This is my first. Any and all comments are welcomed. (be gentle! :-)

From the mind of Jayne Cobb

She is the only woman he’s ever been afraid of.

From the first day they met…rather, the first day he’d tried to hold her and Mal up he’s had a fascination with her. Tall, lookin him right in the eyes and that wild hair, like a mane. She was like a statue. An ass kickin statue with a great set of legs. He didn’t think about bedding her, like he usually did when coming across a woman. He thought, now there’s a girl who could kick my ass, and I’d like it. Never could he understand the bond between her and Mal, nor what she saw in that loopy pilot, but he marveled at her just the same.

And it did something to him, seeing her like this.

Ever since her husband died cuz of ‘em gorram reavers, she aint been the same. Wonderin’ round the ship at all hours, spacing out at the table (even when he said somethin’ stupid), and worse, almost getting herself killed on their last job. Their last measly job. Like she had a death wish or somethin’. He just couldn’t understand.

She was worse than River, who was no help cuz she was actin’ like Wash was somewhere still ‘round the ship. Freaked him out.

Mal was at his wits end, which wasn’t that far of a journey, heh. He needed all the help he could get and Zoe wasn’t givin. And whenever Mal asked him for help, he felt as if he was overstepping some boundary; as if he was fulfilling the duties only Zoe could and should. Everyone else seemed to be forcing themselves to move on. Kaylee and Simon were at it like rabbits. Inara was hardly ever around, busy with her whorin’ or whatever. That crazy girl mostly took over the piloting, unsettlingly enough. Mal was scouring the ‘verse for work and worrying about his first mate, who was oblivious to all. And there was him. He missed Book. The man didn’t have sex, but he knew a bunch about other stuff. Spotted him when he lifted weights. One of the only members of the crew who didn’t make him fee