Firefly – Cobb's Bride

*Disclaimer: I own nothing but my original character Tessa.

Persephone – Eavesdown Docks (four months after BDM)

Mal watched Jayne pace back and forth in the cargo bay with growing concern. The merc had changed almost completely since Miranda. He was still crass and rude and all but his personal habits and his bunk were very different. He had stopped whoring altogether two months ago. He had redecorated his bunk too with a big queen-sized bed and some dark cherry wood furniture he'd made himself as well as removing all his pictures of naked women and his dirty magazines. He had locked his weapons away in a big safe in the corner of his room and had thrown his whoring shirt into Kaylee's rag bin. Then there was the small package he had gotten from his ma a few weeks ago and the nightly waves to 'someone' (no one knew who but River and she wasn't saying). And now he was pacing back and forth across the bay looking for all the world like he was waiting on something. He was also dressed in what Mal could only describe as black slacks and dress shoes and a crisp brand new cobalt blue button-down shirt, tucked in at that, and had even shaved and trimmed his goatee and combed his hair.

Suddenly Jayne stopped and walked down to meet a hover SUV with a trailer attached to the back hauling a couple of large crates behind it. It stopped and a man in a business suit got out of the driver's side while the prettiest girl Mal had ever seen got out of the passenger side and both of them walked over to Jayne. The man was holding some paperwork in his hands too.

The girl was only about five-four which put her a foot shorter than Jayne and she looked awful young but still – there was no doubt she was a woman. She had hourglass curves and long legs and a voluptuous bosom all encased in gorgeous creamy porcelain skin. Her hair was long to her hips and midnight black. It was curled but Mal didn't know if that was natural or done purposely. He couldn't see what color her eyes were but her features were beautiful enough to put Inara to shame. This girl was a natural beauty. No artifice or fancy silks were needed to tell a man that even though the pale lavender dress she had on was very becoming. It ended just above her knees and had capped sleeves and looked like it had a solid layer under the sheer top layer with a scooped peasant collar that revealed just a hint of cleavage. She had matching sandals on her feet.

Mal went downstairs to get a better look and hear better what was going on. The man was going over the paperwork with Jayne who seemed a bit impatient and kept throwing glances at the girl who was staring resolutely at her hands clasped in front of her.

"Now you sign here and she will sign there and it will all be done," the man concluded as Mal came up. Jayne signed his part and then watched while the girl signed hers. The man stamped it with something official looking and then handed one file of paperwork to Jayne and kept the other. "Congratulations on your newly wedded status, you two. Her crates are back here and her luggage is in the back."

"Just a minute," Jayne said taking a small box out of his pocket. He took out two matching rings that looked to Mal like wedding bands of white gold with some kind of engraving on them and then took the girl's left hand slipping the smaller of the two onto her finger. "These were my grandparents. Ma sent them to me and I had them resized to fit us."

"It's beautiful," the girl said in a soft, lilting New Irish accent and smiled up at Jayne who grinned back. She gestured to the other ring and he handed it to her letting her slip it onto his ring finger.

"There's one more thing but we ain't got to do it if you don't want to," Jayne said hesitantly.

"What's that?" she asked.

"Kiss the bride," he said quietly. She actually laughed a little then before taking his hands in hers.

"Well, I'm waiting," she said looking up at him. Jayne swallowed visibly and then stepped forward closing the distance between them and bending his head to kiss her lips gently but firmly. She kissed him back shyly and blushed as they broke the kiss remembering they had an audience.

"Well," Jayne cleared his throat. "Now it's official. I'll just go unload your stuff. That over there gawking is the captain I told you about, Mal Reynolds. Mal, this is my wife Tessa Cobb."

Mal was in shock. He didn't just hear that. He looked at Jayne unloading the crates and some luggage from the SUV before it left again and then back at Tessa who stood standing politely nearby. "Your what?" he asked when he finally regained his voice.

"I got married," Jayne explained when he finished and took out the paperwork the man had given him showing Mal the marriage certificate and stuff. "She's my wife. And she won't be any trouble at all."

"Universal Marriage Contractors?" Mal read from the form. "You ordered a wife."

