FIC SERIES TITLE = Pivotal Moments

This four-part story is the result of collaboration with my dear friend and soon to be roommate, Mike. The writing game is not new to Mike. It is to me. We’ve both been into Firefly for nearly a year now and both are huge fans of the fanfic. Mike doesn’t have an LJ account (yet), but has read over my shoulder for a long time. Anyway, this is a result of mutual brainstorming and rewrite sessions. We hope you enjoy.

Dedicated to Squish. Thanks for bugging me to write until I actually did it. Thanks also for your great beta work and the inspiration your own writing is. It’s been a treat working on this with you.

Jaylee. Set approximately three and a half years post BDM.

Background: After Miranda, Kaylee and Simon were involved seriously for approximately eighteen months. Their relationship, though not horrible, had been unable to live up to the build-up they had both given it in their minds. They parted peacefully and had remained very good friends. Nine months prior to this story, Kaylee’s long-time friendship with Jayne had taken a very sudden romantic turn. They fell quickly and easily into a relationship that has been humming along since….

Chapter Two: The Honeymoon is Over

Kaylee has spent most of the afternoon in the engine room, absentmindedly fiddling but mostly obsessing. She has been trying to make sense out of what she found in Jayne’s bunk that morning. She keeps turning it over in her head. Kaylee wonders if Jayne and Zoe were ever more than friends. The thought disturbs her. She knows it shouldn’t, it ain’t like she weren’t with Simon for over a year, but it does. Tears her up a little bit inside. Then, to add to her worry, is the fact that whatever DID happen – whatever it was – Jayne never mentioned it. Up until a few hours ago, Kaylee believed Jayne told her everything. That he would keep something this big from her was awful unsettling. In the span of a few hours, Kaylee had gone from blissful and content to frightened and suspicious. She didn’t like it.

Kaylee also puzzled over weather or not to confront Jayne about the necklace. Was it really her place to ask? How would he react? In the end, she decided to say nothing and try to get him to tell her. Like he should have done in the first place.

***** That night, everyone has made it back to ship. Mal and Jayne have returned with orders to fetch some cargo, which they are off to pick up from Kerry. Should be an easy roundtrip bringing them back in time to pick up Zoe.

It was the Captain’s turn to make dinner, and as he had just been planetside Mal had picked up some real, old-fashioned earth-that-was pizza. It was a treat they indulged in only very rarely. The excitement around the dinner table was evident.

“This smells soooo good;” Simon almost purred, “it reminds me of pizza we used to get back in my Med-Acad days.”

“That was eight hundred years ago,” grumbled Jayne as he reached into the various boxes and stacked five pieces of pizza onto his plate. “Shut up about ‘The Med-Acad’ already. We’re all right sick of it.” Simon looked embarrassed and suddenly found something on his plate very interesting.

“Jayne! Be nice!” There is something harsh in her tone and the look Kaylee gives Jayne is lacking the usual hints of amusement present when she reprimands him. He thinks on that only for a second as River appears with cans of beer.

“My contribution.” She beams.

“Hell, yeah!” Jayne exclaims and grabs a can off the tray she’s carrying.

After dinner, Jayne is on clean-up duty. Kaylee sticks around to help but is unusually quiet. Finally, as she’s drying the dishes he’s washing, she speaks. “Jayne,” she asks as sweetly and innocently as she can, “Before me, who was you last sweeties with?”

“Huh? What?” Jayne looks confused. His instincts tell him this is a trap of some kind, but he can’t figure out what. Kaylee just looks at him. She sounds normal, but her eyes are dead serious. “Hell, Kaylee, I dunno. In case you haven’t noticed, I ain’t really boyfriend material.” He tries a playful wink as a subject change. She just keeps looking at him.

