Inside/Firefly fic: A Longe and Tendre Tale of True Love and Deepe Devotione (pt 2)
TITLE: A Longe and Tendre Tale of True Love and Deepe Devotione (PART TWO)
AUTHOR: Mnemosyne
Disclaimer: Not mine!
SUMMARY: Once upon a time there lived a girl named Birdy who loved a dashing knight…
RATING: light R
FANDOMS: Firefly/The Inside crossover crack!fic
CHARACTERS: Birdy/Sir Daniel (Danny Love), with appearances by the Serenity crew and mentions of some folks from The Inside. This is one crazy, cracked-out, candy-coated crossover
SPOILERS: *hysterical laughter*
WARNINGS: None!
(PART ONE)
Village Cove was a bustling town around the clock, with street vendors selling their wares well into the night. Voices laughed and torches blazed, painting the town a festive red and gold. Now that she was more used to the sights, smells and sounds, Birdy had decided it was the biggest, noisiest, most fascinating place she’d ever been.
It was a shame she had to leave it so soon. But she wanted to go home.
The day had been long, so she begged off early for bed, wishing Wash, Zoe and Book sweet dreams and good night. She hated leaving them behind, since they had been so sweet to her, but they didn't understand her urgency. Sir Danny had been so kind to her, and she'd left him behind to fend for himself when he might be wounded, or... worse.
She didn't like to think of the worse. Worse was bad, bad, bad.
Book gave her a little room up on the second floor of the village chapel, right next to a sprawling oak tree. Birdy waited until she was sure she was alone, then shuffled open the window and crawled out onto one of the tree's gnarly branches. It felt so good to be this close to a plant again; she felt like she'd been away from her happy garden of family flowers for years and years, even if it had only been a day.
The tree was very friendly -- his name was Wind Water And Sky, but Birdy nicknamed him Norbert -- and he was very accomodating as she swung down through the branches to land nimbly on the warm brown earth. "Thank you, Norbert," she whispered, kissing his trunk and patting him gently. "You have been most helpful to this Birdy girl."
Spinning around, she darted through the thin forest that lined the riverbank until she came to the water's edge. Taking a moment to recall the direction she needed to go, she quickly began picking her way along the rocky verge. It didn't take long before she began yearning for Zoe and Wash's comfy raft, or a rowboat like the gypsies used. Or Sir Danny and brave Strongarm, who could have carried her along as though she were a downy feather on their powerful breeze...
She wandered, lost in that particular thought, for several minutes, trusting her feet to guide her safely along. She would have wandered for hours more if she hadn't bumped headlong into another young woman who came darting out of the woods.
"OOF!" Birdy gasped.
"OOF!" the other young woman gasped, and they both fell backwards onto their bottoms on the sand.
"Oh, I'm so sorry!" the other girl exclaimed as soon as they'd recovered their wits, leaping to her feet to help Birdy stand up. "I didn't hurt ya, did I?"
Birdy blinked at this new person. She was cute and bubbly, with bright eyes and an easy smile, though she looked a little concerned right now that she might have injured Birdy for real. "Nothing hurt," Birdy assured her with a little smile of her own. She was still very shy around strangers, even friendly ones like this girl.
"Well thank goodness for that!" the other girl exclaimed, dusting herself off. "Sorry I bumped you. I was in a rush and wasn't lookin' where I was goin‘." She stuck out a hand. "I'm Kaylee. Kaylee Frye. Who're you?"
"My name is Birdy," Birdy answered shyly, taking her hand.
"Well pleased to meet you, Birdy," Kaylee said, shaking her hand. "What're you doin' out here when it's so dark? You with somebody? A beau maybe?" The other girl's bright eyes twinkled mischievously.
Birdy was glad it was dark so Kaylee couldn't see her blush. "No," she said, shaking her head and tucking her arms up around her body. "I got lost. I'm trying to find my way home again."
Kaylee's face became a mask of concern. "Oh, you poor thing," she soothed, rubbing Birdy's arm. "Where you come from? I know you ain't from Village Cove, 'cause I've lived there all my life and I don't remember a pretty thing like you."
Birdy shook her head. "Not Village Cove." She pointed up river. "Come from up there."
"Like around Belmont-way?"
Birdy shook her head hopelessly. "I don't know!" she whimpered. "Don't live in a town, don't live in a city. Live in a garden with a warm, soft bed, beside the chattering river!" She hadn't realized how homesick she was until this moment, as tears began to course down her cheeks.
Warm arms wrapped around her as Kaylee gave her a comforting hug. "Oh mei mei, I'm sorry," she soothed. "I only ever been a few miles out from Village Cove myself, so I don't know where you might hail from." She stroked the Birdy's hair. "My bao bei has family up that way, though. Maybe he can help?"
Birdy sniffled against Kaylee's shoulder. "Bao bei?" she asked, rubbing her eyes and blinking tearfully into her new friend's face.
Kaylee smiled brightly. "My beau." She winked. "But shhh, you ain't allowed to tell no one, on account of him bein' one of the fairy folk."
Birdy blinked. "Your lover is a fairy?"
"Kaylee, sweetheart, please stop telling the world I'm a fairy." The new voice was warm and soft and gentle and masculine, and seemed to come from just behind Birdy's shoulder. But when Birdy swung her head around to look, there was nobody there.
Kaylee rolled her eyes. "Oh, quit bein' such a big baby, Simon," she teased the air. "Iffen I don't get to tell people what you really are, then I'm gonna tell 'em what I want!" She poked at the air, and a soft exhalation like a laugh whooshed past Birdy's ear. "Now come on, let the girl see you, 'fore she starts thinkin' we're both cracked like nuts!"
Birdy blinked, and suddenly a man was there. He was tall and slender, dressed all in green, with a fine-boned face and dark eyes set against pale skin and black hair. He looked very serious, but there was a light in his eyes that made Birdy feel as if she'd known him her entire life. "Hello," she said, a little breathless as she held out her hand to him. "My name is Birdy."
"I'm Basajuan," the man said, taking her hand and shaking it kindly.
Birdy blinked. "But... Kaylee called you Simon...?" She looked in confusion at the other girl.
Kaylee giggled. "'Cause Basajuan means Lord of the Woods, which is just too fancy for my britches. I always been partial to Simon." Kaylee stepped up to Simon's side and wrapped her arms around him lovingly. "Simple Simon," she murmured, resting her head on his shoulder.
Simon smiled and hugged back. "Live simple," he murmured, kissing her forehead.
Birdy felt her heart break a little as she observed the sweet domestic scene. Sir Danny... she thought sadly. I would like to live simple with my Sir Danny.
She blinked as realization dawned. "Did you say Lord of the Woods?" she asked cautiously.
Kaylee beamed at her. "Yep!" she said proudly, patting Simon's chest and grinning up into his suddenly bashful face. "He gets embarrassed though, so I ain't allowed to tell no one."
"You are the Lord of the forest?" Birdy asked excitedly.
Simon nodded. "More or less," he said, blushing despite the dark.
Birdy clapped her hands. "Oh, then you can help me!" She threw her arms around him and hugged him tightly.
