DW/FF crossover fic: The Engineer's Gift (2/21)
Title: The Engineer’s Gift
Author: shan21non
Rating: PG-13
Beta Readers: buffyaddict13 and inkhand
Warnings: Swearing in Mandarin!
Pairings: Ten/Rose, Mal/Inara, a bit of Simon/Kaylee
Disclaimer: I don’t own Doctor Who or Firefly. How is that fair?
Summary: When the Doctor takes a wrong turn, he and Rose find themselves aboard Serenity. Confusion, explosions, mystery, romance, and adventure ensue!
In chapter one… the Doctor had run into a bit of trouble, and was being brought back to Serenity for some expert medical attention.
A/N: If you are a Doctor Who fan who has never seen Firefly, or a Firefly fan who has never seen Doctor Who, do not fear! I have made every effort to allow either type of reader to follow the story and get introduced to the characters regardless of prior knowledge. If you’re a fan of both series, it will hopefully just be extra enjoyable for you!
Again, a huge thanks to buffyaddict13 and inkhand for beta reading! Your feedback and corrections are incredible.
Remember, for the Chinese phrases, all you have to do is hover your mouse over the Mandarin, and a translation will pop up.
CHAPTER TWO
Footsteps rang out against the metal grating as the pilot approached the three other crewmembers in the cargo bay.
“Is Inara back?” a girl in a green jumpsuit called up to him. Her brunette hair was pinned back in two loose buns, and her face was smudged with engine grease.
“The Ambassador’s shuttle has returned,” the blond confirmed.
He took the stairs two at a time until he landed with a thunk in front of the mechanic.
“Is our baby ready to fly, Kaylee?” he asked.
“The new G-line fits like a dream,” she replied, grinning. “We are ready for lift-off.”
“Yeah, if the gorram captain ever decides to make it back to the ship,” a gruff voice muttered.
“Ah, Jayne, the Cap’n just needs to blow off some steam,” the mechanic dismissed.
She turned, hands-on-hips, to face the bad-tempered man. He was prone on a weight bench, mid-set. He took the time to complete another rep with a hefty barbell before replying.
“I got better things to do with my time than sit around while the Captain goes to pick a bar fight,” he grunted.
“At least Zoe went along. She’ll keep the Captain out of trouble,” a man in a gray collar commented. He stood above Jayne, acting as spotter. His dark skin stood out against the shock of white hair that he tied back in a tight ponytail.
“That’s my warrior woman. Always keeping the menfolk in line,” the pilot said proudly. “Besides, there’s no stopping Mal on U-Day. The man will find a fight wherever he can.”
“Wash is right,” Kaylee said. “And at least we ain’t in a rush. We got legitimate wares this time ‘stead of something crime-y.”
She gestured to the large crates stacked against one side of the cargo bay. They emitted a low scratching noise and vibrated slightly.
“Them things give me the heebie-jeebies,” Jayne said, sneaking a sideways glance.
“Awww, is the big tough mercenary afraid of the itty bitty bugs?” the pilot teased.
“Can it, Wash!” Jayne snapped, racking the barbell with more force than was necessary.
“They’re only babies, Jayne, just hatched a few weeks ago. Besides, I think it’s nice,” Kaylee said, walking over to the crates and giving them a friendly tap, as if petting the creatures within. “The rim planets need some help with pest control, and these little guys’ll do the trick. It’s shiny!”
“It’s creepy is what it is,” Jayne rumbled. “Them things are called assassin bugs. That don’t seem unsettlin’ to you?”
“They are interesting creatures. We had some in my garden at the abbey,” the preacher said. He tossed Jayne a towel to mop the sweat from the bench. “They kill their prey by injecting saliva into the body through their piercing mouthparts. The saliva paralyzes the prey and then liquefies the unfortunate creature’s insides. Then the assassin bug sucks the liquid out of the corpse much like we might sip a milkshake through a straw.”
Jayne gave the man a deeply disturbed look.
