Where there is life, there is hope

by BabiBlu22

OFC joins the crew of Serenity. Who is she and how did she end up there? How does her presence affect a certain person on the crew? Well, read on and find out what adventure follows...

And where there is life, there is hope

Part 1 of 3 : A new beginning

Present day – morning

The raindrops hit hard against her head as she stood, trying to make up her mind. The airlock of the cargo bay towering before her. "This is my only hope..." she tried to sound convincing, if only to herself. It was one of the hardest decisions she had ever had to make: leave everything familiar to her, go off to who-knows-where and start a new life doing who-knows-what.

Four months earlier

Adreana Bellinsky had been working as a biochemical technician at one of the Alliance's facilities for about six months. There was a boom in business so to speak after the Alliance pretty much won the war. She hadn't even ever thought about on who's side she was on. They had offered her a bursary to study biotechnology at one of the most advanced facilities and then they offered her a job she never dreamed of having. Great pay, great benefits. But she never realised (or even thought about) what the price would be. As it turned out, the price was too damn high.

One day she just happened to pick up one of the files that a high-ranking officer dropped. "TAMM, HIGHLY CONFIDENTIAL, CLEARANCE LEVEL NINE" was all it said on the front. Innocently intrigued she flipped through the pages (okay, maybe not so innocently). There were photos of a brother and a sister and some notes on procedures. Suddenly, almost violently she dropped the folder. "What the hell!" was all she could breathe. It wasn't notes, but a detailed description of brain-altering procedures that had been performed on River (the sister). She frantically looked around to check if anybody had seen her and picked up the folder. Before she could stop herself, she threw it in the incinerator. She didn't even notice that tears had started rolling down her cheeks. All she could think about was what had been done to that poor, innocent girl. An inextinguishable flame of hatred began to burn in her gut as she practically ran to the main lab. She swiped her security card. The doors whooshed open. Checking to see that nobody saw her, she typed "TAMM" into the search log on the computer. "ROOM 3251". She ran to the elevator. Right then and there she decided what she had to do, no matter what the cost to herself.

The girl was startled at first, but Adreana tried to sound as calm as she could: "River, we have to…" But the girl interrupted her with: "What took you so long?"

"OK, you've got to be quiet, just for a little while". And so they made it as far as the nearest Alliance docking bay. "I've called your brother and told him where you are. I've also set the Autopilot of the shuttle to take you to a safe place where he will come and get you soon. No, don't cry. It will all be over soon. You do want to see Simon again, don't you?"

"It's not that, you're not good at hide and seek, they'll throw you out into the deep sea! You'll drown!"

"No! River, listen to me: don't worry about me, you just get into the shuttle and I promise that I'll see you and your brother again someday…" River hugged Adreana and got into the shuttle just as she heard the alarms of the building start screaming. Adreana watched the shuttle take off and ran to the one that was left. She had managed to get some of her things together, into a suitcase and into the shuttle before things got urgent. She pressed down on the red and green button and shut her eyes as the engine came to life. They would be catching up to her any moment now…at least River was safe.

Present day – morning

Before she could change her mind the huge metal door started to open. She could remember only one other time in her entire life that she had felt so anxious and trapped. She would have run away, except her legs wouldn't move. The site that greeted her was nothing like she had imagined. There stood only the captain of Serenity.

"Hi, Malcolm Reynolds, at your service." he stated matter of factly. He was tall, but not overly so. He's handsome, but that would be the last thing her burnt out brain could register. He stood with his arms folded over his chest.

"Um...hi, I'm..."

"I know who you are." he cut her off. "You agree with the terms that we spoke of?" he asked in a more polite voice, dropping his arms to his sides.

"Yes, I...I do, captain." her voice sounded even more feeble than she thought it would.

"Shiny. Welcome aboard Serenity. Class one flying hotel." he said smiling warmly, instantly calming her shattered nerves. She could sense that he wasn't being sarcastic, but rather trying to bring some comic relief. Mal picked up her small suitcase and motioned for her to follow him. "My crew is still planet side concludin' some business. Mainly collectin' our pay. I will take you to your quarters. It's modest to say the least, but we have to make due with what we have I guess...". Looking at the ship from the outside it was almost impossible to imagine just how rustically beautiful it could be on the inside. The wear and tear gave it a kind of a familiar feeling. Hiding in all those uncomfortable places, that had been the one thing she had missed the most. That and the company of other people in a somewhat similar situation as she was.

Her room was empty and cold at first. Sure, there was a modest single bed, small table and mirror and lamp, but it still felt empty. Looking at herself in the mirror - hair all wet and messed up, clothes tattered and dull - she must not have made a good impression on the captain. She began to cry, feeling very sorry for herself for the first time in very long. "NO!" she said out loud." I won't do this! I won't let them win!" but even though she said it with such conviction, she couldn't stop herself from feeling alone, so very utterly alone. Everything she had was gone, except the few things she could fit in a suitcase small enough to carry. She decided that she couldn't meet the rest of the crew looking like a scarecrow, and slowly started unpacking her things. She took her time brushing her hair and cleaning her face and hands. She hadn't put on any make-up in so long, so she decided that the ocation only called for her favourite cherry lip balm.

That afternoon at lunch

The food left much to be desired, but it felt good to have a full belly. The berry juice was nice, though. Suddenly voices sounded from the corridor and she jumped a little. "Here they are now!" Mal exclaimed, as if he hadn't noticed. She could tell that he had. A sudden silence fell in the small room as the crew entered. "Everyone, meet our newest crew member..." Mal announced in a theatrical voice. Adreana took a long deep breath and smiled at the five pairs of eyes staring at her. "Hi! I'm Adre..." was all she had time to say. "Well, hi there! I gather the Capt'n has told you all about us modest lot." Adreana could tell that the smile on Kaylee's face was as genuine as they come. It was strange to her that everyone looked relatively happy to see her except the tall man leaning against the doorpost. Everybody introduced themselves and shook her hand, except that guy. From him she only got a cold nod. River ran up to her and hugged her. "I…I don't know how to ever thank you…" Simon started, but she just smiled and hugged River even tighter. "See, I told you I would see you again someday…" Adreana said to River. Everyone looked a bit surprised, but kept on welcoming her anyway.

After they hearty meal everyone retired to their respective quarters. Jayne took the chance he had been waiting for and pulled Mal to the side. "What the hell, Mal. What 'cha think you're doin' bringin' another fugi on the ship?" Jayne was noticeably upset.

"Exactly who is the captain of this ship?" Mal asked in a stern captainy voice.

"Sorry, but what use she gonna be?" Jayne tried to state more calmly.

"She has training in running a lab so she could help Simon with River and with the rest of the crew's illnesses." Mal was more than a little annoyed with Jayne.

"You're not thinkin' straight I dunno abou..." was all Jayne had time to say before Mal cut him off.

"That is enough, Jayne. You don't like the arrangement, you leave. End of discussion." And with that Mal went to check on Wash and the scan for Alliance ships with a visibly disgruntled Jayne following him reluctantly. Jayne realised it would be very stupid of him to walk out on the good thing he has going on Serenity. After all, he got jobs, pay, food and free lodging. All he had to do was what he does best, be a mercenary. He would just have to stick it out and let this mess waiting to happen, play itself out.

That night at supper

Despite the fact that Adreana was dead-tired, she just couldn't fall asleep. She spent the hours contemplating everything that had happened and deciding how she was to handle everything and how she would try to really fit in on Serenity. She got up, straightened out her hair and dress and walked to the mess hall.

Everyone settled down to eat and Adreana just watched. Still feeling very out of place on the ship. Dinner went smoothly, with what Adreana could see was the usual chatter and banter between the odd collection of people sitting at the table. Everyone was noticeably very tired from the past few days' hard and not so honest work. Adreana insisted on washing the dishes although she felt like falling over and sleeping right there on the cold, hard metal floor.

The preacher came and spoke to her while she was busy. "If you need someone to talk to, I'm here. Just say the word, so to speak." He smiled his calming smile at her.

"Thank you very much preacher, but I still have to sort some things out for myself that no one could possible help me with." After doing a very good job of cleaning up (considering that there was a layer of dust on everything that was probable bonded to it for life) she made her way to her own room. Her own room, the sound of that brought a hint of warmth to her heart.

The bed was relatively soft and the blankets were warm and fluffy. She had half expected the Alliance police to come through the door at any second saying they paid the captain a small fortune for the three fugitives. But that never happened. And somehow she knew that, as long as she was on this ship, it never would. After staring at the sealing for much shorter period of time than she had expected, she fell asleep. For the first time in months she didn't have nightmares. No dreams either, but no nightmares at least.

