OK Folks, It’s Jaylee. It’s a ruttin’ Jaylee Epic. Not your cuppa? Keep on walkin’.

Disclaimer: Not mine, no pay.

Thanks: To Jacqui, Josh and to Rion, my own personal BDH. You guys are the greatest.

Rating: PG-15, violence

Remarks:Set after “Objects in Space”. Inara has departed from Serenity and the crew has been through a rough stretch. Click on my name to read the backstory. They’re all backstory.

Feedback: Love your comments, folks! It only takes a minute and is genuinely appreciated. What did you like? What doesn’t work? You can post below or email to Lumenea@aol.com

Leaps of Faith

Chapter Nineteen

The extended layover at Brandemere allows the crew of Serenity to restock the ship and renew themselves. Towards the end of the week Mal suggests that folk finish up any errands or business they need to, as they’ll be moving on soon.

Wash and Kaylee make one final trip to scrounge the town junkyards, hoping to bring back plunder for additional repairs to Serenity and spare parts to be cached for the ship’s stores.

Jayne finally makes it down the ladder into his bunk, immensely relieved to be out of the guest quarter and back into his own space among his guns, magazines and personal stuff. Being in limbo with Kaylee is eatin’ him up. He hates uncertainty and wishes she’d tell him what to do to fix things or tell him to fuck off. Her kind but distant manner is maddening. Jayne’s not a man who takes well to uncertainty, as much of it as there is in his life, and right now, so many aspects of his life and future are just hangin’ in the wind, uncertain, unresolved.

He decides that he has to get off the ship and see some sky before Serenity moves on, figurin’ that the exercise of walkin’ into town and explorin’ will be good for him and maybe he’ll find a quiet bar and have a drink or two. If the whisky don’t clear his thinkin’, then it’ll at least ease his longin’ some.

He takes time while getting dressed to examine his healing thigh and notes the area is scarring in smoothly, thanks to some ointment Simon supplied to him. Now, he needs to rebuild the strength he had and overcome the stiffness and occasional instability. He’s been told that this, like mending his relationship with Kaylee, will take time, but he’s just not sure how much time he has – before Mal hires another merc, before Kaylee chooses another lover.

The merc pulls his gun belt out of a locker at the foot of his bunk. He buckles it around his hips and straps down the holster, draws Cassie and flips open the cylinder to be sure she’s fully loaded before slipping the revolver back into leather with a satisfying “thwock”. He grabs his black drover’s hat, seats it rakishly on his head, and struggles up the ladder, grabbing his cane from just outside the entrance to his bunk.

Into town it is, then, he thinks.

++++

By the time Jayne Cobb has made his way into Brandemere, his recently injured leg is burning and throbbing with the unfamiliar demands of walking over uneven ground. He’s hot and cranky and just wants to sit down somewhere cool and dark and sip his way through a whisky or two. His aching leg and the cane he still needs make him feel conspicuous, but not in the powerful way he usually does. This sense of vulnerability is uncomfortable and disquieting.

Seems like everything in my whole gorram life’s gone to go se in the past week, the merc thinks in disgust.

The big man spots a likely-looking watering hole and pushes his way through the twin half-doors. The bar is fairly nice, as such establishments go, certainly a step above many he’s been in and best of all it’s cool and reasonably quiet. Since it’s mid-afternoon, the place isn’t especially crowded and he sits down at a table off to one side, lights up a cigar and orders a glass of whiskey then, after a bit, a bottle.

As he sits, sippin’ his liquor and nursin’ the cigar clinched between his teeth, his hooded eyes scan the room. Folk begin to wander in and he notes a card game startin’ up. A couple of workin’ gals make their way down from upstairs, checkin’ out the clientele. Jayne contemplates buyin’ in to the poker game, then figures he’ll hold off, use his pay some other way. The little red-head with the big bosom is givin’ him the “come on over” eye, and time was, he’d have happily escorted the gal upstairs and sexed her up good ‘til her tea-kettle whistled.

She’s a right fine specimen of the fair sex, he thinks, an’ yet, if I had my drothers, I be rollin’ Kaylee in my arms.

The deep ache that’s taken up residence in his chest this past week hasn’t been eased much by the whiskey and all his introspection hasn't brought him resolution. That lies in the hearts and hands of others.

