Jack/Inara - Jack the Fact
Fandom: Whoniverse/Firefly
Title: Jack the Fact
Author: iluvroadrunner6
Rating: PG-13
Characters: Captain Jack Harkness/Inara Serra, Captain Malcom Reynolds, River Tam.
xoverland Challenge: Deadzone
7_crossovers Prompt: 4. Stain
Content Warning: N/A
Summary: In which Inara has to try and explain Jack to the rest of the crew.
Author’s Note: Part of my unnamed Jack/Inara series, that involves this piece I wrote a while back. I probable will wind up calling it “Complicated People” but for right now, it’s still unnamed.
Disclaimer: I don’t own. They belong to Davies and Whedon. I’m just borrowing and will put everything back where I found it.
“When I shoot a man dead, Inara, I expect him to stay dead.”
Inara was doing her best to keep her composure and not seem rattled by the whole thing, but to be honest, she was just as rattled. She knew that Jack had his secrets, but his being immortal wasn’t one of them. She almost hated Jack for putting her in this position, if it were possible, but for right now she just wanted to get out of this conversation, because she was infuriated that Mal had shot Jack in the first place.
“I would expect the same. However, I know just as much as you do, so why don’t you let me go and tend to him, as oppose to expecting answers from me that I cannot give.”
She was focused on Mal at the moment, being the source of her anger, but she was aware of River moving next to her, peering through the door into her shuttle where Jack was cleaning up. Her head tipped to the side slightly, before she spoke, soft enough that only the arguing pair could hear her.
“He’s an impossible thing,” she whispered. “Jack the Fact.”
Inara glanced over, placing a hand on her shoulder gently before starting to move towards her shuttle. “I will deal with him, Mal. Not you.” She didn’t bother to wait for a response before striding back into the shuttle, closing the door behind her as best she could, before looking to Jack. He was looking over the blood on his shirt, and she took a breath before getting his attention. “That looks like it will stain.”
Jack glanced over at her with a look that said she was probably better off not asking. “I suppose I have some explaining to do?”
“It is not every day that someone comes back to life aboard this ship,” she replied. “An explanation would be appreciated.”
He shrugged his shoulders out of his shirt. Inara felt that that was cheating. “It’s a really long story. Longer than I really have time to tell here.”
“How long is this long story, exactly?”
“About twenty-five hundred years?” he offered helpfully, and her jaw dropped. It’s incredibly improper, and if she wasn’t so stunned, she’d probably be embarrassed, but there it was. Jack smirked a bit as he moved closer to her, before pushing his fingers up under her chin gently. “I’m not even sure I could explain it. One time I died … and then I woke up. And I’ve been waking up ever since.”
She tried to imagine that kind of existence, and all she could see was pain. “So you just die, over and over again. And watch everyone else die.”
Jack watched her quietly for a moment, before shaking his head as he leaned in to kiss her. “No, Inara. I watched everyone live.” He slipped an arm around her waist, and gave her a small smile. “I watched humanity discover the universe. And it was fantastic.”
Title: Jack the Fact
Author: iluvroadrunner6
Rating: PG-13
Characters: Captain Jack Harkness/Inara Serra, Captain Malcom Reynolds, River Tam.
xoverland Challenge: Deadzone
7_crossovers Prompt: 4. Stain
Content Warning: N/A
Summary: In which Inara has to try and explain Jack to the rest of the crew.
Author’s Note: Part of my unnamed Jack/Inara series, that involves this piece I wrote a while back. I probable will wind up calling it “Complicated People” but for right now, it’s still unnamed.
Disclaimer: I don’t own. They belong to Davies and Whedon. I’m just borrowing and will put everything back where I found it.
“When I shoot a man dead, Inara, I expect him to stay dead.”
Inara was doing her best to keep her composure and not seem rattled by the whole thing, but to be honest, she was just as rattled. She knew that Jack had his secrets, but his being immortal wasn’t one of them. She almost hated Jack for putting her in this position, if it were possible, but for right now she just wanted to get out of this conversation, because she was infuriated that Mal had shot Jack in the first place.
“I would expect the same. However, I know just as much as you do, so why don’t you let me go and tend to him, as oppose to expecting answers from me that I cannot give.”
She was focused on Mal at the moment, being the source of her anger, but she was aware of River moving next to her, peering through the door into her shuttle where Jack was cleaning up. Her head tipped to the side slightly, before she spoke, soft enough that only the arguing pair could hear her.
“He’s an impossible thing,” she whispered. “Jack the Fact.”
Inara glanced over, placing a hand on her shoulder gently before starting to move towards her shuttle. “I will deal with him, Mal. Not you.” She didn’t bother to wait for a response before striding back into the shuttle, closing the door behind her as best she could, before looking to Jack. He was looking over the blood on his shirt, and she took a breath before getting his attention. “That looks like it will stain.”
Jack glanced over at her with a look that said she was probably better off not asking. “I suppose I have some explaining to do?”
“It is not every day that someone comes back to life aboard this ship,” she replied. “An explanation would be appreciated.”
He shrugged his shoulders out of his shirt. Inara felt that that was cheating. “It’s a really long story. Longer than I really have time to tell here.”
“How long is this long story, exactly?”
“About twenty-five hundred years?” he offered helpfully, and her jaw dropped. It’s incredibly improper, and if she wasn’t so stunned, she’d probably be embarrassed, but there it was. Jack smirked a bit as he moved closer to her, before pushing his fingers up under her chin gently. “I’m not even sure I could explain it. One time I died … and then I woke up. And I’ve been waking up ever since.”
She tried to imagine that kind of existence, and all she could see was pain. “So you just die, over and over again. And watch everyone else die.”
Jack watched her quietly for a moment, before shaking his head as he leaned in to kiss her. “No, Inara. I watched everyone live.” He slipped an arm around her waist, and gave her a small smile. “I watched humanity discover the universe. And it was fantastic.”