Author's Note: Ficlet for the LJ ff_friday challenge. Subject: home. Length: 740 words. SPOILERS FOR "HEART OF GOLD"!!!

gôu pì= bullshit, thanks to taraljc's glossary on her site.

No Place Like It

By Trisana McGraw

Jayne let out a small yawn and turned on one side, pulling up the blankets and reflecting that his night had gone pretty well. He'd gotten laid, and now he was ready to catch some sleep before the big ambush by Burgess' men tomorrow. He had no doubt that they'd get out of things in one piece; they always did. He wriggled a little bit, getting comfortable in the bed, and yawned again. He was drifting off just as . . .

"So where are you from?" Helen's voice came from next to him.

Gôu pìi, he thought, annoyed. He didn't answer and hoped that she would think he was asleep. But a moment later, she whispered again, "Jayne. Where are you from?"

Why did he have to nab the whore who liked to talk after sex? He rolled over to face her. Helen lay on her side, her head propped up on one arm, her other hand holding the blanket over her body. Her eyes were wide and expectant.

"Tell me you don't do this with all the other guys you sleep with," he groaned.

Helen blinked and looked down at the mattress. One bare shoulder lifted in a shrug. "I'm scared about tomorrow. Talkin' makes me feel better."

Jayne sighed, feeling a little sorry for her. But she was a big girl; she could take care of herself while he got the sleep he needed. He started to turn away, but he stopped when he felt Helen's hand on his arm.

"Please," she whispered. "I can't sleep, I'm so nervous `bout what's gonna happen."

He gritted his teeth. Then, wondering when he had gotten soft, he turned again so that he was facing her and waited.

Helen's face brightened. "So, where'd you grow up?" she asked.

He leaned back against the pillow and answered shortly, "Border planet, far from the Alliance."

"Didya have a lot of money?"

He almost laughed; she was a woman after his own heart, going straight to the stuff that mattered. "We got by."

"Brothers? Sisters?"

He shrugged, though suddenly he had a memory of more innocent, less troublesome days. "Sure, I had a few sibs."

She was staring at him expectantly, but she didn't ask anything else. He didn't realize that she was waiting for him to ask her about her life, and when he didn't she went on anyway. "I grew up here, mostly in the Heart of Gold. It's been my home since I was a teenager, and Nandi's like a mama. With all of us girls like sisters, it's kinda like an extended sleepover, ya know?"

He'd had enough experience with his sisters to know what sleepovers were like, and the resulting mental image made him snicker quietly. Helen, apparently finished, was silent.

Free, he thought with relief, and closed his eyes. A moment later, the silence was broken by a barely audible sniffle. He almost wanted to ignore it, but something made him open his eyes again. Helen was wiping her eyes with her hand, and when she saw him, she hurriedly ducked her head.

"What's wrong?" he asked with an exasperated sigh.

"Just scared," she replied in a tiny voice. Before he could ask, "Still?" she continued. "You said people was gonna die, and I'm not ready to go."

"Look, I didn't mean it that way," he hastened to assure her. The last thing he needed was Helen bawling, and he the only person to comfort her. "Sure, folks will prob'ly get shot, and maybe we'll lose somebody, but you'll be okay."

She looked up at him. "How do you know?"

"Look, woman, I've been in more fights than the number of guys you've slept with."

"I dunno," she said. "It's a pretty big number. . . ."

"Anyway, I know how to fight. `Sides, you'll be up here with me. I'm a damn good shot, and I'll keep you safe." He awkwardly patted her shoulder.

"I just don't wanna lose my home," she said quietly. "There's nothing like it."

"You'll be fine," he repeated. "Now, get some sleep. We got a big day tomorrow."

She smiled, and he had to admit she looked kinda pretty. "Thanks, Jayne."

"Anytime," he replied. Helen finally turned on her side, and soon he heard her breathing slowly and evenly. When he too closed his eyes, he dreamed of a place that he hadn't seen or thought about in a long while.