Ursa Major, Ursa Minor

Chapter Thirteen:

Simon made a disparaging remark about Jayne’s home planet once Serenity was in orbit. For his trouble, he got slapped upside the back of his head by Kaylee and the girl hadn’t spoken to him since. River shook her head at her brother’s chronic podiatry and oral problem. There were times when she wondered if he’d ever get his foot removed from his mouth.

“We got clearance yet?” Mal asked from above River’s shoulder.

She shifted in her chair. “Just now, Cap’n. We’ll be setting down in a town called Harmony.”

Mal made his ‘approval’ face and nodded. “Good,” he said. He clapped her on the shoulder and resisted the urge to ruffle up her already tangled hair. “Com me when we’re about to make land.”

He trotted off to find Inara.

River watched him leave with half an eye and busied herself with navigation—that dream she had just three nights ago was still quite fresh in her mind. Just sitting in the pilot’s seat was enough to make her body tremble at the feel of it—how gorram real it was.

Several times since then she nearly asked Jayne what he’d done to her. He would invariably get defensive if she did ask him—then shut her out for the rest of their trip to Kerry. So River kept her lip buttoned and just remembered.

Warm hands gliding across muscle and catching slightly on fabric. A mouth that makes someone believe in God tracing patterns against skin. A tongue that confirms everything thrusting past inexperienced lips to tease the palate.

River shivered involuntarily and swallowed her moan.

So very real…

*

Mal was the first one off ship when they landed. Unlike Persephone, Kerry was in the beginning of its fall season and a crisp breeze blew the captain’s hair about. Behind him, he heard Jayne’s boots shuffle on the deck as he walked with leaden feet to join his captain.

“So,” Mal clapped his hands together and promptly jammed them down into the pockets of his coat, “who we seein’ first?”

Jayne just pointed.

Across the shipyard was a girl no older than Kaylee with hay-colored hair and Cobb-colored eyes. She shared Jayne’s nose.

“Jayne Ulysses Cobb, is that you?” she shouted and stomped toward Serenity. The box of fresh tomatoes she’d been carrying dropped to the dirt and she broke into a run.

With the crew behind him, Jayne let his mei mei hug the living daylights out of him.

“Hey, Katie,” he mumbled into her scalp.

The girls all smiled at this.

Katie hugged her ge ge one second longer and then punched him as hard as she could right in the jaw. “The hell you think you’re doin', waiting so goram long to come back home?”

The boys all grinned and Kaylee looked like someone just told her that strawberries were extinct.

“Ow!” Jayne shouted and clapped a hand on his smarting face. “Jesus, Katie!”

Katie Cobb waved a hand at him. “That’s nothin’ and you know it. We best get to the house ‘fore Ma’s radar goes off and she comes here to give you a matchin’ side. You show up sooner an’ she’ll probably go easy on ya.”

She ran back to her tomatoes. “Got a wagon just up the street here with Matty waitin’ on me. Ya’ll best follow.”

Sullen, Jayne lifted his duffle and followed his sister to the wagon with the near-chortling crew of Serenity at his back. The only one not laughing was River. She quietly walked alongside Jayne and slid her skinny arm around his back as far as it would go. He took comfort in her touch.

Katie glanced back at everyone and snorted—sounding exactly like her brother. “I’ll let the prodigal son here make introductions when we’re all back at the house. Man hates repeatin’ hisself.”

They reached the wagon (hitched up to a lovely old sorrel horse and a frisky-looking paint) and Jayne once again picked River up by the waist (as if she weighed about as much as a feather) to set her in the back. His little brother stopped him.

“What in the depths of hell do you think you’re doin’? This wagon got ‘free rides’ painted on the side?”

“I see where he gets it now,” Simon whispered in Kaylee’s ear.

“Matty!” Katie snapped. She dumped her burden and River found herself beside the tomatoes in seconds. She blinked in surprise and quietly watched the ensuing conversation—her mind half-overloading on stimuli.

“Matty, show yer big brother some respect or I’ll pop you one.”

