TITLE: "WHY?" AUTHOR: Alison M. DOBELL FANDOM: "FIREFLY" PAIRING: Jayne reflects. RATING: First in the "HELLBOUND" series. STATUS: G. ARCHIVE: Yes. Just let me know where. FEEDBACK: Welcomed. EMAIL: AlisonMDobell@aol.com WEBSITE: http://unilelu.net/Alison/Ali00.html

SUMMARY: "Jayne and Mal go to an Alliance friendly bar to meet a contact and the inevitable happens." The usual disclaimers apply. The characters and 'Firefly' are the property and gift of Joss Whedon and Mutant Enemy. No infringement of copyright is intended.

"WHY?"

"Firefly" story

Written by Alison M. DOBELL

* * * * *

Gorram *goushi*. Like they say it's only the depth that varies but why did I have to be standing up to my ruttin' neck in it? 'Cause of the *chunren* Cap, that's why. I tried not to glare too much but anger did a thing to a man's insides that no amount of brain power stopped from showing on his face. They knew I was crazy mad but for some reason took little notice of me after that. No. they were saving their Alliance smarts for our fine and gloriously drunk and raging Captain. I closed my eyes for a moment. Recalled how the quiet drink had turned so quickly into a ruttin' free for all. Might have known it was Uni Day. Explained why the Cap had been so determined to go into the bar in the first place. Just me an' him supposedly looking to meet a contact. We found contact all right, a whole bar of 'em. Fists, feet, elbows, gun barrels, pool cues, you name it they used 'em on us.

Have to admit it was a shiny fight while it lasted. Blood splashing from mouths turned to pulp. Little white bits of teeth decorating the gorram floor like bits of sawdust. Yeah, wonderful time we was having. Then the gorram feds had to turn up and before I could yell a warning to the Cap some kind of Alliance military brass strode in and demanded to know what had happened and who had started it. I squinted through two black eyes and saw them haul the Cap up off the floor where three big *wangba dans* had been sitting on him after kicking the *goushi* out of him. Even pummelled to a messy lump of jelly the Cap tried to fight. Gotta hand it to the man, he took dislike of the gorram Alliance to a level that was mighty impressive even if it would most likely get us both arrested. The men that had been sitting on him quickly explained the circumstances to the brass laying the whole blame on Mal.

The puffed up commander strutted up to the Cap and glared at him. "Who are you?"

Mal actually straightened up a bit, blood pouring down his face from numerous cuts. Most of it his thought some I reckoned was Alliance blood. "Malcolm Reynolds."

Funny how as drunk and messed up as he was the Cap still thought quickly enough to keep Serenity and his crew outta this mess. I kept my trap shut. Waiting to see what would happen. Wish I'd done that in the beginning but it ain't no secret I like a good fight and when Mal is in one of his Alliance-baiting moods he is hi-larious fun.

"Did no one tell you the war's over, Reynolds?" The Alliance commander paused to sneer at him. "Independent scum." He stabbed a vicious finger in Mal's face. "That's YOU - lost."

That was it. I ain't never seen a man lose his temper quite the way Mal did then. before anyone had time to react he was on that gorram Alliance *qu tamade*, head butted him breaking his nose and kneed him in the family parts then it was all *diyu* let loose all over again. Must have been one hell of a fight. I woke up back on Serenity under the ruttin' doc's needle hand. The rush of sound in my ears making me feel even more broken than his moon-brained sister. I could hardly see by now, my eyes so swollen I felt like a punch bag. "We win?" I managed to slur.

Someone said something behind me but my ears weren't too shiny. Might have been Zoe. No. Too patient and not deadly enough. Then the speaker moved round to look me in the face. It was Inara. "No."

I grunted, started to shut my eyes when Zoe stomped in and stepped right up to me. Hellfire and damnation flashing in her eyes. I was more afraid of her than that whole ruttin' bar full of Alliance friendly *hundan*.

"Where's the Cap'n?"

My mind blurred out of focus. Thoughts slippery fragile things. The Cap? Mal? Wasn't he here? That was when I remembered him breaking the General's nose and groaned aloud. Zoe leaned closer. I told her. She swore, I passed out. Woke hours later to find myself alone with just the moon-brained sister for company. Gorramit, I've had better days. Without my asking her any questions she spoke. As if she could reach right inside my ruttin' brain and tell what I was thinking. Nothing more creepifying in the whole 'verse.

"They took him away. Penal colony. Maximum security."

I swore real colourful, words even I used sparingly. Ruttin' hell, could things get any gorram worse? That was when River proved they could. She dazzled me with one of the brightest, happiest smiles I have ever seen on her crazy face.

"We're going to rescue the Captain."

I blinked and swore again. It explained why my ears hurt worse than the rest of my body put together. As I sagged on the bed just shy of unconscious one painful belaboured word slid out of my swollen lips. "Why?"

* * * * *

CHINESE GLOSSARY: (Mandarin - Pinyin)

*goushi* = crap/dog shit *chunren* = fool/jerk *wangba dans* = bastards *qu tamade* = motherfucker *diyu* = hell *hundan* = asshole/bastard