Jayne stops washing, furrows his brow and searches his memory for a minute. Kaylee can see the light go on. Jayne gives a small smile. “No shit! Reckon that it’s goin’ on ten years ago now. Gal named Sandra. Was a teacher. Nice gal. Wonder how she is?” He shakes his head, “She couldn’t get past the killing.” Jayne shrugs as if to say ‘oh well’ and turns his gaze back to Kaylee. Smiling, he adds, “That’s a helluva dry spell, you think about it. I mean, whores is good and all but it ain’t the same as having someone all yours.” With that he loops an arm around Kaylee’s waist and draws her up to his chest.

Caught up in the moment, and Jayne’s arm, Kaylee giggles and hugs into Jayne’s chest. Then, it occurs to her he didn’t answer her question. Well, he answered the question she ASKED, but not the one she really wanted the answer to. “Oh,” she sighs deeply. “Sandra. Right. I think ya told me about her before.”

“Somethin’ wrong?” Jayne asks casually as he looks out over the top of Kaylee’s head. “You been acting kinda strange tonight. You pissed off at me or somethin’?”

“Have you done somethin’ for me ta be pissed off about?” Kaylee tries to keep her voice non-committal.

“Everyday, babygirl, everyday,” Jayne jokes. Kaylee doesn’t laugh. She looks up at him and forces a smile they both know isn’t real.

“Hey, ya know? I’m sleepy, Jayne. You wore me out last night. I’m going to bed early tonight. I think I’ll go an sleep in my own bunk.” There is a slight strain in her voice as Kaylee steps away from Jayne and heads for her bunk. Jayne stands perfectly still, watching after her with a stunned look on his face.

***** Three days have gone by. Three days where Kaylee has been acting funny. It ain’t nothin’ anyone else would notice, but Jayne has noticed every little thing about Kaylee since the day they met. It’s part of being a tracker. Noticin’ stuff. That’s how come he knows right off somethin’ is eatin’ her. More to the point, somethin’ he done is eatin’ her. That gnaws at him. Jayne pushes up on the barbell as he thinks. He wishes the Shepard was here. Even Zoe. Mal’s like to be around somewhere, but Mal still teases him ‘bout Kaylee and besides Mal ain’t exactly good with the ladies. Best not to be takin’ advice from him on this score.

Jayne sighs deeply. He’s sure he’s done something wrong and as much as he’s puzzled over it, he can’t figure out for the life of him what it is. He’s afraid he’s gonna blow this. He decides it’s time to find out. Placing the dumbbell back on the rack, Jayne sits up and towels off. He stands and heads for the engine room.

***** “Come on, woman, talk to me.” Jayne was near begging, if he were the sort of man to beg. Which he ain’t. “I tried to figure it, I did, but I don’t know what I done. Just tell me. This shit’s gettin’ old.” He was full on whining as he finished.

Kaylee suddenly, overwhelmingly feels sorry for Jayne. She can tell that he has no idea why she is upset. It occurs to her that if this is true, there must be a logical explanation for the necklace. Other than he was hiding something about Zoe from her. He’d be acting guilty if he was guilty. Maybe she has been silly all along. Probably was. She is suddenly a little embarrassed.

Taking a deep breath and placing her hand on Jayne’s bicep, Kaylee looks down at their feet and softly says, “Oh Jayne, I’m sorry. I should’ve just asked you about this in the first place. M’sure it’s real silly. See, after you left the other morning, I was straightening up your bunk. I found that bullet box on your little shelf and well, when I looked inside…”

Kaylee can feel the muscles in Jayne’s arm stiffen under her hand. She pauses and looks up. Jayne’s eyes are wide with shock and something that looks like disbelief. He is staring down at her and in a low, dead-calm voice asks, “You went through my stuff?”

Instinctively, Kaylee removes her hand and takes a step backward. “It ain’t what it sounds like, Jayne,” she protests. “It was really an accident. I was just lookin’ at your bunk and…”

Jayne interrupts her again, this time there’s a hint of anger in his voice, “You just accidentally picked up a box that don’t belong to you and just accidentally opened it? What else didja accidentally get into?”

