Chapter 21: The jig is up.

Even though she had been shot by the Captain, she was still under his employ. And she still had work left to be done. She started on dinner; there wasn’t much in the kitchen so she would try her best to make the protein. It was green. It didn’t look edible-yet it was. She felt that there was something in the air she just couldn’t shake. She didn’t like it. It was a feeling of helpless and partial terror.

Zoë came in with River and Kaylee.

“Ok, what did you say?” Zoë said, with much interest.

“Well, I didn’t say a word to the hun-dun.” Maria said bluntly. They were puzzled. She rolled her eyes-they hadn’t meant Jayne.

Something..in.. the..air.

“To Inara- I told her I would handle it. And I smacked Mal again-hence the reason why he shot me.”She said limping over to get some dried (i.e petrified) rosmary.

All three women looked at her in shock.

“He called her a whore again,” she said, quietly. She felt her pulse quicken, she didn’t understand why.

“NO!” Kaylee exclaimed.

“He’s probably apologizin’ to her as we speak,” River said.

“Makes sense,” Zoë added. “I wouldn’t try to hit him again.” She said, a stern look crossing her face.

“Noted,” Maria said, searching for a pot.

Just then Jayne sauntered in.

“Ain’t gonna last,” he said, approaching his food locker for a snack.

“Jayne, I think you should mind your own business,” Zoë, warned.

“Or what? I don’t go messin’ in the gossip of lady folk but I wanted to be real about it.” He said shrugging. “He don’t know how to treat a lady like that,” he added.

Maria got annoyed: “As opposed to what?” she said raising her voice then charged at him “You wound’t know a lady if she walked up and smacked you in the face,” she said, going toe to toe with him.Emotions were running high.

“Enough Jayne,” Zoë said,and then turned to Maria “Back away Maria.”

Maria backed away and went back to preparing dinner

Jayne however had one thing he had to say:

“I don’t think you know what a real man is either,” he said, snarkily. He sat on the couch and his eyes grew dark.

River gave an “ugh-oh” and Maria spun around to face her accuser. She pointed menicly at him and threw her hands up in the air and stormed out.

There was nothing she could do about him. It was too late.

She sensed the Alliance was on their way- and would be there shortly.

They were early.

** She went down into her bunk (she didn’t sleep in the passenger dorms anymore, she wasn’t a guest anymore but a paid member of the crew) and slammed the hatch shut. She didn’t want to be disturbed, especially by him. She went into frenzy and ripped the drawers out of the dresser. She didn’t need ‘em anymore. She was going to go back to being a slave. She trashed the pictures that River had drawn as gifts for her and knocked over the vase that Inara had bought for her. She didn’t have enough money to keep flowers in them anyway. She didn’t need them when they killed her.

There was a knock at the hatch door.

She didn’t respond and just sat there staring at herself through the shards of the broken mirror.

The hatch opened (she didn’t even turn around) and down came Zoë.

“What in the name of…” she said as she was how much of a mess Maria made.

“Maria..Whats going on?” she asked, sincerely.

“They are coming for me,” she said distraughtly and then added, “He wasted too much time.”

Zoë didn’t ask the next question- she just patted her on the back,her face grew dark because she understood and went to interrupt Mal.

She didn’t notice the minutes that ticked as she cleaned up a little and proceeded to divide her things into piles- she would bequeath her clothes to River, her costumey things to Kaylee, her weapons to Zoë and Mal, her books to Simon her expensive things to Inara and would leave Jayne with nothing but the memory of her being there.

She grimaced. No, she decided,shewould leave him something special.

But then she thought of something else and wrote him a note- and put his surprise in the envelope.

Soon Mal came barreling down the ladder into the bunk.

“What in the sphincter of hell are you going about for?” he said surprised at her relapse. His gun was drawn, but he wasn’t aiming it at her-yet.

“Wait for it.” She said.

“Wait for what?,” he said as she gave him a look of surprise.

“That.” She said as the proximity alarm went off.

**

He ran to the bridge and she followed, fearful of what she might see. And she had every reason to be afraid-the Alliance sent a heavy Cruiser, the IAV Figaro, for her.

She shuddered.

The face that Mal made would stop a full grown rhino in his tracks.

“They are waving us, sir” Zoë said, making the same face.

They all stood looking at each other when Mal, in a fakest cheery voice he could muster, answered them back: “Hi there, protectors of the peace. What can we do for you today?” he asked the waver.

The wave hissed and crackled and cheery looking dapper officer answered back: “On behalf of the Alliance and Councilmen Herbert West -we appreciate your cooperation. We are only here for a Ms. De Jesus. Prepare to be boarded.”

And then the line went dead.

Maria exited the bridge without saying a word. She went past River and Kaylee who were red-faced and standing by the door.

She didn’t say anything to either of them.

