The Welcoming Committee: Part 7 by Nailani Williams

Disclaimer: No Copyright Infringement intended so Joss put down the Sword of Infinite Truths!

Summary: After the BDM. Zayne, pairing. Taking place after, “The Bravest Thing” Jayne’s going home to Deadwood and he realizes that only his Mama’s happy he’s home.

Rating: NC-17

A/N: Thanks for reading and responding everyone, you’re awesome!

~

Jayne:

We barely made it to my Ma in time for breakfast, but I can tell you when we did stroll in, Zoe and I were wearing identical smiles.

“Sorry, we’re late,” I said as I kissed Mama on her cheek. She smiled knowingly and patted my chest. She then went and kissed Zoe on the cheek. Zoe smiled at my Ma, and we sat down and ate.

Matty was sitting across from me at the dining room table his head in his hand. He barely touched his food. I felt for him, the last thing you wanted to hear when you had a hang over is a bunch of forks scraping on some plates.

Bishop was wearing a grin as he looked over at my brother, “How’s those eggs, Matty?” he asked, loudly. “Beverly you sure those eggs are runny enough?” he said and Matty gagged. “Man, Beverly your bacon smells so good,” he could barely contain his laugh as he speared his bacon and placed it under Matty’s nose. “Just look at all that grease coming off that pig fat, mmm…mmm,” he said and Matty turned green and jumped away from the table and took off running into the upstairs bathroom. I tried to contain my laughter.

“Are you done?” Mama asked Bishop annoyed and I finally laughed. Mama gave me a look the stopped me cold, I cleared my throat.

“Matty’s lucky, the every time I got obliterated Bishop made me do a simulated spacewalk,” I said, remembering the trails that old bastard put me through.

“Yeah well, that was to teach your stomach to become like iron,” Bishop said. “I stopped giving you that lesson after you proved to me that even drunk you could hold it together.”

“Gee, thanks,” I said giving him and unfriendly look and Bishop sat back in his chair.

“Honestly, Jayne, anything I did to you was done to me and all of the Brothers,” he said.

“So they put you on a shuttle and told you to go make it out there in the verse,” I yelled angrily. It was hard to admit it, but I loved Bishop, after my Pa got killed, he became more than a mentor to me. He was like a father and then he just sent me away…why? Because he was jealous of me. He was afraid I was going to go after him, that I was going to try to become leader of the Four Brothers.

“Jayne,” he began.

“No Bishop,” I stood up. “You never liked me, but I looked up to you. You were my father’s best friend and you abandoned me,” I said. “You were jealous of me because I was younger, stronger, faster, and you were afraid I was going to try to kill you, but I respected you. Well, up until the moment you stranded me in the black!”

Bishop sat back in his chair silently like he does. He gave me a look that said “You are as thick as a board, boy!”

I looked at Mama who was staring straight down at her clasped hands and then at Zoe; who for some reason wouldn’t meet my eyes.

“Sit down, boy,” Bishop demanded.

“I ain’t” I began and he stood up. “Sit down!’ he yelled at me like I was still seventeen and honestly, I felt about as old, then. I grumbled and sat down angrily. Bishop took his seat and sighed.

“You said he was like me, Bev, and I didn’t see it until now,” Bishop said and I gave him a confused look.

“What in Satan’s ass crack are you talking about?” I asked and Bishop shook his head.

“You think I put you on the shuttle because I was jealous of you? I made you into what you were? For that matter I made you, boy!” Bishop said. I blinked at him. What he was saying wasn’t sinking in.

“Jaime was never your Daddy, Jayne, I am,” Bishop said and I shook my head in open-mouth disbelief. I looked at Mama who was crying.

“I’m so sorry, baby,” she said looking up at me.

“You’re my father?” I said looking at Bishop.

“Your mother and I, were sweethearts Jayne, way before I joined the Brothers.”

My head was spinning trying to connect the dots, “My Father was apart of the brothers, he retired and he--,”

“Married your mother, that’s all true, but the rest of the story is she was pregnant with you, by me, when he married her. And I was in a penitentiary on a Core world serving hard time for a theft I committed,” Bishop said.

“If you’re my father… why would you abandon me twice!” I yelled, I could feel my eyes stinging with the tears that wanted to fall. They weren’t tears of joy or sadness. They were angry tears.

“I didn’t willingly abandon you either time,” Bishop said and I went to stand. He rose before me and put his hand on my shoulder keeping me seated.

“I didn’t even know you existed until after I served my time, by then your mother was happily married and pregnant with your brother. I wanted to pitch a bitch. I wanted to end Jaime for betraying me, but I saw how good he was with you. So I manned up and stepped out of their way,” he said. “After your Pa died, your mama found me, she told me you were at an age where you wanted to break atmo. I told her to send you to me and she did. I trained you as a Fourth brother, but I didn’t want you to become one.”

I snorted at that, he was unbelievably jealous of me, I thought.

“And it ain’t because of what you are thinking. I ain’t jealous of you, I’m proud of you. I’ve always been proud, from the morning I saw you get your first shooting lesson with Jaime.” As he spoke he was looking into my eyes and I felt that he was my father, as sick as it made me.

