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toxic_cornSeries: Girl Anachronism
Title: Chapter Nine (9/12)
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. Kind of a short chapter, sorry.
Catch up on earlier chapters at the round-up post.
Chapter Nine
They were back on Persephone and had landed there just as the sun was rising. It’d been a month since they’d last been here, a month since they’d found Nettie snoozing in River’s room. It was probably the last time the kid got any decent sleep. Now she was woken up several times a night by River or Jayne. It was starting to take a toll on her; she had huge bags under her eyes and nodded off more and more often at the dinner table.
The only good thing was Nettie wasn’t acting all stiff around Jayne anymore. He wasn’t exactly her best buddy either, but she at least could smile once in awhile. Shy, tired little smiles and he’d pat her head awkwardly like she was a puppy dog and automatically feel like a dumbass. But she didn’t take it wrong, just kept on eating her meal with one of her little smiles on her face.
“Back here again?” Jayne muttered to Mal as the ramp lowered to the dock.
“’Nara’s got an appointment,” Mal said tersely, striding down to the ground. “And I’m gonna wander a bit, see if maybe I can find Monty someplace. Think he said somethin’ last time about bein’ ‘round here at this time o’ year.”
“What the hell am I supposed to do?” Jayne groused, not liking this unorganized visit.
“Do what you always do,” Mal shot over his shoulder as he walked away.
Zoe stopped by Jayne as she arranged her gun belt around her waist. “If you know what’s best for you, you won’t do what you always do.” She glanced meaningfully into the ship. “You got a good thing going here. Don’t ruin it now.”
“What makes you care so much?” Jayne asked but without malice.
“You’re crew,” Zoe said simply and then set off to follow Mal.
Jayne stood there and considered that. No, goin’ off to the bars or the whorehouses wasn’t the best idea. He and River hadn’t exactly talked about what was starting to develop between the two of them; most of their conversations were about Nettie. And they hadn’t done anything yet other than light touches. She was the one who touched when everyone was awake, but he saved his touches for their private moments, looking after Nettie.
He would lightly brush her shoulder when they switched shifts just so he could see her smile. He’d trace the line of her cheek while she was sleeping, then the curving tilt of her mouth, down to her chin, her neck… then he’d force himself to stop. There was a child present, after all. Their child. Sort of. How was he gonna explain all this to his ma when he just barely understood it himself?
Anyway. Point was, whatever he had with River, he didn’t want to wreck it before it could become even more by being stupid.
A delicate cough pulled him out of his musings and he looked around to find Nettie walking into the cargo bay. She was wearing the pink dress he’d bought her and he grinned widely to see her in it. Guess it wouldn’t be collecting moth balls after all.
“Don’t you look all dressed up?” Jayne said, folding his arms and putting on a fake scowl. “Where do ya think you’re goin’, young lady?”
Nettie looked nervous a second and he was about to tell her he was playin’ when she got the message herself and grinned before arranging her features into a look of disdain. ‘I’m going out with one of my gentleman friends.”
“The hell you say!” Jayne exclaimed. “Not until I meet him!”
“You’re not my lord and master!” Nettie placed her hands on her hips. “I can see who I want whenever I want!”
Jayne took big, striding steps toward her. “We’ll see about that.”
“EEEEEEEEE!” Nettie ran away, laughing hysterically and he went after her. Not at his usual speed; it was just a game after all.
“Get back here, missy!”
“Nooooooo!” She ran giggling all around the cargo bay and the sound attracted River, who watched them with an indulgent smile on her face. He and Nettie had never played like this before, but it felt nice after all the tension they’d been feeling. Maybe that’s what made this so fun.
“Gonna getcha!”
“No you’re not, no you’re not!”
Rounding the bay for the third time, Nettie suddenly collapsed to the ground. Jayne turned pale and ran to her side. What the hell had she tripped over; the way was clear and her boots were tied! It hadn’t even looked like she’d tripped, looked more like she’d been a little puppet and some son of a bitch had cut her strings.
