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toxic_cornSeries: Songs From a Firefly
Title: Track Three - I'll Be There
Author: Toxic Corn
Rating: A strong PG-13. If that makes sense.
Warning: Raynekid fic, not everyone's cup of tea. Also, this gets a little dark so if you're looking for pure fluffiness, you'll want to pass on this.
Disclaimer: Joss is Boss. He owns all but I own the kids. Lucky, lucky me.
Summary: A trip to the market goes awry.
Author's Note: My beta's having some real life problems and I didn't feel right about nagging her, nor did I feel right finding a new beta so all of this? Is unbetaed. Every embarrassing mistake and sucktastic plot point is mine. I'm sorry. I'll post any corrections she gives me at a later date. I love you, Kat!
Track Three
Jamey is 12, Nettie is 8
The school year had ended and after bidding farewell to Shepherd Book and Haven, they boarded Serenity for a summer full of adventure; shootin' and stealin' and just plain making trouble for the Alliance.
Shyeah, right.
Jamey scowled as he tugged Nettie along through the crowded marketplace. Cap was meeting with some contacts and had asked Aunt Kaylee and Inara to take the kids shopping. Pop had ordered Jamey not to let Nettie out of his sight for a second. And of course, Nettie only wanted to look at the girliest of the stalls and she'd start bellyaching if he spent more than ten seconds looking at anything that interested him. Plus, he had to keep up with the others and that was tough to do in the crush of the crowd.
No action and having to babysit his sister at some lousy marketplace. If he saw one more stuffed animal, he was going to spew.
Worst. Gorram summer. Ever.
"Look, Jamey! Kitties!" Nettie squealed.
A greasy looking teenage boy with puffy blonde curls sat in the dirt looking bored, a box of kittens in front of him. Nettie was already crouched down, petting a white one.
"No, Nettie," Jamey said firmly.
"No what?" Nettie was the very picture of innocence.
"You know Pop hates cats so don't go gettin' attached to one."
Nettie snorted. "I'm not getting attached, I'm just petting 'em. They're cuuute." She cooed at a little stripey one. "You should pet some, Jamey."
Jamey rolled his eyes and looked down into the box. The kittens were clambering over one another competing for Nettie's attention. Except for one little dark fluff that was getting trampled by the others.
Frowning, Jamey knelt down next to Nettie and gently shooed the kittens aside to pick up the little black one.
The kitten's blue eyes met Jamey's brown and they solemnly regarded one another for a long moment. Then the kitten's head tilted to the side as he politely inquired, "Mew?"
"How much?" Nettie asked in a hushed voice.
The teenager named a decent price that was only half of Jamey's allowance. But Jamey set the kitten back into the box, reluctantly.
"Wha- Jamey!" Nettie protested.
Jamey stood up and hauled Nettie to her feet. "We're not gettin' a cat. Let's go."
"But that cat was meant for you!" Nettie exclaimed.
"It don't matter; Pop won't let us have a cat." He nodded politely to the teenager who was looking surly over not making a sale. "Quit fussin' and let's go."
Pouting, Nettie allowed Jamey to tug her along. The group had gotten further ahead, all except Nova who was coming their way.
"Mama says to tell you to keep up," Nova said when she'd reached them. "She says funny people hang around these marketplaces looking for unattended children."
Jamey raised his eyebrows. "'Funny people'?"
"I think she means pedophiles," Nova said, all wide-eyed seriousness.
"What's a pedophile?" Nettie asked, looking up to Jamey.
"It's um… why don't you ask Ma later?" Jamey shifted uncomfortably and gave Nova a warning look that of course the girl missed.
"A pedophile is a person who is sexually attracted to children, either pubescent or at the beginning of puberty."
Jamey glared at his cousin. "Thanks for the definition, Nova."
"You're welcome," she said, blinking in surprise at his tone.
Nettie shrugged. "Daddy just calls 'em perverts." She was looking across the marketplace when she suddenly did a double take. "Jamey, does that lady have a turtle on a leash?!"
"Naw, it's just a very small…" He followed her gaze to the elderly woman in question. "… turtle."
The girls started to laugh and Jamey grinned, too.
"It must take a year to walk around the block," Nettie said through giggles.
"No one's gonna believe us when we tell 'em," Jamey said. "I'm gonna go ask Aunt Kaylee for her vid capture."
"Um, where'd they go?" Nova asked in a tiny voice.
The group had long since moved on without them.
"Oh, go se," Jamey groaned. "Can this day get any worse?"
"My, my, my what have we here? Little lambs wandered away from the herd?"
The kids turned as one to find an old man with rotting teeth wearing a bowler cap. He was flanked by goons. Armed goons.
"Yes, Jamey," Nettie hissed, "this day can get much worse!"
~*~
"Badger had to be kiddin' us with that cargo," Mal snorted, leading the way back onto the ship.
"I dunno, Mal, that was a lot o' coin he was offerin'," Jayne said.
Mal stopped and spun to face the merc. "Those stolen goods are all over the cortex; we don't need that kind o' heat. 'Specially now with all the kids on board."
"I know, I'm just sayin'! There's more of us to feed now and I just don't want my kids goin' hungry is all." Jayne frowned in worry. They were good kids and wouldn't complain about less food, but they were growin' and he didn't want any lack of vitamins to stunt their growth.
'Cept maybe Jamey. The boy was just a bit taller'n his ma and he was only twelve. He could stand to slow down some.
"Maybe we'll take it if he ups our pay," Mal said.
"You think he will, sir?" Zoe sounded doubtful.
"You never know."
Simon entered the cargo bay just then. "Oh, I heard voices and thought maybe Kaylee and the kids were back. How did your meeting go?" He took in their grim faces. "That bad, huh?"
"Don't you worry on it, doc," Mal said. "We'll find another job. A better one, even."
"Yeah, cuz those just drop out of the sky," Jayne muttered.
Up above, somebody squeaked and Jayne looked up just in time to see River topple from the catwalk.
"Yeh-soo ta ma duh…!" he yelped and ran as fast as he could to where she was plummeting and caught her. "Riv baby, what…?"
