FIC: Time Enough and Space 3/5: A Firefly/Doctor Who Crossover AU
Time Enough and Space: A Firefly/Doctor Who Crossover AU - chapter 3
by ashinae and linden_jay
Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 | Chapter 4 | Chapter 5
The Doctor flung open the doors to his TARDIS. "After you."
Jayne balked. "I'm not climbing in your box so you can lock me up in there and throw me off the ship. That's what I was gonna do to you, so it's no fair stealing my plan."
The Doctor smiled. "I'm not going to lock you in there and throw you off the ship." And then, with a little bit of a spring in his step, the Doctor stepped into the TARDIS.
Jayne narrowed his eyes, and followed the Doctor inside the box. Then scrambled straight back out again, swearing loudly.
The Doctor walked up to the console, turned around, and watched Jayne. "The words you string together make no true grammatical sense. You do know that, don't you?"
Jayne slowly walked back in again, gun in his hands. "This ain't possible," he said, ignoring the Doctor's commentary on his language.
"Well, clearly it is," the Doctor said, mildly. "It's right here in front of you. It's all right, Jayne. Come in."
He walked in, still moving slowly, then up to the console, reaching out to touch a blinking light.
The doors closed behind him. The Doctor turned to the console and began pulling levers and pressing buttons. There was that same noise as before. "I'd like very much to show you something," said the Doctor.
"Hey--hey!" Jayne yelled. He turned around and headed for the door, banging hard on it. "What are you doing? Where are you--Mal!"
"I'll have you back on Serenity soon enough. I just think I ought to prove to you that Simon's telling you the truth. You seem like you'd respond better to a little 'show' rather than just 'tell'."
Jayne banged on the door a few more times. "MAL!"
The door opened. Right into space. It was a nebula that Jayne had never seen before. The Doctor turned and leaned against the console again.
Jayne almost fell out, scrambled back a few steps, and stared. "What... where are we?" he gasped.
"This is the Horsehead Nebula. It's approximately fifteen hundred lightyears from the planet Earth. Oh, and--wait--" The door closed right in Jayne's face and the Doctor turned again to the console. When the door swung open for a second time, Jayne stared down at a little blue-green planet. "That's Earth."
"There is no Earth," Jayne said. "Earth's gone. It's what once was."
"And isn't that remarkable," the Doctor commented.
"How are you doing this?" Jayne demanded. "How are you showing me things that aren't real?"
"It is real, Jayne," the Doctor said. "This ship travels in space and time."
Jayne stared for a few moments, then turned back to look at the Doctor. "So... just how much is a ship like this worth?" he asked, ever-so-casually.
The Doctor stared at him for a long, long moment, then started laughing. He turned around, left Jayne to scowl behind him, and flipped a few more switches. The TARDIS door closed and when it opened again, it was onto Serenity's cargo bay. "Home sweet home," said the Doctor. He bounded down to the doors and clapped Jayne on the shoulder. "Back we go."
"You're not right. You know that, don't you?" Jayne said.
"So I've been told," the Doctor said, ushering Jayne back into the cargo hold and closing the TARDIS doors firmly behind them.
"About time," Donna said, standing at the top of the stairs waiting for him. "I don't like it when you leave me behind, you know. Have you seen what they eat in this place?"
"Moulded protein, I imagine," the Doctor called up to her. "Were we gone that long? We should have only been a minute or two."
"Long enough," Donna muttered.
*
Simon took River to bed. Captain Reynolds took his crew for a chat. The Doctor sprawled out in one of the comfy chairs in the corner of the mess with a cup of tea cradled in his hands. He hadn't taken a single sip. He tilted his head back and closed his eyes.
Donna came and sat next to him, not waiting for an invitation. "So. Pretty weird, all this. Even for you."
"More than pretty, I'd say," said the Doctor, not opening his eyes.
"You told me you were the last," Donna said, poking him with her finger.
"I was." He opened his eyes and stared at the offending finger.
"And yet... here she is," Donna said, poking him again. "Is she what she said she is? Is it all true?"
The Doctor rubbed at his face. "There's still something of the Time Lady in her," he said. "She isn't entirely the same species as Simon. And he knows... enough."
