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bookaddict43Series Title: Them that choose it
Title: Lack of God: Chapter 18: prompt #17
Characters: Jayne/Kaylee
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: 2174
Comments: _Originally written for![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-community.gif)
philosophy_20. Previous chapters and prompt table here. Thanks to ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
bookishtype for the banner
“When I’m settled ya can hand Kaylee up to me,” Jayne said to his cousin. “She’s bruised all over so ya gotta be careful.”
“I’ll be gentle,” Bobby looked at him sideways. “I’m sorry ya know. I didn’t even know who I was trackin’ till gorramn Brett said her name.”
Jayne frowned at him. “It ain’t me ya should be apologisin’ to.” His eyes drifted to Kaylee who was leanin’ against the corral and pettin’ the horses. “Though I sure as hell want to know what yer doin’ here. Don’t tell me now,” he shook his head when Bobby opened his mouth. “May as well wait and tell everyone, then I don’t have to repeat it.”
**************
“Ready, Miss Kaylee?” Bobby made sure she could hear him comin’ up behind her.
“Yes,” Kaylee smiled at him nervously and watched Jayne mount the horse. “Are ya gonna ride with Daddy?”
“Yeah, he don’t like it though.”
“I know,” the little girl relaxed a mite when she was talkin’ about something else. “I talked to him ‘bout it, stubborn man. He won’t give ya any trouble or be grumpy with ya.”
“Thanks,” Bobby looked at her in surprise. She’d been real strong about all this. Most people would still be in a funk, not be able to function; but not her. “Yer doin’ real good ya know.”
“Am I?”
“Yeah, ya are,” he grinned at her in approval. “Now when Jayne pulls up, I’m gonna lift ya – ok?”
**************
“Ya comfortable?” Jayne asked as they started off.
“I’m fine,” Kaylee cast a last wistful glance at the cabin and bathhouse in back.
She’d really wanted to get Jayne back in that tub before they left, but with her injured there hadn’t been a chance and now things had changed.
Before all the hurtin’ she’d been considerin’ asking Jayne if he wanted to keep their deal goin’ back on Serenity. Now she weren’t so sure. Oh she lusted after him sure enough, wanting him kissing and touching her like before. But then the other memories would intrude and she’d back down from asking him for any such thing. She wasn’t sure when she’d be ready to ask for it either; and there was no way she was gonna start something she couldn’t finish. That’d be unfair to her and to Jayne.
Kaylee was startin’ to think their original bargain was best. They would go back to Serenity and just be friends. She’d learn to do without all the wonderful sexin’ and Jayne in her bed.
**************
“They won’t be far away,” Book smiled at Lily.
“I’m sorry Shepherd, I just get so anxious.” Knowin’ that the crew expected her daughter and husband this mornin’, Lily had rushed up to Serenity first thing.
“It’s natural to worry about your family,” he reassured her.
“I’ve got worse since those men were returned to town,” she confessed. “How can you be so sure that my family and Jayne are alright?”
“Because Jayne just called us,” the Captain said as he joined them, “and here they come.”
Lily could hardly contain herself as she watched them approach. It seemed like so long since she’d seen Jack or Kaylee and she’d worried about them so much.
“Jack!” as soon as he slid down from the horse she flung herself at him. “Bao bei, I missed ya.”
His arms wrapped around her and hugged her tight. “Missed ya too xin gan.”
“Kaylee,” keepin’ one arm around Jack to support him, Lily turned happily to her daughter and stopped as she took in the bruises on her face and the careful way she was walking. “What happened bao bei?”
“I’m fine Mama,” Kaylee leaned into her mother’s embrace. She was determined to be as calm as possible and not worry anyone.
Lily surveyed the yellowin’ bruises that trailed all the way down Kaylee’s neck and the bandages on her wrists. “Ya don’t look fine Kaylee,” her voice rose. “What happened?”
Alerted by the fright in Lily’s voice the rest of the family crowded around asking questions and Kaylee’s resolve wobbled. Turning to Jayne hoverin’ behind her, she shivered and grabbed his hand.