Mal, Zoe, and Simon ran over, all of them talking at once.
"What the hell was that?!"
"Is she all right?"
"River, what happened?"
She was stiff as a board in his arms, eyes wide and terrified.
"Baby girl?" Jayne stroked her hair. "C'mon now, come back ta me."
"Doc, do somethin'," Mal snapped.
"I don't-"
"Jayne."
Everyone froze.
"Jayne," River whispered again. "Oh, Jayne. The children."
Jayne's blood ran cold. "Our children?"
"Hey all, we're back!" Kaylee's voice trilled. She lead the pack on board, carrying little Anna. "What's the matter?"
"Kaylee, you got all the kids with you?" Mal demanded.
Kaylee blinked. "Sure, Cap'n. I even sent Nova back when Jamey and Nettie were laggin' behind."
"Oh no," Inara whispered. She looked back over her shoulder and did a quick headcount. "They're missing."
"Who's missin'??" Jayne carried River over to the group. There was Anna. And David. And Lady holding Ben's hand. And Vee.
But no Jamey, Nettie, or Nova.
"Jayne, they're so scared." River shivered.
"How could this have happened?" Kaylee cried. "I swear they were right there!"
Jayne gently shook River. "Baby, do ya know where they are?"
River swallowed. "No. They're unfamiliar with their surroundings. Big, old buildings."
Mal frowned. "Sounds like the old warehouse district. They probably wandered away by accident; the crowds in the marketplace are hard to get through if you're not used to 'em." He straightened himself up. "Let's go find the kids."
"I'm gonna put you down now, Riv, okay?" Jayne carefully lowered River so she stood next to him. He held her face in his hands, forcing her to meet his eyes. "I promise you that when I come back, I'll have our babies with us."
"Hurry," River breathed. "He doesn't realize how rotten they are."
Jayne pressed a hard kiss to her lips and released her. He followed Mal and Simon down the ramp, hoping he'd be able to keep his promise.
~*~
"Didn't realize you were a kidnapper, Badger," Jamey said, keeping a firm grip on both Nettie and Nova.
"It's nothin' personal Master Cobb, just business. Turn left here."
Jamey wanted to take advantage of the crowd by making a break for it and disappearing in the crush. But Badger's men had guns trained on their backs and he didn't want to risk his sister's or his cousin's lives.
"You see," Badger continued, "you kiddies are a bit of incentive. If Malcolm Reynolds takes what I'm offerin' then you lot get to go free. But if he don't… well, I'm sure I can find some slavers who'd be more than happy to get their hands on three healthy children. Here we are!"
They all stopped in front of a cruddy old building that was a bit smaller than the other cruddy old buildings. The goons shoved the kids inside.
Jamey got a quick look at the office area before they were pushed into the backroom.
"Hope you don't mind waiting here for a bit. I got some other business to attend to before we can call your parents." Badger grinned broadly and slammed the door shut. They could hear the lock click.
"Oh, no problem at all," Jamey muttered.
The room was about the size of the med bay on Serenity and had a smallish window up towards the ceiling. Crates were stacked everywhere.
Nettie flopped down on one of them and heaved a sigh. "So what are going to do until Cap saves us?"
Jamey shrugged, sitting down beside her.
"I'm thinking of a number between one and a hundred," Nova said.
Beat.
"Forty-two?"
~*~
It didn't take long before the guessing game got boring. Jamey had to tell Nova twice to shut up before she finally did. Normally, Nettie would take up for Nova when the other kids got to picking on her for being so weird, but being locked in a room with her for an hour changed things a little.
The door finally opened and Badger's goons came in, one holding a tray of food and the other pointing a gun at them. Like three unarmed kids were such a huge threat.
"The boss thought you kids might be gettin' peckish," the goon holding the tray said. He grinned and revealed big, yellow, horsey teeth. "Are you hungry?"
His grin made shivers run down Nettie's spine. She slid a little closer to Jamey and took her cue from him, remaining silent.
"Whatsa matter? Didn't your folks teach ya any manners?" The goon set the tray on the floor. "I'll just stomp all this nice food if none o' you is hungry."
"Jason, gorramit, let's just leave it 'n go," the gun-toting goon growled.
"No. Listen, brats: If you're hungry, speak up." Jason lifted a booted foot over the tray of cheese and crackers. "Speak up or it all goes squish!"
"I'm hungry!" Nova squeaked.
Nettie and Jamey winced.
A predatory grin spread across Jason's face. "What zat, lovely? Did you say something, precious?"
Nova, for once, DON'T SAY ANYTHING, Nettie thought and grabbed Jamey's hand. He squeezed her hand and kept his face carefully blank.
"I- I said I was hungry," Nova whispered. Her eyes were wide with fear.
Jason lowered his foot to the ground and walked over to Nova, hunkering down in front of her. She recoiled.
The goon holding the gun looked uneasy. "Jason, what're ya doin'? C'mon, let's go!"
But Jason didn't seem to hear. "What's your name, little miss?"
Nova seemed to have received Nettie's message and kept her mouth shut.
"Aw, c'mon. Don't be shy. What'd your mommy and daddy name ya?" He ran a finger down her cheek and beamed as Nova shuddered in revulsion.
Nettie opened her mouth but Jamey beat her to speaking up. "You stop it!"
Jason's head snapped around. He snarled, "What're ya gonna do, ya little pup?!"
"Don't. You. Touch her." Jamey's voice was low and dangerous and Nettie had never heard him sound that way before.
Jason rose to his feet and came over to them. "You'd rather I touch her?" He nodded to Nettie and she flinched against her will.
"Do it and you're dead."
Jason chuckled and then his fist lashed out, catching Jamey in the mouth. Jamey rocked backwards, blood spurting from his mouth.
"Gorramit, Jason!" The other goon grabbed Jason's arm and dragged him from the room. "What the ruttin' hell was that??"
"Not so tough now, are ya kid?" Jason called as the door slammed and locked behind him.
Nettie stared at Jamey in shock as he dabbed at his split lip.
"Did he knock out your teeth?" Nettie was surprised at how shrill she sounded.
