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Series: Girl Anachronism
Title: Chapter Four (4/12)
Author: toxic_corn
Pairing: River/Jayne
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: All the characters belong to Joss Whedon, except for a certain stowaway.
Summary: A mysterious stowaway on Serenity may bring Jayne and River together.
Warning: Takes place after the BDM but has some AU elements to it so if that's not your cup of tea, it'd be best to skip this one.
Notes: I previewed this in my journal back in February and now I'm ready to share it with the public. Hope you like!
Catch up on earlier chapters at the round-up post.
Chapter Four
The day started out with River and Nettie cleaning up Shepherd Book's old room so the girl could have a place of her own to sleep. It hadn't taken too long so Nettie had to be given another project. Mal had the little brat running errands for him now, running from one end of the ship to another relaying messages or making sure the others were doing their work and reporting back to him.
Watching her dash through the common area, Jayne scowled. All that she seemed good for was being a pain in the ass. When he'd said something to that effect earlier, the doc had said, "Well, then there's no doubt as to her parentage now." It'd made everyone laugh harder than the joke really deserved and that had put Jayne in an even fouler mood.
Since the shopping trip, he'd been avoiding both girls. Luckily, neither of them tried to talk to him, though the littler one would look at him sadly while the older one would give him nasty looks he had no problem giving right back to her.
Nettie ran up the stairs and Jayne's scowl deepened. He'd spent all that money on that gorram dress and she wasn't even wearing it.
~*~
"You 'bout ready to sleep, Miss Nettie?" Mal asked as the little girl nodded off at the table for the third time.
"I think so, Cap," she said, blinking sleepily.
"Well, you go on off to bed, then," he said gently. "You let us big people worry about clearing the table."
Nettie slid out of her seat and kissed River's cheek, surprising her. "G'night, Mommy."
"Goodnight, Nettie," River said softly and raised her hand to gently stroke the child's hair. She glanced over at Jayne who was tensing up in case he should receive a goodnight kiss too and he only relaxed when Nettie left without even a glance towards him.
"You're not really gonna leave her in an orphanage, are you Cap'n?" Kaylee asked, sounding sad.
River watched Mal rub his forehead. "Can't say as I know just yet what I'm gonna do, Kaylee," he said. "She can't stay here. The black's no place for a little person."
"But she's taken to it so well," Kaylee argued. "She ain't complainin' about bein' bored or gettin' inta stuff she shouldn't. It's like she was raised on a ship and knows al the do's and don'ts and don't have to be reminded."
Mal let out a breath. "That's all true, but I don't think havin' her around is a good idea. She tends to rile up folk."
"Not everyone!" Kaylee glared over at Jayne. "Just some people."
"She'd quit rilin' me if she'd quit sayin' I'm her pa. And I'm not," he snarled, anticipating any arguments.
"There's one way we can know that for sure," Simon said.
"How's that?" Jayne sounded curious despite himself.
"A blood test."
"Oh, hell no. We aren't doin' any blood test," Jayne snapped.
Kaylee blinked at him. "Why not? Then you'd know for sure that she's not-"
"I already do know for sure!"
"And how's that Jayne?" Mal asked, barely keeping his patience.
Jayne slammed his fist on the table. "Cuz I don't let my fishes fly free, that's why!"
Everyone at the table took a moment to wince at that thought before each of them slowly recovered.
"I- I wouldn't have to draw any blood from you," Simon said with difficulty, being one of those who hadn't quite recovered yet. "I already have a sample from everyone on the crew. I'd just need to draw some from Nettie."
"No."
They all turned to see the little girl standing in the doorway. She didn't look as sleepy as she had before and River smiled a little to herself. She'd performed the same trick at Nettie's age, faking sleepiness to slip away and surreptitiously spy on the adults and their conversations.
"Thought you were in bed," Mal said, letting his tone show how he felt about little girls who didn't go to bed when they said they were.
"I'm on my way," Nettie told him and then looked at Simon. "I don't want a blood test, Unc- Simon.
"It doesn't hurt," Simon assured her.
Nettie shook her head. "That's not why I don't want one."
"Why don't you want a blood test, sweetie?" Inara asked.
"Because Da- Jayne doesn't want one." Nettie played with one of her braids and missed the looks of surprise everyone sent each other.
"I don't understand." Simon frowned. "Don't you want everyone to know for sure who your father is?"
"It doesn't matter what everyone else thinks," the little girl said looking up and fixing Simon with her sharp blue-eyed gaze. "I know who my daddy is."
Mal sighed. "But your daddy ain't exactly in agreement with you on-"
"I don't care!" The girl's eyes filled with tears. "If he doesn't want one, I don't want one either!" She turned and ran off to her room.
No one said anything for a long moment. Then Kaylee stood and started collecting dishes and everyone drifted out of the room to go off to their bunks for the night. River stayed behind and waited until Jayne was the last out of the room and she followed him.
