Never a Normal Relationship…
By Lady Cleo
All Disclaimers Apply.
While setting down on Jayne's home world things go from messed up to screwed up for Jayne, River and the crew of Serenity. (Jayne River, Post Objects in Space.)
Chapter Eight: The Right Atmosphere
"Ta ma de!" Wash yelled as he stood in the doorway, staring out the window onto the small revolving planet of Terra Five. It took a moment for the shock to settle in before he found himself able to act. Racing forward he slide into his chair and pulled down the communicator, "Mal, you'd better get up here fast."
No sooner had he set the receiver down then he heard the captain stumble up the stairs and pause, "What in the name of god? Ain't that the planet we just left?"
"It is!"
"What in ruttin hell happened then, we ain't supposed to be orbiting this particular planet."
Wash frowned glancing over the controls. "Somebody's been messin with them." He declared motioning towards his panels. "But who would…"
"Husband called." The two men spun around to stare at River sanding in the doorway. She titled her head, glancing out the windows to stare at the revolving planet.
"Jayne called? He change his mind or somethin'?" Mal demanded, at current very angry with this new situation. But more confused over how they had managed to get back to Terra and why they had been turned around in the first place.
Wash frowned glancing at his controls, "There's no record of a wave, Captain."
River rolled her eyes and gave an exasperated sigh of annoyance. "Called up here." She declared, tapping the side of her head. "The rock's in a bind!" She tried to explain as the rest of the crew filed into the cockpit.
"What's going on, Captain?" Simon questioned stepping forward to stand behind his sister.
"Your sister turned us around, that's what's going on." Mal cursed glaring at the boy for several seconds. He really did need to see about getting a bolt for her door.
"River? But she can't fly a ship, she's never…" He started to say.
"Number's are easy!" River interrupted pushing forward. "No occasion to evaluate what's been made. Other half called cuz the grey are sweeping in for the rock's treasure, think that they'll find what they seek. They'll crush the world."
"What in ruttin hell is that supposed to mean?" Mal demanded, the rest of the crew watching worriedly as the scene played out.
River pushed past the captain and picked up a Dino off the scanner. Her small fingers pointing down she reiterated what she thought had been obvious, "The grey are come."
"Captain that signature's a standard Alliance fleet shuttle." Wash pointed out, "And if I'm judging right they're about a stone's throw away from landing right outside of… Ellsinore."
"O, zhe zhen shi ge kuai le de jin zhan . . ."
"What are we gonna do Captain, can't just let them sweep in and take Jayne out looking for River when she ain't there." Kaylee declared worriedly.
Mal frowned pensively for a second, "Take us down Wash, I think it's about time we had us some fun playing big damn heroes again."
"You wait for my signal. Don't start shooting until I give the word. We wanna get us as many of them off that boat as possible. Once that's done you shoot anything that moves, shoot it best you can." Jayne ordered, glaring at the group of men gathered in the Cobb living room. "And keep your gorram heads covered cuz I don't wanna be explaining that you was stupid and fool heartedly got your heads shot off to no weeping widows. Dong ma?"
The sound of wagon wheels interpreted Jayne's speech and sent the mercenary walking out onto the porch to watch his father and Jamie pull the wagon to a halt. "Uncle Bester sends his regards." Jamie called out swinging down, "Along with a couple thousands rounds of ammunition." The young man grinned motioning to the back of the wagon before trotting into the house to gather up some men to carry it in.
"Your ma and the girls are safe with him now. Don't need to be worrying bout them." Daniel added, swinging down.
"Hell, they can take care of themselves, pa, I wasn't planning on worrying bout them." Jayne declared, surveying the rounds before turning back to his father, "They find that hun dun that done this?"
"Na, the Shepherd and them gone after him into the mountains, figured he fled to that old family cabin of theirs, or maybe managed to get off world."
Jayne cursed, envisioning all the terrible things he'd wanted to do to the bastard after he handled the feds, which now would have to wait until they found him. "They should've hung that ta ma de hun dan when they caught him trying to kidnap them little girls twenty years back. Now he's probably got off scot-free with the money."
Daniel nodded in agreement and then frowned, reaching into his jacket the older man pulled out a rolled document, holding it out for his son to take. "Preacher wanted me to give you this."
"Why for? What is it?" Jayne questioned with a raised eyebrow as he accepted the paper.
"Marriage certificate 'tween you and the little woman." Daniel answered turning away from his son he grabbed an armful of ammunition and disappeared into the house.
Jayne unrolled the paper slowly, eyes roaming over the board lettering, down to her quiet little signature. He frowned in thought for a second before carefully folding the paper and tucking it into his back pocket. Reaching into the wagon he grabbed a hold of an armful of ammunition and started back into the house when he caught the sound of an approaching engine.