Jayne growled and half the family stepped back hurriedly, while the Captain glared at him.
“Jayne,” Jack interfered. “Maybe ya can take Kaylee to see the doctor?”
**************
“Jayne?” Simon questioned as he walked into the infirmary and found the mercenary there with Kaylee. “Thanks for waiting, but you can go now.”
“He’s stayin’,” Kaylee’s voice wavered and she clutched Jayne’s hand as if it was some sort of lifeline.
“’S alright girl I ain’t going anywhere.” Jayne shrugged at him helplessly.
“That’s fine Kaylee,” Simon smiled reassuringly at her. From the Captain’s description he needed to examine her as soon as possible. If that meant the unwelcome mercenary had to stay, then so be it. “I’ll need you to take your clothes off, so Jayne will just have to turn his head for awhile.”
“No,” Kaylee shook her head. “I’m only takin’ off my shirt.”
“And it’s gonna be me havin’ to do that,” Jayne raised his eyebrows at him and glanced sideways at the girl. “Kaylee can’t lift her arms up too far yet.”
Simon sighed impatiently and watched intently as the other man started to ease Kaylee’s arms out of her shirt. He had a growing suspicion as to what had happened to the little mechanic and was trying to contain his anger at the thought. His suspicion grew to certainty as he saw the burn marks, mottled bruises, cuts and abrasions on her skin.
He’d seen injuries like that before of course, but never to someone he knew and liked more than a little. Carefully keeping his expression neutral Simon began his examination.
“Well Doc?” Simon had been lookin’ over Kaylee for more time that Jayne liked. He’d asked a few questions, and then gone back to his examin’ and now Jayne was worryin’.
“Did you look after these?” Simon glanced up at the mercenary.
“Yeah,” Jayne frowned down at Kaylee’s head which was buried in his arm again. “Is she healin’ alright?”
Surprised at the anxious tone in Jayne’s voice, Simon did more than glance at him this time. “Yes, Kaylee’s healing very well,” he reassured the other man. “You’ve done a good job.
“See, I told ya,” Kaylee lifted her head to smile at him triumphantly.
“Still can’t lift yer arms though, can ya girl?” Jayne returned as he started helpin’ her back into her shirt.
“Well that’s to be expected if Kaylee’s shoulders were as strained as you told me.” Simon smiled comfortingly at the girl watching him. “I’ll give you some smoothers that should help that and some salve to put on.”
“Alright,” Kaylee nodded. “Ya won’t tell anybody?” she added anxiously.
“No,” Simon shook his head. “But you know sometimes it helps to talk through a trauma.”
“Maybe, but I can’t yet.” She slid slowly off the bed and headed for the door. “Thanks Simon.”
“Jayne,” Simon stopped him as he followed Kaylee out. “The men that did this…”
“They’re dead.” Jayne’s face was set in stone, causing Simon to remember what the Shepherd and Zoë had seen in town.
“Zoë said the Sheriff was shot in the head?”
“He burnt Kaylee. Scared her half to death; I shoulda killed him more.” Jayne turned and stomped out after Kaylee, leaving Simon to watch them speculatively.
***************
“Mal,” Jayne came in and sat down at the dinin’ table. “This here’s my cousin Bobby; he’s been workin’ for the bad guys and can tell ya a bit about them.”
“Did you know he was working here?”
“Nope.” Jayne sent his cousin a black look.
“Are you a mercenary like Jayne?” Wash butted in. He was fascinated to meet a relation of Jayne’s and was planning on asking lots of questions about the mercenary’s past.
“I’m a Rim Marshall,” Bobby replied.
“You got proof of that?”
Bobby grinned at the suspicious Captain, and bent down to his boot. “Data chip,” he explained as he extracted it from between the sole and handed it to Mal.
“Zoë,” Mal handed the chip to his second in command and turned back to Bobby. “While Zoë’s checking that maybe you can tell me why you’re here?”
