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toxic_cornSeries: Girl Anachronism
Title: Chapter Seven (7/12)
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! (Happy birthday, Nutmeg!)
Catch up on earlier chapters at the round-up post.
Chapter Seven
"Don't suppose buying her another dress would solve things, would it?" Jayne asked without much hope. He'd slumped down onto his weight bench and River stood at his side, gently rubbing circles into his back. Felt kinda nice.
"No," River said. "I'm afraid it's not going to be that simple."
"Naw. Nothin' ever is, is it." He rubbed at his eyes tiredly.
Kaylee came out on the catwalk and called down, "River, Cap'n wants everyone in the mess in five minutes. If you could get everyone down there for me, that'd be nice."
"This meetin' got to do with Nettie?" Jayne asked, looking up.
Fixedly, Kaylee kept her eyes trained on River's face. "So if you could do that quick, I'd appreciate it."
"Are you ignorin' me?" Jayne asked in disbelief. Dumbstruck, he watched the girl he considered a friend spin on her heel and march off. "Aw, hell."
"Kaylee doesn't stay mad long," River said, patting his shoulder. "She'll forgive you once you start making amends for how you treated Nettie."
Jayne narrowed his eyes up at her. "That reminds me: Why're you on my side all sudden-like?"
River blushed slightly. "I'm not on your side. I'm simply sympathetic to your position."
"Again, I'm askin' why."
She stiffened and took a step back. "As your only ally, you shouldn't be trying so hard to alienate me."
"I'm not tryin' ta turn ya into an alien; I'm just askin' a simple question," Jayne said, frustrated.
"It should be perfectly obvious by now," River snapped back.
"Well, I guess I'm too stupid and you'll hafta spell it out for me," Jayne growled.
"It's because I care for you, alright?!!"
They stared at each other in stunned surprise before River delicately cleared her throat. "I'd better go get Simon. I'll meet you upstairs."
"I'll. Uh. See ya." Jayne watched River walk quickly to the infirmary and he hauled himself to his feet, unsure if he was going to be ready for this meeting after the bombshell River dropped on him.
~*~
Mal stood quietly at the head of the table for a long moment. Everyone stared at him and the unease in the room was palpable. Finally, Mal held up a capture in his fingers. "Look," he said simply.
"Yeah, I seen it. It didn't work, remember?" Jayne said, frowning.
Nostrils flaring, Mal spun the capture down the table until it landed in front of Jayne. The merc lifted it up to his disbelieving face.
It was him. Older him. Older, happier him. And Nettie. And a boy who looked exactly like him when he'd been twelve. And River without the babyfat in her cheeks but still pretty as hell.
"This real?" Jayne asked uncertainly.
"Yes." Mal's jaw clenched, waiting for Jayne's outburst.
Instead, Jayne kept looking at the picture. "Make a nice lookin' family, don't they?"
That seemed to throw Mal's plans out the window and his face flickered with uncertainty before going back to his hardassed expression. "Yes. Yes, they do. And after the way you treated that little girl-"
"She's really mine."
No one said anything for a long moment. Finally, Jayne said, "If she's mine, we ain't sendin' her to no orphanage. You want her off your ship so damn bad-"
"I don't!" Mal exclaimed.
"Then we'll send her to my ma," Jayne finished like Mal had never spoken at all.
Simon frowned, glancing at River's face which was getting increasingly more consternated by the moment. "Are you sure that's a wise decision?"
"Dammit, I'm her father and I-"
"No, you're not." Nettie stood in the doorway, clutching her Kaylee bear.
Mal frowned a little but said not unkindly, "What'd we say about little girls playing possum?"
Nettie took a few steps into the room, eyes never leaving Jayne's face. "You're not my daddy."
Jayne held up the photo for her to see. "Look, this says I am."
"No it doesn't," the girl said stubbornly. "You're not him."
"Close enough!" Jayne snapped and rounded on Simon. "Do a blood test, doc. She'll see."
Simon looked warily at the little girl. "Nettie? Will you submit to a blood test now?"
"Yes. But it won't change anything." The little girl finally looked away from Jayne to address Mal. "Thanks for letting me use your bunk, Cap."
"You're welcome." Mal nodded at her.
"You come get me later," Simon told her. "Once you're ready, we'll do the-"
"Do it now," Jayne demanded.
"I wasn't speaking to you," Simon said, voice tight from restrained anger. "I was speaking to my nei- to Nettie."
"It's okay, Simon. I'll do the test now. Meet ya down there." She turned and walked away, shoulders drawn up and back bravely.
Jayne looked down at the picture again, staring almost in puzzlement at the joy in his older double's face.
~*~
Simon dabbed at Nettie's arm and placed an adhesive bandage over where he'd just drawn her blood. "There. All done."