Suddenly restless, the mercenary awkwardly stands. The saloon seems too loud and busy and Jayne mutters, “I gotta get outta this gorram luh-suh place. Ain’t where I wanna be, anyways.” He grabs his cane and stiffly moves up to the bar.

“Whadda I owe ya?” he asks, setting the bottle on the bar.

“Fifteen even, “ the barkeep replies and stuffs the bottle into a sack.

Jayne tosses down a handful a coin and grabs up the bottle with a sharp nod of his head. “Thanks.”

The merc makes his way between the tables and back out into the street. From the angle of the sun, he sees it’s now late afternoon and decides he’ll head back to Serenity and spend the evening down in his bunk getting thoroughly and profoundly drunk. He turns right and heads back down the street he walked in on, leaning somewhat awkwardly on the home-made cane Kaylee fabricated for him, the bottle of whiskey clutched in his gun hand.

++++

Simon has located a source in Brandemere for medical supplies for the ship. He needs to replace materials and drugs they’ve used in recent months and fill out the rather sketchy selection of equipment and medication available in Serenity’s medlab. He discusses this with Mal and the captain provides the necessary funds.

The day is quite warm and breezy and looks to be a pleasant one to be off the ship. Simon finds River drawing in her room. “Mei-mei, would you like to go to town with me? It’s a beautiful day and I thought it might be nice to …”

The fey, slender girl looks up through her long dark hair and continues his sentence with a grin, “… go shopping and exploring and pretend we’re not fugitives. Yes!”

“Well, you’ll be too warm in that sweater. Change into something comfortable for walking in.” He pulls out a soft ethnic print cotton dress. “This one would be good.”

River pouts. “I’m not a broken doll for dress-up, Simon.” She puts the dress back and chooses her favorite skirt and a ruffled blouse. “Now you go change, too. You look too easy.”

His sister once more puzzles him. I wonder what she meant by that? He’s wearing his favorite white tailored shirt and an elegant silk twill vest, clothing he’s especially comfortable in. There’s no reason for me to dress up just to walk into town and purchase these supplies…

++++

The short ramble from Serenity into Brandemere is pleasant and Simon and his sister enjoy the opportunity to be out among people and see the sights without having to worry about the Alliance. Brandemere is a reasonably large and diverse town. River chatters happily, taking in all that is new and interesting.

Simon stops to study the directions he’s printed out, trying to figure out which way to go to reach the medical supply warehouse he’s contacted. The crowd shifts and presses around them as they stand. He turns the map back and forth, trying to orient himself in unfamiliar circumstances, and mumbles to himself, ‘If that’s High Street, then that must be Covington, and…”

River impatiently tugs on his arm and points at a street vendor selling sweets and pastries. “Hungry? Let’s get some, okay?” The street is busy, the traffic a mix of horses, wagons and pedestrians.

Simon wonders how wholesome the food may be, served from such an open and potentially unsanitary location, then gives in and purchases a fried apple turnover for River. She bites into the sugary pastry with relish and teases him with a childhood nursery rhyme, “Simple Simon met a pie-man…”

River dances along beside her brother, her face wide with wonder and glee. Suddenly, as if physically struck, she suddenly spins around, her face anxious and fearful and drops the half-eaten sweet. “No, no, no! Not safe, Simon!” Her voice rises and she lurches and turns. “They’re coming!”

People around them stare at the frantic girl. Simon shushes her and puts his arm around her, struggling to calm her before she attracts attention. He can’t just put his hand over her mouth – that would be too conspicuous -- and yet she is growing more and more agitated.

“Must go! Not safe here. They’ll take it all!” She jerks her face from side to side, pulls at her brother, trying to lead them away from whatever she senses. Simon spots a narrow alley between two buildings and pushes his frantic sister into the sheltered space, hoping he can calm her in this less conspicuous place.

He stands with his back toward the street, hoping to screen River from the passers-by using his body. His hands are clasped gently but firmly around her upper arms as he attempts to ease her agitation.

“Shhh, mei-mei. River, calm down. There’s no reason to be so upset. We’re just fine.”

River looks past Simon’s shoulder, shaking her head wildly from side to side, her eyes wide with alarm as she focuses on what is behind her brother.

“They’re here!” she screams.