Archangel – Chapter Seven

Author owns no rights to Firefly, and no copyright infringement is intended

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Jayne was packing when there was a timid knock at his door. He opened it, not quite surprised to see Kaylee there.

“Hi, Kaylee. What’s up?”

“Can I come in?” Kaylee asked, and Jayne nodded. She descended into his room, and let the hatch close behind her.

“Might not be a good idea,” Jayne snorted. “Mal and Zoe might think I’m attackin’ ya, or some such.”

“I ain’t worried ‘bout them,” she waved a hand. “You, I’m worried ‘bout.”

“Me?” Jayne was puzzled. “I ain’t done nothin’. . .”

“That ain’t what I mean!” Kaylee stamped her foot on the floor. “I mean I’m worried about you.”

“I’m fine, Kaylee,” Jayne assured her. It was awfully close in here, Jayne thought to himself. And ai ya but she smelled good. Like fresh fruit on a summer day.

“No, you ain’t,” she told him flatly. “You’re leavin’, and that ain’t right, Jayne.”

“It don’t mean nothin’s wrong with me, Kaylee,” Jayne smiled. “Just time for me to move on, s’all.”

“I don’t want you to go,” Kaylee said plainly. “We need you, here, Jayne.” She looked him directly in the eyes, never flinching. Jayne suddenly found it hard to breathe. Was it really that hot in here?

“Kaylee, I need to be somewhere else,” he forced out, almost gasping. “Been here too long. Mal and Zoe, they don’t want me here, and I done run outta patience. That’s a bad thing, Kaylee,” he told her pointedly.

“It don’t make you a bad man, Jayne,” Kaylee insisted. “We need you. If you go, then Mal will have to hire another gun hand, Jayne. He can’t be without one, the kinda jobs he’s like to take on. He’ll hire someone new. Someone ain’t as good as you, someone we can’t trust. Someone ain’t family.”

“Kaylee, he don’t trust me,” Jayne resisted the urge to laugh. “And I ain’t family. Not to any of them, even if I am to you.” He wanted to look away, to avoid her pleading gaze, but found he couldn’t. Dammit this ain’t fair! he raged inwardly.

“Ain’t I eno