Jamey kept his fist pressed to his mouth, tears in his eyes. "Naw, they're not even loose, the sucker-punchin' pansy. You okay, Nova?"
No, she wasn't. She was shaking harder than the time Ben had found a little sand snake and started swinging it around until he had dropped it in her lap.
"Yes. Yes, I'm fine." Nova looked at the tray on the ground. "I don't think I'm hungry anymore." Her voice cracked.
Snarling, Jamey jumped up and started kicking one of the crates until it was lined up against the wall.
"What are you doing?" Nettie cried. When had her voice gotten so high?
Jamey looked around the room and up at the little window. He grinned. "We're gettin' out of here. Help me move these gorram crates."
It took some coaxing, but Nettie got Nova up out of her shock and the girls would take one end of a crate and Jamey the other and started stacking them under the window. The work was hard and heavy, especially when the stack got higher.
They wordlessly agreed to take a break and sagged to the floor.
"Why the hell are these so heavy?" Jamey panted.
"They must be transporting lead or something," Nettie grumbled.
"Doubtful. Maybe spare ship parts." Even now, Nova had to be a know-it-all. But Nettie didn't mind and rubbed a soothing circle on her cousin's back.
"Let's go to it," Jamey said after a few more minutes. "I don't know when they'll be back and this should be the last one." He grabbed the end of a crate. "Ready? Lift! Up! More up! It- Hey, watch it!"
Nettie's hands were slippery with sweat and she lost her grip. The crate CLANGED to the floor and exploded open, spraying gold coins everywhere.
"Son of a bitch!" Jamey exclaimed. "Is that what I think it is?!"
Nova's jaw dropped. "Barbosa's gold!"
"You mean the coin collection from Earth-That-Was that got stolen?" Nettie stared at the gold pieces, wide-eyed.
"No wonder Cap didn't want anything to do with this. The Alliance is lookin' all over for it." Jamey looked stunned.
From outside the door came shouting.
"What the hell're they doin' in there?!"
"No, you stay here, you terrorized those kids enough for one day."
"Shit, they're comin'." Jamey grabbed Nettie and shoved her at the crates. "Get up there; I'll give ya a boost." He laced his hands together and Nettie stepped up and was propelled upwards.
Nova joined her soon after and they were able to get the window up before the door opened.
"Badger, they're gettin' away!" one of the goons shouted.
"Well, stop them!"
The goon made for Jamey, who was starting to climb up the crates.
"Jamey, come on!" Nettie cried.
"Go!" Jamey ordered, hopping down and ducking away from the goon, leading him away from the stack.
"Not without you!"
"Gorramit girl, I SAID GO!" The fierce look he threw her way was so like Daddy's that she gasped and did as she was told.
Nova looked out the window. "There's a dumpster right below us we should aim for. Here's hoping they didn't throw glass away." She crouched in the window frame and hopped out with a yelp.
Nettie was about to follow when a hand closed around her ankle. Alarmed, she looked up to find Jason grinning at her.
"Son of a whore!" she spat and drew her free leg back to smash her boot clad foot into his nose. But the coward released her and leaped back before the hit could connect.
She leaped out the window as she heard a sickening CRUNCH and Jamey's scream. It distracted her from the squish she made when she landed.
Nova was waiting for her, covered in who knows what kind of muck. She grabbed Nettie's hand. "Come on, we have to run!"
And they climbed out of the dumpster and beat feet out of there.
~*~
"They were two little girls with long black hair. One of 'em had braids and the other kinda looks like him." Mal pointed at Simon. "And the boy's a dead ringer for this one." Mal nodded at Jayne.
The fruit seller shook her head. "Do you have any idea how many kids I see everyday? I can't help ya, mister."
Mal sighed disgustedly and moved on. Simon followed, but Jayne lingered behind to glare at the woman until she turned pink and ducked her head.
"I haven't seen 'em. 'M sorry."
Jayne snorted and went after the others.
"Maybe we should start asking the toy merchants next," Simon said. "Nova and Nettie like looking at the stuffed animals."
Jayne shifted his weight from side to side impatiently. He didn't want to go around asking pretty please to find his babies; he wanted to turn this marketplace upside down and shake it till the kids fell out.
He made River a promise and damn if he wasn't gonna keep it.
"Okay, why don't you do that, doc?" Mal sounded tired. "Me and Jayne'll go near the ware-"
"DADDY!"
Jayne and Simon both snapped to attention.
"DADDY!" Bursting through the crowd came Nettie and Nova, hand in hand and covered in filth.
Nettie leaped up into Jayne's arms and he hugged her close, probably squeezing the air out of her.
"Little bit, you had me worried sick!" He scowled and shook her a little. "If you wander off again, I'm gonna make sure every square inch of your ass is tanned, dong ma? Now where's your brother?"
"They still have him," Nova said, shakily. She faced Simon, who was crouched on the ground with her in his arms. Her big Kaylee eyes filled with tears. "The bad men. One of them, he… he touched my face and called me love-ly and-" The girl started to weep and buried her face in Simon's shirt front.
Jayne felt for his brother-in-law and the look of horror on his face no doubt resembled his own.
"Who has 'im?" Jayne demanded.
Nettie's eyes were huge. "Badger. He was mad you didn't take the job so he took us. I heard Jamey screaming! They hurt him and he was- was-" Her throat started to make a wet, clicking noise and Jayne had her on her feet and her hair pulled back when she threw up.
"Doc. Take the girls back to Serenity." Mal's voice was deceptively soft. When Jayne looked up, he saw the Captain's eyes burning with rage. "Me 'n Jayne are gonna go get Jamey back."
~*~
Since they didn't know where Badger's place was, they had to wait for Nettie to recover before she could give them any information.
So it was that Mal lead the way in and outdrew one of the men, putting a bullet hole neatly between his eyes.
"Well, then. Now that I have you attention, how 'bout you fine gentlemen give us the boy and we'll be on our merry?" Mal sounded jovial but it was clear he meant business.
"Captain Reynolds!" That hundan Badger was sweating. Good. "I was just about to wave you!"
