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toxic_cornSeries: Songs From a Firefly
Title: Bonus Track - Across the Universe(Epilogue)
Rating: G
Autor: Toxic Corn
Disclaimer: All belongs to Joss, except the kids who belong to me.
Note: And here's the end end. While I love The Beatles singing "Across the Universe," for my purposes I'm thinking of the Fiona Apple version, even though she sounds kind of listless and dispassionate during it. Eh. She sings some of it well, though. Anyway. Here's the end. But if you want to start at the beginning, go here.
Jamey is 24, Nettie is 20
It had been the better part of a year since Nettie had been on Serenity. She dropped her bag and stood in the cargo bay for a moment, feeling as if she’d never left. There was the mule Cap would load them into to go get ice cream. The stairs they’d run up and down until Zoe ordered them to stop before someone fell and broke their neck. The wide, open space Mom taught them to dance in, while Daddy hid not so well in the doorway to their bedrooms to watch her.
“I’m home!” Nettie called.
Silence.
She frowned. “Hello? Daddy? Cap?”
Hefting up her bag, Nettie climbed the stairs up to the cockpit, grumbling. She hadn’t exactly been expecting trumpets to sound upon her arrival, but a simple greeting would’ve been nice.
She found her family gathered in the cockpit, around the cortex. Her parents, Cap, Jamey and the new Mrs. Cobb, Ben, Aunt Kaylee, Uncle Simon, Vee, Anna, and Inara.
“What’s going on?”
Every head swiveled her way. “Shh!!”
“Nice to see you, too,” Nettie said, taken aback.
Ben smiled welcomingly and patted his lap. “C’mere, songbird. It’s almost on.”
Nettie shoved her bag into Jamey’s arms and settled into her boyfriend’s lap. She cuddled into his chest, breathing in his scent. It’d been entirely too long since she’d last seen him.
“What’s almost on?” she asked.
“Turn it up, here it comes!” Daddy said anxiously.
The screen went black until a bright golden light appeared.
“Wait.” Nettie narrowed her eyes suspiciously.
“Shh!!”
Onscreen, Nettie watched as a girl dressed in a pale blue sundress and big boots was revealed in the light, the source of which turned out to be a firefly.
The girl watched the insect, entranced, and followed it as it led her through what appeared to be a cargo bay, up a flight of stairs, and into the cockpit. All the while, gentle violin music played.
“Wo de ma.” Nettie covered her face. She missed the camera zooming in on the stars shining outside, then pulling back to reveal the Firefly class shuttle glow, the engines at full burn. The music swelled as a voice familiar to them all sang, “Cowboy take me away, closer to you.”
“Serenity Jayne’s Songs From a Firefly: on sale Tuesday!” the announcer stage-whispered.
Everyone in the cockpit cheered.
“That was your first commercial, bit!” Daddy said, beaming. “You looked all pretty dressed up like your Ma!”
Nettie hid her face in Ben’s chest. “How’d you all even know this was gonna be on?”
“That manager o’ yours told us,” Cap said, then looked thoughtful. “Glad I let ‘em film that here. It looked really good.”
Jamey poked her shoulder. “Don’t act like you don’t love the attention, mei mei.”
She giggled despite herself and swatted at his hand.
“Oh!” Kaylee exclaimed. “Nova’s gonna be here any minute, I better go to the bay ‘n wait on her.” Her smile turned watery. “Can’t believe my little girl’s gonna be a doctor.”
As Kaylee bustled out of the room, Nettie asked, “What about David and Lady, when are we expecting them?”
“They’re gonna be a little late,” Zoe said. “David’s got a new commission and he wanted to spend a little time on it before coming out with us.”
“Then all the wide-eyed wanderers ‘ll be back,” Cap said. “Out in the black for however long it takes ‘fore they wanna be grounded again.”
Nettie smiled at how hard he was trying not to sound sad. It wasn’t fair for a captain to watch his second generation crew outgrow him and leave his ship.
“Well,” she said gently, “We’re home for now. That’s all that matters.”