Nettie watched him go about his work. "It's weird to see you doing this without Nova."
"Who's Nova?"
"My cousin."
He turned to face her, curious. "My daughter?"
"My uncle Simon's daughter," Nettie gently corrected him.
Although she was technically right, it still stung a little that she wasn't considering him family any more. "So this Nova wants to be a doctor?"
"Yep. She's really, really smart."
Simon was quiet and went back to work, thinking about the ring he was hiding in his drawer and thought that maybe he was getting a little closer to getting up his courage to ask for Kaylee's hand.
~*~
Jayne found River waiting outside the infirmary for Nettie and cleared his throat. The girl stiffened and sent an awkward smile his way before quickly looking away.
"You're not gonna start in on the silent treatment too, are ya?" Jayne asked gruffly.
River shook her head. "No. I... I just feel foolish. Don't mind me."
"Don't need ta feel that way. I'm not gonna pick on ya or nothin'." He looked glumly into the infirmary and watched his daughter-not-daughter scrunch her face up and look away as Simon stuck a needle into her arm. "Learned my lesson about that the hard way."
"She was very close to her father," River said softly. "He called her little bit. They would play together. Having you reject her..."
"Were you close to your pop?" Jayne asked, wondering if maybe this was a girl thing.
River shook her head, looking sad. "He loved me but we didn't have a special bond or anything. Not like Simon and me." She tilted her head to the side. "Were you?"
"Hell, girl, I never even knew your pop." Off of her exasperated look, he chuckled and sobered quickly. "No. Me 'n him weren't close."
"Is that maybe why you were so intent on not being a father to Nettie?" River asked tentatively.
Jayne thought about that a moment, looking down at his boots. "Maybe." He didn't shrug River away when she gently squeezed his arm.
< Chapter Six : Chapter Eight >
Title: Chapter Seven (7/12)
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! (Happy birthday, Nutmeg!)
Catch up on earlier chapters at the round-up post.
"Don't suppose buying her another dress would solve things, would it?" Jayne asked without much hope. He'd slumped down onto his weight bench and River stood at his side, gently rubbing circles into his back. Felt kinda nice.
"No," River said. "I'm afraid it's not going to be that simple."
"Naw. Nothin' ever is, is it." He rubbed at his eyes tiredly.
Kaylee came out on the catwalk and called down, "River, Cap'n wants everyone in the mess in five minutes. If you could get everyone down there for me, that'd be nice."
"This meetin' got to do with Nettie?" Jayne asked, looking up.
Fixedly, Kaylee kept her eyes trained on River's face. "So if you could do that quick, I'd appreciate it."
"Are you ignorin' me?" Jayne asked in disbelief. Dumbstruck, he watched the girl he considered a friend spin on her heel and march off. "Aw, hell."
"Kaylee doesn't stay mad long," River said, patting his shoulder. "She'll forgive you once you start making amends for how you treated Nettie."
Jayne narrowed his eyes up at her. "That reminds me: Why're you on my side all sudden-like?"
River blushed slightly. "I'm not on your side. I'm simply sympathetic to your position."
"Again, I'm askin' why."
She stiffened and took a step back. "As your only ally, you shouldn't be trying so hard to alienate me."
"I'm not tryin' ta turn ya into an alien; I'm just askin' a simple question," Jayne said, frustrated.
"It should be perfectly obvious by now," River snapped back.
"Well, I guess I'm too stupid and you'll hafta spell it out for me," Jayne growled.
"It's because I care for you, alright?!!"
They stared at each other in stunned surprise before River delicately cleared her throat. "I'd better go get Simon. I'll meet you upstairs."
"I'll. Uh. See ya." Jayne watched River walk quickly to the infirmary and he hauled himself to his feet, unsure if he was going to be ready for this meeting after the bombshell River dropped on him.
Mal stood quietly at the head of the table for a long moment. Everyone stared at him and the unease in the room was palpable. Finally, Mal held up a capture in his fingers. "Look," he said simply.
"Yeah, I seen it. It didn't work, remember?" Jayne said, frowning.
Nostrils flaring, Mal spun the capture down the table until it landed in front of Jayne. The merc lifted it up to his disbelieving face.
It was him. Older him. Older, happier him. And Nettie. And a boy who looked exactly like him when he'd been twelve. And River without the babyfat in her cheeks but still pretty as hell.
"This real?" Jayne asked uncertainly.
"Yes." Mal's jaw clenched, waiting for Jayne's outburst.
Instead, Jayne kept looking at the picture. "Make a nice lookin' family, don't they?"
That seemed to throw Mal's plans out the window and his face flickered with uncertainty before going back to his hardassed expression. "Yes. Yes, they do. And after the way you treated that little girl-"
"She's really mine."
