Chapter 22

“Wash head us to Asta, we got a job tomorrow” The Captain called up to the bridge as he headed down for breakfast “Jayne, you, Zoë and I are going to relieve the Alliance of some of their cargo. Finish eating and we can work out the details.” Mal looked around for Maggie, but didn’t see her. He grabbed a bowl and headed back to his cabin. Jayne just sat, didn’t really hear anything Mal had said, he finished up his mush and headed back to his bunk. Wash was careful to wait for Jayne to leave before heading down for breakfast. He wasn’t sure why he had lied to Jayne, he had just been so tired of hearing about Maggie and their perfect marriage. Two or three times a day, Wash didn’t believe it at all. Taking his mush he headed back up to the bridge. Maggie just laid in bed, she hadn’t been able to sleep, every time she closed her eyes she saw Jayne with his hands in the women’s hair, the look on his face and her hands on his body. She didn’t know what to do, Jayne really thought it had been her idea. She was puzzled about what he said Wash had said, something about them being gone for three more days. She knew she had to get up soon, just wasn’t ready to face everyone. Rolling over she tried to go back to sleep. *** Dinner was a quite affair, Maggie had helped Book cook a big steak dinner, using up the last of the frozen steaks. She and Jayne kept stealing looks at each other, it was all Mal could do to not yell at them. “Jayne, you look like hell, what’s going on?” Mal asked him. “Haven’t been getting much sleep lately.” He looked at Maggie from under his eyelashes. “Well you need to be in top form tomorrow, so either get some sleep on your own or go see the Doctor.” Mal knew how much Jayne hated to see Simon “I don’t want to get shot cause you’re tired.” Maggie looked at Jayne, he did look awful, he hadn’t told her that he hadn’t been sleeping. She was worried about tomorrow, she might be mad at him, but she didn’t want him shot. “I’ll be fine Captain.” He muttered, not wanting everyone to know why he hadn’t been sleeping. He got up and headed down to the cargo hold to work out, thinking he could work himself until he was exhausted “Shepard, you feel like working out?” “Sure Jayne, give me a minute to change.” Book headed to his room. Maggie left as Kaylee and Wash started cleaning up, she knew she was the reason Jayne hadn’t slept and she didn’t want to be the reason anyone got hurt. In her room she got out the pajama bottoms that she had made for Jayne’s birthday and took them with her down to the hold, she wanted to get there before Book. “Jayne” she whispered so as not to startle him “You having trouble sleeping too?” “Yeah, haven’t slept sense you left.” He finished doing chin ups and it was all Maggie could do to not reach out and run her fingers down the muscle on his chest. “I don’t want to be the reason you’re tired tomorrow” she held out the pants “If you promise to just sleep… wear these…. ” She stepped forward, looking him in the eyes. He stopped and took the pants with a quizical look in his eyes. “Captain said you had to be in top form tomorrow or someone could get shot.” “Wasn’t sure that mattered to you anymore, look you gave me yeasterday I thought you would of welcomed it.” “Yesterday I might have.” Maggie was more nervous now then their first night “I’m mad Jayne, that doesn’t change how I feel about you. I just need to work thru some stuff and see if I can accept the fact that it’s ‘just sex’ and it doesn’t mean anything, at least not to you.” She turned and headed back to their quarters, she wondered if he was going to show up at all. *** Maggie was brushing her hair when she heard a faint knock and the door opened “Maggie?” Jayne whispered not wanting to wake her. “I’m awake” she turned and looked at him. He was holding the pajamas in his hands. “Thought I better wait and put these on here.” He looked around not sure where to go. “I’m almost done here, why don’t you go ahead and get ready in there.” Pointing into the bedroom “Do you need a clean shirt to sleep in?” She tossed him one out of the basket, she knew if he didn’t wear a shirt she would not be able to sleep. She loved his chest, every hair,every scar, seeing him shirtless earlier had been a warning. She was not only wearing her nightgown, but the long sleeve shirt that matched his pants. He looked her over, if she thought wearing that extra shirt was going to make her any less desirable, she was sooooo wrong. He knew every curve of her body and covering it up just made him want it more. She closed the door and came into the bedroom after she heard him get into bed. “Jayne, I’m trusting you. Just sleep. OK?” “Yeah, yeah I get it.” He moved over so she could lie down. What he wanted was to cover every inch of her body with his, like they use to, but he didn’t know what she had in mind. Maggie slid into bed and spooned with him just like always. Nothing had every felt so right. Wrapping his arms around her he softly pulled her closer and buried his nose in her hair “Mine” he thought to himself, as he had every night sense they had been married, then he realized that wasn’t true anymore, that bothered him a lot more then anything else. “I’m such a fool”