“I operate mostly round my home planet of Deadwood, get on pretty good with the local law; both past and present. One of the past Sheriffs called me when he lost contact with the Sheriff here.”
“Sheriff Duke?” Jack asked.
“Yep,” Bobby nodded. “He’d been talkin’ a lot about what was happenin’ out here and was startin’ to worry about it. He called it the invasion of the godless and told Sheriff Stackpoole he was gonna do some investigatin and that was the last the Sheriff heard from him.
“So he called you.” Zoë came back into the dining area and nodded to the Captain.
“And I came out here, got myself a job as a hunter and tracker and started nosin’ around. I’ve got a bit of information and was workin’ on learnin’ more when I got sent out to do some huntin’. I didn’t even know you folks were here till they called me in to do some trackin’ and I found Miss Kaylee.”
“Is that when she got hurt?” Inara asked.
“Yeah,” Bobby sighed and looked apologetically at Jack. “I tried to stop them but there were too many.”
“Tried to stop what?” Mal was angry. There was a lot he wasn’t being told. “What happened to my mechanic?” he demanded of Jayne.
“Kaylee don’t want me to say. So I’m not.” Jayne’s face took on the mulish expression that the Captain was all too familiar with. “Anyways I thought ya were plannin’ a raid for tonight.”
“I am,” Mal glanced at the clock. “So we’ll discuss this later. Now…”
*************
“Jayne,” Kaylee limped down the steps into the kitchen. “I need to talk to ya.”
“Yeah?” he looked up from cleaning his weapons, eyes followin’ her as she sat down beside him.
“Captain says yer leavin’ soon to do this raid.”
“And?” Jayne prompted.
“I don’t want anyone else killed on account of me,” Kaylee looked at him seriously. “If ya have to do it for some other reason that’s alright I ‘spose; I just don’t want anymore folks dyin’ cause of me.”
“Why not?” He’d be happy to kill every last one of them for her.
“Ya already got them that hurt me,” Kaylee’s voice shook. “The other folks, no matter how bad they are, weren’t there. I don’t want somethin’ else eatin’ at me.”
Jayne sat still and considered what she said. Every time he saw her wince or watched her hands shake he wanted to kill some folk or make ‘em pay for her bein’ unhappy. But he didn’t want Kaylee to be feelin’ guilty either or have her more mixed up than she already was. “Alright,” he nodded. “But ya gotta promise me somethin’ in return.”
“What?” she laid a weary head against his shoulder.
“If anythin’ happens while we’re gone, ya stay close to Bobby.” Jayne put down his cleaning cloth and cupped her chin so she’d look at him. “Don’t go tryin’ to help nobody, just stay put. Dong ma?”
**************
“Jack,” Lily sighed as she sat down and leant against his shoulder. “I’m so glad you’re home, I missed you. But I need to know what’s wrong with my little girl and why that man is still with her?”
“I don’t know happened to her,” Jack shuddered. “Brett and his goons got to her and hurt her pretty bad. She won’t talk about it to no-one but Jayne. He’s the one lookin’ after her, been doin’ a good job too you know.”
“But…” Lily started.
“I know ya don’t like him ai ren, but he’s my friend and is real devoted to our girl.”
“Devoted?”
“He don’t show it, but it’s so and Kaylee’s the same if only they’d both realise it.”
“But…” Lily began again. “He’s not what I expected. I thought it was Simon she was interested in.”
“Maybe in the beginning it was, but it ain’t no more.” Jack cuddled her close, “Kaylee’s grown and mostly knows her own mind. It’s up to her to choose not us. Right now they got some things to sort out. Not least this fight I’ve got everyone into.”
“I hope everyone’s alright.” Lily worried. She hated to think of their friends out there maybe getting’ killed.
“So do I bao bei. I just wish I knew what was going on.”
**************
Jayne crawled through the long grass till he reached his vantage point. To his left he could hear the sound of someone movin’ around, givin’ him a pretty good indication of where the guards were at. There were more guards posted around the ranch house and outbuildings spread out below. Takin’ note of their positions and the land surroundin’ him, he slithered back the way he came to report to the Captain.
