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toxic_cornSeries: Girl Anachronism
Title: Chapter Ten (10/12)
Author: toxic_corn
Pairing: River/Jayne
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: All the characters belong to Joss Whedon, except for a certain stowaway.
Summary: A mysterious stowaway on Serenity may bring Jayne and River together.
Warning: Takes place after the BDM but has some AU elements to it so if that's not your cup of tea, it'd be best to skip this one.
Notes: I previewed this in my journal back in February and now I'm ready to share it with the public. We're getting closer to the end!
Catch up on earlier chapters at the organizational post.
Chapter Ten
When Nettie woke up, she was on the dusty, disgusting cargo bay floor. She saw Kaylee sweep up yesterday; how could it have gotten dirty so fast? Sitting up groggily, she started wiping dirt off of her pretty dress. Jayne would get mad if he saw she’d let it get stained.
Speaking of Jayne, where was he? Nettie got to her feet and frowned around the room, as if expecting her not-father to leap out from behind a crate and tell her it was her turn to hide next. Usually he shook her awake just as she was finally falling asleep.
Sleep. That’d be so nice. And for once she didn’t have an audience so there was no danger in getting woken up.
Yawning, Nettie stumbled back to River’s room and slid the door open, not paying attention to her surroundings as she fell on the bed and curled up in a fetal position. She was asleep in seconds.
~*~
Jayne had his arm wrapped around River’s shoulders as he held a picture of Nettie up to the man selling dog meat. “You seen this girl?”
The man peered at the picture. “Is there a reward?”
“I don’t punch you in the face,” Jayne snapped. When River whimpered he hugged her apologetically and said in a softer voice, “Mister, she’s our daughter. We just want her back.”
“I’m sorry.” The man shook his head and poked at the meat on the grill. “I haven’t seen her.” He pointed across the way. “The woman there speaks to children every day. If anyone’s seen your girl, it’s her.”
“Thanks,” Jayne said and steered River over to the woman standing outside a covered tent, smoking a cigar and looking bored. She was draped in lots of mismatching fabric, some of it wrapped around her head and the sign hanging on the front of the tent said her name was Madame Topaz.
Madame Topaz’s face lit up when she saw Jayne and River and she hastily stubbed out her cigar into a jug and held her hands out to them. “Sweet lady, you are searching for someone… someone dear to your heart who has been missing a long, long while!”
Jayne rolled his eyes. “Save it.” He held up the picture. “Have you seen this girl?”
Her face fell, but Madame Topaz recovered herself well and took Nettie’s picture from him to look at more closely. “Yeah, I saw her. About a month ago. Went running by here in tears; I tried to offer her some tea but I don’t think she heard me.”
“Which way was she heading?” Jayne asked eagerly.
Theatrically, Madame Topaz pressed a hand to her forehead. “It… it escapes my memory at this time. Perhaps if we went inside and I consulted my crystal, we-”
“Where’s my daughter?!” Jayne barked.
“She was heading for the warehouses!” Madame Topaz took a nervous step back from Jayne. “Anything else I do not know. I don’t even know her name!”
Jayne glared the woman down. “Her name is-”
“Nettie!” River’s face lit up.
“That’s right,” Jayne nodded. “Nettie Cobb. So if you see her, you tell her that her ma and pa want her home right away.”
“Nettie!!” Jerking out from under his arm, River showed more energy than she had in a month and went sprinting away.
“River!” They didn’t have time for this! They needed to go to the warehouses and there went his moonbrain wife runnin’ off in the wrong direction! Jayne followed after her.
Their flight caught the attention of Mal, who jogged alongside Jayne. “What’re we runnin’ for? We suddenly health conscious?”
“Don’t know,” Jayne wheezed, not used to running long distances and too old to start that up now. “River’s just… got…”
The two men decided that a conversation just wasn’t worth it and followed River back to the ship. She ran passed her son Jamey and the two eldest of the Tam children and they followed the chase as well.
“Where’s she headed?”
“Looks like Nettie’s old room.”
“Don’t say that,” Jayne growled. “It’s still her room.”
When Jayne opened the door, his heart stopped beating. He watched River kneel by the bedside, where Nettie lay on the bed, grubby and wearing a pink dress. River looked up at him, eyes shining.
“She’s home,” River whispered.
Jayne swallowed hard and went into the room. Mal and the other kids stayed in the doorway, somber and silent. He knelt down by River’s side and reached out to gently shake Nettie’s shoulder.
“Nettie,” he said softly. “Time to wake up, bit.”
Nettie moaned and slapped his hand away, rolling to her side. “Nuhhhh, Jayne. You ‘n River never lemee sleeeeeep.”
Snorting, Jayne said, “What, you disappear for a month and suddenly you’re too grown to call us Mommy and Daddy?”
