Faith, Hope & Jayne

Or

Past is Prologue

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Disclaimer: This is fake, fake, fake. None of it ever happened except in the deepest, darkest caverns of my mind. All these people belong to Joss except for Hope. She's mine, the poor dear.

Feedback: Much appreciated in the form of Mt. Dew!

A/N: My first Firefly fic. Please be gentle.

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Chapter One

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Persephone

Ah, glorious silence.

Captain Malcolm Reynolds sat down on the catwalk next to Jayne and heaved a contented sigh.

"I never thought they'd leave."

The crew of the Serenity had stopped on Persephone at the behest of Badger, who'd had a delivery job for them, and had intended to head out of atmo as soon as they picked up their cargo. As luck would have it, Serenity had other ideas and had thrown a catalyzer. That meant the ship, and her crew, weren't going anywhere until Kaylee fixed her. That, Kaylee had explained in a lot of terms Mal didn't understand, would take at least twelve hours.

"So Mal," Jayne had said, waggling his eyebrows. "This mean I can go find me some women for the night? I ain't had me any good hoo-ha since the Heart O' Gold."

Mal made a face. "You just got some hoo-ha last week!"

"I said *good* hoo-ha, Mal. Azrael's barely passable hoo-ha."

"Let 'im 'ave a 'ittle R n R, Cap'n." Badger had said, tipping his hat as if he'd committed some chivalrous act. "Cargo'll keep a day so long they's in the Colonies by Friday and it ain't like ya goin' anywheres soon. Jus' contact Linderman an' let 'im know when ya be there."

"No thanks Badger," Mal shook his head in refusal. "There's just too much trouble to be—"

"Sir?"

This from Zoe who'd been quiet during the entire exchange. Mal gave her a look and, when she jerked her head toward the door and began walking, he followed her out.

"Zoe, what the—"

"Today's my anniversary, sir." Zoe stated. Short and to the point, that was his second in command. "It would be a great gift to Wash and I to have the day off to spend some, uh, quality time together, sir."

"You have quality time with Wash every night," Mal teased. "And every morning… and sometimes, during lunch."

"Mal!" Zoe cried. "You know what I mean and you know it."

"You'd rather have wild monkey sex with your husband, of all people, than hang out with me?"

Zoe didn't blink.

"Wouldn't you, sir?"

"Wouldn't I rather have wild monkey sex with Wash?" Mal teased her. "No thanks, Zoe. I mean, Wash is very good looking and cute in a manly sort of way but I prefer, well, something with breasts."

"Permission to kick you in the shins, sir?"

"You can after you get back." Mal winked and clapped her on the back. "Tell everyone they're free until 1500 hours tomorrow. Lord knows I need a break from you people."

"What about the cargo, sir?"

"Jayne and I will get it."

Zoe nodded once, satisfied that she was relieved from her duties with no grudge from Mal. "Thank you, sir." When he grinned at her, she couldn't resist planting a kiss on his cheek before running to fetch Wash.

When he and Jayne had returned to Serenity with the cargo, Mal nearly lost his chance at a relaxing night.

"I don't think it's a good idea to take River off ship sir," Simon had said. He had his back to Mal and Jayne, poring over research of some kind or another. "She's getting worse."

"She's not."

Mal jumped, startled by the voice behind him. Turning around, he found himself chest to face with River, only she seemed to be looking around him at Simon.

"She's not," she said again. "River is just shiny. Simon is the dull one."

Jayne snorted a laugh. "I'll get 'im shined up real good."

River frowned at Jayne but turned back to her brother.

"Simon needs a break but Simon would never say. River says Simon needs to rest but, to Simon, it doesn't matter what River says."

Simon stood and walked to River, pulling her into a gentle hug.

"Simon says you should be in bed."

"River says you look like go-se run over twice."

Mal and Jayne both laughed at River's colorful insult of her brother.

"That's not funny, Captain."

"The hell it ain't," Mal said, ignoring the glare Simon was directing at him. "It's also true. You both need a break from this ship and I need a break from you. I'm sure Inara wouldn't mind hanging out with River for the day."

"River likes Inara. Inara likes River. Inara will introduce River to boys. River likes boys."

"What," Simon cried indignantly, taking off after River as the girl skipped out of the infirmary. "Since when do you like boys?"

It hadn't taken nearly as much trouble to rid the ship of the rest of its inhabitants. Book had already gone to the Abbey to visit his old friends and pick up some shepherding supplies and Inara, with River in tow, had ventured off toward the bazaars that occupied the far end of Persephone city proper.

