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toxic_cornSeries: Songs From a Firefly
Title: The Soft Goodbye
Author: Toxic Corn
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: Joss owns all but I own the kids.
Note: This series is almost over but I stuck this one in because after the earlier song, I didn't feel right just moving on to the next wacky adventure.
Earlier chapters can be found here
Songs From a Firefly
The Soft Goodbye
Jamey is 15, Nettie is 11
“Arrr. Morning, Pointy.”
Nettie waved the toy triceratops in her hand. “Morning, Rex. Nice day, isn’t it?”
“Oh yes, it’s particularly lovely.” Nettie giggled at the gruff voice Wash always employed when he played Rex combined with the social niceties. “It’s made even lovelier by the fact that I got a hot brunch date with Bertha Brontosaurus in ten minutes.”
“Bertha Bront-” Nettie slipped out of character for a second but quickly recovered. “She’s a Triassic babe, all right.”
“Yeah, I want to make sure I make a good first impression with her. Do I have anything caught in my teeth?”
Pointy took a few steps closer. “Hmmm. Nope. You’re good to go.”
“Really? I had some stegosaur last night and I think I feel some in the back.”
“Oh okay, open up. Let’s see, nope, no steg-”
“ARMPH!”
“AHHHHHHHHHH!” Nettie covered her mouth so the next bit would be muffled. “I probably should’ve seen that coming, huh?”
Wash laughed and ruffled her hair. “We’ll pick up where we left off tomorrow; your mom’s gonna have a fit if she sees you out of-”
Sighing, Nettie turned over in bed and stared up at the ceiling. Exactly one year ago today, Wash’s life had ended along with Shepherd Book’s. Neither of them seemed dead, especially Wash. She’d been there when they’d buried him, yes, but every inch of Serenity held some memory of her former pilot. He wasn’t going to fade away any time soon.
There was no way she was going to get any sleep. Uncle Simon had canceled class for the day so she had no homework to do to distract herself. Homework always put her to sleep better than a glass of warm milk could ever hope to.
So she kicked off her covers and tiptoed out of her room, not wanting to accidentally wake anyone up.
With her earlier thoughts still fresh on her mind, Nettie decided to go up to the cockpit. Maybe say a little goodbye to Wash. Then she could get back to bed before Mommy sensed her and sent-
“Hi.”
She was startled to find Ben Washburne and at the helm. Then her surprise gave way to embarrassment. If she couldn’t sleep tonight of all nights, of course Ben wasn’t going to be able to. He sat at the controls, wearing his dark green pajamas and gave her a half smile.
“Hi,” she said back. “Um, what are you doing up?” She wanted to kick herself.
“Couldn’t sleep.” Ben turned back to stare out at the stars. “You?”
“The same.” Nettie shuffled closer and took a good look at Ben. He sat there almost businesslike, which made her a little uneasy. Ben had always been what Uncle Simon called an enigma. Unlike the other kids who were prone to melodrama and hijinks, he’d always been quiet and kept to himself, the times he’d gone along with wackier plans very few. The only person who could completely draw him out of his shell had been Wash.
“Well, I guess you can be my co-pilot ‘til you get sleepy.” Ben cut a glance at her then stared back out into the black. “Take a seat.”
She stayed standing. “Ben, are you all right?”
“Yeah.”
“No you aren’t.”
“Nettie, I’m firing you from your co-pilot position. Good luck to you in the future.” He sounded like he was only half kidding.
“Ben.” She reached out and touched his shoulder, making him flinch slightly. “I know what you must be-”
“No, you don’t,” he said flatly.
Nettie frowned. “I can imagine-”
“Yeah. Imagine. Cuz last time I checked, your dad still had a pulse.”
“You check my father’s pulse?”
Ben seemed surprised at the question and then burst out laughing. Nettie giggled along, relieved that her unintentionally funny remark had loosened him up. But she stopped once she noticed the tears spilling down his cheeks.
“Oh, Ben.” Nettie threw her arms around her friend and was glad when he didn’t shove her away, but held on to her as if he was drowning and she was his life preserver.
“He died right here,” Ben sobbed. “Rem-remember when Cap sent us outside t-to watch ‘Nara painting? I knew he was just sending us away so’s we wouldn’t see ‘em unpinning him from his seat!”
