Chapter 21

“This place looks good, what do you think Kaylee?” Wash stood in front of the saloon. “I don’t know, isn’t there any place nicer?” She looked in and saw a few drunks and whores. “No, this is the nicest, come on you two let’s have a drink.” He looked at his watch as he hurried Kaylee in “Come on, Jayne.” Jayne came in, looked around and groaned when the whores made a beeline for him, then he remembered what Maggie had said about ‘Doing what ever you used to do’. Damn I should of thought of this earlier. He was so intent on the whore, he didn’t see Mal come in the front, as he followed her out the back. “Captain, what are you doing here? I thought you weren’t coming back for a few days.” Kaylee hugged the Captain as he swirled her around. “Gee Wash, this is the best place you could fine?” He looked around the seedy place “Not sure Kaylee and River should be in a place like this.” Putting Kaylee down so she could hug River and Simon. “Looked nicer from the outside.” Wash replied, his face buried in Zoë's neck. “Was that Jayne?” Maggie asked, walking off towards the back door. Every one headed for a big table in the back when Mal noticed that Jayne was not here and saw Maggie head for the back door “Oh this doesn't look good” he thought to himself and tried to beat her to the door. “Jayne?” Was all she got out before she collapsed on the floor. “Jayne!” Mal yelled louder “You couldn’t keep it in your pants a few more hours?” Mal picked Maggie up while Jayne disentangled himself from the whore and headed back into the bar. “We are leaving, Now!” he headed out the door with Maggie. Zoë looked at Jayne and the whore as they came back into the room “Back to the ship people.” Shaking her head, she had thought Jayne had changed. *** “Doc, how is she?” Mal asked after Simon had a chance to look her over. “I don’t know, guess the shock of seeing her husband…” Simon looked at Jayne, he had tried to keep him out of the infirmary “I would like to draw some blood and run a few test, so if you don’t mind.” He showed the two men out the door. “Jayne, we gotta talk.” Mal walked off towards the bridge expecting Jayne to follow “Jayne!” Jayne stared at the doors, in a daze. She said he could, why all the fuss. He came out of his daze when Mal hit him. “What?” he replied, crossing his arms in front of him. “Why Jayne, you knew we were on our way back, why?” “Wash said you guys would be a few more days, I just couldn’t wait that long. Hell Mal, you get use to two or three times a day and then nothing, it’s hard to go back to nothing.” Jayne whined. “Wash said what? I told him this morning… two or three times a day?” Mal looked at him, then shook his head “I told him this morning that we would be back for dinner, it was his idea to.. go.. out… Jayne stay here and wait for Maggie to wake up.” Mal marched off muttering to himself “I’ll kill him, messing with Jayne like that, damn it, Wash! Where the hell are you!” Mal headed into the common area, running into Kaylee and Book “You two seen Wash and Zoë?” “Think they’re in their bunk getting reacquainted.” Kaylee answered “How’s Maggie?” “Still out.” Mal kept going until he was at their bunk and started banging on the door “Hell, no reason they should get private time, if Wash did what I think he did” Mal thought to himself. He banged on the door until Zoë came up thinking they were under fire. “Reavers? Alliance?” Zoë came up guns at the ready. “Need to talk to you husband.” Zoë knew that look “What did he do?” “Not sure, what to ask first. Send him up.” Zoë called down “Wash! Get dressed and get up here.” Zoë looked at Mal and tried to figure out what Wash had done. “What’s the matter.” Wash asked poking his head up. “Did you tell Jayne that we were coming back today?” Mal just looked at him. “Well, kind of… might of not said right away… may of said it would be a few days..” Wash looked worried. “You messed with Jayne and Maggie’s marriage, you better hope that Jayne never figures it out, I will not stop him from killing you.” Mal glared at the two of them and stormed off. *** “You should stay in bed a little longer.” Simon tried to stop Maggie from getting up. “Simon, I feel fine and I’m hungry.” Maggie rolled her sleeve down and left the room. As soon as she walked into the kitchen Jayne put his sandwich down and came over, he reached out for her. When he saw her recoil from his touch, he knew he was in big trouble “Maggie? You feeling better, Baby?” Maggie just stared at him, she didn’t even realize she had flinched, all she could see was him and that woman. She turned around and left the kitchen. She didn’t know where she was headed, just knew she had to be alone for awhile. She didn’t see Jayne follow her or how he had to push the Doctor out of the way. Jayne caught up to her outside their room “Maggie, ain’t you gonna talk to me?” he grabbed her arm and turned her around “You gotta let me explain.” Maggie looked at him, fighting back tears “Explain what Jayne, it was pretty self-explanatory.” She pulled her arm out of his hand “Please don’t touch me, all I can see is you and that women, you touching her, making love to her. Damn it Jayne explain that!” “Hell Maggie, you said I could.” getting defensive. “I said you could? I think I would of remembered if I had told you to go make love to another women.” Maggie started to leave. “Just before you left, you said to take care of myself the way I used to, well that’s what I use to do.” Jayne just looked at her, knowing he was right, but also knowing he had been wrong. “Oh God Jayne, I meant by your self, you know alone.” She laughed, on the verge of hysteria “You thought I meant you could sleep with another women?” “Wasn’t another women, she was a whore.” “Jayne! she’s still a women.” She looked at him and realized it was just like with the annulment, he had no idea what he had done. “C’mon Baby, it was just a whore, it didn’t mean anything.” He took a step towards her. “Didn’t mean anything” taking a step back “you make love to someone else and it doesn't mean anything. How does that work Jayne, you do the same things to her that you do.. to.. me.. and it doesn’t mean anything? Does anything mean anything to you?” She could see how that hurt him, but she was so hurt herself she didn’t care. “You said I could Baby, I lasted as long as I could, but when Wash said it would be three more days and then at the bar there were these whores and… I’m sorry, I really thought it was OK with you. Damn it Maggie, I don’t know how to have a wife. I don’t know what I can and can’t do.” She could tell he wasn’t lying, he never could lie to her. She remembered what he had been like when she had left and what she said and realized he was right, she had said it was OK, but seeing him with that women, that she couldn’t get out of her head. “Jayne, I know what I said and I can see how you could misunderstand.” He took a step closer, she put her hand out “But I can’t get the picture of you and her out of my head and I’m not sure I can live with not meaning anything to you.” With that she walked into their room and shut the door. Jayne stood there and looked at the closed door, he knew he could just force his way in, but knew he needed to give her some time. He slowly turned around and headed for his old bunk, hoping he wouldn’t run into anyone.