Do Something Right
Book had read his bible everywhere, at the kitchen tale (even after Mal had informed him it was bad-manners), in bed, while bench-pressing. Hell, probably even in the bath. Jayne had tried not to consider that. It had baffled the big merc who never had much time for book-learning, or religion for that matter. But his ma had raised him well, and he knew all the fables and such. Cain and Abel. That had something to do with sibling rivalry, way his ma told it. She had sat him and his little brother Mattie down one day after theyíd been fist-fighting, and informed them that they would be on the next train to Hell if they didnít mend their ways. Jayne never fought his brother again. She never said anything about everybody else though.
The Shepherd's death was shocking. That someone so inherently good could be slain so cruelly shook all those values his ma had instilled in him. What point was there in praying to that elusive God, if go se like this would happen? 'Course, Book would've said some such about that not being the point of faith. That believing in something, anything, was preferably to nothing at all. Jayne didn't get that, but he didnít question it either.
000000000000000000000If you can't do something smart, do something right. Jayne remembered the words heíd repeated to the crew as he fought the overwhelming number of Reavers bearing down on them. It didn't seem like there was a higher power. It felt like this was the punishment for a life time of sins. They were always the opposite of faithful and it had finally come back to bite them on the ass.
000000000000000000000The doc went down, slamming backwards with the impact of the bullet. Inara cried out, and the half paralysed Kaylee twisted her head to see what had happened. Simon's slip of a sister whispered something to him and jumped through the closing doors, into the swarm of bloodthirsty Reavers. Jayne was scared, so scared now. All that was keeping those monsters from ripping him limb from limb was River Tam. He didnít hold out much hope.
000000000000000000000You can't fix faith, it fixes you. The doors eased back slow, painfully slow. Jayne winced at the oncoming attack that never came. Light silhouetted River's lithe form, a scythe clutched in one hand, and a mean-looking sword in the other. Parts of dead Reavers lay about her. Jayne laughed. The girl gorram did it!
000000000000000000000The newly painted Serenity lifted off the platform. Mal in Wash's vacant seat, little River curled like a cat in the opposite one. She watched his every movement, cataloguing them under the 'will need to know later' part of her brain. Kaylee and Simon had long since disappeared, and no one cared to go searching for them. Zoe spent most all of her time in her and her late husband's quarters, but that was to be expected. Jayne did what he always did, polished his guns and worked out. The sense of loss was great within the ship, but a new hope blossomed. There were no Alliance operatives on their tails (for the moment at least). They just had to keep the faith, and things would run smoothly.
"What was that?" Mal yelled, in response to a clanking somewhere to the rear of Serenity.
Maybe.