Last time: Jayne had drinks with Lara and Lacie.

Now: Jayne goes to the harvest festival.

Chapter 7- Harvest Festival

It was a difficult thing, to figure out how to eat a candy apple. Jayne was doggedly trying to figure it out though, but her nearly petite stature and equally nearly petite features meant that trying to figure out how to eat the sticky mess without herself becoming a sticky mess was proving quite a challenge. So far she had just ended up mashing a bunch of caramel into her mouth and she couldn't help but grin as they walked between all the stalls, looking at the fun games that had been set up, the boisterous contests going on. One very intrepid farmer had set up a big swinging boat on pylons attached to his large repulsor tractor as a base, and was giving a ride of sorts to those that were willing to pay a modest admission fee. There was even talk that on the outskirts of the town, which was a comfortable walking distance, one of the farmers fields for a tall crop they grew here had been turned into a maze. All the residents of Durasteel Springs seemed to be trying to outdo each other to see who could be the most festive.

"See anything you want to try?" Lara asked as she ate from a bag of kettle corn that was made with sweet and spicy flavors.

"Oh, I don't know." Jayne said, looking around, a little overwhelmed by the festival but in a good way. "Is it like this every year?" She asked.

"Yeah pretty much," Lara said as she popped a couple pieces into her mouth. "But I feel like it is bigger this year than last." She looked away at that.

Jayne looked at her with the slightest bit of concern for reminding her of her husband. "What do you recommend, then?"

"Hm, we could try one of the games. They always have the cutest little stuffed animals as prizes," Lara suggested gesturing over to a couple of the game booths. "We could try to win one or two for the twins."

"I don't know what I'd be good at." Jayne said, looking between a small low power blaster shooting gallery, a ring toss game, something where people were throwing small balls to try to knock over cups. "What's your favorite?" She asked Lara.

"Oh, um." Lara thought for a moment. "I like a lot of them. But I really like anything that involves throwing or tossing something. So we could do the darts if you wanna try. Those are fairly easy."

"Sure." Jayne said as she tried to take another bite of her apple.

Lara led her over to the booth and handed off a couple of tickets to the teenager running it. He handed her a handful of darts and she handed a few to Jayne. "All you have to do is hit the target with these. You throw them one at a time. Like this," she said then demonstrated. She took one of the darts from her hand and threw it at the target. It landed just outside the zone labeled 'small prizes'. "Now you try."

Jayne looked at the dart, considering the little missile in her hand. She then looked up at the target, a big holographic target that was fitzing in and out in the back of the booth, just in front of a wooden board that was covered in little pockmarks from apparent years of use.

She took a deep breath, put her hand up, narrowed her eyes in concentration, and threw the dart as accurately and as hard as she could.

It fell off to the side and landed in the 'no prize' zone. She narrowed her gaze even more, glaring at the errant dart.

"It's okay," Lara said, chuckling. "Here. Try again." She pointed to another dart she had handed Jayne. She then threw one of her own and it landed in the 'small prize' zone. But she still had two darts to try for a bigger prize.

Jayne only had the one dart left, and she eyed the bullseye. She pulled her arm back, looking at the dart, then at the target and then threw it forward with all her might and concentration. For the briefest of moments she felt like she was actually able to perceive the dart as it left her hand, like it was moving in slow motion. Everything seemed to be moving in slow motion as she concentrated on the dart and nothing else. She saw it heading off to the side towards nothing that would win her a prize. In a small fit of annoyance at wanting to win, to succeed, she willed it to move, leaning to the side, her hand gesturing for it, trying to will it to settle on a trajectory more towards the bullseye.

And it flew true. Hitting smack in the middle of the red target that was for the 'big prize' And she looked at it stunned, feeling she had cheated somehow, but not having any idea how she could have.

Lara and the teen running the booth both stood there in stunned silence before slowly looking over at Jayne. "Nice shot. How did you do that? That was impressive," she complimented.

"I don't know." Jayne stated, "just lucky, I guess?" She said, not sure how to answer. "Maybe I'm a dart throwing champion in my other life?" She suggested jokingly.

