Bolts
Disclaimer:- Joss is boss! He owns everything!
Rating:- T for some Chinese cursing and violence in future.
Set after BDM ,Total Rayne Flick!
a/n thanks so much for reviews!
Chapter 1
It had been two days since the rather confusing 'episode' on the bridge; River had done her best to avoid Jayne through out the day and Jayne likewise. Though meal times were inevitable with Mal's strict policy of a family meal, so instead of skipping a meal signaling suspicion, they spent the majority of the time in intense concentration of gobbling their food and avoiding eye contact.
"I think it's just Shiny!" said Kaylee, her smile almost quite literally brightening up the whole room as she gave Simon's hand a tight squeeze.
Mal returned her smile with one of his own, glad that finally someone agreed with his logic. "Well now, that's mighty fine to hear. See Inara why can't you be more like lil' Kaylee here, more supportive and less scrutinizing and such."
Inara rolled her eyes, ever since she'd come back from the training house, things had 'progressed'. Their playful banter was to keep up appearances at the table, somehow thinking that people didn't know they'd made the first steps. Though word traveled quickly when Mal's walls were paper thin. "Cause Mal your plans seem to have a away of revealing themselves in less than successful outcomes." She said sipping the tea in front of her with all her former companion grace.
"Zoë? What do you think?"
Zoë looked up from the spoonful of protein mash she was about shovel in her mouth. "Well sir, Inara does have a point. A meeting with Constance does always seem to result with you getting shot."
"Everybody's making a fuss."
"Mal is it really necessary to trade with her again, after the broadcast we've managed to secure some very successful places of shelter." Said Simon, he'd grown a mustache since Miranda, and Kaylee thought he looked simply edible. Core boy turned Rim. She inwardly sighed at the drawl he'd picked up on out in the black. He'd even been on a few heists now, nothing to fancy, simple smuggling stuff, a bit of trade here and there. Six months could change a man.
Mal groaned out loud. 'Well I just don't see why we have to go around taking things that aint ours, seems down right wrong to be taking gifts from strangers."
All six faces looked at him with raised eyebrows and Rivers famous your-such-a-boob- expression.
He threw his hands up in exasperation. "You know what I mean! These folks need their stuff."
"Sir if you really want to do this job than I'm behind you one-hundred percent." Announced Zoë in her perfectly stoic soldier's voice.
"Good! And what about you two?" he said motioning towards the two deadly killers at the far end of the table. "You two have been awfully quiet, you hidin' something you wanna share with the rest of the crew?"
The both glanced up form their bowls, looked at each other wide eyed than quickly glanced back at their seemingly very interesting bowl of blue colored protein.
"Jayne?" Mal said in a warning tone.
"It sounds an awful like I'm gonna get to do some gun play and get paid in this scheme of yours, so I'm just shiny." He said, looking up from his bowl and forcing a feral smirk to appear.
"Good and you lil albatross?"
"Scenario will involve guns, no major injuries, and a bit more shiny pennies than we anticipated."
"See!" Mal said grinning ear to ear. "No MAJOR injuries!" he said pointedly at Inara, who seemed to be intentionally ignoring him.
"When do we land lil one?"
River paused for a moment, calculating the variable of wind speed, weather and such than turned to the capt'n "Approximately 25minutes and 32 seconds."
"You already set course?" asked Inara, her cheeks turning bright red with frustration. "So you asked us how you felt but you already decided on it?"
Mal shrugged. "I consulted River first. Just to see how things would play out."
Inara got to her feet and stormed off to the kitchen, and that was how their one hundred and fiftieth fight begun. Meanwhile the rest of the crew scampered out of the kitchen quick smart, going about their landing duties.
River was up in the bridge with four minutes and 22seconds till landing when Jayne decided they needed to talk. He didn't like what happened the other day, it got him all muddled up and he intended to find out what she did to him.
"Riv?"
She turned in her pilot chair, they were just about to come out of atmosphere but she had it well under control.
"Yes?"
He paused for a moment thinking about how to word what he wanted to say, though in the end he decided to jump right to it. "What the hell did you do to me?"
She frowned. "I don't understand?"
"That thing, that bolt of lighting down my spine, that spark! I wanna know what the gorram hell your brain is doing to me!" he growled.
"My brain doesn't have the function to do anything like that Jayne."
"Now that just aint true. You said you could kill me with it awhile back, so don't lie!"
She began to giggle. "That was a misdirection, I enjoy playing games with your mind."
"Well I don't, now listen here," he said, starting to seethe with anger. He wasn't finding this funny in the slightest, cause quite frankly, it down right scared him. "What ever you've done, I don't know how you did it, nor do I really care… I just want you to gorram stop it!"
With that he stormed out of the bridge, not so much as giving a backward glance, leaving River stunned and for near to the millionth time, extremely confused.