“Damn straight,” Daddy agreed. He rubbed his hands together eagerly. “Now there’s a big welcome home cake in the mess just waitin’ on me to carve it up.”
“Cake?!” Nettie brightened.
“Yeah, it’s your favorite,” Jamey said. “Yellow chocolate chip with chocolate icing.” A wicked grin crossed his face. “An’ I’m gettin’ the first piece!”
“Huh uh!” Nettie leaped up as Jamey made a break for the door.
As they went clattering down the hall, hooting and shouting at each other, it was like the years hadn’t passed at all and they were the children they’d always been. The others looked on and didn't see a soon-to-be universally known singer who had just recorded her first album and a married engineer; they saw a little girl in braids and a young boy who was all flailing limbs.
THE END
Sounds of laughter shades of life
are ringing through my open ears
exciting and inviting me
Limitless undying love which
shines around me like a million suns
It calls me on and on across the universe
Jai guru deva om
Nothing's gonna change my world
**************
I have other fics planned but I am in the process of planning a Jamey-centric "sequel" to this one. So for those of you hoping to see the last of these, well... tough. But it'll be a while yet before I get started because a) school/work comes first and b) I have plot bunnies that have managed to gnaw through the bars of their cage so I must write them first. To those of you who liked the story, thank you so much for the kind words and I hope you had as much fun reading these as I had writing them.
Also: I made that Meet the Characters post I've been promising for awhile now. Chances are, if you aren't on my friends list, you didn't see it. So swing by and check it out if you're wondering what everybody looks like, clear up any confusion you had of who belongs to who.
Also also: I've written Crewkid fic which starred either all the kids or only one or two that WEREN'T Nettie and/or Jamey and they weren't really Rayney enough to post at![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-community.gif)
rayne_shippers. One of them I've linked to before, but the other two should be new to you.
That should be it until the sequel, unless I post a soundtrack. Ehhhhh, we'll see.
**************
Track Twelve < The Ballad of Serenity : Sequel > When I Was A Boy
Title: Bonus Track - Across the Universe(Epilogue)
Rating: G
Autor: Toxic Corn
Disclaimer: All belongs to Joss, except the kids who belong to me.
Note: And here's the end end. While I love The Beatles singing "Across the Universe," for my purposes I'm thinking of the Fiona Apple version, even though she sounds kind of listless and dispassionate during it. Eh. She sings some of it well, though. Anyway. Here's the end. But if you want to start at the beginning, go here.
Jamey is 24, Nettie is 20
It had been the better part of a year since Nettie had been on Serenity. She dropped her bag and stood in the cargo bay for a moment, feeling as if she’d never left. There was the mule Cap would load them into to go get ice cream. The stairs they’d run up and down until Zoe ordered them to stop before someone fell and broke their neck. The wide, open space Mom taught them to dance in, while Daddy hid not so well in the doorway to their bedrooms to watch her.
“I’m home!” Nettie called.
Silence.
She frowned. “Hello? Daddy? Cap?”
Hefting up her bag, Nettie climbed the stairs up to the cockpit, grumbling. She hadn’t exactly been expecting trumpets to sound upon her arrival, but a simple greeting would’ve been nice.
She found her family gathered in the cockpit, around the cortex. Her parents, Cap, Jamey and the new Mrs. Cobb, Ben, Aunt Kaylee, Uncle Simon, Vee, Anna, and Inara.
“What’s going on?”
Every head swiveled her way. “Shh!!”
“Nice to see you, too,” Nettie said, taken aback.
Ben smiled welcomingly and patted his lap. “C’mere, songbird. It’s almost on.”
Nettie shoved her bag into Jamey’s arms and settled into her boyfriend’s lap. She cuddled into his chest, breathing in his scent. It’d been entirely too long since she’d last seen him.
“What’s almost on?” she asked.
“Turn it up, here it comes!” Daddy said anxiously.
The screen went black until a bright golden light appeared.
“Wait.” Nettie narrowed her eyes suspiciously.
