Title: My Turn (6?)
Series: Creature of Extraordinary Grace
Author: Romanceguru
Disclaimer: Joss is boss, I am but a lowly subservient.
Rating: PG-13
Summary: River does her thing.
Pairings: Mal/River Jayne/River
Notes: Post BDM 1 yr. +
Thanks to my beta elsibet34 and to crazywriterchick for the suggestion.
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The room was blanketed in silence. Even Badger had forgotten they were in the middle of a rift and listened on attentively.
"Quit crowdin' me." Jayne snarled irritably and pushed the muzzle of the gun being held to his temple away. The dark, burly man glared menacingly and retrained his weapon even closer on Jayne. He looked a mite too trigger-happy and the merc was pushing his luck by getting brave.
Zoë looked between her captain and the mercenary, sensing the worst of things to come. "Jayne, this really isn't the place or time. Kinda in a situation here."
"No. It's shiny, Zoë. Let the man speak. Reckon Badger can be so kind as to hold off on the kidnappin' for a few." Mal said derisively as he gazed intently at Jayne, trying to figure out what the big guy could possibly have to confess and why he seemed to suddenly care so much about River.
Amused, Badger waved his hand towards the merc. "Love me a good family drama. By all means."
Jayne opened his mouth ready to let it all flow out like whiskey come payday. After all, he didn't really care much about anyone's opinion but his own most of the time.
He glanced over at River and found that her eyes were cast downward in defeat. She appeared all manner of sad and it caused him to hesitate. The sight stifled his impulse and this came out in truth's stead. "Ya know we need the girl, Mal. Proved ta be plenty o' use to us an' ain't gonna let some gorram rat make off wit' her."
Jayne settled his eyes again on River, who was looking at him in surprise, and he noticed the blood return to her pale face. Their eyes remained locked together as he continued to speak. "Know I've done said different in the past, but crew is crew." For a moment, the corners of River's mouth curled up slightly with relief.
Mal felt a stir of queasiness in his stomach as he witnessed the silent accord shining blatantly in Jayne and River's eyes. Before he could even begin to comprehend what was going on, River's face immediately returned to chalk white and a soft whimper escaped her lips. "No!" She staggered back against the wall, wide-eyed with realization as the bits started to come together. "They have…Kaylee…Simon!"
Confusion gripped Badger as he witnessed River verbalize what was in his head. "How'd she…"
"Things you don't seem to grasp, Badger." The captain cut in. "What have you done? They ain't a part of this." Mal desperately tried to stifle his anger as the weight of the situation took effect.
Badger cracked a sly grin. "Insurance you see. You give me t'girl, I'll spare t'rest o' yer crew. If not, no fret. Can make a bundle for t' wee lil' gent."
Mal narrowed his eyes. "Using an innocent as your trump card, that's low, even for you, Badger."
"Prefer da term clever."
River looked at Mal, trying to reassure him with her eyes. "All other roads lead to demise. It must be done as he says. It'll be okay."
Jayne's hand was hovering over his holstered weapon, itching to draw and put a bullet between Badger's eyes. He wasn't going to lie down and let this happen.
His thoughts were loud, screaming with foolish heroic inclination. Quickly, River shifted her gaze to Jayne and shook her head in opposition but the warning came too late. As Jayne went to draw his gun, the brute holding the shooter to his head was quicker and cracked the butt of the weapon hard across Jayne's skull, sending him to his knees. The colossal man next powered his weapon training it to the top of the mercenary's head.
With swift grace, River was across the room in a flash knocking the gun away just as it discharged. The Bullet sliced deep through the outside of Jayne's left shoulder, missing its fatal mark. Jayne keeled over and grabbed his arm in pain. River shot a look of warning at the stunned brute, before kneeling down at the merc's side to examine the severity his injury.
Badgers mouth hung open. "How'd she…"
"Like I said…" Mal began but stopped in mid sentence, watching curiously as River tore a piece of cloth from her dress and used it as a make shift tourniquet on Jayne. The nauseous feeling in his stomach returned as he noted the way Jayne was staring at River as she gently attended to him. Sure they'd had gotten along better in times past but this was something more.
Finished, River turned and promptly addressed Badger. "May I at least say good-bye?"
Badger beamed, "Knew you'd see things my way." The exchange was going smoother then he'd anticipated. "Make it quick then."
River strode over to Mal, placing her hands on his brood shoulders for balance and lightly kissed him on the cheek near his ear. Before pulling away, she whispered, "10 minutes."
Mal felt spun about, overwhelmed by the multitude of situations that were beyond his control. He knew he should just let go and have faith that his lil' albatross understood what she was doing. He'd put all the pieces all together later when there fewer lives were at stake. Taking a deep breath, reluctantly, he played along. "All right, Badger she's yours. Don't want anymore blood spilled than need be."
