Disclaimer: I don't any of this, it all belongs to the great god Joss.
A/N Thank you all for your great reviews and your patience. Finals are over and that means I can get back to something of a life! And writing! Special thanks to Agent Rouka for your constructive criticism, Thugs-4-Less for pointing out about the formating stuff which shouldn't have needed to happen but this site keeps changing how you upload things. It's annoying. LOL. I've written a paper about formating for fan fiction sites for goodness sakes. And Wren8811 for being an unofficial beta. (I've fixed it by the way.) Now onward to the story!
A Mite Unpredictable
Business versus Play
Chapter Four
By RingPrincess
The warm yellow of the table light was the only light that illuminated the ship's kitchen. Mal stood at the head of the table, the crew seated around it while he outlined the next job.
"So, our job is simple. Go in, take the seed and return it to Badger who will see it gets distributed to those who really need it." Mal nodded.
Kaylee smiled. "How'd they get that much seed in the first place?"
Jayne grunted. "Why's it matter?"
Kaylee shot a exasperated glance at him. "Just curious."
River cocked her head. "They're liars."
Mal's eyebrow rose. "Duplicitous leaders, as I was about to say 'fore Albatross spoke up. Seems the magistrate and the mayor got together and creatively misfiled some papers."
"Huh," Simon nodded.
"Of course, our job is complicated by the fact that we are minus a superior pilot." Mal hooked his hands into his belt.
Simon straightened in his chair. "River could stay behind."
"No," Mal shook his head. "I want her with us. Keepin' an eye and a mind out."
"What if things go wrong?" Simon frowned.
"They best not go wrong then." Mal smiled tightly.
"Sir?" Zoë frowned. She refrained from commenting that things always went wrong in some form or another.
"We need a pilot." Mal muttered almost to himself.
Jayne stiffened. His eyes widened.
"Someone we can trust." Mal continued. He looked at River. "I suspect I'll need your help there."
River smiled and nodded.
"Hold on, Wash didn't need to be crazy approved." Jayne protested. "Why should a new pilot?"
River kicked him in the shins and Jayne yelped glaring at her. She stared coolly back at him and said, "Un-hatched chickens are not green."
"And of course that's supposed to make all sorts of sense." Jayne muttered and looked away. "I don't like replacin' Wash."
"Not replacin'," Mal said with a quick glance at Zoë's direction to see how she reacted to Jayne's statement. Her face was smooth. "Just succeedin'"
"No one could replace Wash." Zoë added. "Captain's got a point. We all have specific jobs on Serenity and full time pilot is not one of them for any of us."
"Worried about nothing." River muttered. "Un-quantified possibilities."
"I ain't worried." Jayne growled and pushed away from the table. He stalked out of kitchen.
River rolled her eyes but didn't pursue him.
Mal shifted on his feet. "We should all get a good nights sleep, crime to be done tomorrow. That includes you, Doc." He turned his face towards Kaylee. "And you."
Kaylee widened her eyes and smiled at Mal. "Sure, Captain."
River snorted. "Good night." She said and left the mess. Her hands trailed the wall as she walked the hallways towards her room. Her stomach felt in knots and she shook her head. It wasn't her. It was Jayne. She shook her head to try and shake the feeling. It didn't work. It wasn't her head that was the problem. She could hear him grunting in the cargo bay and feel how his muscles strained as he lifted the bar up and down. She grabbed the edge of the door to the cargo bay and rested her head against it, eyes closing. Her breath came through her mouth in small gasps. "So angry," she whispered. Yet there was nothing for him to be angry about. It felt like he was shoving his anger away from his body in an attempt to make it go away. It pushed her with a physical force and she stumbled from the door and fled to her room. Jayne's anger pulsing through her head and blood.
--
Jayne shoved the bar up and tried to shake the thoughts from his head. They didn't make any sense and made horrid sense at the same time. A pilot, a new pilot younger and handsomer than him that might take her attention away, someone with exciting stories that could talk educated. Someone one like she deserved, not a rough and tumble grouchy merc like him, not that she even knew he was interested. He grunted and sweat ran down his forehead, his arms and pooled in the middle of his chest. Images of all sorts of men running through his head, all of them puppies or pansies and no good for her as far as he was concerned.