“Shh!!”
Onscreen, Nettie watched as a girl dressed in a pale blue sundress and big boots was revealed in the light, the source of which turned out to be a firefly.
The girl watched the insect, entranced, and followed it as it led her through what appeared to be a cargo bay, up a flight of stairs, and into the cockpit. All the while, gentle violin music played.
“Wo de ma.” Nettie covered her face. She missed the camera zooming in on the stars shining outside, then pulling back to reveal the Firefly class shuttle glow, the engines at full burn. The music swelled as a voice familiar to them all sang, “Cowboy take me away, closer to you.”
“Serenity Jayne’s Songs From a Firefly: on sale Tuesday!” the announcer stage-whispered.
Everyone in the cockpit cheered.
“That was your first commercial, bit!” Daddy said, beaming. “You looked all pretty dressed up like your Ma!”
Nettie hid her face in Ben’s chest. “How’d you all even know this was gonna be on?”
“That manager o’ yours told us,” Cap said, then looked thoughtful. “Glad I let ‘em film that here. It looked really good.”
Jamey poked her shoulder. “Don’t act like you don’t love the attention, mei mei.”
She giggled despite herself and swatted at his hand.
“Oh!” Kaylee exclaimed. “Nova’s gonna be here any minute, I better go to the bay ‘n wait on her.” Her smile turned watery. “Can’t believe my little girl’s gonna be a doctor.”
As Kaylee bustled out of the room, Nettie asked, “What about David and Lady, when are we expecting them?”
“They’re gonna be a little late,” Zoe said. “David’s got a new commission and he wanted to spend a little time on it before coming out with us.”
“Then all the wide-eyed wanderers ‘ll be back,” Cap said. “Out in the black for however long it takes ‘fore they wanna be grounded again.”
Nettie smiled at how hard he was trying not to sound sad. It wasn’t fair for a captain to watch his second generation crew outgrow him and leave his ship.
“Well,” she said gently, “We’re home for now. That’s all that matters.”
“Damn straight,” Daddy agreed. He rubbed his hands together eagerly. “Now there’s a big welcome home cake in the mess just waitin’ on me to carve it up.”
“Cake?!” Nettie brightened.
“Yeah, it’s your favorite,” Jamey said. “Yellow chocolate chip with chocolate icing.” A wicked grin crossed his face. “An’ I’m gettin’ the first piece!”
“Huh uh!” Nettie leaped up as Jamey made a break for the door.
As they went clattering down the hall, hooting and shouting at each other, it was like the years hadn’t passed at all and they were the children they’d always been. The others looked on and didn't see a soon-to-be universally known singer who had just recorded her first album and a married engineer; they saw a little girl in braids and a young boy who was all flailing limbs.
Sounds of laughter shades of life
are ringing through my open ears
exciting and inviting me
Limitless undying love which
shines around me like a million suns
It calls me on and on across the universe
Jai guru deva om
Nothing's gonna change my world
**************
I have other fics planned but I am in the process of planning a Jamey-centric "sequel" to this one. So for those of you hoping to see the last of these, well... tough. But it'll be a while yet before I get started because a) school/work comes first and b) I have plot bunnies that have managed to gnaw through the bars of their cage so I must write them first. To those of you who liked the story, thank you so much for the kind words and I hope you had as much fun reading these as I had writing them.
Also: I made that Meet the Characters post I've been promising for awhile now. Chances are, if you aren't on my friends list, you didn't see it. So swing by and check it out if you're wondering what everybody looks like, clear up any confusion you had of who belongs to who.
Also also: I've written Crewkid fic which starred either all the kids or only one or two that WEREN'T Nettie and/or Jamey and they weren't really Rayney enough to post at
rayne_shippers. One of them I've linked to before, but the other two should be new to you.That should be it until the sequel, unless I post a soundtrack. Ehhhhh, we'll see.
**************
Track Twelve < The Ballad of Serenity : Sequel > When I Was A Boy
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2006-10-03 09:12 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-10-03 09:45 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-10-04 12:29 am (UTC)If she can't do it... it don't need ta be done.