The girl fell still, her breathing picking up. “Daddy?” she whispered.
“That’s me. Open your eyes, little bit.”
“I’m afraid to,” she said, voice breaking. “Last time I opened them you weren’t you. And I want you to be you, Daddy.”
Was River’s shattered sanity genetic after all? “The hell you on about, girl?”
Nettie blinked her eyes open and Jayne’s was the first face she saw. He smiled warmly at her, eyes crinkled.
“Hey there.”
Bursting into sudden tears, Nettie launched herself into his arms. “Oh, Daddy, I’m so sorry I said those mean things to you before I went away; I didn’t mean it, I swear! I was just mad and stupid and I was a bad girl and you can punish me and I’m so sorry!”
“Shhhh,” Jayne rubbed her back gently and looked up to find Mal herding the kids away, knowing that this was a private moment that was nobody’s business but theirs. “Where you been all this time, bit? We looked everywheres for you.”
“I was right here,” Nettie sniffled. “With you and Mommy. But you didn’t like me. Mommy believed me, though.” She turned and pulled away from Jayne a little to wrap her arm around River’s neck, tugging her parents into a group hug.
“Sounds like a bad dream,” Jayne commented. He smoothed her hair back and kissed her forehead. “Why didn’t I like you?”
“I don’t know. Because you were scared, maybe.” She cuddled between her parents and yawned again. “I’m tired.”
“Wait. You’re not makin’ any sense, here. Whaddya mean you were here the whole time with us?”
Nettie’s eyes were heavy as she lay back down again. “Can’t e’splain it now. ‘M tired. Stay? Both of you?”
“We’ll stay,” River promised. “We’ll be here when you wake up. And you will, too.”
“Good.” Nettie squeezed River’s hand and fell asleep with a smile on her face.
< Chapter Nine : Chapter Eleven >
Title: Chapter Ten (10/12)
Author: toxic_corn
Pairing: River/Jayne
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: All the characters belong to Joss Whedon, except for a certain stowaway.
Summary: A mysterious stowaway on Serenity may bring Jayne and River together.
Warning: Takes place after the BDM but has some AU elements to it so if that's not your cup of tea, it'd be best to skip this one.
Notes: I previewed this in my journal back in February and now I'm ready to share it with the public. We're getting closer to the end!
Catch up on earlier chapters at the organizational post.
When Nettie woke up, she was on the dusty, disgusting cargo bay floor. She saw Kaylee sweep up yesterday; how could it have gotten dirty so fast? Sitting up groggily, she started wiping dirt off of her pretty dress. Jayne would get mad if he saw she’d let it get stained.
Speaking of Jayne, where was he? Nettie got to her feet and frowned around the room, as if expecting her not-father to leap out from behind a crate and tell her it was her turn to hide next. Usually he shook her awake just as she was finally falling asleep.
Sleep. That’d be so nice. And for once she didn’t have an audience so there was no danger in getting woken up.
Yawning, Nettie stumbled back to River’s room and slid the door open, not paying attention to her surroundings as she fell on the bed and curled up in a fetal position. She was asleep in seconds.
Jayne had his arm wrapped around River’s shoulders as he held a picture of Nettie up to the man selling dog meat. “You seen this girl?”
The man peered at the picture. “Is there a reward?”
“I don’t punch you in the face,” Jayne snapped. When River whimpered he hugged her apologetically and said in a softer voice, “Mister, she’s our daughter. We just want her back.”
“I’m sorry.” The man shook his head and poked at the meat on the grill. “I haven’t seen her.” He pointed across the way. “The woman there speaks to children every day. If anyone’s seen your girl, it’s her.”
“Thanks,” Jayne said and steered River over to the woman standing outside a covered tent, smoking a cigar and looking bored. She was draped in lots of mismatching fabric, some of it wrapped around her head and the sign hanging on the front of the tent said her name was Madame Topaz.
Madame Topaz’s face lit up when she saw Jayne and River and she hastily stubbed out her cigar into a jug and held her hands out to them. “Sweet lady, you are searching for someone… someone dear to your heart who has been missing a long, long while!”
Jayne rolled his eyes. “Save it.” He held up the picture. “Have you seen this girl?”
Her face fell, but Madame Topaz recovered herself well and took Nettie’s picture from him to look at more closely. “Yeah, I saw her. About a month ago. Went running by here in tears; I tried to offer her some tea but I don’t think she heard me.”
“Which way was she heading?” Jayne asked eagerly.
Theatrically, Madame Topaz pressed a hand to her forehead. “It… it escapes my memory at this time. Perhaps if we went inside and I consulted my crystal, we-”
“Where’s my daughter?!” Jayne barked.
“She was heading for the warehouses!” Madame Topaz took a nervous step back from Jayne. “Anything else I do not know. I don’t even know her name!”
