Chapter 8

AN-Damn distractions! Well, tell me what you think. Here's chapter eight.

And since I can't reply to an unsigned review I just wanted to say; thank you Kate. I'm new to the Firefly world as well, and I have to say all the fans are fantastic! Hope you enjoy this next chapter :)

Oh! And I added a line of two to chapter seven to clear up any confusion over River's 'bean scene'.

What'd started out as a day of awkward avoidance between Jayne and Madi had turned into a couple days of completely ignoring each other.

The only times Madi had even lain eyes on her husband were mealtimes. And then they never met each other's gaze. Madisyn admitted they were acting like children, always staring at one another, but looking away quick when they were caught.

Of course instead of blushing and teasing each other, they were being down right frosty.

It wasn't as if Madi didn't want to be nice to Jayne. She just found it was easier if they weren't friendly. Of course, all of the ignoring each other really helped when she wanted to spy on him.

She'd watched from the catwalk as he and Mal had gone out to get the cargo, she'd watched as they came back. She had to admire the fluid bunching of his muscles as he hauled the crates around the cargo bay. She'd even spied him working once. And damn she wished she didn't have to sneak peaks at him.

But there was no way in hell she'd allow him to catch her looking. He'd probably say something mean, like he occasionally snapped at Kaylee or Simon. Of course, if he did it'd turn into a shouting match like they'd had in the past; or at least it'd be like the battles that he sometimes had with Mal.

Those weren't fun.

But no one ever stood up to the captain on Jayne's behalf. Zoe never went against Mal, and Wash would just crack a joke (something Madi was growing to appreciate, more than just find amusing)…Madisyn was starting to feel sorry for Jayne. Even though the crew seemed to be one cohesive unit, there was no one on his side.

And Serenity's crew wasn't made up of friends. They were a family; they'd tell you when you were being stupid and they'd treat you accordingly (except of course if the captain was being stupid). But they'd all sit down later and all was well between them.

And it seemed everyone on the ship had someone.

Wash and Zoe.

Zoe and the captain.

The Captain and Inara.

Inara and Kaylee.

Kaylee and Simon.

Simon and River.

And Shepherd Book with however was in the right at the moment.

But Jayne…Jayne existed in his own little sphere.

It really was kind of sad. Of course, he'd never admit to being lonely but…all the same. Madisyn did watch him, and after acting for most of her life, she'd learned to pick up on a person's facial clues. And Jayne Cobb, although he may just have been learning it himself, was lonely. He longed for something.

And Madi just wished she had the balls to ask him what it was.

Forget it! She scolded herself. I thought we agreed we didn't like him and we didn't care. We did agree to that…didn't we?

"Hey Madi! What're you up to out here on the catwalk all alone?" Kaylee sidled up and smiled. She was easy to befriend; she was nice and sweet and loyal. And generally fun to be around. Madisyn didn't feel very cheerful or social since coming aboard Serenity but thankfully Kaylee didn't seem to care too much.

"'M just…hanging out here I guess. What're you up to?" Madi turned around to lean against the railings.

"Ah, Cap'n's got me some new couplings I'm gonna change out."

"Shiny." Madi tried to smile, Kaylee gave her a pat on the back and another dazzling smile before heading off to the engine room.

Everybody's doing something. I'm not crew but…I should do something.

Yeah, maybe it'd get your mind off of You-know-who.

Bi Zui. Don't think about it.

Madi took to wandering again, her loitering on the catwalk having been caught and all. She nodded to Zoe on her way to the Mess but thankfully Zoe looked like she had things to do.

Maybe you can raid the Galley and find something yummy. Food solves everything right? Sure.

The dining area looked deserted. Good. Madi opened a cupboard. All the labels appeared to have been torn off of the cans.

"Oookay, well I guess I'll not have anything canned then."

"It's always there if you look for it. Everybody sees and nobody sees it." River's voice come matter of fact from the table.

Madi had been wondering when their reunion would take place. River was obviously not the same mischievous genius from their days in the dance studio. Sometimes River would get…agitated, and Simon would lead her away from the rest of the crew. This in and of itself wasn't anything new. River often times would get upset with people for not understanding things her protégé mind found simple and then Simon would have to defuse the situation. But that was when River was a young girl. And these bouts of…disruption were…different. River had never been so, confused or disjointed and Simon had never had the look of concern that consumed him.

So Madi had been waiting for River to approach, waiting for her 'go ahead'.

"What's always there if you look, River?" she asked in the easiest tone she could manage. She wasn't sure how River had changed and wasn't sure how to act around her old friend.

"A million things, little ones in the corner that you almost don't see." She answered as though she'd explained a sad phenomenon a thousand times. "That's why I had to take the labels off. They're the ones that take you."

"Oh." Madi decided it was time to steer the conversation into more familiar territory. And, Madi mused sardonically, what's more familiar for a couple of Osiris kids than small talk?

