bookaddict43 (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
bookaddict43) wrote2007-03-23 10:49 pm
bookaddict43) wrote2007-03-23 10:49 pm
Entry tags:
- crew,
- firefly,
- jaylee,
- ocs,
- philosophy20
Them that choose it: Chapter 17: Syzygy
Series Title: Them that choose it
Title: Syzygy: Chapter 17 : prompt #5
Characters: Jayne/Kaylee, Crew, OCs
Rating: PG13
Timeline: Post OIS, the BDM isn’t going to happen
Disclaimer: Firefly and all its characters are the property of Joss Whedon.
Word count: 1660
Comments: Previous chapters and prompt table here. Thanks to![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
bookishtype for the banner. Mouseover Chinese translations.
“Daddy,” the sound of Kaylee’s hoarse voice hurt Jack’s ears. His little girl shouldn’t sound like that.
“Yeah honey?” he hurried over to her.
“Ya alright?” she frowned, lookin’ over him. “Yer lookin’ a bit pasty.”
Now wasn’t that typical? His daughter would never cease to confound him; worryin’ over everyone and everythin’ except herself. “I’m fine girl, just got up too suddenly.”
“What about ya girl, how are ya doin’?” he searched her face. The bruises on her cheeks and throat were a horrible blue today and she seemed real frail to him.
Kaylee gave him a small smile and winced involuntarily. “Not bad,” she lied.
“Yer not a good liar girl,” he shook his head at her. “Now what is it that ya need?”
“Just to see ya close is all,” she leant back against her pillow. “I dreamt ya weren’t here.”
“I ain’t goin’ anywhere girl, don’t you worry. When this is all over ya and me can go see Steve and tell him everything.” Jack held her hand softly. “I’m sorry as hell this happened to ya bao bei and if ya want to talk about it…” he trailed off.
“I can’t Daddy, it’s too hard.” Kaylee shook her head.
“Ya talk to Jayne,” Jack was tryin’ hard not to be jealous of the mercenary.
“Ya ain’t jealous are ya?” Kaylee looked at him in surprise. “It’s just Jayne was there – he don’t need me to tell him everything. He ain’t shocked by anythin’, or embarrassed. He’s easier is all.”
******************
“We’re goin’ back to the farm tomorrow.” Jayne stood in the doorway, “Mal wanted us back by then. He’s thinkin’ ya been hidin’ enough.”
“What about Kaylee?” Jack asked in surprise. “She won’t be able to ride or walk that distance.”
“I’ll ride with her. Get the Doc to look over her when we get there.”
“She won’t like that.”
Jayne shrugged. He wanted Simon to look at Kaylee’s burns, make sure she was healin’ right. Thinkin’ of the Doc made him remember something. “Be best not to say anythin’ ‘bout me and Kaylee,” he warned.
“Why not?” Jack gave the mercenary a thoughtful look. The man had sat up the last two nights with Kaylee and hadn’t rested at all. In the rare times he weren’t sittin’ with Kaylee, Jayne was throwin’ himself into any work there was to be done. Bobby after one sideways look at his cousin was carefully sayin’ nothin’ and Jack had followed suit.
Jayne was still lookin’ like he was gonna explode any minute and though he tried to cover it up, worried almost constantly about Kaylee. Though he seemed unaware of them himself, any doubts Jack had about the mercenary’s feelings for Kaylee were long gone.
“There ain’t nothin’ to say, we ain’t gonna be se - sharin’ a bed no more.”
“’Cause of this deal ya got?”
“She told ya ‘bout that?” asked Jayne shakin’ his head. Of course the girl had talked to her Daddy, been real frank too he guessed. “Ya don’t gotta worry, I’m clean and I get my shots regular.”
“I ain’t got any worries there Jayne,” Jack grinned at him. “I know ya take good care of my girl. I’m just wonderin’ why ya made this deal in the first place and why I shouldn’t talk about it?”
Jayne frowned, not understandin’ what he was gettin’ at. “Kaylee said ‘just for now’,” he said as if that explained everything.