“Preacher, I swear sometimes I don’t know what’s creepier: the doc’s moonbrained little sister or a shepherd who knows so damn much about killin’ things.”
Shepherd Book merely shook his head and smiled.
“I think we’ve all learned that, for a very muscled man, Jayne is afraid of a shocking number of things,” Wash noted.
Jayne grabbed hold of the collar of Wash’s Hawaiian shirt and tugged him close.
“Very funny, little man,” he sneered.
“I’m not that little, you know. I’m taller than Zoe,” Wash protested, prying his shirt from Jayne’s grip.
“Ain’t no way you’re taller’n your wife,” Jayne spat, releasing Wash with a shove.
Wash stumbled and straightened up before defending himself.
“I just slouch, is all. Zoe has the posture of a soldier. I have the posture of-”
“A loser?” Jayne offered.
Wash narrowed his eyes at the mercenary, but before he could respond, Kaylee wrapped her arms around the pilot in a tight hug.
“A loveable loser,” she said, giving him a peck on the cheek.
“Gee, thanks. Ego intact,” he said sarcastically. “In any case, you shouldn’t have to wait too much longer, Jayne. The Captain said he was only going for one drink. He’ll be back any minute and we’ll be on our way, problem-free.”
A loud metallic whir started up behind them, and they turned to see the air hatch lowering to reveal the Captain and Zoe. Only they weren’t alone. A blond woman in an emerald ball gown stood beside Zoe, and the Captain was dragging an unconscious and bleeding man on his back.
“You were sayin’?” Jayne said dryly.
Wash noticed that he had a black eye.
“The Captain is always so good at making new friends,” he quipped.
“We need some help here!” the Captain shouted.
Shepherd Book rushed forward to help the Captain, throwing the Doctor’s left arm around his shoulders while the Captain took his right so that the man hung suspended between them.
“Mal, who the hell are they?” Jayne demanded.
“The blond one’s fancy!” Wash said.
“Not helping, dear,” Zoe gritted out.
“Sorry, darling,” Wash replied.
“Less talkin’, more helpin’,” Mal ordered. “Where’s Simon?”
“Here. What happened?”
A handsome young man in a crisp shirt and vest strode purposefully into the room from a door opposite the air hatch. Book helped drag the unconscious man forward as Mal spoke.
“Doctor, meet the Doctor. A fellow Browncoat lookin’ for a good time on this fine U-Day. Met the wrong end of a knife. Think you can stitch him up?”
Simon nodded.
“Let’s get him to the infirmary.”
The young doctor turned back to the door he had just entered through. Together Mal and Shepherd Book followed, the Doctor supported between them. The pretty blond in the ball gown started after them when Mal turned sharply and pinned his gaze on her.
“You stay here, Miss,” he commanded.
Her eyes widened in panic, but she stopped short.
“But-” she started.
“Zoe,” Mal barked.
The girl felt a sudden pressure on her arm and looked down to see that the first mate’s fingers closing around it.
“Strangers stay in the cargo bay until proper introductions are made. We don’t know you, and you won’t be wondering around this vessel until we do,” she stated matter-of-factly.
“But the Doctor-” the girl started desperately.
“We’ll take good care of him. Simon’s the best there is,” Kaylee interjected, giving her a sweet smile.
The girl took a hesitant step backwards. As the men disappeared through the door at the back of the cargo bay she suddenly straightened up and shouted after them.
“Don’t give him aspirin! He’s allergic!”
“Roger that!” Mal shouted as he turned the corner.
He and Book carefully navigated the Doctor’s limp body down the steps and into the infirmary. Once they had removed his long brown coat and pinstriped jacket, they settled the man onto the examination chair. Simon tore open his shirt and cut through the undershirt beneath it to look at the wound. A moment later Book set about flipping on the lights while Simon rifled through drawers and cabinets for medical supplies.
“You two got this covered?” Mal asked of Simon and Book.
“We’re fine,” Simon replied, examining the wound again as he spoke.
“All right. I need to check in with Inara. But Doc, before I go, I’m not sure when this man might stir, so you’ll want to see that your sister stays well hid until both of these strangers are off the ship.”
