Chapter 15

Jayne came up behind Maggie and kissed her on the neck, He didn’t see Wash coming down from the bridge, but Wash saw the look Maggie gave Jayne before she yelled at him.

“Jayne, stop it” Maggie brandished a long cooking fork “I’ll burn dinner if you don’t leave me alone.” Jayne backed off leering at her “Just wanted a little taste.” What Mal can not see from the doorway is the grin Maggie gave Jayne. The captain watched Jayne as he lumbered off saying “You won’t always have that fork to hide behind, girl.”

Heading down to the cargo hold to find Jayne, Mal made up his mind. “Jayne, we gotta talk” Jayne looked up from the weight bench “Shoot.”

Mal looked him in the eye “When you came on board I told you crew was off limits, right?”

Jayne didn't stop lifting and grunted “Yeah”

“So how come I seen you bothering Maggie just now?”

“She ain’t crew.” Jayne said out loud, he cursed himself for that little stunt in the kitchen.

“Close enough, Jayne, leave her alone.” Mal turned to leave.

“Not gonna do that Captain.” Jayne stopped lifting and sat up.

Mal stopped in his tracks and turned to face Jayne “What did you just say?”

Jayne stood up “Said no Captain, not going to leave her alone.” He was sure Mal was going to kill him, with the look he just got.

“It’s an order Jayne.”

“Don’t care, not gonna do it.” He backed up as Mal advanced on him.

Mal can not believe that Jayne has not back down yet. “Why not?”

“I like her, she’s special.” Jayne kept backing up as Mal came forward.

“She is off limits, just like the rest of the women on this boat!”

“Yeah, you tell the Doctor that? Seem you don’t mind him sniffing around Kaylee.”

“I’ll mind the Doc, you just stay away from Maggie – You hear me!”

“I hear you, still not gonna do it.”

“You disobeying a direct order Jayne?”

“Guess so.” Jayne can not believe it has come to this, but he is not giving her up.

Mal just looked at him for awhile before he made up his mind “Boat takes off in 10 minutes, I don’t expect you to be on it.” With that