Title: Broken

Series: Choices

Author: mik109

Rating: NC17

Pairings: River/Jayne

Disclaimer: Whedon, et al. owns. Not me.

Spoilers: After the series and BDM

A/N: I’ve gone dark in this fic. If you aren’t looking for angst, don’t stop here.

Broken

“Do you know why we’re being held?” Zoe asked River as soon as the guards slammed shut the cell door and walked away.

Zoe, Inara, River, and Jayne had been in the marketplace when the town police had suddenly begun rounding up all the shoppers. Before they knew it, their weapons had been confiscated and they’d been hustled with the others into the jail. The only advantage they’d gained today was a cell at the far end of the building, where they could hopefully see what was happening before it reached them.

River tilted her head to the side as if listening to something too soft to be heard by anyone else. “The guards don’t know. New power in town. Just following orders. Corral the shoppers at the market. Lockdown small close knit groups in the jail.”

“So they’re not after anyone in particular?” enquired Inara.

“Like us?” demanded Jayne.

River shook her head. “No wanted posters. Waiting for someone. An arbiter.”

“Alliance?” Zoe straightened, her mind already working on possible escape scenarios. The only way out of the cell was through the metal barred door. The window was barred, too high and too small for even River to fit through. The walls were solid concrete.

River shook her head again. “No. A uniform but she is uncertain of its significance. The details are blurry.”

Jayne grumbled, “Ruttin’ mind-reading ain’t no help at all then.”

“Can’t read without the light.” River rolled her eyes.

“Huh.”

Inara explained, “She said they didn’t know. She can’t know anymore than they do.”

“Still don’t help us none,” groused Jayne as paced the small room. He hated bein’ stuck in this place when he hadn’t even had a chance to fight to keep out of it.

Zoe didn’t like it any better than Jayne did but she’d been in this position too many times to overreact. Without specific knowledge of why they were locked up or by whom, she knew the best thing to do was nothing. “We wait. Stay calm. Don’t do or say anything rash.”

The women’s gazes all turned to Jayne.

He took offense. “Why ya’ll lookin’ at me? Li’l loon’s liable to lose it anytime. Gorram girl gits techy in tight places.”

“She is better now.”

Jayne leaned down, getting in River’s face. “ i She /i can’t even speak for herself.”

“Does too.” River pouted, glaring up into his face.

“Does not.”

“Does too.”

“Does not.”

“Not helping.” Zoe put her foot down.

“Sorry.” They both mumbled and moved as far apart as the cell allowed.

Inara placed a hand on Zoe’s shoulder, steering her toward the small shelf along the side wall. “You should sit down.”

Zoe sighed as she tried to make herself comfortable. “Simon says I need to relax. Thought a nice shopping day would do the trick. We get out of this, whatever this is, Mal’s not going to let me off the ship.” She patted her rounded abdomen. “At least not for another few months.”

Inara took Zoe’s free hand between both of hers. Mal had been extremely overprotective of Zoe since Wash’s death and news of her pregnancy had increased it exponentially.

“They’re coming.” River’s announcement startled the others.

“They? I thought you said it was just one.”

“More now. Something’s changed.” Shivering, River wrapped her arms around herself and backed into the corner. “Dark. Cold. Hungry.”

“Bluehands?” Zoe stood back up, she couldn’t confront anything sitting down.

Inara asked, “Do you know who they are now?”

River shook her head in answer to both questions. Eyes closed, searching under her lids.

Jayne wasn’t so concerned about who at the moment. He latched onto her last word. “Hungry?”

“Hungry for what?” Zoe’s stomach tightened at the thought. Her hands protectively covered her child.

“She doesn’t…” River choked on the words as the dark thoughts hit the light.

Her eyes burst open. She swallowed a scream as one hand clawed at her throat. Sliding to the ground, she pushed farther into the corner, trying to disappear.

The others held their breath. The last time they saw her like this was…

“Reavers?” Jayne reached for the weapons they took from them at the round up.

