Firefly: Precise in Promise-Keeping (1/4)
Rating: PG overall, with a little PG-13 language
Disclaimer: Firefly, you were too good for this world, but if I owned you, you better believe you'd still be on the air.
Word Count: 1,594
Summary: Post-BDM. Badger makes an unexpected demand that leads to an interesting day for River.
A/N: Odd little thing I finally got around to finishing. Please feel free to correct my Britspeak. Chapters posted every other day.
“So the deal stands as is?” Malcolm Reynolds asked, his friendly entrepreneurial smile not waning a second, even after the drawn out process of negotiating the final stages of trade with one Badger of Persephone.
“Yeah, Mal, I think so,” Badger said with an arrogant grin just as firmly in place.
“You xiu,” the captain replied, “See you planetsi-”
“‘Ey now, wait a tick.” Badger was leaning forward with a look of intent on his face that made Mal very nervous deep down where it didn’t show.
“Something else we can do you for, Badger?”
“Was wondering, you still got that girl aboard? That passenger come from Muir, she still there?”
When Mal glanced at the co-pilot’s seat, he saw River, tense as a drawn bow, looking from him to the viewscreen. Mal coughed, “Uh, well... What’s it to you, Badger?”
He shrugged, “What? Man can’t desire to say ‘ello to one of his own? ‘S just so rare to hear a familiar voice, innit? And that one... seemed like very good comp’ny, I must say.”
Mal’s smile dropped, “Now you listen here. Y’oughta know talk like that’s a shiny method of shootin’ straight to the ends of my patience. You best watch your tone’s what I’m saying.”
“Malcolm Reynolds an’ his delicate sensibilities,” Badger sneered, “I take it from that outburst that she’s still aboard, yeah? So how’s about this: I’m thinkin’ she makes the delivery. Or no deal.”
Mal’s mouth formed a hard line as he glared fire into the viewscreen, but he said nothing.
“Take it or leave it. An’ I reckon you want very badly to take it.” Badger snorted, “Bloody ‘ell, Reynolds, how many others ‘sides me’re willin’ to do business with you? Not many left alive, yeah? Not since that Miranda go se you ain’t getting work that’s worth the price of fuel. So how ‘bout you play nice, an’ we’ll all be happy. Get back to me.” The viewscreen went blank, leaving the pair on the bridge in a terminally uncomfortable silence.
Eventually, Mal shifted in his seat to look at River, his face made stony by a deep frown, “Well, seems you made quite an impression on ol’ Badger way back when, more than you happened to let me know about at the time. Something you wanna tell me, little albatross?”
River, her legs tucked up on the chair so only her wide eyes showed over her knees, murmured, “I took his clothes off.”
Mal’s eyes went nearly as big as hers, “What?!”
“Took his clothes off and wrapped me in them. He couldn’t know, just saw somebody in his clothes.”
The gears of the captain’s brain frantically ground through the metaphors, “You- you mean... you read him, right? Read Badger and put up a familiar picture for him to look at so he wouldn’t know you.”
“It was a good distraction.”
“Yeah, little one, I’d say it was more’n a bit too good, as present circumstances seem to indicate.”
River tucked in a little tighter on herself as she stared at the empty viewscreen. “I can do it.”
“Do what?”
River shot Mal a look that let him know how stupid she thought he was, “He wants her to make the delivery. Fine.”
Mal’s brow furrowed, “Fine? The hell it ain’t fine! No, darlin’, there ain’t no question about this, there’s no way you’re going down to that planet- not while he’s around waiting to snap you up. What if- and I’m just takin’ a wild gorram guess here- he’s figured out who you are and he’s lookin’ to replace what he’s paying us with reward money, huh?”
“No notices on the Cortex, not for thirteen and a half months. Besides, Serenity’s dying, captain. Slow, but unavoidable if repairs aren’t made. His growls don’t lie; not much business for us anywhere else. Know you don’t like it, Claudio, but Isabel has to go.” She soundlessly eased herself out of her seat and left the bridge.
Mal blinked, “Who the hell is Isabel?!”
---
“River, you don’t have to do this.” The young woman smiled wearily from where she stood before the cargo bay door, an act unseen by the grim-faced man behind her.
“I do, Simon,” she said. She cast her gaze over her shoulder at him, “Still see the little girl, even now? She always had claws, now they’re even sharper and completely at her disposal. Please don’t worry.”
