Crossover Fic: Lending a Hand (7/?), Firefly/Doctor Who
Sorry for the long wait on this chapter! There was, uh… life and school stuff. Most inconvenient. Anyway! Here’s your daily dose of Whofly crack.
Title: Lending a hand (7/?)
Authors: goldy_dollar and hjea
Characters/Pairings: Tenth Doctor, Rose, implied Ten/Rose, Firefly crew with Mal/Inara and other canon pairings.
Disclaimer: We don’t own DW and/or Firefly. But we do secretly think that RTD is the evil genius offspring of Joss Whedon.
Spoilers/Timeline: Doctor Who: Post-Fear Her, pre-AoG/Doomsday, Firefly: post-Serenity
Summary: In this chapter, Zoe is more curious about the Doctor’s time machine than Mal would otherwise like, and Rose doesn’t quite get why everyone speaks like they just walked out of a Western.
Rating: PG-13
Words: 1, 167
Chapter Seven
It was late. Mal yawned widely and poured the last dregs of coffee into his mug, ignoring the slightly dirty look that Inara gave him.
“Well, that must be my excuse to retire.” Inara pushed away from the table and stood. “It’s been a long - if not a very interesting - day.”
Mal nodded. “That it has. One of the more interesting ones, any rate. We’ll see you in the morning, then?”
“It’s not like I’m going to go anywhere.” Inara’s hand brushed across his shoulder as she walked towards the door. “Goodnight.”
She nodded at Zoe, who was sitting across from Mal, holding her own mug gently between her hands. “Wǎn ān, Zoe.”
Zoe looked up. “Night, Inara.”
Mal waited until Inara’s footsteps had stopped echoing down the hall, and then turned his focus to his first mate.
“You’ve been awfully quiet tonight.”
Zoe raised an eyebrow.
“You know what I mean. Something on your mind?”
Zoe’s eyebrow rose even further. “You checking up on me, sir?”
Mal shifted uncomfortably in his chair. “Well, like Inara said - been an interesting day. No harm in a little… checking.”
Zoe’s mouth twitched, which Mal knew meant she was laughing really hard at him in the inside. “Just going over the day, sir. Thinking about the Doctor and his time machine.”
Mal snorted. “We sure as hell don’t know if that thing’s a time machine. I still ain’t convinced it’s a ship.”
Zoe looked at him steadily. “That were true, you would’ve taken that box and sold it for hard cash long ago now. Only reason you didn’t this afternoon was ‘cause that girl begged you. Said it was their way home.”
Mal twitched again in his seat. “Maybe that’s so. But I didn’t.”
“No, sir. And because you didn’t, we got to look around in that time machine. See what it’s about.”
Mal rolled his eyes. “I may be open to thinking that’s their ship, but I still wouldn’t say time machine. Just ain’t possible.”
He looked up, suddenly suspicious, and gave Zoe a hard look. “What makes you so well and eager to think it so?”
“Simon thinks it is.”
Mal waved his hand dismissively. “Doc’s had all sorts of fancy schooling. Makes ‘em willing to believe anything if you throw enough big words in. No, I’m asking ‘bout you.”
Zoe looked away down at the floor and Mal’s gut clenched slightly at the uncharacteristic gesture.
“If that blue box down in the cargo bay was a time machine, sir-“
She was speaking slowly, seemingly choosing each word carefully.
“-Means it could let us go back, change things.”
“Zoe-“
“Means I could change it - move him outta the way, knock him down or something.”
Zoe, that ain’t-“
She wasn’t listening, just allowing her thoughts to be heard out loud.
“Means I could save Wash.”
“Zoe.”
She looked at him.
“Even if that thing could travel in time - and I ain’t saying it could - I don’t think you could change something like that. Don’t seem right. The dead, no matter how we wish it, are supposed to stay dead.”
“But if there was a chance…”
Mal shook his head. It was unnerving for him to try and be the rational one while Zoe allowed herself whims and fancies, however understandable.
“Look, maybe it’s time to pack it in. Been a long day and we’ve still got miles to go before we can get Serenity back in the air.”
“Mal.”
Mal stopped.
“You should see it,” she said. “It ain’t Alliance, ain’t nothing a living person could do.”
Mal sighed. “I’ll talk to him.”
Zoe raised both her eyebrows.
“Won’t even threaten him this time around,” Mal mumbled. “Just… don’t reckon it’s a good idea for you to get your hopes all up.”
Zoe’s gaze was steady. “Don’t worry ‘bout me, sir.”
***
Rose drummed her fingers on the TARDIS’ console. “It’s too bad everyone’s asleep. I’m not tired at all.”
“That’s because-“ The Doctor checked one of the screens, “-time you’ve been running on lately, it’s only about twelve noon.”