River shook her head but wrapped her arms around her knees and began rocking like she used to when she first came out of the box. Her eyes slammed shut and tears crawled down her cheeks.

Inara knelt in front of River. Carefully touching the shaking girl’s arm, she asked, “Mei mei, who’s here? What do they want?”

“They want the girl,” whimpered River.

“I thought you said…”

“They do not want River Tam. They want the girl. Girl fits the parameters. They want the girl.” Her voice broke as she dropped her face onto her knees sobbing.

“What parameters? Who are they?” Zoe asked as she bent down next to Inara.

River cried their name into her dress.

“Honey, we can’t hear you. We need to hear you so we can figure a way out of this.”

River’s red-rimmed eyes peeked over her knees. Her sad dark eyes frightened the two women. The hopelessness made them swallow their questions for a moment.

“No way out.” River said as she rested her head against the wall.

“Of course there’s a way…” Zoe’d survived the war for independence, she firmly believed there was always a way out. They just had to find it.

“Children of the Rise.”

Inara gasped, her hand tightening on the girl’s arm. Zoe’s back straightened but she managed not to make a sound as she laid a hand on the girl’s knee.

Jayne just looked confused.

“You’re ‘fraid of some gorram kids?”

The looks Zoe and Inara shot at him shut him up right quick. Had to be something else going on here. They didn’t look much better than the moonbrain.

“Are you sure?” Zoe needed final confirmation.

River nodded, looking straight into her eyes. “She is certain.”

Trying to clear their minds of the first flush of futility, Zoe and Inara took deep breaths. They still needed a plan. They reached for clarity.

“Maybe someone else will fit the parameters first.” Zoe said with distaste. She had to concentrate on getting her crew out. She’d help gladly help others but her crew came first.

“No. She checked. Wouldn’t matter. They keep all eligible candidates for later… use.” River stated in a low, dead voice. She stared sightlessly at the concrete wall.

Inara and Zoe flinched, their free hands clutching.

Zoe ordered, “You can escape. Fight them.”

“Can’t. Too many.” River had already discarded that possibility. She’d already discarded every possibility but one.

“Too many? You killed ruttin’ Reavers with their own gorram weapons.” Jayne didn’t like this conversation one li’l bit. Crazy girl wasn’t defenseless even without weapons. He was missin’ somethin’ and he didn’t know if he even wanted to know what that was.

“If she does not submit, others will pay.” River’s eyes darted down to Zoe’s bulge. “She will not endanger the others. She does ask that they return her body to Simon.”

“Body?” Jayne really didn’t like this turn in the conversation. The only bodies he liked were the ones he made dead and the live ones loaned out by whores. He did not like dead bodies with faces he knew, even the moonbrain’s.

River earnestly entreated, “They will harm her companions if she is killed rather than forced to submit. But the girl knows how to die accidentally.”

“Accidentally?” inquired Zoe.

“If she has a seizure and chokes to death on her own tongue, no foul play will be called. All will go free.” River explained.

“All would be short one. We won’t do that.” No one wanted to ask why River could kill herself ‘accidentally.’ And, they certainly didn’t plan on watching her accomplish another seemly impossible task.

“The girl could escape but the others would not make it. She will not endanger them. She will submit first.” If she had too, she would knock them all out. No one else on the crew would die because of her.

“There will be no submitting,” ordered Zoe again.

River begged them to understand. “The girl fits the parameters. She does not have other options.”

Zoe and Inara’s eyes met. Their clasped hands squeezed tighter.

“Then, we make sure you don’t fit the parameters.”

The women’s eyes turned to Jayne. His eyes narrowed and he took an involuntary step backward. Although he didn’t know why, the tiny prison cell had suddenly gotten even smaller.

River breath caught in her throat. She shook her head vehemently. “No. She will not break him.”

“I don’t think you could break Jayne. Not this way, at least.” Inara patted the girl’s arm. Cold comfort she knew but it was all she had to offer.

