Disclaimer: Sadly I do not own any of these wonderful characters, or even the setting and world of Firefly. They all belong to Fox/Universal and Joss.
James Norrington and related characters and events belong to Disney, Gore and Ted and Terry.
A/N: This series of ficlets takes place after Browncoats at World’s End. You don’t have to read it, but it would explain how an 18th century commodore came to be aboard Serenity
Saga: There is a saga? I
guess since most of these fics will be after “Browncoats at World’s End” and
continue after each other it is a saga.
Chapter 4: Work Out
-
“I’m going to check on a few things.” Kaylee pointed to the engine room. “Have fun building your body.”
“Always do,” Jayne held up his beverage to her and tried not to smile. He was not going to show her he was amused by the way she phrased things. It was always adorable, but he would never let her know that. “Try to get some sleep.”
Kaylee was already gone.
“She better get some sleep,” Jayne grumbled before he took a long gulp. “Can’t have the boat ‘splode on us.” He had no idea why he didn’t say what he was completely thinking. There was no one around to hear him voice what he truly felt. Making sure the boat didn’t break down and catch fire was important, but what was more important was Kaylee’s health.
“Better not be over stressing about that weddin,” he set his can down. Kaylee didn’t look stressed, even when she mentioned a new change to the upcoming event. Why the hell did that doctor have to propose and why did she except? Weddings were nothing but trouble anyway.
He couldn’t remember Kaylee ever talking about getting married in the past. Maybe she discussed it with Inara and even Zoe. That was part of Kaylee’s charm. She wasn’t afraid to get down and dirty, nor was she shy talking about sex. She was a little more innocent about it than he was. She also liked girly stuff like dresses and fancy parties. She was also good at sports, even though she may need a boost to get the target. There was also the peacemaker aspect about her Jayne admired. She always tried to diffuse a situation before it rose into a conflict.
Why the hell was he thinking about Kaylee like that? She wasn’t his fiancée. She was his friend, a good friend. She was cute; hell he could say she was pretty damn gorgeous, and there was a time he wished she saw him the way she saw Simon.
“Lots of tasty out there,” He shoved a few more of the thick chips into his mouth and savored the flavor of potatoes, bacon, cheddar, and spices. There were several more women out there, hundreds even, and they all would want a piece of Jayne. “We spending a few months on Santo, lots there.” Little Jayne was going to get some action in a few weeks.
First things had to go first, as his mother would always say. He shoved the remainder of the chips into his mouth and washed it down before he threw his garbage away. Time for him to shove all that fancy garbage about weddings out of his mind and get manly again.
-
“Never a good idea to take on passengers,” Jayne stared into the direction of the passenger bay. “More trouble than they are worth.” Three of them stuck around as crew. The girl and her brother were too much trouble, still caused too much trouble. He liked Book well enough even if he did have some secrets. Two other passengers tried to threaten the crew, and he was willing to trade in Vera to sleep with one of them.
“Now we got that old timer aboard with his pro-proper-prop-ah hell fancy speak.” He knew Norrington was going to be more trouble than he was worth. It wasn’t bad enough the new guy was even more fancy and well mannered than Simon. He didn’t know how anything worked. They had to show him how to turn on the knobs in the shower and explain how the lights and toilets work and it was decided they would keep him away from the stove.
Jayne did promise he would take Norrington out shooting. That would have to wait until they reached Santo. He was actually looking forward to it. Been a while since he lined up cans and bottles to use as target practice. He would just have to keep telling Jimbo to just keep on shooting and not try to pour in more gunpowder.
He can think about it when they get there. “Just keep her out of trouble,” he thought of River. “Doc is going to be too busy.”
-
“Start with thirty,” Jayne slid on the metal weights onto the bar. He could lift much more than that, but it had been a few months since he had worked out last and the last thing he needed was a pulled muscle because he didn’t warm up properly.
The cool bench welcomed his back as he lied down. His poor workbench hadn’t received much attention, although he heard how Jack Sparrow sat on it and did nothing else. That was too much of a shame.
Jayne hadn’t even finished with his warm up exorcises when he had heard something. “Kaylee?” She might be finished with what she had planned on in the engine room and came down to check on him.
