Disclaimers: Mutant Enemy and Joss Whedon own it all.
Reviews: Feedback very welcomed and appreciated
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'
Jayne and Striker had been walking about four hours when the town came into view.
"Hey! How come it took us so gorram long to get to your settlement when you snatched us?" Jayne questioned his companion.
"Had to throw you off the way back. Too easy to make it to town ifn' you know it's just a short jog."
"Four hours ain't such a short jog. But at least we're here and I can make it back tonight." Jayne said over his shoulder.
"Yeah, that little woman of yourn sure was sad to see you go. You newlyweds or somethin'?" Strider set down his gun to open his backpack. Jayne saw his opportunity and took it.
"Or somethin'." He thrust his elbow back, catching Strider in the nose with a powerful blow, sending him sprawling backwards, hitting a tree in the process. "That'll teach ya to go snatchin' folk that don't wanna be snatched." Jayne took the man's head in his strong hands, prepared to break his neck, but stopped, the girls' big, brown eyes comin' to mind. "Gorramit!" He shook his head and took out a length of rope and a scrap of fabric the other man had in his sack. Jayne tied him up tight and secured the cloth over his mouth. Giving him a final check, he headed into town, hopefully to find one of his crewmates.
Jayne walked with his hat pulled down over his eyes, but still able to see what was going on around him. He made his way to the local postal deposit office, which even in a small town like this should have a cortex connection.
"Well, you bes' have a good reason for us takin' off from this rock without your ass on board. And where the hell are the Tams?" Mal's voice held the tiniest bit of relief. When he saw his big man walking into to town his first instinct was to shot him where he stood. What was the point of havin' a mercenary if he couldn't do his job. But he did recall what Wash had said just over a month ago, lots of missing folk were posted on almost every available wall in town. Just wasn't right.
The mercenary was never so happy to hear the old hwoon dahns voice in his whole life, even if he was gonna catch hell, or at the very least a bullet in the brain for takin' up with River.
"Mal, what the gorram hell took you so long?" Jayne took Mal's offered arm. Musta been feelin' a mite guilty to hold out his hand, Jayne thought. Guilt, might be able to use that.
"Good to see you too Jayne." Mal groused.
"Jayne!" Kaylee ran up to the big man and jumped up for a warm embrace. "We was so worried 'bout ya. Wash was sure you got snatched, did ya." She was looking behind him, searching for Simon and River.
"There still in that gorram village." He turned to Mal. "We gotta get back to 'em. I'll be night soon and I gotta bad feelin'." River had been doin' so good, but then he'd been with her everyday and every night. He was afraid she might go feng le without him and he wasn't sure what them folk might do to her.
"So, how did you let this happen Jayne? You were supposed to watch 'em." Mal accused in an angry voice. His guilt getting the better of him and his desire to shift his desertion to his mercenary won out.
"Now captain, don't you go blamin' Jayne. I'm sure he did his best. And he stayed with 'em all this time, he coulda just left 'em, I'm sure." Kaylee looked up at Jayne. "Ain't that right?"
"I did what ya told me Mal, I looked after 'em." He looked unrepentantly into Mal's eyes. "Now, can we get goin' and argue about this later?" He picked up Kaylee with one arm and headed to where he assumed the ship was. "Missed ya little Kaylee, so how's Book doin'?"
Mal watched the two of them head to the ship and allowed relief to wash over him.
Once Jayne left, River and Simon returned to their perspective duties. More Simon then River, however. The young woman sat in the sick room with the children, telling stories, answering questions, enchanting and confusing all who were within earshot.
"That sister of yours," Doralee stood next to Simon, "she's not quite right, is she?"
Simon looked over at River. "She's been through some trauma, she's recovering though."
"Well, that man of her's, he seems to make her life shiny alright. You can see just by lookin' how smittin' he is. It's good to have someone who'll love ya, no matter what." Doralee moved away, softly singing a hymn.
Breathing a sigh of acceptance, he moved along to the next child in the ward. He handed her a glass of water that held just a small amount of herb to make her nose run a bit. He almost felt guilty, but it would do no harm and he wanted no suspicions cast his way.
The next time he looked up, the doctor noticed River was gone, so was the child she had been talking to. He rolled his eyes, couldn't anything ever go easy, he asked himself?
