Disclaimer: I do not own Firefly or any of the characters (expect Roz.) I also do not make any profits off this story (sadly.) Certain scenes and dialogue are lifted exactly from the series.

Chapter Three

Roz immediately began work on the dinner once she was shown the kitchen. Inara left soon after pleading she was incapable of making any food worth eating. Kaylee laughed in response and nodded that it was the truth. Shepherd Book replaced Inara and Roz knew instantly they would get along. She wasn't afraid of him like most men; probably because he wasn't very imposing, but more so that he was calm and a man of God. She was enraptured by the words he spoke, how he lived a life of tranquility and prayer. It sounded so peaceful and Roz longed for such a life. Whenever he stopped speaking, Roz would instantly ask another question with infectious curiosity. Book would smile knowingly and answer her questions patiently.

As the dining room began to fill, the three of them began to set the table. Just as she stood back to survey the table and make sure all was perfect, Jayne walked into the room. His eyes tracked towards her immediately and he inclined his head towards her in respect. Roz felt her breath catch in her throat as he continued to walk towards her. She stuffed down her fear and forced her head up to give him a small smile in return. Roz once again turned to the table counting all the place settings; it was drilled into her from the beginning to always make sure things were perfect. Once everything was to her liking, Roz walked back into the kitchen and started setting things on the table. After trying to carry a heavy pot, she was instantly admonished by Captain Reynolds.

"Miss Bennett, I thought I said no lifting heavy things in your condition. The last thing I want is for a pregnant lady to have…pregnant…problems…" he finished off awkwardly. Taking the pot from her hands he set it on the table himself and glared at Jayne.

Frowning, Jayne stood and walked back into the kitchen. "Woman, you're goin' to get me yelled at by the Captain if you continue to insist doin' everything yourself."

"Well I didn't mean to get you in trouble," Roz insisted, tugging nervously at the towel in her hands. "I just didn't think anything by it."

"Don't worry about it," Jayne replied with a shrug as he caught Kaylee's eye.

Kaylee took the opportunity to gently wrestle the towel out of Roz's hands. "I can take care of the rest of this. Go ahead and sit Mommy. It's time for you and the baby to eat."

"You want me to eat with the rest of you?" Roz asked in confusion. She had always been taught that the workers eat last, especially women of her station. She wasn't fit to eat with the rest of them.

"Of course you're going to eat with us." Kaylee frowned at Roz. "Why wouldn't you?"

"Well…I…shouldn't. I…?" Roz was so confused. She didn't know how to act with people anymore. If everything she was told was a lie, about how to act, what to say, what not say…then what was the truth?

"Roz, that bun tyen-shung duh ee-dway-ro (stupid inbred stack of meat) don't control you no more. You're free." Jayne looked at her with such seriousness. She had believed that once she had left the planet she would be free, but she found she was still trapped by what he had made her to believe. I guess it's time to find my own way now.

"Well, maybe I should sit down," Roz murmured as she put a hand to her back. She felt like an overlarge duck as she waddled into the dining room. She looked down at herself, worried about how others were looking at her. Roz felt like such a mess and instantly wished she could be transported out of the room.

Jayne walked behind her and pulled out the chair next to him for her to sit. Roz was touched as she looked up at Jayne who seemed to think this should be an everyday occurrence. She sat down gratefully with a sigh and leaned back into the chair.

"Thank you Jayne," she whispered to him as he sat down beside her. "Honestly, I don't know if I was going to be able to stand up much longer." Roz commented, half-jokingly.

"I imagined. My momma had a brood of children and I remember how tired she was all the time," Jayne replied back looking down at his plate the whole time. Roz could tell he didn't share very much on a regular basis, so it meant a lot to her to have him impart even the smallest pieces of information.

Once everyone began filling their plates, Roz figured she would wait until everyone had finished grabbing what they wanted but Jayne had already taken her plate and begun piling food. Roz didn't know whether to be angry or touched that he had taken the initiative. She chose the latter option. No need to get upset about a small thing.

"This is truly wonderful," Zoe smiled as she began loading her plate.

"This is great, thank you Shepherd Book, Kaylee, Miss Bennett," Mal nodded to the three helpers.

"Please, just call me Roz, everyone does," she spoke quickly and quietly, blushing as she realized she spoke in front of people at the table. Thanking Jayne graciously for the plate, she stared at the food so she didn't have to look anyone in the eye.

"It's not much," Book stated. "I had a garden at the abbey, thought I should bring what I could."

"It's very kind of you to share with all of us," Simon raised his glass to Book. "You as well Roz, I understand you brought food as well."

Roz nodded in reply, sparing a quick glance up at the well groomed man.

"I'm taking this to Wash," Zoe indicated a plate in her hand.

"It won't last. They're not the same when they're frozen. The important thing is the spices," Book said as he and Simon carried on a discussion over the quality of fresh produce.

"Can you pass the tomatoes?" Jayne asked in Roz's ear. She jumped slightly at the closeness of the larger man, but did as she was asked.

"A man can live on packaged food from here till Judgment Day if he's got enough rosemary," Book continued his conversation with Simon. "Captain, do you mind if I say grace?" Book asked the captain with a smile on his face. Roz was thrilled to hear it, a smile playing across her face that was not missed by Jayne.