At Simon’s curt nod, Mal left the room to find his tenant’s shuttle.
Simon worked quickly and efficiently. Occasionally he requested a tool or supply in a calm, direct tone, and Book tried his best to have it ready. His skill was obvious, and the Shepherd could imagine that the boy had a very bright future ahead of him in a prominent Core hospital before the problems with his sister arose.
In minutes, the young doctor had managed to stop the flow of blood from the rough puncture wound.
“He doesn’t appear to require a blood transfusion. I’m going to apply some subdermal adhesive and antibiotics and then I’ll be able to stitch him up,” he announced.
Book wiped the sweat from his brow and said a silent prayer of thanks.
“If you don’t need me, I’ll find River and see that she keeps to her room,” he offered.
Before he could do what he said, however, the teenager in question appeared in the doorway. Her waiflike body stretched across the frame, her stringy black hair falling across her face.
“Two hearts,” she said softly.
“River, dear, you can’t be in here. Your brother is tending to someone who is very sick,” Book said kindly.
River slipped into the room as if she hadn’t heard.
“Not from here. Far away,” she said in a hollow, distant voice.
Her eyes were fixed on the injured man’s bare chest.
“River, I’m busy right now. You have to go to your room and stay there,” Simon said, his focus still on the open wound in front of him.
Book attempted to gently take River’s arm, but the girl made a noise of distress and scampered further into the small room. Before either man could stop her, she pressed her open palms onto the injured Doctor’s chest.
“River, don’t! This man is hurt!” Simon snapped.
He swatted her hands away, but she didn’t seem perturbed. Instead, she stared straight ahead at nothing, and continued in the same hollow voice.
“He dances from world to world, laughing and running and saving everybody. Unless he kills them.”
An eerie silence filled the room. Book and Simon shared an uneasy look.
“Is he dangerous?” Simon probed.
“He laughs to hide the pain. The weight of the whole ‘verse, every second of every eon. He sees more than anyone, more pain, more love, more death. He’s been responsible for a lot of it.”
Before they could ask more, she was in motion. She spun in tight circles like a prima ballerina, arms reaching for the sky.
“Time coursing through his brain. Branching out into a thousand-a million-billions and billions of possibilities and he’s the only one who sees it. So lonely. The last of his kind. He doesn’t belong here.”
She continued to spin, faster and faster.
“He breathes in the gold swirling stuff, and he exhales change. He isn’t a god, but he’s something unique. Other than. Killer. King. Jester. Judge.”
She stopped so abruptly that she stumbled and fell into her brother’s cart of instruments. The sharp utensils scattered in every direction with a tinny clang. Simon cursed and bent to pick up his now-un-sterilized tools, but the Shepherd stared at River. She regained her feet and placed her palms once more on the injured man’s chest.
“Are you talking about this man, River?” Book asked.
“Not a man. Not human,” she replied without looking up.
“Of course he is. We’re all human, dear,” Book said.
“Two hearts,” she murmured.
“Okay, River, you’ve disturbed enough of my surgery room. Shepherd, please get her out of here. I have to check this man’s vitals and make sure that River’s playing patty-cake on his torso didn’t do anything.”
“River, you heard your brother,” Book said. “Come with me.”
He put an arm around the girl’s shoulders and gently ushered her towards the door while Simon pressed his stethoscope to the man’s chest.
“Wait a minute,” Simon muttered. “This makes no sense.”
“Everything okay?” the Shepherd asked, one foot out the door.
“Told you,” River called out in a sing-song tone.
“This isn’t possible,” the young doctor whispered, craning his neck to listen more closely. Sure enough, he heard two distinct heartbeats.
“What the guai?”
Chinese Translations:
Gorram = God damned (this isn’t Chinese, but it’s commonly used on the show as slang)
guai = hell
End Notes:
Hi there! Did you know that every time you leave a review, a double rainbow appears? Try it out! (disclaimer: it might be an invisible double rainbow)
P.S. I made some icons that go with this fic! You can see them here
On to chapter three!