“And ya always do what she asks?”
“Nope,” Jayne scowled. He guessed that Jack had the right to be askin’ questions. He was surprised the man hadn’t tried to kill him or something. Jayne woulda if it were his daughter. “Kaylee were lonely,” he tried to explain. “The Doc hasn’t made a move on her. I like sexin’ and so does she. There weren’t supposed to be any complications.”
“And the talkin’ about it stuff?” Jack prompted.
“Just be best not to.” Jayne growled and stomped back into Kaylee’s room.
********************
Kaylee lay quietly and watched Jayne as he renewed her bandages, hands steady. She only had hazy memories of the night he’d brought her back here. But she remembered those same big hard hands trying to be gentle and his growling voice soothin’ and reassurin’ her till the drugs did their work and she drifted off.
He’d been takin’ good care of her since. Who’d have thought the man would’ve made such a good nurse? Maybe not one to everyone’s taste; but Jayne’s brand of practical, grumpy, carin’ was just what she needed right now to keep her grounded.
“Ya gonna be alright?” Jayne’s voice shook her from her thoughts.
“Back home ya mean?”
“There’s gonna be lots of folks there,” Jayne said carefully. “More arrivin’ everyday Mal said. Ya jump every time Bobby or your Daddy walk into the room, how’re ya gonna do with everyone around? Ifen ya do it too much people will start askin’ questions ya don’t want to answer.”
“They’re gonna be askin’ questions anyway when I can’t do anythin’ useful,” Kaylee pointed out.
Her head still ached if she did more than walk around the room, her burns stung and she couldn’t do anythin’ with her hands. Despite all her other hurts, her shoulders and arms were the sorest. Jayne said that was ‘cause they’d got strained and jerked when she was hung up. She couldn’t even lift her arms up without a flash of pain shootin’ through her.
“All the more reason to see the Doc when we get back,” Jayne said gruffly. “Ya don’t have to tell him ‘bout the other if ya don’t want, but he could look at yer other hurts.”
Kaylee studied him thoughtfully. Though he tried to hide it she knew he was worried he hadn’t looked after her properly. It wouldn’t hurt her to see Simon. “I’m nervous ‘bout anyone touchin’ me,” she leant against him savourin’ the moment. She was gonna have to stop that soon and she’d miss it so much. “If I see Simon, will you come with me?”
“Alright,” Jayne nodded.
She was frightened of the Doc? The man couldn’t hurt anyone deliberately if he tried. Sure he threw a few punches, but he always wanted to look at the wounds later. Kaylee knew that better than anyone, now she was nervous about Simon touchin’ her. She jumped every time someone came in the room and had taken to coverin’ up every inch of her body…
“I’m a gorramn fool for ever sendin’ ya out there,” he muttered.
“Ya couldn’t know what would happen,” Kaylee returned. “’Twas me who got caught; me who nearly let them find Daddy… I’m sorry,” she faltered.
“None of this is your fault girl,” Jayne growled. “And don’t ya be thinkin’ it. I read the tracks; ya did real good tryin’ to get away.”
“But I didn’t.”
“There were too many of them. I would’ve been caught my ownself.”
“Ya wouldn’t have let yerself get tortured.”
“No, they would’ve shot me.” Jayne was blunt with her, “and ya didn’t let yerself get tortured. Ya fought the whole time, was still fightin’ when I got there. I’m proud of ya. You’ve got nothin’ to be ashamed of.”
“They looked at me and touched me,” Kaylee whispered buryin’ her head against his chest again. “Took all my clothes off and said things. I can still hear them, feel them lookin’…”
Jayne didn’t know what to say to that. So he put his arms round her gingerly, and rocked her till the shudderin’ stopped.
Kaylee leant against him and tried to get a hold of herself but it was hard; ‘cause she just couldn’t forget. The feelin’ and hearin’ was bad enough but the worst thing to her was she’d known Brett. Had once thought him worth kissin’ and maybe sexin’. She couldn’t believe her judgement was so bad.
