Shades of the Past – Chapter One

In the months following the episode in the galley, Jayne and River grew to be almost inseparable, much to the consternation of her brother. The doctor was more and more agitated by the growing closeness between the two, and his attempts to aggravate Jayne grew more and more abusive.

Strangely, Jayne ignored them. Not once, in the time since Miranda, had Jayne been in any way out of line. He allowed Simon's barbs to roll of his back like water, never rising to take the bait.

Finally, the rest of the crew began to see that Jayne had changed a great deal, and as a result, grew more and more displeased with Simon. Simon's frustrations were only heightened by this, and by his failed attempts to reconcile with Kaylee. The little engineer had made it clear, in no uncertain terms, that she and the good doctor where done.

Finally, with the ship well out into the black on a cargo run from Persephone, Simon went to far.

The crew was at dinner. Jayne was sitting in his usual place, with River on one side, and Kaylee on the other. The three were laughing and joking quietly, and Jayne was telling a story from his own past, one where he had been the butt of an awful joke. He was laughing as hard as everyone else at the table, Inara included.

"So, anyway," Jayne said between mouthfuls, "here I am, no clothes, no money, no comms. It had to be three miles to the ship, and the cap'n wasn't one to wait on lost crew members, or even check on them, unlike Mal. I had maybe thirty minutes to get on board, or, well, be left. So, I grab two trash can lids, one front and one back, and start sneaking through alleyways, trying to get to the docks without anyone seeing me."

"I was about halfway there, cutting through a back alley, and suddenly a door opens, and I'm standing in front of an old lady, eighty if she was a day. I'm expecting her to start yelling, maybe call the law or something, and trying to stammer my way through an explanation, when she smiles at me."

"No doubt the owner of some whore house, recognizing you," Simon snorted suddenly, interrupting. The table went still suddenly. Mal's eyes narrowed dangerously, but rather than address Simon, he turned to Jayne.

"And?" he asked, smiling.

"Well," Jayne started, hesitating a bit. "Anyway, she smiles, right? I'm just stunned. Totally caught off guard. She smiles again, and motions for me to come inside. About that time I thought 'no way is she thinking what I think she's thinking'. I mean, here I am, nekkid as the day I was born. . ."

"Hatched is more like it," Simon cut in again. "No, wait. Apes are born live, Jayne. Sorry about that." He snickered nastily at his own humor. The table again fell silent, and this time Mal didn't let it pass.

"Doctor, if you can't pass a peaceable meal, then leave this table to those of us who can, dong ma?" Simon looked to Mal, incredulous.

"You'd send me from the table, and allow this. . .this, baboon to stay?" he spluttered.

"Yes, and I'm doing just that, right now," Mal nodded, his patience gone. "Go. Tend to your infirmary, go to bed, whatever you like, but leave this table. Now." Mal's voice was iron.

"Fine!" Simon snarled, pushing his chair back and standing. "Come, River, we're not wanted here, it seems." River looked up at Simon, and he was shocked to see pity in her eyes.

"No one said anything about River," Mal spoke again, his voice low. "Just you."

"If you think I'm leaving my sister here with. . ." Simon yelled, stopping when Mal stood.

"River can do as she pleases," the Captain said firmly. "She's a woman grown, and an equal part of this crew. Now leave. This. Table. Don't make me tell you again."

Simon looked as if he were about to erupt. He looked at River, who was still regarding him with pity, then at the rest of the crew. He found no sympathy there, either. How could they side with Jayne, of all people, against him. Didn't they see how much better he was?

Finally, throwing his napkin down on the table, he stomped out of the galley. Tension slowly left the table, as the others returned to their meal. River picked at her food, torn between loyalty to her ge ge, and to the family that had taken them in when they had nowhere left to run. The people who had shed blood over them, lost loved ones over them, and helped her to heal.

"Don't," Jayne's voice rumbled quietly beside her. She looked up at him, eyes wide.

