TITLE: "TRUSTING"

AUTHOR: Alison M. DOBELL

FANDOM: "FIREFLY"

PAIRING: Jayne

RATING: G.

STATUS: SEQUEL to "TOUCHING"

ARCHIVE: Yes. Just let me know where.

FEEDBACK: Welcomed.

EMAIL: AlisonMDobell@aol.com

WEBSITE: http://carlajane.50megs.com/Ali00.html

SUMMARY: "Jayne reflects as the winding up of the job

brings him full circle."

The usual disclaimers apply. The characters and 'Firefly'

are the property and gift of Joss Whedon and Mutant Enemy.

No infringement of copyright is intended.

"TRUSTING"

"Firefly" story

Written by Alison M. DOBELL

* * * * *

"Why didn't you betray me, Jayne?"

The mercenary pauses a beat. Watching the Captain and knowing bluffing won't do it. Somehow he knows Mal would just see through him. "Money wasn't good enough."

The Captain looks away from the controls to meet Jayne's eyes. "What happens when it is?"

A far away look drifts through Jayne's eyes but he is still looking at Mal. Still in the Here and Now. Calculating. "Well... that'll be an interestin' day."

It should not have been reassuring but somehow it is. The Captain relaxes and lets the man go. He knows there are times when Zoe really can't understand why he kept the mercenary but she trusts him so goes along with it, one wary eye on the big man just in case. Over time that eye has drifted. They have got comfortable around him and that's just the way Jayne likes it. Then came Ariel and everything shifted again. Mal took care of it. Almost spaced the big lug for what he did but when Jayne had begged him to make up something and not tell the others what he did, something in the Captain hoped it pointed to a road back. Rocky maybe but leading away from that damnable abyss. So Mal had relented and let the man live. Even kept him aboard his boat, seeing in Jayne the sharp ruthless tool he would sometimes need out in the Black yet even more conscious of the need to be careful around him. Never