“Nothin’! Jayne! It weren’t like that!” Kaylee protests, holding her hands up in the air. She’s the scared one all of a sudden. “I was just…” then, her thoughts catch up with her and she remembers. She’s the one who he’s hiding things from. She’s the one mad at him. Kaylee sets her jaw and meets Jayne’s glare with one of her own. “Jayne, is that Zoe’s necklace?”

“That ain’t none of your business.” Jayne says flatly. He pauses, but doesn’t stop staring into her eyes. He doesn’t even blink. “What else did you go through?”

“I already told you. Not a gorram thing. Stop treating me like I’m the one done somethin’ wrong! You’re bein’ an ass.” Kaylee folds her arms across her chest and glares at Jayne defiantly. “Why won’t you tell me about the necklace? An’ what the hell do ya MEAN it ain’t none of my business?”

“I think my meanin’ there was pretty clear.” Jayne snarls back at her. There is fire in his eyes. He turns to his right and slams a fist down onto Kaylee’s workbench. She jumps a little and is relieved he doesn’t see it. She can’t quite reckon why he’s so angry. She’s the one he’s been lyin’ to.

It isn’t long and Kaylee gets her answer. Jayne looks back at Kaylee and nearly spits at her as he growls, “I’ve spent the better part of THREE DAYS rackin’ my head tryin’ to figure what I done to upset YOU! Here you been upset all along on account of you puttin’ your nose where it don’t belong. I mean, that’s MY STUFF. I trusted you, woman. I never let that happen! I can’t believe this, Kaylee. I can’t fucking believe this. I know you’re young an’ all, but…”

“Oh, don’t you DARE!” Kaylee interrupts him this time, her voice growing stronger and angrier with each word. If there is one thing she hates, it’s being talked down to. She wags a finger at him. “Don’t you dare go down that road. Our age difference ain’t never been a thing to you before and now just ‘cause you ain’t gettin' your way…”

“Not getting my way? Me? ME? ” Jayne is indignant and no one is getting to finish a sentence. The tension in the room is escalating and both Kaylee and Jayne are starting to sweat. “You really believe that, don’t you? Gorram, Kaylee. Of all the stupid, selfish, childish….” The last one gets the desired effect.

“Get out!” Kaylee yells, flushed with anger, and thrusts a pointed finger in the direction of the engine room door. “I’m serious, Jayne! Get out of my sight!”

“Fine!” Jayne shouts back. He turns and stomps off down the hallway muttering “Just fucking fine,” under his breath. His footfalls can be heard throughout the ship.

Kaylee throws a wrench into the wall with all the force she can muster.

***** “What the hell is that?” There is sudden banging echoing through Serenity. Mal turns to River who is fast at work in the pilot’s seat. She doesn’t look up.

“Jayne and Kaylee are fighting.” River answers matter-of-factly.

“Reeaaalllly.” A smile creeps across Mal’s face. It’s about time. This whole Kaylee thing has been way too easy for Jayne. He leans sideways and across the panel he’s sitting at so he can face River. “So, what’s goin’ on Albatross? Spill it.” He looks like a kid at Christmas.

“Loose lips sink ships.” River smiles as she stops to meet his eyes. Then, she decides to throw him a bone, “Sit back and enjoy the show.”

***** At dinner that night, Jayne and Kaylee take turns shooting daggers at each other with their eyes. They don’t say a word to one another, but both make it a point to join in the conversation at large. As if they didn’t have a care in the world. The tension between them is palpable, though no one mentions it. It will be like this for several meals. Inara looks sympathetic and makes an extra effort to keep the small talk going. Simon notices and does his best to help. Mal is grinning from ear to ear and occasionally beams right at Jayne who ignores him. River is trying to get Mal to stop poking the bear, but she isn’t having much luck.

***** Two days and nights go by. Kaylee can’t sleep and wanders into the kitchen for a snack. She’s already halfway to the lockers when she notices Jayne sitting at the table with a glass of whiskey. She rolls her eyes. “Oh. Forget it. Good night.”

