ALRIGHT SPACE MONKEYS!
Here's another piece of pie! Please Read and Review, this would be greatly appreciated! ;)
Also very sorry for the bad Grammar! Although my Mama told me a million times, I know I ain't No genius!
And I think I've decided where I'm going with this story! And I can tell you the path ahead will be bumpy and twisted...o yes...o yes.
But anywho on with the show!
:)
"Stand still!" Jayne barked at his little sister, ten minutes earlier he'd found her playing at the bottom of the ramp which he specifically told her not to do, she was covered head to toe in dust and dirt and he was so livid with her for not listening to him that he couldn't even form proper sentences to give her a good tongue lashing.
Instead he marched back up the ramp unwound the hose aimed it at his filth covered sibling and let loose a torrent of water ignoring her shrieks of protest as the dirt was unceremoniously washed away.
The seven year old burst into tears and spun round the stream of water hitting her back, clothes completely soaked through and stuck to her skin like glue.
"I dam well told ya not ta leave the ship!" Jayne was furious and he dropped the hose and turned the lever off.
"Can't leave you alone for one Gorram minute!" He kicked the hose away from the entrance and stomped down the ramp stopping just short of her.
"Look at me girly!" He ordered and Indiana slowly turned around her eyes downcast and emitting quiet sobs.
"You got ten seconds ta quit blubbering and look me in the eye" there was no let up in his furious mood, not even as his seven year old sister stood shivering and sobbing in front of him.
She sucked in a few hiccupping breaths and lifted her chin meeting his angry glare, her hair plastered around her face, he looked madder than she'd ever seen him look before.
"I told you not to leave the ship" He lowered his voice real low and Indiana swallowed the lump in the back of her throat her bottom lip trembling.
"I-I'm s-sorry" She could barely get it out and Jayne only got madder.
"Sorry ain't gonna stop someone from grabbin' ya!" he glowered down purposely wanting to scare her some and it worked cause her eyes widened in fear, Jayne hadn't gone to school much so he weren't very learned in that department but what he was well educated in was survival, knowing how to spot a dangerous or potentially dangerous situation, (which thanks to Mal was constantly finding him).
"You want that ta Gorram happen to ya? Cause by the way ya goin' it Gorram will!"
When he was already Indiana's age he could already shoot a target fifty metres away, he could assemble nearly any gun that was in front of him and he could tell ya every part off the top of his head. And he always listened to his folk when they told him not to do something. His Pa made sure of it.
He knew what kinda folk exsisted out in the verse and he knew to stay well clear of most of 'em. So when he saw his kid sister playing at the bottom of the ramp without a care in the world it bout nearly gave him a heart attack, especially considering they were on a moon he knew next to nothing about, and although at first glances it may appear to be a sleepy quiet village he was well aware how deceiving that could really be. Jayne had heard horror stories about settlements like this one, visitors getting taken, murdered, tortured, raped...it weren't that uncommon. These places were even subject to raids by slavers which gave the big man shivers as he remembered an unexpected ambush that he found himself in not too long ago.
A few months back they were docked at a rock that wasn't too far out from the core planets so it were near almost civilized like and it made the ambush even more startling. There'd been plenty'a folk wandering bout the markets which is what Jayne found himself doin' only he weren't looking at all the shiny crap he was just keepin' an eye on Kaylee and the Moonbrain, the two wanted to stretch their legs and Mal would only allow it if Jayne accompanied them, which took some begging from Kaylee.
They had been wandering for nearly an hour, them getting all excited over what looked like junk and him just glaring down at the tops of their heads and moving them along if they were straying and just as they were turning back towards Serenity the place was hit by slavers, it happened so fast Jayne barely had time to pull out his gun as shots rang out through the market place and folks started screaming, by the time Alliance arrived the damage had already been done, most everything had been torched or looted and a whole lotta folk were missing or shot.
Jayne had kept Kaylee and River safe by shoving them inside some barrels then let his other girls do the talking, there was a scar on his chest and shoulder where he'd taken a few bullets, but hell he would'a taken more, Slavers were nearly as bad as Reavers, he didn't even want to think about what happened to all the folk that got taken that day, most of whom were woman and children.
"I-I don't want ta git grabbed!" Indiana squeaked her eyes filling with moisture again and Jayne felt momentary inkling of guilt, Mal and Zoe had gone back into town to grab a few more things and he weren't needed so he had taken the opportunity to work out in the cargo bay and had been so focused on pressing weights he'd forgotten to keep an eye on his wandering sister.