“Nettie honey?” He turned her over and her eyes were shut. Giving her a shake, she didn’t move as she was deeply asleep. Before his eyes, her skin turned gray and she became more and more transparent. “No, come on! Stop it, wake up!”
“Jayne!” River hurried to his side and held onto his arm as Nettie continued to fade. “There’s nothing we can do now.”
“She has to wake up!” Jayne shouted at her. “Remember? Or she’ll be in-”
“We’re on land now,” River said sorrowfully. “I think we’ve put the inevitable off for too long. She doesn’t belong here.”
“But…” The weight in his arms got lighter and lighter. Soon there was nothing left but an outline of her. Jayne stubbornly refused to lower his arms, however. “We was just startin’ to…”
“I know.”
Another ten seconds passed and Nettie was gone.
< Chapter Eight : Chapter Ten >
Title: Chapter Nine (9/12)
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. Kind of a short chapter, sorry.
Catch up on earlier chapters at the round-up post.
They were back on Persephone and had landed there just as the sun was rising. It’d been a month since they’d last been here, a month since they’d found Nettie snoozing in River’s room. It was probably the last time the kid got any decent sleep. Now she was woken up several times a night by River or Jayne. It was starting to take a toll on her; she had huge bags under her eyes and nodded off more and more often at the dinner table.
The only good thing was Nettie wasn’t acting all stiff around Jayne anymore. He wasn’t exactly her best buddy either, but she at least could smile once in awhile. Shy, tired little smiles and he’d pat her head awkwardly like she was a puppy dog and automatically feel like a dumbass. But she didn’t take it wrong, just kept on eating her meal with one of her little smiles on her face.
“Back here again?” Jayne muttered to Mal as the ramp lowered to the dock.
“’Nara’s got an appointment,” Mal said tersely, striding down to the ground. “And I’m gonna wander a bit, see if maybe I can find Monty someplace. Think he said somethin’ last time about bein’ ‘round here at this time o’ year.”
“What the hell am I supposed to do?” Jayne groused, not liking this unorganized visit.
“Do what you always do,” Mal shot over his shoulder as he walked away.
Zoe stopped by Jayne as she arranged her gun belt around her waist. “If you know what’s best for you, you won’t do what you always do.” She glanced meaningfully into the ship. “You got a good thing going here. Don’t ruin it now.”
“What makes you care so much?” Jayne asked but without malice.
“You’re crew,” Zoe said simply and then set off to follow Mal.
Jayne stood there and considered that. No, goin’ off to the bars or the whorehouses wasn’t the best idea. He and River hadn’t exactly talked about what was starting to develop between the two of them; most of their conversations were about Nettie. And they hadn’t done anything yet other than light touches. She was the one who touched when everyone was awake, but he saved his touches for their private moments, looking after Nettie.
He would lightly brush her shoulder when they switched shifts just so he could see her smile. He’d trace the line of her cheek while she was sleeping, then the curving tilt of her mouth, down to her chin, her neck… then he’d force himself to stop. There was a child present, after all. Their child. Sort of. How was he gonna explain all this to his ma when he just barely understood it himself?
Anyway. Point was, whatever he had with River, he didn’t want to wreck it before it could become even more by being stupid.
A delicate cough pulled him out of his musings and he looked around to find Nettie walking into the cargo bay. She was wearing the pink dress he’d bought her and he grinned widely to see her in it. Guess it wouldn’t be collecting moth balls after all.
“Don’t you look all dressed up?” Jayne said, folding his arms and putting on a fake scowl. “Where do ya think you’re goin’, young lady?”
Nettie looked nervous a second and he was about to tell her he was playin’ when she got the message herself and grinned before arranging her features into a look of disdain. ‘I’m going out with one of my gentleman friends.”
“The hell you say!” Jayne exclaimed. “Not until I meet him!”