And the other fellas; though most of the men with Brett were new, there’d been a couple that she’d seen around town when she was growin’ up. They weren’t friends or anythin’, but she’d known them, they were home folks. It shook her to think that even home, that shiny place she always sorta depended on, weren’t safe.
*****************
“Everyone’s agreed,” said Ben Amos coming into the cargo bay with the Shepherd. “Those that don’t want to be involved will hide in their cellars. The rest will take up the positions you suggested.”
“Things are definitely back on the move,” Book reported. “The foreman’s re-organising at a great rate and there’s a lot of to and fro between town and the ranch.”
“I’m wondering whether we shouldn’t do some raiding ourselves sir.”
“Hit the ranch before they hit us?” Mal mused. “We might get a chance of finding out who’s behind all this. Stop the fight before it really starts.”
“Tomorrow night’s full moon,” the Shepherd suggested. “Just when folks would least expect an attack.”
“And Jayne’s back tomorrow,” Zoë added. “We could do with his brand of violence.”
*****************
Jayne looked down at Kaylee’s head pillowed against his chest. She’d finally stopped the shudderin’ and had cried herself to sleep. He hadn’t realised how much all this stuff was preyin’ on her mind.
The girl trusted everyone, treated folks kindly, never believed people could be bad. She’d liked the liou coe shuai du biao-tze huh hoe-tze duh ur-tze too when they were younger, probably knew some of the fellas with him. It musta shocked her somethin’ awful.
Unconsciously he smoothed the hair back from her face, hands lingerin’ on the soft strands. It weren’t likely Kaylee would talk to anyone ‘bout this for awhile. She seemed ashamed or somethin’. Jayne settled back against the wall, careful not to disturb his sleepin’ burden. He was gonna have to keep a close eye on her, help her out if she needed it, and keep her safe till she was better.
Title: Syzygy: Chapter 17 : prompt #5
Characters: Jayne/Kaylee, Crew, OCs
Rating: PG13
Timeline: Post OIS, the BDM isn’t going to happen
Disclaimer: Firefly and all its characters are the property of Joss Whedon.
Word count: 1660
Comments: Previous chapters and prompt table here. Thanks to
bookishtype for the banner. Mouseover Chinese translations.“Daddy,” the sound of Kaylee’s hoarse voice hurt Jack’s ears. His little girl shouldn’t sound like that.
“Yeah honey?” he hurried over to her.
“Ya alright?” she frowned, lookin’ over him. “Yer lookin’ a bit pasty.”
Now wasn’t that typical? His daughter would never cease to confound him; worryin’ over everyone and everythin’ except herself. “I’m fine girl, just got up too suddenly.”
“What about ya girl, how are ya doin’?” he searched her face. The bruises on her cheeks and throat were a horrible blue today and she seemed real frail to him.
Kaylee gave him a small smile and winced involuntarily. “Not bad,” she lied.
“Yer not a good liar girl,” he shook his head at her. “Now what is it that ya need?”
“Just to see ya close is all,” she leant back against her pillow. “I dreamt ya weren’t here.”
“I ain’t goin’ anywhere girl, don’t you worry. When this is all over ya and me can go see Steve and tell him everything.” Jack held her hand softly. “I’m sorry as hell this happened to ya bao bei and if ya want to talk about it…” he trailed off.
“I can’t Daddy, it’s too hard.” Kaylee shook her head.
“Ya talk to Jayne,” Jack was tryin’ hard not to be jealous of the mercenary.
“Ya ain’t jealous are ya?” Kaylee looked at him in surprise. “It’s just Jayne was there – he don’t need me to tell him everything. He ain’t shocked by anythin’, or embarrassed. He’s easier is all.”
******************
“We’re goin’ back to the farm tomorrow.” Jayne stood in the doorway, “Mal wanted us back by then. He’s thinkin’ ya been hidin’ enough.”
“What about Kaylee?” Jack asked in surprise. “She won’t be able to ride or walk that distance.”
“I’ll ride with her. Get the Doc to look over her when we get there.”