“No. She will not break him,” reiterated River.

“Break me how? And why?” Jayne finally demanded.

Zoe stood and commanded. “Keep your voice down. We don’t want to draw attention.”

“Attention to what?” Jayne asked through clenched teeth.

They tensed as they heard the muffled clank of the main doors being opened. They didn’t have much time.

“How long do we have?” Zoe turned to River. River didn’t respond. “River, how long until they reach us?” commanded Zoe. She’d found a way to control the outcome. It was an ugly plan but it was all they had.

River’s eyes beseeched Zoe and Inara, but they held firm.

“Twenty minutes. They have others to examine first.” River turned her gaze back to the wall.

“Examine?” Jayne really, really didn’t like this.

Inara stood next to Zoe and quickly explained the situation. “The Children of the Rise are a vile pseudo religious sect. They are cruel misogynists who use religion to bolster their depravity.”

Jayne’s face scrunched. “Miso-whats?”

Zoe answered. “Women-haters.”

Jayne didn’t understand. Why would anyone hate women? Sure, there were a few bad apples but that was no reason to hate all of ‘em, they were warm and soft.

Inara continued, “Every three years they elect a new leader. We have the misfortune of being here in an election year.”

Jayne waited for the shoe to drop.

Inara took a deep breath and plunged through the graphic details. “The new leader is selected in a perverted ceremony loosely based on divine right and survival of the fittest. A virgin is tied naked and spread-eagled to an altar. The twenty high bishops each rape her then she is placed in a secret, heavily guarded underground chamber until it can be determined if she is pregnant. If pregnant, she is kept there until she gives birth; if she survives childbearing, she is returned to the altar and killed. If impregnation does not occur, the girl is returned to the altar and killed. Then a new girl is taken and the process repeated until a child is born. The father of that child is determined to be chosen by God to be the new leader.”

Jayne blinked. He’d stopped breathin’ several sentences ago. No one deserved to be treated like that. And there was no way in hell he was lettin’ anyone touch the crazy girl like that; she was crew. But, if they weren’t gonna fight, what did they want him to do ‘bout it? A light brightened in his mind. Zoe had said somethin’ about parameters. What parameters?

Jayne’s eyes bulged and he tried to step back again but hit the wall. “NO.” If he could’ve breathed properly, he would have yelled. His eyes darted between the girl, the companion, and the former soldier. He tried again. “No.” They needed a new plan; one where he killed a whole lotta people with his bare hands.

Inara and Zoe approached Jayne warily. He looked ready to do something stupid. What they were suggesting was ugly but it wasn’t stupid. Their plan would get them all safely back to Serenity where they could deal with the repercussions of the action. However, first, they needed Jayne and River to agree but time was running out.

Since Mal wasn’t there, Zoe gave the rousing speech. “We don’t have time for any attacks of conscience. We either make certain she’s not acceptable or we fight.” She watched River slowly stand up. She knew what was on the girl’s mind. “And no you couldn’t knock us all out or accidentally kill yourself before someone yelled for the guards. Besides, you forgot to mention that at the first sign of trouble the guards stationed outside will begin shooting people in the streets, starting with the children.” River stared into Zoe’s eyes. “I saw too many atrocities in the war. I won’t stand by and let one happen to my crew. What kind of mother would that make me?”

“We don’t have a good option,” added Inara. “This is the only choice which returns us all to Serenity alive. Therefore, it is the only logical choice.”

Jayne tried one last time. “I don’t have no protection with me. Besides, I’m a big guy, dong ma? I ain’t designed to go breakin’ no one in.”

“Sadly, both of those reasons are beneficial to this scheme.” Inara shuddered.

Jayne’s brows furrowed.

River explained, “The girl will be obviously unacceptable.”

Those were the first words she spoken in a while and they sounded like consent. Her next words made it clear.

“She is not in the most advantageous stage of her cycle for fertilization to occur.”

Jayne wasn’t certain he understood River’s statement.

