Disclaimer: I own nothing. Nothing! Well, I own Charlie and mystery character (Shows up in future chapters).
In answer to Joseph Benjamin, yeah I have always thought of Mal as hard on the outside, soft on the inside. Throughout the series he's shown that while he's not a man to cross, if you hurt any female, especially one onboard his ship, he'll make you pay dearly.
Jayne collapsed, gasping for air. Charlie, beneath him, smiled dreamily as her breathing returned to normal. He moved to roll off her, but she held him still. He stared down into her green-green eyes, suddenly serious.
"Charlie, what are we going to do?" He rumbled softly. "The captain won't let us raise the kid on the ship unless we get married."
"We don't have to get married." Charlie sighed. "I could leave the ship."
"Don't. Stay. Stay with me." Jayne whispered.
"Don't freak Jayne, but I think I'm in love with you."
Jayne kissed her. "Marry me." He kissed her again. "Don't want to be without ya."
Mal groaned as he fell, clutching his shoulder. He hated it when one of their jobs went south, as they often did. He limped to the mule, holding onto his shoulder to stem the bleeding. He turned, just in time to see Jayne get tackled by six armed men and knocked out.
"Charlie's not going to be happy about this."
When Mal returned, slumped over on the mule, all alone, Charlie slid out of her chair with a furious look on her face.
"He got himself captured, didn't he?" She put her hands on her swollen stomach.
Mal nodded, then passed out from blood loss. Simon and Zoë picked him up and carried him off to the infirmary, Kaylee trailing behind.
"Soldier girl's going after her mate." River said from the catwalk handrail she was walking along.
Charlie pulled on some protective armor she had stolen some weeks before. Then she slipped one of Jayne's knives into her bootstrap. After retrieving her favorite pair of silver handguns, she turned to River.
"Soldier girl's going after the big dummy." She climbed aboard the four-wheeler and headed towards town. Towards Niska's temporary base.
Charlie dismounted the four-wheeler and approached the building where Jayne was being held. It had taken just a few minutes of threatening to get all the information she needed.
She easily took out the two front guards with well placed kicks. Her soft soled leather boots made absolutely no sound as she crept through a dark hallway. She mentally thanked her designers for her ability to see in almost pitch black.
In the silence, she heard the sound of blows landing. Charlie's eyes narrowed and she growled deep in her throat. In a red haze, she easily kicked in the solid oak door, as if it were tin foil.
Five sets of startled eyes flew to the splintered remains of the door, and the furious, armed woman standing in the doorway. Her hands flew to the holsters at her hips, pulling out sleek silver handguns.
The transgenic emptied the ammo of both guns into the chests of the two men closest to her. With a feral grin, she slipped the guns back into their holsters, then blurred over to a muscle bound giant who had obviously been the one hitting Jayne.
Jayne watched helplessly as his pregnant wife moved to engage the huge man. He strained against the heavy ropes restraining him.
The obviously steroid-enhanced thug threw a heavy fist at Charlie's head. She ducked easily, throwing him off balance. She sent a crippling series of punches to his ribs and kidney, as she went under his swinging arm. Then she quickly kicked out his kneecaps, sending him hurtling to the floor. Another kick, delivered to his temple, left him unconscious.
Charlie turned slowly towards Niska, who was cowering in one corner. He attempted to pull a taser gun from his belt, but she was too quick.
"You have attacked Serenity and her crew for the last time." Charlie said with narrowed eyes. "I wish I could spare the time to draw this out, but I have things to do."
She slid the knife out of her bootstrap and within a blink of an eye, sent it hurtling across the room to bury itself in Niska's chest. He gasped, and was dead before he hit the ground, his heart neatly skewered.
"Busy, busy, busy." She laughed, shaking her head.
Jayne stared at Charlie, slack jawed. He'd thought Zoë had been the most graceful pregnant woman he'd ever seen. But charlie made her look like a horse in a dress. He watched as his wife turned to him, her hands on her hips, a single eyebrow raised.
"I can't believe you got yourself captured. By Niska of all people."
Charlie looked so serious that Jayne had to smile.
"I knew you were supposed to be great in combat, but I had no idea how hot you were when you were in your element." Jayne grinned wolfishly at her.
Charlie couldn't resist smiling back. She stepped on Niska's still unconscious bodyguard's chest to reach Jayne. She deftly cut his ropes with her backup blade.
"Stop that, I'm trying to be mad here." When he clambered to his feet, she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him. He groaned and wrapped his arms around her waist.
After a few minutes, she reluctantly pulled away. "We have to go." Charlie gave him a quick peck. "Those charges I set should be going off in about five minutes."
"Five minutes? Woman you'll drive me crazy one of these days."
When Jayne let her go, Charlie headed over to Niska, and pulled the knife out of his limp body. She quickly slipped it into her boot and headed out the door, leaving Jayne to follow. Once outside, she mounted the four-wheeler and Jayne climbed on behind her.
"Then again, you already drive me crazy." He rumbled in her ear.
"You went into Niska's compound alone!" Mal yelled at an immobile Charlie. "You risked your own life and the life of your child for Jayne! Gorramit Charlie, you're five months pregnant!"
"Yes sir." Charlie smiled at Mal. "Don't worry Mal, he's gonna have to save his own ass for the next few months." She laid a protective hand on her belly.
Mal smiled back, unable to resist. "How'd Jayne take to being saved by the little woman?"
"He thought it was hot." She bent over and retrieved the knife from her boot. "Brought this for you."
Mal stared at the blade as she handed it to him. "The blood, Niska's?"
"Yep, planted it in his heart." Charlie gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. "See you at dinner. I've got some big news."
Please review, I need some feedback. 14 reviews total? Disgraceful.