Disclaimers: Mutant Enemy and Joss Whedon own it all.

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Timeline: Takes place during Safe, only this time Jayne gets snatched

Pairings: Jayne/ River, naturally; Zoe/ Wash

Rating: M for all the usual reasons

Conversations between Simon and Doralee taken from 'Safe'

Erin led Jayne and River to a small cottage after first stopping at the store house to get sheets, blankets, towels and any other things she felt the couple might need.

"I know you think we're savages, but all we're tryin' to do is survive. It's a hard life and we don't get no help from no one save ourselves." The older woman opened the door to the small building. There was a main room with a small bench in front of the fireplace, a large rug in front of that. The kitchen area held a table with 4 mismatched chairs and a small stove that Erin went to and began to stoke. River opened the only door off the main room to discover a bed and small chest of drawers.

"This place belonged to our smithy, but he and his wife, well they decided to try and leave." She busied herself with the stove, not looking up at Jayne's curious expression.

"Tried to leave, huh?" He put some kindling and a few logs in the fireplace and started a fire.

"Yes, well…they, we don't know what happened to them, not really." Erin stood up and turned to face the couple. He was quite a bit older than the girl, she noticed, not that that was unusual. The girl clung to his side and he patted her arm awkwardly trying to comfort her. Erin smiled to herself, not married long she could see. But he was a very virile, handsome man, and she was a sweet young thing. Could do a lot worse, particularly from these parts. Not that they were from these parts, that was clear. He was a rough one alright, but she looked core for sure, Erin thought.

"Bes' try'n fit in, do what's asked of ya and don't cause a ruckus. We was, well some of us anyways, we was all part of a different life. But we became a part of this one, got accustomed to it. You will too. Not a bad life really, kinda hard, but not bad." She retrieved the sheets and blankets from the bench and handed them to River. "Here girl, you get the bed ready for your man and I'll fetch you all some dinner. Tomorrow you'll eat in the common house."

"Umm, excuse me. Where would the bathroom be?" River asked in a small voice.

Erin laughed. "Oh sweetheart, that would be the small room out back. You really ain't from this moon, are ya? Not that I thought you were, but…" She looked at Jayne. "I'm sure you know where the loo would be, so I'm thinkin' you bes' be showin' her how it's done." She left with a small smile on her lips.

"Doralee, we got a doctor for you." Stark walked up to a small, young woman.

"Praise the Lord!" The woman came up to Simon and took his hands in hers.

"Doralee here, she'll show you what's what." With that, Simon's jailor left.

"What's your name?" She asked with an innocent look on her face.

Looking around the room at the assembled people. "Name? Oh, my name's Simon. Tell me, has there been an illness here?"

Doralee looked around, as well. "Nothing special. Just, people get sick. Or injured. Mostly people heal on their own, but sometimes..."

"Sometimes you need a doctor." Simon sighed and rolled up his sleeves. "Bring me light and any supplies you might have."

She nodded and went to fetch what she could. She returned with a hurricane lamp and a small wicker box filled with the few, meager medical supplies the township had.

Simon began his examination of the people waiting for medical attention. He bandaged a few limbs, applied some sparse anti-biotic cream. "This all seems pretty minor. There's
no epidemic? Nothing more serious? I was brought here just to tend to these people?"

Doralee shrugged. "They need tendin', don't they? Last year, the place needed builders. Got two men. Five years ago, they decided they needed a teacher."

Simon was incredulous. "So they... went and took one?"

"They went and took me." She replied simply.

Simon looked up from his work. "You're... are you a prisoner here too?"

"I just live here now. Teach the children their sums, their Bible lessons, how to live the Lord's way. Don't choose to leave." She shrugged.

"And you think they'd let you?" He asked.

She shrugged. "Never thought to try. They needed a teacher. That's what I do. Teach."

River washed her underwear in a bowl Jayne had filled for her and hung them near the fire on a line Jayne had hung up for her as well. "That was disgusting." She giggled referring to the outhouse.

"What's so funny?" Jayne asked over his shoulder.

"My parents would be demoralized if they ever saw their daughter using an out-house. Poor Simon, he will be very disturbed at the lack of indoor plumbing." She burst into another fit of giggles.