The next morning Adreana was awakened by a startling ruckus down in the cargo hold. Her heart jumped as she anticipated the worst. After a few tense moments she threw on a coat that she found lying on her bed next to the nightgown and went down to see what was happening. As she rounded the corner she saw the crewmembers playing some kind of game resembling basketball of the old days.

"Ten in the morning, sleepy head! Not going to fly to the moon with those cold, white, bare feet...". River was sitting on the ledge of the walkway suspended above the cargo area with her feet dangling over the edge and holding on to the railing.

"Sit down, it's fun watching the little sheep running around, chasing one another, chasing the grey ball!" It was such pure laughter coming from River that Adreana just had to smile. It felt good. She sat down beside River and to her amazement actually enjoyed the show. After about fifteen minutes River started to comment loudly on the game and shouting encouragements to both the distinct teams. Adreana decided to join in. River laughed with her as they started rooting for opposite teams to win. Everyone looked up in surprise at first but after a while the game was underway again. Wash's hair was messed up and it gave him a sort of boyish look. Zoe was smiling broadly at the antics of her husband, while Mal just eyed both of them in mock disapproval. Kaylee was a little short to make the basket, but Jayne hoisted her up on his shoulders with ease and their team won the game. River and Adreana cheered.

At the breakfast table things were still jovial. Adreana ate her food quietly and took the chance to look everyone over while they spoke. She laughed at Wash's jokes and the mock-disapproving looks he got from Zoe for acting like such a clown. Kaylee teased Simon about being so proper while eating breakfast and drinking his juice like (in Kaylee's words) "Earl Gray". Inara got up and began clearing the table. Adreana helped her wash up. Inara told Adreana that she had the perfect complexion for a dress that didn't suit Inara very well. She asked Adreana to try it on when she had a chance.

"What're you women jackin' about? I asked for more berry juice like an hour ago!" Jayne looked really upset. Adreana jumped at the initial sound of his voice. Inara noticed and stood right beside her. "Well, you didn't ask me or Adreana by name so why are you blaming us?" Inara said in a stern voice.

"You women, only good for one thing..." Jayne said under his voice as he stomped off to go and get himself another glass of berry juice.

"Sorry about that, Adreana. Our Jayne is like that sometimes". Inara said as if it was no big deal. From that, and from the little Adreana had seen of Jayne, that he was a simple type of person. And really rough around the edges. Basically a brute with very little manners.

"That's okay." Adreana sighed. "I think I know why he's upset...he doesn't want any more fugitives on your ship that could have led the Alliance straight to all of you." Adreana finished with a noticeably sad tone in her voice.

"We just have to be careful and watch out for them and watch each other's backs, right?" Inara turned from the cupboard where she was putting the plates to find that Adreana was facing the opposite way. "I'm...I'm really sorry to do this to all of you, I just...don't have anywhere else left to go." Adreana was suddenly very upset. It finally sank into her mind that she really did have nowhere else left to turn. She felt so unwelcome here sometimes, despite all the friendly gestures. Inara hugged her tightly until she calmed down. "That is the way we all felt after we first got here. But now look at us - one big, happy, dysfunctional family! Now, let's get some sleep. Tomorrow the captain will decide which job to take and to what planet we are going off to next."

The rest of the day Adreana spent with the women of the ship having her hair and nails cut and cleaned. They talked "normal girl-talk" and they told Adreana some information on all the members of the crew, as well as their captain.

From the way Inara talked about Malcolm Reynolds Adreana could tell she was in love with him. Not just because he is so strikingly handsome, but because of who he is. Brave, loyal and kind. She could also tell that Kaylee was head over heals for Simon, but would never in a million years admit to it. Not even to herself. It was nice. To know that even if they met each other under such circumstances, they were meant for one another. Sure, she had had her share of boyfriends, but you could count them on one hand. Where she had worked in the Alliance lab it was all work and no play made all the boys dull. They just wanted to talk about academic and Alliance issues. None of them were men of action. None of them would take a bullet for the woman he loved, or even cared if she got shot. She didn't even want to think about men ever again in her life!

"Hey, are you listening?" Kaylee smiled at the look on Adreana's face. She could tell that she was miles away.

"Sorry, I…uhm…I was just thinking back to when I was happy. Don't get me wrong. I like it here and I like you too, but I don't always feel welcome. Guess I still have to be completely assimilated into the family…" Adreana concluded. Talking more to herself then the others.

As if Inara knew exactly what she was thinking she said: "Don't mind Jayne. He is grumpy and difficult most of the time, but I know that is just to protect himself. And of course there is the fact that he is not to be trusted with matters concerning money, but from what I've heard, he hasn't had a wonderful life, either."

"I know." Adreana said, as if to herself.

"How…oh, wait…you know just like you knew exactly what I meant when I said Simon is…" Kaylee blushed. Adreana felt as if she had been caught doing something she shouldn't have. "I'm sorry. I have had this curse ever since my folks passed away. A kinda feeling about people, motives and such." Adreana desperately tried to clearly explain.

"It's not a curse. It could come in handy someday when we are dealing with some of those poker-faced hooligans." Inara smiled sweetly.

"Yeah, I didn't mean anything by that, it's just weird…and wonderful." Kaylee put her hand on Adreana's shoulder and gave it a squeeze. "We woman have to stick together on this ship, otherwise the men are going to take over and then the whole 'verse is in big trouble!" River, who had been sitting quietly in the corner, started giggling. Then everyone broke out in hysterical laughter. It felt good, Adreana thought to herself.

When everyone had calmed down, Adreana asked them to tell her about the strange game they were playing. "Let me!" Kaylee exclaimed. "It's kinda like basketball, but completely different." She was still giggling from the thought of men ruling the 'verse. "The objective is to get the ball into the metal ring suspended above the cargo hold." Zoe helps her out. "But there's a catch. You have to do it by grabbing the ball from any of the other team's member who just happened to have it in their possession. You have to give it a try sometime. It started as a way to relieve stress onboard and a fun way to work out."

"ss…sure." Adreana wasn't too sure of herself. "It sounds kinda brutal."

"When our boys are involved, yes…but they don't dare get rough with any of the women." Zoe smiled at the joke but Adreana was a little cautious.

"Jayne said something at breakfast that I didn't quite understand. What does he mean when he says he wouldn't touch lips with women of the other kind of your occupation?" Adreana was really puzzled. "I'm a certified companion. There are different "kinds" of us, if you like. Some more legitimate than others. The women in the informal establishments put a kind of red, sweet tasting poison on their lips. All they have to do is kiss the client once, and they can rob him blind and just disappear without any services rendered."

"Oh" was all Adreana managed to say.

"There's no need to be embarrassed, dear. His thoughts come out of his mouth before they reach his brain." Inara said with a meaningful smile.

"Yeah, takin' into account where most of his thoughts originate from!" Kaylee started giggling at her joke.

"It's just that…there is so much to get use to…things are so different from where…" Adreana looked at the ground before her feet.

"It's OK, babies walk with baby steps. You just have to keep up." This was the first time River had spoken the entire time they were in Inara's shuttle. "Thank you, River. I'll remember that." Adreana smiled at the girl. How right she was…

Inara walked with Adreana to her room and told her not to worry anymore and to have sweet dreams. Neither of them knew that Jayne had heard certain snippets of their conversation. He felt genuinely guilty for being the one to make Adreana feel unwelcome in the one place she had left to turn. He knew the feeling of not belonging. Still, he didn't want her thinking that he would tolerate her on the ship if Mal weren't around, but he didn't want her walking on eggshells around him, either. He liked hearing her laugh. The thought made him uncomfortable, but at the same time brought him comfort. He just walked off blaming these conflicting thoughts and feelings on the funny berry juice they were drinking so much of. Never know if it's gone bad or not…

Mal said it would be better for them to lay low for a week or so, Wash keeping Serenity out of Alliance scanner range. So, a few quiet days went by that Adreana spent talking to the other woman, reading or sleeping. All the anxiety and exhaustion finally caught up with her. She also didn't eat with the rest of the crew (she was normally sleeping when they were eating and vice versa).

About six days later

Adreana got up a little earlier and had a shower. She tied her hair, that was still somewhat wet, back in a ponytail and put on a dull but clean dress. She felt hundreds of times better than she had felt for a very long time. Stepping out of her bunk less cautious, she bumped into Jayne walking past on his way to breakfast. "Would you look where you're ruttin' goin' !" he snapped and walked on. Immediately Adreana felt as she had the first 10 minutes on Serenity. Realising that she had been standing there frozen exactly the way she had been after he had stomped off, she shook the feeling and walked to breakfast. She realised that she had been assured of her place on Serenity often enough and decided that she had been intimidated enough times in her life.