Author: shan21non
Rating: PG-13
Beta Readers: buffyaddict13 and inkhand
Warnings: Swearing in Mandarin!
Pairings: Ten/Rose, Mal/Inara, a bit of Simon/Kaylee
Disclaimer: I don’t own Doctor Who or Firefly. How is that fair?
Summary: When the Doctor takes a wrong turn, he and Rose find themselves aboard Serenity. Confusion, explosions, mystery, romance, and adventure ensue!
In chapter one… the Doctor had run into a bit of trouble, and was being brought back to Serenity for some expert medical attention.
A/N: If you are a Doctor Who fan who has never seen Firefly, or a Firefly fan who has never seen Doctor Who, do not fear! I have made every effort to allow either type of reader to follow the story and get introduced to the characters regardless of prior knowledge. If you’re a fan of both series, it will hopefully just be extra enjoyable for you!
Again, a huge thanks to buffyaddict13 and inkhand for beta reading! Your feedback and corrections are incredible.
Remember, for the Chinese phrases, all you have to do is hover your mouse over the Mandarin, and a translation will pop up.
CHAPTER TWO
Footsteps rang out against the metal grating as the pilot approached the three other crewmembers in the cargo bay.
“Is Inara back?” a girl in a green jumpsuit called up to him. Her brunette hair was pinned back in two loose buns, and her face was smudged with engine grease.
“The Ambassador’s shuttle has returned,” the blond confirmed.
He took the stairs two at a time until he landed with a thunk in front of the mechanic.
“Is our baby ready to fly, Kaylee?” he asked.
“The new G-line fits like a dream,” she replied, grinning. “We are ready for lift-off.”
“Yeah, if the gorram captain ever decides to make it back to the ship,” a gruff voice muttered.
“Ah, Jayne, the Cap’n just needs to blow off some steam,” the mechanic dismissed.
She turned, hands-on-hips, to face the bad-tempered man. He was prone on a weight bench, mid-set. He took the time to complete another rep with a hefty barbell before replying.
“I got better things to do with my time than sit around while the Captain goes to pick a bar fight,” he grunted.
“At least Zoe went along. She’ll keep the Captain out of trouble,” a man in a gray collar commented. He stood above Jayne, acting as spotter. His dark skin stood out against the shock of white hair that he tied back in a tight ponytail.
“That’s my warrior woman. Always keeping the menfolk in line,” the pilot said proudly. “Besides, there’s no stopping Mal on U-Day. The man will find a fight wherever he can.”
“Wash is right,” Kaylee said. “And at least we ain’t in a rush. We got legitimate wares this time ‘stead of something crime-y.”
She gestured to the large crates stacked against one side of the cargo bay. They emitted a low scratching noise and vibrated slightly.
“Them things give me the heebie-jeebies,” Jayne said, sneaking a sideways glance.
“Awww, is the big tough mercenary afraid of the itty bitty bugs?” the pilot teased.
“Can it, Wash!” Jayne snapped, racking the barbell with more force than was necessary.
“They’re only babies, Jayne, just hatched a few weeks ago. Besides, I think it’s nice,” Kaylee said, walking over to the crates and giving them a friendly tap, as if petting the creatures within. “The rim planets need some help with pest control, and these little guys’ll do the trick. It’s shiny!”
“It’s creepy is what it is,” Jayne rumbled. “Them things are called assassin bugs. That don’t seem unsettlin’ to you?”
“They are interesting creatures. We had some in my garden at the abbey,” the preacher said. He tossed Jayne a towel to mop the sweat from the bench. “They kill their prey by injecting saliva into the body through their piercing mouthparts. The saliva paralyzes the prey and then liquefies the unfortunate creature’s insides. Then the assassin bug sucks the liquid out of the corpse much like we might sip a milkshake through a straw.”
Jayne gave the man a deeply disturbed look.
“Preacher, I swear sometimes I don’t know what’s creepier: the doc’s moonbrained little sister or a shepherd who knows so damn much about killin’ things.”
