The Hourglass,

Written by WickedSong.

Part IV: Revisiting Ariel.

Jayne wonders, decides and atones.

Jayne'd be the first to admit that he never wanted the doc'n his moonbrain of a sis' on board Serenity. Hauling around two known fugitives on the boat that was already tryin' to fly under the Alliance's radar only made gettin' jobs harder which made gettin' coin harder which made Jayne's life harder. It also didn' help his mood.

Hell, he sent a fair share of his earnings back home, for his brothers'n sisters, but 'specially for his ma who was sick with some illness that she'd always had. Jayne didn' understand all that well what it was but knew enough to know it was bad'n any coin to get some extra medicine was coin he needed.

Even the fact that he once turned the pair in himself ('n would've run with the reward if he had got it, which means he's always a mite guilty around 'em even though it's been years) don' stop Jayne from grumblin' around the boat, like everybody else, when the news comes through the cortex feed. The doc has been found guilty of 'terrorism', treated like a war criminal'n was to be executed for it. The doc's only real crime'n the eyes of the Alliance was breaking his crazy sis' out of that place that cut her brain up.

For all of Jayne's complaints about the core boy he found that to be the one thing that was mighty noble of him.

The pair had found an uneasy truce after Miranda and it had improved some since they visited Jayne's home planet. While the doc couldn't get rid of his ma's illness altogether, he made it so it was at least somethin' she could live with more easily.

While his ma had squeezed the doc in a hug to say thanks, Jayne had grunted his own'n nodded his head and he figured that was enough.

Doc must've figured so too.

When the news comes over the cortex, the girl goes crazy, as usual, mutterin' to herself, fiddlin' with controls nervously.

"Gorramit, Mal, tell her to stop that!" is Jayne's immediate response. The girl has a way of damaging his calm'n since she had become the pilot of Serenity it had only got worse.

But it's Kaylee who puts a calming hand on the girl's hand and she stops whatever it is she's doing quickly enough. Kaylee who looks like she's trying not to cry and go crazy her own self.

Jayne don't know exactly what he can say, neither does anyone else if their faces are anything to go by. He sees Mal try to speak but he really can't say anythin', and 'Nara tries to use some of those comfortin' words but Jayne knows that it means absolute go se in the end. Zo' seems to be the only one who knows that fact as well, so all she can do is take Lil's hand and leave the bridge.

There's not much anyone can do now for him. He's in Alliance hands'n unless they want to go in with some sort of death wish, Jayne ain't exactly clear on how that's going to change.

He don't hate the doc as much anymore, of course not, he actually respects him in some sort of way, but he don't know if he can afford to die for him.

Later on he finds out that the fact the doc is dying at all ain't even the worst of it. Zo' tells him that it's going to be a public execution, people all around, in daylight, outside. The Alliance proving their ruttin' point.

Jayne can't think 'o a better or worse way to die.

And that's when Mal comes to 'em with the plan.

"So we're all to lay down and die for 'im, Mal?" asks Jayne around the table. When he's rewarded with glares from 'Nara'n Zo', as well as Mal, he shrugs. "I don't min' the doc no more, but the way I see it is that he gave us a chance to run. So why'n the hell shouldn't we take it?"

Mal stands, both hands on the table, looking the merc dead in the eye. "'Cause we don' leave behind crew, even if they are stupid, too-noble-for-their-own-good-doctors." He leans back a little. "'Sides, I appear to recall you owin' the good doctor or should me'n you take a trip back to the airlock?"

Just from that Jayne knows he don't mean because the doc helped his ma.

A minute passes with Jayne looking from 'Nara to Zo'n then to Mal again. Ariel had been a secret 'tween just the two of 'em since it had happened, well apart from the doc'n his sis' who had never even brought it up again.

Shifting in his seat, trying to think of what to say 'fore 'Nara'n Zo' get suspicious, Mal speaks up once more, savin' Jayne the trouble. "But I ain't gonna force you, Jayne. Just know this plan goes 'head with or without you an' that's the end of the discussion."

Jayne don't know how to reply'n don't even get the chance to when footsteps are heard and 'Nara stops speaking at the sight of Kaylee in the kitchen doorway.

She don't speak to them, no one's been able to talk to her since the news 'bout the doc and 'fore that she's been dedicating most of her time to fiddlin' 'bout in the engine room. Jayne was'n charge of takin' her dinner one night'n just left it outside without a word, not knowin' how to talk to her at all 'bout it.

On top of that, they've hardly seen moonbrain at all. Includin' all of them being gathered 'round the bridge today, Jayne can count the 'mount of times he's seen her the past few weeks on one hand. She spends most of the time holed up in the bridge flyin' (which makes Jayne more'n nervous) or on 'er own or hidin' out somewhere on the boat.

When Kaylee leaves the kitchen without a word, Jayne curses 'imself 'cause he's reminded of just what they lost, even before the doc got arrested. Jayne misses the Shepherd and Wash, and damn if they lose not just another person, but another father (a man should be a man'n be there for his child) without any sort of fight. Maybe it is time to make up for Ariel, and 'sides, the doc has patched 'im up plenty 'o times, so maybe it is just returnin' the favour.

"Count me'n."

Oh I don't know how I did with that tbh. Jayne was hard for me to write because I feel like I would've liked him more if we had had more of him, and seeing him change and grow from Jaynestown/Ariel-onwards, you know? So anyway, this is still a continuing set of oneshots but, as I have not really planned what these smaller oneshots will be, we'll just have to see where the muse for this particular 'verse throws me next!