You Can't Take the Sky From Me
Summary: A run in with the slave trade reveals there's more to Jayne than the crew knew.
Spoilers: Ariel and The Big Damn Movie. Also it helps to knew that Vera is the name of Jayne's very favourite gun.
Rating: R. It's Jayne's story, you didn't expect fluffy bunnies and chocolate cake did you?
Authors Notes: This fic is told entirely from Jayne's point of view therefore any foul language, bad grammar or notions that killing people solves problems are entirely his and do not reflect the views (or English writing skills) of the writer.
I didn't notice it first, on account of not ever takin' much notice o' what we're shippin'. The Capt'n's right when he says it's best not to ask, keeps you outta all manner o' trouble. An' if I'd continued not noticing' our lives woulda bin a lot richer an' woulda stayed mighty simpler.
It's nearin' dinner time an' I'm jus' done pumpin' some iron, I like t' build up my appetite, b'fore showerin' an' joinin' the others. I'm laid on the bench, havin' done pressed mor'an my bodyweight in metal, when it happens I look over at them two big ol' boxes o' cargo we have sittin' in our hold.
Now when I says they 're big I mean they're bigger 'an anything we transported before, had'ta be hauled in on trucks cause ain't nobody could lift 'em, stand as high as my chest an' jus' as wide. Now I guess all manner o' things get transported in boxes that big but it gets me t' thinkin' o' one thing I knew fer sure was. So I gets up an' makes my way o'er to 'em. Now I can't see nuthin' suspicious nor smell nuthin' but I place my good ear up against it's wall, my other ear was near fried off in a gorram grenade blast few years back, an' I still get ringin' in it sometimes. So anyways, I place my ear against this box an' I listen real hard an' I think I can hear some girl cryin' inside.
I never was one much fer containin' my anger but I manage not t' hit nuthin' as I stride up t' the kitchen. I can hear 'em all gathered fer dinner already, we'd run inta little in the way of trouble fer the last few weeks an' folk on board were happy about it. I don't like periods o' no trouble, it starts t' get my back up, 'cause when all the trouble does come it makes up fer all the untrouble we had. An' I may've jus' proved me right.
"I can't wait to get to a semi-civilised planet. And when we do I'm treating my baby to dinner and a show." I can picture the grin on the bouncy pilots face as he speaks.
"Not that we don't appreciate your home cookin' Shepherd." Zoe says, keepin' the peace.
"Good, because I could just as soon let you take over." Book says.
"Oh God!" Mal pretends horror. "Please have mercy, don't be inflictin' that on the rest o' us."
Seems a gorram shame t' be interuptin' their good mood, I realises as I enters, but there's not much as can be done about that.
My anger musta bin less controlled th'n I was thinkin' it was 'cause as soon as I walks in they all turns an' I gets eight pairs o' eyes starin' on me.
"We can't go deliverin' this cargo." I says. Even as I says it, knowin' what I know, it don't feel right not collectin' what money's due us. I guess I knew I was greedsome, but how much so is a little unsettlin' even t' me.
"Why the hell not?" Mal stands, he's angry, I get that, it was a lotta gold.
"Did your buyer go tell ya what it was ya were haulin'?" I ain't never had eyes starin' at me b'fore that weren't in fear an' the effect is mighty disturbin'. I ain't never one t' mince my words, never use enough o' 'em to ever do much mincin' but with all 'em eyes on me, an' only Lil' Kaylee lookin' more worried th'n angry I begin doubtin' my Capt'n's usual honourable intentions.
"He said 'don't ask' so I didn't. You know it's best not knowin'." Mal says.
"He also said we wouldn't get paid if the seal was tampered with." Zoe chimes in. "So you'd better explain why you chose to look inside."
Sometimes I think they treat me like a gorram child, jus' 'cause I ain't done no schoolin' an' my mind tends t' wander on occasion. I sometimes wonder why I puts up with it, but the truth is there ain't no one else in the 'verse who'd watch my back in a firefight, nor pay quite so well neither.