"Well next time I tell ya ta not do somethin' you dam well listen dong ma?" He softened but only slightly and she quickly nodded.
"I will, I will!" She promised and he was satisfied that he'd scared her enough in fact now he was more concerned about getting her warm because she was starting to go slightly blue and if anyone on board saw her current state he'd probably get spaced.
"Come on then 'fore ya catch ya death" He quickly ushered her back inside and towards his bunk making sure not to bump into anyone on the way, thankfully no one was around he jumped down the ladder reaching back up and lifting the shivering seven year old down and pulled the latch closed.
Indiana held her arms up and he peeled the soaked jersey thing over her head and flicked it unceremoniously into the corner, "Git the rest off" He turned and started searching round for a clean towel when he finally found one hidden away at the bottom of a draw Indie had stripped down to her underwear and was looking rather sheepish with her arms crossed tightly across her chest, Jayne just gave her a questioning glare and held out the towel she didn't move and he grunted impatiently.
"You can't see me naked!" She squealed her cheeks now tinged slightly pink and he just snorted and rolled his eyes.
"I'm ya Gorram brother, I ain't looking!" he thrust the towel at her and she grabbed it and wrapped it quickly round her body.
"Besides ya scrawnier than a rutttin stick, there aint nothing there ta hide" he snorted sitting down on his bed and kicked his shoes off.
Indiana huffed loudly and walked over to her bag grabbing out a pair of black tights and singlet top than began the process of getting dried and clothed which was proving to be challenging with the lack of privacy
"Girly I ain't dam well looking now hurry up and git ya clothes on" Jayne rolled his eyes and lay back on his bed staring up at the ceiling only when a cold hand touched his arm did he look away.
"Aint you got something warmer?" He sat up noticing the goosebumps that still occupied her stick like arms and she shook her head, "I don't have many clothes" she shrugged and Jayne muttered under his breath pushing up off the bed and brushing her aside.
"Well ya can wear something' of mine, but don't be wrecking it" he pulled an old jersey his Ma had knit for him a few years back from his draw wandering for a second why his sister didn't have one of her own. He pulled it over her head rolling the sleeves up til her hands were visible, she were basically swimming in it.
He then fished out a matching orange knitted hat and pulled it over her head tying the strings securely under her chin, she grinned up at him and he patted her head satisfied that she'd be warm enough.
"That all you got in there" He gestured towards the bag.
"I 'ad a few more things but I didn't have enough time to pack 'em" She looked a little put out.
"Whadda ya think's gonna happen to 'em?" She asked looking like she didn't really wanna know the answer to that.
"Trash most likely" Jayne shrugged and sat back on his bed pressing his back against the wall and closed his eyes, praying for some peace and quiet.
Indiana stared angrily into space "I hate them gou shi authorities" She crossed her arms furiously "Stupid Hundans" She grit her teeth and Jayne flicked his eyes open seeing his prays were going unheard.
"I'll clean ya mouth out wit' soap next time I hear them words from you" He warned luckily for her he was experiencing a lack of energy right at the moment otherwise he would have just gone straight ahead and done it.
The seven year old pouted unhappily.
"You swear all the time!" She protested.
"I'm allowed. You aint." Jayne narrowed his eyes at her.
"That ain't fair!" She stamped her foot down and Jayne groaned feeling a headache coming on.
"Well life aint Gorram fear!" He lent his head back and stared up at the ceiling his face tightening "Why you always gotta argue with everythin' I dam well say." It weren't really a question more of an exasperated statement.
"I'm bored! Can I at least go see what River's doing I promise I won't go outside" She put a hand on the ladder waiting for permission but when her brother said no she moaned angrily.
The skinny Cobb stomped loudly over to her mattress and plonked down on it tucking her knees easily underneath her brother's oversized jersey and roughly grabbed her newly mended teddy bear.
"I ain't no baby so I don't needa be treated like one" She threw the toy at the wall and crossed her arms unhappily.
"Yea well news flash you ain't no grown up either, and if you ain't a baby then don't be throwin' tantrums like one" Jayne scowled at the roof, real sick of her whinging.
"Yea well...Mama let me do stuff! She let me cuss and go play outside, whenever I wanted!" Indiana challenged not willing to give up her fight.
The big man seethed at the thought of his sister been left to wander round Cassidy Nook, the place had seen better days and it was a miracle she hadn't gotten into trouble.
