Revelator Four

Author owns no rights what-so-ever to Firefly, nor the universe in which it lives. He writes solely for his own amusement. It's okay not to sue him.

"You're awful quiet, 'Tross," Mal noted as the four ambled along the sidewalk toward the Sheriff's office.

"I have nothing of import to say, Captain," River smiled up at him. "Simply absorbing my surroundings."

"Well, let's not get so absorbed we don't see trouble comin'," Mal ordered.

"No threats within my range of senses," River said automatically. "Few thoughts of any kind are directed at us, in fact."

"What are the thoughts directed at?" Mal inquired.

"Day to day things," River shrugged. "Payment of debts and bills, increasing income, providing for family. No different than your usual worries." Mal nodded.

"Folks are much the same all over, I guess," he mused.

"Indeed," River replied. "What do you plan to do, Captain Daddy? About Man-called-Jayne-boy?" She added, impishly.

"I'm orderin' you not to call him Jayne-boy, for starters," Mal replied. "Ever. No sense in pokin' the bear."

"Very well," she continued to smile. "We shall concentrate on extricating Jayne-boy from his current dilemma, then." At Mal's glare she added; "You did not say I couldn't refer to him that way, merely not to call him Jayne-boy. I have not disobeyed your orders." Yet, she didn't add.

"Not yet, you mean," Mal eyed the young woman at his side. She looked shocked for a second at Mal's seemingly reading her mind, but recovered quickly.

"The plan?" she asked, more to cover than anything else.

"Ain't rightly sure, as yet," Mal shrugged. "Depends on the sheriff, and his attitude toward this whole thing. Happens he won't get in our way, then we'll just stage a jail break, take Jayne-bo. . .uh, Jayne, and skedaddle outta here like our pants was on fire."

"Prefer to keep clothes intact, where possible," River informed him seriously.

"That's for the best," Mal nodded.

"Ya'll wait here, and I'll see is Toby about," Jacob said as they neared the office in question. "Happen he ain't over-kind on the idea, ain't no need o' him gettin' a look at ya's."

"Good idea," Zoe nodded, easing into the shade of the building, and by doing so taking herself from view of most places along the street. Mal and River joined her.

"Just talk to him, mind," Mal ordered. "Ain't no need o' givin' 'im more'n needful, just in case."

"I think I get the idea," Jacob grinned. "Anyways, I ain't aimin' to ask 'im in his own office. Thought I'd get 'im ta walk a ways, see how amenable he was to lettin' Jayne-boy slip away, quiet like. Happens he is in favor, then I'll bring'im this way, and you can have your say."

"Fine plan," Mal nodded.

"Much better than many of yours," River nodded agreement, her face a mask of seriousness. Zoe managed to turn her laugh into a cough, drawing Mal's look her way.

"Et tu? Zoe?"

"Where'd you learn that, sir?" Zoe asked, eyes alight with mischief.

"I read it," Mal said proudly.

"Where?" River pressed, laughter in her eyes.

"Don't recall, exactly," Mal admitted, "but that ain't 'portant at the moment. Jacob, take off." The man grinned, nodded, and headed up the street.

"'Spect you know where it came from," Mal said.

"I heard it somewhere," River shrugged, managing not to grin. Zoe again had a coughing spell.

"Something you wanna tell me, Zoe?" Mal demanded, almost pouting.

"Not a thing sir," Zoe shook her head. "Just all this dust, making me cough."

"Uh-huh," Mal eyed her suspiciously.

"So, you think the sheriff will just hand Jayne-Boy over to us? Zoe asked, amusement in her voice.

"I think it best that we all forget that nick name," Mal said sternly. "Jayne ain't hap to react with kindness to them as use it, 'ccordin' ta Jacob. I'd as soon not have no more trouble than we normally got. Dong ma?"

"Me? Cause trouble, sir?" Zoe feigned a look of innocence. "Why I would never. . . ."

"Bad influence on the nizi, Zoe," Mal cut in.

"I am no longer a girl, Captain," River said with mock severity, arms crossing beneath her breasts. "I am a grown woman, and grow tired of saying it."

"Then stop sayin' it," Mal shrugged. "You ain't but a slip, yet, River, in spite o' all you done did, and can yet do. Meanwhile, let's all be forgettin' 'bout that 'Jayne-boy' business, can we?"

"I will consider it, if you will refrain from referring to me as 'the nizi'," River sulked. Mal shook his head in defeat.

"Hiya Toby," Jacob said easily as he entered the office of the Sheriff. Toby Nelson looked up, then smiled.

"Hiya Jake," he greeted in return. "You here ta see Jayne?"

"Not at the moment, no," Jacob shook his head. "Like to talk to you, in fact. Private like, you take my meanin'," he added, his head indicating the door.

"Well, I got nothin' pressin'," Toby nodded amiably. "What say we head over to Steiger's? Get us a cold one."

"I like your thinkin', Toby, I surely do," Jacob's face split into a grin. The two men exited the office and started down the street.

"How's Jayne-boy?" Jacob asked.

"He's fair all right, considerin'," Toby shrugged. "Seems set with what's ta happen."

"Hadn't oughta be that way," Jacob lamented.

"I agree," Toby nodded. "Can't say that public like, o' course, but it's how I feel. Thing is, Jake, I can't see no ways for him ta get out o' this."

"Reckon if'n there was a way, you'd take it?" Jacob asked. Toby looked at Jacob from the corner of his eyes.

"What's on that mind o' your'n?" he demanded.

"Nothin' at tha moment," Jacob shrugged. "Just tryin' ta keep mah kinfolk from swingin', that's all."