"Looks like I saved ya the trouble. Where's the boy?"
Badger laughed nervously. "I don't know what you're-"
Jayne pointed his gun at him. "I ain't playin' here, Badger."
Swallowing, Badger gestured to the door behind him. "In there."
Jayne had his hand on the knob when he noticed the horsey looking man cowering in the corner. Some goon. Jayne stalked over to the bastard and towered over him.
"Jason, is it?"
The guy nodded nervously.
"I heard about you. Ya like little girls, huh?"
Jason turned pale.
"Probably like little girls more than punchin' little boys in the face."
With a yelp, Jason made as if to run, but moving swiftly Jayne caught him and snapped his neck. He turned away disinterestedly as the body fell to the ground and he opened the door.
Jamey lay still in the middle of the room. Fear clutched at Jayne's insides as he hurried to his son.
"C'mon boy, be okay," Jayne whispered fervently. As if in response to his wish, Jamey's chest rose and fell with a breath. "Thank you. Oh, thank you…"
"Papadaddy?"
The endearment kicked Jayne in the gut and brought sudden tears to his eyes. His boy hadn't called him Papadaddy in… how many years? Eight? Nine?
"'M here, Baby J." Jayne smoothed a hand over the boy's unruly curls. "You hurt?"
"Hundan broke my arm." His voice was so damn weak. "Hurts."
For the first time, Jayne noticed Jamey's arm was grotesquely out of place. Damn, that had to hurt like hell. He felt a bizarre surge of pride for the fact that Jamey wasn't crying.
"Let's get you home. Your ma's worried." Jayne scooped the boy up but unavoidably jostled his arm. Jamey made a strangled sound and passed out.
Clenching his teeth, Jayne stomped from the room and carefully handed Jamey over to Mal. Once he was certain the boy was safe, Jayne spun and slammed Badger against the wall.
"I didn't do it!" Badger yelped. "Cleve broke the boy's arm and Reynolds shot him! We're square!"
"The hell we are," Jayne snarled and slammed Badger against the wall again. "You got 'em inta this situation and you owe us."
"Anything! I'll give you anything!" Badger was shaking.
"We'll take your gorram job."
"Jayne!"
"Shut up, Mal. And you can wipe that smirk off yer face, ya pissant. We're takin' the job but you're payin' us triple!"
Badger's jaw dropped. "There's no way-"
Again, Jayne slammed Badger into the wall. "Triple! And after we pick up the goods tomorrow, I want that to be the last I ever see yer ugly face. If I so much as get a glimpse of that stupid hat 'o yers, I'm aimin' at it with my best gun. Dong ma??"
Badger nodded frantically and Jayne released him with a shove. He gathered Jamey up in his arms and stormed out of the building.
Mal watched Badger as he shakenly lowered himself into a chair.
"You got off pretty light. Be glad that it was Jayne that found ya and not the mother."
~*~
Nettie was curled up under the covers, clean and in her nightie, hugging Schneebly to her chest. She could hear her watch ticking and Nova sniffling in her room next door.
Daddy had brought Jamey home a few hours ago. Aunt Kaylee had taken one look at Jamey's poor arm and burst into tears. Uncle Simon had rushed him to the med bay before Nettie could see if her big brother was okay.
Enough time had passed. Maybe she could check up on him. Nettie threw her covers off and squeezing Schneebly, she tiptoed from her room.
Mommy had ordered her to rest after all the excitement but all she could do was worry. Was Jamey okay? Was he scared? Was he mad at her for getting them all kidnapped? If she hadn't been so bratty and drag-assy, none of this would've happened.
When she got to the med bay, she saw Daddy in a chair next to The Big Chair Uncle Simon had placed Jamey on earlier. Mommy was in Daddy's lap. They were all asleep.
Nettie walked softly to her brother's side. He was fast asleep, face pale and his arm in a sling.
"Jamey?" Nettie whispered. "Are you dying?"
"Don't wake him."
With a jump, Nettie turned to find Mommy watching her.
"Is Jamey okay?"
"Yes, he'll be fine. His arm has been badly broken and it will take time to heal."
"He saved me."
"Yes, he did. He was very brave."
Nettie sighed and hung her head. "It was all my fault. If I'd kept up with the others, then we never-"
"No. Don't think that." Mommy reached out a hand and Nettie came close so she could stroke her hair. "This wasn't your fault. Fault lies with the men who did this. And they're gone now."
Relaxing, Nettie turned to watch Jamey sleep. He looked so young. Almost her age.
"Why don't you say goodnight to your brother and go to bed, my Nettie? You've had a long day."
Nettie gave Mommy a watery smile then went to Jamey's side and kissed his cheek, something he'd never have allowed had he been awake.
"Goodnight, Jamey. Thanks for saving me. I wish there was a way to pay you back." A sudden idea brought a smile to her face. "Mommy, you're all going back to the market tomorrow, right?"
~*~
The next day, Jamey was helping Aunt Kaylee in the engine room, mostly just handing her tools since there wasn't much else he could do one-handed. Aunt Kaylee kept fussin' over him and while he protested about it, it still felt kinda nice.
Pop stormed into the room and thrust a box into his hands. "Here. This is fer you."
"What is it?"
"Just open it 'n find out."
Aunt Kaylee had to help him and once they had the lid off, the little black kitten popped up and meowed in greeting.
"It's you!" Jamey exclaimed, scooping the kitten up with his good arm.
"Mew," the kitten confirmed.
Jamey looked up at Pop in surprise. "But I thought you didn't like cats?"
"I still don't. You keep that thing fed and out o' my face, dong ma?" Pop folded his arms, trying his best to look crabby but it was clear that he thought the kitten sitting in the middle of Jamey's palm was cute.
"Yeah, sure. But why…?"
"You should go find yer sister and thank 'er. She just wasted half her allowance on that thing." Pop turned to go but threw over his shoulder, "Yer a good boy, Jamey."
A big grin spread across Jamey's face and Aunt Kaylee giggled.
"So," Jamey said to the kitten. "What am I gonna name ya?"
