BLUE SUN ROOM FAN FICTION - DRAMA

WOLVENWOOD

Watchin' the Black Spin By, Part 1.
Monday, October 24, 2005

Some of Mal, Zoe, Inara, and Jayne's thoughts in the days after the Reaver battle. *Spoilers*


CATEGORY: FICTION    TIMES READ: 1799    RATING: 8    SERIES: FIREFLY

I posted a few little pieces on the official board in the 'I've Seen Serenity' thread that got a good response. Thought you might enjoy them too. Here's my take on a few of the crew's thoughts after the Serenity adventure.

Mal:

Quiet without Wash. That's it. The 'somthin' missin' that Jayne--of all people on Serenity, Jayne--muttered about on his inebriated way to his bunk.

Yep. Quiet. Zoe, course she's silent as a ghost, scarrin' over her heart since the day. To be understood, but I wish she could keen it out like I hear the women on Beylix do. Jayne, well he ain't much for talkin' and when he does it's usually not what you'd want to hear tell of. And Kaylee, she misses Wash sorely, but got her Simon in the bunk, doctorin' you might say, so I don't see overmuch of her these days.

Inara...she's paid a powerful cost for warning me about the Alliance assassin. A herd of her clients just stampeded out the corral. Seems some of the big dogs in Parliament put out the sour word after the Reaver wave, and no matter how refined and lovely she is, Inara's havin' a terrible time finding work. I'm of two minds on that subject... So she's moping about, missing Wash like us all, and she's the one Zoe goes to when the pain gets soul-deep...

And so who on this boat has become the one I spend time with, up on the bridge, watchin' the black spin by? My albatross, little Reaver-slayin' River, rattled in the head but maybe has some of the same touch Wash had sailin' my boat.

'Need a job soon' she says. 'I want chocolate.'

Never did see Wash's like on the yoke, and like as not will ever again. River's got her ways, but Wash knew Serenity like he knew his woman. And he died saving both. That's a gospel Shepard Book would have liked to read.

So Wash is gone, and it's quiet, and we have his dino-toys but not him as made them funny. Miss the man. Don't miss his shirts, though.

And River's right. Chocolate would be nice.

Zoe:

I should go up to the bridge. Need to speak with Mal and he's up there with River. 'Least she doesn't sit in Wash's chair. I can go up to the bridge in a bit.

But there's some loose cargo to tie down in the hold and the chore list to make. It's all feiu since-- And my shotgun needs cleanin' and I've still got some stuff to move into Book's old dorm.

So I can go up to the bridge in a little while.

Gotta find us some paying work soon. I'll send a few more waves from the empty shuttle before I go up... Thinkin' maybe Mal should take us to the other side of the 'verse, where we ain't been so much. Make some new contacts, folks that don't worry so about Alliance meddlin'. Yep, send a few waves. Won't take but an hour.

Then I can go up to the bridge, see what Mal says about movin' on.

But first I'm tellin' Jayne to get his shirts out of the cleaner and his ragged underthings. This boat needs to shape up if we're gonna make it. These are tough times and we're on the edge of our cash and our food and our fuel, so there is no room for messin'.

And where is Kaylee? We were supposed to look at tightening up that leaky hatch seal. What if we need to compartment? We'd all die because Simon and her can't uncouple for two hours.

I'll go up to the bridge after we get that hatch fixed up. That's when I'll head up and talk to Mal.

And who left their boots on that step? Sure way to trip someone up and we can't have people breaking their necks now when we need every soul healthy.

Funny how my feet like as not bring me here to Inara's shuttle. I'll take a short spell here, even so, talk with her a moment. Then I can go up to the bridge.

Inara:

I am an adult woman, and knew what I risked. Did I think that Mal would not come to me, like some ancient warrior rescuing a maiden? No. He smelled a fight, and it drew him.

As a follower of the Enlightened One, I know that I must not let loss and pain sway me. I must remember that my social position in the 'Verse is as a mist in the black. I am a Companion, which is so much more than my now-atrophied client list.

The days on Serenity are a meditation, and strangely, almost all the skills I have trained for since youth are stretched to their limits on this beautiful, broken old boat.

Currently, the one most in need of my expertise is Zoe. She is a blade over-wrought now. War made Zoe into a weapon, but marriage tempered her. Wash took the brittleness from her steel, and losing him cast her back to Serenity Valley. She comes to sit with me, often silently. Never with tears, and I don't expect any. She asks about the Buddha and I use the noise of words to soothe, distract, guide.

Serenity is healing. Oh, all the gadgets that vault her into the black are repaired, more or less, but the people who give her breath are adjusting to a new 'Verse. It is a place whose rulers are capable of suicidal delusion. A 'Verse utterly ambivalent to human existence. A blackness where actions and consequences are the sides of a coin.

It's stunningly cold beyond Serenity's hull, so we must create heat, fire, passion for ouselves on this nomad vessel, flitting among the candle stars.

I implore Buddha for Enlightenment.

Jayne:

This here's a fine drink. It's all ambery and warm like a willin' woman. Comes in a heavy shot glass that don't even break when I slam it down on the bar for the 'keep to refill. Not that I can have her do that more'n a couple times. Gorram poor as a mudder these days. All our old contacts killed by that sword-slingin' Alliance huen dahn, and Serenity being treated like she's bringing the clap into every port we hit.

The bastards didn't kill us where we stood back at Universe's place. No, they decided to do us slow, starvin' us. They're shooting us with waves through the 'verse. Inara's got no trade, and seems Mal don't neither. No legit work, or the other kind.

'Till yesterday. Mal pulls me into the galley after all the others are bunked up.

"Got a wave from Patience," he says.

I grunt somethin'. Patience is--well she ain't all grandma-like with cookies.

Mal goes on. "She was all impressed with the way you did her boy Two-Fry last time we dealt."

Two-Fry. Lanky swank on a horse. Tall hat. Put a round through his forehead 'fore he could draw on Mal and Zoe. Long shot, from an elevation, touch of windage, not even my own gun. Some of my best work.

I grunt somethin'.

"Now she's got her some tong trouble in Whitefall, and is asking us for help. The payin' kinda help."

So here I sits, waitin' in this Whitefall dive for one of the old whore's remainin' boys to drop me the coin. The job's done, Mal and Zoe are in the mule for cover, and River's got the ship hoverin' behind a rise a mile off.

So I got a minute to think. Mal gave me an extra cut on this job, seeing as Vera and my trade was called on. So if the coin shows, this is a decent payday. But this kinda day looks to be rare comin'. Us even talkin' to Patience shows how hungry we are.

A young punk wanders by, and after he leaves there's a pouch by my elbow. Patience has learned that you pay Mal for a job. I pull out a coin and toss it to the 'keep. She smiles so's I can count her missin' teeth.

"Stayin' a mite longer?" she's askin'. Sells more than liquor, that one, but I got some thinkin' to do. Mal can wait a spell.

Note:I hope to finish up the others soon.

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Watchin' the Black Spin By, Part 1.
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