![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
toxic_cornSeries: Girl Anachronism
Title: Chapter Eleven (11/12)
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. We're getting closer to the end!
Catch up on earlier chapters at the organizational post.
Chapter Eleven
It had been a week since Nettie disappeared back to her own world. At everyone’s initial sadness at the child’s absence, Simon had suggested that perhaps she would return, albeit briefly, as her system tried to shake off the lingering effects of the drug. They kept their eyes peeled but after five days with no sign of the little girl, the only people still clinging to that notion were Jayne and Kaylee.
River wanted to believe Nettie would return but in her heart of hearts she knew her girl was gone. There was only one way she and Jayne could ever get her back. Well, perhaps not exactly her, but a rough facsimile.
She wasn’t terribly surprised to find that after she put Serenity on autopilot, Jayne was in the cargo bay, staring at the spot Nettie had disappeared in his arms.
“Jayne,” River said gently. “Stop doing this to yourself.”
“Ain’t doin’ anything,” Jayne said gruffly, not looking at her. “Just standin’ and mindin’ my business. You should do the same.”
His harsh words made her flinch. Since Nettie’s disappearance, the warm contact they’d been sharing with each other had abruptly ceased. No matter how much she tried to convince herself that she didn’t mind, she couldn’t quite delude herself.
“But I’m worried about you,” River admitted, wondering if she should really be this honest with him.
“Don’t need to be.” Jayne set his jaw stubbornly.
“I know. But all the same, I can’t help it.”
Jayne didn’t answer, just folded his arms and pretended she wasn’t there.
“Please.” River lightly touched his bicep. “I’ve already lost her. I don’t want to lose you, too.”
“You never had me to lose.” He could’ve said that in his usual churlish tone but instead he sounded sad, alone. River wasn’t entirely sure which was worse.
“No. I guess not.” She stared at the spot with him for awhile. “I… hoped that I had, though. It seemed that way.” Her voice lowered to a whisper. “You called me your girl.”
Jayne closed his eyes. “I was wrong.”
A little flame of temper sputtered to life inside River. “No you weren’t.”
Her sharp tone made him open his eyes and glare at her. It was the first time he’d looked at her in a week. “Yes, I was.”
“No, you weren’t!”
“Gorramit!” Jayne snapped and jabbed his finger at her. “What the hell is your problem, Crazy?!”
She rolled her eyes and threw her arms out. “Great, it’s back to ‘Crazy’ now, is it?!”
“Guess so! If this is what it takes to prove to ya that there ain’t nothin’ between us then I’ll go there!” Jayne started to turn away but River’s hurt expression made him pause.
“Why are you acting this way?” River asked, shaking her head uncomprehendingly.
He sighed heavily and looked up at the ceiling before returning his attention to her. “What makes you so sure we could be a ‘we’ in the first place?”
“This does.” She pulled Nettie’s family capture out of her pocket and showed it to him.
Pain flickered in his eyes a moment before attempting bored dismissiveness. “That ain’t us.”
“Not at present, no. But it could be.” She took a step toward him and he shuffled back uncomfortably.
“That’s a whole ‘nother universe, a different River ‘n Jayne. We can’t have that,” Jayne said quickly.
“But we did have it, remember? We were a functioning family unit when we looked after Nettie, making sure she didn’t disappear while we were out in space. Because of us, she was safely returned home.” River moved closer and this time Jayne stayed where he was as she looked up at him with wide-eyed sincerity. “You didn’t fail her.”
“But she left,” he said, casting his gaze to the floor.
“As she was supposed to. No one blames you for any alleged wrong-doing. So give yourself a little credit for what you did right. Buying her the dress, listening to her songs and complimenting her on her voice, being kind when she wasn’t giving you any kindness in return…”
A smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. “Yeah. I did good, huh?”
“You did real good.” River nodded and reached out for his hand, linking fingers with him. “Could you maybe… do good by me, too?”
When surprise made his mouth fall open, she blushed but didn’t break eye contact. “Do right by you?” he croaked.
“I mean,” she said silkily and stepped closer so they were separated by a mere inch. “You called me your girl and you haven’t paid any attention to me in a week.”
At her low, flirtatious tone, Jayne blinked once stupidly and then grinned. “That’s right. How can I start doin’ right by you, then?”
“Girls like being kissed,” River said, tilting her head to the side. When he didn’t respond, her confidence faltered. “You… don’t kiss on the mouth. I almost forgot. Or, rather, I remembered, I just hoped that… Maybe I could- But if not…” She tried to pull her hand free but Jayne’s grip tightened.
Reaching out, he cupped her cheek and gently tilted her face up. “I don’t kiss on the mouth, that’s a fact,” Jayne said. “But that’s only cuz I never met anyone worth it before.”
Smiling widely, River closed her eyes and accepted the warm, sweet kiss Jayne placed on her lips and sent out a heartfelt thank you to the little girl who had brought she and Jayne together.
< Chapter Ten : Chapter Twelve >
Title: Chapter Eleven (11/12)
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. We're getting closer to the end!
Catch up on earlier chapters at the organizational post.