"Only if you say it out loud," was the captain's response. Roz's and Book's faces dropped their smile and they looked at each other dejectedly. Book bounced back though as he looked at Roz and silently asked permission to take her hand. Roz appreciated how he asked before touching and with a gentle smile she placed her hand in his. Around the table she saw the crew and passengers alike take each other's hand, so it was only logical that she take Jayne's hand as well. She looked at Jayne, whose eyes were already closed in quiet reflection, didn't want to disturb so hesitated in taking his hand. Roz closed her own eyes but didn't quite know what to say to God. Instead she let the peacefulness of the moment wash over her, maybe over time she would know what to say. Halfway through the prayer, she felt a large hand encompass hers that rested on her lap. It wasn't a demanding hand, but gentle and loose. Roz tensed at the feel of a hand so close to her thigh, but since he didn't move his hand instead simply letting it rest, she began to slowly relax.

Roz opened her eyes after the prayer and let go of Book's hand with a small smile of thanks. Jayne's hand was swiftly pulled back, but she didn't dare look at him for fear of blushing. Instead she stared around at the rest of the table in relative freedom now they were focused on their food and not her. She liked people watching because Roz felt it was the only time she could have to understand how people were supposed to react in certain situations.

"So, does it happen a lot?" Simon asked. For a moment every one stopped talking because they weren't sure what he was referring. "Government commandeering your ship telling you where to go?"

"That's what governments are for…get in a man's way," Captain Reynolds replied with a straight face.

"Well it's good if the supplies are needed," another man piped up. A fellow passenger who had beady eyes that Roz did not trust; he had the same hard and cold eyes.

"We're just happy to be doing good works," Jayne growled as he continued eating. The words sounded very forced and strange coming from the big and surly man. Roz didn't believe for a second he meant what he said. Something doesn't seem quite right about this bunch, but it's really none of my business.

"I hear a lot of the border moons are in bad shape…plagues and famine," the beady eyed man continued.

"Well, some of that's exaggerated, and some of it ain't," Zoe commented as she returned. "All those moons, just like the central planets, they're as close to Earth-That-Was as we can make 'em…gravity, atmosphere and such, but…"

"Once they're terra-formed they'll dump settlers on there with nothing but blankets, hatchets…maybe a herd," Captain Reynolds cut in. "Some of them make it. Some of them…" he left the sentence open ended, as if the rest could be inferred.

"Then I guess it's good we're helping," Simon said.

After a few moments of awkward silence, Kaylee broke it by addressing Simon. "You're a doctor right?"

Roz jolted at the mention of Simon being a doctor, she wondered if she could work up enough courage to ask him to briefly check and make sure her baby was okay. He never let her see a doctor on Persephone, said she wasn't worth the coin.

"Oh, uh, yes. I was a trauma surgeon on Osiris in Capital City."

"Long way from here," the captain replied.

"You seem so young to be a doctor," Kaylee smiled.

Simon grinned, it was the first time that Roz had seen him smile. "Yeah, you're pretty young to be a ship's mechanic."

"Know how. Machines just got workings, and they talk to me."

"That's a rare gift," Shepherd Book commented, and smiled at Kaylee.

"Well, not like being a doctor. Helping fix people…that's important."

Jayne snorted, "little Kaylee here just wishes you was a gynecologist." Roz thought he meant to say it under his breath but it came out loud for the whole table to hear. Roz saw Kaylee's mouth shut and suddenly become interested in the food on her plate. She felt terrible for both Simon and Kaylee, also for Jayne and his big mouth.

"Jayne," Captain Reynolds barked. "You will keep a civil tongue in that mouth, or I will sew it shut. Is there an understanding between us?"

Roz hadn't known Jayne for long but even she knew Jayne was not one for taking orders, or to be backed into a corner, so it was only natural for him to come back with a rude comment.

"You don't pay me to talk pretty. Just because Kaylee gets lubed up over some big-city dandy…"

"Walk away from this table. Right now," Captain Reynolds ordered, looking Jayne square in the eyes.

Roz could see Jayne thinking as his jaw clenched and his hands curled into fists. It seemed he was about to blow up and Roz closed her eyes in preparedness for fists and her being caught in the commotion. A rough hand was placed over hers and she saw that Jayne was looking right at her. The anger was still there but his eyes had softened. He seemed to be trying to calm himself for her benefit. Removing his hand he took his plate and he exited the room without a glance back.

The silence at the table grew thick until Simon asked, "what do you pay him for?"

"What?" Captain Reynolds asked, clearly not thinking about Jayne's innocent comment.

"I was just wondering what his job is…on the ship."

Captain Reynolds stared at Simon and paused before saying, "public relations."

Okay, so we're seeing some growing moments from Roz. She's having a hard time coping with what she was told to do and behave in the past and now she's not quite sure how to handle certain situations. She's also feeling very self-conscious with how she looks especially in comparison with everyone else on the ship. Throughout the story, she will begin to grow and find her identity but right now, after taking a huge leap and running away from him, she's content with her baby step progress.

I love that we see the angry side of Jayne at the end, he's not going to be all happy and calm around Roz because that's not his character. He was able to reel himself in because he saw Roz become afraid, but in the next few chapters he's not going to be able to hide his anger and Roz will need to deal with that when it happens.

I also happen to love the last two lines of this chapter that come from the series. I laugh just thinking of Jayne in a public relations role.

Thanks to everyone who has read and reviewed. It means a lot to me and as it's my birthday tomorrow (hint, hint) I'm not above asking for reviews as little presents for me. (Tee hee hee!) So please, use the little review button and let me know what you think and what you would like to see from Roz and the crew of Serenity.