A few days went by where she helped to clean up the lab and organised. Mal popped in every now and then to check on how things were going and how she was doing. He was becoming seriously like a big brother to her. Simon was always so polite, but Adreana almost cracked up at how blundering he could be when Kaylee came by the lab for a visit. She always said it was for her, but Adreana smilingly knew better. She had many conversations with River. Cryptic, but interesting. Zoe and Inara also popped in. Even Jayne walked in. Once. He hadn't started a conversation, but Adreana could feel that he didn't know what to say, so she just took a deep breath, gave him a smile and went on with her work as if he wasn't even there. She wasn't ignoring him, she was rather trying to show him that his presence didn't annoy or bother her. Somehow she just knew that was what he needed. Strange.

At breakfast, Book said grace and everyone ate, chatted and laughed. It amazed her at how relaxed and comfortable everyone was around each other. They were all so different from one another. She was also getting pretty comfortable in her seat between Simon and Inara on their side of the table.

Inara sat to Adreana's left and Simon to her right. Kaylee always sat to Simon's right.

As was the case most of the time, Jayne was his grumpy self and Wash was poking fun at him. "I have more experience in more areas than you will ever know of little man..." Jayne said with a suggestive smile. His voice also dropping an octave or so. He really does have a way with words, Adreana thought to herself while smiling at her plate of food.

"So, you turn mute?" At first she didn't even realise that he had spoken to her. Jayne turned his head slightly to the side and repeated with a sheepish smile: "Hey, you turn mute or somethin'?". She looked up from her plate right into his eyes. She had always been able to easily read peoples intentions and their motivation for doing or saying what they did. In Jayne's eyes she could see that he was trying to apologise for being rude to her (when exactly she didn't know, 'cause he was kind of in that habit).

"No, I'm just enjoying the food, thank you Jayne." she managed to say with a genuine smile. "Oh" he affirmed and ate, or rather wolfed down, the rest of his plate of food. The others had kept on talking and not noticed the moment that had just taken place. For her, it was a sign that she was a real part of the crew now. That he would tolerate her on the ship. For Jayne, well, he felt funny when he was around her. "Kinda like she could see right through a guy" he thought to himself quite often. And those electric green eyes...

The days crept by in the rhythm that had developed for Adreana, and Mal waited for an appropriate job offer to come along. There were rumours that the Alliance scouts were about on their usual routes to the various planets, so he was being extra careful. Wash kept a close eye on their movement and an ear on the scanner. A further two weeks went by in which Kaylee checked the ship's systems, Mal surveyed possible jobs, Zoe, the preacher and Jayne worked out and did some target practice and Simon kept himself (as well as Adreana) busy in the lab. Adreana loved working in the lab. Methodical and precise. It was calming. Most of the time River would also hang around the lab. One day she came running up to Adreana with a rather loud clatter, but when Adreana looked at her, she put her finger to her lips in a hush motion. She motioned for Adreana to follow her. To her surprise, River led her to the gym room (as Adreana now called it). Jayne was doing bench presses with Book spotting for him and Zoe was throwing knives at a target (circles drawn on a board on one side of the room). River told Adreana that she should also learn to defend herself,

"It's always a good thing to have 8 eyes like a spider, but you should learn", River said. Zoe motioned for her to come closer and so she did. She aimed at the target and threw with all her might, but the knife just bounced of it and landed on the floor with a thud. Jayne got up and looked at the gathering on the other side of the room rather angrily. "Why 's she learnin' to do that for? We're here to protect her, aren't we?" Jayne blurted out without thinking, as usual. When everyone, including Adreanda, looked at him in utter surprise, he quickly muttered something like "whatever...do what you like, see if I care...". Zoe looked at the other two...then she smiled and the three women enjoyed a fit of giggles to the amazement of the two men trying to watch them without seeming too obvious. Adreana felt like she had been asleep and waken up recently to a life she never knew she could have. It was weird, but she felt so at home now. Almost happy. Almost.

Later (after many failed attempts at hitting the target)

"We've got mail!" Mal said cheerfully walking into the kitchen where Adreana and River where preparing dinner.

"And this time it's a real respectable job, too" he said smiling like the proverbial cat that ate the canary. When everyone was finally gathered in the mess hall Mall told them about the job. A farmer had sold an odd number of pigs to off planet buyers and needed a "specialized" ship to transport the unusual cargo. Mall gave everyone their orders. Adreana thought that he had forgotten about her, but she was given the job of helping Simon to inspecting the pigs for diseases and such. They still had three days before they had to pick up the cargo and Adreana decided that she was going to practice her knife throwing. Although Inara was slightly insulted by Jayne's comment earlier, Adreana wasn't. She knew when it came down to it (and in her gut she knew that it would some day in the not so distant future) that Jayne would protect her. But what surprised her most, was that she wanted him to.

"I dunno about this job Mal, I had a run in with that farmer some time ago, only he wasn't acting like a farmer, and he's not to be trusted!" Jayne sounded really upset for some reason, more so than usual.

"We will keep a close eye out, Jayne, I promise..." Mal sounded comical, but serious.

"That's not enough! We can't take this job!" Jayne was red in the face and the vain in his temple was throbbing to dangerous proportions.

"You know what our standing arrangement is Jayne, if you don't like my captainin' you leave." Mal was also getting agitated.

"You just don't understand, Mal… " Jayne said in an apologetic voice. When Mal just looked at him, he went on "just promise me then that only me and you set foot on that filthy planet, not one of the girls, you hear?". Mal considered the fact that Jayne was actually referring to the females on the ship with a kind of affection and answered "Fair enough, Jayne. Then it's just me and you. I watch your back, and you watch mine, just like always." And with that Mal turned around and went in search of Wash to go over the coordinates for Delta Five, as the planet was renamed by the Alliance.

Jayne stomped off to his bunk with less noise than usual and with a strange look on his face. He did know the man Mal planned on doing business with and the kind of people he liked to hang around with was the kind that should be lined up against a wall and shot. Repeatedly. Or better yet, tortured like they had tortured him for three straight days. Just as he pictured the sweetest revenge he could, Adreana came around the corner with her towel in her one hand and soap in the other, singing softly to herself. She stopped dead in her tracks just as he was about to come around the corner. Her waist-length, golden brown hair was hanging loose for the first time since she had been on the ship. Inara did it up for her in a neat and plain way, so that it wouldn't get in her way in the lab.

"What do you think you're gorram doin'?" He was more surprised at the fact that she didn't bump into him but stopped short of doing so. And then there was the fact that she looked completely different.

"Oops, sorry Jayne". It was one of the few times she had called him by his name and not just avoided it all together. She smiled and went on singing on her way to the shower, like nothing had happened. He couldn't understand why she was always nice to him when he was so rotten to her.

"What's wrong with you? You regrettin' somethin' you did? Just drop it..." he kept saying to himself as he walked to his bunk. He couldn't shake the feeling that there was more to her than everyone knew. She seemed to know what people (including himself) were thinking even before they did. "Just the right kinda woman to watch out for River...two of a kind those two..." and with that thought he drifted off to sleep.

Adreana had a nice shower, slept peacefully and decided to make breakfast for everyone. She made toast (as best she could, because the bread was more than a little stale, at least not mouldy) with some jam she found in one of the boxes stacked in a corner. It was her favourite - strawberry. The smell that filled the kitchen made her happy and sad at the same time. She gave in to the sad memories for a moment and didn't notice that she was crying quietly. Wash and Zoe came in to see what was going on.

"What's wrong, darlin'? Does the bread taste funny?" Wash almost always made a joke out of everything, but still managed to get the serious message across.

"'Cause it looks kinda funny!" He put his arm around her shoulders and his head against hers. "There, there, just some space fungus, we won't die, just have a queue at the bathroom for a few days" and with that he pulled a face at Zoe and made a few disgusting noises. Zoe laughed and said it smelled better in there than it had in a very long time. Soon everyone came to see what had happened in the kitchen. Nobody enjoyed the meal more than Jayne, who himself got a little teary-eyed because it was the kind of thing his mother would make every Sunday morning when he was growing up. He didn't think about his family too much, but at times like these…Adreana noticed but didn't say anything.

