A Matter of Life and Death

Chapter four: No Power in the 'Verse

"Now remember: no talkin' to strangers," Kaylee adjusted Jacob's coat and wiped the grease smudge off his cheek, "Always aim for the kneecaps; don't shoot without direct orders; and, for God's sake, don't let Cap'n drive the mule."

"That's right, Jacob," Simon put an arm around Kaylee and set a hand on his son's shoulder, "And if there's shooting, it's okay to leave them to die. Well, not your aunt; but it's okay to leave Jayne to die. He can take it."

"Mom, Dad, I'm gonna be fine," Jacob scoffed, hugging his parents close.

They were unconvinced.

"C'mon, you guys know me," he tried to laugh off their worried expressions, "Besides, I'll have River with me!"

"Okay," Kaylee finally smiled and wrapped her arms around her son, "Be safe."

"Seriously, Mom," he chuckled, embracing his mother and father, "What's the worst that could happen?"

"Okay, so," Mal held his hands aloft, slowly backing away from the fuming bar patrons, "My coat's sort of a brownish colour. It's not the end of the gorram world. There's lots of fellers in there with brownish coats on."

"Cap'n, should I get out my gun now?" Jacob asked tentatively, reaching for the holster strapped to his hip, "Just in case?"

"Nah, they're not gonna do nothin'," the captain grinned to the youth, "Just a couple uh drunks who're behind in the news, that's all."

"Captain, sir," Zoë approached quickly, cocking her own gun, and pointed it into the centre of the grouping, "Husband's on his way. Where the hell's Jayne?"

"He was drinking his volatile beverage and calling the gentleman in the blue suit a 'smurf'," River replied softly, standing behind Jacob, "But he's on his way now."

Jayne cleared a path through the thick crowd, tossing a barstool into the midst of them. "It's not my fault they don't unnerstand a joke round these parts!"

"Jayne, calling a man in blue a 'smurf' ain't no way to make friends," Mal informed the stumbling man as they regrouped to face the mob once again as a quinet, "'Specially not in these parts."

"Clear out, everyone," announced Wash over his loud speaker as Serenity approached from behind the crew, "Clear out, or I swear to every single one of your personal gods, I will blow a new hole in this tiny moon."

"Never gets old," guffawed Jayne as he helped himself to the protein-based meal of the evening, "New hole in this tiny moon!"

"It's amazing how it always works, too," Wash laughed as well, "But it would be a lot easier if you all just stopped getting into bar fights over Mal's jacket."

"What? A man can't get a drink because of the colour of his coat?" Mal asked indignantly, glaring at the two, "This gorram world is out to get us in all manner of new ways."

"Don't worry, Cap'n," Jacob grinned at everyone, "No power in the 'verse can stop us."

(A/N: Of course I had to have that line in there at some point! It just wouldn't be Firefly without that line… or a bar fight. Happy reading, folks! –Lexxi)