Unexpected: Chapter seven
Mar. 12th, 2007 09:19 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
bookaddict43Title: Unexpected: Chapter seven
Author: Bookaddict
Characters: Zoe/Jayne, Crew, OCs
Rating: PG13
Disclaimer: Firefly and all its characters are the property of Joss Whedon.
Word count: 1100
Comments: This story is a collaborative effort between myself and![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
ceslas. It’s a bit of an unusual pairing for us, so hope you enjoy it. Previous chapters here. Thanks to the awesome cantonheroine for the banner and icon.
“Still don’t think we should be doin’ this.” Jayne muttered.
Zoë rolled her eyes in exasperation. “We’ve had this conversation Jayne and now ain’t the time to be bringing it up again.” Not when they were standing there waiting for the cargo to arrive.
Jayne shrugged; he weren’t gonna argue no more. She was bound and determined to go through with this plan. He shoulda kept his mouth shut and known better than to believe the crazy girl when she said Zoë would listen to him ‘stead of gorram Nisham.
The other Captain had given them the contacts and helped plan the job and Zoë trusted the man. Since there was no-one whose judgement Jayne relied on more, he decided to go along with the plan and make sure neither of them got hurt.
Zoë glanced sideways at the suddenly silent mercenary. Ever since he woke up Jayne had been stubbornly insisting that they shouldn’t do this next job. When cornered though he couldn’t tell her his reasons, just kept repeating they shouldn’t. She had to wonder whether his objections were more related to his feelings about Nisham and not about the actual job.
There was something between the two men that she couldn’t quite get a handle on. Jayne didn’t trust Nisham of course, Zoë knew that. But then, aside from his shipmates, the man didn’t trust anyone really, which sometimes led to him doing and saying stupid things. Like this last time where he’d ended up hurt bad. She’d been so angry at him and more than a little worried.
Her sudden anxiety about Jayne’s health had startled her, but eventually Zoë brushed it off as worrying about a friend. She and he had nearly always gotten along, sorta like soldiers who fought in the same company for a long time. But since Miranda they’d become real friends. The big man had changed, as they all had. He hadn’t left in the dismal time afterward and had worked hard since proving himself again and again. Her concern was friendly was all, she, like the rest of them, just didn’t want to lose another family member.
“Here they come,” Jayne nodded at a distant dust cloud and frowned. “That’s a lot of dust.”
Zoë shifted her stance and adjusted her gun belt. “There’s supposed to be two large crates remember?”
“And five men,” Jayne growled. “There’s lots more than five under that there cloud.”
“River,” Zoë called over the comm. “You might want to bring Serenity closer… River,” Zoë frowned when there was no acknowledgment. “You hear me girl?”
“Maybe they’re havin’ problems too,” Jayne suggested. “How’s about we hide?”
Zoë nodded and started to jog beside him toward a nearby rock outcropping. “You got grenades?” she asked and answered herself when he grinned at her. “Of course you have.”
***************
“Uneasy,” River remarked.
“It ain’t just me then?” asked Kaylee. “There is somethin’ goin’ on with them?”
River shook her head. “The air is uneasy. Smoothness is gone.”
Why hadn’t Zoë listened? River didn’t understand. Jayne’s opinion was supposed to be the successful one. With the Captain gone, he was Zoë’s second in command, but he was being closed out of many of the decisions. River could feel the waves of his frustration and hurt from here. She had tried to explain to Zoë about him, but she’d failed and the result could be dangerous.
“Boarders approaching,” she started flipping switches. “We’re taking off.”
“Where we goin’?” Kaylee asked as Serenity smoothly lifted into the air.
“To the drop, many men make light work.” River steered sharply away as ground fire pinged against their hull.
“No we ain’t,” Kaylee listened to the suddenly strainin’ engine. “We gotta land or we won’t be goin’ anywhere. You better tell Zoë.”
“Can’t,” River said in dismay. “Communications are in disarray.”
***************
“Gorramn stupid hun dans,” Jayne carefully bandaged Zoë’s arm. “Didn’t even look for an ambush.”
“They were expecting us to be standing there,” she replied. “More fool them. Are you alright?”
“’Course I am.” Jayne replied.
“Hmmm,” Zoë looked at him sceptically. According to Simon, Jayne wasn’t healed up enough yet and shouldn’t even be out here. He’d insisted though and, truth to tell, she was loath to go anywhere without him as back-up.
He’d proved his worth again today when their trading partners had turned up without the cargo and heavily armed. They’d wasted no time setting up an ambush, making it real obvious that smuggling was far from their minds. When they’d eventually started searching the area, Jayne and she had had to start fighting.
“That last grenade should’ve cleared the ground. I’m thinking we got everybody.” She stared through the deepening dusk. “Can you see anyone?”
“No. Can’t hear no-one either,” Jayne answered concentratin’ on his task.