“She won’t like that.”
Jayne shrugged. He wanted Simon to look at Kaylee’s burns, make sure she was healin’ right. Thinkin’ of the Doc made him remember something. “Be best not to say anythin’ ‘bout me and Kaylee,” he warned.
“Why not?” Jack gave the mercenary a thoughtful look. The man had sat up the last two nights with Kaylee and hadn’t rested at all. In the rare times he weren’t sittin’ with Kaylee, Jayne was throwin’ himself into any work there was to be done. Bobby after one sideways look at his cousin was carefully sayin’ nothin’ and Jack had followed suit.
Jayne was still lookin’ like he was gonna explode any minute and though he tried to cover it up, worried almost constantly about Kaylee. Though he seemed unaware of them himself, any doubts Jack had about the mercenary’s feelings for Kaylee were long gone.
“There ain’t nothin’ to say, we ain’t gonna be se - sharin’ a bed no more.”
“’Cause of this deal ya got?”
“She told ya ‘bout that?” asked Jayne shakin’ his head. Of course the girl had talked to her Daddy, been real frank too he guessed. “Ya don’t gotta worry, I’m clean and I get my shots regular.”
“I ain’t got any worries there Jayne,” Jack grinned at him. “I know ya take good care of my girl. I’m just wonderin’ why ya made this deal in the first place and why I shouldn’t talk about it?”
Jayne frowned, not understandin’ what he was gettin’ at. “Kaylee said ‘just for now’,” he said as if that explained everything.
“And ya always do what she asks?”
“Nope,” Jayne scowled. He guessed that Jack had the right to be askin’ questions. He was surprised the man hadn’t tried to kill him or something. Jayne woulda if it were his daughter. “Kaylee were lonely,” he tried to explain. “The Doc hasn’t made a move on her. I like sexin’ and so does she. There weren’t supposed to be any complications.”
“And the talkin’ about it stuff?” Jack prompted.
“Just be best not to.” Jayne growled and stomped back into Kaylee’s room.
********************
Kaylee lay quietly and watched Jayne as he renewed her bandages, hands steady. She only had hazy memories of the night he’d brought her back here. But she remembered those same big hard hands trying to be gentle and his growling voice soothin’ and reassurin’ her till the drugs did their work and she drifted off.
He’d been takin’ good care of her since. Who’d have thought the man would’ve made such a good nurse? Maybe not one to everyone’s taste; but Jayne’s brand of practical, grumpy, carin’ was just what she needed right now to keep her grounded.
“Ya gonna be alright?” Jayne’s voice shook her from her thoughts.
“Back home ya mean?”
“There’s gonna be lots of folks there,” Jayne said carefully. “More arrivin’ everyday Mal said. Ya jump every time Bobby or your Daddy walk into the room, how’re ya gonna do with everyone around? Ifen ya do it too much people will start askin’ questions ya don’t want to answer.”
“They’re gonna be askin’ questions anyway when I can’t do anythin’ useful,” Kaylee pointed out.
Her head still ached if she did more than walk around the room, her burns stung and she couldn’t do anythin’ with her hands. Despite all her other hurts, her shoulders and arms were the sorest. Jayne said that was ‘cause they’d got strained and jerked when she was hung up. She couldn’t even lift her arms up without a flash of pain shootin’ through her.
“All the more reason to see the Doc when we get back,” Jayne said gruffly. “Ya don’t have to tell him ‘bout the other if ya don’t want, but he could look at yer other hurts.”
Kaylee studied him thoughtfully. Though he tried to hide it she knew he was worried he hadn’t looked after her properly. It wouldn’t hurt her to see Simon. “I’m nervous ‘bout anyone touchin’ me,” she leant against him savourin’ the moment. She was gonna have to stop that soon and she’d miss it so much. “If I see Simon, will you come with me?”
“Alright,” Jayne nodded.
