Fic: The One I've Come To Save [Firefly/BSG, gen, PG-13]
Title: The One I've Come To Save
Fandoms: Firefly, BSG
Characters: River Tam, Leoben Conoy, Simon Tam.
Prompt: River/Leoben, steampunk!AU. (from comment_fic)
Summary: Leoben, a wandering preacher, is drawn to take passage on the airship Serenity, and meets a troubled young woman on board.
A/N: Not part of the Patterns series (unusually!). Title is from "Still Love You" by Tom McRae.
If anyone had asked Leoben why he had bought passage on the airship Serenity, he would not have been able to tell them. Perhaps he would have said something about how he was a travelling preacher, looking to spread the word to them who needed it, but though it was true, such an answer would not have been satisfactory.
In truth, he had chosen that particular airship simply because he’d felt drawn to it as he walked along the pathway at the dock. He had been fortunate that there was room for him, and he’d paid for his bunk and been shown on board by a smiling girl dressed in overalls.
For the most part he kept apart from the other passengers, preferring to sit with the crew at mealtimes. That was how he became acquainted with Miss Tam. She was sitting by herself in a corner when he first saw her, watching him with her dark eyes wide. Curious, he went to her.
“May I sit here?”
She nodded quickly. “If you wish.”
“You were watching me, miss.”
She leant forward and whispered urgently, “Do you see them? Do you see the streams?”
He frowned, and nodded. “How did you know?”
“They swirl around you. Not like the others. They don’t see. I see. ‘s why the gentlemen came.”
“What gentlemen?”
“Not gentle. No! Hard, cold, shining like steel on the inside. Not gentle. They hurt River. Stuck things in her.”
Before he could speak, the ship’s doctor appeared, fussing around her, calming her. He looked up at Leoben angrily. “What did you say to her? My sister is delicate, sir, please remember that!”
“I did nothing to upset her, we were merely speaking. She seemed to become distressed at some memory of her own, not at any words of mine.”
Miss Tam touched her brother’s shoulder. “It’s all right, Simon. He did nothing to hurt me. I’m all right.”
The doctor - Simon - left reluctantly, and only after a glare from his sister. When they were alone again, she looked at Leoben and smiled. “I apologise. My brother is very protective... he has reason to be.” She held out a slender hand. “We have not been introduced. I’m River Tam. You’re one of the new passengers, are you not?”
“Indeed,” he said as he took her hand. “Leoben Conoy.”
“A preacher?”
“Of sorts.”
“You don’t like to be grouped in with others.” She smiled to herself. “I like that. I’m not like the rest of them, either.”
“I…” he smiled a little. “No, you are not, Miss Tam.” He wanted to say you are much, much more than any of them, but somehow he couldn’t find the words.
“River, please. Miss Tam is what they called me.”
“What did they do to you?”
“Tricked me. It was supposed to be an academy. It wasn’t. Simon says they used my mind as a playground. They broke me apart to see how I work. Silly. Should have known better.”
“But they tricked you. It wasn’t your fault.”
She meets his gaze. “Thank you. For saying that.”
“It is only the truth.”
Lying in his narrow bunk that night, Leoben thinks only of her. He wonders if, perhaps, the reason he felt so powerfully drawn to this ship was because of her, because of River.
Perhaps she is the reason he is here. She is the one he has to help.
Fandoms: Firefly, BSG
Characters: River Tam, Leoben Conoy, Simon Tam.
Prompt: River/Leoben, steampunk!AU. (from comment_fic)
Summary: Leoben, a wandering preacher, is drawn to take passage on the airship Serenity, and meets a troubled young woman on board.
A/N: Not part of the Patterns series (unusually!). Title is from "Still Love You" by Tom McRae.
If anyone had asked Leoben why he had bought passage on the airship Serenity, he would not have been able to tell them. Perhaps he would have said something about how he was a travelling preacher, looking to spread the word to them who needed it, but though it was true, such an answer would not have been satisfactory.
In truth, he had chosen that particular airship simply because he’d felt drawn to it as he walked along the pathway at the dock. He had been fortunate that there was room for him, and he’d paid for his bunk and been shown on board by a smiling girl dressed in overalls.
For the most part he kept apart from the other passengers, preferring to sit with the crew at mealtimes. That was how he became acquainted with Miss Tam. She was sitting by herself in a corner when he first saw her, watching him with her dark eyes wide. Curious, he went to her.
“May I sit here?”
She nodded quickly. “If you wish.”
“You were watching me, miss.”
She leant forward and whispered urgently, “Do you see them? Do you see the streams?”
He frowned, and nodded. “How did you know?”
“They swirl around you. Not like the others. They don’t see. I see. ‘s why the gentlemen came.”
“What gentlemen?”
“Not gentle. No! Hard, cold, shining like steel on the inside. Not gentle. They hurt River. Stuck things in her.”
Before he could speak, the ship’s doctor appeared, fussing around her, calming her. He looked up at Leoben angrily. “What did you say to her? My sister is delicate, sir, please remember that!”
“I did nothing to upset her, we were merely speaking. She seemed to become distressed at some memory of her own, not at any words of mine.”
Miss Tam touched her brother’s shoulder. “It’s all right, Simon. He did nothing to hurt me. I’m all right.”
The doctor - Simon - left reluctantly, and only after a glare from his sister. When they were alone again, she looked at Leoben and smiled. “I apologise. My brother is very protective... he has reason to be.” She held out a slender hand. “We have not been introduced. I’m River Tam. You’re one of the new passengers, are you not?”
“Indeed,” he said as he took her hand. “Leoben Conoy.”
“A preacher?”
“Of sorts.”
“You don’t like to be grouped in with others.” She smiled to herself. “I like that. I’m not like the rest of them, either.”
“I…” he smiled a little. “No, you are not, Miss Tam.” He wanted to say you are much, much more than any of them, but somehow he couldn’t find the words.
“River, please. Miss Tam is what they called me.”
“What did they do to you?”
“Tricked me. It was supposed to be an academy. It wasn’t. Simon says they used my mind as a playground. They broke me apart to see how I work. Silly. Should have known better.”
“But they tricked you. It wasn’t your fault.”
She meets his gaze. “Thank you. For saying that.”
“It is only the truth.”
Lying in his narrow bunk that night, Leoben thinks only of her. He wonders if, perhaps, the reason he felt so powerfully drawn to this ship was because of her, because of River.
Perhaps she is the reason he is here. She is the one he has to help.