Mal appointed Jayne and Book to do the dishes. Jayne wanted to protest, but one look from Mal stopped that notion dead in its tracks. The rest of the crew went on with the preparations for the job. Adreana cleared the dirty plates and cutlery from the table and handed it to the two at the sink. Jayne kept glancing sideways to her because he wasn't sure if she had noticed his moment at the table. When she was handing him the last plate, she didn't let go. She looked up straight in his eyes. She just wanted to see if this brute was capable of honest emotion. Book interrupted her train of thought: "Thank you child, that was needed, for our nutrition as well as our spirits. You are a true blessing." She smiled and looked over to Jayne while saying "it's my pleasure..." she paused for a few seconds while holding his gaze which was softer than usual, then continued in a more comical trend "I have to earn my keep on this ship, otherwise you might kick me off on the next planet" Smiling she walked away. She couldn't believe how her mood had changed since that first day on the ship. It was truly a blessing.

The rest of the day was uneventful and she spent it in the lab making sure that all the equipment was clean and in working order. When she finally fell asleep that night she thought to herself :"this was a real good day".

Adreana practised the entire next morning. "You're really gettin' the hang of it, huh?". It was Jayne. He was leaning against the doorpost. Adreana hoped that he saw most of her more accurate attempts at hitting the bullseye.

When she had finally gotten over the shock, she smiled and said "thank you, I'm trying very hard, but still only hitting the board like one out of ten times."

"Let me show you a trick." he said almost smiling. She didn't fail to notice how tall he was close up. And all those hours spent working out were most certainly not wasted…his voice pulled her out of her daze. "Hold the knife by its edge. Lightly. Flick your wrist and visualise it hitting the target. Like this..." he came up behind her slowly not to startle her again (more graceful than she thought he was capable of) and took the knife out of her hand and threw it at the target. With almost no sound it hit the bull's-eye.

"That's amazing!" Adreana exclaimed smiling up at Jayne who looked at her in surprise. He was use to the others being afraid of his "talents", but she actually admiring it. As if she knew exactly what he was thinking at that moment she turned her gaze away from the target and directly at him and said: "you try, but you don't succeed...".

"What the gorram hell you talkin' about?" he stepped away from her pretending to adjust the weights for his and Book's workout later. "You try to show only your hard, unemotional, barbaric self to people, but I know that is not the complete truth. You do have a sensitive side, Jayne Cobb, you don't use it very often, but it's there. It kinda works like anger. Just because you ignore it, doesn't mean it goes away". Suddenly the expression on her face changed, and she threw the last knife straight at the target and hit it dead centre. For a few minutes after she had triumphantly left the room, Jayne was still staring at the knife. He pulled it out of the target and stared at it. He set the knife down, hooked his hands above his head and started doing pull-ups, deciding that he would use the time he had before lunch.

There was a load crash from the kitchen and Jayne suspected trouble (with the upcoming job and all). He quickly made his way there. "What happened!" he almost shouted. He regretted acting so impulsively as soon as he saw Adreana picking up the big pot she had accidentally dropped. She suddenly looked so timid and scared.

"Uh, sorry I frightened you, I didn't mean to. I thought that the people Mal's plannin' on doin' business with had decided to come pay us a visit. I warned him 'bout them..."

"What do you mean, you warned Mal?" she interrupted him. It looked like she had been crying. Her hair wasn't as neatly done as usually, either.

"Nothin'. Sorry I scared you." He was instinctively standing closer to her just in case there were to have been any unwanted visitors aboard the ship.

Adreana took a deep shaky breath. "That's alright. It's my fault for trying to pick this huge thing up in the first place. Could you just help me take it over to the corner there, please?" Jayne took it from her. She was trying to pull her hand away, but his fingers just lightly brushed hers. He felt an extreme surge of sadness. That was the moment he noticed that they had more in common than just their predicament. He was used to doing everything alone and independent. He always felt sure of himself. But not lately, not around her. He couldn't explain it, no matter how hard he tried. But he brushed the thought as far back in his mind as he could manage.

For a moment she looked into his eyes and then quickly pulled her hand away and turned toward the cupboard behind her. She was trying to look busy so that he wouldn't see that she was crying. She didn't want to, it was probably the stress of thinking the Alliance is going to get to them any minute. There had been rumours…She knew it was irrational, but still…When she finally turned back around, he was gone. He had left a white handkerchief on the table. She almost couldn't believe it. "I'll never understand men." She said with another sigh, picked up the hanky and blew her nose.

Part 2 of 3 : The job

The day of the job had finally arrived. Mal pulled Jayne aside at breakfast and had a serious chat with him. Mal had decided that everyone needed to go along on the job. "Jayne, I trust your judgement and your knowledge of the man we are dealing with. Before you start protest'n again, I would like to remind you that I am captain of Serenity. I talked to him last night to confirm that we were still on for the job today and he sounded a little funny. He insisted that the entire crew tag along. Just in case anything should happen, I want you to stay close to the ladies. Inara and Zoe have no trouble, could handle things themselves just fine, but I'm not so sure about River and Adreana. Adreana seems to be coming along with the knives and all, but throwing knives at a target is something completely different to throwing them at a man's head." In a way, it made sense for Jayne that the women also went along. Because what if they left them alone on the ship and couldn't get back to them in time…

"Trust me Mal. I won't let anythin' happen to them." Mal had never heard Jayne sound so convicted in all his time with him. Mal wondered why, but didn't have time to ask. Just as he opened his mouth Wash came hurrying in and reminded them that they had to be at the rendezvous point in less than half an hour and that the ship wasn't even planet side yet.

Jayne had become accustomed to Adreana's presence on the ship. Even when she and River would play hide and seek to pass the time while Adreana waited for results on some test on River's medication, he would tolerate them running around the ship. Hell, he even enjoyed it. Hearing laughter…joyful laughter. Adreana even caught him smiling a few times. She had asked him to join them once, but he declined with a snort and walked away. River had a field day with that one.

Mal had told everyone to go to bed early and get enough rest. Kaylee had borrowed one of Adreana's books and was returning it when Simon called her to help with some last stock taking in the lab. Adreana just smiled as Kaylee blushed and walked after him. He had come looking especially for her to help him. Adreana sincerely hoped she would find the same some day.

"Whoa, Nelly! Not to worry, just a little turbulence." Wash was having more trouble than usual landing Serenity.

The rest of the crew was waiting in the cargo area. Jayne was standing behind Adreana. He had brought his favourite gun, Vera, along. Just in case.

"Here" he whispered. "Just in case things get hairy" Adreana took the sheathed knife from Jayne. She refused to carry any type of gun with her. She looked at the knife for a few seconds before putting it in her belt and pulling her shirt over it.

"I thought you big, strong men were going to protect us woman-folk" she said in a comical cowboy voice.

"Nah, looks to me like the woman folk are more aggressive than us men" Jayne smiled (well, rather smirked) back at her.

"Do you really think this job is gonna go south?" Adreana was really worried. What if she did something to screw up the deal…

"Sure hope not." She could tell that he was also genuinely concerned and really worried.

"If it's alright with you, Mal, I'm going to stay a little behind you guys. Don't want them assosiatin' you with me at first glance…"

"That's fine, Jayne, just not too far behind…it already strikes me as suspicious that they wanted the entire crew to come and meet with them. And somehow I don't think their story about seeing if we were trustworthy is true." Adreana purposely walked behind Mal out in front. She could feel everyone's tension. River walked next to her and Zoe and Wash walked behind them. Kaylee and Simon walked a little farther behind. Adreana turned around to see where Jayne was. She couldn't see him anywhere. She had a very bad feeling about this job…

From the very first second they stepped into the house she knew. There was going to be trouble…big trouble. The man said that they were late and he wasn't going to pay what he said he would. A great deal less in fact. She had never seen Mal so serious. He was cool and calculated. He stated that they had had an agreement and he would have to pay them or they leave. The man looked around the room at the "small army of misfits" that Mal had brought, as he called them. "You afraid of little old me?" the man asked. Mal simply stated " pay us now or we go".

"I think our friends are gonna need some convincin' to move our special cargo." Some men that were cloaked in the shadows suddenly appeared. "You see Mal, we know all about your merry gang. Seems to be one missing though. But I know he will turn up sooner or later. A dog's never far from his master. Now, either you do what I say or you're all dead. By my hand, or the Alliance. Your choice. You all don't have any idea what you're worth to the Alliance at the moment.

Now I suggest your ladies get back on the ship to fix us some grub and you strong boys help us load the cargo." The cargo was definitely not pigs. It was crates, very heavy crates. It hit Adreana – they were smugglers. And their cargo was to valuable to them to let Mal transport it without them being present. It made sense. What if Mal had just desided to see what is in the crates? So that's why they wanted the ride. To pick up the money from the Alliance for their produce, as well as for Malcolm and the rest of his crew.