But Mal said something to her that made her blood run cold. “You were never here to begin with, were you?” he said.

Tears stung her good eye and she limped out.

She just went down into her bunk and closed the door.

Black underwear.

Black Satin shirt.

Black stirrup pants.

Black waist cincher.

Black boots. (Evil Gorram heels, she thought as she struggled to walking in them again)

Hair-Slicked back.

And after all this time. Her eye patch.

She cleaned the mess she made and put her possessions neatly in put into piles on the bed, marked for each member of the crew.

Her brown coat and uniform, however, still hung in the closet-ownerless. It was a ghost. The Ghost of Maria. Because from this day forward Maria would be dead and gone.

“Yes…Its wonderful isn’t it?” Jubal’s voice echoed through her head.

She emerged from the room, quietly. As quiet as a python about to strike. She felt cold and numb. Her second chance had ended as quickly as it began.

But she went back for a second look and grabbed the good book that had kept her company for all those months. She would need as much help as she could get. She also put Mary-Sue in her boot. She loved that knife and no-one would take it from her.

When she got to the cargo bay she heard the “whoosh” of the doors opening. She saw the crew poised at the ready-the purple bellies had a boarding party at the ready.

They came in with a stomp and a holler. It was the flash of grey and purple that she had come to hate. Everyone from the crew of Serenity had their hands up. No fuss no muss-nothing to hide.

Scorpion, on the other hand, stood on the stairs-snarl forming on her face. The crew was bypassed and the boarding party surrounded her with their guns at the crew.

She didn’t raise her hands.

“My things are in my room” Scorpion said to Mal. “They are labeled. I hope they bring you as much joy.” She walked down the stairs, calmly as to not to fall flat on her face.

Mal looked at her “You could have said no,” he said hoarsely.

She looked back at him and then at Zoë who was stone-faced: “It wouldn’t have made a difference. This is where it ends.”

She shook Zoë’s hand and then hugged River, Simon, Inara and Kaylee. She looked at Jayne and she gave him a curt nod. He didn’t respond.

It broke her heart.

It would have been so easy to jump him and kiss him. But she had pride so it never happened. Nothing ever happened.

And what could have been? Two bodies in black, finding each other in the dark. He’s a big boy- she would have taken more pleasure from him that she deserved or needed. But then this goodbye would have been harder.

And she would regret that.

There was one last person she needed to thank- Malcolm Reynolds.

She wondered what to say.

“Serenity Valley,” she started.

The Alliance force snickered. And Mal asked “”scuse me?”

“That’s where you shot me down, and that’s where my life ended. I don’t blame you. War is War. I just wanted you to know- I forgive you. You have done so much for me. I am a total stranger, yet you had patience, thank you.” And with that she shook his hand.Her leg ached. Patience was a bitch, as always.

He nodded curtly. There was nothing else to say. He had just several hours ago shot her- and yet she remained cool and calm and just thanked him. And with that,she followed the boarding party back onto their ship.

“I was mistaken…she did learn,” Mal thought to himself. She smiled a sad smile and turned to face the crew of the good ship Serenity. She saw misty eyes and stone faces. But she could have sworn she saw a tear come down Jayne’s face.

But it was probably an illusion. No one mourns the Wicked.

The doors of the ships clanked shut and it was over. Both ships went their own way.

**

On Serenity everyone went about their own business. After a short period each member went to Scorpion’s old bunk and picked up their gifts. They didn’t want to do it but it was her last wish. The last one down was Jayne.

He looked at the bed and the only thing on the bed was an envelope.

He sat on the fixed bed and opened it- it was a set of dog tags and a letter from Scorpion:

Dear Jayne,

Of all things to could have left you- I leave to you the most important part of me, my identity. Of all the crew- I knew you would be the one to remember me the least or perhaps the most. And just for the record-I ain’t sorry. Probably didn’t even resist ‘em when they took me away. But that doesn’t mean I am a coward. It was just the way it had to be. For all our sakes. The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few- I read that once…or did I see it in a movie? I forget. I know you are not the hard boiled egg you pretend to be. Because a disrespectful man would have crossed the line and taken what he wanted. You, on the other hand, kept your mouth shut and your hands to yourself. That showed great courage and manhood. You never took advantage of me. I know a man when I see it- you. I’m sorry for how I treated you and if our paths are meant to cross again-I shall let you in. I didn’t think love could be this hard to handle. But it’s better to love then never to have loved at all. You have intrigued me and I’ll miss you.

Yours truly, You’re Mary-Sue

Ps. there is a pair of lacy underwear under the bed. It’s all yours.

Jayne put the letter down and looked under the bed. There was a rifle sitting there with the word “Maria” scratched onto the handle and a pair of underwear tied on it as a bow. Jayne cradled the gun in his arms; it was only now that he had regret.