"Ruttin' hell!" Jayne growled. "Yer just gonna hand her over like that then?"
Mal ignored Jayne and spoke directly to Badger. "Just you first call your men off my boat."
"Take me a fool, do ya now? Don'tchya worry none. They'll be called off, once we's a good deal aways. Badger held his arm out for River.
"Come, lil' lady. Yer chariot awaits."
River hesitantly slipped her arm through Badger's and looked back over her shoulder at Mal, Zoë and Jayne as they left out the back corridor and were followed by two of Badger's hulking men.
Once they were out of sight, Badgers cockney accent could be heard echoing from down the hall. "Hey, thought ya was from t'ole country, where'd that accent of yers go?"
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The daylight hit Mal, Zoë, and Jayne's faces welcomingly when they left the dim shanty ten minutes later. When they reached the mule they found it had been disabled. All of them were just standing around looking at the mess of cut wires, clueless as to how to remedy the situation, when Mal spotted River making her way towards them. She was brushing dry earth from her dress and limping pretty badly.
Jayne perked up next upon seeing River and instinctively set off to go to her but came to an instant halt when he realized the captain had beat him to it. As the Mal scooped her up in his arms, Jayne turned away, unable to watch.
River let out a small shriek of pain as Mal squeezed her close. He loosened his grip on her and set her down gently, tilting her chin up in his hand to inspect for further injury. "What the hell happened? You alright?"
"Just a little dinged. There was an accident. He'll live. Friends were not so lucky."
Mal was angry with himself for letting her go, if he would have anticipated her getting hurt he wouldn't have gone along with any of it. "You should of let us…"
River spoke, cutting off his thoughts of guilt. "Had Badger call his men off. Serenity has been moved from the docks 20 miles due east, she's stagnant. Kaylee is trying to get her operational again." River smiled at the frown still embedded on the worried captain's face. She reached up and traced the furrowed lines on his forehead. "You are not culpable. The odds proved more efficient this route. You must believe me."
Zoë came over just then. "Sir, mule's busted for time being. Found a barter with a two-seater for loan."
"Good, we'll need it. Seems we got a little trek to make." Mal looked back over at Jayne who was leaning against the mule holding his injured shoulder and then back to River who looked all the more torn up, and made his decision.
"Jayne I want you to take River and get the both of you patched up. Keep a low profile. Zoë and me will go for lil' Kaylee an' the like."
Jayne nodded and pulled the first aid bag from the Mule before stepping over to River. They both watched Mal and Zoë disappeared down the way to go rent the smaller craft.
Jayne leaned over to River and stated mockingly. "Forgot ta kiss him goodbye."
"Wouldn't do that in front of you." River answered truthfully.
Jayne was bitter that the girl chose to go to the captain instead of him. That he was forced to stand by and let it happen. "But ya do it none-the-less." Jealousy consumed him like wildfire as he snapped at her. "Can't stand ta think on you with him."
River's eyes welled up with frustration. How could he be making her feel guilty? She turned to him, her tone accosting, "It's not fair what you're doing. You let me go. Let me walk away. You are possessive and greedy, Jayne Cobb. Only want what you had, because you can no longer."
River turned on her heels, leaving Jayne at a loss for words. As he trailed after her, he contemplated what she had said.
Did he just want her back because Mal now had her? Is that what she believed? He thought back to the nights he lay in his bunk after he told the girl to get. The scent of her on his pillow and on his sheets, taunted him. He could have easily stripped them bare and given them a good washing, but they remained.
Each night the smell faded but his thoughts of her did not. He slept less and less, guilt sending him into a constant state of restlessness. Many times he wanted to stalk to her room and take back every rutting thing he had said, but he was afraid she wouldn't forgive him and more fearful that she would.
Thought he was saving them both a world of hurt by ending things before they got any more serious. He wasn't the relationship type and was too old to start being the kind now. He told himself that she had been nothing but a warm body to pass the time.
Every minute he spent pushing her away, convincing himself he didn't need her, was a lie.
True, it took seeing the girl come out of the captain's bunk to realize he loved her. To finally give him the courage to tell her just that but it didn't make it any less a fact. All it accomplished, was to make him regret in not realizing it sooner.
Jayne almost ran into the back of River as she had stopped in the middle of the dusty street. She was shielding her eyes from the sun as she looked up at something. He followed her gaze to the rickety establishment and grinned as he read the creaking sign swaying back and forth in the breeze. Bill's Place rooms by the hour.
River turned to catch Jayne grinning impishly and shook her head in annoyance as she snatched the medical bag from his hands. "You're prepossessed." she accused as started towards the inn. "Were here only to patch up."
TBC…