It was absolutely ruttin' crazy. Yet, there was little kernel in his mind that said it wasn't. She was his. And she wasn't right in the head anyways. They fit just right that way. He grimaced. No one was going to take her away. Ship's night lengthened and Jayne kept lifting.
--
Mal looked back and forth at the busy market place. He turned to River. "Wait two minutes then come in."
She nodded and sank back into her seat. Jayne jumped out of the mule and waited for Zoë to disembark. Mal turned to Jayne. "And no shouting my name."
Jayne blinked but nodded. "Uh, right."
Mal sighed and River giggled. "Let's make this in and out."
They strode inside. Mal and Zoë fanned out and Jayne remained by the front door in case someone tried to run out that way. All three of their guns fired at once, each taking out a camera and sending the patrons scrambling to the floor. Silence descended.
"We don't want to hurt anyone. We're just here to take something that ain't yours. Righting a perilous wrong so to speak." Mal fanned his gun around the floor. "So just sit tight and we'll all walk away from this." He backed towards the storage area where the grain was being stored in large canvas bags.
The door opened and sunlight washed across Jayne's back and made River nothing but a petite shadow. Jayne stiffened and she laid a hand on his back. He stepped to the side and let her pass. She stepped over bodies, her head tilted to the side and hair hanging around her back and shoulders. She paused while standing over one man, reached down and relieved him of his weapon. She released the clip and tossed it negligently to the side and dropped the empty weapon to the man's side before moving on. She was halfway around the room when she spun.
"Jayne!" She shouted, eyes wide and mouth staying open in horror.
Jayne cursed as simultaneous to her shout a man lunged to his feet and made a break for the door swinging a long sword. He ducked under the blade and grabbed the man's wrist. He brought his gun up and shoved it into the man's stomach before firing. He lowered the man to the floor and looked up at River, her hands over her mouth. "Snap out of it!" He snarled at her and grabbed the blade.
River visibly collected herself and walked the rest of the room. Jayne went still as stone and tried not to think about how close the quick incident had been. If not for her quick warning he might've been spitted, as he hadn't been focused on that man. He swung the sword around experimentally and eyed the room. The hair on the back of his neck refused to settle. Too close, much too close, woman had saved his life again. This was becoming an exceedingly interesting habit on her part. River's hand on his arm startled him. He glared down at her.
"Help the captain." She murmured.
He nodded. "Hold on to this for me." He growled and handed her the blade. River rested the tip against the floor and leaned on it as Jayne strode across the room. He looked at the bags. "How many?"
"Twelve."
He scowled and began hauling. Mal waited until he was back inside before grabbing one himself. There was always one man in the silent room. They were all sweating from the still heat and the gusts of hot air that came through the door as Mal and Jayne went in and out.
Mal glanced about the room. "We're done here." He nodded.
River's lips twitched into a smile. "No. We're not."
He stared at her. "Repeat that."
River lifted the sword and pointed it into the crowd. "Her, we need her too. She's our new pilot."
Mal blinked. "Could you be more particular?"
River sighed. "Her, the red head."
Mal looked into the crowd. "Is that right?" There was one red head in the crowd, hunched over like the rest staring at the floor. He un-holstered his gun. "You heard the albatross. Get up."
Her head came up a little first revealing bright green eyes and a spray of freckles across an upturned nose. She licked her lips. "Me?"
"You're a pilot right?"
She nodded.
Mal gestured with his gun. "Then get up. We've got a job to finish."
She got to her knees and slowly stood up. She tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. A purple tight shirt with a mandarin collar exposed her midriff covered slightly by a length of plaid cloth wrapped around her waist and then over her shoulder like a cloak. Her tan pants were tight and stuffed into knee high black boots. Mal looked at the bag near her feet.
"Those your things?" He asked. At her nod he said. "Pick 'em up and let's move." He looked at River. "Are we done now?"
River smiled and twirled on her toes, holding the sword like a swagger stick she exited. Mal sighed and gestured for the girl to follow her. Jayne strapped the last bag into place as they came out. He took a good look at the red head and looked over her shoulder at Mal. "Who's she?"
"Our new pilot." Mal shrugged gun pointed at Meg's back. "At least according to the albatross."
Jayne frowned and returned his gaze to the new girl. "You gay?"
