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Archangel – Chapter Five
Tuesday, January 15, 2008

Jayne makes a decision, and Mal takes a step back


CATEGORY: FICTION    TIMES READ: 2193    RATING: 0    SERIES: FIREFLY

Archangel – Chapter Five Standard disclaimer still applies, employees not eligible for prizes, no purchase necessary to play. :) --------------- Jayne was in his bunk, fuming. His rage was almost consuming at this point, and he feared lashing out. The crew would laugh at that, he thought glumly. The idea that he would try and protect them from something he might do. He honestly didn’t know why he bothered. No one on the whole ship liked him. He had honestly thought that after Miranda he’d be accepted by them. Hadn’t he gone into reaver space with them? Fought against the damn things on Mister Universe’s Moon? What did it take? He shook his head in frustration. There was no way to win, and staying here was an invitation to disaster. One more scene like today, and he would probably not be able to contain his anger, which would. . . A knock at the door interrupted his rambling thoughts. He stalked over to the door, and opened it. “What do you want no. . .” he exclaimed angrily, until he saw Kaylee’s face looking down at him. “Sorry, Kaylee,” he said softly, anger gone in a flash. “I figured it was Mal coming to threaten me some more.” “How you doin’, Jayne?” Kaylee asked, and his heart softened a bit more at the concern in her voice. “I’m fine, Kaylee. Somethin’ wrong?” he asked. Kaylee almost never came to his bunk. “Just checkin’ on ya, s’all,” she assured him. “Knew you was prob’ly mad. Don’t blame ya none, neither.” She settled onto the floor in the hatchway. “It’s alright, Kaylee,” Jayne shrugged. “That’s all they can figure on, is that I’m gonna do somethin’ wrong. Thought they mighta got by it by now, but don’t seem so.” “You been doin’ good, Jayne,” Kaylee said nodding. “Been watchin’ ya for a spell now. You always look mad, though,” she added. “Watchin’ me, huh?” Jayne raised an eyebrow. Kaylee’s face reddened at that, and he chuckled softly. “Wasn’t sayin’ nothin’ little Kaylee,” he assured her. “Just teasin’ ya. And,” he added, “I owe ya a big thanks for takin’ up for me earlier. That bunch wouldn’t believe me if I said Monday came afore Tuesday.” “I’m sorry about that Jayne,” Kaylee looked distressed. “Ain’t your fault, Kaylee,” Jayne assured her. “It’s mine. Thought maybe I’d done enough to make up for being a hundan for so long, but ‘parently, that ain’t the case.” He shrugged. “Like as not, that ain’t gonna change.” “They’s all hurtin’ Jayne,” Kaylee said softly. “Yeah, and actin’ like they’re the only one’s to be doing such,” he pointed out. “Ain’t a one of us ain’t suffered on account o’ what we did.” “Jayne, what happened on Ariel?” Kaylee suddenly asked. Jayne eyed her for a minute, then shrugged. “I tried to turn the Doc in,” he said it flatly, no trying to gloss it over. “He. . .he did something that I couldn’t abide. And Mal, o’ course, forgave him. It’s only me he ever harbors a grudge against.” “Why’d you do it, Jayne?” she asked quietly. Jayne looked into her eyes, and saw more than just interest. There was more at work in those little chocolate pools than simple curiosity. He pondered for a moment, then shrugged. “It was his fault you were shot, Kaylee,” he answered. “Mal still let him stay. Even after . . . ” he broke off. “Anyway, that’s why. I shouldn’t o’ done it, but it was already done ‘fore, I realized how bad the girl was.” “That why you broke them out?” she asked. “Yeah,” he nodded. “Couldn’t leave her there. Wouldn’t o’ minded leaving that prissy doctor none, but figured the girl needed him.” “I’m glad you didn’t leave ‘em, Jayne,” she said softly. “I know you got a case on the Doc, Kaylee,” he said. “I didn’t even think how you’d feel over him. Failin’ o’ mine, not thinking. Done it all my life, act without thinkin’.” “Me and Simon ain’t together no more, Jayne,” she told him, eyes not quite sparkling. “That’s been long over and done with.” “I’m sorry, Kaylee,” Jayne blinked at that. “I didn’t even realize. I been so wrapped in my own struggles, I plain didn’t see.” “We’ve all been wrapped up in our feelings, lately, Jayne,” Kaylee assured him. “Any reason why you’re sitting in the door of my merc’s bunk?” Mal asked from behind her. Kaylee jumped, startled, then turned an angry look toward her Captain. “We was talking, Cap’n,” she bit the words out. “I guess they’s rules against that, now? No talking without we tell you first?” Mal winced at that. Kaylee rose to her feet. “I’ll talk to you later, Jayne,” she said to the merc, before looking again at Mal. “I got a sudden urge to be somewhere else.” With that she walked off. Mal watched her go, unable to think of anything to say. He turned his gaze then the Jayne. “What is it, now?” the big man asked, voice hard. “I ain’t been nowhere near the girl, or the Doc.” “I know that,” Mal replied, harsher than he meant to. “I came to tell you that the girl come around. She told us you hadn’t done nothin’, said you was mad, and she was yelling at you ‘cause your emotions was too loud and she couldn’t block’em.” “So it’s