"Well, can't fault a man fer that," Toby agreed. "And yeah, 'tween you an' me, was there a way I could stop it, I would. Thing is, there just ain't no way."

"Reckon there might be, though," Jacob smiled. "What was ta happen if, say, you and your boys had ta go runnin' outta town, quick like. On an e-mergency, like?"

"Such as?" Toby eyed his friend carefully.

"Oh, I dunno," Jacob shrugged. "Say a report of a bunch shootin' somewheres. Like to be a war on or somethin'. Man couldn't go out there 'thout no help, could he?"

"Well. . .no," Toby replied slowly. "Reckon it wouldn't be safe."

"Reckon you might need all yer men with ya?" Jacob asked, his face a mask of innocence. "I mean, just in case, and all?" Toby almost smiled, but caught himself.

"Reckon I might at that," he nodded. "Couldn't even afford to leave anyone in the jail, somethin' like that was to happen. Course, we ain't never had nothin' o' that sort 'round here."

"Never have," Jacob nodded his agreement. "You and yours do a mighty fine job o' takin' care of us, Toby."

"Why thank you, Jacob," Toby smiled in spite of himself. The two men walked on a moment, in silence.

"Say, I just thought o' somethin'," Jacob said as they reached Steiger's saloon. "What would happen to that money Jayne-boy paid to keep his ma up, was he ta up and escape an' all. He wouldn't o' course, but just as a matter o' cu-riosity like."

"That money was paid for his capture," Toby said thoughtfully, rubbing his chin. "Ain't nothin' in the reward 'bout him bein' hung, nor even tried, comes to that. Reckon that money'd be havin' to stay where it was."

"How 'bout that?" Jacob smiled. "C'mon, Tobe, first one's on me."

"Now this, I have to see," Toby murmured. "Jacob Merrin buyin' a round."

"Hey now, I ain't said nothin' 'bout a round," Jacob protested. "Just me and you, that's all."

"For you, that's a round."

"So. . .all we gots ta do is create a great ole big distraction, fer 'nuff outta town that Tobe and his boy's can't make it back in time to prevent a jail break. I mean, was there ta be a jail break. Which o' course, no such fine upstandin' city-zen such as myself could ever be a party to o' course."

"Of, of course," Zoe snorted. "I see where Jayne-boy get's it now. It's inherited."

"Jayne-boy?" Inara, Kaylee and Simon said in a chorus.

"Ai-ya, I told you not to let on about that!" Mal groaned.

"Sorry, sir," Zoe said, not sounding, or looking, the least bit sorry.

"Jayne-boy," Simon was almost grinning at that, and Inara and Kaylee couldn't help smiling.

"I'm orderin' ya'll ta forget about that!" Mal told them firmly. "I ain't havin' Jayne tear you limb from limb Simon, and was you ta say that to him, I just can't guarantee he won't."

"Man's a point, Doc," Jacob nodded. "He ain't never liked the name. Which o' course is why we all used it," he added, laughing.

"Well, Jayne ain't got much sense o' humor o' late, and I'm thinkin' that nick-name won't tickle what little he has left," Mal pointed out. "So let's all just forget about the Jayne-boy business."

"I don't know that I can forget, Cap'n," Kaylee giggled. "I mean. . .Jayne-boy?" The others all fell into laughing again. Mal chuckled along with them for a minute. Hell, it was funny. Finally he knocked on the table.

"All right, we all done had our fun, so let's get to the plannin', here." The others slowly settled down, and the meeting turned more serious.

"So what's this distraction you got in mind, Jacob?" Zoe asked.

"Well, I was thinkin' was a fella or two ta get out shootin' a bit, really workin' the targets about and all, then some poor citizen might up and call the law, tellin'em there's a new range war happenin'. The sheriff, as is his sworn duty, would high-tail it out to this supposed violence, where he'd just find a few ol' boys shootin' and havin' a time. He'd realize it was just a misunderstandin', and head on back to town."

"That sounds remarkably simple," Simon spoke first. "And almost fool proof. I like it."

"I see a few problems," Zoe said. "First off, who is it you aim to be havin' such a big ole time? Can't be you, that's too obvious."

"True," Jacob smiled. "Fact is, I aim to ride out there with the sheriff, havin' just been there, and offerin' my assistance."

"Okay," Zoe nodded in approval. "Then who?"

"Oh we got cousins all about here, ma'am," Jacob smiled broadly. "All I gotta do is invite'em over, supply the booze and the ammo, and the fun's all on."

"You got the coin to do all that?" Mal asked.

"Might have a few odd and end gold nuggets here and there," Jacob winked slyly. "I imagine I can pay fer it." He sobered then. "And I reckon I owe it ta Aunt Mags, anyway. I was one 'o the. . . ."

"Reckon ain't no need o' goin' inta that," Mal cut him off quietly. "You want to do it to square the deal, then I'd say this does it. You can lay it aside, move on." Jacob looked at Mal for a moment, then nodded in appreciation.

"Well, looks like we got ourselves a plan. We'll just wait in town until the sheriff and his posse head out with their tails alite, then waltz over to the hoose-gow, grab Jayne-b. . .err, Jayne, and be outta the system afore they get back ta town. Any questions?"

"What is our back-up plan?" River asked.

"Back-up plan?" Mal frowned.

"Yes, back-up plan," Simon nodded. "You know, for that time when your plan comes unraveled at the seems, and the bottom drops out."

"Times I wonder do we need a doc and a pilot all that much," Mal muttered as the others laughed.