[Firefly] "Spreading His Wings" (PG)
Author's Note: Written for Firefly, Mal + Ma Reynolds, "I don't see why you got to leave, darlin', but I ain't stoppin' you." Kudos to whoever can spot the cross-canon reference.
"I don't see why you got to leave, darlin', but I ain't stoppin' you," Ma said.
Mal gazed across the spread of pasture land, at the herd of cattle grazing on the spring grass. "We got good stock here, but the land's just not for me. Been watchin' the sky an' I want to see what's beyond it. I'd like t' see other rocks b'sides this dusty one, like t' travel th' space lanes like them sailors on Earth-That-Was, crossin' the seven seas."
Ma took her kiseru from her lips and blew a plume of smoke into the air. "Yer jus' showin' where y' came from. Y' got yer looks from me, but y' got yer daddy's temperament. Jack couldn't stay put for long in any one place, but he stayed long enough to sire you an' acknowledge you were his, 'fore he took off for God knows where. Said he'd be back when you was grown, but I ain't seen hide nor hair of th' sweet-talkin' [crazy bastard]," she said. "Y' ain't plannin' on lookin' for yer daddy, are y', son?"
"Ain't th' plan, but if I see him, I'll bust his jaw for runnin' off an' leavin' yah," he says.
She shushed him. "I made m' peace with him, long time ago. Wouldn't mind seein' him once more, but I doubt I ever will. He gotta be gettin' on in years, same as me, but if y' see a tall, dark, grinnin' feller, with grey eyes like yers, you tell 'um Elnore's wonderin' what happened to 'um."
"Got m' word, Ma. I'll tell 'um -- after I smack 'um."
"Oh shush, boy," she snapped, but she smiled at him.
"I don't see why you got to leave, darlin', but I ain't stoppin' you," Ma said.
Mal gazed across the spread of pasture land, at the herd of cattle grazing on the spring grass. "We got good stock here, but the land's just not for me. Been watchin' the sky an' I want to see what's beyond it. I'd like t' see other rocks b'sides this dusty one, like t' travel th' space lanes like them sailors on Earth-That-Was, crossin' the seven seas."
Ma took her kiseru from her lips and blew a plume of smoke into the air. "Yer jus' showin' where y' came from. Y' got yer looks from me, but y' got yer daddy's temperament. Jack couldn't stay put for long in any one place, but he stayed long enough to sire you an' acknowledge you were his, 'fore he took off for God knows where. Said he'd be back when you was grown, but I ain't seen hide nor hair of th' sweet-talkin' [crazy bastard]," she said. "Y' ain't plannin' on lookin' for yer daddy, are y', son?"
"Ain't th' plan, but if I see him, I'll bust his jaw for runnin' off an' leavin' yah," he says.
She shushed him. "I made m' peace with him, long time ago. Wouldn't mind seein' him once more, but I doubt I ever will. He gotta be gettin' on in years, same as me, but if y' see a tall, dark, grinnin' feller, with grey eyes like yers, you tell 'um Elnore's wonderin' what happened to 'um."
"Got m' word, Ma. I'll tell 'um -- after I smack 'um."
"Oh shush, boy," she snapped, but she smiled at him.