"If they'd done it right, you'd have never known, would you?" Donna said.
"Never," the Doctor said. "I... there was someone else. A while back. I should have told you about the Master by now, I suppose."
She shook her head. "Who's the Master?" she asked.
The Doctor leaned forward. He looked at the floor, but he told her. He told Donna everything. About the end of the universe; Utopia; the year on Earth that never was. The Master's regeneration and death. And then he fell absolutely silent, still looking at the floor.
Donna stayed quiet for a long time after that. Instead of poking, this time, she reached for his hand. "And then you were alone again," she murmured. "And now you're not... but you still are, because she isn't right."
He looked at her, finally, and gave her a very sad smile as he squeezed her hand. "I can help her," he said.
"Are you sure you can put her right again?" Donna said.
"Yes," said the Doctor, "very sure. I need the watch and I need her TARDIS."
"Well, the... Alliance, wasn't it? The Alliance has the TARDIS, so the Alliance has the watch too," Donna said.
"Yes. We can just hope that they haven't been able to get inside."
"Do you know her?" Donna asked. "Simon's River, do you know her?"
"He called her the Dancer, when he was telling his story. I'm not even sure he was aware that she did it. River's not exactly her true name." Then, finally, the Doctor smiled. "I haven't seen her in, oh, eight hundred-some-odd years."
"Quite the separation," Donna said. "An old flame, perhaps?"
"Nothing like that," the Doctor said.
"What was she like?" Donna asked. "The Dancer, not the broken girl who needs our help."
"Remarkable," the Doctor said. "Brilliant, eccentric, always ready to buck the system. Never quite fit in. Loved art and music, other races--the human-like ones. Travelled, explored. We would have been great friends, but our lives took different paths."
She nodded, still holding on to his hand. "Did no one wonder what happened to her, when she didn't come when she was called? When the war happened?"
"Of course we did. We thought perhaps something had happened to her. There was never any confirmation that she even received the call."
"And during a war, it's not as though you can send people looking," she said. "It doesn't seem like that much time has passed for them. I don't know how you track it, honestly... makes my head ache."
"I really don't think it has been that long for them at all," the Doctor agreed. "Wibbly wobbly and all that." He gave her a sad smile. "I'm not alone, Donna."
And it hurt a little to hear that, because he had her. He wasn't alone. But she knew, somehow, that it just wasn't the same. "You're not, no," she said. "So what's next? How do we fix her? Bring the Dancer back?"
"We get my the fob watch and her TARDIS," said the Doctor. "I think it would be easier if we had a few extra helping hands, but if Captain Reynolds and his crew are unwilling to help, well. It'll just be the four of us--if you want to help. I can take you home first, if you prefer. It's going to be dangerous, I imagine."
Donna gave him a look, then punched him in the arm.
"Is that a 'don't be stupid, I'm coming with you, stupid' punch?" asked the Doctor.
"If you can't recognise it by now, clearly I'm not hitting you hard enough."
"I don't need you to hit me harder."
"Then stop trying to send me home, dumbo!"
*
It had been a long, long day, and Inara still couldn't sleep. Too many things to think about. She got out of bed and slipped into her robe, starting the water so she could make tea.
There was a knock once she sat down with her cup. At least he knocked--but it was only once, and it was when the door was already open. Mal stepped into the shuttle, deep enough to find her seated on the couch. He looked at her without a word.
"I suppose it's a bit late to say you can come in, isn't it?" Inara said. She gestured at the couch. "Please, sit."
He sat, clasping his hands in front of him. "Jayne says the Doctor took him to Earth-That-Was."
"Jayne's not exactly the hardest person to fool," Inara said, sipping at her tea. "Still, somehow, I don't think the Doctor would do that."
Mal looked down at his hands for a moment. "Simon and River are aliens, Inara. So help me, I believe all of this. That blue box just materialised outta nowhere."
She nodded. "I know. They're telling the truth." She tucked her feet up underneath herself a little more securely. "I listen, a lot. And I've heard things that make hearing this not so hard to believe."
Mal lifted his head again and looked at her. "You have? Like what?"
"Whispers... hints of truth, murmured in one's ear," Inara said. "A lot of things we're told don't make sense."