"How else was I supposed to find a good girl to marry? We never stop anyplace longer than a few days and the only other single girl on the boat is River. There's no way in hell I'd go there. So I hired this agency to find me a bride and they introduced me to Tessa here," Jayne smiled down at the woman by his side who smiled back up at him. "We've been talking near every night the past two months. And she's finally here and we're married. My ma was thrilled. She can't wait to meet you, baby girl."

"You're forty?" Mal asked in surprise as he continued reading and then he tensed and glared at Jayne. "She's eighteen, Jayne. That's a twenty-two year difference. She's River's age."

"Age is just a number, Captain Reynolds," Tessa stated calmly. "I wasn't forced into anything and I'm quite happy with my choice of husband."

"You were a Cavanaugh from Carrick, New Ireland," Mal ignored her continuing reading. "Daughter of – wait, deceased? The Major and Maggie are dead?"

"You knew my da and ma?" Tessa frowned. Mal had paled considerably and was looking at her in shock.

"I served in your daddy's regiment during the war. What happened to them?" Mal asked.

"She don't like to talk about it," Jayne snapped.

"It was a Reaver attack two years ago," Tessa explained. "I was lucky enough to be near the caves when it happened and hid there like Da had told us too. No one else showed up though. They didn't make it."

"Oh honey, I am truly sorry to hear that but you ain't gotta go marrying Jayne," Mal told her. "You can have a place on the crew here. We ain't got a cook. I remember Maggie was a great cook."

"I already married Jayne and that isn't going to change. One thing has nothing to do with other," Tessa told him firmly. "Why is this any of your concern? Jayne explained the rules of your ship to me. I won't be a problem."

"It ain't his concern," Jayne said darkly and took the paperwork from Mal before putting his hand on the small of Tessa's back. "Come on, baby, I'll show you where our bunk is and then we'll get you settled in."

"Okay," she nodded and let him lead her away from the still stunned and concerned captain.

Mal was still standing there when Jayne came back down alone and promptly put Mal up against the wall pinning him by his shirt front and lifting him off the ground so they were at eye level.

"I'm not gonna repeat myself so listen good," Jayne growled. "That woman is 'my' wife and no one's concern but 'mine', dong ma? You try coming between her and I and we're gonna have a problem that you ain't gonna walk away from."

"I got it," Mal nodded and Jayne dropped him back on his feet then turned and picked up his wife's luggage and headed upstairs with it.

Zoe, River, Kaylee and Simon came wandering back to the boat then from their shopping excursion. Mal looked at them and sighed heavily.

"Y'all ain't gonna believe what happened," Mal told them. "Jayne has gotten himself a wife and she also happens to be the daughter of our late Major Jamie Cavanaugh, Zoe. Apparently there was a Reaver attack on Carrick and her family was killed and somehow she ended up as a bride for one of them agencies and her and Jayne chose each other as husband and wife. I gotta warn ya, though; she's eighteen and absolutely gorram beautiful and Jayne is already violently possessive of her so don't hint about her divorcing him. And River, you and me are gonna have words as to why I got blind-sided by this."

"I have no idea what my captain is talking about," River replied innocently.

"Them doe eyes aren't gonna work this time, Albatross," Mal shook his head. "You knew what was going on and didn't say word number one about it."

"The captain must not interfere in this," River told him frankly. "She will be a blessing to Jayne and this ship. I must go and welcome my new mei mei."

She left then and Mal watched her go wanting so badly to put her over his knee and tan her pretty hide for keeping secrets from him. When River caught that thought she paused on the stairs and turned to give him a pointed but amused look, "The Captain may do so only if it provides pleasurable response."

Mal turned beet red with shock and she turned and continued upstairs disappearing toward the dorms. She hadn't meant that the way it sounded surely.

"I'm sorry, sir but I think my hearing is gone," Zoe told him. "Did you say Jayne is married to the Major's little girl?"

"Yes," Mal nodded.

"And she chose him willingly?" Zoe asked.

"Seems that way," Mal nodded again.

"I can't imagine who would willingly marry Jayne," Simon shook his head and Kaylee pinched him. "Ow! What was that for?"

"Don't be mean," she scolded. "I'm sure she's very nice."

"Oh, she's gorgeous," Mal stated. Then he shouted as he headed up stairs, "Get us in the air, Tross! Everybody's all here!"