Zoe clarified for Jayne. “She’s not likely to get pregnant.”

Jayne didn’t know what to say. This situation would’ve been funny if’n it weren’t so deadly serious. He seemed to have been out voted when River flipped sides. But, Jayne wasn’t sure Mal or the Doc would see it that way. However, they’d told him more than once to do whatever it took to protect the women folk; though, he highly doubted they’d meant this.

“I could order you if that would help.” Zoe tried to ease his mind.

Jayne threw back his shoulders; he didn’t need to be coddled. He was the hired muscle who did what he was told no questions asked. “I don’t need no new orders. I’m already followin’ ‘em.” Jayne walked over to stand in front of River. He apologized in advance. “This is gonna hurt.”

River looked deeply into Jayne’s eyes. She reached up and cupped his cheek. “She knows.” When he flinched, she dropped her hands to her sides.

“We’ve only got about fifteen minutes. You need to hurry up. Inara and I will cover you.” With that said, Zoe and Inara arranged themselves in as broad a covering position as possible in front of the door. The sizes of Inara’s dress and Zoe’s coat helped quite a bit. They began discussing the market stalls.

Jayne took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and, for once, tried to push his body to react to the nearness of a woman.

River reached up to the buttons on the front of her dress. “Would some skin help?” She whispered the question.

Jayne’s eyes snapped open. His hands shot out to stop hers. He responded in hushed tones, “NO.” He released her hands as if they burned. “Ya ain’t takin’ anythin’ off. They could walk in at anytime. I don’t need no help. I can do it myself.”

River nodded. She didn’t wish to make this any more difficult but… “She will have to remove her undergarments.”

Jayne swallowed heavily. He nodded briefly and turned his face away from her.

River quickly pushed the elastic away from her waist and stepped out of her panties. When they fell to the ground, she nudged them aside with her bare toe.

At her stillness, Jayne turned back to River.

“Don’t look at me. I can’t… If ya… Just don’t look.”

River obediently closed her eyes.

Rubbin’ his hand across his face, Jayne struggled to excite himself in this completely uninspirin’ situation. Checkin’ to make sure River didn’t peek, he unbuttoned his pants and pulled himself out. The cold air of the jail cell didn’t help at all. Time was tickin’ too quickly, so Jayne licked his right palm and began to stroke himself to a minimal hardness, knowin’ the spit would also provide a little lubrication when the time came.

Covering the slight sounds, Zoe and Inara continued to chat amiably about the days shopping.

Jayne wiped his hand on his pants, and inhaled desperately. He was as ready as he was gonna get in this situation. He stared at the top of River’s head. “You’re too short. I’m gonna hafta lift ya up.”

River nodded and raised her hands.

Jayne calmly placed her hands on his shoulders, and then leaned down. He cautiously reached under the hem of her skirt, carefully leavin’ as much fabric as possible over her legs. He shuddered slightly as his palms slowly slid up the sides of her bare thighs to stop on her hips, the cotton bunchin’ up on his wrists.

Jayne still refused to look at her body as he gently lifted River into his arms until her face was slightly above his. Pressin’ his chest against hers to hold her to the wall, his left hand slid back down her thigh to bend her knee and wrap her leg ‘round his waist.

Fingers clinging to his shoulders, River raised her other leg and locked her ankles behind Jayne’s back.

Jayne rested his chin on her shoulder but stared at the wall behind her. He whispered, “Put your arms ‘round my neck.” River dutifully did as commanded. “Now, bite down on my shoulder.” Finally, River couldn’t control her shivers. She buried her nose under Jayne’s coat and opened her mouth against his shoulder.

Carefully, he cupped River’s thighs to hold her steady. Takin’ a tremblin’ breath, Jayne guided himself to her entrance and after tightly squeezin’ his eyes shut, he thrust quickly into River.

River strangled the scream in her throat, and tasted Jayne’s blood on her tongue as she reflexively bit into his flesh. She couldn’t prevent the tears from escaping under her closed lids.