"Maybe," Lara said, smiling at her. "Guess we will find out at some point." She then threw her last couple darts and didn't hit a thing.

"Congrats," The teen running the booth said as he handed a small plushie to Lara then looked at Jayne. "What prize do you want from up there?" He asked gesturing up to the large stuffed animals that hung up in the booth.

Jayne looked at the prizes, a plush porg, owl, a lothcat, a lothrabbit, a deer and a poggin. The giant lothcat was a slightly dirty white color that she was drawn to for whatever reason. "The lothcat please?" She asked, tentatively pointing.

The teen nodded and walked over to where it was hanging up. He carefully climbed up and brought it down. He then walked over to Jayne and held it out to her. "Here ya are."

"Thanks." Jayne said with a big smile as she took the huge stuffed cat in hand, trying to keep her candy apple from touching it.

"Would you like me to carry something?" Lara offered as she smiled at the large plushie.

"No, I'm good." Jayne said as she hugged her new cat close. "He's so fluffy!" She exclaimed as she grinned from ear to ear.

Lara clapped a hand to her mouth as she burst into laughter at Jayne's child like joy. "Come on, let's go find Taner so you can show him," she said between fits of laughter.

"Okay. Come on Reginald." Jayne said as she hefted the plush cat closer and started following Lara.

'"Reginald? What a dashing name for such an adorable creature," Lara said as they walked past a few more booths.

"Yes, it just came to mind for some reason." She said as she hugged him so tight to her side that he deformed a bit. "I love him." She declared.

"Well he is all yours after all. You won him fair and square," Lara said, grinning. "So keep him close. And your babies will love him too."

"No." Jayne said, hugging him even closer as they walked. "Mine." She declared like a little girl as she grinned.

Lara laughed so hard she snorted. "You are so damn cute."

"I'm not cute, I'm a…" Jayne started out of an unknown reflex, and she furrowed her brow, trying to remember how to finish the sentence.

"Adorable?" Lara guessed. "Awesome?"

Jayne looked at her with good natured sourness that was greatly enhanced by the fact that she was carrying a huge plush lothcat under one arm and a partially eaten candy apple in her other hand. But she had no other response.

As the sun started to set on the day, the festival was still in full swing. A majority of the attendees had gathered around the stage area for music and dancing. Tables were around the dance floor where a number of people sat watching or eating while others danced to the music. Lara sat at one of the tables with Jayne, Lacie, and Wesley as she watched Taner having fun with a group of friends as they danced to the upbeat tune that was playing through the speakers.

"Looks like fun," Wesley observed with a smirk as he sipped his beer. He looked at Lacie. "Wanna go dance?" He asked her.

"Hell yeah!" She said, grabbing his arm and pulling him away from the table.

Lara chuckled as she watched them head off to the dance floor. "She loves to dance. I'm surprised it took him so long to ask," she said. She looked at Jayne. "Do you wanna go join them?"

Jayne gulped, "I uh… maybe… later?" She replied. Somewhere deep in her core she knew with absolute certainty she was not a dancer, even if she hadn't been nearly seven months pregnant with twins.

"No worries," Lara said as she sipped her drink. "There is still plenty of fun here." She raised her glass to Jayne at that.

"Yep." Jayne said, recovering her grin. "This is so much fun!" She said with a bit of a giggle as she drank some more non-alcoholic cider. "I can't remember the last time I did something like this." She joked.

Lara chuckled. "Well now you'll have this to remember," she said as she finished her drink. "I'm going to grab another one. Do you want me grab you another or something else?" She asked.

"Another hot cider maybe?" She asked, Taner had been kind enough to run back to the speeder for a blanket for her that she was currently enrobed in, but the chill air was still a little biting.

"One hot cider coming right up," Lara said as she stood from the table. She then headed over to the booths that were selling the food and drinks.

"Thanks!" Jayne called after her. She looked back into the crowd of dancers as the song changed to another upbeat tune and she laughed as Lacie pulled Wesley from a moment of rest back into the fray.