“Oh.” Rose propped her chin in her hand. “That’d explain it then. Also’d explain why I’m so hungry. Are there any-“
“-No chips.” The Doctor grinned. “But there are some leftover fried grangis beetles from Blantokin Four.”
Rose made a face. “No, thank you. Rather eat protein.”
“Oh, come one, Rose! They’re a delicacy! Lovely and crunchy on the outside, slimy and gooey on the inside, just slide down your throat-“
Rose threw a packet of protein at him.
“Oi!”
She stuck her tongue out cheekily and waited for him to shake his head and smile back.
“Do you think you’ll be able to get their ship working again?”
The Doctor nodded and ducked under the console. “Oh, certainly. Shouldn’t be too much longer either. Just a little tinkering here, a little tightening there - she’ll be right as rain! I told you Fireflys were steady as a rock.”
He stood up triumphantly and tossed some strange-looking tool at her. Rose caught it with a grin.
“Bit of a strange world though, isn’t it?”
The Doctor looked at her. “What do you mean?”
“Well,” Rose shrugged. "Them I guess. I mean, it’s brilliant and I’m glad we’re helping them ‘cause most of them are really nice, yeah? But they're all speaking like they've come out of some Western movie, but there's Chinese everywhere and they're eating with chopsticks and... what is this world on about?"
"Culture, Rose!" He pointed at her, "Earth culture specifically." The Doctor's grin was wild and familiar as he swung around the TARDIS's console again.
"I said - you humans push out, creating new worlds, discovering, changing. But you're not all the same - not some..." He waved his hands in the air, "homogenous group all the same. No, you're different - different parts of the earth with all your own stories and food and language and music and that doesn't change! Traveling doesn't change you; you, you just mishmash it together preserving and adapting until what you humans have: your culture - maintains and bends and how fantastic is that?!"
He whirled around to face her again. "And you should know that better than anyone, coming from London! Where you go out and get your curry next door to your meat pasties? Eh?"
She was grinning too now, never could help herself when he got like this, but shook her head again.
"I still don't really understand. But it's good, yeah?"
The Doctor smiled brilliantly. "Oh, it's very good."
Rose nodded. “I’m glad we’re helping them.”
“Well, it’s what we do, isn’t it?” The Doctor reached for her hand and spun her around, causing Rose to laugh wildly as he began to lead her in some strange dance across the TARDIS’ floor.
“The Doctor and Rose - defenders of the Universe! Helping wherever we’re needed. Finding adventures-“
Rose jumped in “-In time and space!”
Someone cleared their throat behind them.
“Not interrupting anything, am I?”
***
Title: Lending a hand (7/?)
Authors: goldy_dollar and hjea
Characters/Pairings: Tenth Doctor, Rose, implied Ten/Rose, Firefly crew with Mal/Inara and other canon pairings.
Disclaimer: We don’t own DW and/or Firefly. But we do secretly think that RTD is the evil genius offspring of Joss Whedon.
Spoilers/Timeline: Doctor Who: Post-Fear Her, pre-AoG/Doomsday, Firefly: post-Serenity
Summary: In this chapter, Zoe is more curious about the Doctor’s time machine than Mal would otherwise like, and Rose doesn’t quite get why everyone speaks like they just walked out of a Western.
Rating: PG-13
Words: 1, 167
Chapter Seven
It was late. Mal yawned widely and poured the last dregs of coffee into his mug, ignoring the slightly dirty look that Inara gave him.
“Well, that must be my excuse to retire.” Inara pushed away from the table and stood. “It’s been a long - if not a very interesting - day.”
Mal nodded. “That it has. One of the more interesting ones, any rate. We’ll see you in the morning, then?”
“It’s not like I’m going to go anywhere.” Inara’s hand brushed across his shoulder as she walked towards the door. “Goodnight.”
She nodded at Zoe, who was sitting across from Mal, holding her own mug gently between her hands. “Wǎn ān, Zoe.”
Zoe looked up. “Night, Inara.”
Mal waited until Inara’s footsteps had stopped echoing down the hall, and then turned his focus to his first mate.
“You’ve been awfully quiet tonight.”
Zoe raised an eyebrow.
“You know what I mean. Something on your mind?”
Zoe’s eyebrow rose even further. “You checking up on me, sir?”
Mal shifted uncomfortably in his chair. “Well, like Inara said - been an interesting day. No harm in a little… checking.”
Zoe’s mouth twitched, which Mal knew meant she was laughing really hard at him in the inside. “Just going over the day, sir. Thinking about the Doctor and his time machine.”
Mal snorted. “We sure as hell don’t know if that thing’s a time machine. I still ain’t convinced it’s a ship.”
Zoe looked at him steadily. “That were true, you would’ve taken that box and sold it for hard cash long ago now. Only reason you didn’t this afternoon was ‘cause that girl begged you. Said it was their way home.”
