Chapter 19

“Zoë, check and see who’s in the house.” Mal hunched down behind a bush and waited for Zoë to come back. “Couple of women and kids, no Jayne or Maggie.” Zoë reported when she got back. “Let’s head around back and find Maggie.” The two of them snuck around back and spied Maggie working in a vegetable patch “Zoë, you go retrieve Maggie, I’ll watch for Jayne.” Zoë headed off to come upon Maggie from behind, she covered her mouth and held on to her arm “Shh, it’s Zoë, don’t scream.” Taking her hand away from Maggie’s mouth when Maggie nodded her head “Captains over there, lets go” “Zoë, what are you talking about, I’m not going anywhere.” with that Maggie stepped away from Zoë “Jayne and I are fine, you go tell the Captain that.” Maggie turned to head back to the house. Zoë looked back to the Captain and shook her head, Mal stood up and cut Maggie off “Maggie, your coming with us!” He grabbed her and tossed her over his shoulder, at this point she started to scream. The women came running out of the house, Tibbi had the knife that she was cutting meat with “What the hell you think your doing?” she stepped in front of Mal and brandish her knife. Mal stopped “Taking her back where she belongs.” Mother Cobb sent Tommy out to find his Uncle and joined Tibbi out back with the shotgun she kept by the front door. She shot the first round off into the sky and pointed the gun at the man with her new Daughter-in-law on his shoulder “Put her down mister, now!” Slowly she came down the stairs and walked over to where Mal has Maggie “Who the hell are you? And what are you doing with my Daughter-in-law?” She doesn’t see Zoë come up behind her. “Don’t hurt her Zoë! Mal, put me down, now!” Maggie started to kick and got in a few good ones. Mal dropped her on her butt “Gorram it Maggie, that hurt. Zoë bring the women down here. Now Maggie is going back with me, we need to get her back to her Uncle. Zoë you watch the women will I get Maggie on to the shuttle.” With that he dragged Maggie to her feet and when she started kicking again he knocked her out with one punch and tossed her over his shoulder again and carried her off to where they parked the shuttle. “She’ll be OK, tell Jayne we took her to her Uncles, Jayne knows where.” Zoë backed slowly towards the shuttle. She left the old shotgun on the fence and ran for the shuttle, she had see the dust from a horse coming really fast “Captain, someone's coming, looks like Jayne!” “Wash, get us out of here, now.” Mal put Maggie down and grabbed on as Wash took off fast. When they docked with the ship they head off towards Bartlett to pick up Inara and Book, Mal took Maggie to the infirmary and made Simon drug her. The intercom crackled, Wash turned and yelled down the hall to Mal “Captain, Incoming message from Diablo. It’s the sheriff.” “Go ahead Wash, I’ll take it. Hello sheriff what can I do for you.” Mal tried to sound more confident then he felt. “Seems you have a Mrs. Cobb on board and I have a Mr. Cobb here that wants her back.” The sheriff stated. “No I think you are mistaken, just crew on the ship.” Mal answered. The view change to a very angry Jayne “Damn it Mal, bring her back.” “Bring who back?” Mal grinned “No one on board but crew.” Jayne looked like he could kill him from there “Then you won’t mind if a few Feds board and check things out?” Jayne gave Mal the same look that Mal usually saved for him. “You have to be kidding? Jayne we will be at Sir Warwick's, you can met us there.” Mal was trying to think of where he could hide the three of them where Jayne can’t find them. “I ain’t kidding Mal, cursers on the way, Sheriff here has connections and I want my wife back.” Jayne warned. Not able to think of a spot on the ship that Jayne doesn't know about “Fine, we’ll meet you at the ranch.” Mal can hardly think, he was so angry that Jayne would threaten Simon and River “Take us back Wash.” *** Mal came down the ramp carrying Maggie, as she was still drugged. Jayne came up to Mal with murder in his eyes “What the hell Mal, what did you do to her?” Taking her from him he returned to the house. Simon followed to check on her “Just lay her on the bed Jayne and I’ll check her stats.” “Why you need to check her doc? What’s going on?” Jayne laid Maggie down and sat next to her and brushed the hair off her face. Simon is shocked at the small act of tenderness “Captain had me sedate her when he brought her on board” checking her blood pressure. “How come?” Jayne was starting to get angry. “Well, she kicked him pretty good while he was trying to get her on board.” Simon laughed “Then he knocked her out and brought her in.” “Knocked her out? How?” Jayne was very angry now, he turned and headed out the door when Simon said Mal had punched her. Walking right up to Mal he let lose with a killer right hook and laid Mal out “How dare you hit my wife!” standing over him. “Hell, she kicked me, Jayne!” Mal got to his feet. “Gorram it Mal you were trying to steal her.” Jayne growled at him. “I was saving her, you kidnapped her first.” Mal brushed the dirt off his backside “How come you didn’t just tell me?” “Tell you what?” Jayne asked with a confused look on his face. “That you two had gotten married on Pecos.” “Didn’t get married on Pecos.” Jayne grinned at Mal’s confusion. “I knew you two weren’t married, how you get her to lie?” “We are too married!” Jayne stated “Got married on Grays, hell Mal you were there.” “Yes and I remember you signing papers to end that marriage too.” “Well….. seems you got to us a little to late, Shepard said the annulment thing was invalid and that Maggie and I were still married.” Jayne was looking very proud of himself. “You forced yourself on her Jayne?” Mal was livid, there had only been about thirty minutes between the ceremony and the signing. “No!” Jayne snarled and walked back to the house, Mal followed. “You telling me Maggie willingly let you bed her?” Mal asked as the others followed them into the kitchen. Jayne turned and faced him, ready to swear that he hadn’t forced Maggie. “Yes Mal, I was a willing partner.” Maggie said quietly as she came into the kitchen and walked over to Jayne “Very willing.” She let him wrap his arms around her and hold her up “What’s going on?” ‘You OK baby?” Jayne asked quietly as he led her to a chair “You look a little shaky” “I’m fine, stomach is a little upset and my jaw hurts.” She had him sit first and sat on his lap, she knew he didn’t like kissing in public, but he would hold her “What happened?” “I threatened to have the Feds search the ship and he knew I knew of all the hidey holes. Was no where he could hide you and the Tams. Sorry about that Simon, I couldn’t think of any other way. So they brought you back.” “Brought me back from where? How come I don’t remember anything?” “Seems Mal hit you and then had Simon drug you when you got onto Serenity. You put up quite a fight, good for you.” “How’s your mother? I remember Zoë coming up behind her.” “I’m fine, no one got hurt, well not until you kicked that man in the balls.” Mother Cobb laughed. Mal and Simon looked at each other thinking this explained a lot. *** It had been decided that Jayne, Maggie, Simon and River would stay on Diablo, until Simon felt that Matty was recovered. The others went to pick up Inara and Book. Mal had forgiven Jayne and Maggie for not telling him about their marriage and Jayne has forgiven Mal for trying to take Maggie. In a few weeks life had gone back to what passes for normal, Maggie was a lot happier not having to sneak around with Jayne.