She sputtered for a few seconds as River giggled and settled into place. "No," the woman said. Jayne grunted and slid into his seat on the mule.
"Gimme that," He said to River, taking the sword from her.
Mal prodded the girl in and climbed in after her. He turned to Zoë. "Back to the ship and we'll see how well our new pilot actually flies."
Zoë nodded and shifted the mule into gear.
"Tain't fair." Jayne said as he examined his new weapon. "The women now outnumber the men folk."
"Stop muttering Jayne." Mal leaned back as they moved through the streets, Zoë making several turns to throw off any idea of pursuit.
River smiled. "Poor Jayne, so many girls and he with a girl's name."
Jayne's response was automatic. "Jayne ain't a girl."
--
"You're back!" Kaylee smiled as the mule drove into the cargo bay. "How'd the crime go?"
"Smooth."
"For once," Jayne growled and vaulted out of the mule.
"Jayne almost got gutted." River said as she climbed out.
"Almost ain't the same as actually being gutted." He said, trying to pass it off. River rolled her eyes.
"If hadn't been warned, would've been." She said coming around to glare up at him.
"So you're earning your keep." Jayne shifted on his feet. "And I got a new toy."
Kaylee beamed. "Sounds excitin'."
The red head climbed out of the mule looking around. Kaylee looked at her.
"And who's this?"
Mal paused and turned to her. "Well, we never did get your name."
She took a deep breath and gave a shaky laugh. "Megwyn Mc'Shea. But my friends call me Meg."
"Meg's our new pilot." Mal smiled tightly. "I assume we're fueled and ready to go."
Kaylee nodded. "Fueled, provisioned and set. Simon's learning."
"It was only a near disaster." Simon said as he entered the cargo bay.
Kaylee rolled her eyes as she hit the button to close the doors.
River linked her arm through Meg's. "Come on. I'll show you Serenity's cockpit. You'll like her."
"Just get us out of atmo in one piece." Mal shouted after her. River waved her hand.
Kaylee stared after them. "Meg huh?"
"Albatross' idea." Mal went and opened the panel in the wall.
"So, does she know our names?" Kaylee asked.
"Not yet," Zoë said.
Mal stood up and turned. "And from your tone, I'm inferring that she never will."
"It's too pat, sir."
"Wash bothered you at first too."
"Wasn't talking about that. It was too easy finding her. Didn't want to say so before strangers."
"So, you don't trust River?" Mal tilted his head. "I'm not to easy about Meg either but I figure we could at least try her out for a run and see if she suits."
"And if she doesn't?" Zoë's eyebrow rose.
"She'll be on Persephone with a wadful of cash and plenty of opportunities to find more work." He shrugged.
"She can tag us, sir."
"Not sayin' it isn't a risk, but not as big of a risk as it used to be. Since, our resident fugees aren't fugees anymore."
"Thank goodness for that," Jayne muttered. "Less a mind to get rid of 'em now that they're provin' to be useful and all." He finished unbuckling the bags and began to move them to the secret holding spot.
Mal brightened. "See, even Jayne agrees."
Zoë shook her head.
"I'm relieved to know that you're no longer tempted to turn us in." Simon crossed his arms.
Jayne grunted. "Ain't no money in it."
"So," Simon tilted his head. "As soon as there's money in it. I should start worrying again."
Mal glared between them. "There shouldn't have been any worrying to begin with."
Simon sighed. "Oh, I doubt Jayne and I will like each other until he beats me to a pulp and I, at least give him a black eye and maybe not even then."
Jayne snorted.
Mal nodded as if that made perfect sense, as Zoë and Kaylee shared a glance and a shrug.
"Inara's returned, Captain." River's voice said over the comm.
"Oops, almost forgot." Mal bounced. "Best be saying howdy." He said and headed up the steps, leaving Jayne to finish storing the bags of seed.
Zoe shook her head and left. Kaylee turned to Simon.
"You sure you're okay with this?" She asked.
"The risk is marginal and River did choose her." Simon shrugged.
"Hey!" Jayne barked. "Go do your cuddlin' sweet stuff someplace else."
"You're just jealous."
"It don't matter what I am, just go do it someplace else." Jayne growled. 'Ruttin' couples.' He thought.