Everyone waited for Mall's reaction. He just turned around and motioned for everyone to follow him. The men started picking up the crates. Adreana never took Mal for a coward, so it didn't take long for her to figure out what his plan was. She took River by the hand and started walking to the ship. For a fleeting moment she looked at Mal and gave him a nod. He nodded back. Kaylee followed Zoe, who was leading, reluctantly. Zoe was intent on staying with Mal until the man threatened to shoot all of them. Inara had walked right behind Adreana and River.

"Mal is allowing them onto the ship because we are outnumbered and outgunned. He has no choice. But if we get a chance to take them, we have to be ready for it." Adreana thought out loud.

"Great! So you're ready for the big fight?" Jayne suddenly said sarcastically. "Think you can handle what's comin'?" Adreana just stared at him in surprise. She had never seen his face so grim and his eyes so cold. Not even on those few occasions when she first came to be part of the crew.

"What else can we do?" Inara said in a stern voice, having noticed the stunned look on Adreana's face.

"You could run. Run and hide as fast as your feet'll carry you. 'Cause you ain't got no idea who you're dealin' with, ladies." Jayne was really upset. Even more so than usual.

"We're not running, Jayne." Adreana got her voice back.

After considering the amount of conviction in her voice, Jayne continued: "Then I am beggin' you, just stay out of sight and let me handle this." It almost sounded as if he was pleading with her. Looking straight into her eyes she saw the urgency in his.

"Why?" She couldn't believe that this man could change so much in a matter of seconds.

"Please, just trust me." Adreana looked at Zoe, whom she knew didn't trust him for one split second.

"O.K. Jayne, we will stay out of sight, but near enough to provide backup if you guys need it. Can't let you boys have all the fun." Zoe said and Jayne had no choice but to only nod. Adreana could read the relief on his face. She couldn't understand why he was saying this, but she knew that there had to be a very good reason for his behaviour. He was after all a mercenary and, in her opinion, use to things like this. When he's not causing them his own self…

Just as they were settled into their hiding spots, the heavy door of the cargo area opened. There were three of the "farmer's" men with Mal and the others. Apparently things had gotten a little rough, as Simon had a bruise on his left cheek. Kaylee looked at Adreana. Adreana whispered, "Just wait, you'll get your chance to repay them".

Adreana wondered where Jayne was hiding. Last she saw of him was when he made sure they weren't noticeable in their spots.

A few seconds later all hell broke loose. It was as she had feared. Mal had planned an ambush only it hadn't quite worked out that way. Bullets were flying from where Mal, Wash, Simon and Book had taken cover behind several larger crates. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Jayne with Vera in his hand aiming at the big boss behind it all. Right after he shot the guy right between the eyes, he looked up into Adreana's eyes. It startled her. The anger, almost primal. She wondered why he had aimed for the furthest man who was posing no immediate danger. But she didn't have time to ponder. Zoe had joined in the action from where she was stationed on the ramp above the cargo bay. The shooting went on for a few seconds more when Mal finally shouted: "You had enough yet?" The men were out of bullets. One of the henchmen held up his gun with a "that we have".

Jayne stepped in to take his gun, but never noticed the other man sneaking up behind him. With a knife to Jayne's throat the man exclaimed in a triumphant voice: "Throw down your weapons and surrender or he dies. Seeing as we are still on the ground, your pilot can just take us to where we wanna go and the Alliance never has to know we saw you." He pressed the blade against Jayne's throat and a small stream of blood formed where the blade broke his skin. Adreana saw Jayne flinch. What came next, Adreana never imagined possible. For Jayne to be selfless and think of the others' safety. He simply stated: "if you do as he says you're all dead. Shoot him through me if you have to Mal, just don't let him live". Adreana couldn't believe it. He was being genuinely serious. She could feel it. Mal simply stood there. Adreana knew she had to do something to draw his attention away from Jayne and give Mal a chance to get a clear shot. She stood up from where she had been hiding and waited for him to notice her. "What the…"

"Suppose we do what you say, what becomes of us when we drop you three miscreants off?" Everyone looked at Adreana in utter surprise. She continued as calmly as she had started, without giving the man time to answer: "Let him go and we might do as you say." Her accent was perfect. Almost as good as Inara's.

The dirty bearded guy looked at her in amazement for a moment and evilly smirked the next. "So, you gonna offer yourself in his stead?" He laughed his vile laugh.

"That's not what I said…" She could see Jayne's expression change. She would have to explain her plan to him later. She found herself not wanting to hurt his feelings. Not wanting him to think that she wouldn't trade places with him in a heartbeat. But that thought would have to wait until another day.

"You let him go and maybe we'll let you live." She said as viciously as she could. He knocked Jayne's knees out from under him with his leg and let him drop to the floor and took out his pistol. It was aimed right at her head Adreana noticed with fright, her heart skipping a beat.

"Deal" he smirked like a spoiled child who had just gotten his way again.

"But until we get to the planet, me and my men have the run of the ship, understand? Anyone gets out of line, they get shot. Oh, and by the way, throw down your weapons and kick them over here. That's good. While we rest for a while, my compatriots will search the rest of the ship for any more weapons." And with that the other men collected every gun from every room on the ship they could find. Including Jayne's very impressive collection. Only the one man remained to watch the crew – Jayne getting very agitated at his prize possessions being treated so vially as the men returned one by one almost each with an armful of guns. They threw down Jayne's guns with not even an ounce of respect for their uniqueness!

"Steady there Jayne, you'll get your chance I promise!" Mal forcibly whispered to Jayne.

"What is there to stop you from killing us and taking our ship?" Mal's clear voice resounded across the cargo bay.

"Ah, hell, I might as well tell you. Our contacts on our destination planet know you by reputation as well as face, capt'n Reynolds. They will only take delivery and pay us if the goods are delivered by you. So you see my dilemma." Mal stepped out from behind the crate. Now the truth comes out, he thinks to himself. Maybe the men waiting for delivery is Alliance. Without another word to the men, he turned around and told Wash to set their course as if they didn't exist. Maybe they could play the men waiting for the delivery against these guys – causing a shootout wherein no one sees the crew of Serenity making off with the cargo, or the money, or money and cargo, whichever one comes first…Malcolm smiled to himself. "That was a clever plan if I have to say so myself…"

Inara took Adreana's hand and put her other arm around River's shoulders. Zoe walked up to Adreana and smiled. "Don't worry, I can see our captain already has a plan brewing…"

"I…I'm so sorry…I don't know what came over me…" Adreana started.

"Don't worry, everything will be alright" Kaylee gave her a brave smile, but somehow it wasn't any comfort.

The group of hijackers had taken up residence in the cargo area and was now seated on crates playing cards on one in the middle. One of them always had his gun in his hand. Ready for anything Mal and the others might try. As ready as Mal was to throw the trash out of his ship, he didn't want any member of his crew to get hurt. For their sake he would play it safe…for now…

The men didn't even give much notice when Mal and Simon carried their dead comrade to the infirmary. The women were in Inara's shuttle on Mall's orders. Adreana was staring down at her hands wondering were Jayne was when Mal came walking through the door. She immediately looked him in his eyes: "I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to do what I did, I don't know what came over me…I thought they were going to kill you guys…" she almost lost trying to battle back her tears. But he noticed the moisture in her eyes and crouched beside the chair where she was sitting. He took both her hands in his. She couldn't believe that it was admiration she read in his eyes. "You did good. I didn't expect that from you, but I must say that I am pleasantly surprised. We need Jayne on our side, and I don't much mind being alive my own self. You were right to do what you did. Now we have to figure out how to further this brilliant plan of yours. Don't look so surprised. I think I know you a little by now and that brain of yours works at the speed of white light. So, did you girls discuss your master plan while us boys were busy? You know using those womanly wiles and all? "He ended his speech in his old familiar joking tone of voice. When Inara threw him a intense frown, he continued: "Well, give it some thought, I have to go and find out what Simon did with the body. Can't have the thing stinking up my ship." She just couldn't believe how calm he was being. Even optimistic.

"I have to get a few things from my room. I'll see you again soon." Inara wanted to accompany Adreana, but she made the excuse that the men wouldn't come near the rooms and stay where they could keep an eye on the men, seeing as they thought the women didn't really pose a threat – with no weapons and all.

With a racing heart Adreana walked out of the shuttle. She didn't go to her room. She was starving and just had to get something to eat. So she walked to the mess hall. She was slicing some bread to eat when she heard footsteps behind her. She tried to turn around with the knife in her hand. But he was to fast for her. Before she could turn completely around she felt a hand over her mouth and an arm around her waist. Her heart almost stopped.

