Godmothers and mercenaries

Zoe was relaxing at the table with a nice cup of coffee and her gun. There was nothing like a good gun cleaning to dull the nerves in her book.

She hated having nothing to do. It was the worst. Just sitting there…waiting…no purpose…wasting time…she hated it. Their contact wouldn't land for another night, which meant taking the night off. She didn't like the idleness that accompanied time off. Now if it was a vacation that was different. This was just waiting. The place was too gorram quiet too. Simon and Kaylee took Ricky out for a walk and some real food. She loved the noise a kid brought to the ship. Without him, it was empty. Sure there was Belle, but she was quieter than Ricky was unless she was crying. It would be great to have another baby, although she didn't know how much more work they could take. They had no children aboard and now they were about to have three.

"Zoe!" River called as she came floating in the room gracefully with Belle in one arm and Mal bounding in behind her being dragged by her free hand.

"Yes?" Zoe asked.

"Could you watch Belle for awhile?" River asked.

"Sure."

River smiled and put Belle in the highchair. "Thank you Zoe! We owe you. Be good for Zoe. She's your godmother."

Before Mal could thank Zoe, River was kissing him and pushing him towards their bunk.

"Woman! We…aren't…even…in…our…bunk…yet!" Mal cried in between kisses.

"You're going too slowly!"

River leapt up with her arms around his neck and her legs wrapped around him as they clumsily staggered to the hatch to their bunk. Zoe shook her head and held her hand up in front of Belle's eyes as they somehow amazingly got down their ladder. His suspenders were already down before they disappeared from view.

A pang of sadness struck Zoe like it sometimes did. She sighed, remembering Wash fondly. She still found herself occasionally saying things in her head like, "I miss you, baby" or "Gorram, you should of seen this, husband!"

She smiled as she pictured his reaction to discovering that Mal was married to River and had a daughter. It would have been something like, "Wo de ma! Mal and RIVER? And parents? Ai ya!" Then he would have made a joke about Mal being a father or some hysterical reference to YoSafBridge.

"Ya look like yer off someplace," Jayne's gruff voice startled her from her daydream.

"Just thinkin' is all."

"Hey Crazy's squirt," Jayne said roughly to Belle before grabbing the back of the chair across from Zoe and sitting down. Crazy's squirt was her nickname since he already called Ricky squirt.

"So, why are ya watchin' her?"

"Mal and River are in their bunk…" Zoe explained.

"Oh so you're watchin' her while they're off se-"

"Jayne! There's a baby in the room!"

"So? She'll find out eventually!"

"She's not even one yet!"

"So?"

Zoe rolled her eyes and sat Belle in her lap. She reached up and pulled on the leather string around her neck.

"She likes you," Jayne commented.

"She likes everyone…except you."

"Hey! I bet that ain't true!"

"Wanna make it interestin'?"

"What do ya got in mind?"

"If I'm right and she don't like you, you have to take over garbage duty for a month."

"Okay, okay. If'n she do like me, you have to hit the bars with me one night and have a drinkin' contest."

"I don't think the captain would much like us showin' up drunk again after the last few times."

"I thought you don't get drunk."

"Fine. You're on."

"How's we gonna tell? We can't just ask."

"You're gonna hold her."

"Mal ain't gonna be happy with you handin' his daughter to me."

"Just 'cause he don't trust you with her don't mean that I don't too. 'Sides it's just for a second or two."

"'Kay, but if I hold her wrong it ain't my fault. It's yers."

"You won't. Just make sure not to drop her or hold her too tight."

She walked around the table and cautiously let him take Belle. He held her out in front of him. They stared each other down. Belle looked over at Zoe and reached for her right before she started to cry. Zoe smiled triumphantly and took Belle back. Once in Zoe's arms, she stopped crying instantly and clung to her shirt with a smile.

"That don't prove anything!" Jayne argued.

"Hey, you saw what happened."

"So?"

"So? The child reached for me and started cryin' when you were holdin' her and stopped the instant she was back with me!"

"Maybe she just likes you better, not necessarily…not…likin' me."

"Wow. You're great with words."

"I know."

Zoe sighed. "That was sarcasm, Jayne."

"I knew that."

"Sure you did."

Jayne nodded.

"That was sarcasm too."

"I knew that too."

Zoe rolled her eyes and started to play with Belle.

"Just 'cause she wanted you don't mean anything. That don't prove nothin'."

"We'll ask River. She'll know."

"Crazy?" Jayne snorted.

"She's a reader and Belle's mama. She'll know how Belle feels about you."

"Ya got a point. Okay. Crazy will be the decidin' vote. 'Till then, wanna play cards?"

They played cards while Belle played with a pair of chopsticks. River emerged a bit later.

"River," Zoe said while she flew past her to grab something from the kitchen.

"Yes?"

"Does Belle like Jayne?"

"Not at all. He scares her. Mommy will be back soon."

River kissed Belle and then returned to her bunk with a bowl of fruit. Zoe didn't want to think too much on that. So, she turned to Jayne with a smile.

"Gorramit!"

"Jayne, language."

"What 'bout it?"

Zoe shook her head, still surprised at how dumb he could be.

"I'll do the garbage, but…" he paused and looked at her with a faint smile. "Are you still up for that drinkin' contest?"

"You know I am."

They smiled and went back to playing cards. Belle grabbed one and started to chew on it.

"Do you want to play?" Zoe asked. She laughed. "Okay Jayne, deal her in."

Jayne raised his eye brows, but dealt in Crazy's squirt. The sad part was that Belle actually won the first hand.

"I must be the best godmother in the 'verse. I'm exposin' her to gamblin' nice and early."

Jayne laughed. "Sarcasm, right?"

"Yes. You actually got it right."

"That ain't sarcasm is it?"

"No, Jayne. Now deal us in. We've got gamblin' to do."

They kept playing. Somehow it was relaxing. She couldn't help thinking that Wash would have loved to see their family grow so big. He loved the boat as much as Mal did and he would have seen that it was a great place for family. Maybe they would have tossed a few babies into the mix. But that was only a maybe. He was gone. It still hurt like hell yet it was five years later. She was feeling better though. She found a friend in the most unusual place. He was a crass mercenary named Jayne Cobb.

She guessed that he was a reminder that life moves on. They were never close before, but with all the couplings and kids they were left alone. If Wash hadn't…Mal and River never would have fallen in love, Belle wouldn't have been sitting on her lap, and she wouldn't be laughing and looking forward to a night out with Jayne. Life has a funny way of workin' out, she figured.

The end

I hope you liked it! It was really fluffy, but I had fun with it.