(For the most part. Unless I'm doing it.)
Dude, you are seriously cool people. Like, seriously. There should be an award for coolest people and I'd put you on my list. The award would go to multiple persons. But you'd be one of them.
no subject
Date: 2006-10-04 12:52 am (UTC)That was scary.
And... I already have another Rayne fic written. *head desk* I didn't have homework so between lunch and dinner I wrote it. Now I just need to type it up. And post it tomorrow.
*already misses Jamey and Nettie*
no subject
Date: 2006-10-04 05:34 am (UTC)probably because I'm usually reading this when I'm supposed to be working. I just wanted to say that I really enjoyed the series. Also, I couldn't think of a more appropriate song to round up the story than "across the universe." And I love the Fiona Apple version too! There's a sorta detached and dreamy quality in that rendition that makes me think of River.Thanks for writing! :D
no subject
Date: 2006-10-04 05:41 am (UTC)Thanks for leaving a comment! Things have been slow here and I was getting worried...
no subject
Date: 2006-10-04 08:59 am (UTC)I doubt you're old enough to understand that, but but you caught the feelings beautifully.
no subject
Date: 2006-10-04 05:04 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-10-04 05:39 pm (UTC)I'm not a weepy mom, I'm usually very glad my children have their own lives and I have mine.
no subject
Date: 2006-10-04 05:44 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-10-04 06:49 pm (UTC)You're right about the arone strings. As soon as the last one was out of college and on his own, I bought a one-bedroom condo, so no one could move back in. I'm not sure I even want the responsibilithy of a cat at this point.
no subject
Date: 2006-10-04 09:34 am (UTC)*brings you shiny things*
no subject
Date: 2006-10-04 05:04 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-10-04 03:49 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-10-04 05:06 pm (UTC)So. Got any fic coming up? :P
no subject
Date: 2006-10-04 11:52 pm (UTC)I have been fic delinquent- I have started- but became stuck, I probably just need to let go of it and post...
thanks for the push, gives me the warm fuzzies
no subject
Date: 2006-10-04 11:59 pm (UTC)*bounces around excitedly at prospect of fic*
no subject
Date: 2006-10-05 12:04 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-10-05 12:05 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-10-05 01:54 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-10-06 12:55 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-10-06 12:57 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-10-05 08:10 am (UTC)Yay for Nettie, Big Damn Songstress. Nice to have them (nearly) all back together and know what all the kid's are up to. :)
no subject
Date: 2006-10-05 05:35 pm (UTC)All will be answered in time! *makes mystical waving motions that unfortunately looks like jazz hands*
I'm glad you liked this! Thanks for always reading and reviewing, it gives me warm fuzzies.
no subject
Date: 2006-10-06 07:00 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-10-06 05:03 pm (UTC)love this
Date: 2006-10-06 10:01 am (UTC)i never really followed RayneKid before but as a possible follow up to Where in the verse...? i had to take a look.
Just a quick question.
Did you mention Jamey was married at the end? Who to? did i miss something in my excitement to finish reading the story?
Cant wait fot the Jamey centric part.
keep up the good work.
Re: love this
Date: 2006-10-06 05:05 pm (UTC)Thank you so much, I hope you enjoy the other fic once it's ready for posting.
no subject
Date: 2009-03-15 09:58 pm (UTC)Because it was just so beautiful and that last phrase and I remembered the parts were Jayne was upset with Nettie growing up and Jamey worrying that he wasn't man enough...and I was crying so hard.
So I just wanted to pop in and thank you for this grogeous series and the Jamey one too...they are gorgeous and emotionally stirring and I will never get enough of them. Thank you.
no subject
Date: 2009-03-18 06:17 am (UTC)But anyway, I'm glad that this touched you. I'm always interested in knowing what people take away from what I write, what parts touched them, what they found most memorable, etc. You're welcome and thank you so much for the feedback!
*uses Nettie icon which seems to have collected a bit of dust... :( sad*