Title: Choices
Series: Our Mrs. Cobb
Author: Sevangel
Disclaimer: Not mine; all belongs to JW
Rating: PG-13
-
"Who is it?"
"It's Nandi." A soft voice says a few seconds after knocking.
"Oh." After a few seconds the door cracks open and Kaylee's head pops out. "You alone?"
"Yes." Nandi replies with a small smile.
"Then you can come in." Kaylee opens the door far enough to allow the ex-companion in. Once she's in, Kaylee shuts the door and locks it.
"I have been volunteered to come and check on you." Nandi says. "How are you three doing?"
Kaylee shrugs and walks back over to the bed where River and Willow are lying down, the genius's head in the redhead's lap, Willow rubbing comforting circles on River's back.
"You can tell Zoe that we are fine." Willow says.
"Zoe ain't the one that asked about you." Nandi points out. "That'd be Jayne, Mal, and Simon."
"We know." Kaylee replies. "And you can just tell Zoe."
Nandi nods and takes a few steps closer to examine the bundle lying on the redhead. "Is that you, River?"
"Yes." River whispers, turning to face Nandi. "It's lovely to see again, Nandi."
"Oh, sweetie, are you okay?" Nandi asks.
River brings a hand up to rub her wet face and shakes her head. "No, not okay."
"We're working on it." Willow explains. "I'm Willow by the way."
"Nandi." Nandi replies, smiling softly at the redhead. "If you girls need anything, Billy is next door, takin' some time off. He can help you with whatever you need."
"Okay." Kaylee says, standing up to follow Nandi to the door.
"I'll send Billy up here with some food in a bit." Nandi says.
"Thanks." Kaylee says. She waits until Nandi is out of the door and closes it after her. Then she moves back onto the bed to lie down beside River, running her hands gently through the genius's hair.
"He doesn't want to be with me." River whispers, her voice cracking. "He doesn't want to want me, he just can't help it."
"Sweetie, I don't think that's true." Willow says. "I think he just meant he didn't act with the intentions of this happening, it just did."
"But that means if he could choose, he wouldn't choose to be with me." River sobs. "He wouldn't be with me if he had a choice in the matter."
"Jayne's just a dummy." Kaylee says. "They all are."
"I love him." River whispers. "And he doesn't even want to care about me."
"Oh, sweetie." Willow says sympathetically.
"It hurts." River sits up and rubs her face with shaking hands. "I feel like I can't breathe it hurts so much."
Willow sits up with a determined look on her face. "We are three, attractive, young and free women." Willow says. "And we're not going to sit here moping because the men in our lives are dummies."
"We're not?" Kaylee questions nervously.
"Nope." Willow replies. 'We're going to blow the cover off this town."
"Huh?" River and Kaylee respond.
Willow turns to look at them with an exasperated look on her face. "We're going out."
"Oh, go'se." Kaylee mutters. "Cap'n ain't gonna like that at all."
-
Nandi bypasses the three worried looking men and walks over to stand in front of Zoe. "I've been instructed to tell you they're fine."
"Why me?" Zoe asks with a raised eyebrow. "I ain't the ones who sent you."
"I know." Nandi agrees. "But they told me to tell you they're fine."
"Are they really?" Inara asks.
Nandi shrugs. "If you ask me, no."
"Is something wrong?" Simon asks. "Should I go examine them?"
"Simon, they don't need no doctorin'." Nandi says.
"Then what's ruttin' wrong?" Jayne growls. "Screw this, I'm goin' up there."
"They're not going to let you in." Nandi says. "And to answer your question, River was cryin' her eyes out when I walked in."
"What?" Jayne replies. "What's wrong with her?"
"I think it was havin' her lover tell her that he didn't want to be with her." Nandi replies.
"I didn't say that." Jayne shouts.
"No, you pretty much said you didn't have a choice in being with her." Zoe corrects. "I can see how that would make her upset."
"I didn't ruttin' mean it like that." Jayne growls. "I just meant it weren't my intentions for this to happen, it just did."
"So, if you had the choice, you wouldn't be with her?" Simon asks bluntly.
"Didn't say that." Jayne replies.
