"String Theory" Chapter 7 Bits
Firefly work on chapter seven
Crew + OCs
“And this,” Wash said proudly, wiping a stray piece of dust off the creature’s back, “is Herman. He’s a little shy but he’s got a mean bite.”
Bonny laughed, taking the plastic dinosaur from him and turning it over in her hands. There was a poorly scrawled “Wash” on one of the back feet. Absently, she ran a thumb over the name. “So this is the secret to good flyin’, huh?”
“Absolutely,” Wash assured her solemnly. “These are the greatest tools of my trade!”
“Well obviously.” Bonny set the dinosaur in her lap, smiling absently at the man before her. “I appreciate you doin’ this,” she told him seriously. “I get good trainin’ from the pilot back home, but she… She’s technical about it. Everything’s figures an’ facts an’ perfect procedure with her - I don’t think she’s got the heart for it like you do.”
“Yeah.” Wash ran a loving hand across the ship’s control panel. “I don’t think there’s anything in the ‘Verse for me besides flying. He stretched his hand out towards the big window, and though all they could see was Beaumonde, it was easy to imagine a dark, vast stretch of space instead. “Like a siren call.”
Though his remark was half-meant as a joke, Bonny didn’t laugh. “Yeah,” she said quietly. “I know what you mean.”
There was a certain wistfulness in her voice that caught his attention, and Wash turned his head to look questioningly towards her. “Okay, there? Have I reeled you in? Are you ready to be assimilated?”
She just chuckled weakly, still staring out past the view of Beaumonde.
“I think it was a little funnier than that.” He cleared his throat, feeling a little awkward. He didn’t know the girl well and he certainly didn’t know how to comfort her. "So... Looking for your crew, huh?"
Bonny shot him a knowing smile. "Yeah. Still. Mike and I had, uh, planned to get off here, but..." She folded her hands together, not meeting his eye. "Well. Looks like we'll be stayin' after all."
Now that was a safe topic Wash could get onboard with. "For how long?" He grinned. "Not thinking of becoming a permanent fixture, huh? Because I do have to warn you, there may be a place for you here, but the position of big and surly's already been filled."
"Oh, I know it seems like Mike's mean an' grumpy, but that ain't how he always is. Normally he's a real kind, sweet - "
"Zoë said sensitive - she told me you said he was sensitive." Wash grinned delightedly.
Bonny laughed. "No really - he is. He’s real good with all the kids in the crew.”
“Big family boat?”
She nodded. “Yeah, four families. We got ten kids when we’re all, including me an’ Mike.”
Wash gaped at her. “Ten? Ten kids, really? I admire the patience of anyone living on that boat.” He shook his head. “Don’t get me wrong - kids are great. They’re small and sticky, but they’re great. I don’t think I could handle one, though, let alone ten.”
Bonny put her hand to her cheek, a stricken expression on her face. “Wh-what? Y’don’t want kids?”
He didn’t notice her sudden distress. “Oh, eventually I do. And I know Zoë does like crazy. A little fat baby with her strength and my dashing good looks… Just not right now.” He shrugged. “Kids make me… itchy.”
“Oh.” She cleared her throat. “That makes, uh… Well, I understand. Kids are a big responsibility. Lots o’ work. Not somethin’ to… rush into.” Her voice trailed off and she stared intently at the floor.
“That’s what I try to tell Zoë!” He laughed, leaning back in his chair, his arms folded behind his head. “But I have to say I sure don’t mind practicing.” He sighed contentedly, head swimming thoughts of his beautiful wife. He hummed a little and turned to Bonny. “So, what’s your… Hey, what’s wrong? Did you find out Jayne’s been kicking puppies again?”
She let herself smile. “No, nothin’ like that. Just… I guess missin’ home. I know it ain’t been long, but we’re all so close that it just doesn’t feel right bein’ away.”
“Well tell me all about them!”
“Hey guys!” Kaylee interrupted suddenly, stepping onto the bridge. “I been lookin’ everywhere for you, Bonny. Thought you might like to play a game ‘r somethin’ ‘fore dinner.”