He tried not to think of his Ma at all because everytime he did it made him furious, how could she even think about whoring herself out let alone actually doing it? Invitin' strangers into the house and puttin' his sister in even more danger. He just couldn't understand how someone could care so little about their own child that they'd give up been a parent! When he were growing up his Ma and Pa thought the world of him, he just couldn't come to terms with his Ma's change in thinkin' I mean sure Indiana had annoyed the heck out of him since he'd laid eyes on her but he a soft spot for her, deep deep down.
He was aware that after his Pa died his Ma got into a depression and taken to the bottle but he thought she was better, she was always so strong and proud, she certainly acted that way every time he'd visited.
The most maddening thing however was the fact that he hadn't even noticed, when he was last back he didn't even notice she was still drinking and he weren't even curious as to why his seven year old sister was always so unhealthy like, when his Ma's letters started becoming less frequent he didn't think twice bout it and when they stopped all together he didn't make much of an effort to find out why.
Guilt clouded his head shooting through his conscious, a foreign feeling he aint felt for a long while now.
"And I ain't stupid either like everyone thinks!" Indiana let her legs fall flat on the mattress her sock clad feet just touching the floor.
"I knew that Mama was a whore just like all the woman who work at The Black Swan!" She knew that would get Jayne's attention and it did, real quick in fact.
"How do ya know bout The Swan?" He asked hesitantly, that whore house was a back alley dwelling that operated under the radar so it weren't well known more of a black market business that most folk who knew what was good for them stayed well clear of, there were plenty'a other places in Cassidy Nook to choose from. The Black Swan catered to men with a more acquired taste...
"Cause the man that owns it use ta come round and try'n make Ma whore there" Indiana stated in an obvious manner, "He was real mad cause Ma kept sayin' No."
Jayne growled real low "Don't be using words you don't know the meanin'a".
"I know what whoring is" Indiana rolled her eyes. "It's when a man comes and has some sexin' and then he gives the lady some money"
This bout nearly hit Jayne for six and he was straight up on his feet "How you know that!" He stared down at her highly disturbed at his sister's not so lack of knowledge.
"One of the older kids at school told me, they said their Parents were getting split cause their Daddy kept payin for sexn' with Mama they was saying that Mama was a whore and a home wrecker" She repeated angrily remember'n that day quite clearly.
She were playin' in the school yard and a boy from the older classes came over and pushed her on the ground and told her bout her Mama and said it were all her fault that he didn't have no more daddy anymore.
Tears prickled in her eyes and Indiana bit the inside of her lip refusing to let that stupid boys taunts get to her.
Jayne looked real hard at his little sister who squirmed finding the lack of response from her big brother unsettling.
"What else ya know?" He finally broke the silence crossing his arms tensely, feeling a bout of nervousness come over him although you wouldn't a known by the way his face looked.
"Ummmm that's all..." Indiana shrugged but by the way she were looking curiously up at him it weren't all "Wellllll actually..." She picked some dirt from under her finger nails mulling something over and and several lines appeared on Jayne's forehead.
"...ummm I was jus' wanderin' what sex'n actually was?" Jayne thought he was gonna have a heart attack the second those words left her mouth, his eyes opened up real wide, oxygen suddenly became no longer a necessity and for once in his life the merc found himself rendered speechless.
"I mean" Indiana continued on unaware of her brothers deteriorating condition "I know a man and a woman do sex'n together...and..." the seven year old looked thoughtfully up at her brother "...it must be fun cause Mama was alway's sex'n with men in her room an' they looked real happy when they was leavin'" She gasped and Jayne flinched "Is it like a game?" She lit up thinking she were onto something.
Jayne still couldn't believe what he was hearin' he thought he were gonna have a brain spasm and die any second now and he was kinda hoping for one...anything to get him out of this very small uncomfortably hot room...
"...Well it must be a game! And the men they keep winning so they're real happy!...Wait that means Mama's not very good at playin' sex'n..." The little girl's brows pulled together "OH! I think that's why she keeps havin' men over, so she can keep practicing! Indiana grinned proudly and the big man just sat down heavily on the bed his hands rubbing nervously on his pants and looking at the kid like she'd grown a third arm.
"But then...why do they give Mama money?" She frowned realizing something didn't add up.
"And why would you go to jail for just play'n a game?..." She looked thoughtfully to her brother who was now looking toward the ladder contemplating his getaway a thin sheen of sweet on his brow thankfully though Mal's voice crackled through the intercom by way of miracle and Jayne had never been so grateful for his captain in his whole dam life!