"Umm, Doralee? Have you seen River? And the little girl, Ruby?"
"They can't have gone far, I'm sure they're right outside. Now don't you worry, Doralee'll find 'em." She opened the door to River and Ruby, their skirts filled with berries.
"Well bless my soul, here they be doctor. And bearing gifts for your hard work." She found a bowl for the girls to put their fruit in. "God's reward." Doralee smiled. "Now sweet Ruby, it's time for bed." She held her hand out to the young girl.
"Has she always been mute Doralee?" Simon asked as he popped a few berries into his mouth.
"No, she just stopped talking a couple of years ago." Doralee shook her head.
River looked up at Doralee. "Her sister was killed, her mother went crazy and killed her sister." She pointed to Ruby. "That one lived."
"Oh honey, Ruby talked to you?" She turned to Simon. "That's true what she's saying. Poor woman lost her mind and tried to kill her two girls. Ruby lived." Doralee turned back to River. "Oh sweetheart, you are an angel. No one's been able to get Ruby to speak even a peep. It's a miracle, that's what it is!"
River shook her head. "Ruby doesn't talk, her voice got scared away. I only hear crickets."
"I don't understand." She turned to Simon. "If Ruby didn't talk, how do you…?"
Simon jumped up. "River, don't. Remember what Jayne…"
"I pulled it out of her. I looked in her head and I pulled it out. She talks in there but no one can hear. Poor baby." River gave Ruby a sad smile.
Attempting to diffuse the situation, Simon began to speak up. "My sister is…"
"A witch…" Doralee was stunned.
Simon's eyes popped. "What?"
"And they shall be among the people, and they shall speak truths and whisper secrets…and you will know them by their crafts." Doralee voice was a whisper.
"No, no, you don't understand…" Simon moved closer to Doralee.
Doralee took several steps back. "Witch. She's a witch! You brought a witch to us!"
"Doralee, please…" Simon begged.
"Thou shall not suffer a witch to live." Doralee ran from the building.
River looked up to her brother, her voice small. "Jayne is going to be displeased with me, isn't he?"
"I would think so mei mei, I would think so." Simon's stomach clenched as he heard the town bell repeatedly peal.
Simon and River joined the rest of the community in the town square. The Patron had already arrived with just about every other member of the community, and Doralee held the floor.
"Witch! The girl's a witch!" She screamed to all who would listen.
"This is lunacy. You're supposed to be the teacher. What is it exactly that you teach?" Simon was incredulous. Please Jayne, hurry, he prayed.
The Patron came to stand next to Doralee, putting a hand on her arm. "Stop, everyone's here now. What's going on? Why are you knocking us out of our beds at this hour?"
She pointed to River. "That girl, River. She read Ruby's mind, she said she pulled the thoughts right out."
River clung to Simon, frightened by the looks and thoughts that were assailing her.
Simon spoke slowly, calmly. "River is not a witch, I can assure you. She's just a troubled girl…"
The Patron smiled. "I'm sure that's true." He turned to River. "You're not a witch, are you? You can tell me."
River didn't move, she just backed farther into Simon. "River please, tell the Patron you're not a witch." Simon prodded.
As if in a trance, River looked deeply at the Patron before speaking. "The old Patron, he died. He was sick and you were alone with him."
A look of shock passed over the Patron's face before he lifted his arm and slapped River across the face to silence her. "This girl reads minds and spins falsehoods! She has had congress with the Beast!" He moved forward to take her from Simon.
"No!" Simon moved between River and the older man, only to have two of the villagers grab him and hold him back.
"We will purge the devil from her!" Kicking and struggling, River was taken by the Patron as she began to call for Jayne.
She calmed for a moment and looked at her brother. "Please Simon, tell Jayne I…" Before she could finish she was yanked away by the Patron.
With panic in his eyes, Simon pleaded with the village. "Please, she didn't mean anything. She's not a witch."
The Patron motioned to Simon. "Hold him still. As for her," he pushed River to several of the men, "bind her. She must be purged with fire."
Jayne entered the cockpit with a growl. "Why the gorram hell ain't we there yet little man?"