"Do you want to be with my sister or are you just with her because she's there?" Simon asks. "Because frankly, if you're using her, we're gone."
"You ain't takin' her nowhere." Jayne shouts. He closes the distance between them in three long strides and lifts the doctor off his feet by the front of his shirt. "You even ruttin' try to take her away from me and I'll ruttin' kill you, dong ma?"
"And that's the answer I needed." Simon replies. "You can put me down now."
"You understand that she don't go nowhere unless I'm with her?" Jayne questions with a growl.
"Yes." Simon answers. "I have no plans to leave, Jayne. I just wanted to make sure you actually care about her."
"Course I care bout her." Jayne says quietly. "She's makes it gorram impossible not to."
"I know." Simon agrees.
"So that's it?" Mal asks Simon in disbelief. "Just like that you approve?"
"It's not for me to approve or not approve." Simon replies. "River is intelligent enough to make her own decisions, even the ones regarding sex."
"You're takin' this awful calm-like." Mal comments.
"I've had some time to get used to the idea." Simon explains.
"What?" Mal shouts. "You knew?"
"I recall Inara telling all of us that she will eventually want to have sex and judging by the fact that she married Jayne, it was going to be with him."
"I recall that." Mal says. "Still don't mean this ain't a shock."
"It's really not." Simon replies. "Jayne has been noticeably concerned when it comes to River and he's always watching her."
"You knew they was sexin'?" Mal asks.
"No, not at first." Simon replies with a wince. "I realized they were sleeping together this morning when I went to see River and she wasn't in her room or anywhere else. Why do you think I waited until Jayne was up before asking where she was? I knew he would know."
"Who else knew?" Mal asks. "Nara, I'm guessin' you knew."
Inara nods.
"Book?"
"No, I didn't think they were intimately involved." Book replies. "I too noticed Jayne seemed to pay more attention to her but I didn't realize it was for this reason."
"Anybody else know?" Mal asks angrily.
"Why does that matter now?" Jayne replies.
"Cause I say it ruttin' matters." Mal clenches his fists at his sides and glares at the merc. "I know Kaylee and Willow done knew but I wanna know who else."
Jayne just stares back, not saying a word.
"Zoe, you know somethin' and not tell me?" Mal asks.
"Lay off her, Mal." Wash says. "I knew."
"You did what?" Zoe turns to look at her husband in disbelief. "How long?"
"A couple weeks." Wash answers. "I saw River leaving Jayne's bunk one morning."
"And you didn't tell me?" Mal shouts.
"No, I didn't." Wash replies calmly. "I know how you would have reacted and besides, it was none of your business. They are both adults and they are married."
"You lied to me." Zoe states, her tone emotionless.
"No, I never lied." Wash argues. "River asked me not to say anything. She knew if you asked, I would have told but you never asked so I didn't tell."
"You should have told me." Mal buts in. "I shoulda been told."
"Shouldn't you be more concerned with your own ruttin' love life instead of mine?" Jayne asks, not backing down when Mal turns to glare at him. "Way I see it, you gotta nuf issues of your own to deal with; leave mine alone."
"He's right, sir." Zoe says, placing a hand on Mal's arm to keep him from attacking the merc again. "They're both adults and the decision is theirs."
"Don't want him takin' advantage of her." Mal says, glaring daggers at Jayne. "She's been through nuf hell that she don't need him playin' her."
"They're married Mal." Inara says quietly. "How much more of a commitment do you want him to make."
"Fine." Mal agrees after a few moments. "But if you ruttin' break her heart, I'm gonna kill you."
"Ain't gonna break nothin'." Jayne replies. "Now, I'm gonna go talk to my wife…."
"I wouldn't do that, Jayne." Simon interrupts. "I know my sister better than you; if you go up there now, it's just going to piss her off more. She needs time to cool down."
"So I'm just supposed to stand here why she's up there bawlin'?" Jayne asks.
"Willow and Kaylee are with her." Simon points out. "They'll make sure she's okay."
"She's got till tonight." Jayne sits down on the couch in a huff. "After that, I'm throwin' them two out and lockin' the gorram door."
"I do believe you've made the right choice." Nandi says, walking back into the room with a tray full of food and drinks. "Billy, here."