Simon choked a little as she hugged him, then laughed warmly and patted her back. He smelled like fresh rain and new leaves. "I know, little sister," he said, hugging her gently. "You've gotten lost, haven't you?"
Birdy pulled back, nodding at him with wide eyes. "I have!" she exclaimed sadly. "Oh, Mister Bassawan, please help me get home? My flower family and all my pretty plants must worry so!"
"That's Basajuan, little sister," Simon corrected her. "But please, call me Simon. And don't worry; I know you, and your family."
Birdy's eyes welled with tears. "You do?" It seemed too good to be true.
Simon nodded. "I do." His somber tone was brooked by an embarrassed little smile. "Lord of the Wood and all. I know just about everyone who lives here. Besides, you live near my mei mei." At Birdy's blank look, he clarified, "My ACTUAL little sister." He smiled, gently tugging her hair. "Though you're so much like her, sometimes I forget you aren't my mei mei, too."
Birdy blinked, then gasped. "River!" she exclaimed. "You're River's brother!" Simon nodded again. "Oh, then you can show me how to get home! You will, won't you? You'll help me get home? And why do I look like your may may? Can you help me find Sir Danny?"
"Whoa now, sweetie!" Kaylee laughed. "One thing at a time!"
Birdy bit her lip. "Sorry," she apologized bashfully.
Kaylee gave her a hug. "Oh now sweetie, don't you be sorry for bein' excited," the other girl said with a grin. "You just gotta go one at a time, so we don't miss anythin'!"
Birdy giggled. "Then I would like to find Sir Danny, please!" She gave Simon an imploring look. "He was near my home. Please take me home? Please?"
Simon chuckled. "Your wish is my command, little sister." He bowed low.
Kaylee sighed happily. "Ain't he shiny?" she asked.
Simon blushed again.
"How do we get there?" Birdy asked, bouncing excitedly, her small white feet dancing on the wet earth of the riverbank. "Please, Simon, please!"
"We're there."
Birdy blinked. "What?"
Simon smiled at her. "Being Lord of the Wood has advantages; like magic, for example." He gestured around them. "Look."
Birdy blinked again, then raised her eyes from his face to look at their surroundings.
She gasped.
Here was her favorite stretch of riverbank, and there was the little nook where she'd tickle the fishes on warm summer afternoons. And there was Warrick, the willow tree, who cried when she left him alone for too long; and Eloise, the pretty yew who loved Warrick but was shy. And there was the little path her feet had worn into the soft green grass, pattering back and forth from her family garden to the river for years and years. And there across the river was Jayne the Ogre's cave, and there upriver, sleeping beside a fallen log, was-
"STRONGARM!" Birdy spun on her toes and flew across the ground between them until she could fall to her knees beside the noble warhorse and throw her arms around his elegant neck. Strongarm whinnied awake, turning his head to nuzzle her thigh, whiffling happily and neighing with relief.
"Oh, Strongarm!" Birdy sobbed, fisting her fingers in his silky mane and letting her tears soak into his sleek fur. "I thought you had been killed! I thought you and Sir Danny had been lost forever and ever!"
Wait a moment..
Birdy sat up quickly, eyes frantically scanning the riverbank. "Strongarm, where is Sir Danny!"
Strongarm neighed encouragingly, and Birdy instinctively moved back so the horse could push itself into a standing position. Then, as if he were bowing to her, he lowered himself down on the knee of his front left foreleg, enticing her to get on his back.
Birdy eyed him warily, suddenly nervous. His saddle was gone, and so was his bridle, and his bare back looked slick and broad. She remembered how hard it had been to stay seated even when Sir Danny had been holding her tight around the middle.
It was really the thought of Sir Danny that gave her the courage to tiptoe up to the big horse and scramble onto his back. Sir Danny wouldn't be afraid. Sir Danny would do anything he could to find her if she'd gone missing. Still, she couldn't hold in a little shriek of fear as the horse heaved himself back into a full-standing position. He was so TALL!
"Where're you goin', Birdy?" Kaylee called from her place beside Simon.
"To find Sir Danny!" Birdy called back, hoping her voice wasn't as shaky as she felt. "This is his horsey, Strongarm. If he's here, Sir Danny is here, too!"
"Be careful, honey!" Kaylee exclaimed as Strongarm began to surefootedly pick his way along the riverbank.
"I will!" Birdy called back, clinging to Strongarm's neck and hugging his flanks with her legs. "Please wait here! If Sir Danny comes back, he will wonder where his horse has gone!"
Before she could hear their answer, Strongarm began to run, his powerful white legs surging. Birdy let out a little scream, burying her face in his mane and holding on for dear life as she was jostled and tossed around on his broad back.
It seemed to Birdy they ran forever, though it couldn't have been more than a minute when Strongarm slowed to a canter, then a trot, then at last a gentle walk, rocking beneath her like a boat on a quiet stream. Birdy had her eyes squeezed shut and was too scared to open them, even as Strongarm came to a stop. "Ohhhh, Strongarm," she moaned, shivering. "You are beautiful but scary. Birdys were not meant to ride horses."
"Strongarm? Why are you here?"
Birdy's eyes flew open. She knew that voice.
"SIR DANNY!" she exclaimed, sitting up and staring between Strongarm's swiveling ears.
And there he was. He was kneeling by the riverbank, gaping in amazement at the small young woman on his horse's back. Strongarm's broad neck had obscured her at first, but now that he could see her, Sir Danny wasn't looking away. "Birdy...?" he murmured in disbelief, as if he truly couldn't believe it was her.
She nodded frantically, tears welling in her eyes. "Sir Danny!' she sobbed, holding out her arms to him. Strongarm was just as slippery as he looked, and she began to slide off, grabbing his neck just in time to keep herself from a nasty fall. "Sir Danny!"
He was at her side in a moment, sweeping her down off Strongarm's back and crushing her against his chest. His armor was gone, presumably packed away with Strongarm's saddle and accoutrements, but his chest was just as broad she remembered; his arms just as strong.
"Ay God, I thought you'd been drowned," he whispered fervently into her hair. "I thought for certain you had fallen into the river and been swept away."
"Oh no," she whimpered, trying to burrow deeper into his embrace, wrapping herself around him like a daisy chain. "The ogre had me, and he was gentle, and then the Darkness showed me to the Sun, and two good thieves brought me to a man of God who gave me a tree that took me to the Lord of the Wood, who brought me home." She raised her tearstreaked face so she could gaze into his desperate blue eyes.
"I wanted so much to find you," she whispered, sniffling. "I was so afraid I'd lost you forever and ever." She touched his cheek with tender fingers. "My Sir Danny," she murmured, awed by how dark his tanned face looked against the pale golden cream of her sun-kissed hand.
He sank to his knees on the rugged green turf with Birdy settled in his lap atop his thighs. "I thought I'd lost you as well," he murmured, raising his hand to cup her face. He had large hands; so large she thought she could curl up in one palm and sleep all night in comfort. "The thought that I had lost such a dear, sweet creature near broke my heart in two."