Nettie hadn’t realized that and felt her stomach sink. Instead of voicing this, though, she stroked Ben’s light brown hair.
“I didn’t even get to say goodbye. Not really. I have dreams once in awhile but they’re not real.”
Ben had been right; she couldn’t even begin to imagine how he was feeling. To think that she easily could have lost her own father last year. To never see Daddy again, never hear him stomping around or teasing Uncle Simon…
After a few moments, Ben calmed down and pulled away from her, wiping his eyes. “Thanks, um. I needed that.”
Nettie nodded and spotted something on the controls. “I’ll be Pointy if you be Rex.”
Ben looked at the toy that was frozen in mid-roar and smiled.
~*~
Half asleep, Jayne stumbled to the cockpit and found all the kids there, chatting and holding dinosaurs.
“You got any idea what time it is?” Jayne snapped.
“Late?” Anna guessed in a little voice.
“Damn right. You two!” He jabbed a finger at Nettie and Jamey. “Your Ma says yer bunkin’ with us tonight. She’s makin’ beds for ya on the floor. Same goes for the rest of ya.”
“We’re sleeping on your bunk floor?” David asked.
Jayne scowled. “No, smartass, your parents’. Now git movin’! If you don’t wake up on time tomorrow, Mal’s gonna have a fit and I don’t feel like hearin’ it.”
Before leaving, the kids lined the dinosaurs up along the controls to look out for any sign of trouble. Wash would’ve gotten a kick out of that.
END
Track Seven < Bad Moon Rising : Track Nine > When She Loved Me
Title: The Soft Goodbye
Author: Toxic Corn
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: Joss owns all but I own the kids.
Note: This series is almost over but I stuck this one in because after the earlier song, I didn't feel right just moving on to the next wacky adventure.
Earlier chapters can be found here
Songs From a Firefly
The Soft Goodbye
Jamey is 15, Nettie is 11
“Arrr. Morning, Pointy.”
Nettie waved the toy triceratops in her hand. “Morning, Rex. Nice day, isn’t it?”
“Oh yes, it’s particularly lovely.” Nettie giggled at the gruff voice Wash always employed when he played Rex combined with the social niceties. “It’s made even lovelier by the fact that I got a hot brunch date with Bertha Brontosaurus in ten minutes.”
“Bertha Bront-” Nettie slipped out of character for a second but quickly recovered. “She’s a Triassic babe, all right.”
“Yeah, I want to make sure I make a good first impression with her. Do I have anything caught in my teeth?”
Pointy took a few steps closer. “Hmmm. Nope. You’re good to go.”
“Really? I had some stegosaur last night and I think I feel some in the back.”
“Oh okay, open up. Let’s see, nope, no steg-”
“ARMPH!”
“AHHHHHHHHHH!” Nettie covered her mouth so the next bit would be muffled. “I probably should’ve seen that coming, huh?”
Wash laughed and ruffled her hair. “We’ll pick up where we left off tomorrow; your mom’s gonna have a fit if she sees you out of-”
Sighing, Nettie turned over in bed and stared up at the ceiling. Exactly one year ago today, Wash’s life had ended along with Shepherd Book’s. Neither of them seemed dead, especially Wash. She’d been there when they’d buried him, yes, but every inch of Serenity held some memory of her former pilot. He wasn’t going to fade away any time soon.
There was no way she was going to get any sleep. Uncle Simon had canceled class for the day so she had no homework to do to distract herself. Homework always put her to sleep better than a glass of warm milk could ever hope to.
So she kicked off her covers and tiptoed out of her room, not wanting to accidentally wake anyone up.
With her earlier thoughts still fresh on her mind, Nettie decided to go up to the cockpit. Maybe say a little goodbye to Wash. Then she could get back to bed before Mommy sensed her and sent-
“Hi.”
She was startled to find Ben Washburne and at the helm. Then her surprise gave way to embarrassment. If she couldn’t sleep tonight of all nights, of course Ben wasn’t going to be able to. He sat at the controls, wearing his dark green pajamas and gave her a half smile.
“Hi,” she said back. “Um, what are you doing up?” She wanted to kick herself.
