Torchwood/Firefly crossover
Title: Dancing From Cradle To Dirt
Day/Theme: Sept 9th, Yougottadance. Aslongasthemusicplays. @ 31_days
Series: Torchwood/Firefly
Character/Pairing: Jack Harkness, River Tam. Might be a touch of Jack/River in there if you turn sideways and squint.
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: Jack is the BBC’s, River is Joss’s, this is all very not-for-profit.
A/N: So, apparently, my fics in this comm keep involving Jack and parties. Hmm.. *looks at muse suspiciously* Anyway… this is a bit philosophical and strange. Which I guess isn’t surprising, considering the characters involved.
Also... quick note about timelines. This is set a few years post-Serenity (but no spoilers), and obviously it's post-Children of Earth, too, but no spoilers for that either.
At first, he noticed only the slightest of changes in the atmosphere of the room. It seemed to have brightened, somehow, though the other revellers in the room didn’t realise, caught up as they were in the dancing and the freely flowing alcohol. Curious, he turned to face the door, just in time to see a slender young woman enter. Her hair and dress seemed to float behind her in the breeze as she glanced around with dark eyes that seemed to take in every detail.
She smiled to herself when she recognised the music playing, and almost skipped into the centre of the room, where she was immediately swept up into the rhythm of the dance. The look of joy on her face was so pure, so innocent that Jack smiled, despite everything he’d been thinking about. He envied the girl. Once, he’d have been out there with her, dancing with the rest and enjoying himself. Now… well, things were more complicated now.
Instead, he reached for his drink and contented himself to watch. When the music stopped, to allow everyone to refresh themselves, the young woman walked over to where he stood at the edge of the room.
“You’re not dancing,” she said with no introduction. Jack raised an eyebrow.
“I’m not in the mood.”
“Strange for you to be here, if that’s so,” she said as she studied him carefully. She was close enough that he could see her eyes widen in surprise. “I’ve never seen anyone like you before… how does it work?”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about.” That was a lie. He thought she was talking about his… problem. But he didn’t like talking about that at the best of times.
“Yes, you do. You’ve been hurt. But you always get back up again.”
“It’s not like I get a choice in the matter.”
“Everything is choices. Even if you don’t know you’re making them.”
“Uh-huh. How do you know so much about me, anyway?”
“It’s easy. Like reading a book.” Jack sighed inwardly. This was starting to feel like his conversation and her conversation weren’t exactly matching up.
“Who exactly are you, anyway?”
She smiled. “River Tam. Born on Osiris, but that’s not home.”
Jack blinked at that. Osiris was one of the core worlds, and a wealthy one. If she’d been born there, this girl was from a family with serious money.
“Jack Harkness… I was born a long way from here, and I’m not at home anywhere.”
That smile again. “But that’s not right, Captain. Her voice sings in you even now.”
“I really have no idea what you’re talking about.”
River rolled her eyes, obviously frustrated, as though she knew something about him that he didn’t, though that was impossible because they had only just met. And how, exactly, had she known about the “captain” title he used to use?
“Don’t call me that. I’m no-one’s captain, not any more.”
“Sorry.” She cocked her head to one side, as if listening to something only she could hear, and her grin returned. “The music will start again soon.”
“Great,” Jack answered, scowling a little.
“No making faces. ‘Sides, you need to dance, Captain. Everyone has to. The music plays, and until it stops we all have to dance.”
“Well, I don’t. And stop calling me Captain.”
“Yes, you do, Jack of Swords. Everyone does. From rocking cradle to cold dirt.”
He knows now that she isn’t exactly talking about dancing, but about life in general.
“You don’t understand. There won’t be any cold dirt,” he throws her words back at her, “for me.”
She pauses, listening as the musicians pick up their instruments once again, then answers simply, “Everything ends, Captain.” Then she looks at him and adds, “Dance with me?”
Jack could have fought, brushed her off and left the room. But she intrigued him, a surprise where so little surprised him any more, and he wanted to spend a little more time with her, so he followed her onto the dancefloor as the music started up again.