Jayne shot his sister a look that starkly reminded Simon of River. It was the “you’re-a-gorram-hypocrite” face.

Matty looked a bit more like his brother now that he was turned around—though his hair was longer and curled wildly atop his head in a way that made everyone take a second look at Jayne.

He ignored it all like a pro and set to helping Zoë up into the wagon with River.

“Jayne? Oh, Ma’s gonna hit you so hard...” Matty teased. The grin he gave rivaled his brother’s teasing smile.

“Bi zui,” Jayne groused.

Mal and Simon hopped up without his help and aided their own ladies on the wagon. Jayne resigned himself to walking as they filled all the space in and Katie took the reins from Matty.

“I’m serious,” Matty continued, “she’s gonna be right sore you didn’t write ‘fore you decided to drop in. I mean, no warnin’ to clean up the house or nothin’… She’s gonna make the back of your scalp come off.”

“Matty, shut up,” Jayne growled.

“No warnin’ to make up the guest rooms or start supper. You are in big trouble, ge ge.”

“Matty, I’m warnin’ you. I count to five an’ yer still talkin’ and yer gonna be talkin’ out the side of yer mouth!” Jayne yelped.

Matty grinned again and mimed zipping his lip.

Mal stifled the urge to giggle like a five year old girl and buried his shaking face into Inara’s hair.

*

The Cobb’s owned a horse ranch just outside of town and it wasn’t anything that anyone on crew had expected.

The house was huge, the land was bigger, and at least sixty head of horses dotted the fields. Jayne’s mother was seated on a porch swing with a Bull Mastiff half in her lap. As soon as the wagon entered the gated perimeter, the dog’s massive head lifted from his owner’s lap and he let out a deep, braying bark.

Ma Cobb stood from her swing and absently thumped the dog lovingly on his side. She squinted out at the wagon full of people (not what she sent Katie to the market for) and then shouted wordlessly.

Followed by: “JAYNE ULYSSES COBB!”

For a woman in her early sixties, she could move fast. She ran barefoot across the yard and launched herself at her son. Jayne caught her and lifted her completely off the ground.

“Hey, Ma.”

She let him go, slapped him hard against the back of his head, and turned to greet her guests with a familiar grin.

“Cap’n Reynolds, Miss Inara, Ms. Zoë, Little Kaylee… Good to finally put faces to the names,” she smiled and turned the Tams. “And you two must be Simon and River.”

Simon looked infinitely intimidated, but River just smiled and nodded. “We are,” she said.

Ma Cobb nodded. “My son says good things ‘bout ya’ll. Too bad he didn’t write none about ya’ll comin’ fer a visit,” she added accusingly. “The name’s Jane Cobb, but seein’ as how that’ll be confusin’ while you visit, everyone’s to call me ‘Ma.’ The two you rode in with are my youngest, Katie and Matty. My other progeny, Jenny, Carl, and Amber have all grown up and married—so they ain't in the house.”

There was a distinct glint in Ma Cobb's eye as she looked at Jayne.

Mal leaned towards his first mate and his ai ren and stage whispered, “Jane?! Jayne’s named after his ma…” he snorted.

Both women gave him frigid looks.

“Now!” Ma Cobb clapped her hands together. “Everyone get inside and I’ll get supper on. Jayne, yer helpin’.”

The large group clambered inside the house and followed Jayne’s lead as he removed his boots at the door. River could barely hold in her delight at being able to run around barefoot.

*

“What’s the matter, boy?”

Jayne looked up from potatoes he was mashing. “Huh?”

Ma Cobb slapped him against the back of his head again. “What the hell is wrong with you? Why’d you drop by unannounced?”

Jayne rubbed his head. “Some scary fellas are after the girl, Ma. Home was the safest place I could think up to keep her safe.”

She glanced sideways at her son. “You got a big ole soft spot fer that gal, don’tcha?”

Jayne stopped mashing but didn’t deny it. He could never lie to his mother.

“’Spectin’ a fight, son?”

“Big one.”

“Thought as much.”

The sounds of laughter issued from the dining room—contrasting sharply with the thoughtful silence in the kitchen.


TBC