"Stop taking it out on her."
Jayne paused and looked over his shoulder at her. "The hell are you on about now?"
"Nettie." River folded her arms and cocked her hip out to the side, expressing her displeasure as much as she could through body language. "Stop taking your hate for me out on her."
His eyes widened in surprise. "I'm not."
Oh. River let her arms fall. "Then why are you being so nasty to her?"
"I'm no nastier to her than I am ta anybody else. Leeme 'lone, I'm goin' ta bed." He tried to move on but the girl grabbed his arm.
"Yes you are! You're meaner to her than you ever were to Simon and me. What's the matter with you that you have to be so antagonistic to an eight year old girl?" She searched his face, trying to read what could be wrong in his facial expression.
But he misinterpreted what she was trying to do. "You stay the ruttin' hell out of my head," he growled. "It ain't any o' yer gorram business."
"It's my business if she's my child," River snapped without thinking.
"What the hell is your problem?" Jayne boomed. "She's not your child! You know that!"
She was just as startled by her response and it took River a moment to formulate a response. "I- I know that. Intellectually. But my heart tells me that-"
"Oh, don't give me that go se. Your heart," Jayne said scornfully.
Embarrassed, River felt her face heat up. "My heart tells me a lot of things. Maybe you should start listening to yours too!"
Jayne stared at her. "You really are insane."
"Never mind." River shook her head. "I should've known it would be a waste to talk to you. Just stop being so mean to Nettie."
As she walked away, Jayne called after her, "Why do you want it to be true so much?"
She stopped and thought a moment. When she was about to respond, Jayne answered for her. "Is it cuz you wanna think it'd be possible to turn me into a better man? Have me fall in love with ya and make babies and be all happily ever after?"
His mocking tone brought tears to her eyes and she spun to face him, angrily. Seeing her face, his smirk fell away. "Aw, it's true, ain't it? You-"
"Why do you want it to be false so much?" she shot back, willing her tears not to fall. "Is it because you're so selfish you'd rather not share time and resources with anyone you can't get something from? There's no obvious benefit from being kind to a child, is there Jayne? So why should you, huh?!"
"You go ahead and believe what you want," he said, blank-faced.
"I will. Since it's not like you'll tell the truth. For once." She didn't wait for a response and didn't hear one as she continued on to bed, where she was sure she'd lay awake for hours, thinking of more things she could have and should have said.
< Chapter Three : Chapter Five >
Title: Chapter Four (4/12)
Author: toxic_corn
Pairing: River/Jayne
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: All the characters belong to Joss Whedon, except for a certain stowaway.
Summary: A mysterious stowaway on Serenity may bring Jayne and River together.
Warning: Takes place after the BDM but has some AU elements to it so if that's not your cup of tea, it'd be best to skip this one.
Notes: I previewed this in my journal back in February and now I'm ready to share it with the public. Hope you like!
Catch up on earlier chapters at the round-up post.
The day started out with River and Nettie cleaning up Shepherd Book's old room so the girl could have a place of her own to sleep. It hadn't taken too long so Nettie had to be given another project. Mal had the little brat running errands for him now, running from one end of the ship to another relaying messages or making sure the others were doing their work and reporting back to him.
Watching her dash through the common area, Jayne scowled. All that she seemed good for was being a pain in the ass. When he'd said something to that effect earlier, the doc had said, "Well, then there's no doubt as to her parentage now." It'd made everyone laugh harder than the joke really deserved and that had put Jayne in an even fouler mood.
Since the shopping trip, he'd been avoiding both girls. Luckily, neither of them tried to talk to him, though the littler one would look at him sadly while the older one would give him nasty looks he had no problem giving right back to her.
Nettie ran up the stairs and Jayne's scowl deepened. He'd spent all that money on that gorram dress and she wasn't even wearing it.
"You 'bout ready to sleep, Miss Nettie?" Mal asked as the little girl nodded off at the table for the third time.
"I think so, Cap," she said, blinking sleepily.
"Well, you go on off to bed, then," he said gently. "You let us big people worry about clearing the table."
Nettie slid out of her seat and kissed River's cheek, surprising her. "G'night, Mommy."
"Goodnight, Nettie," River said softly and raised her hand to gently stroke the child's hair. She glanced over at Jayne who was tensing up in case he should receive a goodnight kiss too and he only relaxed when Nettie left without even a glance towards him.
"You're not really gonna leave her in an orphanage, are you Cap'n?" Kaylee asked, sounding sad.
River watched Mal rub his forehead. "Can't say as I know just yet what I'm gonna do, Kaylee," he said. "She can't stay here. The black's no place for a little person."
"But she's taken to it so well," Kaylee argued. "She ain't complainin' about bein' bored or gettin' inta stuff she shouldn't. It's like she was raised on a ship and knows al the do's and don'ts and don't have to be reminded."