“You’re right, but I won’t stop worrying, River, not ever.” He offered her a small, hopeless smile.
She returned it, “Wouldn’t have it any other way.”
Mal strode into their awareness, punching buttons on the control panel to open the door. “You sure about this, River girl?” he asked without looking up, “Don’t wanna have to organize no rescue mission this close to lunchtime. I don’t work well on an empty stomach.”
“No rescue missions will be needed, captain. Promise.”
“Ha! Well jinx the whole thing, why don’t you? Listen to someone who knows, girl, ain’t no good promisin’ nothing. In fact, makin’ a promise is the best way to keep you from keepin’ that promise, and that’s a proven fact.”
The trio squinted into the hot Persephone sun. Serenity had settled down some fifty miles north of Eavesdown Docks, Badger’s drop-off point of choice. He had been distressingly specific that River alone deliver his cargo and receive the payment. “Don’t need anyone peering over our shoulder, do we?” he had asked River, who’d sat with Mal before the viewscreen looking bored and speaking in short sentences that mirrored Badger’s accent.
As he scanned the horizon, Mal thought back on the moment Badger and River had reunited through the viewscreen. The minute he’d seen her, the strangest smile emerged on his face. Later on, Mal would realize that the pleasantness of the smile was what had made it so bizarre. “‘Ello, love,” Badger had said.
“‘Lo,” River had replied. Her entire presence had altered in the moment Badger’s face appeared on the screen. After hearing the crew’s accounts of what he’d missed, Mal had been curious about River’s apparent alter ego who had made such an impact on Badger. Watching the exchange, he’d felt strangely privileged to witness its return.
“Surprised to find you still aboard that heap, darlin’. Didn’t seem like quite your crowd.”
River had shrugged, a gesture brimming with insolence and ennui, “They get me round well enough.”
“Yeah, we’ll have to discuss that when you make the delivery, now, won’t we?” It hadn’t been a question.
“Sure, why not?” And with that laconic response, the deal was made.
River walked down the ramp, soon followed by the cargo: two large metal crates containing some choice ship scrap dollied out by Jayne and Mal. The captain placed a warm, heavy hand on River’s shoulder and the pair exchanged looks, the final silent question and affirmation, before he turned and reentered the ship. Jayne grunted something at her that was possibly “Good luck” before following Mal. Calling up her character, that identical stranger made up of someone else’s memories, River lounged on top of one of the crates and tried to get comfortable in her skin.
Just five minutes went by before she caught sight of two hover-vehicles approaching from the south. Smothering any and all nerves with the bone-deep boredom of her borrowed personality, River observed the vehicles without moving a muscle, not even when they came to a stop ten yards away. She remained motionless when Badger, accompanied by two mountainous thugs, exited one of the vehicles and made his way over to her and the crates.
“Face to face again at last,” he greeted her.
“So it would seem.”
“Glad to know Reynolds can be a reasonable bloke, given the proper motivation.”
“Ship falling apart’ll do that.”
Badger chuckled unpleasantly, “Yeah, figured as much.”
“So, what now?” River inquired and hid very carefully any reaction to the sneer that spread across Badger’s face.
“Now, love, we take the cargo back to my office, make sure it’s legit, and get your payment.”
“We?”
“And not deaf, too, what a treasure you are. Yeah, ‘we.’ If you got a problem wiv it, get back on your ship and keep waitin’ for the pieces to start dropping. If not...” Badger held out a hand to River, who regarded it as if it had just fallen into her lunch. Rolling her eyes, she took the appendage and hopped down from the crate. “There’s a dear,” Badger said, grin still fixed in place as he called over one of the thugs. “Escort the lady to the car. We’ve business to attend.”
If she were forced to choose, River would have taken Badger’s touch over the thug’s manhandling grip on her arm any day. Thankfully, contact with him was short, as he went to join the others in securing the crates to a set of suspension cables stretched between the air crafts. From the seat she was shoved into, River watched as Badger took out a comm device. “Malcolm? Yeah, just wanted to let you know I’ll ‘ave your bird back in a tick, all right? Need her to authenticate a few things for me. Expect her back with your pay come nightfall.” Badger switched off the comm, rudely interrupting Mal’s high-volume response, and vaulted into the vehicle.
River didn’t manage to hide her look of wariness before Badger spotted it. “Relax, sweet‘eart,” he said, “Won’t nothing ‘appen you don’t want to, that’s a promise.”