END
Track Two < Cowboy Take Me Away : Track Four > Tell Me What You See
Title: Track Three - I'll Be There
Author: Toxic Corn
Rating: A strong PG-13. If that makes sense.
Warning: Raynekid fic, not everyone's cup of tea. Also, this gets a little dark so if you're looking for pure fluffiness, you'll want to pass on this.
Disclaimer: Joss is Boss. He owns all but I own the kids. Lucky, lucky me.
Summary: A trip to the market goes awry.
Author's Note: My beta's having some real life problems and I didn't feel right about nagging her, nor did I feel right finding a new beta so all of this? Is unbetaed. Every embarrassing mistake and sucktastic plot point is mine. I'm sorry. I'll post any corrections she gives me at a later date. I love you, Kat!
Track Three
Jamey is 12, Nettie is 8
The school year had ended and after bidding farewell to Shepherd Book and Haven, they boarded Serenity for a summer full of adventure; shootin' and stealin' and just plain making trouble for the Alliance.
Shyeah, right.
Jamey scowled as he tugged Nettie along through the crowded marketplace. Cap was meeting with some contacts and had asked Aunt Kaylee and Inara to take the kids shopping. Pop had ordered Jamey not to let Nettie out of his sight for a second. And of course, Nettie only wanted to look at the girliest of the stalls and she'd start bellyaching if he spent more than ten seconds looking at anything that interested him. Plus, he had to keep up with the others and that was tough to do in the crush of the crowd.
No action and having to babysit his sister at some lousy marketplace. If he saw one more stuffed animal, he was going to spew.
Worst. Gorram summer. Ever.
"Look, Jamey! Kitties!" Nettie squealed.
A greasy looking teenage boy with puffy blonde curls sat in the dirt looking bored, a box of kittens in front of him. Nettie was already crouched down, petting a white one.
"No, Nettie," Jamey said firmly.
"No what?" Nettie was the very picture of innocence.
"You know Pop hates cats so don't go gettin' attached to one."
Nettie snorted. "I'm not getting attached, I'm just petting 'em. They're cuuute." She cooed at a little stripey one. "You should pet some, Jamey."
Jamey rolled his eyes and looked down into the box. The kittens were clambering over one another competing for Nettie's attention. Except for one little dark fluff that was getting trampled by the others.
Frowning, Jamey knelt down next to Nettie and gently shooed the kittens aside to pick up the little black one.
The kitten's blue eyes met Jamey's brown and they solemnly regarded one another for a long moment. Then the kitten's head tilted to the side as he politely inquired, "Mew?"
"How much?" Nettie asked in a hushed voice.
The teenager named a decent price that was only half of Jamey's allowance. But Jamey set the kitten back into the box, reluctantly.
"Wha- Jamey!" Nettie protested.
Jamey stood up and hauled Nettie to her feet. "We're not gettin' a cat. Let's go."
"But that cat was meant for you!" Nettie exclaimed.
"It don't matter; Pop won't let us have a cat." He nodded politely to the teenager who was looking surly over not making a sale. "Quit fussin' and let's go."
Pouting, Nettie allowed Jamey to tug her along. The group had gotten further ahead, all except Nova who was coming their way.
"Mama says to tell you to keep up," Nova said when she'd reached them. "She says funny people hang around these marketplaces looking for unattended children."
Jamey raised his eyebrows. "'Funny people'?"
"I think she means pedophiles," Nova said, all wide-eyed seriousness.
"What's a pedophile?" Nettie asked, looking up to Jamey.
"It's um… why don't you ask Ma later?" Jamey shifted uncomfortably and gave Nova a warning look that of course the girl missed.
"A pedophile is a person who is sexually attracted to children, either pubescent or at the beginning of puberty."
Jamey glared at his cousin. "Thanks for the definition, Nova."
"You're welcome," she said, blinking in surprise at his tone.
Nettie shrugged. "Daddy just calls 'em perverts." She was looking across the marketplace when she suddenly did a double take. "Jamey, does that lady have a turtle on a leash?!"
"Naw, it's just a very small…" He followed her gaze to the elderly woman in question. "… turtle."
The girls started to laugh and Jamey grinned, too.
"It must take a year to walk around the block," Nettie said through giggles.
"No one's gonna believe us when we tell 'em," Jamey said. "I'm gonna go ask Aunt Kaylee for her vid capture."
"Um, where'd they go?" Nova asked in a tiny voice.
The group had long since moved on without them.
"Oh, go se," Jamey groaned. "Can this day get any worse?"
"My, my, my what have we here? Little lambs wandered away from the herd?"
The kids turned as one to find an old man with rotting teeth wearing a bowler cap. He was flanked by goons. Armed goons.
"Yes, Jamey," Nettie hissed, "this day can get much worse!"
"Badger had to be kiddin' us with that cargo," Mal snorted, leading the way back onto the ship.
"I dunno, Mal, that was a lot o' coin he was offerin'," Jayne said.
Mal stopped and spun to face the merc. "Those stolen goods are all over the cortex; we don't need that kind o' heat. 'Specially now with all the kids on board."
"I know, I'm just sayin'! There's more of us to feed now and I just don't want my kids goin' hungry is all." Jayne frowned in worry. They were good kids and wouldn't complain about less food, but they were growin' and he didn't want any lack of vitamins to stunt their growth.
'Cept maybe Jamey. The boy was just a bit taller'n his ma and he was only twelve. He could stand to slow down some.
"Maybe we'll take it if he ups our pay," Mal said.
"You think he will, sir?" Zoe sounded doubtful.
"You never know."
Simon entered the cargo bay just then. "Oh, I heard voices and thought maybe Kaylee and the kids were back. How did your meeting go?" He took in their grim faces. "That bad, huh?"
"Don't you worry on it, doc," Mal said. "We'll find another job. A better one, even."
"Yeah, cuz those just drop out of the sky," Jayne muttered.
Up above, somebody squeaked and Jayne looked up just in time to see River topple from the catwalk.
"Yeh-soo ta ma duh…!" he yelped and ran as fast as he could to where she was plummeting and caught her. "Riv baby, what…?"