Mal let out a breath. "That's all true, but I don't think havin' her around is a good idea. She tends to rile up folk."
"Not everyone!" Kaylee glared over at Jayne. "Just some people."
"She'd quit rilin' me if she'd quit sayin' I'm her pa. And I'm not," he snarled, anticipating any arguments.
"There's one way we can know that for sure," Simon said.
"How's that?" Jayne sounded curious despite himself.
"A blood test."
"Oh, hell no. We aren't doin' any blood test," Jayne snapped.
Kaylee blinked at him. "Why not? Then you'd know for sure that she's not-"
"I already do know for sure!"
"And how's that Jayne?" Mal asked, barely keeping his patience.
Jayne slammed his fist on the table. "Cuz I don't let my fishes fly free, that's why!"
Everyone at the table took a moment to wince at that thought before each of them slowly recovered.
"I- I wouldn't have to draw any blood from you," Simon said with difficulty, being one of those who hadn't quite recovered yet. "I already have a sample from everyone on the crew. I'd just need to draw some from Nettie."
"No."
They all turned to see the little girl standing in the doorway. She didn't look as sleepy as she had before and River smiled a little to herself. She'd performed the same trick at Nettie's age, faking sleepiness to slip away and surreptitiously spy on the adults and their conversations.
"Thought you were in bed," Mal said, letting his tone show how he felt about little girls who didn't go to bed when they said they were.
"I'm on my way," Nettie told him and then looked at Simon. "I don't want a blood test, Unc- Simon.
"It doesn't hurt," Simon assured her.
Nettie shook her head. "That's not why I don't want one."
"Why don't you want a blood test, sweetie?" Inara asked.
"Because Da- Jayne doesn't want one." Nettie played with one of her braids and missed the looks of surprise everyone sent each other.
"I don't understand." Simon frowned. "Don't you want everyone to know for sure who your father is?"
"It doesn't matter what everyone else thinks," the little girl said looking up and fixing Simon with her sharp blue-eyed gaze. "I know who my daddy is."
Mal sighed. "But your daddy ain't exactly in agreement with you on-"
"I don't care!" The girl's eyes filled with tears. "If he doesn't want one, I don't want one either!" She turned and ran off to her room.
No one said anything for a long moment. Then Kaylee stood and started collecting dishes and everyone drifted out of the room to go off to their bunks for the night. River stayed behind and waited until Jayne was the last out of the room and she followed him.
"Stop taking it out on her."
Jayne paused and looked over his shoulder at her. "The hell are you on about now?"
"Nettie." River folded her arms and cocked her hip out to the side, expressing her displeasure as much as she could through body language. "Stop taking your hate for me out on her."
His eyes widened in surprise. "I'm not."
Oh. River let her arms fall. "Then why are you being so nasty to her?"
"I'm no nastier to her than I am ta anybody else. Leeme 'lone, I'm goin' ta bed." He tried to move on but the girl grabbed his arm.
"Yes you are! You're meaner to her than you ever were to Simon and me. What's the matter with you that you have to be so antagonistic to an eight year old girl?" She searched his face, trying to read what could be wrong in his facial expression.
But he misinterpreted what she was trying to do. "You stay the ruttin' hell out of my head," he growled. "It ain't any o' yer gorram business."
"It's my business if she's my child," River snapped without thinking.
"What the hell is your problem?" Jayne boomed. "She's not your child! You know that!"
She was just as startled by her response and it took River a moment to formulate a response. "I- I know that. Intellectually. But my heart tells me that-"
"Oh, don't give me that go se. Your heart," Jayne said scornfully.
Embarrassed, River felt her face heat up. "My heart tells me a lot of things. Maybe you should start listening to yours too!"
Jayne stared at her. "You really are insane."
"Never mind." River shook her head. "I should've known it would be a waste to talk to you. Just stop being so mean to Nettie."
As she walked away, Jayne called after her, "Why do you want it to be true so much?"
She stopped and thought a moment. When she was about to respond, Jayne answered for her. "Is it cuz you wanna think it'd be possible to turn me into a better man? Have me fall in love with ya and make babies and be all happily ever after?"
His mocking tone brought tears to her eyes and she spun to face him, angrily. Seeing her face, his smirk fell away. "Aw, it's true, ain't it? You-"
"Why do you want it to be false so much?" she shot back, willing her tears not to fall. "Is it because you're so selfish you'd rather not share time and resources with anyone you can't get something from? There's no obvious benefit from being kind to a child, is there Jayne? So why should you, huh?!"
"You go ahead and believe what you want," he said, blank-faced.
"I will. Since it's not like you'll tell the truth. For once." She didn't wait for a response and didn't hear one as she continued on to bed, where she was sure she'd lay awake for hours, thinking of more things she could have and should have said.
< Chapter Three : Chapter Five >