"How long have you been on Serenity, River?" Madi didn't look at the girl, instead she focused on grabbing a snack bar and a glass of water.

The brunette didn't answer immediately. She paced around the table, a slight frown on her face. When Madi took a seat, she followed suit and took a deep breath, the crocheted front on her floral dress swelling with the motion.

"Time seems irrelevant." She answered in a voice that sounded more like the old River. "Simon and I are on Serenity and we won't leave for quite some time. You however are in an entirely different situation. Your time here is dependent upon your relationship with Jayne. But don't worry," she smiled like a child and it seemed her coherent logical side was slipping again. Her sudden shifts were making it hard for Madi to keep up, "Jayne will come around soon. Just don't shut him down so harshly." She smiled and wrinkled her nose.

"Oh I shouldn't huh?" Madi felt the wry tugging of her lips as a true smile spread across her face. Even if River was changed, she was still the impish little girl she'd always been at her core.

River stood abruptly. "You remember our last routine."

Madi smiled and looked at the darker, younger girl sideways. "I believe I do."

"Good!" River laughed. "Stand up!"

The blond rose uncertainly. "You want to do it…here?"

"Yes, silly. Of course the cargo bay would have more room, but…well, this is better."

"Oookay then." Madi smiled and rose to her feet. I may as well play along. I haven't had any fun in ages. Or days, whatever. No shoes.

She shuffled off her slippers and tossed them into the seating area off the Mess.

"Ready?" River took the start position from nearly four years past.

"Ready." Madi smiled and followed suit, sinking and stretching into a deep arabesque penchée behind River,with her right leg high above her head, grateful for the shorts she decided to wear under her skirt.

River counted them off and (except for the straining of muscles that'd long gone unused) even without music, the pair were submerged right back into the routine. The moves flowed from muscle memory, from the hours Madisyn spent memorizing and rehearsing and performing. Soon the old friends were leaping and spinning around the table. Madi could hear the music from the past, could feel the recital's lights and the costume. She remembered how her new shoes hadn't quite been broken in yet and was glad she didn't have to tape herself into her costumes anymore.

But even with the smile on her face her heart ached. She wanted the pain to be mourning for the past, but other than dancing with River and disobeying her parents with her friends…there wasn't much to mourn. What she yearned for was a future.

And she wouldn't be too awfully upset if her future included dancing around with River in Serenity's Mess.

………

Jayne made sure his newest t-shirt and pants were clean. He didn't want to look like no beggar man when he tried to talk to Madi. But he didn't want to look like he was tryin' too hard, neither. He'd heard somewhere that it was better to not try to impress a woman. Although he wasn't so sure if he held with that.

He'd showered and shaved and made sure he didn't have any dirt in his nails or behind his ears just like his mama'd always told him.

Now all he had to worry about was what in gorram hell he was gonna say.

If he actually did ask her to a game of Hoop an' Ball, she'd probably throw somthin' at his head. But he couldn't just say, 'Hey, girl. I like you, kinda, I think. Let's get along, dong ma?'

Now where would that little minx be? He wondered, completely clueless. Was she the kinda girl to hang round the infirmary with her good friend Mr. Doctor? Or would she be with 'Nara, doin' secret womanly things?

He'd noticed she was friendly with Kaylee, so she might be in the engine room, but everyone was friendly with Kaylee. Couldn't not be. He should know. He'd tried.

The more he thought about it, the faster the hardened mercenary's heart started to beat. The damned woman made him awful nervous, and just the thought of having to think of somethin' smart to say while she looked up at him with her pretty eyes all disdainful-like…well it gave him a powerful uncomfortableness.

Don't you start thinkin' Jayne Cobb. He warned himself and started toward the Mess (wasn't likely she'd be in the cockpit). Just go in there, and…don't act like a gorram fool! Be nice t' her and…don't act a gorram fool!

You know, Jayne thought just as he stepped through the threshold, when you're hearts beatin' faster than a hummin'bird's wing and then you see somethin' that just stops it flat…Well, it's a powerful strange feeling.

Right there in the Mess, where he'd eaten almost every meal for the past, who knew how long, was the object of all his frustrations, the subject that filled all his thoughts. Dancing. And beautifully at that.

Sure, he remembered her talkin' about takin' classes and some such, but he never thought she would be…so good. She was like…professional. With her graceful, dainty moves. And powerful leaps…her flowing skirts, swished up around her thighs, and her breasts strained at the scooped neck of her dress. Her hair was pulled up off her neck but there were a few pieces down and about that flipped round as she spun.

And God… Jayne stood stunned, in complete awe. Her face…she looks so…happy, and yet she's so…sad..is this what a heart feels like when it breaks?

The dancing came to an abrupt stop and Jayne was snapped to reality by a feminine gasp. "Jayne!" Madi sounded startled and he wanted to sooth her fears…but he couldn't think of anything to say.

