Unexpected
Series: Unexpected
Title: Unexpected Chapter 2
Author: Ceslas and Bookaddict43
Disclaimer: Firefly owns me, I own words
Characters: Zoe/Jayne, Crew
Rating: PG, will go to PG-13/R
Comments: A new series in a collaboration between
bookaddict43and
ceslas , a bit of a different pairing for both of us…
http://bookaddict43.livejournal.com/67351.html#cutid1
Unexpected Ch. 2
Muffled curses and the pop of gunfire overhead.
“Thought you said she ain’t shot no one in a year Mal.” Jayne spit around a cigar he had clamped tightly in his teeth.
“Well, she hadn’t!” Mal replied sharply as he returned fire over the top of the embankment they had taken cover behind with the mule.
“Looks like she decided you were reason enough ta start shootin’ again.” Jayne replied, returning fire on a man creeping around behind Mal.
“Not my fault she didn’t like the goods. She ordered ‘em, shoulda checked with the supplier before buyin’ them.” Mal huffed, checking his gun for ammo. “Damn, I’m out, ya got anything?” He hunched down under Jayne’s cover fire.
With a sneer and a curled lip, Jayne tossed his third piece to Mal. “One a these days I’m gonna listen ta ya about bringin’ too many a’ my girls.” He spared a brief biting look at Mal with that comment.
“Just keep their heads down until I can get the mule running again.” Mal said sourly.
Jayne harrumphed and resumed firing at Patience and her rapidly depleted forces. Jobs with Patience never went smooth. Mal and his mysterious lack of people skills were gonna get them all killed one of these days he thought not for the first time.
~~~~
She hadn’t been nervous before. Why was she nervous now? She was only going out for dinner with a friend, a male friend. Who wasn’t crew. Who had gotten her to start talking again. Tiānna, what was she thinking? No, this was not a problem. Do the job. Wait, do the job!? Tiānna! She really was a mess if she was using Mal’s get-by line to get ready for, she finally admitted it, a date. Right, she, Zoë, would not let this fluster her.
A knock on her bunk door jarred her out of her self-recrimination. “Zoë? Ya ok?” Kaylee’s unerringly chipper voice made Zoë smile despite herself. That girl was happier than anyone she had ever seen at the prospect of a dinner on the town. Kaylee had finally gotten Simon to loosen up enough to take her out for dinner and not worry overmuch about how badly he would stumble over basic speech with the cheerful mechanic.
“You ready to go already?” Zoë tried to cover for her hiding, because that is what it was, in her bunk.
“Come on Zoë, we been ready for twenty minutes… and yer fella is probably wonderin’ if yer gonna show at all.”
Zoë came up that ladder as Kaylee chattered about the upcoming evening. The warrior woman had to admit it; Kaylee had the right of it. No sense in not looking forward to what could be a really nice evening. Just don’t think about what might happen later. Wasn’t sure she could steel herself for the possibility and still make it off the ship.
~~~~~
“Gorramnit Mal, hurry up, gonna have ta start throwin’ rocks if ya take much longer with that short.” Jayne was making each shot count, most of Patience’s men were down or out of ammo, but he wanted to be sure he was the last man with a loaded gun and the longer Mal took, the less likely that was to be.
“Jayne now is not the time ta be complaining,” Mal grunted back as he wrung a piece of wire tight around another, “Seeing as how maintenance on this boat was just done by,” another grunt as he pushed the knot of wires back under the control panel, “Wait for it,” A kick to the panel to get it stay in place, “You!”
“That there was fine when we left for the job, ain’t my fault yer clumsy ass feet pulled the wiring harness out.” Jayne snapped back, popping one more round overhead. As he came back down into a crouch, the mule roared to life, Mal grinning broadly in triumph. Engaging the thrusters, Mal accelerated without a backwards glance from the shelter of the berm. Jayne kept his eyes scanning for Patience’s men, gun at the ready. He felt more than heard, the passing of air, a bullet plucked at his shirt as it passed him. He drew bead on the shooter and dropped the man before he could get another round off.
The mule slew out sideways as he did.
“Mal! What ya foolin’ at?” No time ta be…” Jayne turned to holler at Mal for not just getting them the gorramn hell outta there.
~~~~~
“Nisham, this is far nicer than…” Zoë was enjoying the taste of a real red wine, not engine hooch or cheap whiskey, with her dinner. Real meat, real vegetables, not a bit of formed protein to be seen.
