My Last Name
AN-alright, so I kept the last chapter a lot shorter than I wanted in the hopes that I could just get it taken care of. If you know the lyrics to Lady Gaga's My Poker Face then you know the vibe these two had last night. (Plus I'm thinking about adding more, fleshing it out, explaining what they did etc. tell me what you think) This chapter is the morning after, and if you've heard Carrie Underwood's My Last Name…well that's kinda it. Please leave me a review; tell me what you think, or just that you read it. Constructive criticism is a necessity I'm glad to accept.
"Uhngahma." Madisyn groaned as she woke up tangled in the sheets. Her tongue tasted like death when it sat out in the sun too long and her head felt like someone had taken a mixer to her brain. What in rutting hell happened last night?
Part of her question was answered too soon.
She'd tried to get out of bed to release her near bursting bladder when she discovered that the sheets weren't the only thing she was wrapped up in.
"Why're you awake?" Jayne grunted, tightening his hold on his bedmate and pressing her further down into the mattress.
"Jayne?" Madisyn couldn't remember how she'd gotten in this situation but this sure as hell wasn't her hotel room. "Where are we?" she asked as she attempted to turn around in his arms to look at him. Unfortunately, movement seemed to create all manner of unpleasantness to happen in Madisyn's brainpan.
"Hm?" he rubbed an eye, squinted out at the room and then back down at the little blond he was squishing. "'S m' home."
"Mm." Madisyn tried to nod but felt like she'd explode. "Can I use your bathroom?"
"Toilet's just there." Jayne rolled a little off her and pointed to a blank spot on the wall.
You've got to be kidding me. "Uh, where?"
Jayne took a deep breath and levered himself out of bed. He staggered over and pulled the toilet out of the wall.
"What?" Madisyn didn't even want to know. But she didn't have to listen because a tide of 'last night' rose at a rapid speed, propelling her across the room to hug her new best friend and spew her brains out. Oh God no. I can't be this hung over. I cannot be vomiting in front of someone. And I think we had sex! Am I-Ah, Wo de ma he ta de fen kuang de wai sheng dou. I'm naked!
…….
"What happened last night?" Jayne mussed while the Madisyn girl threw up. He felt bad for her but had to admit, he appreciated the fact she didn't put on some clothes before hurtling across his room. "Damn." He scrubbed a hand over his face and pulled on some pants to make the girl feel better. He remembered the cards and he remembered takin' her to another bar for dinner…then they'd got a rickshaw to…where? Another bar. She'd tripped and fell, he'd picked her up and carried her and…Ah, hell. He'd kissed her. On the mouth. Shit. He never kissed em on the mouth.
Of course, he never took em to his bunk either.
But what'd happened then? He got into some kinda fight and they'd hightailed it outta there right quick…
"Uh, Jayne?" The girl'd calmed herself a bit at least. That was good.
"Hold tight Madisyn, I'll go get you somethin' to drink."
"No, uh…" He faced her so she'd know he was payin' attention.
"Yeah?" She looked unsure. Sheepish like. Ah shit, she's prolly not used to prancin' round naked! "Oh, uh here." He tossed her the first thing he could find and at least it wasn't stained.
"Thanks," she murmured, sliding it on and standing unsteadily.
"Jayne." Mal's voice buzzed in over the intercom. "What the hell is this…luggage doing in my hold?"
"What?" he looked at Madisyn, she shrugged.
"This luggage. You were the last man in last night. And sure tweren't there when I turned in."
"Uh, listen Mal. I don't know, I'll be up in a few minutes."
"Found a tag on it!" Wash's voice came over the loudspeaker. "Says…Madisyn Morgan. Do we know a Madisyn Morgan?"
"Ah, Zao gao."
……..
"Why is my luggage in your. –Wait" Madisyn started to worry just a bit. Ok she was panicking. "Your house-" she threw a wide eyed look at the mountain of a man in nothing but a pair of really hot pants. "I'm not just really hung over…your house is moving. And has a hold. And intercoms…and the toilet's in the wall…"
"Uh, yeah. This here's Serenity. And I think we just left atmo."
………..
Jayne and Madisyn cleaned up as best they could and ventured out in search of answers…and a hangover cure. Thankfully no one was in the mess.
"You hungry?" he asked as she sank down into a chair.
"Uh…I'm not throwing up at the moment." She answered instead.
"Here, I'll uh, see what we got stocked." He busied himself in the cabinets. Poor girl's a little green round the gills there. Gorram it! I can't believe this. What the hell happened?!
"Oh my, shit." He heard from behind him. Turning to look over his shoulder he saw Madisyn staring at the hand opening the cupboard where they kept the cups. He followed her gaze. "You're married!" Her voice sounded a might strangled.