"Don't scream, it's just me." Jayne breathed into her ear. Suppressing a shudder she turned around slowly. Her eyes were wide with terror and her lips were trembling. He could see that she was near to crying. "You gonna give me another trophy with that?" he asked in a husky, hushed voice with his characteristic crooked smile. She snapped out of her trance and looked at the knife in her hand he was pointing at. "Trophy?" she asked, the look of bewilderment changing to puzzled. "Wha…what?"

"Another scar darlin'…when we have a moment I'll show you the rest of my scars. Chicks dig scars." She was surprised to find herself wanting to smile and letting out the breath she had been holding. Suddenly they heard that vile laugh again. "So, what do we have here? Two lovebirds, I gather. Not that I blame you, Jayne, I wouldn't mind getting' my hands on a nice piece of fresh meat like that…" He looked her over with his beady eyes. It almost made her physically ill. Jayne stepped in front of her. "You touch her and it will be the last thing you ever do in your life."

"You forget what you said at our last meeting, Jayne Cobb, mister macho man. If anyone could hear what you were sayin' through your cryin' like a baby." Adreana gripped the arm Jayne used to nudge her in behind him and was still holding her there. She felt him jolt at the man's words. "You won't ever have the pleasure of having me under your means of persuasion, Benjamin Blarni. This time the odds have changed. You're in my territory now and I will be watching you like a hawk. You come anywhere near her, and I will gorram skin you alive. That I swear." For a moment Adreana thought that the other man was going to pull out the knife she knew he had in his boot and kill both of them right then and there. But then Blarni gave another of his vulgar laughs and turned around. "When you and I square off, Jayne, you too will be armed proper-like. I'm a lot of things but a coward aint one of them ."

"If a coward doesn't stand by and watch a man get tortured within an inch of his life on his command, then I guess you ain't one. But understand this, you chose the wrong person to mess with this time. Me, I can handle myself, but if you harm a single hair on her head, I will look you in the eye as your final second in this 'verse passes.

Adreana couldn't believe what Jayne just said. Would he have said that if it were one of the others on the ship getting threatened? She decided to ignore the thought that had just sneaked into her mind. He said what he said because he apparently had a huge score to settle with this man called Blarni. After Jayne was sure the man had left, he turned around and they just stared into each other's eyes for a few seconds. "Thank you, Jayne" she said softly but seriously. And then just to ease the tension "that was the noblest thing I've seen you do so far". She quickly walked out of the room so that he wouldn't see her tear filled eyes. So quickly in fact, that she didn't hear him sigh. "Been a long time since I had anythin' to fight for 'cept my own ass" he added in a John Wayne kind of voice. If anyone else were around, they would be speechless. No one had ever heard Jayne make a joke with no filthy punch line before.

She was shaking like a leaf when she finally reached Inara's shuttle. Nobody asked what had happened. Inara just came to the door, put her arm around Adreana's shoulders and led her to a chair. After a lengthily silence, Adreana finally told them what had happened in the kitchen. "I don't believe it!" River exclaimed out of the corner. "What?" Adreana said, startled. "I told you so, I told you that one day a butterfly will whisper in your ear, do you remember?" Adreana almost started giggling, "Yes River, I remember".

"Let me tell you about the Dairanian butterflies…" and Inara told them about the wonderful insects and animals on one of the planets she often visits.

The deal had gone exactly like the men had said, except for the part where their customers refuse to pay them for the merchandise. Again a gunfight broke out. Only this time Mal and the rest of the crew were on the same side of the hale of bullets as the thugs that had tricked them in the first place. Everyone had to take cover anywhere they could, seeing as the middle of town didn't have much cover.

Adreana didn't know exactly how it happened, but she got separated from the rest of the crew and hid behind two crates. Mal rushed everyone into Serenity, which Wash had managed to get to and keep hovering above the raging fight. Only Adreana was too far. She motioned for them to take off without her. Jayne was drawing the fire of the two men remaining in order for the rest to get to the ship. "I'll come back for you two as soon as I can" Mal shouted over the mighty roar of Serenity's engines.

"Ship's runnin' low on fuel capt'n, we gotta go! We'll have to refuel and come back for them!" Adreana could feel Kaylee knew that Mal had no other choice. "Go! We'll be around here somewhere when you come back!" Jayne managed to shout before Wash took Serenity up.

She couldn't believe what had just happened. She closed her eyes and counted to three before looking to see where Jayne was hiding. He wouldn't be able to outshoot the two men, no matter how much of a well oiled machine he and Vera was. She looked over at him and judged the distance. The gunmen's attention wouldn't be on her, so maybe she could make it. No. She was going to make it. Three, two, one. She half crawled half rolled over to him and landed behind him. He didn't look at her directly, but she could feel that he also felt that that was the only logical plan to be had at that moment.

Suddenly a huge vehicle carrying hay passed in between them and the men that didn't seem to be running out of bullets. Jayne grabbed her wrist and pulled her to her feet. They ran to the nearest ally. It was actually a labyrinth of allies between the small dirty buildings of the town. They ducked behind a metal dumpster. It was already dusk. The dumpster was the same colour as the walls, which were the same colour as the greyish black starting to cover everything. She didn't hear the men pursuing, but sat as still as possible. She couldn't speak.

Her legs started to ache from being in an uncomfortable position.

She wasn't even aware of the fact that Jayne admired her more at that moment than he had admired any woman ever in his life. Not for the usual reasons he admired women, but for everything about her. Courage of her convictions above all and doing something she was afraid of just because she thought it was right.

She began to shiver. It had started raining some minutes after they took cover in the alley. Now it poured into the spot behind the big metal dumpster where they were hiding. All she could think about was how scared, wet, cold and hungry she was. She wanted to start crying. No, she wanted to die. Right then and there. She closed her eyes in an attempt to get hold of her emotions. She couldn't take it anymore.

"Anything would be better than this!" she sobbed onto her knees as she sat crouched in the corner formed by the dumpster and the corner of the adjacent alley.

"You're wrong about that, sweetheart." Jayne said just load enough for her to hear.

"It would be better to die from hunger or cold, than die at the hands of those sadistic bastards." She looked up at him. Something in his eyes gave her heart a shock. After a few seconds she risked asking. "What exactly did they do to you, Jayne?"

At that moment a cat sprang out from behind a few boxes and almost gave her a heart attack. Instinctively she grabbed the nearest thing to her, which was Jayne's shoulder. She pressed her face against his wet shirt and covered her other ear with her right hand. He too was caught a bit off guard. He acted on instinct as well. In a fraction of a second she was pressed against the wall and his body shielded hers. For a fleeting moment everything was silent, even the rain. All she could hear was the sound of their hearts beating wildly. Hers mostly from fear. Partially from something she did not yet want to admit to herself.

"We can't stay here overnight," he finally said. As he let go of her, her body immediately mourned the loss of heat his body had offered. It's true what they say: body heat is the best source of comfort. Better than the chocolate she had had so many months ago. She liked chocolate, white, brown, it didn't matter...it was the extreme hunger and pain in her left ankle talking now.

Adreana closed her eyes and began to pray. She wasn't sure for how long.

Jayne too was shivering now. She sat as close to him as possible. He tried to hide it, but she could see it in his eyes. He was scared. Scared that whoever was after them would find them. At first she was afraid that Mal and the others would just leave them there and get the hell out of Dodge. But it was only a fleeting thought. She knew they wouldn't. They were just laying low until it was safe enough for them to set foot on the planet again. She wished she could see into the future.

She couldn't help herself. She again felt as if she just wanted to cry. Never stop crying. She had always been proud of being able to keep her emotions on track, but these past few weeks had proven the opposite. She felt so out of control. So very lost. But she again remembered the words of her grandfather that had kept her going through all the tough situations in her life: "Always be thankful for what you have, it could have been worse. They may have you cornered, but you never, NEVER give up."

Jayne was right. The worst thing would be for the men to catch them. She didn't want to ask about what had happened to him again, but from what she could gather, he had good reason to feel that way. At least they still had hope.

If the Alliance caught her, they would surely find a way to make her tell them where the Tamm's where and if the people that were after them now caught them…Suddenly a thought sprang to her mind. What if they could outsmart the men by making them think Jayne would do anything they asked him to. "Jayne…" she whispered. "Shhh! You wanna get us ruttin' caught!" he forcibly whispered (or rather snarled).

"Why don't…" she started.