Jayne had to smile. "Yeah, love to have a capture of the look on his face when he needs to use the head." He looked over at River. "So, how d'cha figure to have us put the rings on?" He looked down at his hand.

She shrugged. "The younger one, he…his thoughts of me…he thought he might be able to use the girl before he turned her over to the patron to be bartered for. I did not wish to be used as such or bartered for."

"Quick thinkin' girl." Jayne inwardly shuddered. He knew what these kind of townsfolk were like. Luckily his moon, though as far from the core as any, was civilized. No one got kidnapped to fill a need in another hamlet and no person was ever traded. "We gotta just hold out until Mal comes for us. Damn sure his plan went as south as it could've. But I know he won't leave his own on this po-dunk moon."

"Yes, it was necessary to leave. And the Shepard will be fine, it just may take a little longer than hoped for." She went to sit next to Jayne. "I am feeling very tired zhang fu." She leaned her head against his shoulder.

Jayne jumped up. "Girl, don't you be gettin' no ideas now."

She rolled her eyes as she looked up at him. "We must continue to live the pretense. If anyone should enter," she pointed at the door revealing the lack of locks, "and if you are sleeping in here the girl will be given away to the highest bidder. She has no desire to an appendage to a back water cousin."

Jayne ran his hand over his face. "Okay, okay. Your right." She gave him a look that told him 'of course'. "Hey, don't give me that look." He went to the bedroom door and looked in. River had already made up the bed, seemed big enough. "So, you take one side and I'll take the other."

"Which side?"

"I'll take the side by the door, you take t'other. Get to bed girl. I'll be in soon enough."

River stood up on tip toe and kissed his cheek. "Thank you Jayne."

"Don't be thankin' me yet girl. 'Sides, Mal'd space me if I let anything really bad happen to you or that pee-goo brother a yourn."

"Don't be mean to Simon, he is your brother-in-law after all." She laughed and headed for the bedroom. "Don't be too long, it's cold."

Jayne groaned as the girl floated to the room in the thin nightgown Erin had given her. He'd never really looked at the girl like that, well maybe when she came outta that cryo box, but being this close to her, and with her panties hangin' over the fire, well, he was just a man. And not a very good one at that.

Once Simon had completed all the tasks he could Doralee led him to a small cabin that adjoined the sick room. He looked around, clean and utilitarian. His thoughts turned to his sister. "Where is my sister and her…her husband?"

Doralee looked up from making his bed. "Oh, they were given the smithy's old cabin. 'Cause you're the doc, they'll be given special privileges, don't worry on them." She lit the fire and turned back to the doctor. "I'll be showing you where the outhouse is now."

"Out-house?"

Jayne slipped into the bedroom hoping the girl was asleep. He removed his pants and laid them over the only chair in the room and did the same with his shirt. He had washed his underwear as River had done, and hung them to dry. Luckily Erin had given him a pair of sleep pants and he quickly tugged them on, tying the drawstring tight on his hips. He slowly sat on the edge of the bed and swung over, his body on top to the sheets.

"It's cold and he will become ill. Get under all the covers and share his bodily warmth with the girl please." River pushed herself up on one elbow and looked at the big man.

"Thought you were asleep." Hoped anyway, he thought to him self.

"No, waiting for husband to come to bed. Besides, I'm very cold." She smiled up at him. "Please?"

"Yeah, yeah. Lie down then and we'll get some shut eye. Now, don't you go tellin' that brother of yours, he's like to have Mal plant a bullet in my brain." Jayne raised his hips and slid under the covers allowing River to scoot close to him. "Wuo duh ma! Girl, you're near froze!" Jayne turned River in his arms, her back up against his chest, as he wrapped his arms and legs around her shivering body, cocooning her is his warmth.

River dug deeper into his embrace, attempting to draw in as much of his heat as possible. "You body temperature is very much appreciated by the girl. Thank you Jayne." She closed her eyes and smiled into the darkness of the room.

"Yeah, yeah. Just shut it and try and get some sleep." Jayne almost groaned at the feel of her body as she ground closer to him. He felt a sheen of sweat on his upper lip as he fought to contain his body's reaction to the girl. Gorram feng le girl.

Translations:

zhang fu: husband

pee-goo: butt-hole

Wuo duh ma: Mother of Jesus