Title: Lack of God: Chapter 18: prompt #17
Characters: Jayne/Kaylee
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: 2174
Comments: _Originally written for
philosophy_20. Previous chapters and prompt table here. Thanks to bookishtype for the banner“When I’m settled ya can hand Kaylee up to me,” Jayne said to his cousin. “She’s bruised all over so ya gotta be careful.”
“I’ll be gentle,” Bobby looked at him sideways. “I’m sorry ya know. I didn’t even know who I was trackin’ till gorramn Brett said her name.”
Jayne frowned at him. “It ain’t me ya should be apologisin’ to.” His eyes drifted to Kaylee who was leanin’ against the corral and pettin’ the horses. “Though I sure as hell want to know what yer doin’ here. Don’t tell me now,” he shook his head when Bobby opened his mouth. “May as well wait and tell everyone, then I don’t have to repeat it.”
**************
“Ready, Miss Kaylee?” Bobby made sure she could hear him comin’ up behind her.
“Yes,” Kaylee smiled at him nervously and watched Jayne mount the horse. “Are ya gonna ride with Daddy?”
“Yeah, he don’t like it though.”
“I know,” the little girl relaxed a mite when she was talkin’ about something else. “I talked to him ‘bout it, stubborn man. He won’t give ya any trouble or be grumpy with ya.”
“Thanks,” Bobby looked at her in surprise. She’d been real strong about all this. Most people would still be in a funk, not be able to function; but not her. “Yer doin’ real good ya know.”
“Am I?”
“Yeah, ya are,” he grinned at her in approval. “Now when Jayne pulls up, I’m gonna lift ya – ok?”
**************
“Ya comfortable?” Jayne asked as they started off.
“I’m fine,” Kaylee cast a last wistful glance at the cabin and bathhouse in back.
She’d really wanted to get Jayne back in that tub before they left, but with her injured there hadn’t been a chance and now things had changed.
Before all the hurtin’ she’d been considerin’ asking Jayne if he wanted to keep their deal goin’ back on Serenity. Now she weren’t so sure. Oh she lusted after him sure enough, wanting him kissing and touching her like before. But then the other memories would intrude and she’d back down from asking him for any such thing. She wasn’t sure when she’d be ready to ask for it either; and there was no way she was gonna start something she couldn’t finish. That’d be unfair to her and to Jayne.
Kaylee was startin’ to think their original bargain was best. They would go back to Serenity and just be friends. She’d learn to do without all the wonderful sexin’ and Jayne in her bed.
**************
“They won’t be far away,” Book smiled at Lily.
“I’m sorry Shepherd, I just get so anxious.” Knowin’ that the crew expected her daughter and husband this mornin’, Lily had rushed up to Serenity first thing.
“It’s natural to worry about your family,” he reassured her.
“I’ve got worse since those men were returned to town,” she confessed. “How can you be so sure that my family and Jayne are alright?”
“Because Jayne just called us,” the Captain said as he joined them, “and here they come.”
Lily could hardly contain herself as she watched them approach. It seemed like so long since she’d seen Jack or Kaylee and she’d worried about them so much.
“Jack!” as soon as he slid down from the horse she flung herself at him. “Bao bei, I missed ya.”
His arms wrapped around her and hugged her tight. “Missed ya too xin gan.”
“Kaylee,” keepin’ one arm around Jack to support him, Lily turned happily to her daughter and stopped as she took in the bruises on her face and the careful way she was walking. “What happened bao bei?”
“I’m fine Mama,” Kaylee leaned into her mother’s embrace. She was determined to be as calm as possible and not worry anyone.
Lily surveyed the yellowin’ bruises that trailed all the way down Kaylee’s neck and the bandages on her wrists. “Ya don’t look fine Kaylee,” her voice rose. “What happened?”
Alerted by the fright in Lily’s voice the rest of the family crowded around asking questions and Kaylee’s resolve wobbled. Turning to Jayne hoverin’ behind her, she shivered and grabbed his hand.