No one said anything for a long moment. Finally, Jayne said, "If she's mine, we ain't sendin' her to no orphanage. You want her off your ship so damn bad-"
"I don't!" Mal exclaimed.
"Then we'll send her to my ma," Jayne finished like Mal had never spoken at all.
Simon frowned, glancing at River's face which was getting increasingly more consternated by the moment. "Are you sure that's a wise decision?"
"Dammit, I'm her father and I-"
"No, you're not." Nettie stood in the doorway, clutching her Kaylee bear.
Mal frowned a little but said not unkindly, "What'd we say about little girls playing possum?"
Nettie took a few steps into the room, eyes never leaving Jayne's face. "You're not my daddy."
Jayne held up the photo for her to see. "Look, this says I am."
"No it doesn't," the girl said stubbornly. "You're not him."
"Close enough!" Jayne snapped and rounded on Simon. "Do a blood test, doc. She'll see."
Simon looked warily at the little girl. "Nettie? Will you submit to a blood test now?"
"Yes. But it won't change anything." The little girl finally looked away from Jayne to address Mal. "Thanks for letting me use your bunk, Cap."
"You're welcome." Mal nodded at her.
"You come get me later," Simon told her. "Once you're ready, we'll do the-"
"Do it now," Jayne demanded.
"I wasn't speaking to you," Simon said, voice tight from restrained anger. "I was speaking to my nei- to Nettie."
"It's okay, Simon. I'll do the test now. Meet ya down there." She turned and walked away, shoulders drawn up and back bravely.
Jayne looked down at the picture again, staring almost in puzzlement at the joy in his older double's face.
Simon dabbed at Nettie's arm and placed an adhesive bandage over where he'd just drawn her blood. "There. All done."
Nettie watched him go about his work. "It's weird to see you doing this without Nova."
"Who's Nova?"
"My cousin."
He turned to face her, curious. "My daughter?"
"My uncle Simon's daughter," Nettie gently corrected him.
Although she was technically right, it still stung a little that she wasn't considering him family any more. "So this Nova wants to be a doctor?"
"Yep. She's really, really smart."
Simon was quiet and went back to work, thinking about the ring he was hiding in his drawer and thought that maybe he was getting a little closer to getting up his courage to ask for Kaylee's hand.
Jayne found River waiting outside the infirmary for Nettie and cleared his throat. The girl stiffened and sent an awkward smile his way before quickly looking away.
"You're not gonna start in on the silent treatment too, are ya?" Jayne asked gruffly.
River shook her head. "No. I... I just feel foolish. Don't mind me."
"Don't need ta feel that way. I'm not gonna pick on ya or nothin'." He looked glumly into the infirmary and watched his daughter-not-daughter scrunch her face up and look away as Simon stuck a needle into her arm. "Learned my lesson about that the hard way."
"She was very close to her father," River said softly. "He called her little bit. They would play together. Having you reject her..."
"Were you close to your pop?" Jayne asked, wondering if maybe this was a girl thing.
River shook her head, looking sad. "He loved me but we didn't have a special bond or anything. Not like Simon and me." She tilted her head to the side. "Were you?"
"Hell, girl, I never even knew your pop." Off of her exasperated look, he chuckled and sobered quickly. "No. Me 'n him weren't close."
"Is that maybe why you were so intent on not being a father to Nettie?" River asked tentatively.
Jayne thought about that a moment, looking down at his boots. "Maybe." He didn't shrug River away when she gently squeezed his arm.
< Chapter Six : Chapter Eight >
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2007-06-08 08:34 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-06-08 08:51 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-06-08 08:58 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-06-08 11:37 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-06-08 09:44 pm (UTC)I can't type because I'm giggling with happiness at the way you are writing Jayne.
Hee heee heee heee heee heee!
no subject
Date: 2007-06-08 11:41 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-06-09 12:20 am (UTC)Jayne's got some serious grovelling to do tho! When Kaylee starts giving you the silent treatment, you know you've done wrong!
no subject
Date: 2007-06-09 08:44 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-06-09 12:31 am (UTC)Jayne's reaction to the capture, and Simon thinking about asking Kaylee to marry him = GOLD.
More for the newbie reader? :D?
no subject
Date: 2007-06-09 08:47 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-06-09 03:21 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-06-09 08:49 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-06-09 09:37 am (UTC)So cute! So awesome!
Poor Nettie but also brave Nettie!
no subject
Date: 2007-06-09 08:56 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-06-09 09:41 pm (UTC)evil, woman! I love it, and I wanna hug her, and I wanna send her back home so she'll be happy, and have her read dad apologize.
It was whatever she fell in, huh?
no subject
Date: 2007-06-09 10:50 pm (UTC)