Lara returned a moment later with two drinks at hand. "Here you go. One cider. Nice and hot," she said as set a warm cup of cider down in front of Jayne. She then sat back down in her seat. "And one ale for me."

"Thank you!" Jayne said with a grin as she blew on the steaming cup to cool it. "I wonder if -" She was interrupted as a familiar yelling cut through the crowd.

Cien, can you hear me? Jayne looked around, trying to see where it was coming from. Even above the din of the music and the revelry it was quite clear.

"What's up?" Lara asked, looking at Jayne with a raised eyebrow.

"That yelling?" Jayne asked, looking back at her, as she realized no one else seemed to be reacting to the desperate sounding cries. "The same as in the medical center the other day, calling for that Cien person."

Lara looked confused as she looked around to see if anyone was yelling, but she didn't hear or see anyone. "Do you still hear it?" She asked Jayne as she kept an eye out for anyone yelling.

"No?" Jayne said, looking around. "You heard it, right?" She asked Lara.

"I didn't hear anything," Lara said, furrowing her brow as she looked back at her.

Jayne opened her mouth and stopped, thinking confusedly as she looked down at her cider. "You didn't hear it?" She asked, looking back up at Lara.

Lara shook her head. "No. I can only hear you and the music. I didn't hear anyone calling out for someone. Especially someone named Cien. There is no one here named that."

Jayne looked down at her drink again even more confused, and Reginald next to her, but he had no answers. "It was just like in the medical center, it was the same woman's voice?" She noted.

"Maybe its a memory trying to come back to you?" Lara guessed, but it felt like quite a stretch.

"I don't know." Jayne said. She looked down at her drink again. "This is just cider, right?" She asked, trying to make a joke but still anxious.

"Yes, I'm positive. I'm saving the alcohol for you for after the twins are born," Lara said light heartedly, but still worriedly.

Jayne nodded and swallowed. "Are those Taner's friends from school?" She asked, trying to change the subject as she looked out at the dance floor.

"Yeah they are," Lara said following her gaze. "They have been friends since they were little."

"They seem like a very nice group." She observed.

"They are all really good kids," Lara said, nodding.

At that moment, a woman came over to the table, smiling at Lara. "Hey Lara."

"Debrah! Hey!" Lara said, standing and giving the woman a hug.

Debrah returned the hug and pulled away after a moment. "I was going to go dance and join up with Lacie and Wes. Wanna join me?" She asked.

"Uh." Lara looked over at Jayne. "Will you be okay for a couple minutes if I went to go dance?" She asked.

"Yeah, sure." Jayne said with a smile and a nod.

"Alright, I'll be right back," Lara said as Debrah dragged her out as the song changed to another upbeat tune. They joined with Lacie and Wesley in the crowd and danced to the music.

Jayne watched them all with a growing smile as she took a sip of her cider. She looked around at the revelry, the warm lights strung everywhere, the fun music, all the games and everything in the town square that made this such a special night. She could understand why everyone in the town had been looking forward to it and so obsessed with the decorations.

She glanced downward at the twins, and her thoughts strayed back to the voice she had heard, someone calling out for someone so desperately. The fact that Lara hadn't heard it worried her the more and more she thought of it. Perhaps she was right, maybe it was some artifact of her memories trying to return. But hallucinations like that, that was worrying

"Cien?" She heard someone call, a man's voice. She furrowed her brow, trying to ignore it. The voice seemed so real, like someone was calling out to -

"Cien! Please answer!" The same woman's voice yelled out. Jayne looked up, startled and shocked. She looked around, trying to find the source of the voices. And then her gaze settled on two people standing in the midst of the dancers, a young woman with long brown hair in a ponytail, dressed in a dark navy blue jacket and a man standing in coppery, dark armor. She inhaled sharply, looking at them, especially the man, he was holding a helmet that reminded her far too much of the helmet she had glimpsed in her nightmares. As she looked at them startled for a split second, she realized the dancers were moving through them as if they weren't even there.