As Kaylee turns to leave, Jayne says quietly, “Stop. Sit. Please.” Kaylee can’t read anything in his voice, but decides to sit down opposite Jayne. He doesn’t move or talk, so she does.

“What? Look Jayne, I know I done wrong but what you did is way worse and I think you’re just focusing on my little thing to take the heat off you.” Kaylee folds her arms and waits.

His voice is dead calm and his face is void of emotion. He looks her square in the eye. “The necklace is Zoe’s.”

“I knew it.” Kaylee says softly and sinks back into her chair as she lets the information sink in. She meets his eyes. “How come you have it? How come you didn’t tell me?”

Without a word, Jayne gets up, walks over to the cupboards and gets a second glass. He sits back down and pours Kaylee a glass of whiskey, then refills his own. He slides her glass over the table toward her. Kaylee picks it up and nods once for thanks. May as well be civil.

Jayne takes a deep breath and softens as he looks at Kaylee. “After Miranda, me and Zoe…Zoe and me, well we…ah hell, we slept together awhile. It ain’t what you’re thinkin’.” Jayne pauses to search for the right words. “We was mostly just sleepin’. I mean, we screwed around some I guess, but it weren’t much. We was just scratchin’ the occasional itch.”

“How many times?” Kaylee is a little dumbstruck. Even though she suspected something along these lines, hearing Jayne say the words was surreal. “How come no one knows about it? No one knows, right? Or am I the only one don’t know?”

“No one knows. We’re the best two on the ship at sneakin’ around quiet like, dong ma?” Jayne paused. “Well, ‘cept for River.” Another pause, thinking again. “I guess it went on six or seven months.”

Kaylee’s eyes go wide at this. “SIX OR SEVEN MONTHS?!?!”

Ignoring her, Jayne continues, “We didn’t want anyone to know. It weren’t no big deal. I keep telling you. She mostly just slept over. She was all upset over Wash gettin' killed. It’s not like we was…” then, something dawns on him, “That’s why you was asking me ‘bout girlfriends the other night!?!?!”

Kaylee nodded. “I wanted ya to admit it on your own. Come clean.”

Jayne raised an eyebrow and the angry tone started to creep back into his voice. “You wanna ask me somethin’, you gorram ASK ME! Don’t play games like some yu bun duh baby…”

“Gorramit Jayne, quit callin’ me a baby!” Kaylee slams her glass onto the table.

“Then quit actin’ like one!” Jayne takes the bait and raises his voice. Remembering he didn’t want this to turn into another screaming match, he stops. Takes a breath. He’s barely containing his anger. “Kaylee,” Jayne starts, trying to keep his voice steady, “I done told you. I didn’t do nothin’ wrong and what I did do ain’t none of your concern. I already told you more’n I should. It’s just you got no right to be…”

“Well then, I guess I just don’t mean that much to you.” Kaylee counters, “You tell me all the time you love me, but I guess them’s just words.” Kaylee shakes her head as if she’s been a fool. Then, she’s angry again. “Guess I’ll just drop it. Not havin’ ‘the right’ and all. What I don’t understand is why’ve you wasted all this time bein’ so nice to me, then?”

“I been askin’ myself that all week.” Jayne decides diplomacy is overrated. “This was a bad idea.” He places both hands on the table, shoves his chair back, stands and stomps off. Kaylee hears him muttering that life was easier when he dealt with whores.

“How do I know there ain’t other stuff you ain’t tellin’ me?” Kaylee calls after him. Though certain he heard her, she gets no response as Jayne’s stomping footsteps echo through the ship.

Suddenly, the anger and hurt and all the emotions of the week catch up with her and Kaylee bursts into tears. She lays her head down on the table and has a good long cry.

Just when she’s wore herself out and her breathing is returning to normal, Kaylee feels a big, warm hand land softly on her shoulder. She looks up through weepy eyes and a grateful smile breaks out over her face. “Simon.”