t perfect with Wash, but Wash and I found our way ; we loved each other completely and through it all it became it’s own type of perfect,” She said, taking my hand. “Try it with me, Jayne?” she pleaded.

I sighed and then kissed the backs of both her hands, “I hope we don’t regret this,” I grumbled and then kissed Her. We kissed deeply letting our mouths and tongue do what we wanted our bodies to do. She reached down to his waist and pulled off my wet shirt.

“I want you in this tub Jayne Cobb ASAP!” She ordered and I grinned.

“Yes, ma’am,” I saluted her and she smiled as I rushed to get naked and into the tub.