Author: Title: The Day My Boppa Hurt Me Disclaimer: Joss is boss, owns the term Boppa 'cause she's brilliant and owns Frankie who I love and I don't remember who owns the endearment li'l bit but it ain't me. Word Count: 915 Warning: Rayne pairing with Rayne!kid and lots of angst. Rating: PG? More like G really...I don't know.

A/N: Please stick to the end with this and trust me!

The Day My Boppa Hurt Me

I was five years old.

A high pitch wail reached my ears as I played in the sittin’ area next to the sick room. I turned to see my Momma come runnin’ down the stairs screamin’. Uncle Simon rushed over to her.

“Mei mei—“

“My heart! My heart...” Momma sobbed and clutched at her chest. “It hurts, burning, burning. No! I can’t! Don’t let me go!” I started to get scared as she collapsed to the ground in a boneless heap cryin’ and screamin’. Uncle Simon didn’t know what to do but then the talk box crackled.

“Simon! Ready the infirmary.” That was Cap’n Mal. I looked at Momma and a feelin’ of dread filled me up and sat like a lump in my tummy. The airlock crashed open. Cap’n, Zoe and Mister Monty ran in as fast as they could carryin’ a heavy stretcher between the three of ‘em.

Momma wailed as they passed her into the sick room and threw herself after ‘em. Uncle Simon told me to stay put but I didn’t hear him. All I could hear was Momma.

“No, don’t. Don’t leave me, Jayne. You can’t. I need you. You make me whole. Pieces needed to be put together to make a picture. Leave out one piece and it doesn’t make sense!”

I cautiously approached the door. Momma was talkin’ quietly to the person on the bed.

It was my Boppa.

There was a soggy red patch on his stomach. A big big patch with lots of red coating his skin everywhere. So much red.

He was tryin’ to talk to Momma and I could barely hear him. “I’m sorry, baby girl. I’m so sorry.” He gasped in pain and started coughin’, blood tricklin’ down his chin.

Zoe appeared in the doorway and tried to block the sight of Boppa but I ran quickly ‘round her into the room.

“Boppa!” I cried and rushed over to him. “Hey li’l bit.” He smiled shakily at me. I could hear Uncle Simon protestin’ at me being there and Cap’n orderin’ him to let me stay and to start tryin’ to save my daddy.

“Boppa, are you gonna die?” I choked and started to cry,

“I dunno, Frankie.” He coughed again. “It don’t look so good.” I heard Momma start wailin’ again but all I could concentrate on was my favourite person in the whole verse.

“Boppa, you can’t! You promised!” I could barely speak I was cryin’ so hard my whole body was shakin’. “You promised never to hurt me, Boppa. If you die it’ll hurt!” I was screamin’ at him and punchin’ his bicep as hard as I could to try and make him see. To hurt him like he was gonna hurt me.

I looked at his face and saw that he was cryin’. “I love ya, li’l bit,” Boppa whispered. I felt strong arms circle me and pick me up and away from Boppa.

I struggled, punched and kicked, screamin’ at the top of my lungs but Cap’n wouldn’t let me go. I saw Momma take my place by Boppa and kiss him fiercely as Uncle Simon continued to try to stop the red but it was comin’ so fast and he didn’t look hopeful.

Cap’n Mal took me to the second shuttle and locked us in. I launched myself at the door, poundin’ at the grey steel. He watched me sadly as I wore myself out and fall to the ground, tears streamin’ down my cheeks.

~*~*~*~*~

We stayed there for several hours. I eventually climbed onto Cap’n Mal’s lap hiccuppin’ and let him draw soothin’ circles on my back though it wasn’t the same as Boppa’s big hands. I jumped when Momma opened the door and ran into her arms. She was cryin’ which got me started again.

“You need to come and see your father,” she whispered into my hair. I looked at her in surprise. I did NOT want to see my Boppa dead.

“No.”

“No?”

“NO!” I screamed at her and wiggled out of her arms. “No! I hate him. He hurt me when he promised he wouldn’t. He promised and he broke it.” I fought her as she dragged me down the catwalk. She picked me up and ignored my escape attempts and screamin’.

We were comin’ up to the sick room and I buried my face into her neck.

“Hey, li’l bit.”

I froze, not daring to believe it.

“I’m sorry I hurt ya, li’l bit.” Momma put me down and forced me to turn around. The red was gone. There was a whole lot of tubes and bandages on and out of Boppa but his eyes were open and focused on me.

“Boppa!” I ran over to him and threw my arms ’round his neck. He kissed my cheek, bristles from his goatee scratchin’ me. I was cryin’ again and this time the right hands were rubbin’ my back and makin’ me feel better.

“I`m sorry for the scare, Frankie.” Boppa hugged me close.

“I love you, Boppa,” I whispered for his ears alone. I closed my eyes and just clung to him.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Jayne put down the papers and wiped his streaming eyes. “That’s some powerful writin’ there Frankie,” he said gruffly. She smiled shyly at him. “I’m still sorry I hurt ya that day.”

The sixteen year old walked over and hugged Jayne tightly. “I love you Boppa.”

“You too, li’l bit.”

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**~*~*~*~*~**~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Author’s Note: I couldn’t actually kill Jayne...it’s mentally impossible for me to do as I love him too much. I decided to make this Frankie’s POV to do something different but discovered that my diction was too old so the idea that an older Frankie wrote it as a memoir type thing came to be.