“Always knew you liked a good meal now and then. Just needed to wait until we were in a World where it could be had… at the same time.” Nisham answered with a relaxed smile. Tall, mixed heritage, he only slightly hinted at Earth-That -Was Indian blood in the exotic tilt of his bright green eyes, dark Mediterranean complexion thrown in to off-set Nordic good looks. Generally serious, he smiled often, but with few words. More than Zoë to be sure, but he was not the talkative dinner companion Wash had been Zoë remembered quietly.
“Regular routes do allow for a little more discrimination of dinner locales, I’ll grant your Captain that at least.” Nisham continued.
Zoë smiled at that. It had been one of Mal’s great consternations to accept some jobs that were turning into milk runs for them. He kept waiting for the other shoe to drop. Truth be told, none of the crew was overly familiar with work that paid more often than it didn’t.
“He is just glad to keep Serenity flying. Not unhappy with that turn of affairs.” Zoë replied, knowing that Nisham was referring obliquely to Mal’s greater surprise, Zoë and Nisham’s growing friendship.
Nisham ducked his head, grinning. He knew Zoë hadn’t missed his veiled tease at Mal. That she didn’t bristle at it was evidence that her feelings towards Nisham were getting warmer. Inside he allowed himself a cheer.
“You are laughing at me Nisham Asgard!” Zoë half-heartedly accused.
Shaking his head, Nisham chuckled, “Indeed I am Zoë Washburn, indeed I am.” He looked at her, eyes shining, knowing he had fallen for this stunning woman with her fall of great curls, beautiful eyes, heart of a warrior, and the soul of a lover. He was as good as tied to her despite them being separated by two ships, two separate lives.
Zoë smiled at Nisham. More than a good man she decided, more than what she deserved, but there weren’t no way she was saying no to the chance. Nisham Asgard was willing to accept her for who she was. And she was finding his odd habits of mixing Indian and old-World Earth mores endearing. A man who straddled many spaces in the ‘verse.
Neither would sacrifice what they had, but nor would they say no to the possibility of more. A strange dichotomy that they each were able to integrate into themselves.
tiānna (exclamation) Oh God
Title: Unexpected Chapter 2
Author: Ceslas and Bookaddict43
Disclaimer: Firefly owns me, I own words
Characters: Zoe/Jayne, Crew
Rating: PG, will go to PG-13/R
Comments: A new series in a collaboration between
bookaddict43and
ceslas , a bit of a different pairing for both of us…
http://bookaddict43.livejournal.com/67351.html#cutid1
Unexpected Ch. 2
Muffled curses and the pop of gunfire overhead.
“Thought you said she ain’t shot no one in a year Mal.” Jayne spit around a cigar he had clamped tightly in his teeth.
“Well, she hadn’t!” Mal replied sharply as he returned fire over the top of the embankment they had taken cover behind with the mule.
“Looks like she decided you were reason enough ta start shootin’ again.” Jayne replied, returning fire on a man creeping around behind Mal.
“Not my fault she didn’t like the goods. She ordered ‘em, shoulda checked with the supplier before buyin’ them.” Mal huffed, checking his gun for ammo. “Damn, I’m out, ya got anything?” He hunched down under Jayne’s cover fire.
With a sneer and a curled lip, Jayne tossed his third piece to Mal. “One a these days I’m gonna listen ta ya about bringin’ too many a’ my girls.” He spared a brief biting look at Mal with that comment.
“Just keep their heads down until I can get the mule running again.” Mal said sourly.
Jayne harrumphed and resumed firing at Patience and her rapidly depleted forces. Jobs with Patience never went smooth. Mal and his mysterious lack of people skills were gonna get them all killed one of these days he thought not for the first time.
~~~~
She hadn’t been nervous before. Why was she nervous now? She was only going out for dinner with a friend, a male friend. Who wasn’t crew. Who had gotten her to start talking again. Tiānna, what was she thinking? No, this was not a problem. Do the job. Wait, do the job!? Tiānna! She really was a mess if she was using Mal’s get-by line to get ready for, she finally admitted it, a date. Right, she, Zoë, would not let this fluster her.
