Part 2 of 3 : The job

The day of the job had finally arrived. Mal pulled Jayne aside at breakfast and had a serious chat with him. Mal had decided that everyone needed to go along on the job. “Jayne, I trust your judgement and your knowledge of the man we are dealing with. Before you start protest’n again, I would like to remind you that I am captain of Serenity. I talked to him last night to confirm that we were still on for the job today and he sounded a little funny. He insisted that the entire crew tag along. Just in case anything should happen, I want you to stay close to the ladies. Inara and Zoe have no trouble, could handle things themselves just fine, but I’m not so sure about River and Adreana. Adreana seems to be coming along with the knives and all, but throwing knives at a target is something completely different to throwing them at a man’s head.” In a way, it made sense for Jayne that the women also went along. Because what if they left them alone on the ship and couldn’t get back to them in time…

“Trust me Mal. I won’t let anythin’ happen to them.” Mal had never heard Jayne sound so convicted in all his time with him. Mal wondered why, but didn’t have time to ask. Just as he opened his mouth Wash came hurrying in and reminded them that they had to be at the rendezvous point in less than half an hour and that the ship wasn’t even planet side yet.

Jayne had become accustomed to Adreana’s presence on the ship. Even when she and River would play hide and seek to pass the time while Adreana waited for results on some test on River’s medication, he would tolerate them running around the ship. Hell, he even enjoyed it. Hearing laughter…joyful laughter. Adreana even caught him smiling a few times. She had asked him to join them once, but he declined with a snort and walked away. River had a field day with that one.

Mal had told everyone to go to bed early and get enough rest. Kaylee had borrowed one of Adreana’s books and was returning it when Simon called her to help with some last stock taki