A young, handsome man with thick dark hair, a thin frame, and big green eyes walks over to take the tray from Nandi and then walks up the stairs with it.
"Where's he goin'?" Jayne asks.
"To take them their food." Nandi answers.
"You sent a whore into the room where my wife is?" Jayne shouts, standing back up.
"Yeah." Nandi replies. "Don't worry, he's sly."
"Oh." Jayne drops back down in a huff. "Well, that's good."
"The bar's fully stocked; help yourselves." Nandi says. "Inara, if you'll follow me, we can discuss that matter."
Inara stands up and follows Nandi out of the room without a word.
"Well, Mal, you got something to tell us?" Wash asks, grinning madly at the captain. "Something to do with you and Willow and Inara?"
Mal glares at him and walks over to the bar, grabbing the first bottle he sees. "Only thing I need to converse with is this here bottle."
-
"Have a seat." Willow pushes the boy whore onto the bed. "Hi, I'm Willow and that's Kaylee and this is River."
"Hi." Billy says nervously, not at all liking the looks he's getting from them. "I was just droppin' off your food and then goin'."
"Aw, you gotta stay Billy." Kaylee says cheerfully. "So, Billy, do you service womenfolk at all in this place or is it just men?"
"I only service men." Billy replies. "Don't like girls. But there's some other boys if you're lookin' to have some fun."
"We're having enough problems with the men in our lives." River says quietly. "It would be stupid to drag in more."
"So, I'll just be goin' then." Billy says.
"Nope." Willow plops down beside him. "See, you have the same look that we've got. You've been screwed over by a man….oh, not in the sex way though since you're into the guys I guess you have been screwed over but I was trying to say some man has done you wrong, right? That's why you're taking the time off, isn't it."
Billy nods.
"Why don't you tell us about it." Willow prods. "Then we can all mope together."
"His name's Sam." Billy says quietly. "First time we sexed weren't nothin' to do with my job; I was out with some of the girls at a bar in town and got drunk. Woke up the next mornin' with him beside me. After that, he'd come here and we'd be together, no money bein' exchanged. We had to sneak round, he works for Burgess, who owns this gorram moon. Burgess finds out one of his men in sly and he'd kill him. I thought I meant somethin' to him and then I catched him leavin' Helen's room last week. He just smirked at me, like nothin' we ever did mattered. Helen was real broken up bout it; she didn't know we was together like that. Ain't seen him since. Real funny thing, I ain't slept with nobody but him since we hooked up. Been earnin' my keep takin' care of this place."
"That's so sad." Kaylee says, reaching over to hug him tightly.
"See, men are stupid." Willow jumps off the bed and starts pacing across the room. "Present company excluded, obviously."
"Yeah." They agree.
"Well, like I said before, we're young, free, and pretty." Willow continues. "Handsome in your case and we're not going to sit around here moping."
"She's got this idea where we can go into town." Kaylee explains. "Try'd to tell her we ain't got no way there."
"We've got a mule." Billy comments. "It's kept in a shed on the other side of your boat."
"How many people will it carry?" Willow asks.
"Five or six." Billy replies. "But I ain't got the keys; I could go get them from Nandi."
"NO!" Willow shouts, stopping him in his tracks. "You go asks her, then she'll want to know why and then she'll tell Mal and Jayne and they won't let us go. Can you start it without the keys?"
"I can." Kaylee says. "I can start any vehicle. But I ain't gettin' how we're gonna get outside. Somebody's bound to see us even if we try sneakin' down the stairs."
"We're not going down the stairs." Willow replies. "We're going out the window."
-
"I'm going to assume this is the situation you wished to talk to me about." Nandi says, smiling at Inara.
Inara nods. "I don't know what to do."
"What do you want?" Nandi asks.
"It doesn't matter what I want." Inara replies. "You should know this; it hasn't been that long since you left the Guild."
"You can't let the Guild be your entire life." Nandi says. "You have to live for yourself. What do you want?"
"I don't know." Inara says. "I don't know; I want them both, for different reasons but I do want them both. And that's not fair, not to anybody."
"Way I heard, all of you want to be together." Nandi replies.