Jayne glared the woman down. “Her name is-”
“Nettie!” River’s face lit up.
“That’s right,” Jayne nodded. “Nettie Cobb. So if you see her, you tell her that her ma and pa want her home right away.”
“Nettie!!” Jerking out from under his arm, River showed more energy than she had in a month and went sprinting away.
“River!” They didn’t have time for this! They needed to go to the warehouses and there went his moonbrain wife runnin’ off in the wrong direction! Jayne followed after her.
Their flight caught the attention of Mal, who jogged alongside Jayne. “What’re we runnin’ for? We suddenly health conscious?”
“Don’t know,” Jayne wheezed, not used to running long distances and too old to start that up now. “River’s just… got…”
The two men decided that a conversation just wasn’t worth it and followed River back to the ship. She ran passed her son Jamey and the two eldest of the Tam children and they followed the chase as well.
“Where’s she headed?”
“Looks like Nettie’s old room.”
“Don’t say that,” Jayne growled. “It’s still her room.”
When Jayne opened the door, his heart stopped beating. He watched River kneel by the bedside, where Nettie lay on the bed, grubby and wearing a pink dress. River looked up at him, eyes shining.
“She’s home,” River whispered.
Jayne swallowed hard and went into the room. Mal and the other kids stayed in the doorway, somber and silent. He knelt down by River’s side and reached out to gently shake Nettie’s shoulder.
“Nettie,” he said softly. “Time to wake up, bit.”
Nettie moaned and slapped his hand away, rolling to her side. “Nuhhhh, Jayne. You ‘n River never lemee sleeeeeep.”
Snorting, Jayne said, “What, you disappear for a month and suddenly you’re too grown to call us Mommy and Daddy?”
The girl fell still, her breathing picking up. “Daddy?” she whispered.
“That’s me. Open your eyes, little bit.”
“I’m afraid to,” she said, voice breaking. “Last time I opened them you weren’t you. And I want you to be you, Daddy.”
Was River’s shattered sanity genetic after all? “The hell you on about, girl?”
Nettie blinked her eyes open and Jayne’s was the first face she saw. He smiled warmly at her, eyes crinkled.
“Hey there.”
Bursting into sudden tears, Nettie launched herself into his arms. “Oh, Daddy, I’m so sorry I said those mean things to you before I went away; I didn’t mean it, I swear! I was just mad and stupid and I was a bad girl and you can punish me and I’m so sorry!”
“Shhhh,” Jayne rubbed her back gently and looked up to find Mal herding the kids away, knowing that this was a private moment that was nobody’s business but theirs. “Where you been all this time, bit? We looked everywheres for you.”
“I was right here,” Nettie sniffled. “With you and Mommy. But you didn’t like me. Mommy believed me, though.” She turned and pulled away from Jayne a little to wrap her arm around River’s neck, tugging her parents into a group hug.
“Sounds like a bad dream,” Jayne commented. He smoothed her hair back and kissed her forehead. “Why didn’t I like you?”
“I don’t know. Because you were scared, maybe.” She cuddled between her parents and yawned again. “I’m tired.”
“Wait. You’re not makin’ any sense, here. Whaddya mean you were here the whole time with us?”
Nettie’s eyes were heavy as she lay back down again. “Can’t e’splain it now. ‘M tired. Stay? Both of you?”
“We’ll stay,” River promised. “We’ll be here when you wake up. And you will, too.”
“Good.” Nettie squeezed River’s hand and fell asleep with a smile on her face.
< Chapter Nine : Chapter Eleven >
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no subject
Date: 2007-07-05 10:31 pm (UTC)The gypsy woman freaked me out. Talking to little children and offering them tea? I'm sure you didn't write her this way, but that just creeps me out lol.
no subject
Date: 2007-07-05 10:45 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-07-05 10:32 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-07-05 10:46 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-07-05 11:08 pm (UTC)But what about the fallout in the other world????
Hmmmmm. Inquiring minds want to know!
no subject
Date: 2007-07-06 01:04 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-07-05 11:51 pm (UTC)I'm glad she landed home rather than elsewhere.
no subject
Date: 2007-07-06 01:05 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-07-06 01:12 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-07-06 12:50 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-07-06 01:06 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-07-06 03:47 am (UTC)That was great,in the middle of a crisis and they still can't take things seriously!
Looking forward to more.
no subject
Date: 2007-07-07 09:07 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-07-06 05:19 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-07-07 09:08 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-07-07 09:42 pm (UTC)Seriously, this has been a really great series and I'm looking forward to seeing what comes next.
no subject
Date: 2007-07-06 02:38 pm (UTC)I wonder if they'll believe her?
no subject
Date: 2007-07-07 09:09 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-07-09 02:17 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-07-09 03:44 am (UTC)