Mal, Zoe, and Simon ran over, all of them talking at once.
"What the hell was that?!"
"Is she all right?"
"River, what happened?"
She was stiff as a board in his arms, eyes wide and terrified.
"Baby girl?" Jayne stroked her hair. "C'mon now, come back ta me."
"Doc, do somethin'," Mal snapped.
"I don't-"
"Jayne."
Everyone froze.
"Jayne," River whispered again. "Oh, Jayne. The children."
Jayne's blood ran cold. "Our children?"
"Hey all, we're back!" Kaylee's voice trilled. She lead the pack on board, carrying little Anna. "What's the matter?"
"Kaylee, you got all the kids with you?" Mal demanded.
Kaylee blinked. "Sure, Cap'n. I even sent Nova back when Jamey and Nettie were laggin' behind."
"Oh no," Inara whispered. She looked back over her shoulder and did a quick headcount. "They're missing."
"Who's missin'??" Jayne carried River over to the group. There was Anna. And David. And Lady holding Ben's hand. And Vee.
But no Jamey, Nettie, or Nova.
"Jayne, they're so scared." River shivered.
"How could this have happened?" Kaylee cried. "I swear they were right there!"
Jayne gently shook River. "Baby, do ya know where they are?"
River swallowed. "No. They're unfamiliar with their surroundings. Big, old buildings."
Mal frowned. "Sounds like the old warehouse district. They probably wandered away by accident; the crowds in the marketplace are hard to get through if you're not used to 'em." He straightened himself up. "Let's go find the kids."
"I'm gonna put you down now, Riv, okay?" Jayne carefully lowered River so she stood next to him. He held her face in his hands, forcing her to meet his eyes. "I promise you that when I come back, I'll have our babies with us."
"Hurry," River breathed. "He doesn't realize how rotten they are."
Jayne pressed a hard kiss to her lips and released her. He followed Mal and Simon down the ramp, hoping he'd be able to keep his promise.
"Didn't realize you were a kidnapper, Badger," Jamey said, keeping a firm grip on both Nettie and Nova.
"It's nothin' personal Master Cobb, just business. Turn left here."
Jamey wanted to take advantage of the crowd by making a break for it and disappearing in the crush. But Badger's men had guns trained on their backs and he didn't want to risk his sister's or his cousin's lives.
"You see," Badger continued, "you kiddies are a bit of incentive. If Malcolm Reynolds takes what I'm offerin' then you lot get to go free. But if he don't… well, I'm sure I can find some slavers who'd be more than happy to get their hands on three healthy children. Here we are!"
They all stopped in front of a cruddy old building that was a bit smaller than the other cruddy old buildings. The goons shoved the kids inside.
Jamey got a quick look at the office area before they were pushed into the backroom.
"Hope you don't mind waiting here for a bit. I got some other business to attend to before we can call your parents." Badger grinned broadly and slammed the door shut. They could hear the lock click.
"Oh, no problem at all," Jamey muttered.
The room was about the size of the med bay on Serenity and had a smallish window up towards the ceiling. Crates were stacked everywhere.
Nettie flopped down on one of them and heaved a sigh. "So what are going to do until Cap saves us?"
Jamey shrugged, sitting down beside her.
"I'm thinking of a number between one and a hundred," Nova said.
Beat.
"Forty-two?"
It didn't take long before the guessing game got boring. Jamey had to tell Nova twice to shut up before she finally did. Normally, Nettie would take up for Nova when the other kids got to picking on her for being so weird, but being locked in a room with her for an hour changed things a little.
The door finally opened and Badger's goons came in, one holding a tray of food and the other pointing a gun at them. Like three unarmed kids were such a huge threat.
"The boss thought you kids might be gettin' peckish," the goon holding the tray said. He grinned and revealed big, yellow, horsey teeth. "Are you hungry?"
His grin made shivers run down Nettie's spine. She slid a little closer to Jamey and took her cue from him, remaining silent.
"Whatsa matter? Didn't your folks teach ya any manners?" The goon set the tray on the floor. "I'll just stomp all this nice food if none o' you is hungry."
"Jason, gorramit, let's just leave it 'n go," the gun-toting goon growled.
"No. Listen, brats: If you're hungry, speak up." Jason lifted a booted foot over the tray of cheese and crackers. "Speak up or it all goes squish!"
"I'm hungry!" Nova squeaked.
Nettie and Jamey winced.
A predatory grin spread across Jason's face. "What zat, lovely? Did you say something, precious?"
Nova, for once, DON'T SAY ANYTHING, Nettie thought and grabbed Jamey's hand. He squeezed her hand and kept his face carefully blank.
"I- I said I was hungry," Nova whispered. Her eyes were wide with fear.
Jason lowered his foot to the ground and walked over to Nova, hunkering down in front of her. She recoiled.
The goon holding the gun looked uneasy. "Jason, what're ya doin'? C'mon, let's go!"
But Jason didn't seem to hear. "What's your name, little miss?"
Nova seemed to have received Nettie's message and kept her mouth shut.
"Aw, c'mon. Don't be shy. What'd your mommy and daddy name ya?" He ran a finger down her cheek and beamed as Nova shuddered in revulsion.
Nettie opened her mouth but Jamey beat her to speaking up. "You stop it!"
Jason's head snapped around. He snarled, "What're ya gonna do, ya little pup?!"
"Don't. You. Touch her." Jamey's voice was low and dangerous and Nettie had never heard him sound that way before.
Jason rose to his feet and came over to them. "You'd rather I touch her?" He nodded to Nettie and she flinched against her will.
"Do it and you're dead."
Jason chuckled and then his fist lashed out, catching Jamey in the mouth. Jamey rocked backwards, blood spurting from his mouth.
"Gorramit, Jason!" The other goon grabbed Jason's arm and dragged him from the room. "What the ruttin' hell was that??"
"Not so tough now, are ya kid?" Jason called as the door slammed and locked behind him.
Nettie stared at Jamey in shock as he dabbed at his split lip.
"Did he knock out your teeth?" Nettie was surprised at how shrill she sounded.