"Wha…?" But he was right. Or at least it looked it. There on his left ring finger rode a plain gold wedding band that surely had never been there before. Hell, he'd never even really pictured one there before.
"I can't believe…you and I…and you're….Oh, Lao tian, bu."
"Lao tian, bu is right. Where in gorram hell did I get this?"
"You mean…you're not? …What?" Madisyn was getting a little tetchy, but she wasn't frettin' nearly as much as Jayne was beginning to.
"What do you mean 'I'm not?' 'Course I'm not. But damn." He pulled a hand over his short hair. "'What' does seem to be the question."
"But y-" Jayne cut her off.
"Shush, woman. I need to think. What do you remember from last night?"
"Uh…" she chewed on her lip a little and it did nothing to calm his agitation. Stop lookin at her. He told himself. You look at her now, you ain't never gonna figure out what happened.
"Well, uh, I of course remember playing cards with you. And I remember…hell there was quite a bit of drinking wasn't there? And then we went to have supper…and…" she squinted up her little face and Jayne had to turn around. Damn was she cute when she was focusing. "and then we were…somewhere and some men came up to us…Oh God!!" She gasped.
"What?!" Jayne pulled his LeMat and spun round to see what'd startled her.
"No," her hand was at her throat, drawing his eye to notice the pulse beating rapidly there, "it was last night, Niska's men…Oh, thank you Jayne. You truly saved my life back there. But I fear it's put you in serious danger."
Jayne put away his gun and moseyed over to where she sat. "Niska's men? Well," he smiled down at her, she was cute when she was concerned but he'd rather not see her frettin' too awful much, "don't you worry 'bout that. I've dealt with them afore. And I do remember gettin' into a little bit of a scrap. Well, what do you conjure happen after that?" He wasn't sure he'd put her mind completely at ease, but he tried to talk soft and soothing like and she did calm herself a bit and go on.
"I recall…well, I recall quite a lot of dancing and kissing and such. But after you laid out Niska's men, we went to my place…I remember you telling me to take only what I needed, but I was pretty much already packed…we hired a porter to take my things to your house, I guess here to your ship…and then…It's all really quite fuzzy. I only remember snippets. Um…you carrying me…I remember an old man smiling at us….and then I remember a little bit about being here with you…" she colored up and looked down, sheepish.
"Well, then. That's a bit more. I remember most of that. And I remember a tad more about once I had you here…" She was clearly uncomfortable and he wanted to set her at ease before the rest of the crew found out she was here. "Madisyn," he sat down next to her and took her little hand in both of his. The contrast gave him an odd sense of pride and power but it was the metallic clinking noise that caused him to pause.
For a space of time not either of them said a word. They both just sat, staring in each other's wide eyes, holding their breath. Then slowly, very slowly, they both looked down at their joined hands and Jayne unfolded his grip like a flower blossoming in the sun.
There on her left hand, was a matching gold band that tapped up against his.
They both swallowed hard and looked up back into each other's eyes.
Then she spoke in a soft voice. She sounded so lost it nearly broke the hard mercenary's heart.
"...and I don't even know my last name."
……….. AN-I wanted to end it here, but there's so much more that needs to be told
"Jayne, I thought I told you to meet me in the-" Mal came striding into the mess and cut himself off. "What is she doin' here?" He'd come across his muscle in quite a few situations tweren't common but the captain had never expected something like this.
Jayne wasn't the type of man to show panic to a woman, 'specially not when she seemed in such a way herself. And he definitely wasn't one to hold her hand.
Plus who the gorram hell was she!?
Jayne sputtered unsure of what to tell the captain as Zoe entered and River swung herself down from the ceiling.
"She heard." River had a half smile on her face, Madisyn gasped, the captain and Zoe both swung round to face River and Jayne checked for knives out of habit. "Madi's come back. And she and Jayne are husband and wife."
The silence was deafening. Then the voices all overlapped in their rush to be heard.
"River…?" Madisyn asked in an awed tone. "I can't believe it."
"Honey," Zoe was on the intercom "could you pull up Jayne's info on the Cortex. See if there's any mention of his marital status havin' changed?"
"Now, wait a minute." Mal put his hands up like he was shushing a startled pony. "Who are you? Why are you on my ship? And how do you know River?"
"I-" Madisyn was interrupted by Simon's arrival. He seemed to have been River hunting and had just caught up.
"I found her Kaylee!" He called.
"Oh, good. Hey River." She beamed as she climbed over the threshold. "Why's everybody so…" Her smile faded as she took in the multitude of frowns.
"Madisyn?" Simon was stunned.