She rubbed her cheek against his hand and kissed his thumb. "You did not lose me, Sir Danny," she murmured, awhirl with giddy happiness. "All we had to do was find each other again."
"Very straightforward logic for a girl raised by daisies," Sir Danny said with a smile, stroking his thumb across her lips.
"Daisies are very practical," she giggled, and kissed his thumb.
"Are they very romantic?"
Birdy's eyes sparkled. "Girls learn romance from the roses," she cooed, gazing into his bright blue eyes. "Daisies are free and pure."
Sir Danny smiled. "Then they're the finest kind of romance," he murmured, leaning towards her. "They're the kind that only kisses when they mean to."
Birdy blushed, feeling more and more like a rosebud every second. "Sir Danny?" she breathed.
"Hmmm?" he hummed, nuzzling her cheek tenderly.
"I mean to," she whispered, and kissed him long and deep, the way the roses told her it should be. He moaned into her mouth, framing her round pixie face between his hands, and kissed her deeper still, and Birdy knew the roses were right.
----------------------
He made love to her on soft, springy moss, as Strongarm cropped grass further down the riverbank, out of sight of the lovers. The air smelled like cool water and night blooming lilies, and Birdy knew the flowers would soon spread the word to her home garden that Birdy had found her match at last.
She giggled at the thought, stretching luxuriously on the soft green turf, gazing bright-eyed at the moon as it drifted across the star-studded sky. There was some lingering soreness in her lower body, but it was more than made up for by the dreamy lassitude that hung on her limbs like ropes of snow white pearls. Raising her arms above her head, she stretched again, this time lengthening every muscle, every tendon, sighing with satisfaction.
A soft laugh and warm breath near her hip made her look down. "You are quite adorable, Birdy," Sir Daniel informed her, a twinkle in his eye as he kissed her just below the navel. "Adorable and sweet." He kissed her again, this time a little lower, at the very base of her belly.
Birdy smiled, dreamily combing her fingers through his sleek dark hair. "And you are strong and loyal," she murmured, passing her hand over his face. "Sir Danny, do you love me?"
"Yes, Birdy," he answered without pause, kissing higher on her belly, just below her breasts.
Birdy closed her eyes, shivering happily. "I love you, Sir Danny," she cooed.
"I love you, Birdy," he answered, smiling against her skin.
Birdy laughed and sat up, nudging him into a sitting position and leaning forward to kiss and nibble down his broad chest. Sir Daniel laughed. "What are you doing, Birdy my love?" he asked, grinning as his hand stroked down her smooth bare back.
"Playing," she giggled, rubbing her face against his furry chest, breathing in the scent of him. "Sir Danny?
"Yes, Birdy my love?"
She raised her head, gazing up into his eyes. "Will you marry me?" she asked hopefully.
Sir Daniel cupped her cheek, stroking her lips with his thumb before leaning down to kiss her tenderly. "It is I who am supposed to ask you that, Birdy my love," he murmured with a smile.
"Oh." Birdy felt crestfallen, then quickly brightened. "Sir Danny?"
He chuckled. "Yes, Birdy my love?"
"Will you ask me to marry you?"
He grinned. Pulling away from her -- which she didn't like very much -- he quickly shuffled himself onto one knee, taking up her hand and kissing her knuckles -- which she liked very much indeed. "Birdy my love," he said, voice low and gravelly, and it made her skin prickle eagerly. "Will you do me the honor of becoming my wi-"
"YES!" Birdy exclaimed, flinging herself at him and bowling him backwards as she showered his face with kisses. "Oh yes, Sir Danny my love! My Danny love!"
He kissed her passionately, catching her eager lips easily with his own. Birdy let herself melt into him, enjoying the feel of his warm, solid body beneath her and the cool night air that surrounded them.
Until someone cleared their throat nearby.
Birdy squealed and immediately curled into a ball to hide her nakedness. Sir Daniel sat up, wrapping her in his arms as he looked around, trying to find the person. "Hello?" he called out, voice stern. "Who's there?"
"Everyone decent over there?" the voice called out.
Birdy immediately brightened. "Kaylee!" she exclaimed, giggling happily and hugging Sir Danny to show him it was all right. "We're here, Kaylee! But not decent!"
Kaylee laughed. "Yeah, I figgered. Simon kinda got that impression when he was talkin' to your flowers back home, and some of the white ones started turnin' pink from blushin'!"
Birdy felt a blush stain her own cheeks, and buried her face in Sir Danny's neck, giggling uncontrollably.
"This that Sir Danny fella you was lookin' for then?" Kaylee called out, as Sir Daniel helped Birdy up.
“Yep!" Birdy crowed, scurrying around and gathering up his clothes, helping him get dressed. "Say hello, my Danny love."
Sir Danny laughed as she quickly buckled the belt on his trousers. "Hello, voice that is named Kaylee," he teased, winking at Birdy's impertinent little nose wrinkle.
Kaylee laughed. "Well hello yourself," she answered back. "I must say, you sound like a fine enough fella. I kinda want to see for myself what's got Birdy all worked up. You all decent yet?"
"Yes he is!" Birdy cooed, tugging on her own dress. "Come see!" Giggling, she scurried behind Sir Daniel's back, peeping out from beneath his arm.
Kaylee emerged from behind a little hillock. "There you are!" she exclaimed, smiling brightly. She paused in her advance long enough to glance Sir Daniel up and down. "My my, you've got very nice taste, Birdy darlin'," she approved, beaming.
Sir Daniel bowed and straightened. "At your service, ma'am," he said.
"Oooh, ain't he a smooth one," Kaylee giggled.
"I'm going to marry him!" Birdy piped up from her hiding spot behind Sir Daniel. She wanted the world to see her handsome knight, without having to look around his Birdy to do so. Plus she was still a little embarrassed being found naked with him in the grass.
"Awww, really?" Kaylee gushed, clasping her hands under her chin.
"Going to be MRS. Sir Danny!"
"Awwwwwwwww!'
"I know!"
Sir Daniel laughed. "Come here, Birdy my love!" He turned with a flourish, quickly taking her by the waist and lifting her around to stand in front of him. "No more hiding behind me. I want the world to see my beautiful bride-to-be." He kissed her cheek, and she blushed.
Kaylee clapped her hands giddily. "Simon sent me to find you both," she enthused. "Got people for you to meet! Aww, this is gonna be the best family reunion ever!"
Birdy blinked. "Best what?" she asked, cuddling against Sir Daniel's chest.
Kaylee winked. "You'll see," she answered.
----------------------
Kaylee squealed with giddy excitement when Sir Daniel asked if she would like to ride Strongarm back to Birdy’s home. The war horse willingly let the pretty young woman hop on his back and carried her gracefully upstream. Kaylee stroked his silky white neck and talked to him cheerfully as they rode along.
Sir Daniel and Birdy walked slightly ahead of the pair, Birdy perched in Sir Daniel’s arms as he carried her homeward. She whispered to him about what their wedding would look like, and he murmured soft promises for what married life together would bring. Sometimes she’d tuck her face into his neck and drop slow, dreamy kisses along his strong jaw and down his throat. Other times he’d hum her courtly lullabies, and she’d drift between sleep and wakefulness, weaving elaborate dream worlds to the sound of his deep, soothing voice.
