Title: Gathering, Hootenanny, or a Shindig (pt. 2)
author: Jmaria
Rating: FR-18
Disclaimer: Joss is god, I am a lowly worshipper.
Spoilers: The series, but not the big damn movie. Also, for Baby on Board, Just Unsettlin', Nightmare Seduction, Nucleus, Not Whole, Mama Cobb, Tiny Thing Like That, Family Matters, & Gathering, Hootenanny or a Shindig (part one)
Summary: What is this thing, 'xactly?
A/N: There was class and thus the cut off where it happened. And have I told all my reviewers how much I adore y'all? Seriously, you guys are the shit.
Also, I lied. Wedding'll be in the next part. Too tired to write it out tonight.

Gathering, Hootenanny, or a Shindig (part 2)

As much as it was good to see his kin, Jayne was startin' to go stir crazy. He'd left this gorram planet to get away from so damn much. Vera, Magistrate Weblin, the farm that would work his pop into a early grave, most likely take Dewey and Martin to theirs as well. Never been good with growin' things, never really took ta the land like the twins did, like his Ma did. Weren't no good with Mattie, not really. Hell, what kinda father'd he be anyway, life he led.

As it were, he wasn't even sure if he cared much for his intended. Last person he'd cared for weren't kin or crew'd screwed him over a bit. Vera. Damn, he wasn't supposed to keep thinkin' on her, but a boy ne'er forgets the first piece a pretty he falls for, not really. First and Last girl he'd kissed on the mouth. First girl he'd dallyed with. First he'd gotten in the family way. Only reason he'd gone to blows with his pop over.

Now the girl and Pop were long dead, and here he was back on this blasted moon with a girl half his age expectin' his twins, and his whole clan goin' ape-shit over a weddin' he could care less about.

Jayne grumbled a bit, pulled off his sweat and dirt streaked shirt. Gorrammit, he hated farmin and haulin crap up to the compost heap. Thank god, his ma'd come to her senses and got that new plumbin' system.

He kicked off his boots and socks and was working on unbuckling his pants when tiny fingers traced themselves over his back. Jayne felt his spine stiffen as the warm fingertips flickered across his skin. River slipped around to the front of him, her eyes traveling the expanse of his chest, taking in every dip and cut and wound there.

"Mine, imminent betrayal," The words were cold and heavy as she traced the puckered skin of the butcher knife wound. "From birth, do it or die," her fingers skimmed over his shoulder, the words sad, pained and fearful.

Her hands left his chest, skirted up his neck to his lips. She ran her thumb across them gently, leaving barely a feather weight on them. They traced over a scar he didn't let anyone see.

"From Vera, first time her daddy caught you kissing. Bit down hard, bled for an hour. Never could explain it," the words were gentle, understanding. But her thumb left his lip and went to the scar on his right cheek. Big, crocodile tears formed in her eyes, and he half wished she weren't a mind readin' genius. "From Pop, when you came back too late. He didn't mean it Jayne, honestly. Loved you -"

"Gorramitt, girl! Ain't nobody asked you to go diggin' up in my mind. What gives -" He growled, but River was cryin' and he had his hands on her too tight.

"He loved you, didn't mean it. Didn't mean to never say it again."

River pulled at his neck, dragging his lips down to meet hers. Jayne felt the anger slip away, let her kiss at him determined not to feel the urgency there. Didn't last long, girl was all manners a skilled when it came to kissing.

"Loved, even if you choose not to see," River whispered, breaking the kiss. "Not lost in the woods, but safe at grandmother's house."

As quickly as she'd come, the gorram girl'd left, leavin' him all manner a confused.

Ma Cobb wasn't a fool. She knew if she let Jayne's brothers plan the bachelor party the day before the wedding, nothing would go accordin' to plan. She liked her plans to work out easy peesy, so she made 'em plan for the day before the day before. Most of the menfolk were real excited. Logan'd eloped, so it'd been near three or four years since they'd had a proper wedding, with a proper bachelor party.

So at six o'clock, the men were itchin' for a good old time. They'd made their way into the Rusty Nail, the only place what had prostitutes this side of Cadence who were willing ta just strip. Wash was lookin' all manner a nervous, but that was easily got rid of with a few drinks.

The night had easily progressed into watching Jayne get more and more drunk. It was high hilarity for Mal and Wash, because Simon was getting as trashed as Jayne.