"Well that was cryptic."
"I can't help that," Inara said. "None of it's specific enough. I just don't find this impossible to believe."
He leaned back heavily. "They're gonna ask for help in... fixing her."
"I imagine," Inara said. "What are you going to tell them?"
"Inara, how can I put my people on the line for them when they lied to me? If Zoe, Wash, Jayne, and Kaylee don't want to help, I'm not going to make them."
"If he'd told you the truth, would you have believed him?"
"No."
"Then how could he have done anything but lie? If he'd told you two days ago, without the Doctor and Donna here to confirm his story... would you have believed him then?"
Mal sighed. "No, I wouldn't've."
"Then you can't blame him for not telling you the truth."
Mal rubbed at his eyes. He looked exhausted.
"So... when they ask you for help, Mal... what are you going to tell them?"
He was quiet for a long, long moment. Then he said, "I'll help. Leave Serenity in Zoe's hands."
"Zoe won't let you go without her," Inara said.
"I ain't leavin' Jayne in charge!"
Inara almost smiled. "Something tells me that your crew is going to back you up, Mal. They follow where you lead."
That gave Mal pause. Then he said, "They're idiots," without any conviction whatsoever.
"They're your idiots."
"That they are." Mal stood. "I'm going to try to talk the Shepherd into staying here with you, and I'm hoping the Doctor can convince Donna to stay behind. I'd also rather leave River and Simon here."
Inara stood as well. "I can help, Mal. You should take me with you."
He had no idea whatsoever to say to that. He stared at her.
"You lead, and do it right, and we follow," she murmured. "You should go to bed. Tomorrow's going to be a big day."
"I never said we were gonna leave tomorrow," Mal said.
"Of course not. Whenever you decide," Inara said. And this time, she was teasing him.
Mal stared at her a moment longer, then turned on his heel and stalked out, muttering under his breath.
*
"Aliens," said Kaylee.
"Kind of hard to believe," Wash said.
"'Kind of'?" Zoe echoed, raising her eyebrows at Wash. "Bit of an understatement."
"There's a lot of black out here, and a lot of strange things in it," Wash said. "I don't know... maybe my suspension of disbelief has increased."
"Still," Zoe said, leaning more comfortably against Wash's chair. "Explains a lot, if she ain't his sister."
"A whole lot," Wash said fervently, right before he looked sheepish and peeked over at Kaylee.
Kaylee pulled her feet up onto the co-pilot's chair in front of her and looked out at the black.
Zoe sighed softly. "Sorry, Kaylee." It was inadequate, and she knew that, but what else was she supposed to say? And gorram it all, it looked like Kaylee was going to cry, and Zoe was in absolutely no position to help her with that.
"Told you he wasn't good enough for you." Jayne, of course. Not that he was being that much more helpful.
"Shut up, Jayne," Kaylee snapped, wiping furiously at her eyes.
"Well he--" Jayne started to argue, then frowned and went quiet as the Shepherd touched his shoulder and shook his head.
Kaylee got up from the co-pilot's chair and dashed from the bridge.
"Good job, Jayne," Zoe said sarcastically.
"Hey--this is not my fault," Jayne said. "I'm not the one who lied to her and led her on while I was in love with my alien sister."
"No, you weren't, but we don't need to make any of this worse on her."
Jayne huffed loudly. "I still think we should just leave them on the next rock we pass," he muttered.
"Captain's not gonna do that, and you know it."
"He should."
"Well, then, it's a good thing he doesn't listen to you."
Jayne's scowl got impressive.
"Moving on," the Shepherd said.
"If the Captain's really gonna help Simon and the Doctor, then I'm with him," Zoe said.
"The Alliance can't be allowed to keep a TARDIS," the Shepherd said. "The potential for misuse is catastrophic."
Silence descended on the cockpit. They all stared at the Shepherd.
"I'm sure the Doctor said something about that earlier when we were speaking," he said mildly.
"Uh huh," said Zoe.
"Riiiight," Wash said. "So... anyway. I'm in."
That? Got a smile out of Zoe. "That's my man," she said.
"Where you go, I go," Wash said firmly. "Except when you or the Captain tell me I have to stay behind. Then I listen to you or the Captain, because you're both in charge of me."
