A Jayne Fic Part 7.1- A Captain Shouldn't Always Trust his Instincts The crew of the good ship Serenity were having a double celebration the first because it was River's 18th birthday and the second was the completion of a high paying job, without any injuries, setbacks or double-crossing. Needless to say everyone was in high spirits. River was enjoying her new found adulthood, hoping that this would convince people to start taking her more seriously. Mal was calm knowing tomorrow promised an easy drop off. Saying goodnight to his crew Mal informed a slightly inebriated Jayne that he would only take Zoe tomorrow, granting the mercenary a rare and welcome sleep in.

It was still early in the morning when Jayne hear Mal and Zoe take the Mule into town. Stirring the mercenary looked down at the sleeping form lying on his chest, moving slowly Jayne rose, trying hard not to wake the sleeping Abbey. ********************* "Sir, do you see that?" Zoe gestured uneasily to the bar. "I surely do, are we sure it's him?" Mal frowned at the site at the bar. There was a hulking, muscular pair of broad shoulders, which Mal recognised almost instantly as Jayne's. The broad shoulders were attached to a pair of arms, each wrapped around a buxom blonde's waist. "Sir can I hit him?" Zoe looked over to where the familiar back of Jayne Cobb stood by the bar. "No Zoe, we got a drop to make, once the job's done- then you can get in line." Mal growled. To cement the situation he heard one of the whores exclaim "Oh, Mr Cobb." As she and her friend were ushered out the door. "I'm gonna kill him." Zoe said gritting her teeth.

Jayne was working out to the sounds of River, Kaylee and Abbey playing a loud game of chasee. He put the weights down when he saw Mal and Zoe drive the Mule in, looking like they'd both been bit by rattle-snakes. "Jayne!" Mal yelled, shocked at Mal's tone the three women stopped their antics immediately. Zoe didn't even bother with a warning, within seconds she had moved to stand in front of Jayne, and completely shocked the onlookers by landing a vicious right hook to his jaw. Jayne flinched but didn't hit the woman, instead he let fly with a string of curses. "What the ruttin' hell did I do Mal?" He yelled rubbing at his jaw. He was answered by Mal coming at him with a wrench that Kaylee had left lying around. "I told you no more screw ups- what were doing in town this morning?!" He held Jayne by the collar, raising the wrench. Not registering the tugs on his arm by Abbey.

"MAL!" It was Inara's shout from the entrance to the cargo bay that made him pause. "Mal you'll kill him, stop. Zoe what on earth were you thinking? Standing by like that?" The companion looked disgusted at both of them. Abbey just looked pale and scared. Everyone else looked on in shock at what seemed to be Mal and Zoe's insanity. "He was in town, with some whores this morning- even with a willing woman in his bunk he's still not happy." Zoe spat, ready to hit Jayne again if he so much as tried to deny it. "That can't be, Zoe- you're wrong." Abbey's eyes grew wide and she stared in fear at the woman she had come to trust. She and Zoe shared a look, one that warned Zoe off. Abbey wasn't lying to cover for Jayne, she honestly believed that Zoe and Mal had been mistaken.

"Anyone else want to cover for him?" Mal glared at Jayne, unable to believe that Abbey wasn't telling the truth. "I sat next to him at breakfast." Simon spoke up, hesitantly he knew the mistake it was to speak against Captain Malcolm Reynolds, and between he and Jayne there was no love lost on either side, but he couldn't stand there and watch this go on. Inara moved to stand between Mal and Jayne. "Mal, please we all spoke to him this morning, he and Abbey came down together, we had breakfast. He and Simon debated about what they were going to do with their share of the money. Simon and I cleared the table, Jayne went to work out and the others have been playing. Now please be sensible." The companion, though visibly shaken stood toe to toe with Mal as Simon's doctorly instincts took over and he went to examine the extent of Jayne's injuries. Mal and Zoe stood rooted to the spot, unable to believe that they could have been so wrong.

Mal spent the remainder of the morning in town, looking for another job. Not wanting to go back to a crew that looked at him the way they had looked at River after she took out the room full of Reavers at Mr Universe's. Zoe spent the morning in her bunk, she told her self she was doing weapon's maintenance but in reality she just couldn't bare to face the looks that Abbey was giving her. Neither of them could come to terms with the thought of having to apologise to Jayne.