It had been a week since Nettie disappeared back to her own world. At everyone’s initial sadness at the child’s absence, Simon had suggested that perhaps she would return, albeit briefly, as her system tried to shake off the lingering effects of the drug. They kept their eyes peeled but after five days with no sign of the little girl, the only people still clinging to that notion were Jayne and Kaylee.
River wanted to believe Nettie would return but in her heart of hearts she knew her girl was gone. There was only one way she and Jayne could ever get her back. Well, perhaps not exactly her, but a rough facsimile.
She wasn’t terribly surprised to find that after she put Serenity on autopilot, Jayne was in the cargo bay, staring at the spot Nettie had disappeared in his arms.
“Jayne,” River said gently. “Stop doing this to yourself.”
“Ain’t doin’ anything,” Jayne said gruffly, not looking at her. “Just standin’ and mindin’ my business. You should do the same.”
His harsh words made her flinch. Since Nettie’s disappearance, the warm contact they’d been sharing with each other had abruptly ceased. No matter how much she tried to convince herself that she didn’t mind, she couldn’t quite delude herself.
“But I’m worried about you,” River admitted, wondering if she should really be this honest with him.
“Don’t need to be.” Jayne set his jaw stubbornly.
“I know. But all the same, I can’t help it.”
Jayne didn’t answer, just folded his arms and pretended she wasn’t there.
“Please.” River lightly touched his bicep. “I’ve already lost her. I don’t want to lose you, too.”
“You never had me to lose.” He could’ve said that in his usual churlish tone but instead he sounded sad, alone. River wasn’t entirely sure which was worse.
“No. I guess not.” She stared at the spot with him for awhile. “I… hoped that I had, though. It seemed that way.” Her voice lowered to a whisper. “You called me your girl.”
Jayne closed his eyes. “I was wrong.”
A little flame of temper sputtered to life inside River. “No you weren’t.”
Her sharp tone made him open his eyes and glare at her. It was the first time he’d looked at her in a week. “Yes, I was.”
“No, you weren’t!”
“Gorramit!” Jayne snapped and jabbed his finger at her. “What the hell is your problem, Crazy?!”
She rolled her eyes and threw her arms out. “Great, it’s back to ‘Crazy’ now, is it?!”
“Guess so! If this is what it takes to prove to ya that there ain’t nothin’ between us then I’ll go there!” Jayne started to turn away but River’s hurt expression made him pause.
“Why are you acting this way?” River asked, shaking her head uncomprehendingly.
He sighed heavily and looked up at the ceiling before returning his attention to her. “What makes you so sure we could be a ‘we’ in the first place?”
“This does.” She pulled Nettie’s family capture out of her pocket and showed it to him.
Pain flickered in his eyes a moment before attempting bored dismissiveness. “That ain’t us.”
“Not at present, no. But it could be.” She took a step toward him and he shuffled back uncomfortably.
“That’s a whole ‘nother universe, a different River ‘n Jayne. We can’t have that,” Jayne said quickly.
“But we did have it, remember? We were a functioning family unit when we looked after Nettie, making sure she didn’t disappear while we were out in space. Because of us, she was safely returned home.” River moved closer and this time Jayne stayed where he was as she looked up at him with wide-eyed sincerity. “You didn’t fail her.”
“But she left,” he said, casting his gaze to the floor.
“As she was supposed to. No one blames you for any alleged wrong-doing. So give yourself a little credit for what you did right. Buying her the dress, listening to her songs and complimenting her on her voice, being kind when she wasn’t giving you any kindness in return…”
A smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. “Yeah. I did good, huh?”
“You did real good.” River nodded and reached out for his hand, linking fingers with him. “Could you maybe… do good by me, too?”
When surprise made his mouth fall open, she blushed but didn’t break eye contact. “Do right by you?” he croaked.
“I mean,” she said silkily and stepped closer so they were separated by a mere inch. “You called me your girl and you haven’t paid any attention to me in a week.”
At her low, flirtatious tone, Jayne blinked once stupidly and then grinned. “That’s right. How can I start doin’ right by you, then?”
“Girls like being kissed,” River said, tilting her head to the side. When he didn’t respond, her confidence faltered. “You… don’t kiss on the mouth. I almost forgot. Or, rather, I remembered, I just hoped that… Maybe I could- But if not…” She tried to pull her hand free but Jayne’s grip tightened.
Reaching out, he cupped her cheek and gently tilted her face up. “I don’t kiss on the mouth, that’s a fact,” Jayne said. “But that’s only cuz I never met anyone worth it before.”
Smiling widely, River closed her eyes and accepted the warm, sweet kiss Jayne placed on her lips and sent out a heartfelt thank you to the little girl who had brought she and Jayne together.
< Chapter Ten : Chapter Twelve >
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2007-07-18 08:21 am (UTC)*dances for joy for said reason*
This was incredibly sweet. I love it when River takes the lead and tells Jayne to stop being a pansy and face what's in front of him.
I hate it when readers pressure a writer to update, so I try not to do it but... I have withdrawals in the waiting period between your updates!! <3
no subject
Date: 2007-07-19 02:25 am (UTC)