“Well I ain’t risking going down right now. It’s getting too dark and I don’t want anyone surprising us. I guess we’ll have to settle down for the night and start looking for Serenity in the morning.”
“Don’t ya think this whole set-up were kinda odd?” Jayne asked. “They didn’t have the cargo and came loaded for bear.”
Zoë frowned. “It was a trap plain and simple. I’m thinking so was the trouble you and the Captain ran into at Whitefall.” She frowned again and moved restlessly, “I wish I knew what was happening on the boat.”
“Ya think they were attacked too?” Jayne always admired the way Zoë thought things out. She was real clever, cleverer than him at figurin’ all the angles. She had to be wonderin’ if Nisham had a hand in settin’ the trap.
“It’s likely,” she sighed and slid down to the ground. “But there’s nothing we can do till tomorrow, so we’d best get some rest. You stand first watch.”
***************
Zoë woke to the sound of Jayne coughing.
“You alright?” she moved over toward him quickly opening the canteen as she went.
“I’m fine.”
Jayne took a cautious sip and started coughing again, almost doubling over from the force of it. Zoë caught his arm and guided him down to the ground as he struggled to stop coughing.
“Folks will hear,” Jayne managed to choke out.
“There’s no-one left remember?” She was hoping anyway. Right now there were other worries. Jayne’s big body was shaking from the strength of the coughs and they seemed to be getting harsher. She leant forward to look more closely at his face. “Jayne – is that blood on your lips?”
“Blood?” Jayne ran a finger of his lips and held it up so they both could see. “Yeah.”
Author: Bookaddict
Characters: Zoe/Jayne, Crew, OCs
Rating: PG13
Disclaimer: Firefly and all its characters are the property of Joss Whedon.
Word count: 1100
Comments: This story is a collaborative effort between myself and
ceslas. It’s a bit of an unusual pairing for us, so hope you enjoy it. Previous chapters here. Thanks to the awesome cantonheroine for the banner and icon.“Still don’t think we should be doin’ this.” Jayne muttered.
Zoë rolled her eyes in exasperation. “We’ve had this conversation Jayne and now ain’t the time to be bringing it up again.” Not when they were standing there waiting for the cargo to arrive.
Jayne shrugged; he weren’t gonna argue no more. She was bound and determined to go through with this plan. He shoulda kept his mouth shut and known better than to believe the crazy girl when she said Zoë would listen to him ‘stead of gorram Nisham.
The other Captain had given them the contacts and helped plan the job and Zoë trusted the man. Since there was no-one whose judgement Jayne relied on more, he decided to go along with the plan and make sure neither of them got hurt.
Zoë glanced sideways at the suddenly silent mercenary. Ever since he woke up Jayne had been stubbornly insisting that they shouldn’t do this next job. When cornered though he couldn’t tell her his reasons, just kept repeating they shouldn’t. She had to wonder whether his objections were more related to his feelings about Nisham and not about the actual job.
There was something between the two men that she couldn’t quite get a handle on. Jayne didn’t trust Nisham of course, Zoë knew that. But then, aside from his shipmates, the man didn’t trust anyone really, which sometimes led to him doing and saying stupid things. Like this last time where he’d ended up hurt bad. She’d been so angry at him and more than a little worried.
Her sudden anxiety about Jayne’s health had startled her, but eventually Zoë brushed it off as worrying about a friend. She and he had nearly always gotten along, sorta like soldiers who fought in the same company for a long time. But since Miranda they’d become real friends. The big man had changed, as they all had. He hadn’t left in the dismal time afterward and had worked hard since proving himself again and again. Her concern was friendly was all, she, like the rest of them, just didn’t want to lose another family member.
“Here they come,” Jayne nodded at a distant dust cloud and frowned. “That’s a lot of dust.”
Zoë shifted her stance and adjusted her gun belt. “There’s supposed to be two large crates remember?”
“And five men,” Jayne growled. “There’s lots more than five under that there cloud.”
“River,” Zoë called over the comm. “You might want to bring Serenity closer… River,” Zoë frowned when there was no acknowledgment. “You hear me girl?”
“Maybe they’re havin’ problems too,” Jayne suggested. “How’s about we hide?”
Zoë nodded and started to jog beside him toward a nearby rock outcropping. “You got grenades?” she asked and answered herself when he grinned at her. “Of course you have.”
***************
“Uneasy,” River remarked.
“It ain’t just me then?” asked Kaylee. “There is somethin’ goin’ on with them?”
River shook her head. “The air is uneasy. Smoothness is gone.”
Why hadn’t Zoë listened? River didn’t understand. Jayne’s opinion was supposed to be the successful one. With the Captain gone, he was Zoë’s second in command, but he was being closed out of many of the decisions. River could feel the waves of his frustration and hurt from here. She had tried to explain to Zoë about him, but she’d failed and the result could be dangerous.