When they finally reached home she was drifting in a happy dream, and would gladly have stayed there if an excited pair of arms had not wrapped around her from behind, and a familiar voice exclaimed in her ear, “Oh, dear Birdy, we worried!”
Birdy raised her head drowsily and looked over her shoulder to find River’s shining, iridescent face beaming at her. “River?” she murmured, rubbing her sleepy eyes as Sir Daniel set her on her feet.
River hugged her again, even tighter this time. “Hello, sister-friend,” the water sprite sighed, sounding relieved. “I had so feared you were lost in the deep dark earth. It would have killed you had such been so.”
River pulled back, smiling brilliantly, and took several steps back, into the waiting ogre’s arms.
Birdy blinked, surprised to see Jayne out of his cave. “Jayne?”
“Uh… hi,” Jayne grunted. But he wasn’t looking at her. He was staring at Sir Daniel.
And Sir Daniel was staring back.
“Perhaps some introductions are in order,” Simon said from his perch nearby, on the log where Strongarm had been sleeping earlier.
“Oh dear,” Birdy said with a nod. “I think you’re right.”
Taking firm hold of Sir Daniel’s hand, she led him over to Simon’s side. “Why does my Danny love look like Jayne, Simon?” she whimpered, looking between the Lord of the Wood and the ogre, who was glowering at Sir Danny.
Simon gave her a reassuring smile. “The resemblance is quite remarkable, isn’t it? Between your knight and,” he glanced at Jayne, distaste obvious in his features, “my sister’s… aromatic husband.”
Jayne grunted at Simon, but River kissed his cheek and he quickly settled down.
“As you can no doubt tell, their temperament is very different,” Simon continued, sighing, as Kaylee came to sit on his lap. “Where Sir Daniel is valiant, just, and kind, Jayne is conniving, scurrilous, and mean.”
“What’ve I told you ‘bout insultin’ me in them big words I don’t understand, fairyman?” Jayne snarled.
“Hush, Jayne my Jayne,” River shushed him, sending her brother a stern glare. “No insulting my lover, brother of mine!”
Simon sighed, waving a careless hand. “Yes, well. Long story short, once upon a time, Sir Daniel and that thi- and Jayne were one and the same.”
“WHAT?” four surprised voices exclaimed.
Simon nodded wearily. “Yes, I always get that reaction. You see Sir Daniel and Jayne were once a single man. Well, not a man really; a giant. A little giant. A very LARGE man.”
“Get on with it, dumb cluck,” Jayne growled.
Simon gave him a withering look. “This large man was immortal, a lesser god. His name was Janus. And it was prophesied that Janus would take to wed the Lady of the Water.”
“Me!” River exclaimed proudly.
“Yes, you, mei mei,” Simon agreed. “Well, my parents weren’t very happy with that. They wanted my sister to marry someone grander, someone more powerful, someone with more brains and less muscle.”
“Your parents?” Sir Daniel asked, still looking shocked by the revelations Simon was producing.
“Lower demi-gods,” Simon said, waving them aside. “They had delusions of grandeur, wanted to rise above their station in the pantheon. They saw my sister and me as the way to do it. So they decided to destroy the prophecy by killing Janus.”
This revelation was met by a series of shocked gasps. “Yes, I know,” Simon said with a nod. “But my parents were never the brightest deities on the mountain. Janus was immortal; trying to kill him was like trying to extinguish the sun. My parents are not without power, but what they have was only enough to… wound Janus, so to speak. They didn’t kill him. They split him.”
He looked at Sir Daniel. “Sir Daniel received Janus’s better qualities. His kindness, his graciousness, his chivalry.” He looked with distaste at Jayne. “Jayne, on the other hand, got his slothfulness, his greed, his ambition…” He sighed. “And his immortality.”
“And the Lady of the Water!” River piped up, gazing adoringly up into Jayne’s face.
“And the Lady of the Water,” Simon admitted reluctantly. “It appears irony is not without a sense of humor. Instead of my sister marrying a greater god, she married…. Him.”
Jayne smirked, cuddling River up close.
“But what about Sir Danny?” Birdy asked, snuggling her face into her future husband’s chest.
Simon turned kind eyes in her direction. “Have you noticed, Birdy, how much you look like my sister?” Birdy nodded. “Have you wondered why?”
“Yes,” she answered in a small voice.
Simon smiled wider. “It’s because it’s impossible to deny a prophecy. Janus was promised to my sister long before either was born. Jayne and River found each other, an immortal couple. But what of Janus’s mortal half?”
He touched Birdy’s hand gently, smiling tenderly. “How were you born, Birdy?” he asked.
Birdy rubbed her cheek against Sir Daniel’s chest. “A crane flew me down for the flowers to raise,” she mumbled shyly.
Simon squeezed her hand. “You were a gift, Birdy,” he murmured. “The flowers were right to name you Birdy; you are a daughter of the air. A gift from heaven, sent to balance cosmic forces beyond our control.” He grinned at Sir Daniel. “You are a very lucky man. You’re going to marry a miracle.”
Sir Daniel grinned down into Birdy’s face. “There’s no need to tell me, sir,” he said, stroking Birdy’s hair. “I knew that the first time ever I saw her.”
“Oh, this is so ROMANTIC!” Kaylee gushed, hugging Simon tightly. “River is married to her destiny, Birdy will be married to HER destiny, and someday I’ll be married to YOU!” She kissed Simon passionately.
Birdy shared a look with River, and both girls giggled. “Will you do my hair for the wedding?” Birdy asked.
River nodded quickly. “What will you do for a bouquet?” the river sprite asked.
“I don’t know!”
“Would you like a bouquet of seafoam?”
“Oh, that would be lovely!”
“And seashells in your hair!”
Sir Daniel kissed the top of Birdy’s head and looked at Jayne. “We are very lucky men, sir,” he said, inclining his head.
Jayne cuddled River closer to him, possessively. “Yeah, you just keep yours over there, and I’ll keep mine here,” he grunted.
River rolled her eyes. “He’s just jealous because I kissed you,” River explained.
“You did what?“ Birdy exclaimed, hurt.
“Oh no no!” River exclaimed, shaking her glorious head. “I did not mean to! I thought he was my Jayne, so I kissed him. He was so surprised to see me, he fell into the water!” She hung her head. “I did not know he was yours at the time.” She looked up, tears in her eyes. “I am sorry.”
Birdy giggled and hugged Sir Daniel tightly. “I understand,” she cooed. “My Sir Danny is irresistible.”
River hugged Jayne tightly. “So is my Jayne.” She kissed his green, mossy beard.
Birdy beamed, then laughed as Sir Daniel swept her up into his arms again. “May I meet your family, my lady?” he asked with great ceremony. “I’ve yet to beg their permission for your hand in marriage.”
Birdy cooed as he began to carry her into the woods, back towards her family garden. “You don’t have to beg, my Danny love,” she purred, kissing his nose. “They already say yes.”