Inara and Zoe’s conversation stuttered to a halt briefly before resuming at higher, faster pace.

Jayne paused for a moment, tryin’ to control his breathin’. Only the feel of River’s tears and the pain of her bite helped him move. He needed to get this over as quickly as possible. Focusin’ only on the movement, the same old movement he reminded himself, Jayne thrust fast and hard and as silently as possible.

When he realized his fingers were diggin’ into River’s legs, Jayne forced his fingers flat. He didn’t wanna bruise her. His conscience laughed at him, yeah, like that was gonna be her biggest problem. Jayne pushed the voice to the back of his mind and concentrated on finishin’.

Ignorin’ the distinctive smell of River’s hair, the sounds of Zoe and ‘Nara’s conversation and the distant noises of cryin’ and yellin’, he closed his mind to ev’rythin’ except the movement. All he needed was the poundin’ of his heart and the racin’ of his pulse and the friction of his thrusts. Bitin’ his own lip to stop any wayward sounds, Jayne fought his private demons and came.

River’s thighs flinched but she managed to remain quiet. She cautiously unclenched her teeth from Jayne’s shoulder, took a deep breath, and waited.

Breathin’ heavily, Jayne rested his forehead against the concrete wall, tasted the metallic tang of his own blood from where he’d bit his lip, and tried to steady his shakin’ knees. When he felt strong enough, he tried pullin’ away from River’s body but her locked legs prevented him from movin’. He released one of her thighs to reach ‘round to lift her calf and break her deathgrip. Jayne pulled out of River, bent his knees, and carefully lowered her legs to the ground.

River hadn’t removed her arms and face from his shoulders and her legs shook uncontrollably so Jayne supported her with his chest as hastily stuffed himself back in his pants and refastened the buttons. He wiped his hand on the back of his t-shirt underneath his coat. Turnin’ his face away from hers, he opened his eyes to see if the world was still there. As he glanced ‘round the cell, he spotted a flash of white on the floor next to his boot.

Bendin’ slowly, slidin’ his shoulder down River’s chest until she nearly rested across his broad back and his face had dropped under her arm, Jayne picked up her panties. As if in a dream, he gently lifted one of her barefeet then the other into the legholes. He closed his eyes and barely touched the sideseams as he methodically drew the cotton up River’s legs. Jayne dropped his hands as soon as he reached her waist. He opened his eyes and tried not to notice the heavy scent of blood and sex as he unconsciously tried to smooth the wrinkles out of her skirt.

River breathed deeply then slid her hands to Jayne’s biceps, allowing him to stand up. She laid her left hand over his pounding heart. She gazed up into his eyes and said, “Thank you.”

Jayne just stared into the sincerity of her eyes. He wasn’t certain he’d ever find the power of speech again so he placed his hand over hers and squeezed.

“They’re nearly here.” Zoe’s voice cut through their haze.

Jayne’s head jerked ‘round towards the door.

River quietly stepped around Jayne’s bulk. He still held her left hand but she reached out for Zoe with her free hand. River forced Zoe behind her body and Jayne’s. “The arbiter won’t take kindly to God’s will being thwarted. He will lash out. We shouldn’t react physically.” She laced her fingers through Jayne’s for strength and to keep him from hitting back.

Inara grasped River’s hand firmly and stepped to her other side to further block Zoe from harm.

Normally, Zoe would have been appalled at such treatment but River’s defensive stance instead filled her eyes with tears. She placed one reassuring hand on River’s back and the other on her unborn child. She knew no one in the ‘verse would be more ferociously protected.

They composed their faces and waited.

The unmistakable sounds of several heavy footed and clothed men approached.

A man said in a highly superior tone, “So far no one has fit the requirements.”

A different man humbly suggested, “Good Sir, if we had been made aware of what you required perhaps we wouldn’t have had to waste your time.”

The first voice recommended, “You are told what you need to know, Sheriff. Do not make me regret keeping you in that position.”