River scowled at the countryside as the hover-vehicles set off.
Chapter Two
Disclaimer: Firefly, you were too good for this world, but if I owned you, you better believe you'd still be on the air.
Word Count: 1,594
Summary: Post-BDM. Badger makes an unexpected demand that leads to an interesting day for River.
A/N: Odd little thing I finally got around to finishing. Please feel free to correct my Britspeak. Chapters posted every other day.
“So the deal stands as is?” Malcolm Reynolds asked, his friendly entrepreneurial smile not waning a second, even after the drawn out process of negotiating the final stages of trade with one Badger of Persephone.
“Yeah, Mal, I think so,” Badger said with an arrogant grin just as firmly in place.
“You xiu,” the captain replied, “See you planetsi-”
“‘Ey now, wait a tick.” Badger was leaning forward with a look of intent on his face that made Mal very nervous deep down where it didn’t show.
“Something else we can do you for, Badger?”
“Was wondering, you still got that girl aboard? That passenger come from Muir, she still there?”
When Mal glanced at the co-pilot’s seat, he saw River, tense as a drawn bow, looking from him to the viewscreen. Mal coughed, “Uh, well... What’s it to you, Badger?”
He shrugged, “What? Man can’t desire to say ‘ello to one of his own? ‘S just so rare to hear a familiar voice, innit? And that one... seemed like very good comp’ny, I must say.”
Mal’s smile dropped, “Now you listen here. Y’oughta know talk like that’s a shiny method of shootin’ straight to the ends of my patience. You best watch your tone’s what I’m saying.”
“Malcolm Reynolds an’ his delicate sensibilities,” Badger sneered, “I take it from that outburst that she’s still aboard, yeah? So how’s about this: I’m thinkin’ she makes the delivery. Or no deal.”
Mal’s mouth formed a hard line as he glared fire into the viewscreen, but he said nothing.
“Take it or leave it. An’ I reckon you want very badly to take it.” Badger snorted, “Bloody ‘ell, Reynolds, how many others ‘sides me’re willin’ to do business with you? Not many left alive, yeah? Not since that Miranda go se you ain’t getting work that’s worth the price of fuel. So how ‘bout you play nice, an’ we’ll all be happy. Get back to me.” The viewscreen went blank, leaving the pair on the bridge in a terminally uncomfortable silence.
Eventually, Mal shifted in his seat to look at River, his face made stony by a deep frown, “Well, seems you made quite an impression on ol’ Badger way back when, more than you happened to let me know about at the time. Something you wanna tell me, little albatross?”
River, her legs tucked up on the chair so only her wide eyes showed over her knees, murmured, “I took his clothes off.”
Mal’s eyes went nearly as big as hers, “What?!”
“Took his clothes off and wrapped me in them. He couldn’t know, just saw somebody in his clothes.”
The gears of the captain’s brain frantically ground through the metaphors, “You- you mean... you read him, right? Read Badger and put up a familiar picture for him to look at so he wouldn’t know you.”
“It was a good distraction.”
“Yeah, little one, I’d say it was more’n a bit too good, as present circumstances seem to indicate.”
River tucked in a little tighter on herself as she stared at the empty viewscreen. “I can do it.”
“Do what?”
River shot Mal a look that let him know how stupid she thought he was, “He wants her to make the delivery. Fine.”
Mal’s brow furrowed, “Fine? The hell it ain’t fine! No, darlin’, there ain’t no question about this, there’s no way you’re going down to that planet- not while he’s around waiting to snap you up. What if- and I’m just takin’ a wild gorram guess here- he’s figured out who you are and he’s lookin’ to replace what he’s paying us with reward money, huh?”
“No notices on the Cortex, not for thirteen and a half months. Besides, Serenity’s dying, captain. Slow, but unavoidable if repairs aren’t made. His growls don’t lie; not much business for us anywhere else. Know you don’t like it, Claudio, but Isabel has to go.” She soundlessly eased herself out of her seat and left the bridge.
Mal blinked, “Who the hell is Isabel?!”
---
“River, you don’t have to do this.” The young woman smiled wearily from where she stood before the cargo bay door, an act unseen by the grim-faced man behind her.
“I do, Simon,” she said. She cast her gaze over her shoulder at him, “Still see the little girl, even now? She always had claws, now they’re even sharper and completely at her disposal. Please don’t worry.”
“You’re right, but I won’t stop worrying, River, not ever.” He offered her a small, hopeless smile.