“You’re not my lord and master!” Nettie placed her hands on her hips. “I can see who I want whenever I want!”
Jayne took big, striding steps toward her. “We’ll see about that.”
“EEEEEEEEE!” Nettie ran away, laughing hysterically and he went after her. Not at his usual speed; it was just a game after all.
“Get back here, missy!”
“Nooooooo!” She ran giggling all around the cargo bay and the sound attracted River, who watched them with an indulgent smile on her face. He and Nettie had never played like this before, but it felt nice after all the tension they’d been feeling. Maybe that’s what made this so fun.
“Gonna getcha!”
“No you’re not, no you’re not!”
Rounding the bay for the third time, Nettie suddenly collapsed to the ground. Jayne turned pale and ran to her side. What the hell had she tripped over; the way was clear and her boots were tied! It hadn’t even looked like she’d tripped, looked more like she’d been a little puppet and some son of a bitch had cut her strings.
“Nettie honey?” He turned her over and her eyes were shut. Giving her a shake, she didn’t move as she was deeply asleep. Before his eyes, her skin turned gray and she became more and more transparent. “No, come on! Stop it, wake up!”
“Jayne!” River hurried to his side and held onto his arm as Nettie continued to fade. “There’s nothing we can do now.”
“She has to wake up!” Jayne shouted at her. “Remember? Or she’ll be in-”
“We’re on land now,” River said sorrowfully. “I think we’ve put the inevitable off for too long. She doesn’t belong here.”
“But…” The weight in his arms got lighter and lighter. Soon there was nothing left but an outline of her. Jayne stubbornly refused to lower his arms, however. “We was just startin’ to…”
“I know.”
Another ten seconds passed and Nettie was gone.
< Chapter Eight : Chapter Ten >
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no subject
Date: 2007-06-28 11:10 pm (UTC)*sniffles*
no subject
Date: 2007-06-29 12:46 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-06-28 11:31 pm (UTC)Hey, you changed your layout!!!! Do you have Voodoo Child running on an incessant loop in your head, too?
I miss Nine and Rose, though. Don't tell anyone, but I like him even better than Jayne. Shhh.
no subject
Date: 2007-06-29 12:48 am (UTC)I will forever and always love Nine/Rose. But... Martha/Jack/Ten are winning me over like crazy. They're just so PRETTY.
no subject
Date: 2007-06-29 12:56 am (UTC)But Christopher Eccleston? Oh, mama! A walking streak of sex. (see my icon)
no subject
Date: 2007-06-29 01:12 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-06-29 01:17 am (UTC)Can't wait!!!
no subject
Date: 2007-06-29 04:01 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-06-28 11:33 pm (UTC)I've missed this series!
I think I'll back up and read a few refresher chapters.
no subject
Date: 2007-06-29 12:51 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-06-29 12:10 am (UTC)But Jayne was doing SO WELL!!!
Poor thing! Oh well, if he wants to be a Daddy, he'd better get busy with River!
I do hope Nettie found her way home ok tho!
no subject
Date: 2007-06-29 12:53 am (UTC)Poor thing! Oh well, if he wants to be a Daddy, he'd better get busy with River!
LMAO Yeah, Jayne! Get goin' makin' babies RIGHT NOW!
no subject
Date: 2007-06-29 02:23 am (UTC)Seriously, this series is the best thing (fanfic or professional) that I've read recently. You really are quite a talented writer.
no subject
Date: 2007-06-29 03:52 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-07-02 01:39 pm (UTC)PS: Get well soon!
no subject
Date: 2007-06-29 03:03 am (UTC)Glad to see an update, we all missed you!
no subject
Date: 2007-06-29 03:59 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-06-30 02:16 am (UTC)Can't wait to read more!
no subject
Date: 2007-06-30 09:29 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-07-02 06:32 am (UTC)Really keen to know what happens next. *Bounces*
no subject
Date: 2007-07-03 12:02 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-07-03 04:53 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-07-03 09:05 pm (UTC)