"Well Jayne, considering the coordinates you gave me were so specific, 'a few hours nor-nor west and east of them mountains,' I still need to locate the township." Wash's eyes perked up. "And because I am such a genius in deciphering Jayne-talk, I think we are just about there." He turned to Jayne, "That look familiar big guy?"
"'Bout time. What the hell? Why's all the town folk in the square this time a night? Got a bad feelin' 'bout this." He ran out hollering for the captain.
Simon was panicked, where was Serenity? Where was Jayne? "Please, don't do this. There has to be another way…" Simon was still held back by the two men. "Get away from her!" Simon cried. River had been tied to a post, dry kindling and branches laid at the foot of the pole.
"If you must make a sacrifice, take me instead." Simon wailed.
"God commands us to destroy this evil. She's a witch, there's no other way." The Patron said righteously.
River smiled up at her brother. "It wasn't supposed to happen like this Simon. I'm sorry. For you, for me, for my Jayne. So sorry."
Simon shook his head, blinking back tears he broke free of the men holding him and went to his sister, putting his arms around River, he looked out over the crowd. "Light it."
The Patron looked over to the man who was holding the torch and took it from him. "This is for the best. The evil must be destroyed."
River smiled up at Simon then, a light in her eye. "Time to go."
Simon looked over his shoulder as the wind began to pick up. "River?" He almost sobbed with relief as Serenity rose up from behind the tree line, the bombay doors open revealing Shepard Book hanging out on a harness with one of Jayne's largest guns aimed down at the assembled villagers.
"Jayne!" River began to work her hands loose, frantic to be with him. "Simon, untie me!"
"What? Oh, yes…just a moment." Simon was still reeling with shock as he looked up to see Jayne, the Captain and Zoe heading down the center of the village with guns aimed to do harm.
"Jeez doc, couldn't leave you to keep her in line for one gorram day?" Jayne was so relieved he felt dizzy.
"Hey doc, now don't you think you're takin' this persecution complex of yours a mite too far? Why don'tcha just step down off that pyre?" Mal gave Simon a lazy smile.
"It's a stake captain." Zoe corrected.
"Whatever, just get 'em down 'fore someone lights it." Mal rolled his eyes.
Mal looked over at who he assumed was the leader. "Now, why don't you give the doc there a little help and cut the girl down." It wasn't a request and he could tell Jayne was just itchin' to shoot someone. The big man had Vera aimed at the Patron's head.
"Just give me a reason you son 'a bitch." Jayne's voice was low and Mal had to take a second look at his merc, not sure he recognized the anger he was displaying on account of the Tams, he shifted his glance to Zoe who raised an eyebrow in curiosity. She had noticed how frantic Jayne had been since he came back on board and chalked it up to being held captive for over a month, but this was unexpected.
"The girl is a witch." The Patron argued.
"Yeah, but she's my witch." Jayne replied as he cocked his gun. "So cut her the hell down!"
River impatiently pushed the rest of the ties off her wrists and made an impossibly athletic jump off the pile of wood into Jayne's arms. Luckily he was prepared for her enthusiasm and had swung Vera around to his back to catch her. She wrapped her arms and legs around Jayne and held on as if she would never let go.
Mal's eyes narrowed as his hand tightened on his gun. Zoe laid her hand on his. "Sir, let's just wait 'til we're on board to shoot anybody." Mal grunted and loosened his grip.
Seeing the captain's face, Jayne closed his eyes to clear them. "Little girl, you're gonna get me spaced 'fore this night over." He held her close as he felt his body finally relax, not realizing how long he'd been holding his breath. "What did you do? You couldn't just hold off for 12 hours?"
She bit her bottom lip. "I tried, but when Ruby gave all her heartache to me I had to let it out. It was too much to hold onto." River held on just a little tighter as she rubbed her cheek against his chest.
"Baby, you bes' be getting' down 'fore Zoe lets Mal shoot me after all." He tried to pull her legs from around his waist. "Baby girl, please." He begged.
She nodded. "Alright. For now." River jumped down but stayed by his side, taking his arm in hers. She looked over at Simon. "We should go now. Home."
"So little witch, are you about done almost getting burned at the stake?" Mal asked.
River looked up at the captain. "Yes, I think I am done. At least with being burned at the stake."