It is not necessary to read my other crossover fic Jurassic Park before reading this, because no one but River remembers it happened amongst the crew of Serenity.
All that is needed are these following passages from the fic.
Spoilers for Serenity.
Little bit of a caution- little angst coming up. Sorry, but I needed a distraction and a hitch in River's plans for the future. My idea came from old English society vs. the English peasantry. Try to enjoy and not be too hard on me. Next chapter will be more upbeat I promise.
The target remained untouched as five rounds are shot off.
Jia stood in the middle of a desert with Serenity in the background with everyone but Mal watching. Jayne stands at her side with a disgusted look on his face.
"How can you be so Gorram good at cookin' and so bad at this?"
Jia turned towards him, 'Those two have nothing to do with each other and I told you I wasn't and good at this. But you said." Doing her best Jayne impression, "'Why don't we try to improve that.'"
Wash piped up from behind, "She did I was there."
Jayne glowered at him and gave Jia back the gun, "Try again, no one can be that bad."
Jia rolled her eyes and sighed. She pointed the gun at the target and squeezed off another six rounds, not hitting the target once.
Jayne snorted and walked off to Jia's right.
Jia looked at the gun, "Maybe the guns off."
Jayne looked like he was about to have a heart attack when Mal interrupted. "Now Jia , insultin' Jayne's guns is not a good idea."
Mal slid up to Jia's left, raised her arm with the gun in it and attached her other hand to it. He put his head close to her shoulder and whispered as he held her hands on the gun, "Try it now."
Jia fired and hit the target right at the edge of the paper. She smiled and turned towards Mal while her shipmates argued on weather or not that was progress. Jia let the gun fall to her right side.
She and Mal were too close, "Thanks," She whispered.
"Don't worry about it."
The sat staring at each other for a few moments letting the rest of the universe fade away. That is, until Jia dropped the gun and it went off, lodging a bullet in Jayne's calf.
He went down cursing and everyone but Jia rushed over. She was to busy turning white and freezing.
She recovered when Kaylee came over to her and put her hand on Jia's shoulder. "It was an accident."
"I know sweetie."
Simon and Mal helped Jayne into the infirmary with the others following.
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An hour later Simon had extracted the bullet and patched Jayne up. Mal hadn't said a word during the whole ordeal, but they all knew that wouldn't last. He came out of the infirmary and headed straight for Jia who stood there with a fake smile on her face.
"I have a job to do tomorrow and thanks to you I have no mercenary. How exactly am I supposed to make this deal? I ain't that intimidating by myself."
"It was an accident."
"That doesn't help me Jia." He said, his voice raising with each word. "Now I have to have you get suited up again and go with me."
"You said you didn't want me doing that again."
He started to walk away, "Don't have much choice now do I!?"
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Zoe stood in Jia's room helping her into the leather chest plate she had worn before getting pregnant. It had been modified for Jia's smaller frame, but even with that and a collared shirt open under it, it left little to the imagination. Zoe strapped on the shoulder holster and the gun belt, both useless, while Jia attached her sword to her back, choosing her sturdier Samurai sword for the intimidation factor. Even though she was much less proficient in that discipline.
"I don't know Zoe, this is a lot more cleavage than I am used to showin'."
Mal came around the corner, "Good, maybe you're on the way to making up for the fact you shot Jayne."
She glared at him, "How many more times are you going to say that? It was an accident."
"You ready to go or not?"
She looked at Zoe who nodded. Jia shrugged at Mal. They both left Zoe sitting there shaking her head.
While Mal was opening the hatch Simon jogged in the room. "Jayne won't lay down. I would like your permission to drug him."
"You didn't need my permission the other time."
"You were not here at that time."
River came skipping in. "Journeys are fun, journeys are fun."
Mal looked around the bay and noticed everyone but Jia, himself, Simon and River had made themselves scarce. "You ain't going little one."
River just smiled. Mal was saved from comment when a gust of wind that came through the bay doors. They all looked towards it and tried to see past the blowing sand. When the wind stopped, the bay was empty.
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"River, River are you alright?"
River opened her eyes to see Jia with her hands on her shoulders.
"You kinda blanked there for a second."
"Where is Marguerite?"
Jia looked confused, "Who is Marguerite?"
River saddened, "Never mind."
She shuffled off towards her bunk.
Mal shook his head, "She just gets creepier every day. In answer to your question Simon, drug Jayne all you want. Jia, get moving."
He went through the cargo bay doors and Jia followed behind with a smile to Simon. She shifted the position of the guns on her shoulders and walked to the next job.
ON TO THE NEXT PART OF MY SERIES
River watched her brother cautiously as he drugged Jayne in the infirmary and went to his room. A thought had occurred to her that morning that she couldn't shrug off. Something her mother had said many years ago...
"When you get married certain things will be expected of you River."
They sat in the nicely appointed living room of the Tam estate. A young River sat on the floor in front of her father's chair. Her mother now sat in it.