"I didn't." There's plenty in this 'verse I can be accused of so when I'm getting' accused o' somethin' I didn't do it angers me some. "But the size o' them crates got me t' thinkin' some, an' so I listened real close an' they's got slaves in 'em."
"You're sure?" Mal asks.
"Wait, you just looked at them and immediately came to that conclusion?" says Zoe.
"Hang on a minute, you're saying that there are people in there?" Simon asks, horror all o'er his pasty white face.
All three questions are asked o' me at the same time so I ignore the doctor's stupid comment an' answer the other two. "Yeah, I'm sure. Fer short distances they don't bother with no cryo, if ya listen close ya can hear 'em."
Only little Moonbrain acts like she believes me. She jumps up all fearin' in her eyes an' runs on passed me, her big ol' boots clangin' on the metal floor as she runs on down t' the cargo hold.
Simon calls "River!" Like he's ever bin able t' stop her fer doin' anythin' b'fore and leaps up from his seat. I chases after her an' all the others follow. When I gets down t' the cargo hold she's stood at the nearest crate, whole body pressed up against the cold metal, whisperin' t' it so as none o' us can hear.
"They're scared," she says, wi' tears in her eyes, an' it's clear she is too, her hands 're all shakin'.
I stand up on the gantry watchin' everyone run on down t' the hold. I figure I done my bit, ain't much more I can see me bein' good fer.
The doc goes up t' his sister, takes her hand. She goes on resistin' him until he uses that voice he has fer her. "It's okay River. We're going to get them out." He turns t' the Capt'n wi' a less than sure look in his eye. "Aren't we?" Young doc has less faith in us than even I figure him fer.
"Yes." Capt'n says, annoyed at his intentions bein' called inta question. He goes for'ard an' gets t' inspectin' it, tryin' t' look all captainy but we all know he don't know a gorram thin' 'bout getting' 'em opened. "There are some pretty strong locks on these things, requirin' fingerprints an' key cards t' get them opened. Kaylee d'you think you could get to findin' a way to bust them open?"
Lil' Kaylee goes springin' for'ard t' get t' workin' on 'em. She goes rootin' in her pockets an' pulls out a little screwdriver an' gets down t' attackin' the control box wi' it. She gets the lid off an' as far as I can figure, only goes t' movin' the wires aside t' get a better eyeful when there's a great big gorram explosion.
It goes t' shakin' the whole gorram ship, sends me t' flyin' onta my ass an' I figure I gots the least o' it. When the boat stops rattlin' an' the thick back smoke gets t' startin' t' clear I plants myself back on my feet an' look down.
The whole crew've bin shook offa their feet an' the crate Lil' Kaylee'd bin fiddlin' on ain't no more. Not much left where it stood but a big black scortch burn an' Lil' Kaylee sat on the floor bawlin'. Even through the smoke I can see Lil'Kaylee's hand's bin burnt an' there's that smell o' cooked flesh that once you smell you ain't never like t' forget. She holds her arms up front o' her face, all red an' raw an' blisterin', they musta hurt like a bitch but it weren't them Lil' Kaylee were screamin' fer.
I race t'wards her but stop b'fore I gets there. Ain't no one needs me, time like this.
"Hey, hey." Capt'n'd bin thrown by the blast but he starts crawlin' t' her an' pulls her inta a hug.
Kaylee's sittin' on the floor cobbin' into Capt'n's shoulder. "I didn't know, I didn't know."
"Shh. I know." Mal whispers back.
Moonbrain an' 'Nara 're cryin' too, though more quiet-like, an' the others all look on in horror b'fore steppin' inta action. The doc rushes t' Kaylee, an' him an' Mal help her t' her feet an' they help her inta the infirmary. The others follow, all worried an' nervous. I jus' gets outta their way.