And as they walked, the trees all bowed their heads in the breeze.
THE END
AUTHOR: Mnemosyne
Disclaimer: Not mine!
SUMMARY: Once upon a time there lived a girl named Birdy who loved a dashing knight…
RATING: light R
FANDOMS: Firefly/The Inside crossover crack!fic
CHARACTERS: Birdy/Sir Daniel (Danny Love), with appearances by the Serenity crew and mentions of some folks from The Inside. This is one crazy, cracked-out, candy-coated crossover
SPOILERS: *hysterical laughter*
WARNINGS: None!
(PART ONE)
Village Cove was a bustling town around the clock, with street vendors selling their wares well into the night. Voices laughed and torches blazed, painting the town a festive red and gold. Now that she was more used to the sights, smells and sounds, Birdy had decided it was the biggest, noisiest, most fascinating place she’d ever been.
It was a shame she had to leave it so soon. But she wanted to go home.
The day had been long, so she begged off early for bed, wishing Wash, Zoe and Book sweet dreams and good night. She hated leaving them behind, since they had been so sweet to her, but they didn't understand her urgency. Sir Danny had been so kind to her, and she'd left him behind to fend for himself when he might be wounded, or... worse.
She didn't like to think of the worse. Worse was bad, bad, bad.
Book gave her a little room up on the second floor of the village chapel, right next to a sprawling oak tree. Birdy waited until she was sure she was alone, then shuffled open the window and crawled out onto one of the tree's gnarly branches. It felt so good to be this close to a plant again; she felt like she'd been away from her happy garden of family flowers for years and years, even if it had only been a day.
The tree was very friendly -- his name was Wind Water And Sky, but Birdy nicknamed him Norbert -- and he was very accomodating as she swung down through the branches to land nimbly on the warm brown earth. "Thank you, Norbert," she whispered, kissing his trunk and patting him gently. "You have been most helpful to this Birdy girl."
Spinning around, she darted through the thin forest that lined the riverbank until she came to the water's edge. Taking a moment to recall the direction she needed to go, she quickly began picking her way along the rocky verge. It didn't take long before she began yearning for Zoe and Wash's comfy raft, or a rowboat like the gypsies used. Or Sir Danny and brave Strongarm, who could have carried her along as though she were a downy feather on their powerful breeze...
She wandered, lost in that particular thought, for several minutes, trusting her feet to guide her safely along. She would have wandered for hours more if she hadn't bumped headlong into another young woman who came darting out of the woods.
"OOF!" Birdy gasped.
"OOF!" the other young woman gasped, and they both fell backwards onto their bottoms on the sand.
"Oh, I'm so sorry!" the other girl exclaimed as soon as they'd recovered their wits, leaping to her feet to help Birdy stand up. "I didn't hurt ya, did I?"
Birdy blinked at this new person. She was cute and bubbly, with bright eyes and an easy smile, though she looked a little concerned right now that she might have injured Birdy for real. "Nothing hurt," Birdy assured her with a little smile of her own. She was still very shy around strangers, even friendly ones like this girl.
"Well thank goodness for that!" the other girl exclaimed, dusting herself off. "Sorry I bumped you. I was in a rush and wasn't lookin' where I was goin‘." She stuck out a hand. "I'm Kaylee. Kaylee Frye. Who're you?"
"My name is Birdy," Birdy answered shyly, taking her hand.
"Well pleased to meet you, Birdy," Kaylee said, shaking her hand. "What're you doin' out here when it's so dark? You with somebody? A beau maybe?" The other girl's bright eyes twinkled mischievously.
Birdy was glad it was dark so Kaylee couldn't see her blush. "No," she said, shaking her head and tucking her arms up around her body. "I got lost. I'm trying to find my way home again."
Kaylee's face became a mask of concern. "Oh, you poor thing," she soothed, rubbing Birdy's arm. "Where you come from? I know you ain't from Village Cove, 'cause I've lived there all my life and I don't remember a pretty thing like you."
Birdy shook her head. "Not Village Cove." She pointed up river. "Come from up there."
"Like around Belmont-way?"
Birdy shook her head hopelessly. "I don't know!" she whimpered. "Don't live in a town, don't live in a city. Live in a garden with a warm, soft bed, beside the chattering river!" She hadn't realized how homesick she was until this moment, as tears began to course down her cheeks.
Warm arms wrapped around her as Kaylee gave her a comforting hug. "Oh mei mei, I'm sorry," she soothed. "I only ever been a few miles out from Village Cove myself, so I don't know where you might hail from." She stroked the Birdy's hair. "My bao bei has family up that way, though. Maybe he can help?"
Birdy sniffled against Kaylee's shoulder. "Bao bei?" she asked, rubbing her eyes and blinking tearfully into her new friend's face.
Kaylee smiled brightly. "My beau." She winked. "But shhh, you ain't allowed to tell no one, on account of him bein' one of the fairy folk."
Birdy blinked. "Your lover is a fairy?"
"Kaylee, sweetheart, please stop telling the world I'm a fairy." The new voice was warm and soft and gentle and masculine, and seemed to come from just behind Birdy's shoulder. But when Birdy swung her head around to look, there was nobody there.
Kaylee rolled her eyes. "Oh, quit bein' such a big baby, Simon," she teased the air. "Iffen I don't get to tell people what you really are, then I'm gonna tell 'em what I want!" She poked at the air, and a soft exhalation like a laugh whooshed past Birdy's ear. "Now come on, let the girl see you, 'fore she starts thinkin' we're both cracked like nuts!"
Birdy blinked, and suddenly a man was there. He was tall and slender, dressed all in green, with a fine-boned face and dark eyes set against pale skin and black hair. He looked very serious, but there was a light in his eyes that made Birdy feel as if she'd known him her entire life. "Hello," she said, a little breathless as she held out her hand to him. "My name is Birdy."
"I'm Basajuan," the man said, taking her hand and shaking it kindly.
Birdy blinked. "But... Kaylee called you Simon...?" She looked in confusion at the other girl.
Kaylee giggled. "'Cause Basajuan means Lord of the Woods, which is just too fancy for my britches. I always been partial to Simon." Kaylee stepped up to Simon's side and wrapped her arms around him lovingly. "Simple Simon," she murmured, resting her head on his shoulder.
Simon smiled and hugged back. "Live simple," he murmured, kissing her forehead.
Birdy felt her heart break a little as she observed the sweet domestic scene. Sir Danny... she thought sadly. I would like to live simple with my Sir Danny.
She blinked as realization dawned. "Did you say Lord of the Woods?" she asked cautiously.
Kaylee beamed at her. "Yep!" she said proudly, patting Simon's chest and grinning up into his suddenly bashful face. "He gets embarrassed though, so I ain't allowed to tell no one."
"You are the Lord of the forest?" Birdy asked excitedly.
Simon nodded. "More or less," he said, blushing despite the dark.
Birdy clapped her hands. "Oh, then you can help me!" She threw her arms around him and hugged him tightly.