*
It was quiet when River got up. Simon didn't hear her. No one ever did, not unless she wanted them to. She padded barefoot out of her room, always touching the walls as she headed for the cargo bay, and smiled when she saw the Doctor's TARDIS. She lifted herself up on her toes, murmured softly as she walked around it, dragged her fingers against the wood, almost caressing the sides.
The door swung open for her. Invitation.
She smiled, whispered a 'thank you' to the TARDIS, and slipped inside.
The Doctor sat in the chair against the railing, his long legs up and trainer-covered feet on the console. "Hello," he said.
She held on to each side of the door and swayed back, as though she was blowing in the breeze. "Hello, Storm."
"Come in, Dancer."
She laughed and twirled around in a circle, nightdress fanning out around her.
"Do you remember me? At all? Even with this daft old face?"
She went right up to him, skipping more than walking, and touched his face. "Old inside," she whispered. "Old face with a young soul becomes young face with an old soul."
He nodded. "I'm a very grumpy old man sometimes," he admitted.
"Shh. Are not," River whispered. "I won't tell."
He smiled at her, a crooked, sad little smile. "They're gone," he said. "All of them. All the Time Lords, all the Daleks. I destroyed them to end the war."
Her smile faltered. She gave her head a shake and turned away. "Run. Just run. Why can't we just run? They'll find us... wherever we run, they'll find us. We have to hide. Hide in plain sight. It's the only way... the only way."
"I'm sure you don't really understand," the Doctor said. "But... I just want..." He trailed off and got to his feet. "I'm sorry."
"I promised him," River said, not looking at the Doctor. "I promised."
"I know you did. And we're going to get you better, I promise."
She turned back around to face the Doctor, searching his face, then finally smiled. "I like her," she said, ever so confidentially.
The Doctor tilted his head curiously, frowned a little, then suddenly smiled down at River. "She's a lovely old girl, isn't she?"
She closed her eyes, swaying very gently back and forth. "She sings," she whispered. "Can you hear her?"
The Doctor's chest suddenly felt a little tight. "I... no. No, I can't. Unless you mean Donna--she sings in the shower."
River laughed, opening her eyes again. "Her too. She's good for you," she said, for once sounding like she might have some age behind her, instead of looking like a teenager.
"Yes," the Doctor agreed, "she really is. I've needed a friend like her, I think, for a very, very long time."
She nodded firmly. "She takes care of you. Let her," she said, just as firmly. And then the moment of lucidity was gone, and River turned back to look at the TARDIS console, a wistful look in her eyes. "Lost," she murmured.
"Simon knows where your TARDIS is," the Doctor told her.
It was as though she didn't hear him. She stroked the side of the console and looked sad.
The Doctor reached out, gently, took hold of her shoulders, and turned her to face him. "River?" he said. "Simon knows where your TARDIS is."
"Left her behind," River said sadly. "Let them take her. Touch her."
"But I really don't think they would be able to get inside."
"She's all alone."
"She is. But you're not."
River looked up at the Doctor again. "Neither are you," she whispered. She brushed a fast kiss across his cheek, and then she turned and ran out of the TARDIS, hair flying behind her.
*
"Where did you go?" Simon reached for River and drew her close. "I was worried."
"I had to see her," River said, tucking in against Simon. "I could hear her singing."
"Is her voice as lovely as your TARDIS?" Simon rested his cheek against her hair.
"Different," River said. "He's so lonely."
"Can we help him?" Simon asked. "Like he's helping us?"
River thought about it, and then shook her head. "I don't think so, Simon," she murmured. Like so many things, she couldn't explain it, but she had a feeling that for the Doctor, who was more than a little broken, they were only going to make things worse.
Simon sighed softly and kissed her forehead. "Okay."
"You're tired," River said. "You should be sleeping." Of course, Simon would always want to help. To heal. She touched his face.
"So should you," said Simon. "Please. It would make me feel better."
"Will you let it all be quiet?" River asked, touching his temple. "Just for tonight?"
He smiled. "I'll try my best."
She nodded, accepting that. It would do, for now. "Tired," she murmured.