safe to believe me, now?” Jayne’s voice dripped with sarcasm. “Since fong luh girl told you I didn’t do nothin’?” “Ain’t no call for name calling, Jayne,” Mal shot back. “Ain’t no call to threaten me every time the girl goes batshit crazy, neither,” Jayne threw back at him. “I ain’t been botherin’ nobody on this ship, at all, and that includes the sissy doctor and his nutty sister. Yet you and Zoe come runnin’ down there, hands on your guns, ready to do me in, on account o’ her screamin’ at me. Never bothered to believe me at all, did ya?” “Jayne when have you ever given me a reason to trust you?” Mal asked hotly. “Oh, I don’t know,” Jayne placed his hand under his jaw in an exaggerated thinking pose. “Let’s see, how about following you into Reaver space on nothing more than you saying we had to go? Or how ‘bout trying to hold them same reavers off to give you time to get that wave about Miranda off? Or the fact that in the last year I’ve caused you no trouble, at all, minded my own business, and done my job without comment or complaint?” “Does any of that count? If not, well, then I ain’t give you no reason to trust me,” he finished acidly. “It’s funny, really. Doc snuck his sister on board without tellin’ ya, got Kaylee shot, refused to help her till you agreed to help him, the girl stabbed me, which of course was shiny with you. We’ve been tracked by the Alliance, bounty hunters, and them freaky Blue Hand people, all cause of them, but they’re shiny with you, him bein’ a doc, and her a reader. It’s me that’s the problem.” Mal opened his mouth about to reply, but hesitated. Jayne had made some valid points. “Don’t worry over it, Mal,” Jayne snorted. “You don’t want me on your boat, and I don’t wanna be here no more. Next decent port we hit, I’m gone. Or sooner if you want. I’m tired o’ this. I done all I can to make up for Ariel. But it’ll never be enough. I see that, now.” “I ain’t said anything about wantin’ you off,” Mal objected, alarmed by Jayne’s change in attitude. “No, just always grabbin’ your gun when I’m around,” Jayne pointed out, “or threatenin’ to toss me into the black. One of these days I’m gonna take exception to that, and kill you. And I don’t wanna do that. ‘Spite the fact that you and me can’t seem to work out our difficulties, you’re a good man. Best I ever worked for.” Mal started at that. “So, I’m gonna go,” Jayne continued. “Best that way, I reckon. You don’t like me none anyway, and Zoe hates me. Always threatenin’ me. And I’m sick o’ that too. And I’m done takin’ it. Done, Mal. I stayed this long, thinkin’ I could fix what was wrong between me and the rest of ya. I can’t, it seems, so it’s time I went. You’ll be better off ‘thout me, I ‘spect. Hire a gun hand you can depend on. One you can trust. I’m sure there’s plenty floatin’ around that’ll fight reavers for ya fer no coin.” With that, Jayne turned his back to Mal, allowing the door to close in the Captain’s face. Mal was so shocked at Jayne’s revelations that he didn’t even get mad at the act, but walked away, considering. He didn’t notice Kaylee standing just around the passage way. If he had, he might have seen a tear trickle down her cheek. She turned away, heading to the engine room. --------------- Supper time was tense, to say the least. Simon glared daggers at Jayne, who ignored them with a coldness the rest of the crew found unnerving. He said little, eating quietly. Mal more than once considered trying to start a conversation, but thought better of it each time. Like as not, it wouldn’t go well. He pondered on what to do. The idea of Jayne leaving wasn’t setting well with him at all. He needed the mercenary. Needed someone to help with the work on the ship, and needed the man’s skill to back him on jobs. There’d been more than one occasion when, had Jayne not been present, things would have gone badly. And, he admitted, Jayne was right. Had the girl stabbed anyone but him, Mal would have thrown her and the Doc off without a thought. It was right handy having a Doc on board, but not at the expense of crew members getting cut on. Mal had thought problems like this were behind them, after Miranda. River had seemed, if not normal, at least sane. She was able to pilot the ship very well, though not as well as Wash. And she’d seemed stable. When she fell into her screaming fit, they’d all just assumed the worst, and reacted accordingly. And been wrong, he admitted to himself. He tried to justify his actions based on Jayne’s past behavior, but now, after reflecting on what Jayne had said earlier, knew that idea didn’t hold any water. Jayne had gone the past year without creating a fuss of any kind. More than that, the big man had taken a load off Mal himself. With Zoe out of it for months, and still brittle as hell, and him spending time with Inara, and trying to keep the ship flying, Jayne had done a great deal of the work on the ship. Without being told to, point in fact. Yet, no one treated him any differently. Mal could only imagine how that chafed at him. Jayne sincerely seemed to have been working to make up for past indiscretions, and had been given no credit for it at all.

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