Simon choked a little as she hugged him, then laughed warmly and patted her back. He smelled like fresh rain and new leaves. "I know, little sister," he said, hugging her gently. "You've gotten lost, haven't you?"
Birdy pulled back, nodding at him with wide eyes. "I have!" she exclaimed sadly. "Oh, Mister Bassawan, please help me get home? My flower family and all my pretty plants must worry so!"
"That's Basajuan, little sister," Simon corrected her. "But please, call me Simon. And don't worry; I know you, and your family."
Birdy's eyes welled with tears. "You do?" It seemed too good to be true.
Simon nodded. "I do." His somber tone was brooked by an embarrassed little smile. "Lord of the Wood and all. I know just about everyone who lives here. Besides, you live near my mei mei." At Birdy's blank look, he clarified, "My ACTUAL little sister." He smiled, gently tugging her hair. "Though you're so much like her, sometimes I forget you aren't my mei mei, too."
Birdy blinked, then gasped. "River!" she exclaimed. "You're River's brother!" Simon nodded again. "Oh, then you can show me how to get home! You will, won't you? You'll help me get home? And why do I look like your may may? Can you help me find Sir Danny?"
"Whoa now, sweetie!" Kaylee laughed. "One thing at a time!"
Birdy bit her lip. "Sorry," she apologized bashfully.
Kaylee gave her a hug. "Oh now sweetie, don't you be sorry for bein' excited," the other girl said with a grin. "You just gotta go one at a time, so we don't miss anythin'!"
Birdy giggled. "Then I would like to find Sir Danny, please!" She gave Simon an imploring look. "He was near my home. Please take me home? Please?"
Simon chuckled. "Your wish is my command, little sister." He bowed low.
Kaylee sighed happily. "Ain't he shiny?" she asked.
Simon blushed again.
"How do we get there?" Birdy asked, bouncing excitedly, her small white feet dancing on the wet earth of the riverbank. "Please, Simon, please!"
"We're there."
Birdy blinked. "What?"
Simon smiled at her. "Being Lord of the Wood has advantages; like magic, for example." He gestured around them. "Look."
Birdy blinked again, then raised her eyes from his face to look at their surroundings.
She gasped.
Here was her favorite stretch of riverbank, and there was the little nook where she'd tickle the fishes on warm summer afternoons. And there was Warrick, the willow tree, who cried when she left him alone for too long; and Eloise, the pretty yew who loved Warrick but was shy. And there was the little path her feet had worn into the soft green grass, pattering back and forth from her family garden to the river for years and years. And there across the river was Jayne the Ogre's cave, and there upriver, sleeping beside a fallen log, was-
"STRONGARM!" Birdy spun on her toes and flew across the ground between them until she could fall to her knees beside the noble warhorse and throw her arms around his elegant neck. Strongarm whinnied awake, turning his head to nuzzle her thigh, whiffling happily and neighing with relief.
"Oh, Strongarm!" Birdy sobbed, fisting her fingers in his silky mane and letting her tears soak into his sleek fur. "I thought you had been killed! I thought you and Sir Danny had been lost forever and ever!"
Wait a moment..
Birdy sat up quickly, eyes frantically scanning the riverbank. "Strongarm, where is Sir Danny!"
Strongarm neighed encouragingly, and Birdy instinctively moved back so the horse could push itself into a standing position. Then, as if he were bowing to her, he lowered himself down on the knee of his front left foreleg, enticing her to get on his back.
Birdy eyed him warily, suddenly nervous. His saddle was gone, and so was his bridle, and his bare back looked slick and broad. She remembered how hard it had been to stay seated even when Sir Danny had been holding her tight around the middle.
It was really the thought of Sir Danny that gave her the courage to tiptoe up to the big horse and scramble onto his back. Sir Danny wouldn't be afraid. Sir Danny would do anything he could to find her if she'd gone missing. Still, she couldn't hold in a little shriek of fear as the horse heaved himself back into a full-standing position. He was so TALL!
"Where're you goin', Birdy?" Kaylee called from her place beside Simon.
"To find Sir Danny!" Birdy called back, hoping her voice wasn't as shaky as she felt. "This is his horsey, Strongarm. If he's here, Sir Danny is here, too!"
"Be careful, honey!" Kaylee exclaimed as Strongarm began to surefootedly pick his way along the riverbank.
"I will!" Birdy called back, clinging to Strongarm's neck and hugging his flanks with her legs. "Please wait here! If Sir Danny comes back, he will wonder where his horse has gone!"
Before she could hear their answer, Strongarm began to run, his powerful white legs surging. Birdy let out a little scream, burying her face in his mane and holding on for dear life as she was jostled and tossed around on his broad back.
It seemed to Birdy they ran forever, though it couldn't have been more than a minute when Strongarm slowed to a canter, then a trot, then at last a gentle walk, rocking beneath her like a boat on a quiet stream. Birdy had her eyes squeezed shut and was too scared to open them, even as Strongarm came to a stop. "Ohhhh, Strongarm," she moaned, shivering. "You are beautiful but scary. Birdys were not meant to ride horses."
"Strongarm? Why are you here?"
Birdy's eyes flew open. She knew that voice.
"SIR DANNY!" she exclaimed, sitting up and staring between Strongarm's swiveling ears.
And there he was. He was kneeling by the riverbank, gaping in amazement at the small young woman on his horse's back. Strongarm's broad neck had obscured her at first, but now that he could see her, Sir Danny wasn't looking away. "Birdy...?" he murmured in disbelief, as if he truly couldn't believe it was her.
She nodded frantically, tears welling in her eyes. "Sir Danny!' she sobbed, holding out her arms to him. Strongarm was just as slippery as he looked, and she began to slide off, grabbing his neck just in time to keep herself from a nasty fall. "Sir Danny!"
He was at her side in a moment, sweeping her down off Strongarm's back and crushing her against his chest. His armor was gone, presumably packed away with Strongarm's saddle and accoutrements, but his chest was just as broad she remembered; his arms just as strong.
"Ay God, I thought you'd been drowned," he whispered fervently into her hair. "I thought for certain you had fallen into the river and been swept away."
"Oh no," she whimpered, trying to burrow deeper into his embrace, wrapping herself around him like a daisy chain. "The ogre had me, and he was gentle, and then the Darkness showed me to the Sun, and two good thieves brought me to a man of God who gave me a tree that took me to the Lord of the Wood, who brought me home." She raised her tearstreaked face so she could gaze into his desperate blue eyes.
"I wanted so much to find you," she whispered, sniffling. "I was so afraid I'd lost you forever and ever." She touched his cheek with tender fingers. "My Sir Danny," she murmured, awed by how dark his tanned face looked against the pale golden cream of her sun-kissed hand.
He sank to his knees on the rugged green turf with Birdy settled in his lap atop his thighs. "I thought I'd lost you as well," he murmured, raising his hand to cup her face. He had large hands; so large she thought she could curl up in one palm and sleep all night in comfort. "The thought that I had lost such a dear, sweet creature near broke my heart in two."
She rubbed her cheek against his hand and kissed his thumb. "You did not lose me, Sir Danny," she murmured, awhirl with giddy happiness. "All we had to do was find each other again."