She was frightened of the Doc? The man couldn’t hurt anyone deliberately if he tried. Sure he threw a few punches, but he always wanted to look at the wounds later. Kaylee knew that better than anyone, now she was nervous about Simon touchin’ her. She jumped every time someone came in the room and had taken to coverin’ up every inch of her body…
“I’m a gorramn fool for ever sendin’ ya out there,” he muttered.
“Ya couldn’t know what would happen,” Kaylee returned. “’Twas me who got caught; me who nearly let them find Daddy… I’m sorry,” she faltered.
“None of this is your fault girl,” Jayne growled. “And don’t ya be thinkin’ it. I read the tracks; ya did real good tryin’ to get away.”
“But I didn’t.”
“There were too many of them. I would’ve been caught my ownself.”
“Ya wouldn’t have let yerself get tortured.”
“No, they would’ve shot me.” Jayne was blunt with her, “and ya didn’t let yerself get tortured. Ya fought the whole time, was still fightin’ when I got there. I’m proud of ya. You’ve got nothin’ to be ashamed of.”
“They looked at me and touched me,” Kaylee whispered buryin’ her head against his chest again. “Took all my clothes off and said things. I can still hear them, feel them lookin’…”
Jayne didn’t know what to say to that. So he put his arms round her gingerly, and rocked her till the shudderin’ stopped.
Kaylee leant against him and tried to get a hold of herself but it was hard; ‘cause she just couldn’t forget. The feelin’ and hearin’ was bad enough but the worst thing to her was she’d known Brett. Had once thought him worth kissin’ and maybe sexin’. She couldn’t believe her judgement was so bad.
And the other fellas; though most of the men with Brett were new, there’d been a couple that she’d seen around town when she was growin’ up. They weren’t friends or anythin’, but she’d known them, they were home folks. It shook her to think that even home, that shiny place she always sorta depended on, weren’t safe.
*****************
“Everyone’s agreed,” said Ben Amos coming into the cargo bay with the Shepherd. “Those that don’t want to be involved will hide in their cellars. The rest will take up the positions you suggested.”
“Things are definitely back on the move,” Book reported. “The foreman’s re-organising at a great rate and there’s a lot of to and fro between town and the ranch.”
“I’m wondering whether we shouldn’t do some raiding ourselves sir.”
“Hit the ranch before they hit us?” Mal mused. “We might get a chance of finding out who’s behind all this. Stop the fight before it really starts.”
“Tomorrow night’s full moon,” the Shepherd suggested. “Just when folks would least expect an attack.”
“And Jayne’s back tomorrow,” Zoë added. “We could do with his brand of violence.”
*****************
Jayne looked down at Kaylee’s head pillowed against his chest. She’d finally stopped the shudderin’ and had cried herself to sleep. He hadn’t realised how much all this stuff was preyin’ on her mind.
The girl trusted everyone, treated folks kindly, never believed people could be bad. She’d liked the liou coe shuai du biao-tze huh hoe-tze duh ur-tze too when they were younger, probably knew some of the fellas with him. It musta shocked her somethin’ awful.
Unconsciously he smoothed the hair back from her face, hands lingerin’ on the soft strands. It weren’t likely Kaylee would talk to anyone ‘bout this for awhile. She seemed ashamed or somethin’. Jayne settled back against the wall, careful not to disturb his sleepin’ burden. He was gonna have to keep a close eye on her, help her out if she needed it, and keep her safe till she was better.
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Yay! Jayne's brand of violence! Let's hope they catch the bad guy!
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I'm also glad they're heading back to the rest of the group and we'll be able to find out what's really going on.
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I think it's time they all got back together, they work better that way! Soon all will be revealed - I hope :)
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I don't know...I can think of a few who would prefer Jayne's nursing to Simon's doctoring!
Jayne's brand of violence - oh, yay, bring it on!! Kaylee's situation is heartbreaking and you are doing a great job of expressing her fears and hurts without over doing it. And I love Kaylee's dad questioning Jayne on their relationship (although knowing my father and my husband, I can't imagine either one of them being that insightful or calm!)
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Jayne's style is one that not everyone would appreciate for certainty...but for those of us that do...yeah...shiny.