toxic_corn | Firefly Fic: Girl Anachronism: Chapter One (PG-13)

Series: Girl Anachronism
Title: Chapter One (1/?)
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!

Chapter One

“Well if you’re comin’, come on,” Jayne growled, waving his hand impatiently at River Tam. He had better things to do with his time than wait around on a girl who thought it was more appropriate to braid her hair than come along with him on a boring ass mission to pick up supplies.

“It’s only fifteen extra seconds,” the girl snapped back, securing her hair with a length of pale pink ribbon.

“That’s fifteen seconds we could be on our way,” Jayne argued, folding his arms.

River rolled her eyes. “So we’ll run the whole way back to make up the difference.” She pushed past him and led the way out to the cargo bay.

“I ain’t that fanatical about it.”

“Then stop being so grumpy.”

“Who’s grumpy?!”

“You are!”

“I ain’t no such-”

“Hey!” Mal looked up from conferring with Zoe. “You two keep that up, I’ll have someone else go get supplies.”

“Okay,” River and Jayne said.

Mal blinked. “And you can stay here and empty out the septic vac.”

“Hell, Mal, me ‘n Moonie was just playin’ anyway, right?” Jayne nudged the girl with his shoulder, knocking her back a step.

“Yes, girly man,” she said through clenched teeth.

Both of them scowled each other.

“Can you just feel the love in the air?” Mal asked no one in particular. “Kaylee!”

The mechanic was walking down the ramp, holding a folding chair. “Yeah, Cap’n?”

“Remember only to take the names of pilots who have five references. I mean it.” Mal adjusted his holster and nodded at Zoe, indicating he was ready to go. “And use your best judgment this time.”

“I always use my best judgment,” Kaylee said, stung.

Mal raised his eyebrows and watched River and Jayne walk away, still bickering.

“That’s just mean.” Kaylee frowned.

“We’ll be back in an hour. Doc! Your sister’s gone and left without you!”

Simon stumbled out, fighting to get into his jacket and dropped an absent-minded kiss onto Kaylee’s forehead. “All right, all right, I’ll- River! Will you please wait?!” He went tearing off after them, still struggling with his jacket.

“Okay. Let’s go get some work done.” Mal and Zoe took off down the street, leaving Kaylee behind to sit and fume.

Use your best judgment this time. Simon, River, and Shepherd Book had been good passengers! Just because she wasn’t automatically suspicious of folk and chose to see the good in a body didn’t mean she didn’t have good judg-

“Is he mad?”

Surprised, Kaylee looked up at the little girl who had just interrupted her inner monologue. Pretty little thing, though her face could use some washing and her long, dark braids were coming undone.

“Who? Oh!” She glanced down the street where Mal and Zoe were just specks in the distance. Way to go, Captain, scaring little girls. “No, sweetie of course not.”

The little girl looked skeptically worried. “But he said-”

“He don’t always mean what he says.” Kaylee smiled reassuringly but only got a hard stare in response. Her smile slowly faded and she glanced around the dock, hoping the girl’s mother would come along and lead her off somewhere. Those blue eyes of hers were pretty but having them focused on her for so long without so much as a blink was making her real uncomfortable.

“Maybe I’ll just go for a walk,” the girl said, finally. She glanced up at the ship uncertainly and then back at Kaylee.

“Okay, hon,” Kaylee managed after a moment.

The little girl backed up, staring at the ship. She mouthed the name and started frowning harder, then turned and dashed off.

Kaylee shivered. That girl had almost been like River when she’d first come on board.

~*~

“We got everything, Captain,” River announced as she and Jayne walked up the ramp, each carrying two bags. Simon struggled with the one bag he had but smiled at Kaylee as he passed her.

“Good. You know where it goes.” Mal turned back to Kaylee. “These all the names you got?”

“Yes, sir. That first one on there seems like the best. Five references and I had some time to go on the cortex. Graduated first in his flight class.”

“Did he?” Mal looked down at the list she’d handed him. “Kenneth Boggs…”

Zoe slapped the button that closed the doors. “We ready to get gone?”

“Just about. Albatross! Once you got that stuff put away, I need you on the bridge.”

“Yes, Captain!”

Mal smiled. It was nice to have things go right for once.

~*~

Yawning, River put Serenity on autopilot. She hadn’t slept much the night before and today had been tiring in a number of ways.

She scowled. Next time they had to go for supplies, she’d request that Jayne not come along. He’d found different things to complain about the whole trip into town and had managed to pick fight after fight with Simon. Hadn’t Simon always been the one to tell her not to engage when others would tease her? Well, people seldom followed their own advice.

Ready for her nap, River slid her door open and froze when she looked at her bed.

~*~

Jayne moved one of his pieces on the board. “Go.”

Mal stared at the board.

“I said ‘go.’”

“And I heard ya, I’m just studyin’ my options.”

Jayne snorted.

“What’s got you in such a funk?” Kaylee asked. “You've been actin’ meaner than usual all day.”

“I ain’t in a funk!” Jayne protested. “Why’s everyone keep sayin’ that?”

"Because it's true?" Mal suggested, raising an eyebrow.

"It ain't-"

"Someone's been sleeping in my bed."

They all turned as one to the doorway where River stood with a stunned expression on her face.

"The hell are you on about this time, crazy?" Jayne snapped.

"See?" Kaylee pointed at him. "Funk!"

"I'm not-"

"Someone's been sleeping in my bed." River paused, letting this sink in. "And the someone in question is still sleeping in my bed. She's quite dirty and I think she's staining the sheets."

Mal leapt up. "You mean we got a stowaway?!"

"A she?" Jayne stood up as well, nearly toppling his chair in his eagerness. "Lead the way, Goldilocks."

"River ain't blonde, Jayne," Kaylee said, following the men and River as they all went down to the passenger dorms.

"Well, I know that! It's just that she said someone was sleepin' in her bed and Goldilocks says that in the story."

"That ain't how the story goes, Jayne," Mal said. "Goldilocks is the one sleepin' in the bed and Baby Bear's the one to find her."

With a frustrated huff, Jayne threw his arms in the air. "Forget it, it was s'posed to be a joke anyhow and if none o' you wants ta laugh, fine. I'll just keep it to myself and you can just-"

"Were you going to get to the shutting up anytime soon?" Mal asked, hopefully. They'd reached the passenger dorms and River slid her door open and stepped back.

"There she is," River said, pointing.

Jayne, Mal, and Kaylee all leaned forward, peering through the doorway.

"Oh. She's a kid," Jayne said, sounding disappointed.

Kaylee gasped. "I know her! I saw her today when ya'll left on your errands. When did she get on board?"

"Hey!" Mal called softly to the slumbering child. "Girl! C'mon now, rise and shine."

The girl stirred and blinked awake slowly. "Hmmm?" She sat up sluggishly and looked at the grownups in the doorway a moment before her eyes locked on Jayne and she said, "Hi, Daddy. Are you still mad at me?"

"Daddy?"

"Daddy?"

"Daddy?!"

River smirked. "Papa Bear?"

: Chapter Two >