Birthday vignette for Dessert_First
And many happy returns of the day, dear Dess!
Title: Captain, my Captain
A birthday vignette for dessert_first
Time: the 51st Century
Place: Space
"The thing is, " Jayne was saying earnestly, "that when you get into an argument with one o' these knives, you tend to win."
"Unless he has a friend who shoots you in the back," Zoe observed.
"Sure, Zoe, go and change the rules of knife-fightin'," Jayne said.
"I'm just sayin'," Zoe said. "Oh, thank you, dear." She accepted a handful of cartridge boxes from Wash, and began to pack her ammo belt.
"I like this pistol," the man in the blue coat said, and laid a sleek long-barreled military-type gun on the packing crate. The metal had a dull black shine.
Up on the cat-walk, to one side, Mal muttered, to himself, "I don't know."
"He's not what he seems," River said, crouched at his feet, her chin resting on one of the cross-chains.
"Seriously?" Mal asked. Without taking his gaze from the stranger, he held down his hand. River took it, and gracefully stood up. Mal stepped back into the shadow of the stairwell.
"He doesn't mean any harm," River frowned. "But he'll be gone if there's real trouble."
"That's what I thought," Mal said, satisfied.
"I mean, gone, " River said, taking three stairs up in one leap. "Poor captain. He'll be gone soon, and you'll be the only captain aboard." She patted his head.
"Hey," Mal said, ducking. "Listen, did he sleep with Kaylee? Because if he slept with Kaylee----"
"Not with her," River said, scornfully.
"Oh, God, I'm sorry I asked."
"Poor Captain," River said again, sadly.
"Hey, don't feel sorry for me, girl, I don't care if he had enough coin for Inara. In fact, I'm not sure---"
"Not poor you," River said. "Poor Captain Jack. Wants a family, but he can't stay, poor him, it's all in front of him, old earth-that-was."
"Wait a minute," Mal said. "Inara just got back---" he stepped forward and glared down at the cargo bay.
"Captain Reynolds!" Jack Harkness called. "Bring that horse pistol of yours, we're almost ready."
"Yeah, I see," Mal said. He turned to go down the stairs. In a lower voice, he asked River, "You sure he wasn't with Kaylee? Because she was mooning around this morning."
"Not yet," River said, reassuringly, in a way that was completely not reassuring.
"Well, let's go do the thing," Mal muttered. "Hey, Doc. Your sister's up there."
"Oh, yes, thank you," Doctor Tam said, with a hint of stammer. "I wasn't actually---you're all leaving now?"
Above them, River giggled.
Title: Captain, my Captain
A birthday vignette for dessert_first
Time: the 51st Century
Place: Space
"The thing is, " Jayne was saying earnestly, "that when you get into an argument with one o' these knives, you tend to win."
"Unless he has a friend who shoots you in the back," Zoe observed.
"Sure, Zoe, go and change the rules of knife-fightin'," Jayne said.
"I'm just sayin'," Zoe said. "Oh, thank you, dear." She accepted a handful of cartridge boxes from Wash, and began to pack her ammo belt.
"I like this pistol," the man in the blue coat said, and laid a sleek long-barreled military-type gun on the packing crate. The metal had a dull black shine.
Up on the cat-walk, to one side, Mal muttered, to himself, "I don't know."
"He's not what he seems," River said, crouched at his feet, her chin resting on one of the cross-chains.
"Seriously?" Mal asked. Without taking his gaze from the stranger, he held down his hand. River took it, and gracefully stood up. Mal stepped back into the shadow of the stairwell.
"He doesn't mean any harm," River frowned. "But he'll be gone if there's real trouble."
"That's what I thought," Mal said, satisfied.
"I mean, gone, " River said, taking three stairs up in one leap. "Poor captain. He'll be gone soon, and you'll be the only captain aboard." She patted his head.
"Hey," Mal said, ducking. "Listen, did he sleep with Kaylee? Because if he slept with Kaylee----"
"Not with her," River said, scornfully.
"Oh, God, I'm sorry I asked."
"Poor Captain," River said again, sadly.
"Hey, don't feel sorry for me, girl, I don't care if he had enough coin for Inara. In fact, I'm not sure---"
"Not poor you," River said. "Poor Captain Jack. Wants a family, but he can't stay, poor him, it's all in front of him, old earth-that-was."
"Wait a minute," Mal said. "Inara just got back---" he stepped forward and glared down at the cargo bay.
"Captain Reynolds!" Jack Harkness called. "Bring that horse pistol of yours, we're almost ready."
"Yeah, I see," Mal said. He turned to go down the stairs. In a lower voice, he asked River, "You sure he wasn't with Kaylee? Because she was mooning around this morning."
"Not yet," River said, reassuringly, in a way that was completely not reassuring.
"Well, let's go do the thing," Mal muttered. "Hey, Doc. Your sister's up there."
"Oh, yes, thank you," Doctor Tam said, with a hint of stammer. "I wasn't actually---you're all leaving now?"
Above them, River giggled.