Title: That Which Shapes A Man

Chapter Four: A Rough Road to Follow

Author: hisgoodgirl

Disclaimer: All belongs to Joss. Just one woman’s take on the story. No money exchanged and all that.

Rating: PG-15 for strong language

Characters: Jayne, Kaylee, Crew, ofc, omc

Pairing: Jayne/Kaylee in some chapters

Setting: Just prior to "Those Left behind"; also, twenty-six years previously.

Word Count: 2,374; chapter four of thirteen

A/N: From the first time I watched Firefly, I wondered what circumstances might have shaped the character of Jayne Cobb, an exceptionally complex man. The given name "Jayne" was a common variant of "John" in Victorian England. This story emerged from the questions I asked.

Thanks to my excellent beta ArtemisPrime for making me dig deep and to my dear friend Kristy Bartley, Ph.D., psychologist and therapist, who introduced me to the amazing work on intergenerational family dynamics done by Dr. Terrance Real and gave me insights into the forces that might have created the character we see.

Italics indicate internal dialogue, emphasis or Chinese.

To read previous chapters, click on my name above.

Questions, thoughts and comments are sincerely appreciated. Thanks!

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That Which Shapes A Man

Chapter Four: A Rough Road to Follow

Jared Corrigan is the middle son of Annalee’s younger brother, Graham. Out on his own for several years, he and a couple of buddies share a cabin in the hills above Ironton. He’s led his family to believe that he makes his living at spare jobs, and in fact, he does. Had Annalee known the true nature of her nephew’s inclinations, chances are good she’d have sent Jayne somewhere else.

Late that night, Jayne shows up, cold and tired. Jared’s initially hesitant to let him stay. Things are sometimes tight and the last thing they need is some dead-weight kid, cousin or no. “You’ll have to pull yer own weight,” Jared tells him,