Simon settled them down on the bed, snuggled together under the blanket. He stroked her hair. "We'll sleep," he said. "We'll probably have a big day ahead of us tomorrow."
"Daddy will help, don't worry," she murmured.
Simon frowned. "Mal? You think so?"
She smiled. "He will."
*
It was late. Donna assumed it was late, anyway. That was the problem with being in space--one could never be entirely sure what time it was supposed to be, even when you were somewhere that remotely observed time the way humans on Earth did. Either way, she was wide awake and bored, which was as good a reason as any to get dressed and get up to go exploring.
It was nobody's business why she'd actually bothered to put on a proper bra and make her hair look respectable.
"Can't sleep?" The Doctor was underneath the console, working on something, but he always knew when Donna was there.
She gasped, then turned and gave him a look. "No, actually. Don't you ever?"
"Sometimes. If the mood strikes."
"Nice for some," Donna says. "I thought I'd stretch my legs a little... take a walk."
"And yet you're heading for the door. There are plenty of places on the TARDIS to take a walk, Donna." He raised his eyebrows at her.
"Oh, you know," she said airily. "Change of scenery."
He regarded her a moment, then said, "He's dangerous, Donna."
She looked in a reflective surface and primped her hair. "Who?" she said innocently.
"You will at least watch for concealed weapons, won't you?"
"Ooh, I certainly hope so," Donna said, smirking wickedly at the Doctor. "Don't wait up," she added over her shoulder.
"You behave yourself, young lady!" he called out.
Donna's laughter followed her out the door. Once she closed it, lest she have to listen to any other helpful advice from the Doctor, she started her wander through the ship.
It was almost easy to miss at first. But the closer Donna came to the engine room, it became unmistakable: someone was in there, and someone was crying.
Donna frowned, changed direction, and followed the sound of crying instead. She wasn't really all that surprised when she saw Kaylee in tears. "Hey... so sorry to interrupt," she said, hoping she wouldn't startle Kaylee too badly. "Would you mind if I came and sat with you?"
Kaylee's head came up quickly, and then she wiped her face on her sleeves. She sniffled miserably, but nodded. "Sure," she said.
She sat down next to Kaylee, and dug in her pocket for a handkerchief. The Doctor always had a few around. "Here... it'll make you feel better," she offered.
Kaylee took it gratefully, then shifted a little. Just enough that she turned away from Donna, but still gave her room to sit.
"Pretty blokey, this ship," Donna said. "Has to be hard sometimes."
Kaylee managed a laugh. "Jayne, Mal, and Zoe ain't too helpful sometimes when I need to sit down and have a good cry. 'Course, I don't do that to them all that often anyhow."
"And he seems like a good fellow, but I can't imagine sniffling all over the Shepherd either," Donna admitted.
Kaylee shook her head. "I'd rather sniffle all over Inara, but I don't wanna wake her."
"I know you don't know me, but I've got pretty good shoulders for that sort of thing," Donna said, giving Kaylee a gentle bump to the side of her arm. "If you like."
That brought the tears welling up in Kaylee's eyes again. She covered her face.
"Hey... it's all right," Donna murmured, slipping an arm around her. "I'm sorry--I didn't mean to make it worse."
Kaylee shook her head again and mumbled something completely incoherent when she turned to hide her face against Donna's shoulder.
Donna felt very badly, quite concerned that she had, in fact, made things worse, so she just decided to stay put and pet Kaylee's hair.
"I thought he wanted--that he--but he's not--"
Donna made a few soothing sounds, still petting Kaylee's hair. "Men are idiots, sweetheart. It doesn't matter what time or planet you're from, that's always going to be true."
"He's an alien," Kaylee said, brokenly.
"He's still a man. Alien doesn't change that. Look," Donna said, rubbing Kaylee's back, "he's a man, and like I said, men are idiots, true... but I don't think he truly meant to hurt you. He doesn't really seem the type, does he?"
Kaylee shook her head. "No... no, he doesn't."
"Doesn't make it feel much better right now, of course, but at least he's an idiot, rather than an arse," Donna said, tilting her head from side to side, as she weighed and balanced that one out.
Kaylee made a funny little noise. She hugged Donna tighter. "It's not really helping, no."