"She told you it was better to dance here." Jayne had hardly noticed everyone's favorite crazy girl, but now she smiled up at them like a kid at Christmas. But no one paid her no attention. Jayne couldn't look away from Madi and it looked like she was stuck in the same track breathing heavily. Jayne held envy for every little drop of sweat on her brow and swore right then that he'd get closer to her. "She will just go annoy Simon now. He's distracted Kaylee long enough." River smiled and walked off silently.

"Jayne," Madi finally broke the silence and looked around for…anything. "I didn't know you'd be here…now…" She was frowning at her own lack of words and the vulnerability heartened Jayne. If she didn't know what to say, then he needn't worry so much his own self.

"I was just…I mean, I wasn't doin' nothin', I just, came by to see an'…" He couldn't suppress the smile that came out, but it wasn't a vindictive smirk like he was used to spreadin', it was peaceful. It felt nice. "You're amazin' there Madi. Beautiful really."

"Oh!" She said softly, and looked away quick like. She was coloring up some again and lookin' down and it made Jayne feel like laughing. It truly did. "I, um, didn't know anyone was watching. River wanted to-and I-uh. …I mean to say-" she let out a big gust of air on a laugh "Thank you. I've not danced for…quite some time. It was fun."

She was clearly a might confused over why Jayne was talkin' to her now, after all the time he didn't even acknowledge her there. But Jayne couldn't think of a proper way to 'pologize without sounding like a pussyfoot.

"Yeah," he knew even as he said it it was stupid but he couldn't stop his dumb mouth "it looked fun. I mean," he tried to salvage it "you looked real-happy like. And uh…shit." He sighed heavily and snagged a bottle of sake from the cabinet with his favorite cup and sunk heavily down into a chair. "Look, Madisyn," he kept his own gaze down on his pouring. Madi's eyes were wide like a startled little rabbit, but she hid it quickly and popped herself down in a chair across the corner from his own, "I mean to say…well, I came here to be nice to you, ok? I ain't used to what's goin' on here and I…Oh I don't know! I just, wanted to say…hey, or somethin' so…hey. How're you doin'?"

……..

Madi's eyes skittered from side to side real quick, but she settled herself quickly and sat in a stiff imitation of a slouch, while Jayne sprawled out, exhausted from his emotional ordeal.

"Um. Hey yourself. I'm fine. Just, you know, dancing in the Mess. And you? How've you been?" She tried to keep a conversational tone, but was a little panicked. Understandably.

What does this mean? Whatdoesthismean!?! And what should I say?!

Jayne sighed again and Madi couldn't help but take in how large and muscled his chest was as it rose and sunk impressively.

"We may as well be truthful yeah? On this boat there ain't much room for lies."

"True, I suppose." Madi tried to give him a reassuring smile, but was unsure of how it would come out with her heart beating so loudly. Please don't let him be able to hear that! She preyed.

He doesn't need to hear it, that vein in your throat's nearly punching him in the face! Get a hold of yourself girl!

"Well then," he sighed again and took a big gulp of sake to fortify himself "truth be told, I've been tryin' to figure out what all, this," he motioned with a flapping hand between them "means, and I've been tryin' t'figure out how the hell I should…act about it." He took a moment and then looked up at Madi with big puppy dog eyes that nearly melted her on the spot.

Well, if he can bare it all like that…

Madi reached over and slid the bottle of sake and Jayne's cup over to herself. "Well, if you're going to tell the truth," she poured herself a drink and tossed it back before it the burning taste could remind her of her recent hangovers, then she refilled the cup and passed it back to Jayne, "I guess I may as well admit that I've been thinking along the same lines."

A smile began to pull at the big man's lips so Madi let one of her own fly free to take over her face. "Maybe we should just start over." She suggested, a laugh caught in her throat.

He took a drink from his cup and cradled it in his hands while looking Madi straight in the eye. "Yeah," he said after a break and pulled up to sit back in his seat, his ring tapping against his cup unconsciously. Or, hell, maybe it was on purpose. "yeah, I conjure we should be more friendly like."

"Yeah," Madi smiled and leaned back as well maybe things will start to turn around she hoped, "friends would be nice."

"Well," Jayne leaned forward a space again and pushed the cup over toward his wife, "seeing 's how last time we drank together we got a little too drunk, I'm thinkin' maybe we should share this last cup."

Madi laughed and took up the little piece of porcelain. "That's a brilliant idea." She toasted him with a little salute and took a drink, cementing their agreement to be more amicable.

Maybe things are turning around…

AN-Alright, well, I'm not going to really read this over before posting it because I feel like it's taken too long to get up. Tell me what you think and…the action should pick up soon. Don't worry, this is sooo not the end for Jaynie and Madi!

Thanks for everyone who's leaving reviews!!

Loves,

Ceilidh