"Every woman knows when she marries she will be expected to make certain sacrifices. A woman can not be the same person she was when she was single. Now her actions can cast shadows on her husband as well as her children. All men of acceptable stature expect their wives to be demure and passive. A wife needs to be an acceptable helpmate to her husband and not question his decisions. You will need to learn to be more silent when you marry."
"I thought that I could have my own opinion."
"That is true when you are courting River, but not true of a married woman. A man of society will expect his wife to change for him, to make herself into his ideal mate. After marriage her opinion should reflect that of her husband. A truly good wife will never be seen as a nuisance. You must never allow yourself to be too bold or outspoken. Your job will to be a good mother, supporter and helpmate."
River was confused, "But shouldn't it be equal? Shouldn't I be able to say what I want? Sophie is never afraid to say what she wants to her husband."
Mrs. Tam stiffened, "Sophie is the maid River. She is not of our class. Lower class woman still hold to the old ways. A woman of breeding knows when it is better to be her husband's woman, not his equal. You need to remember this when your father introduces you to your husband to be. Every appropriate woman knows how to act. You are not some peasant River, you are a Tam. You shall act accordingly. Have I made myself clear?"
"Will Simon's wife change for him?"
She bristled again, "Of course she will. Simon would never marry some barbarian or laborer. He will marry a woman of refinement. A woman of class."
River didn't consider Kaylee a barbarian or laborer, but her mother certainly would have. She wondered if Simon expected Kaylee to change for him, or if he knew there was a difference between a society marriage and a real one. She hoped he wasn't still holding to the ridiculous thoughts his father had, of course, put in his head. She shook her head. Of course he wasn't, was he?
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River made her way to her brother's room. She peaked around the corner. He was looking something up in his reference.
"Simon?"
He looked up, "Yes River?"
"How will Kaylee change after marrying you?"
Simon smiled, "She will still love you as much as I do Meimei."
River shook her head, "That is not what she meant. She means her personality."
Simon shrugged, "No more than is expected I am sure."
River wrenched her head out of Simon's room. It was as she feared.
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River found Kaylee in the engine room. Kaylee looked up to see River crying silently.
"What's wrong River?"
"Simon is wrong."
She went over to her and put her hands on River's shoulders, "About what?"
"He wants you to change after you get married."
Kaylee was stunned, "Change how?"
"A society woman becomes some vapid idiot who never disagrees with her husband. He wants that."
Kaylee shook her head, "I'm sure that ain't right River, he knows I ain't some society gal."
Kaylee walked past River to prove the girl wrong. She never noticed that River didn't follow. She made her way down to Simon's room. She went in and closed the door behind her.
"River said you want me to change."
Simon looked startled, "Not before we're married Kaylee. I love you."
"What about after?"
Simon was silent for a moment, "I just assumed..."
"What, I ain't good enough?"
"That is not is Kaylee. I just thought you would become my wife. Demure, sweet, agreeable..."
"You mean boring."
Simon sighed, "I mean a wife."
"I hate to break this to ya Simon. But I don't change before or after we are married."
Simon looked confused, "You won't even change at all? A woman is supposed to."
"Accordin to who?"
"Everyone." Simon was getting upset. "It's a way of showing respect for your husband."
Kaylee was also getting very angry. "You gonna change for me?"
Simon scoffed, "What are you talking about?"
"I ain't changing Simon Tam. If you don't want to marry me then say so."
"Of course I want to marry you Kaylee."
"Then why do you want me to change?"
He gestured to her, "You are going to remain like this?"
Kaylee looked struck, "You didn't seem to have a problem before."
He tried to soften his voice, "You weren't my wife before."
Tears started running down her face. She took his ring off her finger and laid it on the bed. "Until I know you want to be with me and not with what you want me to be, I can't do this."
She slowly turned around and walked out, almost begging him to stop her.
He stood there stunned. It never even occurred to him that his marriage wouldn't be like his parent's. They always agreed. Nothing ever went unsmooth. Couldn't she see it was for the best? Everyone's marriage was the same.
When it finally occurred to him that maybe everyone's marriage wasn't alike, she was long gone. He looked at his ring on the bed. He knew then he had made the biggest mistake of his life, and it would take an act of God to make it up to her. He would have to prove he wanted to be with only her, and not what his former society thought she should be. The problem was he had no idea how to do it.
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Kaylee laid on her bed and cried the entire day and the next. When the Captain had gotten back, Zoe had explained the situation to him and Jia as River had explained it to her. River had told her that Simon and Kaylee were not getting married and that no one should interfere. It took some hard convincing, but they finally did manage to get him to give his word he wouldn't say anything.
Simon never even considered leaving. He loved Kaylee. He would do anything to let her know that, but he didn't know how. How does one apologize for telling someone they were not good enough? It would take a long time, but he would marry Kaylee, and he would never expect or even allow her to change. He didn't want some empty headed socialite, he wanted his bubbly, sweet, fun Kaylee. If it took a lifetime he was going to prove himself worthy.