“You left me to rot in the black. I had to take any job I could just to eat,” I said and he nodded.

“I left you so you could see that it was better back on Deadwood, but you were so determined to be out in the verse. So I had my small jobs contact you,” he sighed.

“Why did you just let me remain a Brother,” I asked and he sighed again and pulled his chair right beside me.

“Because you were good, and you knew you were good. You were cocky and Axel and Garren, they didn’t like it. And they wanted you out,” he explained and I indignantly stood up.

“You choose your gang… over your blood!” I yelled.

“I choose your life… over your death!” he stood up and yelled back. “You know how Mercenaries work. If they feel you are threatening their take they’ll kill you. I never told them that you were my son, because I didn’t want them to use you to get to me if we had a falling out. So, when I saw that Axel and Garren were getting antsy I decided the only thing I could do to keep you safe was to send you away,” Bishop said. “I was hoping by dismissing you the way I did would turn you against this life, but it obviously just thrust you into it.”

I was suddenly exhausted, I sat back down my head in my hands.

“Why didn’t you tell me, Mama? You had all this time,” I asked her and she sniffled. I hate seeing her crying, but I needed the truth.

“I was afraid you’d hate me,” she cried and Zoe rubbed her back.

“I don’t hate you, I’m pissed off, but I could never hate you, Mama,” I said and my… father, put his hand on mine.

“I’m sorry I wasn’t in your life from the beginning , Jayne, but I want to be in it until the day I leave this verse, if you allow it,” Bishop said, genuinely.

“I need sometime, Bish, honestly this is a little too much at once.” I suddenly looked up, “Does Matty know?” Mama nodded. Then it dawned on me, that’s what he was talking about in the barn. I looked at Zoe then and she finally met my eyes.

“I figured it out yesterday, your parents confirmed, they asked me not to--” she began explainin’ in a rush and I put up my hand, I didn’t want to hear anymore.

“It’s okay,” I sighed, I stood up and went to the door. I grabbed my coat and put it on. “I need some air,” I said and left.

Zoe:

After Jayne left, Bishop waited a few moments and then followed, much to Beverly’s dismay. I stayed comforting Jayne’s Ma, who still was weeping uncontrollably.

“I watched his heart break just now,” she whispered to me. I hugged her as she cried. She thought she saw his heart break, but I saw Jayne the man grow.

He was far from the ranting and raving no account thug he was when I first met him. I was proud of him even though I was worried that he was angry with me for not telling him when I found out. I was also worried that Bishop followed him. I didn’t know just how far the patience was on this new Jayne.

We’ll see, I thought. If they didn’t come back in an hour, I’ll know if I need to get a medic or not.

“I’ll go upstairs and check on Matty,” Beverly said wiping her red eyes with a white napkin. I rubbed her back.

“It’ll be okay, Jayne’ll be okay, I promise,” I said and she looked teary again. She went up two stairs and stopped. She turned to me.

“After Vera, I watched helplessly as the boy I raised disappeared and became this person I didn’t know. When he left I thought: Well, Bev, that’s it…you’ll never see him again. You probably won’t even get to see to his proper burial,” she took a deep breath and wiped a stray tear.

“You brought him home to me, Zoe, and I can’t wait for the day I get to call you my daughter.” she left me with that as she went upstairs. I didn’t know I was crying until I felt the tears roll off my face.

Jayne:

I was sitting on Vera’s grave. I called out to her both physically and mentally. I needed to understand what I was feeling, but she never came. I felt a cool breeze hit me and I wept. I wept for the man who was my father most my life. I wept for my wife and child.

I didn’t hear Bishop’s approach until he placed his hand on my shoulder.

“It hasn’t been long enough Bis-,” I paused. Do I call him Pa? Who…what do I call him? He must of saw my confusion because he smiled and sat next to me.

“You can call me Bishop, I wasn’t much of a father to you, so I don’t see the point of you calling me, Pa,” he sighed sadly. He patted my leg. “You’re my boy, though,” his voice cracked. “God, I wanted to tell you everyday you trained with me, but I couldn’t bear having your mother hating me even more than she did then.”

I remained silent and Bishop moved so he was close to Ruby’s tombstone. It had been windy last night and dirt and sticks had piled up on her stone, I watched him as he cleared the debris. I shook my head when I realized it wasn’t Ma who’d been taking care of their graves, it had been Bishop.

“My heart broke when your mother told me what happened, I felt helpless, especially when she told me what was becoming of you, but I promised to stay away,” he said. “My soul broke when she told me about Ruby.”

“Stop, old man,” I said, feeling that pain and anger rush in on me like those events had just happened yesterday.

“I can’t, son,” he sat back next to me. “Because there’s something you need to know,” he turned and looked me in the eye.

“After you left I called in some debts. I knew that the sick bastard who did this, wouldn’t keep his mouth shut for long,” he said, and my eyes went wide as saucers. “My friend waved me about a month after you left and said that hwoon dahn was in a poker game bragging about how he buried a little girl outside of Piker’s Mine outside of Sadiesville and that he told the father to dig her up by Green’s Creek.”