Jayne growled and half the family stepped back hurriedly, while the Captain glared at him.
“Jayne,” Jack interfered. “Maybe ya can take Kaylee to see the doctor?”
**************
“Jayne?” Simon questioned as he walked into the infirmary and found the mercenary there with Kaylee. “Thanks for waiting, but you can go now.”
“He’s stayin’,” Kaylee’s voice wavered and she clutched Jayne’s hand as if it was some sort of lifeline.
“’S alright girl I ain’t going anywhere.” Jayne shrugged at him helplessly.
“That’s fine Kaylee,” Simon smiled reassuringly at her. From the Captain’s description he needed to examine her as soon as possible. If that meant the unwelcome mercenary had to stay, then so be it. “I’ll need you to take your clothes off, so Jayne will just have to turn his head for awhile.”
“No,” Kaylee shook her head. “I’m only takin’ off my shirt.”
“And it’s gonna be me havin’ to do that,” Jayne raised his eyebrows at him and glanced sideways at the girl. “Kaylee can’t lift her arms up too far yet.”
Simon sighed impatiently and watched intently as the other man started to ease Kaylee’s arms out of her shirt. He had a growing suspicion as to what had happened to the little mechanic and was trying to contain his anger at the thought. His suspicion grew to certainty as he saw the burn marks, mottled bruises, cuts and abrasions on her skin.
He’d seen injuries like that before of course, but never to someone he knew and liked more than a little. Carefully keeping his expression neutral Simon began his examination.
“Well Doc?” Simon had been lookin’ over Kaylee for more time that Jayne liked. He’d asked a few questions, and then gone back to his examin’ and now Jayne was worryin’.
“Did you look after these?” Simon glanced up at the mercenary.
“Yeah,” Jayne frowned down at Kaylee’s head which was buried in his arm again. “Is she healin’ alright?”
Surprised at the anxious tone in Jayne’s voice, Simon did more than glance at him this time. “Yes, Kaylee’s healing very well,” he reassured the other man. “You’ve done a good job.
“See, I told ya,” Kaylee lifted her head to smile at him triumphantly.
“Still can’t lift yer arms though, can ya girl?” Jayne returned as he started helpin’ her back into her shirt.
“Well that’s to be expected if Kaylee’s shoulders were as strained as you told me.” Simon smiled comfortingly at the girl watching him. “I’ll give you some smoothers that should help that and some salve to put on.”
“Alright,” Kaylee nodded. “Ya won’t tell anybody?” she added anxiously.
“No,” Simon shook his head. “But you know sometimes it helps to talk through a trauma.”
“Maybe, but I can’t yet.” She slid slowly off the bed and headed for the door. “Thanks Simon.”
“Jayne,” Simon stopped him as he followed Kaylee out. “The men that did this…”
“They’re dead.” Jayne’s face was set in stone, causing Simon to remember what the Shepherd and Zoë had seen in town.
“Zoë said the Sheriff was shot in the head?”
“He burnt Kaylee. Scared her half to death; I shoulda killed him more.” Jayne turned and stomped out after Kaylee, leaving Simon to watch them speculatively.
***************
“Mal,” Jayne came in and sat down at the dinin’ table. “This here’s my cousin Bobby; he’s been workin’ for the bad guys and can tell ya a bit about them.”
“Did you know he was working here?”
“Nope.” Jayne sent his cousin a black look.
“Are you a mercenary like Jayne?” Wash butted in. He was fascinated to meet a relation of Jayne’s and was planning on asking lots of questions about the mercenary’s past.
“I’m a Rim Marshall,” Bobby replied.
“You got proof of that?”
Bobby grinned at the suspicious Captain, and bent down to his boot. “Data chip,” he explained as he extracted it from between the sole and handed it to Mal.
“Zoë,” Mal handed the chip to his second in command and turned back to Bobby. “While Zoë’s checking that maybe you can tell me why you’re here?”
“I operate mostly round my home planet of Deadwood, get on pretty good with the local law; both past and present. One of the past Sheriffs called me when he lost contact with the Sheriff here.”