And exactly at that moment they heard voices. Jayne put his hand over her mouth. Just hard enough to quiet her. Three men were approaching. "These two alleys converge into a dead end alley around the next corner, Fred. They wouldn't hide in a dead-end alley. Jayne might be stupid, but he's not that stupid. Not when it comes to things like this. He probably headed for the nearest ship. Let's try the docking bay. When, not if, we find them, I got dibbes on the girl. She would be a fine addition to my collection." He paused for a few seconds, just to make his disgusting point and then smiling suggestively added: "If you know what I mean." They broke out in hysteric laughter that made Adreana want to gag. She couldn't look at Jayne. "Not while I'm still breathin'." Jayne said, more to himself. Not seeming to notice that he had spoken out load. They heard another noise from farther in the alleys and froze.

Jayne dropped his hand from her mouth and just sat like a statue. About five minutes went by. It might sound short, but when fearing for one's life, a second can feel like a lifetime. Adreana looked around. For the first time she noticed that Jayne was holding his breath. She looked for something else to keep her mind off the situation…to keep her from going crazy and start screaming when something caught her eye.

She had never noticed the scars on Jayne's face before. Then again, she had never been so physically close to him before. His beard hid those on his chin very well, but she could see the scar running from his temple (just outside his eye socket) halfway down his cheek. It was a very thin line. Almost transparent. She reached out to trace it with her index finger. When she touched his skin, he turned his head towards her slowly and said in a hushed voice, eyes downcast, "Yup, that one was the handy work of that big redheaded guy you saw earlier. And not the only souvenir he left me with after our encounter." He paused looking up into her green eyes as she looked at the scar. The look on her face wasn't the one of disgust he was anticipating. And was something else. Then he moved his head away slowly, just out of her reach. She could tell, he hadn't told anyone about what had happened to him. It's ironic, she thought. The people who act like they don't need any help or affection, usually need it the most. Adreana knew that to be true all too well. The men were gone far enough now.

Part 3 of 3 : Safely home

"Come on, we can't stay here, we'll freeze to death. It's just the climate of this planet. Hot by day and freezing by night. Don't worry, I know a place where we can stay." Jayne was still whispering.

Adreana hesitated. She looked up at Jayne and realised that her legs weren't getting the signal from her brain to get up, probably from crouching in an uncomfortable position for so long. So very long.

He apparently picked up on her emotions and offered her his hand. She took it and in one fluent motion she was standing beside him. He was gentler than she thought he would be. She had known his body must be strong, watching him working out on the ship, but she never expected him to be gentle…STOP! For goodness sake Adreana; she scolded herself. It must be shock. Yup, definitely shock making her think and feel like this.

They walked for a long time, or so it felt to her, until they reached a small tavern in one of the darker parts of the rustic town. She had been walking close to Jayne the whole way. She held on to his arm tighter than she realised, but he let her be.

"Hello Jayne! Funny seeing you after all these years!" the short fat man walking up to them exclaimed. "But you haven't seen us, understand Vernon?" Jayne stated rather than asked. "Very well, can I offer you a room for the night?"

"Please." Adreana only half realised that she had spoken. "I could give you your regular room if you like, Jayne, it looks like your beautiful wife is very tired. How'd a guy like you end up with a pretty thing like her andyway?" And before Jayne could state that they aren't married or slap the guy, he stuffed the keys to the room in his hand.

"Thanks." Adreana didn't even care anymore, she was too tired. Physically as well as emotionally. She rubbed her eyes. Jayne led her up the creaking wooden stares to a room.

"You wait here, I have to speak to the innkeeper." Not five minutes after he had left the room, Adreana fell into a deep sleep. She didn't even realise that there was only one reasonable small bed in the room. She just climbed under the covers and fell asleep.

Jayne came in half an hour later. He just stood there and stared at her for a few minutes. He wished he could be like her. So strong and yet so sensitive and caring. She knew just how to express her emotions. Even when she was angry. Come to think of it, especially when she's angry. He couldn't help but smile. He thought of the debates they had at dinner about the knife throwing techniques and how she could do it better. Always the over-achiever. That's just part of what made her so special to him. Perseverance. The thought hit him like a ton of bricks. She was actually special to him. It would hurt him if he lost her. He was thrown by this sudden realisation. Being attached to another human being, on whatever level. He pushed the thought as far back in his mind as was humanly possible. "It's this gorram funny climate on this planet. Making me think funny." he muttered to himself as he quietly walked over to the chair on the other side of the small room.

Adreana woke with a start from the nightmare of being chased, but never quite being caught. She sat up and looked around in the darkness. Her face was covered in cold sweat. As her eyes adjusted to the dark she started to realise what had happened. She took a deep breath to slow her heartbeat and clear her head. She was in the bed in the small room they rented. Jayne…where was Jayne…he left her there…She remembered what Zoe had told her about his past. No, he wouldn't leave her there. She felt a strange connection to him she couldn't quite express in words. She looked around the room. Her mind racing. Realising that someone else was there. She heard Jayne's raspy, but deep and even breathing. She was actually surprised that he wasn't snoring. As quietly as she could, she got up and took the extra blanket from the foot of the bed. Walking over to Jayne she realised that he must be sleeping in the chair because she was sleeping on the only small bed in the room. She instinctively felt that he had been watching over her sleeping until he couldn't force himself to stay awake anymore.

She felt a twinge of pity for him. He only had himself to depend on. She also only had herself basically. Sure, the others were there. But they didn't understand. That was why she had an instant non-verbal connection with him. Even if she wanted to ignore it at first. Her train of thought was derailed by him adjusting his position in the chair. It must be very uncomfortable for someone of his size, she thought. She slowly walked over and covered him with the blanket. It wasn't exactly big enough, but it would have to do. For a moment she almost gave in to the urge of running her fingers over his short hair. The strange moonlight of the planet shining in through the window softened his features almost to the extent of making him look peaceful. Adreana couldn't fall asleep again, so she went to the small bathroom, shut the door and washed up a little. She wanted to take a long hot bath, but she didn't want to wake Jayne. Instead she just let some water run in the sink. She didn't have any make-up with her, of course, but she felt much better at least being clean. It dawned on her that she hadn't worn any make-up in months. It's funny how things like vanity just seem to disappear when your life is in danger. It also makes you think about other things in life more important than money and social status. Like acceptance, understanding, empathy and love…

She heard a small crash coming from the room.

"…gorramit!. Jayne had woken up and stood up too fast. He almost tripped over the blanket trying to get up. She heard two footsteps. "Adreana time to…Adreana?" he forcibly whispered. She quickly opened the door. The bathroom was only lit by one candle but it was enough light to cause a hallow of soft hair to be accentuated around her face. He couldn't help noticing how much she looked like the angels in the Children's Bible his mother used to read to him every night before he went to sleep.

"Jayne, it's O.K. I just wanted to clean up a bit…Why are you standing there like Lot's wife? Don't you want to clean up too? I think you at least need a long hot shower…your gettin' kinda stinky." She tried to use the humour to diffuse the feeling of embarrassment of him just staring at her.

"Well, as long as hot water is available, I ain't gonna waste it." Back to the old Jayne. "Wanna join me?" he added with his familiar suggestive lopsided grin. He was already half way into the bathroom and turned around. She stepped in front of him and shut the door.

"You wish." She added triumphantly. She could only imagine the look on his face on the other side of the door. Mind games are a fun pastime when you're running (and hiding) for your life. She wallowed in the irony of the situation for a moment before slowly walking over to the window. Usually people play mind games to get what they want, not to hold on to their sanity. She had to admit, she couldn't help contemplating taking him up on his invitation… but only for a VERY short second.

She stood there for about ten minutes just staring at the sky when she noticed a faint movement in the shadows. At first she thought that it was only her imagination, but there it was again. She was sure she was hidden behind the curtain but she still had the distinct feeling that the person lurking in the dark was looking through the windows of the rooms. She couldn't move. The thought of being found…"Jayne!" it was a desperate whisper. Afraid to speak any louder she tried again. "Jay…"

"Be quiet, I heard you the first time. Get away from the window. No! Back up slowly. That's right." Adreana slowly walked backwards towards the bed and sat down.

"I knew they'd be lookin' for us, just didn't figure they'd find us so fast." Jayne was staring out the window. She couldn't quite see his face, but she could feel his mixture of emotions. Fear, anxiousness and anger.

"We have to go. Get the blanket and wrap it around your shoulders, its real cold outside. Put your scarf over your head. I'll put this hat on. " Jayne was already half way out the door.

The innkeeper helped them to sneak out the back door. He even gave Adreana the blanket as a gift, as well as some bread rolls. "That husband of yours has done more than his fair share for me, little lady…look after him good, he needs a woman like you" Vernon flashed her a semi-toothless grin. She didn't speak while they were creeping from alley to alley.