"I ain't a reader," he chuckled. "Don't have to be to know what's in your pretty head. You do as you please, how it suits you to do. Like Cap'n said, you're an equal part of this crew."

River smiled, pleased at Jayne's endorsement of her status. She was the pilot now, and an extra gunhand, when needed. She also helped sort out traps and dishonesty for Mal. She was making her own money, and had found her place.

"I'm sorry, Captain," she turned to Mal, eyes wide with sincerity. "I don't. . ."

"No need, lil albatross," Mal stopped her, raising a hand. "I don't know what Simon's issues are. . .well, okay, I do, but still. He's him, and you are you. The two of you aren't a unit. You ain't accountable for him, nor is he for you anymore. The two of you are equals on this boat. You want to go, you can. You want to stay and finish, you're welcome to." Mal's voice indicated that the discussion was over, so far as he was concerned.

"Cap'n," Kaylee said, from Jayne's other side. "Me and River's been talking some, and well, we was hoping you'd sorta, well, maybe let us bunk together. Maybe we could add a bunk to my room? It'd be all kinds o' shiny. Please?" Kaylee trotted out the puppy eyes, the look that Mal couldn't say no to, no matter what. Mal brightened.

"Now that's a fine idea! I conjur you two would make good roomies, and be a spot o' comp'ny to one 'nother. Jayne, what d'ya think? Can we do that? Can you fix a bunk rack in Kaylee's room?"

"Sure thing, Captain," Jayne nodded after a moment of thought. "Have to lower Kaylee's rack, and then just add one on top for River. Take a few hours at most. We got a spare bunk?"

"Yes," Zoe answered that one. "Remember the bed you bought for us? The rack you took out is in storage." Zoe had managed to say it without a look of pain on her face. Jayne and Kaylee had spent most of their money from a job on a larger rack for Wash and Zoe's bunk for their one year anniversary, and the large merc had installed it himself.

"Forgot 'bout that, Zo'," Jayne mumbled, looking at the table. He kicked himself mentally for not remembering.

"Don't worry about it, Jayne," Zoe smiled softly at the look on his face, one she never expected to see. "But the rack should work."

"Well, then, that's all settled and shiny," Mal smiled with a nod. "'spect you can fix that up for them tomorrow, Jayne?" When Jayne nodded, both girls squealed, hugging first Jayne, and then Mal. Mal eyed them both with mock trepidation.

"Am I gonna have to listen to a lot of that sort of stuff, coming through the walls ever night?" he asked, trying to maintain a straight face.

"We love our captain!" both girls chanted at once, and then flew from the room, headed for Kaylee's bunk to see what they could do. Jayne smiled as he watched them go, and shook his head. He looked at Mal with a grin.

"Glad they ain't next to me, Captain. Reckon you'll be up walking the halls now." Mal, Zoe and Inara all laughed at that.

"Be worth it, to see them two act a bit more sprite," Mal said, his laugh dying off. He turned serious then.

"Jayne, I know that Simon has been riding you hard, and I'm reckoning I owe you a thank you for not taking his head off afore now. And an apology for not stoppin' it sooner." Jayne shook his head.

"Owe me no such thing, Captain," the big man replied quietly. "I needled ol' doc right good before. Only gettin' some of his own back, I expect. And it ain't your doing, to apologize for either. Don't let it bother you. I don't." With that Jayne went back to his meal. Zoe and Inara exchanged glances, and Mal joined in.

Everyone knew how different Jayne was since Miranda, but this was. . .Jayne was actually taking the blame for Simon mouthing off at him?

Mal looked at Zoe, then to Inara, and nodded his head toward the bridge, a clear signal that he wanted them to leave him and Jayne alone. Both women excused themselves, and the First Mate and ex-Companion started out of the room, talking about dresses. Mal waited until their voices were distant, then considered his mercenary.

Was mercenary even the right term anymore? Mal wondered. Jayne hadn't mentioned money in a long time. In fact he hadn't mentioned much of anything since before Miranda.