--
Meg finished setting the course to Persephone into the helm of Serenity and leaned back in her chair. She stared idly at the dinosaurs littering the helm and then out of the windows into the black.
"Getting comfortable?" Mal asked from the door.
She jumped slightly and spun the chair about, seeing it was the captain she spun the chair back around. "She's a sweet ship, not sure about the dinos though."
"Courtesy of our last pilot. They stay where they are." Mal leaned against the wall. "I'm Malcolm Reynolds by the way and the ship is Serenity."
"You always hire your pilots this way." Meg picked up the stegosaurus. "You don't even know my recommendations or history."
"River pointed you out. I trust her."
"But you don't trust me." Meg smiled even though he couldn't see it. "She seems to be a good enough pilot."
"Not her greatest strength. She's more useful at other things."
"Funny, I never told her I was a pilot." Meg spun the chair back around, cradling the dino with her fingertips. "Or in need of a job, any job to get off that planet." She glanced up at him through her lashes, auburn hair draped over her shoulder in a long braid.
Mal paused. "She's a reader."
Meg stared at him for a few moments then slid her fingers around the dino. "I figured as much." She placed her ankle on her knee. "I do have them."
Mal's eyebrow rose.
"Recommendations." Meg clarified. "They're in my bag."
Mal stood up. "Which is in your quarters. Simon, our medic, has kindly moved in with our mechanic, Kaylee so you'll be in his room, which is right across from River's. Where is she anyways?"
"She said something about the cargo bay and left a few minutes ago." Meg's eyes hooded, the cargo bay bringing a memory to the forefront of her mind. "Is his name really Jayne?"
"Yep, and before you ask. He's always like that."
Meg's face slowly blossomed into a smile.
--
River paused at the door of the cargo bay in a strange parody of not twenty-four hours earlier. Jayne sat on his work out bench holding the sword in his hand looking thoughtful. She couldn't read anything off him and his body and face told her little. Her head tilted.
"Can you use it?"
His head jerked upwards and he looked about wildly for a few moments until he located her in the shadows. She moved forward once he saw her, eyes riveted on the sword, her lilac sundress clinging to her calves.
"What did you say?"
"The sword." She nodded at it. "Can you use it?"
"As well as I can use anything I suppose." He said returning his gaze to the blade.
"You don't take them on jobs." River crossed the room and stood next to him, her face reflected and distorted by the blade.
"Swords are for play, guns and knives mean business." He said as he wriggled the blade back and forth and it caught the lights. "Mesmerizin' though."
"Could glide through flesh like butter."
"Could." Jayne nodded.
"Take skill to stop it."
He nodded again, not truly paying attention to her.
"Play with me." She said, touching his wrist.
He looked up at her, the rest of the world cut off by the curtain of her hair. His eyes flicked to her lips and then to her eyes. He swallowed against a suddenly dry mouth. His heart sped up. She caressed his wrist. He grabbed the hand standing up and pulling her flush to him.
"Can't, there's only one sword." He growled.
She smiled up at him. "Liar. In your bunk, there's another." She went up on tiptoes. "Mine."
He scowled.
"Went looking for you, couldn't find you, found them instead." River said to his unasked question. "In your bunk, they were gleaming and shining. Play with me." She demanded.
"This ain't no ruttin' game."
"You said it was."
He growled. "You could get hurt."
"Equal chance of you getting hurt." She pointed out. "All work and no play makes Jayne a dull man indeed." She smiled. "Despite his girly name."
His eyes narrowed. "Now you're making fun of me. Trying to make me upset so I'll fight you."
"No fun if Jayne changes the rules." Her eyes hooded.
"I'm takin' if I just agree this will go faster."
River considered his statement for a moment. "Absolutely."
Jayne growled and stalked from the cargo bay. River leaned back to follow him with her eyes.
"You wanted to fight anyways," she muttered once he was out of the room. She began to stretch while she waited. Jayne returned with the extra weapon a few minutes later. He held it out to her hilt first. She stared at it for a few moments, licking her lips.
"What's wrong? Yer the one who wanted to do play."
She looked up at him without moving her head. "Not evil?"
He frowned and then remembered their conversation. "Oh, right. I stick by what I said. It ain't evil, just part of you."
She took the hilt and lifted the sword away with a nod. She took a few steps away from him, holding it away from her side. He brought his up to cover his belly and they began to circle one another, eyes locked.