"Ah, that's all right... it doesn't have to help right now," Donna said. "You know what else? I bet he's making himself just sick over it," she said, very confidentially. "I saw the look on his face."
Kaylee lifted her head. "I hadn't thought about that."
"Now, I don't know him, but he seems like a fairly sweet fellow to me... kind, gentle, all of that. And he's hurt you. He didn't mean to, but he has. From what I saw? He's just sick about it."
Kaylee sniffled and wiped her face with the handkerchief. "But what good's all that when nothin' can come of it?"
"Well... maybe a relationship won't come of it," Donna admitted. "But you might end up with one hell of a friend, if you can see past it." She shifted so she could see Kaylee a bit better. "I've travelled with a Time Lord, like Simon did. There aren't words to describe it. It's bigger than everything. Time, and space, and life itself. They don't see things like we do... and sometimes, those of us who travel, we forget. What it's like to be a human. An ordinary, wonderful human being. We make mistakes."
"Or they might just... leave."
"They might," Donna admitted. She didn't know, after all. "But it sounded to me like they were looking for a place to belong."
Kaylee wiped her face again. "Yeah. Maybe they are."
"Plus... no matter what, he's going to owe you for life," Donna pointed out, smiling and bumping against Kaylee's arm. "Just think what you'll be able to get off him."
That got a little laugh out of Kaylee.
"Sweets for life." Donna paused. "Oh God, tell me you still have sweets in this galaxy."
*
Mal looked absolutely haggard.
Simon knew he hadn't slept. Of course, Simon hadn't had the most restful night ever.
Really, everyone looked pretty tired. Everyone but the Doctor and River, that was.
Mal looked around the table. "So here's the deal," he said. "I've made up my mind. I'm gonna help Simon and the Doctor. Not a one of you's bound to help us. I won't make you."
Simon was surprised, but that settled into a profound sort of appreciation. "Thank you, Captain," he said as he reached out for River's hand.
Mal nodded.
"I'm in," Zoe said. "You know I'm in."
"That's Zoe." Mal gave her a very tired-looking smile.
"I told Zoe last night--I'll do whatever you need," Wash said. "Whether that's staying here, or coming along to help."
River peeked over at Wash and waved just the tips of her fingers at him.
"Anything I can do to help, Cap'n," Kaylee said. She smiled across the table at Donna.
"And you know that Donna and I are going to help you, Simon," the Doctor said.
"Thank you," Simon murmured.
"I'll help in any way I can," the Shepherd said, smiling at River.
"It looks like I was right, Mal," Inara said. "They're all your idiots."
Mal quirked a bit of a smile at her, but it disappeared very quickly. "Ain't heard from Jayne yet."
"This is an incredibly stupid idea," Jayne said, from his position slouched back in his chair. "It's dumb, it's reckless, and you're probably all gonna get yourselves blown up."
"More than like."
"So, does that mean you're not coming?" the Shepherd said.
"Who said anything about not coming?" Jayne said. "You're taking the fight to the Alliance. That's just my kind of stupid--I wouldn't miss it. I'm just saying--you're all idiots."
"Brilliant," said the Doctor, clapping his hands. "One happy band of idiots. Now, first thing to do is go retrieve that TARDIS key."
"I have exact co-ordinates," Simon said. "It won't be a problem."
"Good, good." The Doctor nodded slowly. "So we have two options. One: I take Simon in the TARDIS straight there and we fetch it. We're back in a few minutes. Option two," he said, quickly, before anyone could interrupt him, "Captain Reynolds takes a nice long nap first, and he comes with us."
Zoe looked at Mal, and said, "I say we go with option two. Agreed?" She looked around the table.
"Now wait a minute here," Mal objected.
And yet, Mal's protest was drowned out by the entire rest of the table agreeing with Zoe and the Doctor.
"Circles... black and purple, not in fashion for the season," River informed him, drawing a half-circle under one eye.
Mal looked at her, then made a bit of a face. "Fine. I'll go sleep. Wake me in three hours," he told Zoe. He got, wearily, to his feet.
When he was out of earshot, Zoe said, "I'll wake him in eight. Agreed?"
Again, the room chorused in agreement.
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