“Join us!” Wash invited. “Our new friend here was about to tell me all about her crew. An’ it’s like a zoo apparently.” He leaned closer to the mechanic and said in a stage-whisper, “They have ten kids!”
Kaylee gasped, stepping up behind Bonny’s chair and resting her arms on the top. “Ten really? Oh, I love kids! What’re they like? I been wantin’ to know ‘bout your crew, but since Mike always gets so angry whenever you get to talkin’ ‘bout yourselves I figured it weren’t a good idea to ask.”
“Oh, it’s fine,” Bonny assured her with a nod. She glanced surreptitiously to Wash before saying “I don’t think it’d hurt anything.”
“All right then!” Kaylee grinned hugely. “Let’s hear it.”
xXx
Michael sighed.
Simon started as he noticed the young man sitting at the table; nervously, he cleared his throat and smiled. "Oh, I... I didn't mean to disturb you. Do you mind if I - ?"
Mike shrugged. "Go ahead. Ain't like I'm doin' anything real important anyway."
With a nod, the doctor sat down at the table, running a hand through his hair. "I just need some... some time. To myself." He let out a quiet breath of air. "I... River is doing so well. It doesn't make any sense. Unless she's doing it herself - unless somehow her brain has... has regained it's former structure, or... ? I just don't know!" He exhaled wearily. "But part of it was removed! I just don't... understand." He seemed suddenly to remember that Michael was sitting there with him and his face flushed with embarrassment at how much he'd shared. "Um... I'm sure you don't care and it certainly isn't wise to share so much with a stranger."
Mike shrugged again, seemingly at ease. "Don't really care one way or the other, doc."
Simon stared at him incredulously. "Really? I'd have been sure you'd have made some rather unkind comment about how much you didn't care or how crazy River is." He laughed, almost derisively. "Though that's only because that's the behavior I'd expect from Jayne."
The boy cleared his throat, looking visible uncomfortable. "Uh... Well it ain't like I exactly care, doc. I mean... I don't know your mei mei or nothin' but I don't hate her and... and it'll probably be better f'r everyone if she's all well again."
"Yes," Simon said, looking half-amused. "It would be."
~~~
Rawhr! Must finish! *works furiously on the rest*
Crew + OCs
“And this,” Wash said proudly, wiping a stray piece of dust off the creature’s back, “is Herman. He’s a little shy but he’s got a mean bite.”
Bonny laughed, taking the plastic dinosaur from him and turning it over in her hands. There was a poorly scrawled “Wash” on one of the back feet. Absently, she ran a thumb over the name. “So this is the secret to good flyin’, huh?”
“Absolutely,” Wash assured her solemnly. “These are the greatest tools of my trade!”
“Well obviously.” Bonny set the dinosaur in her lap, smiling absently at the man before her. “I appreciate you doin’ this,” she told him seriously. “I get good trainin’ from the pilot back home, but she… She’s technical about it. Everything’s figures an’ facts an’ perfect procedure with her - I don’t think she’s got the heart for it like you do.”
“Yeah.” Wash ran a loving hand across the ship’s control panel. “I don’t think there’s anything in the ‘Verse for me besides flying. He stretched his hand out towards the big window, and though all they could see was Beaumonde, it was easy to imagine a dark, vast stretch of space instead. “Like a siren call.”
Though his remark was half-meant as a joke, Bonny didn’t laugh. “Yeah,” she said quietly. “I know what you mean.”
There was a certain wistfulness in her voice that caught his attention, and Wash turned his head to look questioningly towards her. “Okay, there? Have I reeled you in? Are you ready to be assimilated?”
She just chuckled weakly, still staring out past the view of Beaumonde.
“I think it was a little funnier than that.” He cleared his throat, feeling a little awkward. He didn’t know the girl well and he certainly didn’t know how to comfort her. "So... Looking for your crew, huh?"
Bonny shot him a knowing smile. "Yeah. Still. Mike and I had, uh, planned to get off here, but..." She folded her hands together, not meeting his eye. "Well. Looks like we'll be stayin' after all."
Now that was a safe topic Wash could get onboard with. "For how long?" He grinned. "Not thinking of becoming a permanent fixture, huh? Because I do have to warn you, there may be a place for you here, but the position of big and surly's already been filled."