"Now I will ask one more time for clarification before I start assumin' things here. What in sam hill is goin' on, on my boat!?" Mal's voice rose impressively.
"I told you." River pouted, sounding indignant. "Madi's married Jayne."
…….
Madisyn's backside had fallen asleep twice already and it seemed like hours since she'd awaken next to the stranger to whom she'd tied herself. The only good news was that her hangover seemed almost completely gone.
"And you just went and took it into your head to marry some girl form Osiris you lost at poker to and bring her aboard my ship without even mentionin' it?"
"Look Mal," Jayne appeared to be almost as tired as she felt, "I wadn't plannin' on it or nothin'."
"Well, you'd best be plannin' on either settin' your chit down, next port o harbor or followin' with her. Because I ain't intendin' on takin' in any more strays."
"Listen, Captain Reynolds, I'm sorry if this has inconvenienced you at all here." Madisyn place a tad bit more emphasis on 'you' than was strictly necessary but felt a little indignation and/or rage was deserved on her part. "I will gladly pay for my passage but I would appreciate if I could discus my own private matters…in private."
Jayne looked to agree but the captain interrupted again before he had a chance to back up his…wife.
"You mess with my crew, little girl, and it becomes a private matter no more." Mal's voice was deadly serious. "Now I want you sorted out and off my ship before you get yourself in the way." She opened her mouth to protest and scanned the room for some idea, or someone to support her but found nothing. What the hell am I to say to that?! It's not as if I intended to get here!
Thankfully before she looked a complete fool, Jayne stepped in.
"Mal, she does have the coin to pay. Hell, she's got enough just from me to stay 's long as Inara has. And I can't just leave her at our next stop off point."
Madisyn's head perked up. Not that I want him to want me to stay.
"Why in-" Mal tried to protest but Jayne cut him off before he could build any more steam.
"The poor girl's got some trouble with Niska, I ran into some of his goon last night, I guess sometime afor the weddin'…but I ain't gonna just set her down until it's been sorted out. No Mal." He barely managed to stop from pounding his fist down on the table when the captain opened his mouth again. Instead he just placed it down…rather forcefully. "Madisyn's my wife, forgettin' a purpose or no. I ain't leavin' her to a mad man like Niska! We'll sort this out and she'll stay outta the way and everything'll be shiny by the time we start our next job."
Aw…he is rather adorable isn't he? Madisyn blushed a bit and swallowed a smile. In a huge, bruiser sort of way. Oh God. How're we gonna 'sort this out'?
Mal visibly struggled for something to say a moment before he conceded. "Well, it'd better be. Job starts in two days' time. I want you two divorced and separated afor we set foot planetside. Dong ma?"
Jayne nodded grimly before noticing Madisyn's eyes flickering closed her jaw clenched and lips pursed. She took a shuddering breath to calm herself. Released it, then opened eyes that were frozen and lifeless except for the almost imperceptible sheen of tears.
"Wai-Wha…?" Jayne whispered, clearly panicked again. "What's wrong Madisyn?"
"She's scared." River piped up. "She's doomed now. And she knows it."
"What do you mean River honey?" Zoe frowned from her spot in the corner behind Mal.
"She's doomed she's doomed." River sing-songed without much emphasis. "And the sad part is, she doesn't even know how much."
"River," Simon gently admonished, "I uh, I think what River's trying to say," he turned back to the captain who sat at the head of the table "you see, on Osiris…Well, appearances are everything and if it's found out that Madisyn was ever divorced…which would of course be public access to any on the Cortex…" He took a breath to compose himself and looked at Madisyn for permission.
Can't hurt me any more now. She nodded to him and the doctor went on.
"If anyone found out, she'd be ruined."
"Remember Ms. Flemmins?" Madisyn's eyes were dead but her mouth lifted in a dry half smile. "I'd be a pariah."
"Yes, well. Ahem," He shuddered at the memory of her harsh treatment "Madisyn would be completely shut off not only from the society but from any community aid or programs. She would be forced to become a beggar in her own home and…"
"And they don't take kindly to beggars on Osiris." She finished for him.
AN-de ma he ta de fen kuang de wai sheng dou-mother of God and all her crazy nephews. Zao gao-crap, spoiled cake. Lao tian, bu- Oh God, no. Dong ma-understand.
I've not exactly read over this chapter too closely (nor did I go over the last one…whoops) but I hope it makes sense. Send me a message if you have questions and please review. Even if it's just a few words, I'd like to hear how it's going. The next chapter we should be hearing about Madisyn's past (why she ended up gambling and (occasionally cheating) to survive when she came from such a well to do background) and more interaction between herself and her *cringe* husband.
Much love,
Ceilidh