I own nothing these are other people's characters that I am toying with because . . . . . well . . . . . they didn't get enough episodes.
NOTE: This is the same as chapter two in "Engagements" and it will remain there but I've decided to expand the idea into a short five chapter story. All four chapters are written. All that is needed is some rearranging and editing so this should go up at a pretty quick pace.
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Set 2 years after BDM:
The crew is able to do mainly legit cargo and passenger transportation since the alliance no longer has much sway outside of Core planets and even there has to use most of its resources to keep itself intact and not worrying about minor crime. Hoban Jacob Washburn is about 16 months and goes by Jake. Everyone loves Jake even Uncle Jayne. Simon and Kaylee married a year after BDM and are ready to start their own family. Mal and Inara are together, she maintains her companions license because it comes in handy but doesn't service clients sexually and is also the co-pilot. River is off med's, she still talks strangely at times and has the occasional "crazy time breakdown", they are non-violent and she usually acts strange enough before hand that they have enough warning. She has recovered well, takes care of her appearance and has been actively looking for someone to share her life with. River doesn't read crew if she can help it but Jayne has also learned to block his thoughts from her pretty thoroughly. Jayne has taken on the responsibility of family protector, no longer drinks heavily and has spent very little time off ship by himself since Simon and Kaylee got married. Jayne and River have developed a tight friendship since they often end up together by default.
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Chapter #1: Little Things
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Ahhh, third try to politely extricate herself from conversation. This was the fourth man who'd approached her this evening and he was by far the foulest although his outward appearance was most agreeable. This was a stop they frequented and she had hoped to meet a man at this festival that was worth seeing again at a later date. Oohhh, she could feel him coming and moved back just in time to watch Jayne drop him with a large meaty fist to the cheek bone. He was about to get grabby, hadn't allowed her to politely brush him off and was a pig so there was no need to stop Jayne. Another unsuccessful evening attempting to find a good lead on a life mate. Her mounting catalog of data pointed more and more toward herself being the reason especially in the situations where she had actually initiated relationship procedures. . . . . . . . .
The first had been Freddie, the smart quirky pilot that Mal had obviously hired because he reminded him a bit of Wash. He'd thought she was cute and genuinely enjoyed her personality. They'd gotten along well that initial month and had their first official date planned. Mal had called it a "low-key meet" still she was required to hang back in the bar and signal if anything was amiss while Jayne and Mal made the deal. Freddie tagged along so they could head off on their own as soon as Mal was through. The contact was solid but bad mouthed the Independent's which caused Mal to start an epic brawl. She could feel fear oozing from Freddie while she and Jayne were enjoying shop talk after leaving the torn up tavern. He'd gotten one glimpse of what she could do and he wanted no part of her. Freddie withdrew from her, Jayne glared and growled at him constantly then a month later he disappeared once they'd made port at Persperone. River went back to being the main pilot and Inara began training as the co-pilot.
After that it had been Michael. He was the port foreman for the biggest trading company on Lansdown which was a busy shipping moon they were commonly running cargo to or from. There had been a lot of flirting and an eventual date. She was stressed and Michael's excitement didn't help. He'd escorted her back to Serenity as soon as he'd noticed she was acting strangely. They got there just as she'd gone into a full-blown episode and Michael was relieved to hand her off to Jayne, who for some reason was hanging around Serenity even though Mal had given him leave. Michael avoided everything other than polite business conversation with her after that but his thoughts about her were hurtful. Jayne took every opportunity to intimidate the man since which was fine with her.
Then it had been Ethan a young passenger who was with them for three weeks. He was relocating to one of their regular stops to take a job as a teacher but there were a few drops to make beforehand. The first couple of weeks had been wonderful and there was even a brief kiss one evening before she turned in. Things had gone sour in the morning when she'd slipped up and mentioned something she couldn't have known. After quickly explaining that she sometimes had psychic visions without giving away any vital information her heart sunk as she read his reaction. He wanted nothing to do with a woman who could read his or anyone's thoughts ever. Then he'd said it was fine and she'd seen the intention in his mind to at least get sex from the weirdo freak before his trip was through. Jayne figured out something was up and offered to beat him to death or as much as she felt he deserved. After she declined he still dutifully made sure that she was never alone with Ethan the final week.
Jayne snapped her out of her thoughts. "Ya OK? Sorry, know ya can take care yourself but that one was really buggin me." She'd been spacing out and could slightly sense his concern for her even though he kept his metal and emotion broadcasting under tight control. "Thank you, he was deserving. You may return to whoever . . . " He interrupted with, "Nah, don't know what I was doin anyways. Sides kinda weird trying ta be myself with woman I don't know. Guess a don't trust em nough to be me." He looked casual and she wasn't getting any reading from him as he continued. "Spect I could land some woman but it don't seem the same na more. Be heading back myself ya comin?" She nodded her acceptance and they began the hike back that she calculated at roughly 2.145 miles.