"Oh, I know it seems like Mike's mean an' grumpy, but that ain't how he always is. Normally he's a real kind, sweet - "
"Zoë said sensitive - she told me you said he was sensitive." Wash grinned delightedly.
Bonny laughed. "No really - he is. He’s real good with all the kids in the crew.”
“Big family boat?”
She nodded. “Yeah, four families. We got ten kids when we’re all, including me an’ Mike.”
Wash gaped at her. “Ten? Ten kids, really? I admire the patience of anyone living on that boat.” He shook his head. “Don’t get me wrong - kids are great. They’re small and sticky, but they’re great. I don’t think I could handle one, though, let alone ten.”
Bonny put her hand to her cheek, a stricken expression on her face. “Wh-what? Y’don’t want kids?”
He didn’t notice her sudden distress. “Oh, eventually I do. And I know Zoë does like crazy. A little fat baby with her strength and my dashing good looks… Just not right now.” He shrugged. “Kids make me… itchy.”
“Oh.” She cleared her throat. “That makes, uh… Well, I understand. Kids are a big responsibility. Lots o’ work. Not somethin’ to… rush into.” Her voice trailed off and she stared intently at the floor.
“That’s what I try to tell Zoë!” He laughed, leaning back in his chair, his arms folded behind his head. “But I have to say I sure don’t mind practicing.” He sighed contentedly, head swimming thoughts of his beautiful wife. He hummed a little and turned to Bonny. “So, what’s your… Hey, what’s wrong? Did you find out Jayne’s been kicking puppies again?”
She let herself smile. “No, nothin’ like that. Just… I guess missin’ home. I know it ain’t been long, but we’re all so close that it just doesn’t feel right bein’ away.”
“Well tell me all about them!”
“Hey guys!” Kaylee interrupted suddenly, stepping onto the bridge. “I been lookin’ everywhere for you, Bonny. Thought you might like to play a game ‘r somethin’ ‘fore dinner.”
“Join us!” Wash invited. “Our new friend here was about to tell me all about her crew. An’ it’s like a zoo apparently.” He leaned closer to the mechanic and said in a stage-whisper, “They have ten kids!”
Kaylee gasped, stepping up behind Bonny’s chair and resting her arms on the top. “Ten really? Oh, I love kids! What’re they like? I been wantin’ to know ‘bout your crew, but since Mike always gets so angry whenever you get to talkin’ ‘bout yourselves I figured it weren’t a good idea to ask.”
“Oh, it’s fine,” Bonny assured her with a nod. She glanced surreptitiously to Wash before saying “I don’t think it’d hurt anything.”
“All right then!” Kaylee grinned hugely. “Let’s hear it.”
xXx
Michael sighed.
Simon started as he noticed the young man sitting at the table; nervously, he cleared his throat and smiled. "Oh, I... I didn't mean to disturb you. Do you mind if I - ?"
Mike shrugged. "Go ahead. Ain't like I'm doin' anything real important anyway."
With a nod, the doctor sat down at the table, running a hand through his hair. "I just need some... some time. To myself." He let out a quiet breath of air. "I... River is doing so well. It doesn't make any sense. Unless she's doing it herself - unless somehow her brain has... has regained it's former structure, or... ? I just don't know!" He exhaled wearily. "But part of it was removed! I just don't... understand." He seemed suddenly to remember that Michael was sitting there with him and his face flushed with embarrassment at how much he'd shared. "Um... I'm sure you don't care and it certainly isn't wise to share so much with a stranger."
Mike shrugged again, seemingly at ease. "Don't really care one way or the other, doc."
Simon stared at him incredulously. "Really? I'd have been sure you'd have made some rather unkind comment about how much you didn't care or how crazy River is." He laughed, almost derisively. "Though that's only because that's the behavior I'd expect from Jayne."
The boy cleared his throat, looking visible uncomfortable. "Uh... Well it ain't like I exactly care, doc. I mean... I don't know your mei mei or nothin' but I don't hate her and... and it'll probably be better f'r everyone if she's all well again."
"Yes," Simon said, looking half-amused. "It would be."
~~~
Rawhr! Must finish! *works furiously on the rest*