"You can't be implying….Nandi, that's just unheard of." Inara says, eyes wide with shock.
"By the Guild, yes it is." Nandi agrees. "But pretend like the Guild doesn't exist for one second and think about yourself. What do you want?"
"Them both." Inara whispers. "Oh go-se do I want them both."
"There you go then." Nandi replies. "You could have made it to the top, been a house priestess if it weren't for your emotional nature. You need to love people and you need them to love you. That's why you left home and we both know it. You wanted something besides the shallowness of Core life."
"You know I can't remain a companion and take lovers." Inara says. "It is against Guild rules."
"Then you need to decide what's more important to you." Nandi replies. "Being alone but being one of the most celebrated companions in the verse or being happy. I can't make that choice for you; nobody can."
-
"Look I didn't start out wantin' this to happen." Mal says, waving his arm around wildly. "It just happened. Not like I looked to complicate my simple world by draggin' not one but two women into it. But now I have and I don't know what the ruttin' hell to do about it."
"See, that's why I don't understand." Simon says a little sluggishly. "How do you not plan things? I plan everything."
"Which explains how I'm sexin' River and you ain't even got to first base with Kaylee." Jayne smirks. "You can't plan everythin', doc. Sometimes you just gotta let what's gonna be, be."
"Just out of curious..curis…just cause I wanna know, how long have you been sexin' up my little witch?" Mal asks.
"She ain't yours." Jayne growls. "She's mine and since that night we met Red's friend Spike."
"Who started it?" Simon asks curiously but he already knows the answer; his sister did.
"Your sister did." Jayne replies, wearing an almost tender looking smile. "Happened after she cut herself. She crawled right on my lap and kissed me."
"I knew it." Mal shouts, startling everybody. "I knew somethin' was goin' on when we came in there; you was bein' too quiet and obeyin' like. Weren't natural."
"It's just the weirdest thing." Jayne comments. "Couple months ago, I wanted her off the boat and outa my life; now I can't imagine her not bein' in it."
"If I didn't know better, I'd think you was in love with her." Mal says.
Jayne's brows furrow as if he's thinking hard. "Ya know what, I ruttin' am."
"Jayne, I think that's something you should tell River before you tell everyone else." Zoe comments.
"Know what, you're ruttin' right." Jayne declares, standing up with the intent of marching upstairs to get his girl but is stopped when somebody knows on the door.
"Nandi, door!" Mal shouts.
After a few moments, the ex-companion and the current companion walk out of the back room. "It's probably just a customer but it is rather late." Nandi opens the door and gasps at who's there. "Sam Malone, we've done talked bout how you're not welcome here."
"I know." Sam mutters, lookin' down at his feet. "But it's bout Billy."
-
"These here drinks are good." Kaylee declares, tipping her large glass at Willow in salute. "What's they called again."
"Long Island Ice Tea." Willow replies before chugging the rest of her drink down. "And I'm gonna go help the bar dude make us more." Willow stumbles out of their booth and walks to the bar, completely oblivious to the group of men watching them across the room, a small, dark-haired whore with them. The escape out of the window was relatively easy; they tied a few sheets together and climbed down them. Then all they had to do was sneak into Serenity and get some money for drinks and shoes for her and River, easy as cake. A little magic (that Kaylee and Billy didn't notice, of course) to keep anyone from hearing the whorehouse's mule drive away and they're home clean…or something like that. "Okay, Jack…"
"Joe." The bartender corrects.
"Okay, Joe." Willow says. "One more pitcher; do you think you can remember the combination or do I have to instruct again?"
"You got the money?" Joe asks.
Willow hands over the last of the money Spike gave her; who knew booze could be so expensive.
"Then I remember." Joe expertly mixes together the mixture of alcohols that she told him to use into a large pitcher. He briefly wonders if maybe he shouldn't give them anymore; they've already drank three pitchers between the four of them, but she paid and that's all that really matters to him. He hands the mixed pitcher to the little redhead with a nod.
Willow stumbles back to their booth and silently fills their glasses, some of the liquid spilling onto the table.
River takes her glass and chugs half of it.
"River, you're putting them back good." Willow comments, sipping at her own drink. She knows she's trashed but she doesn't care; it keeps her from thinking.
