VIOLENT HEART by DesertDragon

Chapter 2: "Never Bet the Devil Your Head."

1.

Kaylee stood in the hull, arguing with Mal. He was about to shut the ramp himself just to be stubborn; just to show his mechanic that Jayne and Jayne's business weren't no never mind of theirs at the present moment. But he just stood, arms crossed and jaw set, getting her more riled up than she already was. The heat in the cargo bounced off the walls and escaped into the overcast night, but she was already sweating.

"We are NOT leavin' him here!"

"No. We won't leave him." Mal turned and began to walk up the bridge, half turned, and glanced at her from under furrowed brows. "At least, not yet."

"Mal!"

"Get to working, Kaylee." And he disappeared up the stairs and out of sight.

Hmph. 'At least not yet'. What the rutting hell was that supposed to mean?? She leaned back on a heavy cargo crate and stared hard at the floor. She had seen them - Jayne and the Captain - arguing at the bar before they had left. Or rather Jayne was going on, explainin' something quite heatedly, and Mal had listened closely, a growing frown on his face.

And neither one of them were forth coming to her with any of it. Jayne was suspicious about being followed - she was sure of that now - and now he was gone.

Was Mal so sure that he wasn't missing or in any danger?? She wasn't. And she didn't think Mal was convinced either. He was just looking out for the rest of the crew. Jayne must've really done something recently to have pissed Mal off to earn this kind of non-concern. Her bet was that if it hadn't been for the extreme temperature, he would've closed the bay doors and not thought twice. Maybe.

She realized she was chewing awfully hard on a fingernail, and forced herself to stop. She stared blindly at the large bag with the ship parts in it that she had been lugging around all night. Her sudden concern for Jayne didn't seem to enlighten the Captain any. But it certainly enlightened her. Here was a man who usually seems so dis