She returned it, “Wouldn’t have it any other way.”
Mal strode into their awareness, punching buttons on the control panel to open the door. “You sure about this, River girl?” he asked without looking up, “Don’t wanna have to organize no rescue mission this close to lunchtime. I don’t work well on an empty stomach.”
“No rescue missions will be needed, captain. Promise.”
“Ha! Well jinx the whole thing, why don’t you? Listen to someone who knows, girl, ain’t no good promisin’ nothing. In fact, makin’ a promise is the best way to keep you from keepin’ that promise, and that’s a proven fact.”
The trio squinted into the hot Persephone sun. Serenity had settled down some fifty miles north of Eavesdown Docks, Badger’s drop-off point of choice. He had been distressingly specific that River alone deliver his cargo and receive the payment. “Don’t need anyone peering over our shoulder, do we?” he had asked River, who’d sat with Mal before the viewscreen looking bored and speaking in short sentences that mirrored Badger’s accent.
As he scanned the horizon, Mal thought back on the moment Badger and River had reunited through the viewscreen. The minute he’d seen her, the strangest smile emerged on his face. Later on, Mal would realize that the pleasantness of the smile was what had made it so bizarre. “‘Ello, love,” Badger had said.
“‘Lo,” River had replied. Her entire presence had altered in the moment Badger’s face appeared on the screen. After hearing the crew’s accounts of what he’d missed, Mal had been curious about River’s apparent alter ego who had made such an impact on Badger. Watching the exchange, he’d felt strangely privileged to witness its return.
“Surprised to find you still aboard that heap, darlin’. Didn’t seem like quite your crowd.”
River had shrugged, a gesture brimming with insolence and ennui, “They get me round well enough.”
“Yeah, we’ll have to discuss that when you make the delivery, now, won’t we?” It hadn’t been a question.
“Sure, why not?” And with that laconic response, the deal was made.
River walked down the ramp, soon followed by the cargo: two large metal crates containing some choice ship scrap dollied out by Jayne and Mal. The captain placed a warm, heavy hand on River’s shoulder and the pair exchanged looks, the final silent question and affirmation, before he turned and reentered the ship. Jayne grunted something at her that was possibly “Good luck” before following Mal. Calling up her character, that identical stranger made up of someone else’s memories, River lounged on top of one of the crates and tried to get comfortable in her skin.
Just five minutes went by before she caught sight of two hover-vehicles approaching from the south. Smothering any and all nerves with the bone-deep boredom of her borrowed personality, River observed the vehicles without moving a muscle, not even when they came to a stop ten yards away. She remained motionless when Badger, accompanied by two mountainous thugs, exited one of the vehicles and made his way over to her and the crates.
“Face to face again at last,” he greeted her.
“So it would seem.”
“Glad to know Reynolds can be a reasonable bloke, given the proper motivation.”
“Ship falling apart’ll do that.”
Badger chuckled unpleasantly, “Yeah, figured as much.”
“So, what now?” River inquired and hid very carefully any reaction to the sneer that spread across Badger’s face.
“Now, love, we take the cargo back to my office, make sure it’s legit, and get your payment.”
“We?”
“And not deaf, too, what a treasure you are. Yeah, ‘we.’ If you got a problem wiv it, get back on your ship and keep waitin’ for the pieces to start dropping. If not...” Badger held out a hand to River, who regarded it as if it had just fallen into her lunch. Rolling her eyes, she took the appendage and hopped down from the crate. “There’s a dear,” Badger said, grin still fixed in place as he called over one of the thugs. “Escort the lady to the car. We’ve business to attend.”
If she were forced to choose, River would have taken Badger’s touch over the thug’s manhandling grip on her arm any day. Thankfully, contact with him was short, as he went to join the others in securing the crates to a set of suspension cables stretched between the air crafts. From the seat she was shoved into, River watched as Badger took out a comm device. “Malcolm? Yeah, just wanted to let you know I’ll ‘ave your bird back in a tick, all right? Need her to authenticate a few things for me. Expect her back with your pay come nightfall.” Badger switched off the comm, rudely interrupting Mal’s high-volume response, and vaulted into the vehicle.
River didn’t manage to hide her look of wariness before Badger spotted it. “Relax, sweet‘eart,” he said, “Won’t nothing ‘appen you don’t want to, that’s a promise.”
River scowled at the countryside as the hover-vehicles set off.
Chapter Two