Jamey kept his fist pressed to his mouth, tears in his eyes. "Naw, they're not even loose, the sucker-punchin' pansy. You okay, Nova?"
No, she wasn't. She was shaking harder than the time Ben had found a little sand snake and started swinging it around until he had dropped it in her lap.
"Yes. Yes, I'm fine." Nova looked at the tray on the ground. "I don't think I'm hungry anymore." Her voice cracked.
Snarling, Jamey jumped up and started kicking one of the crates until it was lined up against the wall.
"What are you doing?" Nettie cried. When had her voice gotten so high?
Jamey looked around the room and up at the little window. He grinned. "We're gettin' out of here. Help me move these gorram crates."
It took some coaxing, but Nettie got Nova up out of her shock and the girls would take one end of a crate and Jamey the other and started stacking them under the window. The work was hard and heavy, especially when the stack got higher.
They wordlessly agreed to take a break and sagged to the floor.
"Why the hell are these so heavy?" Jamey panted.
"They must be transporting lead or something," Nettie grumbled.
"Doubtful. Maybe spare ship parts." Even now, Nova had to be a know-it-all. But Nettie didn't mind and rubbed a soothing circle on her cousin's back.
"Let's go to it," Jamey said after a few more minutes. "I don't know when they'll be back and this should be the last one." He grabbed the end of a crate. "Ready? Lift! Up! More up! It- Hey, watch it!"
Nettie's hands were slippery with sweat and she lost her grip. The crate CLANGED to the floor and exploded open, spraying gold coins everywhere.
"Son of a bitch!" Jamey exclaimed. "Is that what I think it is?!"
Nova's jaw dropped. "Barbosa's gold!"
"You mean the coin collection from Earth-That-Was that got stolen?" Nettie stared at the gold pieces, wide-eyed.
"No wonder Cap didn't want anything to do with this. The Alliance is lookin' all over for it." Jamey looked stunned.
From outside the door came shouting.
"What the hell're they doin' in there?!"
"No, you stay here, you terrorized those kids enough for one day."
"Shit, they're comin'." Jamey grabbed Nettie and shoved her at the crates. "Get up there; I'll give ya a boost." He laced his hands together and Nettie stepped up and was propelled upwards.
Nova joined her soon after and they were able to get the window up before the door opened.
"Badger, they're gettin' away!" one of the goons shouted.
"Well, stop them!"
The goon made for Jamey, who was starting to climb up the crates.
"Jamey, come on!" Nettie cried.
"Go!" Jamey ordered, hopping down and ducking away from the goon, leading him away from the stack.
"Not without you!"
"Gorramit girl, I SAID GO!" The fierce look he threw her way was so like Daddy's that she gasped and did as she was told.
Nova looked out the window. "There's a dumpster right below us we should aim for. Here's hoping they didn't throw glass away." She crouched in the window frame and hopped out with a yelp.
Nettie was about to follow when a hand closed around her ankle. Alarmed, she looked up to find Jason grinning at her.
"Son of a whore!" she spat and drew her free leg back to smash her boot clad foot into his nose. But the coward released her and leaped back before the hit could connect.
She leaped out the window as she heard a sickening CRUNCH and Jamey's scream. It distracted her from the squish she made when she landed.
Nova was waiting for her, covered in who knows what kind of muck. She grabbed Nettie's hand. "Come on, we have to run!"
And they climbed out of the dumpster and beat feet out of there.
"They were two little girls with long black hair. One of 'em had braids and the other kinda looks like him." Mal pointed at Simon. "And the boy's a dead ringer for this one." Mal nodded at Jayne.
The fruit seller shook her head. "Do you have any idea how many kids I see everyday? I can't help ya, mister."
Mal sighed disgustedly and moved on. Simon followed, but Jayne lingered behind to glare at the woman until she turned pink and ducked her head.
"I haven't seen 'em. 'M sorry."
Jayne snorted and went after the others.
"Maybe we should start asking the toy merchants next," Simon said. "Nova and Nettie like looking at the stuffed animals."
Jayne shifted his weight from side to side impatiently. He didn't want to go around asking pretty please to find his babies; he wanted to turn this marketplace upside down and shake it till the kids fell out.
He made River a promise and damn if he wasn't gonna keep it.
"Okay, why don't you do that, doc?" Mal sounded tired. "Me and Jayne'll go near the ware-"
"DADDY!"
Jayne and Simon both snapped to attention.
"DADDY!" Bursting through the crowd came Nettie and Nova, hand in hand and covered in filth.
Nettie leaped up into Jayne's arms and he hugged her close, probably squeezing the air out of her.
"Little bit, you had me worried sick!" He scowled and shook her a little. "If you wander off again, I'm gonna make sure every square inch of your ass is tanned, dong ma? Now where's your brother?"
"They still have him," Nova said, shakily. She faced Simon, who was crouched on the ground with her in his arms. Her big Kaylee eyes filled with tears. "The bad men. One of them, he… he touched my face and called me love-ly and-" The girl started to weep and buried her face in Simon's shirt front.
Jayne felt for his brother-in-law and the look of horror on his face no doubt resembled his own.
"Who has 'im?" Jayne demanded.
Nettie's eyes were huge. "Badger. He was mad you didn't take the job so he took us. I heard Jamey screaming! They hurt him and he was- was-" Her throat started to make a wet, clicking noise and Jayne had her on her feet and her hair pulled back when she threw up.
"Doc. Take the girls back to Serenity." Mal's voice was deceptively soft. When Jayne looked up, he saw the Captain's eyes burning with rage. "Me 'n Jayne are gonna go get Jamey back."
Since they didn't know where Badger's place was, they had to wait for Nettie to recover before she could give them any information.
So it was that Mal lead the way in and outdrew one of the men, putting a bullet hole neatly between his eyes.
"Well, then. Now that I have you attention, how 'bout you fine gentlemen give us the boy and we'll be on our merry?" Mal sounded jovial but it was clear he meant business.
"Captain Reynolds!" That hundan Badger was sweating. Good. "I was just about to wave you!"
"Looks like I saved ya the trouble. Where's the boy?"