"Very straightforward logic for a girl raised by daisies," Sir Danny said with a smile, stroking his thumb across her lips.
"Daisies are very practical," she giggled, and kissed his thumb.
"Are they very romantic?"
Birdy's eyes sparkled. "Girls learn romance from the roses," she cooed, gazing into his bright blue eyes. "Daisies are free and pure."
Sir Danny smiled. "Then they're the finest kind of romance," he murmured, leaning towards her. "They're the kind that only kisses when they mean to."
Birdy blushed, feeling more and more like a rosebud every second. "Sir Danny?" she breathed.
"Hmmm?" he hummed, nuzzling her cheek tenderly.
"I mean to," she whispered, and kissed him long and deep, the way the roses told her it should be. He moaned into her mouth, framing her round pixie face between his hands, and kissed her deeper still, and Birdy knew the roses were right.
----------------------
He made love to her on soft, springy moss, as Strongarm cropped grass further down the riverbank, out of sight of the lovers. The air smelled like cool water and night blooming lilies, and Birdy knew the flowers would soon spread the word to her home garden that Birdy had found her match at last.
She giggled at the thought, stretching luxuriously on the soft green turf, gazing bright-eyed at the moon as it drifted across the star-studded sky. There was some lingering soreness in her lower body, but it was more than made up for by the dreamy lassitude that hung on her limbs like ropes of snow white pearls. Raising her arms above her head, she stretched again, this time lengthening every muscle, every tendon, sighing with satisfaction.
A soft laugh and warm breath near her hip made her look down. "You are quite adorable, Birdy," Sir Daniel informed her, a twinkle in his eye as he kissed her just below the navel. "Adorable and sweet." He kissed her again, this time a little lower, at the very base of her belly.
Birdy smiled, dreamily combing her fingers through his sleek dark hair. "And you are strong and loyal," she murmured, passing her hand over his face. "Sir Danny, do you love me?"
"Yes, Birdy," he answered without pause, kissing higher on her belly, just below her breasts.
Birdy closed her eyes, shivering happily. "I love you, Sir Danny," she cooed.
"I love you, Birdy," he answered, smiling against her skin.
Birdy laughed and sat up, nudging him into a sitting position and leaning forward to kiss and nibble down his broad chest. Sir Daniel laughed. "What are you doing, Birdy my love?" he asked, grinning as his hand stroked down her smooth bare back.
"Playing," she giggled, rubbing her face against his furry chest, breathing in the scent of him. "Sir Danny?
"Yes, Birdy my love?"
She raised her head, gazing up into his eyes. "Will you marry me?" she asked hopefully.
Sir Daniel cupped her cheek, stroking her lips with his thumb before leaning down to kiss her tenderly. "It is I who am supposed to ask you that, Birdy my love," he murmured with a smile.
"Oh." Birdy felt crestfallen, then quickly brightened. "Sir Danny?"
He chuckled. "Yes, Birdy my love?"
"Will you ask me to marry you?"
He grinned. Pulling away from her -- which she didn't like very much -- he quickly shuffled himself onto one knee, taking up her hand and kissing her knuckles -- which she liked very much indeed. "Birdy my love," he said, voice low and gravelly, and it made her skin prickle eagerly. "Will you do me the honor of becoming my wi-"
"YES!" Birdy exclaimed, flinging herself at him and bowling him backwards as she showered his face with kisses. "Oh yes, Sir Danny my love! My Danny love!"
He kissed her passionately, catching her eager lips easily with his own. Birdy let herself melt into him, enjoying the feel of his warm, solid body beneath her and the cool night air that surrounded them.
Until someone cleared their throat nearby.
Birdy squealed and immediately curled into a ball to hide her nakedness. Sir Daniel sat up, wrapping her in his arms as he looked around, trying to find the person. "Hello?" he called out, voice stern. "Who's there?"
"Everyone decent over there?" the voice called out.
Birdy immediately brightened. "Kaylee!" she exclaimed, giggling happily and hugging Sir Danny to show him it was all right. "We're here, Kaylee! But not decent!"
Kaylee laughed. "Yeah, I figgered. Simon kinda got that impression when he was talkin' to your flowers back home, and some of the white ones started turnin' pink from blushin'!"
Birdy felt a blush stain her own cheeks, and buried her face in Sir Danny's neck, giggling uncontrollably.
"This that Sir Danny fella you was lookin' for then?" Kaylee called out, as Sir Daniel helped Birdy up.
“Yep!" Birdy crowed, scurrying around and gathering up his clothes, helping him get dressed. "Say hello, my Danny love."
Sir Danny laughed as she quickly buckled the belt on his trousers. "Hello, voice that is named Kaylee," he teased, winking at Birdy's impertinent little nose wrinkle.
Kaylee laughed. "Well hello yourself," she answered back. "I must say, you sound like a fine enough fella. I kinda want to see for myself what's got Birdy all worked up. You all decent yet?"
"Yes he is!" Birdy cooed, tugging on her own dress. "Come see!" Giggling, she scurried behind Sir Daniel's back, peeping out from beneath his arm.
Kaylee emerged from behind a little hillock. "There you are!" she exclaimed, smiling brightly. She paused in her advance long enough to glance Sir Daniel up and down. "My my, you've got very nice taste, Birdy darlin'," she approved, beaming.
Sir Daniel bowed and straightened. "At your service, ma'am," he said.
"Oooh, ain't he a smooth one," Kaylee giggled.
"I'm going to marry him!" Birdy piped up from her hiding spot behind Sir Daniel. She wanted the world to see her handsome knight, without having to look around his Birdy to do so. Plus she was still a little embarrassed being found naked with him in the grass.
"Awww, really?" Kaylee gushed, clasping her hands under her chin.
"Going to be MRS. Sir Danny!"
"Awwwwwwwww!'
"I know!"
Sir Daniel laughed. "Come here, Birdy my love!" He turned with a flourish, quickly taking her by the waist and lifting her around to stand in front of him. "No more hiding behind me. I want the world to see my beautiful bride-to-be." He kissed her cheek, and she blushed.
Kaylee clapped her hands giddily. "Simon sent me to find you both," she enthused. "Got people for you to meet! Aww, this is gonna be the best family reunion ever!"
Birdy blinked. "Best what?" she asked, cuddling against Sir Daniel's chest.
Kaylee winked. "You'll see," she answered.
----------------------
Kaylee squealed with giddy excitement when Sir Daniel asked if she would like to ride Strongarm back to Birdy’s home. The war horse willingly let the pretty young woman hop on his back and carried her gracefully upstream. Kaylee stroked his silky white neck and talked to him cheerfully as they rode along.
Sir Daniel and Birdy walked slightly ahead of the pair, Birdy perched in Sir Daniel’s arms as he carried her homeward. She whispered to him about what their wedding would look like, and he murmured soft promises for what married life together would bring. Sometimes she’d tuck her face into his neck and drop slow, dreamy kisses along his strong jaw and down his throat. Other times he’d hum her courtly lullabies, and she’d drift between sleep and wakefulness, weaving elaborate dream worlds to the sound of his deep, soothing voice.