Mal twitched again in his seat. “Maybe that’s so. But I didn’t.”
“No, sir. And because you didn’t, we got to look around in that time machine. See what it’s about.”
Mal rolled his eyes. “I may be open to thinking that’s their ship, but I still wouldn’t say time machine. Just ain’t possible.”
He looked up, suddenly suspicious, and gave Zoe a hard look. “What makes you so well and eager to think it so?”
“Simon thinks it is.”
Mal waved his hand dismissively. “Doc’s had all sorts of fancy schooling. Makes ‘em willing to believe anything if you throw enough big words in. No, I’m asking ‘bout you.”
Zoe looked away down at the floor and Mal’s gut clenched slightly at the uncharacteristic gesture.
“If that blue box down in the cargo bay was a time machine, sir-“
She was speaking slowly, seemingly choosing each word carefully.
“-Means it could let us go back, change things.”
“Zoe-“
“Means I could change it - move him outta the way, knock him down or something.”
Zoe, that ain’t-“
She wasn’t listening, just allowing her thoughts to be heard out loud.
“Means I could save Wash.”
“Zoe.”
She looked at him.
“Even if that thing could travel in time - and I ain’t saying it could - I don’t think you could change something like that. Don’t seem right. The dead, no matter how we wish it, are supposed to stay dead.”
“But if there was a chance…”
Mal shook his head. It was unnerving for him to try and be the rational one while Zoe allowed herself whims and fancies, however understandable.
“Look, maybe it’s time to pack it in. Been a long day and we’ve still got miles to go before we can get Serenity back in the air.”
“Mal.”
Mal stopped.
“You should see it,” she said. “It ain’t Alliance, ain’t nothing a living person could do.”
Mal sighed. “I’ll talk to him.”
Zoe raised both her eyebrows.
“Won’t even threaten him this time around,” Mal mumbled. “Just… don’t reckon it’s a good idea for you to get your hopes all up.”
Zoe’s gaze was steady. “Don’t worry ‘bout me, sir.”
***
Rose drummed her fingers on the TARDIS’ console. “It’s too bad everyone’s asleep. I’m not tired at all.”
“That’s because-“ The Doctor checked one of the screens, “-time you’ve been running on lately, it’s only about twelve noon.”
“Oh.” Rose propped her chin in her hand. “That’d explain it then. Also’d explain why I’m so hungry. Are there any-“
“-No chips.” The Doctor grinned. “But there are some leftover fried grangis beetles from Blantokin Four.”
Rose made a face. “No, thank you. Rather eat protein.”
“Oh, come one, Rose! They’re a delicacy! Lovely and crunchy on the outside, slimy and gooey on the inside, just slide down your throat-“
Rose threw a packet of protein at him.
“Oi!”
She stuck her tongue out cheekily and waited for him to shake his head and smile back.
“Do you think you’ll be able to get their ship working again?”
The Doctor nodded and ducked under the console. “Oh, certainly. Shouldn’t be too much longer either. Just a little tinkering here, a little tightening there - she’ll be right as rain! I told you Fireflys were steady as a rock.”
He stood up triumphantly and tossed some strange-looking tool at her. Rose caught it with a grin.
“Bit of a strange world though, isn’t it?”
The Doctor looked at her. “What do you mean?”
“Well,” Rose shrugged. "Them I guess. I mean, it’s brilliant and I’m glad we’re helping them ‘cause most of them are really nice, yeah? But they're all speaking like they've come out of some Western movie, but there's Chinese everywhere and they're eating with chopsticks and... what is this world on about?"
"Culture, Rose!" He pointed at her, "Earth culture specifically." The Doctor's grin was wild and familiar as he swung around the TARDIS's console again.
"I said - you humans push out, creating new worlds, discovering, changing. But you're not all the same - not some..." He waved his hands in the air, "homogenous group all the same. No, you're different - different parts of the earth with all your own stories and food and language and music and that doesn't change! Traveling doesn't change you; you, you just mishmash it together preserving and adapting until what you humans have: your culture - maintains and bends and how fantastic is that?!"
He whirled around to face her again. "And you should know that better than anyone, coming from London! Where you go out and get your curry next door to your meat pasties? Eh?"
She was grinning too now, never could help herself when he got like this, but shook her head again.
"I still don't really understand. But it's good, yeah?"
The Doctor smiled brilliantly. "Oh, it's very good."
Rose nodded. “I’m glad we’re helping them.”
“Well, it’s what we do, isn’t it?” The Doctor reached for her hand and spun her around, causing Rose to laugh wildly as he began to lead her in some strange dance across the TARDIS’ floor.
“The Doctor and Rose - defenders of the Universe! Helping wherever we’re needed. Finding adventures-“
Rose jumped in “-In time and space!”
Someone cleared their throat behind them.
“Not interrupting anything, am I?”
***