moragmacpherson (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
moragmacpherson) wrote2009-01-20 02:18 am
moragmacpherson) wrote2009-01-20 02:18 am
Fic: The Lost Age (5/??) (Buffy/DrWho/Firefly)
Title: The Lost Age (5/??)
Author:![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
moragmacpherson
Rating: PG-15
Timeline: This story takes place during that sixty year block that I glossed over between chapters three and four of "Another Side of the Sky". Buffy's thirty here. In the Firefly universe, it's at the beginning of the movie.
Disclaimer: If it's a character or a place, I don't own it. Some dialogue is recycled from the film.
Archive: Here, TtH. If you'd like it, let me know.
Betas: Depending on the chapter: MissJulie and/or Mishka,
Summary: Buffy, Jack, and the Doctor accidentally land in a system where aliens fear to tread.
Mal pushed his plate away, Jayne sucked on a bone, and Jack watched Kaylee pocket the few last berries. “We’re on a ship that mysteriously materializes in our hold, is far larger than it has any business being, full of weird psychics and super-strong women? Still, that meal goes a long way for explanations,” announced Wash, patting his belly and reaching for his wife’s hand. Zoë had eaten her fill staying silent and wary.
“The TARDIS occasionally cooperates like this.” Jack had to resist the urge to undo his top button in front of that pretty mechanic and that prettier doctor, and instead stroked the table affectionately.
Even on a full stomach, Simon remained uneasy. “They’ve been awhile now, your Doctor and Buffy. I should go look in on them.”
Jack held up his hand. “You really want to go wandering around the TARDIS on your own?”
Simon frowned. “I remember the way.”
Jack smiled. “You remember a way, that might not be the way right now. Relative dimensions in space, remember. Things aren’t so simple on this ship as they are on yours. Sit down, they’ll show up as soon as they’re through.”
Mal sucked on his lower lip. “Why am I trusting you folk so easy?”
Jayne belched. “Full belly will do that.”
But Mal shook his head. “No, even in the bar. You folks ain’t from hereabouts, are you? Don’t sound like Core, you ain’t from any Rim world I know. She’s a Slayer, whatever that is, and the Doctor what’s got no name, and you, you-“ and Mal broke off. “I don’t like feeling that I’ve been fooled about with, and I’m starting to feel powerfully manipulated.”
“But Cap’n,” called Kaylee, “They shared food, and they aten’t called the Feds or none, and they seem awful concerned for River. They don’t seem rotten at all.” Kaylee’s eyes looked Jack up and down and she even blushed when he winked at her. He was going to have to bone up on his fusion engine mechanics.
To Mal he said, “You don’t have to trust us at all, if you don’t want. Give us the word, after Buffy and the Doctor get your little River back on her feet, we’ll be off your ship just as quick as we got on.” He shrugged. “If you’ve got troubles though, I will tell you that there’s no one better to share them with than the Doctor and Buffy.” Jack leaned back, with his hands behind his head. “I’ve got my uses too.” The blush sealed it: he definitely had an in with Kaylee.
Mal pondered this, picking at nothings left on his plate. Before he could formulate a coherent response, Buffy showed up at the kitchen door. “Leave any for me?”
Jack rose and gave her a big hug. “They were pretty ravenous. Do you want to try your luck?”
Buffy brushed him away. “It’s not luck, you just have to treat her right. Anyway, I don’t think I could go with protein bomb right now.” She opened a cabinet. “Oooh, peach yogurt!” She popped the container open and began spooning it into her mouth. After the first few mouthfuls, she stopped and waved to the group. “Sorry, hi. Freaky spirit-journey stuff always takes it out of me. Welcome to the TARDIS, I’m Buffy.” Names were shared around the table. “River’s sleeping in the Zero Room. There was some real scary stuff inside that pretty head of hers. Lucky for her, I’m pretty scary myself. The Doctor’s working through the information we got in the console room now.”
Jayne shook himself. “Ain’t hardly nothin’ you just said made any sense at all.”