“Sheriff Duke?” Jack asked.
“Yep,” Bobby nodded. “He’d been talkin’ a lot about what was happenin’ out here and was startin’ to worry about it. He called it the invasion of the godless and told Sheriff Stackpoole he was gonna do some investigatin and that was the last the Sheriff heard from him.
“So he called you.” Zoë came back into the dining area and nodded to the Captain.
“And I came out here, got myself a job as a hunter and tracker and started nosin’ around. I’ve got a bit of information and was workin’ on learnin’ more when I got sent out to do some huntin’. I didn’t even know you folks were here till they called me in to do some trackin’ and I found Miss Kaylee.”
“Is that when she got hurt?” Inara asked.
“Yeah,” Bobby sighed and looked apologetically at Jack. “I tried to stop them but there were too many.”
“Tried to stop what?” Mal was angry. There was a lot he wasn’t being told. “What happened to my mechanic?” he demanded of Jayne.
“Kaylee don’t want me to say. So I’m not.” Jayne’s face took on the mulish expression that the Captain was all too familiar with. “Anyways I thought ya were plannin’ a raid for tonight.”
“I am,” Mal glanced at the clock. “So we’ll discuss this later. Now…”
*************
“Jayne,” Kaylee limped down the steps into the kitchen. “I need to talk to ya.”
“Yeah?” he looked up from cleaning his weapons, eyes followin’ her as she sat down beside him.
“Captain says yer leavin’ soon to do this raid.”
“And?” Jayne prompted.
“I don’t want anyone else killed on account of me,” Kaylee looked at him seriously. “If ya have to do it for some other reason that’s alright I ‘spose; I just don’t want anymore folks dyin’ cause of me.”
“Why not?” He’d be happy to kill every last one of them for her.
“Ya already got them that hurt me,” Kaylee’s voice shook. “The other folks, no matter how bad they are, weren’t there. I don’t want somethin’ else eatin’ at me.”
Jayne sat still and considered what she said. Every time he saw her wince or watched her hands shake he wanted to kill some folk or make ‘em pay for her bein’ unhappy. But he didn’t want Kaylee to be feelin’ guilty either or have her more mixed up than she already was. “Alright,” he nodded. “But ya gotta promise me somethin’ in return.”
“What?” she laid a weary head against his shoulder.
“If anythin’ happens while we’re gone, ya stay close to Bobby.” Jayne put down his cleaning cloth and cupped her chin so she’d look at him. “Don’t go tryin’ to help nobody, just stay put. Dong ma?”
**************
“Jack,” Lily sighed as she sat down and leant against his shoulder. “I’m so glad you’re home, I missed you. But I need to know what’s wrong with my little girl and why that man is still with her?”
“I don’t know happened to her,” Jack shuddered. “Brett and his goons got to her and hurt her pretty bad. She won’t talk about it to no-one but Jayne. He’s the one lookin’ after her, been doin’ a good job too you know.”
“But…” Lily started.
“I know ya don’t like him ai ren, but he’s my friend and is real devoted to our girl.”
“Devoted?”
“He don’t show it, but it’s so and Kaylee’s the same if only they’d both realise it.”
“But…” Lily began again. “He’s not what I expected. I thought it was Simon she was interested in.”
“Maybe in the beginning it was, but it ain’t no more.” Jack cuddled her close, “Kaylee’s grown and mostly knows her own mind. It’s up to her to choose not us. Right now they got some things to sort out. Not least this fight I’ve got everyone into.”
“I hope everyone’s alright.” Lily worried. She hated to think of their friends out there maybe getting’ killed.
“So do I bao bei. I just wish I knew what was going on.”
**************
Jayne crawled through the long grass till he reached his vantage point. To his left he could hear the sound of someone movin’ around, givin’ him a pretty good indication of where the guards were at. There were more guards posted around the ranch house and outbuildings spread out below. Takin’ note of their positions and the land surroundin’ him, he slithered back the way he came to report to the Captain.