Badger laughed nervously. "I don't know what you're-"
Jayne pointed his gun at him. "I ain't playin' here, Badger."
Swallowing, Badger gestured to the door behind him. "In there."
Jayne had his hand on the knob when he noticed the horsey looking man cowering in the corner. Some goon. Jayne stalked over to the bastard and towered over him.
"Jason, is it?"
The guy nodded nervously.
"I heard about you. Ya like little girls, huh?"
Jason turned pale.
"Probably like little girls more than punchin' little boys in the face."
With a yelp, Jason made as if to run, but moving swiftly Jayne caught him and snapped his neck. He turned away disinterestedly as the body fell to the ground and he opened the door.
Jamey lay still in the middle of the room. Fear clutched at Jayne's insides as he hurried to his son.
"C'mon boy, be okay," Jayne whispered fervently. As if in response to his wish, Jamey's chest rose and fell with a breath. "Thank you. Oh, thank you…"
"Papadaddy?"
The endearment kicked Jayne in the gut and brought sudden tears to his eyes. His boy hadn't called him Papadaddy in… how many years? Eight? Nine?
"'M here, Baby J." Jayne smoothed a hand over the boy's unruly curls. "You hurt?"
"Hundan broke my arm." His voice was so damn weak. "Hurts."
For the first time, Jayne noticed Jamey's arm was grotesquely out of place. Damn, that had to hurt like hell. He felt a bizarre surge of pride for the fact that Jamey wasn't crying.
"Let's get you home. Your ma's worried." Jayne scooped the boy up but unavoidably jostled his arm. Jamey made a strangled sound and passed out.
Clenching his teeth, Jayne stomped from the room and carefully handed Jamey over to Mal. Once he was certain the boy was safe, Jayne spun and slammed Badger against the wall.
"I didn't do it!" Badger yelped. "Cleve broke the boy's arm and Reynolds shot him! We're square!"
"The hell we are," Jayne snarled and slammed Badger against the wall again. "You got 'em inta this situation and you owe us."
"Anything! I'll give you anything!" Badger was shaking.
"We'll take your gorram job."
"Jayne!"
"Shut up, Mal. And you can wipe that smirk off yer face, ya pissant. We're takin' the job but you're payin' us triple!"
Badger's jaw dropped. "There's no way-"
Again, Jayne slammed Badger into the wall. "Triple! And after we pick up the goods tomorrow, I want that to be the last I ever see yer ugly face. If I so much as get a glimpse of that stupid hat 'o yers, I'm aimin' at it with my best gun. Dong ma??"
Badger nodded frantically and Jayne released him with a shove. He gathered Jamey up in his arms and stormed out of the building.
Mal watched Badger as he shakenly lowered himself into a chair.
"You got off pretty light. Be glad that it was Jayne that found ya and not the mother."
Nettie was curled up under the covers, clean and in her nightie, hugging Schneebly to her chest. She could hear her watch ticking and Nova sniffling in her room next door.
Daddy had brought Jamey home a few hours ago. Aunt Kaylee had taken one look at Jamey's poor arm and burst into tears. Uncle Simon had rushed him to the med bay before Nettie could see if her big brother was okay.
Enough time had passed. Maybe she could check up on him. Nettie threw her covers off and squeezing Schneebly, she tiptoed from her room.
Mommy had ordered her to rest after all the excitement but all she could do was worry. Was Jamey okay? Was he scared? Was he mad at her for getting them all kidnapped? If she hadn't been so bratty and drag-assy, none of this would've happened.
When she got to the med bay, she saw Daddy in a chair next to The Big Chair Uncle Simon had placed Jamey on earlier. Mommy was in Daddy's lap. They were all asleep.
Nettie walked softly to her brother's side. He was fast asleep, face pale and his arm in a sling.
"Jamey?" Nettie whispered. "Are you dying?"
"Don't wake him."
With a jump, Nettie turned to find Mommy watching her.
"Is Jamey okay?"
"Yes, he'll be fine. His arm has been badly broken and it will take time to heal."
"He saved me."
"Yes, he did. He was very brave."
Nettie sighed and hung her head. "It was all my fault. If I'd kept up with the others, then we never-"
"No. Don't think that." Mommy reached out a hand and Nettie came close so she could stroke her hair. "This wasn't your fault. Fault lies with the men who did this. And they're gone now."
Relaxing, Nettie turned to watch Jamey sleep. He looked so young. Almost her age.
"Why don't you say goodnight to your brother and go to bed, my Nettie? You've had a long day."
Nettie gave Mommy a watery smile then went to Jamey's side and kissed his cheek, something he'd never have allowed had he been awake.
"Goodnight, Jamey. Thanks for saving me. I wish there was a way to pay you back." A sudden idea brought a smile to her face. "Mommy, you're all going back to the market tomorrow, right?"
The next day, Jamey was helping Aunt Kaylee in the engine room, mostly just handing her tools since there wasn't much else he could do one-handed. Aunt Kaylee kept fussin' over him and while he protested about it, it still felt kinda nice.
Pop stormed into the room and thrust a box into his hands. "Here. This is fer you."
"What is it?"
"Just open it 'n find out."
Aunt Kaylee had to help him and once they had the lid off, the little black kitten popped up and meowed in greeting.
"It's you!" Jamey exclaimed, scooping the kitten up with his good arm.
"Mew," the kitten confirmed.
Jamey looked up at Pop in surprise. "But I thought you didn't like cats?"
"I still don't. You keep that thing fed and out o' my face, dong ma?" Pop folded his arms, trying his best to look crabby but it was clear that he thought the kitten sitting in the middle of Jamey's palm was cute.
"Yeah, sure. But why…?"
"You should go find yer sister and thank 'er. She just wasted half her allowance on that thing." Pop turned to go but threw over his shoulder, "Yer a good boy, Jamey."
A big grin spread across Jamey's face and Aunt Kaylee giggled.
"So," Jamey said to the kitten. "What am I gonna name ya?"
END
Track Two < Cowboy Take Me Away : Track Four > Tell Me What You See
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Date: 2006-05-18 01:11 am (UTC)