"Yer not right fer her. She's a genius, ya see. Very high end material," Simon slurred, as a girl wiggled her ass in his face.

"Her? Ain't more'n a stripper," Jayne grumbled, taking another hit.

"Not her, you man-ape gone wrong. My mei-mei. The one who knocked herself up with your - stuff," Simon said, slapping away the girl.

"Ya knocked up his sister, Jay?" Angus laughed, slapping Simon hard on the back. "Yer good at that, I hear."

"What?"

"First Vera, now sweetly little River. Most potent man on Cadence," Angus laughed, taking a long guzzle of his drink.

"Vera?" Mal cried, staring at Jayne oddly.

"Not my gun."

"Hell no, his old sweetie."

"Wait, you've done this before? Gotten a girl in the family way and then - abandoned her?" Simon shook his head, as if that would make it anymore clearer. "You bastard!"

"Not like I knew, and keep yer damn ugly nose outta my business, Angus."

"You son of a bitch!" Simon yelled.

"Don'tcha talk about my mother, you gormless lil prick!" Jayne yelled back.

"Well, if'n it ain't Jayne Cobb. Looks like wishes are horses, boys," a stranger yelled from the doorway.

"Aww, go-se." Jayne muttered, getting a nice eyeful of the man.

"I'm thinkin' you're gonna get hit with a pool cue and I'm gonna get a fat lip," Wash muttered, taking another drink.

"Huh?"

River kept watching the clock. Mother Cobb gave her an odd look. Her heart wasn't completely into the little bachelorette party the girls had thrown for her. As it was, the night had gone from mildly bad, to extremely worse. The rain that had been threatening to fall all day had decided to kick in, Enid and Rochelle hadn't been able to find a boy whore to do a little strip tease for River (which had disappointed and thrilled each of them), and River kept looking at the door.

At eleven forty-five, River jumped up and ran out onto the rain. A woman fairly soaked to the skin stood in the doorway, and was nearly run down by River.

"River?" Zoe called, chasing after her.

"Zoe, what's going on? Where's she going?"

"Much to do at the Rusty Nail, can't - terrible danger. Bullet to the brain pan!" River screamed.

"We can't let her go out in her condition!" Evie cried, her eyes wide with panic.

"We'll get her, Mrs. Cobb," Zoe said, dragging the woman on the porch with her, and nodding to Kaylee and Shepherd Book who'd come out of the kitchen where he'd been entertaining little Mattie.

"That's Mother Cobb?"

"What's goin' on, Zoe?"

"River's talkin' crazy."

River'd run faster than she'd ever run. Her Jayne was in terrible danger, could wreck her house of cards. The Rusty Nail was all manner of calamity when she'd shoved the swinging doors open. A man was trying to hit Jayne with a very large pool stick. Wash was wincing on his back, Mal was tripping over Simon, and the Cobb brothers were busy fighting off various thugs.

"Hun dan, you're the gorram reason my little cousin is dead! Ruined everythin' my uncle worked for!" The stick bearer was yelling.

"Yer uncle's the bastard!" Jayne yelled back, hurling another bottle at him.

"He's dead!"

"Don't make it any less true!"

That was when the stick connected with his head. River's mouth opened up in a silent scream and she picked up the nearest tray of drinks and cold cocked the man nearest to her. She quickly grabbed his gun, took aim and fired.

Her whole body shook with the vibration of the shot. There was one very high pitched scream, and the attackers spread to the four corners of the bar, racing out the door. The man with the pool stick lay in a pool of his own blood, howlin and clutching his leg for dear life.

River raced over to where Jayne had fallen and felt for a pulse. He lived. The great big idiot. She kissed his unconscious mouth fiercely, not that he would notice, but just to feel.

By now, Zoe and the others had arrived. Kaylee ran to Simon, Book to the brothers, and Zoe to Wash. Mal groaned as he tried to sit up. Wet hands grabbed his, and helped him to his feet. Mal blinked.

"Wash, they got strippers tha' look like 'Nara," he tried to waggle his eyes at Wash, but the lump forming over his eye prevented him from doing it. "Reckon I can get'er to strip fer me?"

"Uh, Mal -" Wash tried to stop him.

"I've told you before, Mal that I was never going to service you or any of the crew. Stripping was included."

"Inara?" Mal yelled.