Day/Theme: Sept 9th, Yougottadance. Aslongasthemusicplays. @ 31_days
Series: Torchwood/Firefly
Character/Pairing: Jack Harkness, River Tam. Might be a touch of Jack/River in there if you turn sideways and squint.
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: Jack is the BBC’s, River is Joss’s, this is all very not-for-profit.
A/N: So, apparently, my fics in this comm keep involving Jack and parties. Hmm.. *looks at muse suspiciously* Anyway… this is a bit philosophical and strange. Which I guess isn’t surprising, considering the characters involved.
Also... quick note about timelines. This is set a few years post-Serenity (but no spoilers), and obviously it's post-Children of Earth, too, but no spoilers for that either.
At first, he noticed only the slightest of changes in the atmosphere of the room. It seemed to have brightened, somehow, though the other revellers in the room didn’t realise, caught up as they were in the dancing and the freely flowing alcohol. Curious, he turned to face the door, just in time to see a slender young woman enter. Her hair and dress seemed to float behind her in the breeze as she glanced around with dark eyes that seemed to take in every detail.
She smiled to herself when she recognised the music playing, and almost skipped into the centre of the room, where she was immediately swept up into the rhythm of the dance. The look of joy on her face was so pure, so innocent that Jack smiled, despite everything he’d been thinking about. He envied the girl. Once, he’d have been out there with her, dancing with the rest and enjoying himself. Now… well, things were more complicated now.
Instead, he reached for his drink and contented himself to watch. When the music stopped, to allow everyone to refresh themselves, the young woman walked over to where he stood at the edge of the room.
“You’re not dancing,” she said with no introduction. Jack raised an eyebrow.
“I’m not in the mood.”
“Strange for you to be here, if that’s so,” she said as she studied him carefully. She was close enough that he could see her eyes widen in surprise. “I’ve never seen anyone like you before… how does it work?”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about.” That was a lie. He thought she was talking about his… problem. But he didn’t like talking about that at the best of times.
“Yes, you do. You’ve been hurt. But you always get back up again.”
“It’s not like I get a choice in the matter.”
“Everything is choices. Even if you don’t know you’re making them.”
“Uh-huh. How do you know so much about me, anyway?”
“It’s easy. Like reading a book.” Jack sighed inwardly. This was starting to feel like his conversation and her conversation weren’t exactly matching up.
“Who exactly are you, anyway?”
She smiled. “River Tam. Born on Osiris, but that’s not home.”
Jack blinked at that. Osiris was one of the core worlds, and a wealthy one. If she’d been born there, this girl was from a family with serious money.
“Jack Harkness… I was born a long way from here, and I’m not at home anywhere.”
That smile again. “But that’s not right, Captain. Her voice sings in you even now.”
“I really have no idea what you’re talking about.”
River rolled her eyes, obviously frustrated, as though she knew something about him that he didn’t, though that was impossible because they had only just met. And how, exactly, had she known about the “captain” title he used to use?
“Don’t call me that. I’m no-one’s captain, not any more.”
“Sorry.” She cocked her head to one side, as if listening to something only she could hear, and her grin returned. “The music will start again soon.”
“Great,” Jack answered, scowling a little.
“No making faces. ‘Sides, you need to dance, Captain. Everyone has to. The music plays, and until it stops we all have to dance.”
“Well, I don’t. And stop calling me Captain.”
“Yes, you do, Jack of Swords. Everyone does. From rocking cradle to cold dirt.”
He knows now that she isn’t exactly talking about dancing, but about life in general.
“You don’t understand. There won’t be any cold dirt,” he throws her words back at her, “for me.”
She pauses, listening as the musicians pick up their instruments once again, then answers simply, “Everything ends, Captain.” Then she looks at him and adds, “Dance with me?”
Jack could have fought, brushed her off and left the room. But she intrigued him, a surprise where so little surprised him any more, and he wanted to spend a little more time with her, so he followed her onto the dancefloor as the music started up again.