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toxic_cornSeries: When I Was A Boy
Title: Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood (3/12)
Author: Toxic Corn
Disclaimer: Firefly is Joss's but Jamey is mine.
Rating: PG
Summary: I'm just a soul who's intentions are good...
Notes: Sequel series to Songs From a Firefly. Check out the Organizational Post of this series for earlier chapters and a really bitchin' banner! (I know I said I'd be updating this fic every Thursday but I've decided to change my posting schedule to twice a week: Monday and Thursday. I missed Monday so I'm posting today.
They didn’t have much time before they had to meet Mal and the others. River had packed the kids’ stuff last night before their uh, celebration so there wasn’t much to do on that score. He’d stopped the post for the summer, having it relocated to Ma’s. He’d been packed for awhile now so they were fine there.
Looked like they were ready to-
Jayne patted his pocket.
Ruttin’ hell. His grandfather’s watch was gone. Sure, the damn thing didn’t work but Gramps had given it to him the day before he’d kicked and it had sentimental value. He didn’t go no place without it.
“River, you seen my watch anywhere?” Jayne asked, looking through the bedside table.
“No,” she said, not looking up from changing Nettie’s diaper. “Try one of your bags.”
“Good idea,” he said and went out to the living room where Jamey was fiddling with some whatsits on the carpet. He didn’t really pay any mind since the boy was always tinkering with something and started going through his bags, cursing quietly. No watch.
“Hey, Jamey?” he said, knowing he was really stretching. “You seen my watch?”
“Yup, I have it right here.”
Jayne’s head snapped up and he saw the whatsit Jamey was fiddling with was none other than his priceless, irreplaceable watch. Its insides were strewn all over the carpet and Jamey was holding it up with a big damn grin on his face.
“What the hell did you do?” Jayne bellowed and snatched the watch out of the boy’s hand. Just like that, Jamey’s grin fell and tears filled his eyes. Normally the sight nearly broke Jayne’s heart but now he was too pissed off to care much. “I told ya time ‘n time again t’ leave my stuff alone! Do I monkey with the stuff ya got in yer room?!”
“No, sir,” Jamey said, chin quivering. “I’m sorry, I was only-”
“Only what?! My grampa gave me this watch, I told ya that! It’s special t’ me and I don’t got any other grampas to keel over and gimmie their watches, so I don’t need you breakin-” All this time, Jayne had been shaking the watch near his head, to emphasize his point when a strange sound caught his attention.
The watch was ticking.
He looked at it, completely dumbfounded.
“I was only fixin’ it,” Jamey said, his tears spilling. “It was s’posed ta be a surprise for you.”
Jayne rubbed his face with his hand. “Aw, Jamey, I-” What the hell was he supposed to say? Here his son was trying to do something nice and Jayne had to give him hell. With that kind of negative reinforcement, he’d be surprised if Jamey did a good deed ever again. “I’m sorry, Baby J. I didn’t know.”
Jamey sniffled and started picking up the watch pieces, not looking at him.
“You did a good job, here. Mr. O’Toole in town couldn’t even fix this.” But he could see it was too little too late for Jamey and the boy quietly dropped the cogs and wheels into Jayne’s hand before leaving the room.
~*~
They’d just taken off and Jayne found River in their bunk, reading a story to Nettie and Jamey. All three of them looked up when he walked in, and Nettie was the only one who seemed happy to see him.
“Jamey. C’mere.”
The boy tucked his head under River’s chin. “Ma’s readin’ us a story.”
“I know, but she can read ya a story any ol’ time. I wanna show ya somethin’.”
“Go on, Jamey,” River said softly.
Reluctantly, the boy got up and followed Jayne up the ladder.
“Where we goin’?”
“You’ll see.”
Jamey looked confused the whole way to the engine room. Kaylee grinned when they walked in.
“Hey, you two!” she said. “What’s up?”
Jayne grasped Jamey by the shoulder and pushed him forwards. “Kaylee, I want ya to show him everything you know about the engine. The boy’s got smarts for machines like you do.”
Kaylee looked excited by the idea of passing on her knowledge. “Sure! C’mon over here Jamey and meet Serenity!”
Jamey grinned and looked up at Jayne. “Thanks, Papa.”
Jayne cleared his throat. “Well, go on ‘n learn somethin’.”
Before he left, Kaylee watched from the corner of her eye as Jayne puffed up with pride and smiled to herself.
END
Previous < Breathing : Next > Blue Christmas
Title: Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood (3/12)
Author: Toxic Corn
Disclaimer: Firefly is Joss's but Jamey is mine.
Rating: PG
Summary: I'm just a soul who's intentions are good...
Notes: Sequel series to Songs From a Firefly. Check out the Organizational Post of this series for earlier chapters and a really bitchin' banner! (I know I said I'd be updating this fic every Thursday but I've decided to change my posting schedule to twice a week: Monday and Thursday. I missed Monday so I'm posting today.