“Of course not, good sir. Perhaps, you will find someone in these last two cells.”

The footsteps paused momentarily.

“No. Obviously, no one there will suffice. Send them home.”

A cell opened and muffled sounds of people shuffling down the corridor faded.

The original footsteps moved closer and suddenly the men appeared outside the cell door of the crew of Serenity. The sheriff, the arbiter and the arbiter’s flunky stared into the cell.

An overfed man in a highly ornamented black coat and overly large hat smiled smugly at the occupants of the cell. No one other than Inara returned the gesture.

“It looks like I may not have wasted my day after all.” He peered closely at River as the sheriff opened the door.

Inara spoke clearly as a woman befitting her station. “May I ask what is going on here? My servants and I were purchasing supplies at your market when we were unceremonious forced into this prison at gunpoint. The Guild does not take kindly to Companions being--”

“You are a Companion? Your filth begrimes me with its presence, kindly leave.”

Inara raised her eyebrows and looked down her nose at the arbiter. She stepped forward holding tightly to River’s hand. “My servants and I will not be returning--”

The arbiter raised a heavily ringed hand. “You may go.” Glancing over Zoe and Jayne, he said, “You may all go.” He leered at River. “She must stay for an examination.”

River held determinedly to Jayne’s struggling hand as Zoe latched onto his other clenched fist.

Inara worked an affronted expression onto her face. “What kind of examination? My apprentice has no need of--”

The arbiter’s head snapped up from his inspection of River. He glared menacingly at Inara. “Your apprentice? You called her your servant.”

“While she is in her training, she does as I direct therefore she is my servant,” replied Inara in a tone that conveyed her disdain for this conversation.

The arbiter’s beady gaze returned to River for a closer inspection. She did not dress in the same manner as the Companion. Her hair fell in tangles around her shoulders. She wore no make up and her feet were bare. She could not possibly be a Companion of any kind. However, before he could open his mouth to dispute the claim he noticed something odd.

A small red pool resided on the ground between the girl’s feet and a corresponding trail led over the side of her foot and up her leg underneath her flowing skirt.

Without further ado, the arbiter stepped into the cell around Inara and yanked up River’s skirt. He noted the blood trail went all the way up her leg to mix with a milky liquid and the stain spreading across her white underwear as well as the smell of recent sex. Enraged, he dropped the fabric and backhanded River, splitting her lip.

River remained silent as the blood trickled down her chin. She gazed vacantly at the cell door, as if nothing had happened. At the same time, she and Zoe leaned their weight into their holds of the ready to erupt Jayne.

Inara’s shocked voice conveyed her outrage. “I will not have my servant treated in such a manner. If she requires discipline, only I may do so. You…”

Ignoring the Companion, the fuming arbiter pointed a fat finger into River’s tranquil face. “You have thwarted God’s Will today. Your impiety will be remembered.” With a swish of his coat, the arbiter stomped out of the cell and down the corridor. His flunky followed at respectable distance.

Neither the sheriff nor the crew of Serenity moved until they heard the main doors slam shut.

The sheriff stepped away from the open cell door and motioned for the others to step outside. He looked away from their accusing glares. “If you’ll follow me, I’ll see that your weapons and supplies are returned. Then, you’ll be free to go.”

River couldn’t prevent a harsh laugh from escaping.

The sheriff kept his head bowed in shame as the group walked past him.

Not willing to believe the ordeal was over until they reached the haven of Serenity, the crew closed ranks around Zoe with River at the lead as they marched through the jail, picked up their belongings, and left the prison proper.

As soon as she stepped off the sidewalk into the busy street, River’s legs gave out beneath her. Jayne plucked her falling body out of the air and began carrying her to the docking port.

The ferocious grimace on Jayne’s face quickly parted the crowds.

“I liked the people who wanted to burn me at the stake better,” whispered River into the side of his neck.

Jayne’s grip tightened as he carried her back to Serenity.

River cried harder. Just as the Academy had broken her, she had broken Jayne.