Buffy grinned. “Yeah, well, after ten years of this, you get used to that. Just smile and nod.” Jayne did just that. “There’s a good boy.”
“Can I see the engines?” Kaylee couldn’t stop herself.
Buffy swallowed another spoonful. “I can’t see why not. Jack, why don’t you take her and the rest down to the console room? I’ll take Simon to see his sister, and you too if you want Mal.” She finished the yogurt, tossed the container in the trash and the spoon in the sink. “So you know that we’re not evil cannibals that turned her into stew or anything,” she said, waggling her eyebrows.
Wash smirked. “Well, it’s always important to clear that up early in a relationship.”
Mal stood. “You’re crazier ‘n River.”
Buffy took a step towards Mal and he had to resist the urge to step back; he has, after all, seen this tiny woman in action. “You’re probably right. Still, you coming or not?”
Mal could never back down from a proposition like that, so he and Simon followed Buffy through this ship’s apparently never-ending maze of corridors. The incongruity of the ship’s insides and outsides bothered him near as much as the incongruity of the woman walking in front of him, a girl who was bubbly as Kaylee but deadlier than Zoë. She was smaller than River but stronger than Jayne; of course, he was going to have to reassess River’s capabilities in light of that recent display as well.
“So what is a Slayer, ‘xactly?”
He watched her lips bunch and gather. So he wasn’t going to get the straight answer, which was good to know up front. “Oh, we’re just a fluke of nature.” Lie. “You never know when one of us might pop up.” Definitely a lie. “I certainly wasn’t expecting one to show up here.” Truth.
“But what does it mean?” asked Simon.
“Generally, a hard, painful life with a high chance of a very messy, very early death.” Truth. “Sorry.” Truth. Simon had blanched, and Buffy placed a hand on his shoulder, turning him into the Zero Room, where River lay serene and asleep. “She’s a strong one though.” Truth. “It might help.” Lie, with a dollop of wishing that it were the truth. Simon went to kneel by his sister, and Buffy gave Mal a smile that told him she knew he was tallying the truth of her words, and that she didn’t much care. He nodded in return, settling into the uncomfortable feeling that something awfully complicated was headed his way.
Next
Author:
moragmacpherson Rating: PG-15
Timeline: This story takes place during that sixty year block that I glossed over between chapters three and four of "Another Side of the Sky". Buffy's thirty here. In the Firefly universe, it's at the beginning of the movie.
Disclaimer: If it's a character or a place, I don't own it. Some dialogue is recycled from the film.
Archive: Here, TtH. If you'd like it, let me know.
Betas: Depending on the chapter: MissJulie and/or Mishka,
Summary: Buffy, Jack, and the Doctor accidentally land in a system where aliens fear to tread.
Mal pushed his plate away, Jayne sucked on a bone, and Jack watched Kaylee pocket the few last berries. “We’re on a ship that mysteriously materializes in our hold, is far larger than it has any business being, full of weird psychics and super-strong women? Still, that meal goes a long way for explanations,” announced Wash, patting his belly and reaching for his wife’s hand. Zoë had eaten her fill staying silent and wary.
“The TARDIS occasionally cooperates like this.” Jack had to resist the urge to undo his top button in front of that pretty mechanic and that prettier doctor, and instead stroked the table affectionately.
Even on a full stomach, Simon remained uneasy. “They’ve been awhile now, your Doctor and Buffy. I should go look in on them.”
Jack held up his hand. “You really want to go wandering around the TARDIS on your own?”
Simon frowned. “I remember the way.”
Jack smiled. “You remember a way, that might not be the way right now. Relative dimensions in space, remember. Things aren’t so simple on this ship as they are on yours. Sit down, they’ll show up as soon as they’re through.”
Mal sucked on his lower lip. “Why am I trusting you folk so easy?”
Jayne belched. “Full belly will do that.”
But Mal shook his head. “No, even in the bar. You folks ain’t from hereabouts, are you? Don’t sound like Core, you ain’t from any Rim world I know. She’s a Slayer, whatever that is, and the Doctor what’s got no name, and you, you-“ and Mal broke off. “I don’t like feeling that I’ve been fooled about with, and I’m starting to feel powerfully manipulated.”