A knock on her bunk door jarred her out of her self-recrimination. “Zoë? Ya ok?” Kaylee’s unerringly chipper voice made Zoë smile despite herself. That girl was happier than anyone she had ever seen at the prospect of a dinner on the town. Kaylee had finally gotten Simon to loosen up enough to take her out for dinner and not worry overmuch about how badly he would stumble over basic speech with the cheerful mechanic.
“You ready to go already?” Zoë tried to cover for her hiding, because that is what it was, in her bunk.
“Come on Zoë, we been ready for twenty minutes… and yer fella is probably wonderin’ if yer gonna show at all.”
Zoë came up that ladder as Kaylee chattered about the upcoming evening. The warrior woman had to admit it; Kaylee had the right of it. No sense in not looking forward to what could be a really nice evening. Just don’t think about what might happen later. Wasn’t sure she could steel herself for the possibility and still make it off the ship.
~~~~~
“Gorramnit Mal, hurry up, gonna have ta start throwin’ rocks if ya take much longer with that short.” Jayne was making each shot count, most of Patience’s men were down or out of ammo, but he wanted to be sure he was the last man with a loaded gun and the longer Mal took, the less likely that was to be.
“Jayne now is not the time ta be complaining,” Mal grunted back as he wrung a piece of wire tight around another, “Seeing as how maintenance on this boat was just done by,” another grunt as he pushed the knot of wires back under the control panel, “Wait for it,” A kick to the panel to get it stay in place, “You!”
“That there was fine when we left for the job, ain’t my fault yer clumsy ass feet pulled the wiring harness out.” Jayne snapped back, popping one more round overhead. As he came back down into a crouch, the mule roared to life, Mal grinning broadly in triumph. Engaging the thrusters, Mal accelerated without a backwards glance from the shelter of the berm. Jayne kept his eyes scanning for Patience’s men, gun at the ready. He felt more than heard, the passing of air, a bullet plucked at his shirt as it passed him. He drew bead on the shooter and dropped the man before he could get another round off.
The mule slew out sideways as he did.
“Mal! What ya foolin’ at?” No time ta be…” Jayne turned to holler at Mal for not just getting them the gorramn hell outta there.
~~~~~
“Nisham, this is far nicer than…” Zoë was enjoying the taste of a real red wine, not engine hooch or cheap whiskey, with her dinner. Real meat, real vegetables, not a bit of formed protein to be seen.
“Always knew you liked a good meal now and then. Just needed to wait until we were in a World where it could be had… at the same time.” Nisham answered with a relaxed smile. Tall, mixed heritage, he only slightly hinted at Earth-That -Was Indian blood in the exotic tilt of his bright green eyes, dark Mediterranean complexion thrown in to off-set Nordic good looks. Generally serious, he smiled often, but with few words. More than Zoë to be sure, but he was not the talkative dinner companion Wash had been Zoë remembered quietly.
“Regular routes do allow for a little more discrimination of dinner locales, I’ll grant your Captain that at least.” Nisham continued.
Zoë smiled at that. It had been one of Mal’s great consternations to accept some jobs that were turning into milk runs for them. He kept waiting for the other shoe to drop. Truth be told, none of the crew was overly familiar with work that paid more often than it didn’t.
“He is just glad to keep Serenity flying. Not unhappy with that turn of affairs.” Zoë replied, knowing that Nisham was referring obliquely to Mal’s greater surprise, Zoë and Nisham’s growing friendship.
Nisham ducked his head, grinning. He knew Zoë hadn’t missed his veiled tease at Mal. That she didn’t bristle at it was evidence that her feelings towards Nisham were getting warmer. Inside he allowed himself a cheer.
“You are laughing at me Nisham Asgard!” Zoë half-heartedly accused.
Shaking his head, Nisham chuckled, “Indeed I am Zoë Washburn, indeed I am.” He looked at her, eyes shining, knowing he had fallen for this stunning woman with her fall of great curls, beautiful eyes, heart of a warrior, and the soul of a lover. He was as good as tied to her despite them being separated by two ships, two separate lives.
Zoë smiled at Nisham. More than a good man she decided, more than what she deserved, but there weren’t no way she was saying no to the chance. Nisham Asgard was willing to accept her for who she was. And she was finding his odd habits of mixing Indian and old-World Earth mores endearing. A man who straddled many spaces in the ‘verse.
Neither would sacrifice what they had, but nor would they say no to the possibility of more. A strange dichotomy that they each were able to integrate into themselves.
tiānna (exclamation) Oh God