They quickly fell into their own comfortable rhythm moving along together. River quite liked what they had become however horribly it began. They meshed so well these days, what had started out as working well together had overflowed into everything they did. There was a level of comfort and understanding they shared which she didn't have with anyone else. Weather they spent their time quietly, teasing, fighting or venting at each other there was an underlying stability in what they had built that assured her they weren't going backward. Why couldn't she find someone like Jayne who was actually interested in her. Someone who wasn't afraid of her, didn't mind her occasional crazy fit or her strange way of speaking, wasn't intimidated by her abilities or intelligence huh actually realized she was intelligent. She liked the way he didn't expect anything from her when they did things together. They would be good for each other except Jayne lacked a sexual interest. It wasn't just that but also the desire that she sees between Mal and Inara, Simon and Kaylee or what Wash and Zoe shared. In fact she hadn't felt that for or from any man. Her brain was spinning so fast again, Jayne had a way of slowing it down when they conversed.
"Jayne, why can't I find a man who sincerely desires me?" He didn't acknowledge her for a moment as he scanned the area ahead. "Hell girl you're real sexy in yer own way." It seems that's all he was willing to offer so she clarified. "Not lust or want but desires me and needs me to desire him." He seemed more comfortable with that. "I ain't gotta lot know how with love n such, but my Pa used ta say it was little things that done em in with Ma. Things she done that was just her an they'd stick with em spark somethin inside. Said same things bugged the hell outta em after years but they'd be first things he'd miss when they weren't together a day or two." She tried to rephrase what he'd communicated. "So, little things beget love and together they equate desire?" He responded with, "Guess that's one way a sayin it."
After digesting that and cross referencing it in relation to the relationships on Serenity she felt it had validity. "Like what?" He flashed her a confused look. "What little things about me could turn into love and then desire?" Jayne considered for a short time before coming up with an answer he seemed to approve of. "Spose the way yer brow crinkles and head tilts a bit when yer tryin to suss somethin out. N then that little smile when yer face relaxes once ya get it. Kind a thing could creep up on a man without his notice." She wondered how often she did that for him to notice. Was she doing it now? Wait! He'd noticed what he considered a 'little thing" that lead to love and then desire. "What else? She must know them all, has to recognize any possible match!" He gave her his patented "yer nuts" look so she stared at him and waited knowing he'd relent if she did it long enough.
"There's ah the way you's skirt around kinda floatin on yer toes when ya ain't wearin nothin on yer feet. Them long skinny feet that I seen takin out plenty a man have a way a catchin the eye and stickin with me." He glanced over then so she stared back expectantly. "Ya's always makin faces and rollin yer eyes at Mal or Simon when they ain't lookin. That never gets old even though I figure ya do it ta me too. Way ya can make somethin real simple all complicated with that giant brain a yers always keeps things real interestin." Jayne paused long enough to figure out she was again waiting for him to continue. "Got a way of movin an sittin and twistin round in general that's hard ta explain, its just you no one moves like you. . . Probably my favorite's the way ya can light up like a kid at anytime with them big wide eyes like the verse is some bright shiny new place ya never been . . . . . That's nough a me tootin yer horn you figure the rest out yerself Moony."
"Jayne we get on so well lets plan our own engagement next time we are planet side. We won't have to worry about being anyone or anything that we aren't already when we're together." Jayne looked appalled. "Engagement ain't that like getting hitched?" She gave him a half-hearted frown. "Assurance, betrothal, bond, commitment, contract, espousal, obligation, pact, troth and many others. Its any number of agreed upon happenstances or appointments. Would you prefer we call it a date?" she teased "Aright genius ya made yer point. I'm in whatever ya wanna call it." River sent Jayne her best smile. "Oh it will be great! We must research thoroughly and make a detailed plan." Jayne was suddenly giving her his fake intimidating look. "Not too much plannin woman, point is ta have fun." Her brain was picking up speed again. So many plans needed to be made and large numbers of calculations needed to be quantified if she was to turn this first engagement into an actual engagement.
Jayne had a strange warning itch in the back of his brain as he watched River's brow crinkle and her head tilt just a bit. There was something big he was supposed to know but it eluded him. In the end he decided to ignore it since it was River. She'd a killed him long ago if she ever wanted to hurt him and he figured anything else she was up to was probably for the better considering how smart she was. He suddenly wondered if he'd ever really understand what his Pa been telling him about his Ma. He thought he had once a long time ago but nah that wasn't the same thing his Pa had described. If he ever did get to feeling that way and the woman was cracked enough to love him back he'd sure as hell never let her go.
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Author's notes:
Thanks as always for reading (especially if you already read this in engagements :-0) and all feedback is welcome.