She knew that Jayne was coming up with a plan. "This is how its gonna work. We make our way to the nearest docking bay. But we stay well hidden and move fast. I'm sure they'll be watchin' most of the bays, but they can't be everywhere at once." Yup, he had a plan alright. And it made sense.

"Alright Jayne. I trust you."

"…uh…yeah, just stay close and try not to make too much noise. Just like you woman folk, always jackin' about somethin'." Adreana knew Jayne was trying to make conversation to steady their nerves, so she gave a chuckle and nudged him to start walking. "Yeah, and you don't like ladies that like conversation too much…" she added just for good measure, turning around to check if someone wasn't following them, more that he shouldn't see the smile on her face.

One of the docking bays, 40 minutes later

Out of nowhere guns started firing, Jayne yelled for her to take cover.

Adreana would remember that moment forever. The way his big muscular body hit the ground. He had jumped in front of her when the third shot was fired. He pushed her out of the way. She fell to the ground. She thought he was dead. She was alone! She pretended to be dead too. If they thought that she wasn't alive, they would have no further use for her.

"That's good enough, Joe, let the scavengers take care of the carcases." She heard their footsteps fade. All she could think about was getting to Jayne and getting his body out of the open. Who knows what kind of animals were on that evil planet.

He was lying on his side with his back to her. She had never touched a dead body before. Not even in the Alliance Lab. But this wasn't just any dead body. This was Jayne. She reached for his shoulder and turned him on his back. She just looked at his face with her tear filled eyes. She saw the crimson circle of blood on his left shoulder increasing in size. She took his hand in hers. Suddenly she saw his chest move slightly and heard a soft moan. He was still breathing! Now she wanted to cry of happiness. It started to rain again softly.

"Jayne! Please hear me. We have to get out of here. I know your hurt, but please…" Adreana pleaded, she knew that there was no way she would be able to move him without his assistance. Slowly he opened his eyes. "No, don't say anything, just try to move your right arm and get it around my neck. "

She couldn't lift him. They where going to die right there in this creepy, dusty town. She involuntarily started thinking about people who would miss either of them if they died. She was shocked by the thought that there wasn't many. Family…friends…Who was this stranger that she had gotten so close to? Where did his mother and father live if they were still alive? If he died, she would miss him…it was a scary thought. She didn't even really know any of the details of his life. Except the not so nice ones she had heard from the crew.

She had always been use to looking after herself and only worrying about how she was going to survive. She couldn't believe it. The bond between them. She needed for him to live, so she decided to drag him behind the only bushes she could see in the near vicinity. It's true what they say: you really do have super human strength when your adrenalin is pumping. At least they were out of sight now. Hidden under the blanket of darkness. He was totally unconscious now. Her mind was blank. She wasn't even aware that she was holding onto his hand as if her life depended on it, and that he was squeezing her hand.

17 minutes later

Her mind was still blank. She couldn't think of any plan. She became aware of the noise getting louder, closer. Suddenly it hit her: it's Mal! She would know that roar of Serenity's engine anywhere! She remembered her first night on the ship. She had fallen asleep listening to the soft, peaceful humming of the engine.

Adreana jumped out of their hiding place and frantically started jumping up and down despite the agonising pain in her angle. Wash landed Serenity a ways away, but as soon as she touched ground, the cargo bay door swung open, and Mal, Zoe, Wash and Kaylee came out (or rather ran out).

"You didn't really think we would leave you here, little lady?" Wash offered her a reassuring smile.

"Not for a second…but we can discuss an improvement on your flying speed later. First help me get Jayne to the doctor. He's real heavy." Jayne, who had regained some consciousness tried to protest, but suddenly felt so light-headed he couldn't even get himself 5 centimetres off the ground. Everything went dark before his eyes. The last thing he could remember was Adreana's concerned face.

"Just the blood loss. Doc'll have him running about again in no time." Mal smiled at her as he motioned to Zoe to come and help him carry Jayne's 6'4 frame into the ship before the ruckus caught the attention of any of the locals.

"Glad to see you survived us abandonin' you for a few hours…" Mal did feel bad about having to leave them.

"Thank you for risking your lives to save us, Mal. Again." That was all Adreana could say…all she needed to say.

"Are you hurt?" Simon asked Adreana in his clinical voice after Mal and Zoe had taken her and Jayne directly to the sickbay.

"Minor bumps, bruises and scratches, I think I twisted my ankle a tad," she replied, "but Jayne was shot in the shoulder. Please take a look before it starts to develop an infection. He went down hard and also hit his head. I'll hand you some sterilised bandages. It looks like the bullet went straight through". Simon motioned for Mal and Zoe to put Jayne down on the bed. By that time Jayne had regained consciousness and after a lengthily "discussion" Simon finally managed to cut Jayne's shirt off where it had already gotten stuck in the dried blood. Adreana wiped away the blood from the wound with a cloth soaked in antiseptic.

"Hey, that ruttin' stings!" Jayne exclaimed.

"Oh, don't be such a big baby." she said with a serious face but couldn't quite keep the smile from her eyes.

"We have to get you ship shape, Jayne." She stated.

"Why?" he asked puzzled.

"So you can save my ass next time I get us into hot water…" she smiled at him.

"So…there's gonna be a next time? You think you'll be able to stand being on a ship and in situations that almost get you killed?" Mal asked trying to sound funny, but still serious enough for Adreana to feel obligated to answer the question.

"Absolutely, sir! I mean it was actually my fault that I was in that situation in the first place. If I hadn't…"

"No, don't go thinking like that, child." Book had come into the infirmary unnoticed. "That is the worst poison there is to the body and soul. Thinking about what could have happened had we made another choice. We are thankful that both of you are safe."

She gave him a thankful smile.

The anaesthesia Simon had given Jayne was taking effect. Simon was going to have to clean out the wound because the bullet he was shot with was home made. Covered in some sort of slow acting cytotoxic poison. "It's not…not your fault…Adrea…" Jayne slurred before going out like a light.

"I know, but still…" she said more to herself than to anyone.

"It truly wasn't. I honestly believe that everything happens to us for a reason. And if this didn't happen for any other reason, it happened to make both of you stronger." Book led her to the kitchen to get something to eat.

Adreana slept pretty much the entire next day. So did Jayne in the infirmary. It was almost suppertime when Simon woke Jayne and River went to get Adreana.

As was expected the conversation at the dinner table revolved around the happenings of the previous day. Adreana felt that she had talked so little to the people she was going to spend a great deal more time with, that she decided to tell the story. Jayne let her. As he listened to her, he realised she felt that the whole situation was her fault. Including him getting shot. He had to think of something clever to say to make her feel better. So, he decided on: "You know…I wouldn't much mind saving an ass like yours every once in a while…" Adreana was caught off guard and looked at Jayne, then at Simon with shock written all over her face. She was surprised to see Simon go beet red in the face. Jayne saw it too. And for the first time, they laughed together. There was a bond between them nobody else would ever understand, and yet it brought peace to both their hearts. At least for a little while. Peace and happiness for a little while is better than never having it at all.

Mal pulled Adreana a little to the side and in his best fatherly voice said: "You do deserve to be looked after. The way I see it, you've made a lot of friends on this ship. You never have to feel alone again, ever. And if I hear that you felt sorry for yourself…I'll put you across my knee and give you a royal spanking!" Everybody broke out into hysterical laughter.

Adreana did her best to look angry, but had to start laughing eventually. She laughed so hard her sides hurt. When it had died done some, Jayne stated: "hey, I'll do the spankin' around here!" The laughter broke out all over again.

"In your dreams!" Inara said with a very pretentious look on her face.

"Oh, like you wouldn't believe!" Jayne stated with conviction. Adreana couldn't take it any more and said: "Please, enough already! Can we continue this conversation tomorrow? I'm so tired and I don't think my stomach muscles can take much more of these shenanigans…"

"Sure, I understand you youngins should be in bed early, so that's it for tonight. Round 2 tomorrow then?" Mal always knew exactly what to say.

"Fine, but tomorrow it's my turn, K?" Wash stated.

"Yes, dear." Zoe pulled him up by the arm and they said goodnight. River looked directly at Adreana and spoke in a clear voice with a perfect British accent:" So, you see, you have all these strong men looking after you, watching out for you, so your body won't get hurt. And you even have someone looking after your heart, keeping it safe, my dearest darling."

"Thank you, River." Adreana just giggled. Simon said that River talked in meaningless riddles, but sometimes…

Adreana almost couldn't believe how little worldly possessions these people had, and yet they were so happy. She now knew that everything truly does happen for a reason and she was looking forward to many more adventures with the crew of Serenity, class one flying hotel!

The end (for now)