He smirked. "Let's dance."
She grinned back as he lunged forward and slashed horizontally. She blocked it with her blade and retaliated. He retreated and came at her with a high slash. She leaned back, feeling the backwash of air and kicked off the ground as his sword came back with a low sweep. She flipped backwards and landed out of his reach. He rotated his blade with his wrist grinning and charged at her. She spun out of the way and he spun with her, their blades locking again. She tossed her blade from one hand to the other and they went at it. She put her whole body into the action, swaying and bending as she evaded and retaliated to his attacks. In contrast he seemed still and calm, blocking her attacks with his blade or side stepping them by fraction of inches. It was his blade that made up for his stillness, constantly spinning and twirling. They claimed the entire cargo bay, jumping on boxes, running across the floor. A particular viscous downward slice forced River into a split. Sweat beaded on their muscles and they panted as their muscles strained. She curled her legs about her and shoved to her feet, the force pushing him back. She pressed her advantage and forced him back. He quickly recovered and knocked her blade from her hand. It flew across the room and landed with a clatter. He swept her feet out from under her and tackled her.
"Give up?" He asked with a quirked eyebrow.
She shook her head, hair a dark corona. "No. I'll never stop fighting." She kicked him off and ran vaulted to her feet running for her sword. She spun and her blade shivered against his. "To stop fighting is to die." Her eyes narrowed.
Jayne's blue eyes lit with approval and she shoved his sword away. He barely had time to bring his guard back up as she tried to gut him. Now she was getting serious. Jayne shifted a bit to evenly distribute his weight more. Their blades met as their eyes locked and the fight began anew. Their clothes stuck in damp patches to their skin and muscles moved without conscious thought behind them. The swords felt light in their hands and their bodies seemed to progress in slow motion. The edges of the blades kissed and separated in an instant that felt like it took hours. Horizontal swipe, lateral thrust, vertical strike, low, high and mid guard. There was no more chasing over boxes or vaulting over the stairs. Playtime was over. She gulped air and tossed her head to get hair and sweat out of her eyes. He punctuated each hit with a grunt. He'd crouch and strike while rising and she'd arch out of his way while responding.
His ankle snuck around hers and he fell backwards dragging her with him onto the cold scuffed cargo bay floor. Their swords dropped to each side with a clatter so they wouldn't hurt each other.
"Truce," he panted, the muscles of his arms and legs trembling.
River nodded, her head lying on his chest.
"Good, cause I don't think I can move anymore Albatross." He said. River sighed and started to roll off of him. But in contradiction to his words, one of his arms wrapped around her waist, his hand pressing into her back. She stilled and in that moment all she could feel was him. Not because she was focused solely upon him as in their fight but for another reason she couldn't define. Now that her severe focus was gone there were still no other thoughts and feelings intruding upon her mind except for his and the rapid beating of his heart, the rising heat of his body mingling with her own and the scent of fresh sweat, gun oil and blood. Heat scorched her brain making her want to cry out, not for relief but for more. It answered a heat that roiled in her stomach and traveled lower. Her heart sped at the same beat as his and she gasped from lack of air. He was a solid foundation. She wanted to sink into it and never leave.
"Jayne," she whispered moving her head to look up. Her breath brushed his pulse point on his neck and all she could see was the curve of his jaw. He inhaled sharply, pressing his body more against hers, hard versus soft. He looked down at her and suddenly it all made sense. His eyes were dark blue, full of knowledge that excited her and scared her. He liked her, but he'd never say it. All the emotions and actions of the last few weeks made sense, the gift, the dance, the anger or was it jealousy. His gaze wasn't fixed on her eyes but on her lips. This man who didn't kiss on the mouth had to tear his eyes away to look into hers, wide and brown, framed by dark lashes.
A slight whisper of sound, Inara's shuttle door opening split them apart. They stared at each other for a swift second before glancing upwards to the catwalk.
"It was a glorious dance, thank you." River murmured and fled.
Jayne stood still for a few moments watching as Inara exited and came towards the stairs. With a deep sigh he leaned down and picked up the swords. They felt heavy and he grunted to Inara before heading to his bunk where the memories of a petite soft body against his and the smell of scented soap and sweat would haunt him for the rest of the night.
--