"Wash, what's our e.t.a.?"
"Bout thirty minutes or so, depending on the weather." The pilot answered calmly, the ship breaking through into atmo and leveling out in the blue sky.
"What are you thinking captain?" Zoe questioned. "Ain't much cover to be had on that farm, sir."
"I'm thinking we have Wash fly overhead, distract them real good, maybe tilt the engines, scorch their ship a little? While he's doing that we sneak in the back way, take more then a couple of them from behind the cover of their own shuttle." Mal turned to glance at the shepherd, "You fell like shootin a couple knee caps out again?"
The shepherd nodded. "If I can be of assistance."
"Right, the rest of you stay on the ship. We'll handle this one." Mal ordered starting down the cockpit stairs he and Zoe headed off to collect the needed guns and ammunition, Book and Kaylee following but a second behind them.
River closed her eyes, "It's already started! The grey have knocked at the doors and found lead answering." She whispered, and then stumbled back a step. "Liu kou shui de biao zi he hou zi de ben er zi." River opened her eyes for a second and then closed them again. "He lets the girl in, locks the girl out, lets the girl in, and locks the girl out again. Stupid rock should make up its mind, giving her a headache."
"River!" Simon admonished worriedly, watching as she her balance stumbled.
"Jayne." She screamed making Simon, Inara and Wash jump. River's hands came up to shield her face and she stumbled backwards, falling to the floor with a hard thumb.
Jayne flew backwards his body falling heavily to the hard wooden floor, knocking the breath out of him. His father's loomed overhead, worry etched across the older man's face. "Jayne, Jayne boy, you okay?" The sound of gun fire rang in his ears, almost masking the sound of his father's words.
The mercenary took a deep gulping breath, pulling himself back to his feet; he crept back over to the window. "Ya pa, just a close one's all." He explained, taking note of where the bullet had almost seared through his skull, her voice still reverberating in his head.
Damn he'd let his guard down for a moment and she's snuck back in. He couldn't let her do that, even if her warning had saved his ruttin' life. Picking out his next target he started shooting again as his father crawled over next to him.
Poking his head out the clearing Daniel reached out, grabbing a hold of Jayne's shirt and pulling the man down as another bullet ricocheted off the wood. "You trying to get yourself killed boy?" Daniel demanded, releasing his son the two men resumed their previous positions. Jayne ignored his father, picking out his next target he let a bullet fly watching in satisfaction as his target crumpled to the dirt. "Just remember, you ain't no exception. You get shot and I don't wanna be explaining that you was a fool stupid boy to your ma and no weeping widow of yours." That said Daniel crept across the room to check on his three smarter boys and the rest of the men who'd volunteered to help the Cobb family out.
"Won't be nobody crying over me today." Jayne whispered gruffly with a small grin as he picked out his next target.
"River are you alright?"
The smaller girl pushed herself into a sitting position, shaking her head as though to clear her head. "Rock was stupid, nearly got swallowed by the source." She whispered as though that explained everything.
Standing River pushed off Simon's worrying hands and headed down the stairs. She couldn't deal with the distressing brother right now, had more important matters to sort out. She had to plan, be prepared. He was still locking her out. Even if his control was slipping he'd never give her enough time to reform the connection.
River wandered down into the dinning room, taking the steps slowly. She paused, her gaze following the lines of the table to the galley. She titled her head slowly, peering through the waves of brown into the galley, "Black's not always bad."
Daniel crawled back over to Jayne. "How you doin, boy?"
"Havin' me a blast pa." Jayne grinned grimly, selecting his next target the mercenary continued picking off the grey uniformed bastards slowly.
"Glad to see you're havin' fun." Daniel muttered. "What say we put an end to this shindig before somebody on our side gets shot." As if to agree or answer, the floor boards suddenly trembled underneath them. "What the hell was that?" Daniel demanded.
"Aw shit." Jayne whispered, his gaze following the sound of additional gunfire coming from behind the fed shuttle. "They'd better not have… I'm gonna rip their ruttin' heads off." The mercenary growled angrily as the sound of Serenity's engines swept overhead.
Notes…
Not the best at writing action… so sorry if you were expecting more… Once again thanks to the reviewers. You make my day as usual.
Chinese translations…
"Dong ma?" means "Understand?"
"Ta ma de!" means "Fuck me blind!"
"O, zhe zhen shi ge kuai le de jin zhan." means "Oh, this is a happy development..."
"Liu kou shui de biao zi he hou zi de ben er zi" means "Stupid son of a drooling whore and a monkey."