Shepherd Book merely shook his head and smiled.
“I think we’ve all learned that, for a very muscled man, Jayne is afraid of a shocking number of things,” Wash noted.
Jayne grabbed hold of the collar of Wash’s Hawaiian shirt and tugged him close.
“Very funny, little man,” he sneered.
“I’m not that little, you know. I’m taller than Zoe,” Wash protested, prying his shirt from Jayne’s grip.
“Ain’t no way you’re taller’n your wife,” Jayne spat, releasing Wash with a shove.
Wash stumbled and straightened up before defending himself.
“I just slouch, is all. Zoe has the posture of a soldier. I have the posture of-”
“A loser?” Jayne offered.
Wash narrowed his eyes at the mercenary, but before he could respond, Kaylee wrapped her arms around the pilot in a tight hug.
“A loveable loser,” she said, giving him a peck on the cheek.
“Gee, thanks. Ego intact,” he said sarcastically. “In any case, you shouldn’t have to wait too much longer, Jayne. The Captain said he was only going for one drink. He’ll be back any minute and we’ll be on our way, problem-free.”
A loud metallic whir started up behind them, and they turned to see the air hatch lowering to reveal the Captain and Zoe. Only they weren’t alone. A blond woman in an emerald ball gown stood beside Zoe, and the Captain was dragging an unconscious and bleeding man on his back.
“You were sayin’?” Jayne said dryly.
Wash noticed that he had a black eye.
“The Captain is always so good at making new friends,” he quipped.
“We need some help here!” the Captain shouted.
Shepherd Book rushed forward to help the Captain, throwing the Doctor’s left arm around his shoulders while the Captain took his right so that the man hung suspended between them.
“Mal, who the hell are they?” Jayne demanded.
“The blond one’s fancy!” Wash said.
“Not helping, dear,” Zoe gritted out.
“Sorry, darling,” Wash replied.
“Less talkin’, more helpin’,” Mal ordered. “Where’s Simon?”
“Here. What happened?”
A handsome young man in a crisp shirt and vest strode purposefully into the room from a door opposite the air hatch. Book helped drag the unconscious man forward as Mal spoke.
“Doctor, meet the Doctor. A fellow Browncoat lookin’ for a good time on this fine U-Day. Met the wrong end of a knife. Think you can stitch him up?”
Simon nodded.
“Let’s get him to the infirmary.”
The young doctor turned back to the door he had just entered through. Together Mal and Shepherd Book followed, the Doctor supported between them. The pretty blond in the ball gown started after them when Mal turned sharply and pinned his gaze on her.
“You stay here, Miss,” he commanded.
Her eyes widened in panic, but she stopped short.
“But-” she started.
“Zoe,” Mal barked.
The girl felt a sudden pressure on her arm and looked down to see that the first mate’s fingers closing around it.
“Strangers stay in the cargo bay until proper introductions are made. We don’t know you, and you won’t be wondering around this vessel until we do,” she stated matter-of-factly.
“But the Doctor-” the girl started desperately.
“We’ll take good care of him. Simon’s the best there is,” Kaylee interjected, giving her a sweet smile.
The girl took a hesitant step backwards. As the men disappeared through the door at the back of the cargo bay she suddenly straightened up and shouted after them.
“Don’t give him aspirin! He’s allergic!”
“Roger that!” Mal shouted as he turned the corner.
He and Book carefully navigated the Doctor’s limp body down the steps and into the infirmary. Once they had removed his long brown coat and pinstriped jacket, they settled the man onto the examination chair. Simon tore open his shirt and cut through the undershirt beneath it to look at the wound. A moment later Book set about flipping on the lights while Simon rifled through drawers and cabinets for medical supplies.
“You two got this covered?” Mal asked of Simon and Book.
“We’re fine,” Simon replied, examining the wound again as he spoke.
“All right. I need to check in with Inara. But Doc, before I go, I’m not sure when this man might stir, so you’ll want to see that your sister stays well hid until both of these strangers are off the ship.”
