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I'm not sure if this technically belongs here, as it's not exactly DF canon, so if this isn't acceptable, tell me and I'll delete it. Thursday Next/Firefly crossover.
Title: The Gordian Knot
Characters: Acheron Hades, River Tam, Simon Tam, implied Acheron/River.
Rating: Er, probably R, for violence.
Word Count: 617.
The view was quite lovely, sky clear and blue-black, stars bright. It was a grounded view from the sixteenth story of the lovely Ganymede Hotel, but that didn’t diminish starlight here.
“It’s beautiful, isn’t it.”
River Tam leaned her forehead against the glass, her little hand fumbling for the latch. Behind her, Simon grabbed at the back of her dress. “Not jumping,” she murmured. “Warm thermals. Stops the perfume. Stagnation.”
“Doctor Tam,” said Acheron Hades, “it’s a breeze. Stop managing your sister’s life for one moment, difficult though it may be for you. She is in capable hands-for once, not yours.”
Simon’s hand loosened its grip on River’s dress and pulled back as if it had a will of its own. He winced as the other man smiled. “River is my responsibility and I’m not leaving her.”
“Simon, Simon. I’ve never tried to take you away from her, have I? You’re always by her side, always doting on her, smothering her like a heavy blanket on a hot summer night-she’s capable of living on her own, capable of much more than you think.” Acheron ended this pronouncement with a condescending quirk of an eyebrow.
River, her head stuck out the window, raised her face to the stars and listened.
Simon stood up from his place on the bed, glaring into Hades’ eyes. “She’s-she’s not ready,” he said. “We don’t know all they did to her, and she’s a danger to others and herself until we can find out what happened and how to heal it.”
“Doctors,” Acheron said dismissively. “Always trying to fix everything.”
An angry blush spread across Simon’s face. “What else can we do?”
“What should be done, the most obvious solution,” said Acheron. “She’s brilliant, exquisitely so. I’ve never encountered anyone as remarkable as she.” He looked at the girl pensively staring at the stars. “And powerful,” he murmured. “That power, so honed and untapped, you would destroy for the simple sake of normality.”
“She is normal.” Simon believed it, but as he said it, realized how ridiculous it sounded.
“Sharpen,” River said softly, then turned to the room. Simon glanced at her, unsure, and Acheron smiled.
“She’s not normal. She never will be. She likely never was. She’s better than normal, she’s perfect. Exceptionally intelligent, extraordinarily talented, powerful, capable of great things… beautiful… and you would take that away from her for the sake of civilization, Dr. Tam.”
“It’s not civilization. I’m not preparing my sister for her societal debut, as you’re suggesting-”
“Cogi qui potest nescit mori,” River said.
Simon stared. “What was that, mei-mei?”
She took a graceful step towards him. “Dead girl walking. Still walking and not rested, no. Earth done, sky too high, no wings. Ropes.”
“River, there are no ropes-“
“All ropes. Ties and bonds twist like corridors in a brain, too many, cut away. Gordian knot.”
Simon’s med kit was on the bedside stand across the room. River crossed to it, took a scalpel from it and tested it against her index finger. It was clean and sharp, and her skin surrendered softly to it. She smiled, stepped toward Simon again.
“River…?”
“Goodbye,” River said, mildly. “Creak.”
Simon didn’t make a noise as she sunk the little blade into his jugular, didn’t do anything but gurgle in bewilderment as she split the vein open and blood stained his shirt, dripping onto the blankets.
Acheron watched from the other side of the room in amused silence. After the doctor had bled out his life, slumped backward on the bed, gray, he turned to River. “Now what? Asia’s yours for the taking.”
“Not Asia,” said River, close to him, smiling. “The whole ‘verse, mine.”
Title: The Gordian Knot
Characters: Acheron Hades, River Tam, Simon Tam, implied Acheron/River.
Rating: Er, probably R, for violence.
Word Count: 617.
The view was quite lovely, sky clear and blue-black, stars bright. It was a grounded view from the sixteenth story of the lovely Ganymede Hotel, but that didn’t diminish starlight here.
“It’s beautiful, isn’t it.”
River Tam leaned her forehead against the glass, her little hand fumbling for the latch. Behind her, Simon grabbed at the back of her dress. “Not jumping,” she murmured. “Warm thermals. Stops the perfume. Stagnation.”
“Doctor Tam,” said Acheron Hades, “it’s a breeze. Stop managing your sister’s life for one moment, difficult though it may be for you. She is in capable hands-for once, not yours.”
Simon’s hand loosened its grip on River’s dress and pulled back as if it had a will of its own. He winced as the other man smiled. “River is my responsibility and I’m not leaving her.”
“Simon, Simon. I’ve never tried to take you away from her, have I? You’re always by her side, always doting on her, smothering her like a heavy blanket on a hot summer night-she’s capable of living on her own, capable of much more than you think.” Acheron ended this pronouncement with a condescending quirk of an eyebrow.
River, her head stuck out the window, raised her face to the stars and listened.
Simon stood up from his place on the bed, glaring into Hades’ eyes. “She’s-she’s not ready,” he said. “We don’t know all they did to her, and she’s a danger to others and herself until we can find out what happened and how to heal it.”
“Doctors,” Acheron said dismissively. “Always trying to fix everything.”
An angry blush spread across Simon’s face. “What else can we do?”
“What should be done, the most obvious solution,” said Acheron. “She’s brilliant, exquisitely so. I’ve never encountered anyone as remarkable as she.” He looked at the girl pensively staring at the stars. “And powerful,” he murmured. “That power, so honed and untapped, you would destroy for the simple sake of normality.”
“She is normal.” Simon believed it, but as he said it, realized how ridiculous it sounded.
“Sharpen,” River said softly, then turned to the room. Simon glanced at her, unsure, and Acheron smiled.
“She’s not normal. She never will be. She likely never was. She’s better than normal, she’s perfect. Exceptionally intelligent, extraordinarily talented, powerful, capable of great things… beautiful… and you would take that away from her for the sake of civilization, Dr. Tam.”
“It’s not civilization. I’m not preparing my sister for her societal debut, as you’re suggesting-”
“Cogi qui potest nescit mori,” River said.
Simon stared. “What was that, mei-mei?”
She took a graceful step towards him. “Dead girl walking. Still walking and not rested, no. Earth done, sky too high, no wings. Ropes.”
“River, there are no ropes-“
“All ropes. Ties and bonds twist like corridors in a brain, too many, cut away. Gordian knot.”
Simon’s med kit was on the bedside stand across the room. River crossed to it, took a scalpel from it and tested it against her index finger. It was clean and sharp, and her skin surrendered softly to it. She smiled, stepped toward Simon again.
“River…?”
“Goodbye,” River said, mildly. “Creak.”
Simon didn’t make a noise as she sunk the little blade into his jugular, didn’t do anything but gurgle in bewilderment as she split the vein open and blood stained his shirt, dripping onto the blankets.
Acheron watched from the other side of the room in amused silence. After the doctor had bled out his life, slumped backward on the bed, gray, he turned to River. “Now what? Asia’s yours for the taking.”
“Not Asia,” said River, close to him, smiling. “The whole ‘verse, mine.”