DISCLAIMER: I don’t own the characters. I’m just in love with them. Joss is a God :) CHARACTERS: Book, Jayne RATING: G SPOILERS: Out of Gas FEEDBACK: Don't make me beg. I love me my feedback. NOTES: Requested by newbabel, part of the Fireflyfic Challenge THANKS: to FuzzyBen for reading it first, and telling me the characters sound right.

It's not right. It's gorram wrong. Leavin' Mal, runnin' away. Serenity, dead in the water. And sittin' here, surrounded by frippery and femininity. Place smells funny, too. Kaylee and Inara're pleasant enough to look at, but the Shepherd .... Well, at least I ain't on the other shuttle with that brain-fried girl and her brother. Small mercies.

Ah, hell, here comes the Shepherd.

"Jayne. Can I have a word with you?"

Why reply? He's gonna talk anyway. "Don't preach to me. Not now."

Shepherd Book settles himself next to Jayne, perches on a beaded cushion next to the shuttle door. "Are you all right? You look ... upset."

Jayne can't help himself, spills words. "It's gorram wrong! We shouldn't've left the Captain. Shouldn't have left the ship." His face creases and he wrinkles his nose fiercely, scowls at the room.

The Shepherd looks down at his book - Book and his book - over at Kaylee sitting miserable on the bed, back to Jayne. "We did what the Captain ordered. I know it's hard, Jayne. But this way we have a chance of finding help, of finding safety. The Captain is giving his life so we can live ..."

"Bi zui! Mal's not God, he's not sacrificin' himself for us! He's stoopid an' thick-headed an' he should've come with us!" He stops, blinks hard. Continues. "It's not right to die like that. Not right to die slowly, without a man holding a gun to you." He speaks bitterly. "I would have shot him if he'd let me. It would have been the right thing."

Book shakes his head, gently. "No, my son. This was the Captain's choice. If today is his day to die, then he'll die with Serenity. Neither of them should be alone. He loves his ship, and he'll hold her hand until the end. And if this isn't his day to die, then he'll be there until help comes."

What does he know? That's no way to die. Where's the glory in fading away? Jayne closes his eyes, deliberately, and keeps them closed until the Shepherd moves away to sit with Kaylee. Behind the lids he sees Serenity, floating in space. A dead thing.