They didn’t have much time before they had to meet Mal and the others. River had packed the kids’ stuff last night before their uh, celebration so there wasn’t much to do on that score. He’d stopped the post for the summer, having it relocated to Ma’s. He’d been packed for awhile now so they were fine there.
Looked like they were ready to-
Jayne patted his pocket.
Ruttin’ hell. His grandfather’s watch was gone. Sure, the damn thing didn’t work but Gramps had given it to him the day before he’d kicked and it had sentimental value. He didn’t go no place without it.
“River, you seen my watch anywhere?” Jayne asked, looking through the bedside table.
“No,” she said, not looking up from changing Nettie’s diaper. “Try one of your bags.”
“Good idea,” he said and went out to the living room where Jamey was fiddling with some whatsits on the carpet. He didn’t really pay any mind since the boy was always tinkering with something and started going through his bags, cursing quietly. No watch.
“Hey, Jamey?” he said, knowing he was really stretching. “You seen my watch?”
“Yup, I have it right here.”
Jayne’s head snapped up and he saw the whatsit Jamey was fiddling with was none other than his priceless, irreplaceable watch. Its insides were strewn all over the carpet and Jamey was holding it up with a big damn grin on his face.
“What the hell did you do?” Jayne bellowed and snatched the watch out of the boy’s hand. Just like that, Jamey’s grin fell and tears filled his eyes. Normally the sight nearly broke Jayne’s heart but now he was too pissed off to care much. “I told ya time ‘n time again t’ leave my stuff alone! Do I monkey with the stuff ya got in yer room?!”
“No, sir,” Jamey said, chin quivering. “I’m sorry, I was only-”
“Only what?! My grampa gave me this watch, I told ya that! It’s special t’ me and I don’t got any other grampas to keel over and gimmie their watches, so I don’t need you breakin-” All this time, Jayne had been shaking the watch near his head, to emphasize his point when a strange sound caught his attention.
The watch was ticking.
He looked at it, completely dumbfounded.
“I was only fixin’ it,” Jamey said, his tears spilling. “It was s’posed ta be a surprise for you.”
Jayne rubbed his face with his hand. “Aw, Jamey, I-” What the hell was he supposed to say? Here his son was trying to do something nice and Jayne had to give him hell. With that kind of negative reinforcement, he’d be surprised if Jamey did a good deed ever again. “I’m sorry, Baby J. I didn’t know.”
Jamey sniffled and started picking up the watch pieces, not looking at him.
“You did a good job, here. Mr. O’Toole in town couldn’t even fix this.” But he could see it was too little too late for Jamey and the boy quietly dropped the cogs and wheels into Jayne’s hand before leaving the room.
They’d just taken off and Jayne found River in their bunk, reading a story to Nettie and Jamey. All three of them looked up when he walked in, and Nettie was the only one who seemed happy to see him.
“Jamey. C’mere.”
The boy tucked his head under River’s chin. “Ma’s readin’ us a story.”
“I know, but she can read ya a story any ol’ time. I wanna show ya somethin’.”
“Go on, Jamey,” River said softly.
Reluctantly, the boy got up and followed Jayne up the ladder.
“Where we goin’?”
“You’ll see.”
Jamey looked confused the whole way to the engine room. Kaylee grinned when they walked in.
“Hey, you two!” she said. “What’s up?”
Jayne grasped Jamey by the shoulder and pushed him forwards. “Kaylee, I want ya to show him everything you know about the engine. The boy’s got smarts for machines like you do.”
Kaylee looked excited by the idea of passing on her knowledge. “Sure! C’mon over here Jamey and meet Serenity!”
Jamey grinned and looked up at Jayne. “Thanks, Papa.”
Jayne cleared his throat. “Well, go on ‘n learn somethin’.”
Before he left, Kaylee watched from the corner of her eye as Jayne puffed up with pride and smiled to herself.
END
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no subject
Date: 2006-10-24 08:16 pm (UTC)You know who make me sad? The people who give me mocking looks when I say the words, "Joss Whedon," "Buffy," "Angel," "Firefly," and "Serenity." I mean, at least with blank looks there's hope. They are potential converts (or addicts, oh noble pusher). I've decided that enthusiasm is definitely one of the best ways to convert people, though. Being enthusiastic about the Josslove gets people interested. Get people interested and they give it a chance. Then they convert. And that's the point.
Someday, in the distant future, I wonder if people will have a religion devoted to the teachings of Whedon.
Also, did you know he has a scriptwriting brother? He does. I can't decide if it would be cool to be related to Joss or suck to be in the same business as a guy with such a hugely devoted following.
*wanders off wondering about relationships between people I've never met... again*
no subject
Date: 2006-10-24 08:21 pm (UTC)