No response. Well that was a relief. “Where was I? Oh yea, seven, eight, nine-“He could have swore he heard the sound again. “Inara?” He sat up and turned towards the direction of her shuttle. There was no sign of her. “River?”
“How about none of the above?” A hand grabbed onto Jayne’s shoulder.
“Ta Ma De,” Jayne bolted from the bench, nearly tripping and stepped back. “What the hell are you doing, sneaking up like that?”
“I’m surprised you didn’t hear me,” Zoe folded her arms across her chest and smiled proudly. “Don’t tell me you are slipping.”
“I aint slipping,” Jayne sat back down. “I just didn’t expect you to be all stealthy all of the sudden.”
“Always expect the unexpected. The captain told me this once.”
“Mal or your platoon captain?” Jayne couldn’t be so sure anymore.
“Mal, and it is good advice, doesn’t matter what the source.”
“You aint in your platoon and I didn’t fight in any war.” He didn’t know how many times she had gone into soldier mode and expect the others to follow like her. “It’s over.”
“What did you call what had happened back there on Earth that Was?”
He furrowed his brow. Was it an actual war? “I’d call that fighting. There was some darn good fighting too.”
“Sometimes the war will never leave you.”
“It left Mal,” He grabbed onto the bar again. “And why are you talking about that now. Why aint ya sleeping?”
She shrugged. “I couldn’t sleep.’
“That’s been going round a lot.” He continued with his exorcise. “Kaylee couldn’t sleep and she said the same about Jimbo.”
“Jimbo?” Zoe stared at him with her eyebrows raised.
“The new guy,” he set the weights back. “Done with the warm up.”
“I’m not sure he is going to like being called that.”
“I don’t care.” He twisted off the cap. “I thought that not sleeping wasn’t contagious.”
“It isn’t. You still working out?”
“It’s been a while,” He slid on some more weights. “Gotta make sure I aint getting soft.”
“You fought monsters on a pirate ship.”
“Didn’t feel anything in my muscles.”
She shook her head. “That isn’t all there is to staying strong and you know it.”
“You acting more soldier like than usual,” He slid on the last weight. “Something back there turn something on in your head?”
“Might,” she shrugged. “I did feel like I was commanding several troops again. We fought like soldiers.”
“I hope you didn’t get a taste for it.” He slid back under his weights. “I just want to get back to normal.”
“And you think I don’t?”
“Not sure anymore.” He lifted the weights, half smiling at the familiar pull in his muscles.
“I want things to bet back to normal.” She placed her hands on her hips. “I want things to be as they were. I wish they were they way it was before Miranda, but you know that isn’t possible.”
He said nothing. He wasn’t sure if she was on the verge of tears again or not. He also wished things were like they were before Miranda and the Operative, hell he wished Shepherd Book had never left in the beginning. Wouldn’t have minded so much if Simon and his sis had left instead.
“Since it wont we have to move on. We’ll be working again like usual after Santo.”
“After that ruttin wedding,” Jayne continued to lift his weights.
“Do not ruin this event,” Zoe glared. “Or ruin anything.”
Jayne wondered if she were talking about her family. “I won’t. I’ll follow orders, maybe find a woman in a bar, won’t go near you.”
“Good,” she turned around and headed towards the stairs.
“Going back to bed?”
“I’m kind of thirsty,” Zoe said in mid step. “Going to have something to drink, and then go to bed.”
“Well if I don’t see you again, then good night.” He forgot what number he was on, but didn’t care. He would just count ten more and then go back to his bunk.
“Night,” Zoe called to him once she had reached the catwalk.
-
“I’ll try some more tomorrow,” Jayne said after he descended from the bottom step into his bunk. The work out felt good and it was something he needed, and now that it was done he can go to sleep.
“Night Vera,” Jayne ran his fingers on top of his favorite gun before he settled down onto his bed. “I aint going to let you be taken away from me again.” He couldn’t believe how that little English lord had ordered Vera to be taken from him. It felt good to be reunited with his true love.
“Night Lux,” his head came into contact with his pillow. His eyes sought out each of his weapons. “Night Leo, night Gretchen, night…Hercules…Night…Wanda…” He never finished addressing his artillery.