“Couldn’t sleep.” Ben turned back to stare out at the stars. “You?”
“The same.” Nettie shuffled closer and took a good look at Ben. He sat there almost businesslike, which made her a little uneasy. Ben had always been what Uncle Simon called an enigma. Unlike the other kids who were prone to melodrama and hijinks, he’d always been quiet and kept to himself, the times he’d gone along with wackier plans very few. The only person who could completely draw him out of his shell had been Wash.
“Well, I guess you can be my co-pilot ‘til you get sleepy.” Ben cut a glance at her then stared back out into the black. “Take a seat.”
She stayed standing. “Ben, are you all right?”
“Yeah.”
“No you aren’t.”
“Nettie, I’m firing you from your co-pilot position. Good luck to you in the future.” He sounded like he was only half kidding.
“Ben.” She reached out and touched his shoulder, making him flinch slightly. “I know what you must be-”
“No, you don’t,” he said flatly.
Nettie frowned. “I can imagine-”
“Yeah. Imagine. Cuz last time I checked, your dad still had a pulse.”
“You check my father’s pulse?”
Ben seemed surprised at the question and then burst out laughing. Nettie giggled along, relieved that her unintentionally funny remark had loosened him up. But she stopped once she noticed the tears spilling down his cheeks.
“Oh, Ben.” Nettie threw her arms around her friend and was glad when he didn’t shove her away, but held on to her as if he was drowning and she was his life preserver.
“He died right here,” Ben sobbed. “Rem-remember when Cap sent us outside t-to watch ‘Nara painting? I knew he was just sending us away so’s we wouldn’t see ‘em unpinning him from his seat!”
Nettie hadn’t realized that and felt her stomach sink. Instead of voicing this, though, she stroked Ben’s light brown hair.
“I didn’t even get to say goodbye. Not really. I have dreams once in awhile but they’re not real.”
Ben had been right; she couldn’t even begin to imagine how he was feeling. To think that she easily could have lost her own father last year. To never see Daddy again, never hear him stomping around or teasing Uncle Simon…
After a few moments, Ben calmed down and pulled away from her, wiping his eyes. “Thanks, um. I needed that.”
Nettie nodded and spotted something on the controls. “I’ll be Pointy if you be Rex.”
Ben looked at the toy that was frozen in mid-roar and smiled.
Half asleep, Jayne stumbled to the cockpit and found all the kids there, chatting and holding dinosaurs.
“You got any idea what time it is?” Jayne snapped.
“Late?” Anna guessed in a little voice.
“Damn right. You two!” He jabbed a finger at Nettie and Jamey. “Your Ma says yer bunkin’ with us tonight. She’s makin’ beds for ya on the floor. Same goes for the rest of ya.”
“We’re sleeping on your bunk floor?” David asked.
Jayne scowled. “No, smartass, your parents’. Now git movin’! If you don’t wake up on time tomorrow, Mal’s gonna have a fit and I don’t feel like hearin’ it.”
Before leaving, the kids lined the dinosaurs up along the controls to look out for any sign of trouble. Wash would’ve gotten a kick out of that.
END
Track Seven < Bad Moon Rising : Track Nine > When She Loved Me
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2006-08-24 10:00 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-08-25 01:48 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-08-25 02:01 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-08-25 08:26 pm (UTC)Pregnant River, hmm? I think you may have sparked an idea for me there...
no subject
Date: 2006-08-25 02:26 am (UTC)This is so lovely. I'm glad you gave us a glimpse of the kids dealing with their loss. Amazingly strong kids. I especially like that the parents saw the need to have their kids near that night -- even if just to ensure there is sleep.
Thanks for "sticking" this one in. :)
no subject
Date: 2006-08-25 08:31 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-08-25 04:39 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-08-25 08:32 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-08-30 01:38 pm (UTC)“Nettie, I’m firing you from your co-pilot position. Good luck to you in the future.” That's a lovely Wash type line.
I'm really glad you added this on and I hope to read about the kids again soon.
no subject
Date: 2006-08-30 11:08 pm (UTC)There are five more tracks to go with this series and I'll most likely write little snippets every now and then that feature these kids. Whether there'll be another series is doubtful.