At Simon’s curt nod, Mal left the room to find his tenant’s shuttle.
Simon worked quickly and efficiently. Occasionally he requested a tool or supply in a calm, direct tone, and Book tried his best to have it ready. His skill was obvious, and the Shepherd could imagine that the boy had a very bright future ahead of him in a prominent Core hospital before the problems with his sister arose.
In minutes, the young doctor had managed to stop the flow of blood from the rough puncture wound.
“He doesn’t appear to require a blood transfusion. I’m going to apply some subdermal adhesive and antibiotics and then I’ll be able to stitch him up,” he announced.
Book wiped the sweat from his brow and said a silent prayer of thanks.
“If you don’t need me, I’ll find River and see that she keeps to her room,” he offered.
Before he could do what he said, however, the teenager in question appeared in the doorway. Her waiflike body stretched across the frame, her stringy black hair falling across her face.
“Two hearts,” she said softly.
“River, dear, you can’t be in here. Your brother is tending to someone who is very sick,” Book said kindly.
River slipped into the room as if she hadn’t heard.
“Not from here. Far away,” she said in a hollow, distant voice.
Her eyes were fixed on the injured man’s bare chest.
“River, I’m busy right now. You have to go to your room and stay there,” Simon said, his focus still on the open wound in front of him.
Book attempted to gently take River’s arm, but the girl made a noise of distress and scampered further into the small room. Before either man could stop her, she pressed her open palms onto the injured Doctor’s chest.
“River, don’t! This man is hurt!” Simon snapped.
He swatted her hands away, but she didn’t seem perturbed. Instead, she stared straight ahead at nothing, and continued in the same hollow voice.
“He dances from world to world, laughing and running and saving everybody. Unless he kills them.”
An eerie silence filled the room. Book and Simon shared an uneasy look.
“Is he dangerous?” Simon probed.
“He laughs to hide the pain. The weight of the whole ‘verse, every second of every eon. He sees more than anyone, more pain, more love, more death. He’s been responsible for a lot of it.”
Before they could ask more, she was in motion. She spun in tight circles like a prima ballerina, arms reaching for the sky.
“Time coursing through his brain. Branching out into a thousand-a million-billions and billions of possibilities and he’s the only one who sees it. So lonely. The last of his kind. He doesn’t belong here.”
She continued to spin, faster and faster.
“He breathes in the gold swirling stuff, and he exhales change. He isn’t a god, but he’s something unique. Other than. Killer. King. Jester. Judge.”
She stopped so abruptly that she stumbled and fell into her brother’s cart of instruments. The sharp utensils scattered in every direction with a tinny clang. Simon cursed and bent to pick up his now-un-sterilized tools, but the Shepherd stared at River. She regained her feet and placed her palms once more on the injured man’s chest.
“Are you talking about this man, River?” Book asked.
“Not a man. Not human,” she replied without looking up.
“Of course he is. We’re all human, dear,” Book said.
“Two hearts,” she murmured.
“Okay, River, you’ve disturbed enough of my surgery room. Shepherd, please get her out of here. I have to check this man’s vitals and make sure that River’s playing patty-cake on his torso didn’t do anything.”
“River, you heard your brother,” Book said. “Come with me.”
He put an arm around the girl’s shoulders and gently ushered her towards the door while Simon pressed his stethoscope to the man’s chest.
“Wait a minute,” Simon muttered. “This makes no sense.”
“Everything okay?” the Shepherd asked, one foot out the door.
“Told you,” River called out in a sing-song tone.
“This isn’t possible,” the young doctor whispered, craning his neck to listen more closely. Sure enough, he heard two distinct heartbeats.
“What the guai?”
Chinese Translations:
Gorram = God damned (this isn’t Chinese, but it’s commonly used on the show as slang)
guai = hell
End Notes:
Hi there! Did you know that every time you leave a review, a double rainbow appears? Try it out! (disclaimer: it might be an invisible double rainbow)
P.S. I made some icons that go with this fic! You can see them here
On to chapter three!