“You,” I couldn’t breath and my tears fell hot against my face. “You found her?” I finally said and he gave me a nod.

“It took me five days and four pairs of extra hands to find her, but I found her,” he said his voice sounded raw. I closed my eyes. “I found her and I brought her home, son.”

He looked at me with haunted eyes, “I never wanted to meet my granddaughter that way, Jayne.” he broke down and cried. I put my arms around him.

For the first time I felt his pain as I felt my own. When I didn’t find Ruby in the bottom of the ditch I dug I was in despair, but I also was relieved because I knew if I saw her….If I saw her, I wouldn’t have come back from it. The fact that Bishop sought that…horror out, to see her properly buried…that touched me.

“You didn’t have to,” I said and he shook his head.

“Yeah I did,” he said. “You’re my boy, she wasn’t just your baby. She was mine,” he nodded. “And she’s here, you know. Every once in awhile if you listen really hard. You can hear her signing.” his arm was around my shoulders and I wiped away fresh tears.

I took a deep breath and looked at him, “Thanks Pa,” I said and he smiled.

Zoe:

They were back forty five minutes later, in tact and I was thankful.

Jayne and Bishop were actually smiling and talking when they walked through the door. The first thing Jayne did when he came back was to hug and kiss his Mama, which through her back into hysterics. Then he came to me.

“I’m sorry,” I began and he kissed me.

“It doesn’t matter, I love you,” he said and I nodded.

After that Beverly and I went back into the kitchen to cook up some lunch. While Bishop, Jayne, and a sobered up Matty went into the living to catch up and talk. Bishop was telling Jayne and Matty stories of his father when the doorbell rang. Beverly answered the door, and it was Old Earl.

“What the Hell is all that rickety racket I hear in here!” He said grumpily as he walked through the door. He saw me and he looked me up and down again. “You still here?” he asked and Beverly rolled her eyes.

“How did you get here, Pa? You shouldn’t have walked from town on your own,” Beverly scolded her Pa and he grumbled.

“Ain’t here by myself. That Core bred hwoon dahn your moon brained niece married brought us here!”

“Us?” Beverly asked.

“Booth is not a bastard, Grandpa,” Mary said, from behind him she was carrying a large chocolate sheet cake. Mary kissed Beverly on the cheek before heading off to the kitchen. Beverly settled her father in with Jayne, Matty, and Bishop.

Old Earl looked at Bishop and then at Jayne and shook his head, “So does the dumb one know now?” he asked Matty. Matty laughed.

“My son is not dumb and yes he knows!” Beverly said, rolling her eyes.

“Good,” he nodded at her. “Well. All is right, then.” he said and then looked at Jayne with a big smile. A smile that spoke of relief of a burden he’d been carrying all of Jayne’s life. “I‘m happy your home, son,” he said and then he took Jayne’s hand, shook it, and smiled. They hugged.

Everyone looked at the both of them shocked and then Beverly began to laugh, they all joined in even Earl and I shook my head, happy for them and happy for myself that I met them.

After a few minutes, I was back in the kitchen helping, Jayne came to me, wrapping his arm around me and whispered in my ear, “That was the first time Earl has ever said anything nice to me.”

“Well then I guess it’s a blessing,” I smiled up at him.

“You’re a blessing,” he whispered and I blushed.

Went spent the rest of the afternoon eating, smiling, joking, and laughing, before we made our tearful goodbyes and headed back to Serenity. To our other home and family.

~

Jayne:

We got back to Serenity about nightfall. Everyone greeted us happily at the airlock. Mal even mentioned the fact that we were on time. Before he told us that he had manage to get us another transporting job on Persephone and it was going to take us more than a week to get there. I was glad because I needed a week to unwind with my woman.

I smiled at Zoe as I watched her unpack. We were in her bunk, and there were pictures of her and Wash everywhere I turned and I kind of felt like I was intruding. I picked up the picture that was by her bed of her and Wash. It had been face down on the night table.

“Sometimes, he gets noisy,” she said and I smiled.

“Yeah, I bet he’s not nearly as noisy as Vera, why do you think I locked her in that box,” I grinned and she wrapped her arms around my waist. I put my free hand through her hair.

“Well I can understand why she’s noisy,” she grinned kissing my bottom lip briefly before pulling away.

“Why?” I asked her trying to recapture her lips with mine, but she felt like teasing.

“Cause Jayne Cobb Bishop you are as thick as a board,” she laughed and I hunched my shoulders and laughed, too.

“I can’t help it,” I pouted and she grinned, evilly, sliding her hand down into my pants and around my man parts. I gasped.

“You lucky thick is how I like you,” she whispered hotly in my ear as she stroked me. I groaned, putting the picture of her and Wash face down where I found it. She opened my pants and sat down on the bed. Time stopped when she slipped me inside of her mouth. I put my head back and moaned as my hands buried themselves in her hair.

“You owe me big time, Jayne,” I could have sworn I heard Wash whisper behind me by the latter.

“Yes I do,” I whispered back. And I really, really did mean it.

The end.

Author's note:

Thank you all for the feedback. I have a great idea for the next story in the series and it seems like it's going to be EPIC so stay tuned. Love you all! ~Lani