“But Cap’n,” called Kaylee, “They shared food, and they aten’t called the Feds or none, and they seem awful concerned for River. They don’t seem rotten at all.” Kaylee’s eyes looked Jack up and down and she even blushed when he winked at her. He was going to have to bone up on his fusion engine mechanics.
To Mal he said, “You don’t have to trust us at all, if you don’t want. Give us the word, after Buffy and the Doctor get your little River back on her feet, we’ll be off your ship just as quick as we got on.” He shrugged. “If you’ve got troubles though, I will tell you that there’s no one better to share them with than the Doctor and Buffy.” Jack leaned back, with his hands behind his head. “I’ve got my uses too.” The blush sealed it: he definitely had an in with Kaylee.
Mal pondered this, picking at nothings left on his plate. Before he could formulate a coherent response, Buffy showed up at the kitchen door. “Leave any for me?”
Jack rose and gave her a big hug. “They were pretty ravenous. Do you want to try your luck?”
Buffy brushed him away. “It’s not luck, you just have to treat her right. Anyway, I don’t think I could go with protein bomb right now.” She opened a cabinet. “Oooh, peach yogurt!” She popped the container open and began spooning it into her mouth. After the first few mouthfuls, she stopped and waved to the group. “Sorry, hi. Freaky spirit-journey stuff always takes it out of me. Welcome to the TARDIS, I’m Buffy.” Names were shared around the table. “River’s sleeping in the Zero Room. There was some real scary stuff inside that pretty head of hers. Lucky for her, I’m pretty scary myself. The Doctor’s working through the information we got in the console room now.”
Jayne shook himself. “Ain’t hardly nothin’ you just said made any sense at all.”
Buffy grinned. “Yeah, well, after ten years of this, you get used to that. Just smile and nod.” Jayne did just that. “There’s a good boy.”
“Can I see the engines?” Kaylee couldn’t stop herself.
Buffy swallowed another spoonful. “I can’t see why not. Jack, why don’t you take her and the rest down to the console room? I’ll take Simon to see his sister, and you too if you want Mal.” She finished the yogurt, tossed the container in the trash and the spoon in the sink. “So you know that we’re not evil cannibals that turned her into stew or anything,” she said, waggling her eyebrows.
Wash smirked. “Well, it’s always important to clear that up early in a relationship.”
Mal stood. “You’re crazier ‘n River.”
Buffy took a step towards Mal and he had to resist the urge to step back; he has, after all, seen this tiny woman in action. “You’re probably right. Still, you coming or not?”
Mal could never back down from a proposition like that, so he and Simon followed Buffy through this ship’s apparently never-ending maze of corridors. The incongruity of the ship’s insides and outsides bothered him near as much as the incongruity of the woman walking in front of him, a girl who was bubbly as Kaylee but deadlier than Zoë. She was smaller than River but stronger than Jayne; of course, he was going to have to reassess River’s capabilities in light of that recent display as well.
“So what is a Slayer, ‘xactly?”
He watched her lips bunch and gather. So he wasn’t going to get the straight answer, which was good to know up front. “Oh, we’re just a fluke of nature.” Lie. “You never know when one of us might pop up.” Definitely a lie. “I certainly wasn’t expecting one to show up here.” Truth.
“But what does it mean?” asked Simon.
“Generally, a hard, painful life with a high chance of a very messy, very early death.” Truth. “Sorry.” Truth. Simon had blanched, and Buffy placed a hand on his shoulder, turning him into the Zero Room, where River lay serene and asleep. “She’s a strong one though.” Truth. “It might help.” Lie, with a dollop of wishing that it were the truth. Simon went to kneel by his sister, and Buffy gave Mal a smile that told him she knew he was tallying the truth of her words, and that she didn’t much care. He nodded in return, settling into the uncomfortable feeling that something awfully complicated was headed his way.
Next