All that was left for Mal to do was to help Jayne inspect the cargo and show the mercenary the door.

"Come on Jayne." Mal kicked a foot out toward the large crate at the back of the hold. "Let's go check out the shinies and get you on your way."

"I'll get it, Mal." The big man said, scrambling to his feet. "Ought not take more'n a crowbar to pop the lid off the thing, have a look'n."

Mal looked warily at Jayne. Since Ariel, Jayne had gone out of his way to try to regain what little trust Mal had had in him from the beginning. Yet Mal still wasn't sure he could trust Jayne as far as he could throw him. But, he reckoned, Jayne was making an effort and that had to count for something.

"Alright," Mal said, accepting the hand up Jayne offered him. "Just make sure you wrap the cargo as tight as you found it and close the door on your way out."

"Thanks Mal," Jayne said, giving him a look that reminded him of a happy puppy. "You sure you don't wanna go get your knob—"

"I'm sure," Mal threw over his shoulder as he walked away. Realizing he was starving, he headed toward the mess deck.

He'd just sat down at the table with an orange when he heard a terrified scream coming from the cargo hold.

"Jayne!"

Grabbing his side arm from his holster, Mal followed the scream back down to the cargo hold. When he got there, he was greeted by a sight that froze his veins.

A girl was sprawled on the floor in front of the crate. Her long, white hair fanned around her head, framing it like a halo. Her naked skin was tinted a sickly blue except for a streak of dried blood on her chin. A crowbar and the crate lid lay beside her.

"Jayne!" Mal yelled, not seeing the man anywhere. "Jayne, where are you? Are you alright?"

"Oh gorram it all to hell," the thready voice came from somewhere on his left. "She… aw, damn but she fell right on me, Mal!"

Mal dropped to his knees beside the girl, feeling for a pulse. When he felt none, he sighed heavily.

"She's dead, Jayne. Nothing for a big, tough guy like you to be shrieking over."

Jayne poked his head out from his hiding place.

"Shut up, Mal." He rambled, almost pouting. "You woulda done the same thing if'n dead bitch fell on you. Damn creepying feeling. You ain't gonna tell the others I screamed, are you?"

Mal shook his head as he picked the body up from the floor.

"So long as you help me break Badger's legs after we take this thing back to him."

The body was surprisingly light. Mal gathered the girl had never cracked one hundred pounds when she was alive. The white hair made it impossible to guess her age at the time of her death. He she hadn't made it out of her teens and he felt a stab of unexpected pain in his heart at the thought.

"Mal," Jayne said as Mal walked past him. "Ain't ya gonna put her back in the crate?"

The comment only earned him a glare and he scurried past Mal to open the cargo bay doors, stopping short to grab a spare blanket off a shelf.

"Hold up," he said to Mal. He unfolded the blanket and tucked it over the girl as best he could. The two men's eyes met over the girl's head, a look of shared understanding passing between them.

Mal opened his mouth to thank Jayne but what came out was a strangled cry of pain as something bit him in the bicep. He dropped the girl to the floor in reflex, yelling aloud when he realized *she* had been the something that had bit him.

Jayne jumped sky high when the girl landed at his feet, scrambling away from her as she crawled toward him, her bloodied jaws snapping at the air as if she were a dog chasing after a rabbit. He kicked at her and was pulling his gun out of his holster to shoot her when Mal yelled his name.

His eyes snapped up just as Mal rapped the girl gently on the head with a wrench, knocking her for a loop just before her teeth could close over Jayne's ankle.

Both men stood over the groaning girl, breathing hard as they assessed the situation.

"You said she was dead," Jayne said accusingly.

"I thought she was until she sank her gorram fangs into me," Mal replied. He hissed with pain when Jayne grabbed the same arm the girl had bitten.

"Fangs," Jayne asked, voice going several octaves higher with the same panic that Mal saw reflected in his eyes. "She's got fangs?"

"No you ching-wah tsao duh liou mahng! It's just an expression," Mal eased his arm from Jayne's grasp. "And put your damned gun away!"

But Jayne wasn't listening to him now. Something on the girl had obviously caught the mercenary's eye because he squatted down and was looking closely the girl's hip.

"Mal," he said. "You're not gonna believe this but—"

A ragged scream from the girl cut Jayne off, or maybe it was the kick to his face that knocked him on his ass.

Mal was on the screaming girl before she and Jayne could tear each other apart. He held her arms at her sides as she fought against him. His mouth yelled at Jayne to go find Simon and the others and bring them back to the ship at once. His mind yelled something else entirely.

*Not again!*

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