"Tea good." River mutters. "Jayne bad."
"Who's the new woman shaped person?" Willow asks, gesturing to the pretty blonde sitting between Kaylee and Billy.
"This is Betty-Lou." Billy replies. "She's joinin' our man-hatin' club."
"Her husband left her for her mother." Kaylee explains and then hugs Betty-Lou. "Oh, sweetie, that's so sad."
"Yeah." Willow agrees, studying the blonde intently. She's got an edge that's setting her spidey sense off.
"And she was just about to ask us somethin' when you brought more drinks." Billy says. "And thanks."
"No problem." Willow waves off his gratitude, just like she did every other time. "So, Betty, what questions?"
"Just wonderin' if you could, what would you wish happen to the man who done scorned you?" Betty-Lou asks.
Kaylee opens her mouth to respond when both Willow and River pounce on her.
"NO!" Willow shouts. "Don't use the W-word under any circu….anytime."
"Bad things happen." River says.
"It's just a word." Betty-Lou defends, her hand moving up to nervously touch the necklace around her neck.
"We need to have a word with Betty." Willow says as she stands up. She pulls Billy out of the booth gently and then tugs Betty out. "We're going to go outside for a minute."
River gets on Betty's other side and the three girls walk out the front door of the bar.
"Leave." Willow orders once they're in an alley on the side of the bar. "Now."
"You have no idea who you're talking to." Betty-Lou sneers back.
"Yes, I do actually." Willow argues. "And you'll want to leave now before I make you."
Betty-Lou laughs.
With a flick of her wrist, Willow flings the girl down the alley. "You have exactly ten seconds to leave on your own before I make you." Willow says. "And believe me when I say you won't like the way I make you."
Betty-Lou stands up, backing away from the redhead nervously. "What are you?"
"A witch." Willow replies with a grin. "Oh, by the way, tell D'Hoffryn that Willow Rosenburg says hi."
Betty-Lou's eyes go wide and with a snap, she's gone.
"Vengeance demons, you gotta love them." Willow says with a grin.
"Yeah." River agrees. They walk back down the alley and turn to go back into the bar when their world goes black.
-
"Give me one reason why I shouldn't shoot you where you sit?" Nandi says, pacing in front of the man. "You tore up one of my people and then used another to hurt him further."
"I didn't have a choice." Sam replies. "Burgess heard somethin' and had people watchin' me. If I didn't sleep with her, he woulda killed me and then came back and killed Billy."
"So you was bein' all self-sacrafising and havin' sex to save his life?" Mal questions. "Sounds kinds screwy, if you ask me."
"I didn't ask you." Sam replies. "I just came to tell Nandi that he's got him."
"Who's got who?" Nandi asks.
"Burgess's got Billy." Sam shouts. "We was sittin' round havin' some drinks when one of your girls came in and started whisperin' to Burgess. A while after that Burgess grabbed Billy and some girl and then after that two other girls."
"What the hell are you talkin' bout?" Nandi asks. "All my girls are here."
"They weren't whores." Sam replies. "Just girls. Little things too, one of em couldn't been more than 18 or 19."
"What'd they look like?" Nandi asks.
"Little brown haired thing, skinny as a rail with long hair." Sam replies. "A curvy girl with a lighter color hair and a redhead."
"No." Jayne says, shaking his head in denial. "They're upstairs; we woulda seen em come down."
"I know what I saw." Sam says. "Just thought I'd tell you and then be on my way."
"You ain't goin' nowhere, son." Mal grabs the kid's arm and drags him up the stairs. "Not till we're sure it ain't our girls you're talkin' bout." He bangs his fist on the door of the room Kaylee, River, and Willow were using heavily. "Open the ruttin' door, Willow; now."
"Move." Jayne pushes Mal aside and then kicks open the door, ripping off the frame with the force of his kick. He steps into the room but instantly knows they're not there. And sure enough, the window's open, a rope made from sheets hanging out it. He spins around, rips Sam out of Mal's arms and tosses him across the room. Stomping angrily after him, he picks up the terrified kid until he's face level. "Where the ruttin' hell is my wife?"
-