She threw her hands up out of reflex and they disappeared. She stared at where they had been, absolutely shocked. They were like ghosts, or… they had to be hallucinations, or something. But that was almost just as worrying. She sat frozen, tensed up, her eyes wide looking at where they had been.

"Jayne?" Lara asked, coming back over to the table, worriedly. "Are you okay?"

"I…" Jayne started, still shocked, "I…"

"Jayne, look at me," Lara said worriedly as she took Jayne gently by the shoulders. "I'm right here. Are you alright?"

"I just… I just saw…" She swallowed as she stared at the dance floor.

"You saw what?" Lara asked, concerned. "Jayne please tell me what you saw, what's going on?"

"I…" Jayne started. She closed her eyes and took a second to collect herself. "I saw a woman and a man standing on the dance floor. He was in armor and had a helmet like my nightmare, and she… she was who was calling out before and at the medical center." She swallowed. "They were standing right there and everyone was dancing through them." She said, realizing how ludicrous it sounded.

Lara furrowed her brow, taking that all in. "So you saw a random woman and man over there? Were they saying something to you? Did you recognize them at all?" She asked, trying see if what Jayne saw was connected to her memories. "Wait, nightmares?" She added on, realizing this is the first time she was hearing of those from Jayne.

"They were asking for… Cien again." Jayne answered, "both of them were." She swallowed. "And I had a nightmare last night. A man in a dark helmet in a ship after I was running through the forest again, and he ignited some kind of plasma sword."

"Okay, let me ask one question at a time," Lara said, turning a chair around and sitting down in front of Jayne that their knees almost touched. "Do you think the armored man you saw and the helmeted man from your nightmare are the same person?"

"I don't know, I think so." Jayne said, scared. "All I could really make out in the darkness in the nightmare were the eyes of the helmet, and they looked like they were the same." She said. Seemingly unknowingly she reached out for Reginald and started hugging him close.

Lara frowned. "Okay. You mentioned he had a plasma sword? Do you mean a lightsaber? Was he a Jedi?" She asked.

"I don't know?" Jayne asked, looking up at her confused. "It was… it was like a glowing red sword of some kind." She said as she hugged the plushie a little tighter to her. "I'm sorry I didn't mean to ruin the evening."

"No, it's okay, sweetie," Lara said, putting a hand on her knee. "I'm just going to ask two more questions. One, did you recognize the woman? Did she seem familiar? And two, do you think the name they were calling out is yours?" She asked very carefully.

"I didn't recognize her at all." Jayne said, shaking her head. "And… I don't know?"

"Okay, it'll be okay," Lara said, comfortingly. "How about we go home? It's been a long day. We can sort this all out there if you'd like." She suggested.

"I don't want to make you have to leave early," Jayne said, "I'm sorry this is all just so strange." She said as wiped her face.

"It's alright. I was getting pretty tired myself," Lara said, smiling softly. "And I know it seems strange, but it's obvious that your memories are trying to come back. We just need to put the pieces together until it makes sense, okay?"

"Okay." Jayne said, swallowing. "Thank you Lara, I have absolutely no idea what I would have done if it wasn't for you." She said quietly.

"I'm sure you would have figured it out. You're a smart woman," Lara said as she stood up. "But I'm glad I could help. Now come on, let's get you home."

"Okay." Jayne said standing as she still clutched Reginald like a lifeline.

Lara wrapped an arm around her shoulders and started escorting her away, but looked back towards the crowd where she could see Lacie and Wesley. "Hey guys, I'm going to take Jayne home. Can you guys give Taner a lift back when this is over?" She called out to them over the music.

"Sure, everything okay?" Lacie asked as she paused.

"Yeah, it's just been a long day. We're calling it early," Lara said, dismissively with a nod. "Thanks for driving Taner home."

"Later!" Lacie said with a wave as she turned back to Wesley.

Lara waved them back as they walked away. "When we get back, how about I make some hot tea and we can curl up near the fireplace?" She suggested.

"That sounds nice." Jayne said, her breath fogging around her as they walked in a subdued mood.

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