“Boarders approaching,” she started flipping switches. “We’re taking off.”
“Where we goin’?” Kaylee asked as Serenity smoothly lifted into the air.
“To the drop, many men make light work.” River steered sharply away as ground fire pinged against their hull.
“No we ain’t,” Kaylee listened to the suddenly strainin’ engine. “We gotta land or we won’t be goin’ anywhere. You better tell Zoë.”
“Can’t,” River said in dismay. “Communications are in disarray.”
***************
“Gorramn stupid hun dans,” Jayne carefully bandaged Zoë’s arm. “Didn’t even look for an ambush.”
“They were expecting us to be standing there,” she replied. “More fool them. Are you alright?”
“’Course I am.” Jayne replied.
“Hmmm,” Zoë looked at him sceptically. According to Simon, Jayne wasn’t healed up enough yet and shouldn’t even be out here. He’d insisted though and, truth to tell, she was loath to go anywhere without him as back-up.
He’d proved his worth again today when their trading partners had turned up without the cargo and heavily armed. They’d wasted no time setting up an ambush, making it real obvious that smuggling was far from their minds. When they’d eventually started searching the area, Jayne and she had had to start fighting.
“That last grenade should’ve cleared the ground. I’m thinking we got everybody.” She stared through the deepening dusk. “Can you see anyone?”
“No. Can’t hear no-one either,” Jayne answered concentratin’ on his task.
“Well I ain’t risking going down right now. It’s getting too dark and I don’t want anyone surprising us. I guess we’ll have to settle down for the night and start looking for Serenity in the morning.”
“Don’t ya think this whole set-up were kinda odd?” Jayne asked. “They didn’t have the cargo and came loaded for bear.”
Zoë frowned. “It was a trap plain and simple. I’m thinking so was the trouble you and the Captain ran into at Whitefall.” She frowned again and moved restlessly, “I wish I knew what was happening on the boat.”
“Ya think they were attacked too?” Jayne always admired the way Zoë thought things out. She was real clever, cleverer than him at figurin’ all the angles. She had to be wonderin’ if Nisham had a hand in settin’ the trap.
“It’s likely,” she sighed and slid down to the ground. “But there’s nothing we can do till tomorrow, so we’d best get some rest. You stand first watch.”
***************
Zoë woke to the sound of Jayne coughing.
“You alright?” she moved over toward him quickly opening the canteen as she went.
“I’m fine.”
Jayne took a cautious sip and started coughing again, almost doubling over from the force of it. Zoë caught his arm and guided him down to the ground as he struggled to stop coughing.
“Folks will hear,” Jayne managed to choke out.
“There’s no-one left remember?” She was hoping anyway. Right now there were other worries. Jayne’s big body was shaking from the strength of the coughs and they seemed to be getting harsher. She leant forward to look more closely at his face. “Jayne – is that blood on your lips?”
“Blood?” Jayne ran a finger of his lips and held it up so they both could see. “Yeah.”
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
(no subject)
Date: 2007-03-12 02:00 pm (UTC)I love that Zoe's starting to grow attached to him... it's got the gradual feel to it that these two would have after so many years of friendship!
Yay for Zayne! Or Joe?
(no subject)
Date: 2007-03-12 04:05 pm (UTC)"Zayne or Joe"
and whoa to that icon. :X
(no subject)
Date: 2007-03-14 11:42 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2007-03-12 04:07 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2007-03-14 11:44 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2007-03-14 02:56 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2007-03-12 09:19 pm (UTC)Fabulous chapter girls. :)
(no subject)
Date: 2007-03-14 11:45 am (UTC)Yikes
Date: 2007-03-13 04:45 am (UTC)want more pleeease!!!
Re: Yikes
Date: 2007-03-13 05:27 am (UTC)I'm stating to think I'm scary ... :-P -runs off-
Re: Yikes
Date: 2007-03-13 05:35 am (UTC)Right just don't let it rule ya.
Date: 2007-03-13 07:45 am (UTC):-)
I also like how the story is progressing. -tries to wait for chapter 8- :-D
Re: Right just don't let it rule ya.
Date: 2007-03-13 07:56 am (UTC)Re: Right just don't let it rule ya.
Date: 2007-03-13 02:53 pm (UTC)Re: Yikes
Date: 2007-03-14 11:47 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2007-03-13 05:37 am (UTC)Seriously, I like what you did with this, feels solid >;0)
(no subject)
Date: 2007-03-14 11:50 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2007-03-16 06:30 pm (UTC)Do you mind if I talk to you about something in private? My e-mail is nicestkidintown at livejournal.com. Thanks!
(no subject)
Date: 2007-03-17 05:38 am (UTC)I sent you an email with my email - so ask away...
(no subject)
Date: 2007-04-01 07:32 pm (UTC)