When they finally reached home she was drifting in a happy dream, and would gladly have stayed there if an excited pair of arms had not wrapped around her from behind, and a familiar voice exclaimed in her ear, “Oh, dear Birdy, we worried!”
Birdy raised her head drowsily and looked over her shoulder to find River’s shining, iridescent face beaming at her. “River?” she murmured, rubbing her sleepy eyes as Sir Daniel set her on her feet.
River hugged her again, even tighter this time. “Hello, sister-friend,” the water sprite sighed, sounding relieved. “I had so feared you were lost in the deep dark earth. It would have killed you had such been so.”
River pulled back, smiling brilliantly, and took several steps back, into the waiting ogre’s arms.
Birdy blinked, surprised to see Jayne out of his cave. “Jayne?”
“Uh… hi,” Jayne grunted. But he wasn’t looking at her. He was staring at Sir Daniel.
And Sir Daniel was staring back.
“Perhaps some introductions are in order,” Simon said from his perch nearby, on the log where Strongarm had been sleeping earlier.
“Oh dear,” Birdy said with a nod. “I think you’re right.”
Taking firm hold of Sir Daniel’s hand, she led him over to Simon’s side. “Why does my Danny love look like Jayne, Simon?” she whimpered, looking between the Lord of the Wood and the ogre, who was glowering at Sir Danny.
Simon gave her a reassuring smile. “The resemblance is quite remarkable, isn’t it? Between your knight and,” he glanced at Jayne, distaste obvious in his features, “my sister’s… aromatic husband.”
Jayne grunted at Simon, but River kissed his cheek and he quickly settled down.
“As you can no doubt tell, their temperament is very different,” Simon continued, sighing, as Kaylee came to sit on his lap. “Where Sir Daniel is valiant, just, and kind, Jayne is conniving, scurrilous, and mean.”
“What’ve I told you ‘bout insultin’ me in them big words I don’t understand, fairyman?” Jayne snarled.
“Hush, Jayne my Jayne,” River shushed him, sending her brother a stern glare. “No insulting my lover, brother of mine!”
Simon sighed, waving a careless hand. “Yes, well. Long story short, once upon a time, Sir Daniel and that thi- and Jayne were one and the same.”
“WHAT?” four surprised voices exclaimed.
Simon nodded wearily. “Yes, I always get that reaction. You see Sir Daniel and Jayne were once a single man. Well, not a man really; a giant. A little giant. A very LARGE man.”
“Get on with it, dumb cluck,” Jayne growled.
Simon gave him a withering look. “This large man was immortal, a lesser god. His name was Janus. And it was prophesied that Janus would take to wed the Lady of the Water.”
“Me!” River exclaimed proudly.
“Yes, you, mei mei,” Simon agreed. “Well, my parents weren’t very happy with that. They wanted my sister to marry someone grander, someone more powerful, someone with more brains and less muscle.”
“Your parents?” Sir Daniel asked, still looking shocked by the revelations Simon was producing.
“Lower demi-gods,” Simon said, waving them aside. “They had delusions of grandeur, wanted to rise above their station in the pantheon. They saw my sister and me as the way to do it. So they decided to destroy the prophecy by killing Janus.”
This revelation was met by a series of shocked gasps. “Yes, I know,” Simon said with a nod. “But my parents were never the brightest deities on the mountain. Janus was immortal; trying to kill him was like trying to extinguish the sun. My parents are not without power, but what they have was only enough to… wound Janus, so to speak. They didn’t kill him. They split him.”
He looked at Sir Daniel. “Sir Daniel received Janus’s better qualities. His kindness, his graciousness, his chivalry.” He looked with distaste at Jayne. “Jayne, on the other hand, got his slothfulness, his greed, his ambition…” He sighed. “And his immortality.”
“And the Lady of the Water!” River piped up, gazing adoringly up into Jayne’s face.
“And the Lady of the Water,” Simon admitted reluctantly. “It appears irony is not without a sense of humor. Instead of my sister marrying a greater god, she married…. Him.”
Jayne smirked, cuddling River up close.
“But what about Sir Danny?” Birdy asked, snuggling her face into her future husband’s chest.
Simon turned kind eyes in her direction. “Have you noticed, Birdy, how much you look like my sister?” Birdy nodded. “Have you wondered why?”
“Yes,” she answered in a small voice.
Simon smiled wider. “It’s because it’s impossible to deny a prophecy. Janus was promised to my sister long before either was born. Jayne and River found each other, an immortal couple. But what of Janus’s mortal half?”
He touched Birdy’s hand gently, smiling tenderly. “How were you born, Birdy?” he asked.
Birdy rubbed her cheek against Sir Daniel’s chest. “A crane flew me down for the flowers to raise,” she mumbled shyly.
Simon squeezed her hand. “You were a gift, Birdy,” he murmured. “The flowers were right to name you Birdy; you are a daughter of the air. A gift from heaven, sent to balance cosmic forces beyond our control.” He grinned at Sir Daniel. “You are a very lucky man. You’re going to marry a miracle.”
Sir Daniel grinned down into Birdy’s face. “There’s no need to tell me, sir,” he said, stroking Birdy’s hair. “I knew that the first time ever I saw her.”
“Oh, this is so ROMANTIC!” Kaylee gushed, hugging Simon tightly. “River is married to her destiny, Birdy will be married to HER destiny, and someday I’ll be married to YOU!” She kissed Simon passionately.
Birdy shared a look with River, and both girls giggled. “Will you do my hair for the wedding?” Birdy asked.
River nodded quickly. “What will you do for a bouquet?” the river sprite asked.
“I don’t know!”
“Would you like a bouquet of seafoam?”
“Oh, that would be lovely!”
“And seashells in your hair!”
Sir Daniel kissed the top of Birdy’s head and looked at Jayne. “We are very lucky men, sir,” he said, inclining his head.
Jayne cuddled River closer to him, possessively. “Yeah, you just keep yours over there, and I’ll keep mine here,” he grunted.
River rolled her eyes. “He’s just jealous because I kissed you,” River explained.
“You did what?“ Birdy exclaimed, hurt.
“Oh no no!” River exclaimed, shaking her glorious head. “I did not mean to! I thought he was my Jayne, so I kissed him. He was so surprised to see me, he fell into the water!” She hung her head. “I did not know he was yours at the time.” She looked up, tears in her eyes. “I am sorry.”
Birdy giggled and hugged Sir Daniel tightly. “I understand,” she cooed. “My Sir Danny is irresistible.”
River hugged Jayne tightly. “So is my Jayne.” She kissed his green, mossy beard.
Birdy beamed, then laughed as Sir Daniel swept her up into his arms again. “May I meet your family, my lady?” he asked with great ceremony. “I’ve yet to beg their permission for your hand in marriage.”
Birdy cooed as he began to carry her into the woods, back towards her family garden. “You don’t have to beg, my Danny love,” she purred, kissing his nose. “They already say yes.”
And as they walked, the trees all bowed their heads in the breeze.
THE END