CHAPTER 2

Jayne sat outside Serenity enjoying the nice cool breeze and an after dinner cigar. This is the first time in years he felt happy to be back home. Jayne got up from the cold steel of the platform where he was sitting and started to walk up. He heard the footsteps of a galloping horse and turned to greet the passer by. “Well if it ain’t the amazing Jayne Cobb, the Prodical Son has returned.” Jayne smiled when he noticed it was his childhood friend. Then he noticed she had a gun pointed right at him and quickly went to draw his out. “That won’t be necessary, put the gun down.” The tall woman stepped off the horse and came towards Jayne as he lowered his gun to his side. “Will….” Before the words escaped from his lips he was down on the cold metal with a loud thud, blood dripped from the corner of his lips. “Is there a reason why my strongman is on the ground and your still alive?” Mal appeared on top of the catwalk with a shotgun aimed at the red head. “Its okay Mal, I got this, I can take care of myself.” Jayne slowly got up to dust himself off and wipe the blood from his mouth. “Willow Skylor, You still alive?” The tall red head just looked straight through the rim of her hat and aimed her gun again at Jayne. “What are you doing here? You think I’m just going to forgive you for disappearing for twelve years?” Willow tried to wipe the falling tears away from her green eyes but they seemed to be falling faster than she can wipe. Jaynes heart felt heavy, he started to walk slowly to the crying woman. Jayne grabbed the gun and threw it on the ground, Willow fell into his arms and let out the biggest sob she held onto for quite some time. “So, everything’s shinny?” the captain put his gun down and walk off the catwalk to give the two sometime for themselves.

“So, Jayne got his ass kicked by a girl, again, why do I keep missing these things?” Wash joked as the crew assembled in the ship’s dinningroom. “Everyone, This is Willow Skylor, the woman who made me the man I am today.” The crew made their way to greet her like any family would, but Willow felt as though she didn’t belong, something she has felt for a long time now. “I’m sorry, I gatta…um. Go.” Willow felt her tears coming again and she didn’t want anyone to see her cry. The beautiful green-eyed woman ran past the crew, Jayne right behind her. Inara stopped him “This is something that us women can handle.” Inara assured Jayne and quickly ran out to catch up to Willow. “Hey, you don’t have to be afraid. We don’t bite.” Inara yelled out as she caught up to Willow who was mounting her horse. “Its not you. Believe me, I thought I would be able to forgive him after all these years. Its just too hard.” Inara grabbed the horse’s rains and stared at Willow. “What did Jayne do to you, I promise I won’t say anything to the others.” Inara’s eyes were filled with intense compassion. “I…I can’t say. If he found out it would kill him.” Willow got down from the horse for she was shaking a lot worse now than when she was on the ship. Inara walked up to Willow and put her arm around her shoulder. “Its all right, You just let it all out.” Inara hugged the crying woman with, as much love she could muster up, but still felt it wasn’t enough.

The crying stopped after a few moments, Inara felt the pain was subsiding. “Now. Tell me, what’s the matter? I promise I won’t tell Jayne.” Willow took a step back and cleaned her face off with a sleeve of her tanned Swede coat. Inara handed her a white cloth. “They have our daughter.” Inara’s eyes widened, the fear suddenly became clear. “Who? Who has your daughter?” A sudden chill blew over the two woman’s bodies, Willow slightly noticing but Inara crossed her arms for warmth. “The Alliance, Jayne must not know it’ll….” Willow’s words choked up in her throat at the site of Jayne coming down the platform. “Is this why you came here? Is this why you had a gun pointed at my head? Cuz you thought it was my fault.?” Inara tried to step in between Jayne but he just kept walking. Jayne’s eyes burning with fury at what he just learned. “Jayne this isn’t a good time for this.” Inara insisted but Jayne didn’t listen. “Jayne, I…ah…” Willow swallowed hard but the bile stuck to the back of her throat. “I came here for help.” Inara ran back to the ship for help, fear ran down her spine. She knew that there was nothing to stop Jayne when he was mad. “I left you here for your own safety. You’re father would have killed us both. You know that” His eyes were intense, his lips, though quivering, were tight and made a straight line. “Jayne! The Alliance has our daughter, they took her…Their using her body for experiments.” Jayne fell to his knees, his head in his hands. “I’m so…so sorry Jayne I tried to fight back but…” “Why didn’t you tell me I had a kid?” As the question came out he had already knew the answer. Jayne couldn’t remember the last time he had cried so hard, even though he felt it was a sign of weakness but he didn’t care at this point. For all he knew, his world has already crashed down over him and there was nothing he or anyone could do.