Chapter 25

Dinner was a sad affair, Maggie and Jayne stayed in their rooms, so no one had cooked anything. Book put something together, he wondered what was going on, as usual no one had told him anything. No one talked much at dinner, even River was quite. Mal found himself at Maggie and Jayne’s door, ready to compromise and let them stay. He knocked and Jayne answered, they had been packing “You two don’t waist much time.” He walked in and sat down. “What do you want Mal, you won, Jayne and I are leaving.” Maggie finished with the box she was working on “Not sure what we’re going to do with our half of Serenity, Jayne thinks we should sell it to Badger.” Jayne smiled at the look of horror on Mal’s face. “Sell it to Badger, funny Jayne. He’d have Simon and River in the Fed’s hands before you could cash the check, even you aren’t that stupid.” Mal snarled to Jayne, not quite sure if he was kidding or not. “Yeah, that’s what Maggie said.” Jayne laughed, picking up another box and put it on the pile “You got another box Baby? This one full.” He moved around Mal like he wasn’t even there. “I want to talk to the two of you, seem I spoke a little hastily early. You kinda blind sided me, you two can stay on board.” Mal got up to leave, assuming everything was now OK. “What happened Mal, you find out about Zoë and now you need Jayne?” Maggie stared at Mal, more then a little upset with him. “What about Zoë?” He tried to bluff. “Nice try, Mal. Only reason you want us to stay is that Zoë is pregnant too.” “Fine, does it matter why, I’m willing to let you stay. Isn’t that what you want?” “I would of liked it if you would of welcomed the news and had said congratulations, not get off my ship. It’s to late Mal, we’re leaving.” Maggie walked to the door and opened it, waiting for him to leave. After Mal left and Maggie closed the door Jayne looked at her puzzled like “How did you know about Zoë?” “I found out back on Grays, they picked up some baby stuff there.” “You sure you want to go, he said we could stay.” He took her in his arms, he really didn’t want to go, but nothing was going to make him leave her. “Jayne, he doesn’t want us, he needs you to take over Zoë's job. Only reason he will let us stay is because he would never tell Zoë she had to leave. Jayne, I don’t want to stay here anymore. I don’t feel wanted, I feel used. If that’s OK with you we can stay, but we have so many other options. We can go back to Diablo or on to Persephone. We have enough money that we could not work for a few years, if we’re careful.” Jayne was used to being ignored and unwanted, Maggie was not. “You really don’t want to stay? Then we’ll leave. I don’t want to go back home, the ranch is Mattys now. We can go to Persephone, but I don’t want to go begging to your Uncle for handouts. Can’t see us sitting around doing nothing. Monty took a real shine to you, maybe he’ll give us a job, you know until the Baby comes and then we can take some time off.” He just held her “I’ll send Monty a wave, OK?” He moved her away, just far enough to see her face. “I think that’s a great idea, Jayne. You do that and I’ll send one to my Uncle and see if he wants to buy our share of the ship.” She felt much better, now that Jayne had agreed to leave, she knew he didn’t want to, he didn’t like change. After Jayne left, Maggie got back to packing. Soon Kaylee was at the door “You still going? Thought the Captain said you could stay?” She came in and curled up in a chair “Don’t you want to stay?” She was on the verge of crying. “Kaylee, I’d love to, but Mal’s first response to the news was to kick me off. The only reason he is letting us stay now is that Zoë is pregnant too. I don’t like being used like that. Besides Kaylee, I can’t see raising a child on this ship.” Maggie sat in the chair opposite Kaylee. “What’s wrong with this ship, everyone here would be great with a baby.” Kaylee was getting a little defensive “I could watch it and teach it, a ship would be a great place for a baby” “Oh Kaylee I know you would love our child, that’s not the problem. I can’t raise our child on this ship, not the way the rest of the crew feels about Jayne. Simon calls him a man-ape-gone-wrong-thing, Wash never lets a chance go by to make fun of his lack of schooling. Even Mal doesn’t completely trust him. You and Book are the only ones on this ship that seem to understand him. I love you Kaylee, but we can’t stay on this ship. Jayne is asking Monty if we can work for him until the baby comes, then we’ll head to Persephone.” “Can’t you stay here until the baby is born?” Kaylee was crying now, she knew Maggie was right and it bothered her. “I can’t, I don’t know how Jayne has stayed here this long, but it breaks my heart to see him treated like this.” Maggie put her arms around Kaylee and hugged her “You can come and see us on Persephone after the baby is born, OK?” *** “Why did he send a wave to Monty?” Mal asked Wash. “I don’t know, he waited until I left to send it, Maggie sent one to her uncle too.” “I can understand that, Sir Warwick not going to be happy with us for awhile.” Mal grumbled, they had gotten jobs from him at least once a month “Just don’t know what they want with Monty. Can’t you bring it up some how?” “Well, sure, it will take a little while…” “I asked him for job, Mal.” Jayne entered the bridge “Any thing else you want to know? Oh yeah, the wave to Maggie’s uncle was to see if he wanted to buy her half of the ship.” He turned around and headed back into his old bunk. “Jayne, how come you two are leaving?” Mal followed him down the ladder. “You know Captain, I’m not quite sure. You must of really hurt her feelings, but she is adamant about leaving.” Jayne grabbed the last of his stuff. “You don’t have to leave Jayne, you can stay right here.” Mal looked him in the eye “You’ll get a larger cut, ‘cause you’ll be doing Zoë's job.” “Can’t believe I’m saying this, but you couldn’t pay me enough to stay here when she leaves. Never thought I would say that.” He laughed as he left the room. *** “Monty, I can’t believe you’re stealing part of my crew.” Mal gave Monty a hug. “Well, if you had treated them right, I wouldn’t be able to steal them.” Returning the hug “Maggie, you’re looking prettier then ever.” He picked her up and swirled her around “I can still do that right?” He asked after he set her down gently. “Yes Monty, you can always do that, until I get to big to lift.” She hugged him, thankful that he was willing to hire them. “Jayne, good to see you again.” He shook hands with Jayne and welcomed him aboard, turning back to Mal “Any chance you can piss Kaylee off? I need a good mechanic.” Mal just scowled at him, he turned to Maggie and Jayne “Any chance of a deal on your share of the ship?” It had been bothering him for days that they wouldn’t tell him what they had decided. “Sorry Mal, we already made a deal. Signed and sealed.” With that they turned around and headed up into Monty’s ship. “What deal? With who?” Mal yelled. “With me, Mal” Inara said……………………..

The End