Can't Stop Fighting 4 - In Transit
Can’t Stop Fighting 4 - In Transit
Author: Rhiannon - rhian_morwenna
Summary: Liam/Angel settles in on Serenity
Rating: PG
Word Count: 1,791
Characters: Liam O’Connor/Angel, Mal, Zoe, Jayne, Kaylee, Simon, River
Genre: Drama, Crossover
Pairing: none - gen
Warning: none
Spoilers/Timeline: Post BDM
Sequel To: Can’t Stop Fighting 3 - Family
Series: Can’t Stop Fighting - Big Damn Table here - Previous Chapters: Can’t Stop Fighting, Persephone, Family
Disclaimer: Don’t own any of the characters, they're all Joss's, so don’t sue. The story is the product of my crack-happy brain.
Xie-xie to my two wonderful beta readers - lvs2read and pesha - for the feedback and feeding my addiction. Mouseover for translations. If they don't work for you, translations are at the end. As always, feedback is very shiny!
Posted to afterserenity, ff_fanfic, and ff_with_fangs.
Mal sat at the galley table, sipping his coffee, watching Liam. I’ll be damned, another browncoat. Reckon I’ll give him a chance to prove himself on the next job. He watched as Simon and River continued giving Liam a tour of Serenity. Kaylee excused herself after she drained the last of her tea, and went to the engine room to check on something or other.
Mal and Zoe sat together at the table. “You been awful quiet there, Zoe. What d'ya think about Liam? You do have a say in this, ya know.”
“I don’t have any reason not to trust River, and if he fought for the Independents, then he’s worth givin’ a shot. I really can’t say any more about the man until I see him in action, sir.”
Mal sighed. “Zoe, can ya give me a gut reaction to him. Whaddya think?”
“I think he’s worth givin’ a chance. We’ll have to watch Jayne, though. He’s likely to go startin’ a fight just to see what Liam’s made of.”
“All right, then. He’s comin’ with us on the drop-off on Demeter. Ya think we’ll be needin’ River on this job?”
Zoe thought for a couple of seconds. “It wouldn’t hurt to start bringing her on as many jobs as possible, although that means one of us will have to stay behind, in case we need Serenity ready to lift off in a hurry.”
Mal stretched in his chair. “River stays on the ship this time. You, me, Liam, and Jayne will do the exchange. I want both of us to see what Liam's made of, and I don’t want to have to put up with Simon’s fussin’ over River. Tian xiao de he’ll prob’ly have a fit over Liam bein’ taken out to do somethin’ dangerous. He’ll get over it.”
“Yes, sir. If you’ll excuse me, I’m going to check on the cargo.” With that Zoe got up and left the galley.
Mal closed his eyes and shook his head. He hoped Zoe could get past the mourning, be left with the happy memories of Wash soon. She’d been operating in automatic mode ever since his death. Maybe having someone new on board would be the change in routine she needed to start living.
~
After River and Simon finished showing Angel the rest of Serenity, he collected his baggage from the cargo bay and went back to his bunk to get some rest. The Captain had told him during his tour that he would be helping with a job when they made planetfall in about twelve hours; dinner would be in about an hour. River would come and get him when it was ready. Angel was given the time until then to unpack some, decide how he wanted his room. There was a small dresser, a couple of shelves, and a nightstand with a couple more drawers. He checked the bed and saw that there was room under it for some storage, which was good to know.
Angel sat on the bed and opened his crate of personal belongings. He pulled out the carved wood box, held it for a moment, then put it in the back of one of the nightstand drawers. He pulled out a few more items and put them in the drawer with the box - a glass vial containing a lock of blue hair, a framed sketch, a carefully folded silk tie. He put a few books in the drawer, too. Centuries old and read many times. Angel closed the drawer, then pulled out some other items, newer, purchased mostly on core worlds, and put them in the other drawer. He set the book he was currently reading on the nightstand. He left the crate near the bed, so he could get to the weapons inside quickly if needed.
Angel looked at his skin, trying to decide if he should feed before or after the communal dinner. He saw how pale his arms looked, and went over to the cold-chamber, pulling out a packet. He felt the walls, trying to find where the heat conduits ran, and put the packet on the warmest spot. After a several minutes he decided to go ahead and drink the blood, even though it would still be cold. At least it was close to room temperature. Angel cut the corner, sat back on the bed, and drank.
A noise at his door caused Angel to jerk his head. He tried to hide the packet in his palm, next to his leg. River stepped in, and closed the door behind her. She walked over to him and tilted her head, looking at his face. She slowly reached towards his face, and he realized she had been staring at his mouth. River rubbed her finger up his bottom lip, catching the drop that hung there before Angel had a chance to lick it away.
“Go on,” River said distractedly, staring at the drop of blood on her finger.
“Are you sure you want to watch me drink this?” Angel asked, concerned. “Most people don’t like watching it at all.”
“All creatures need nourishment. Different creatures, different forms. Drink.” River continued to stare at the blood drop.
Angel sighed and quickly finished the packet while River was distracted. As he prepared to throw the packet away, he looked at her again. Her eyes were closed, the bloody finger in her mouth. She opened her eyes and looked at him, slowly pulling her finger out of her mouth.
“Your way is more efficient. Nutrients already in their basic form, ready to be metabolized,” she stated matter-of-factly.
Angel stared in shock. Finally, he gathered his wits so he could speak. “River, I assume you came to get me for dinner. We should be going.”
“Yes, I suppose we should. You look better now, not as pale. Blood does you good.”
Angel opened the door and let River leave first, following behind her. They joined the rest of the crew in the galley, where Kaylee and Jayne were putting the last of dinner on the table.
“Hi, Liam,” Kaylee said brightly. “I hope you like what we managed to whip together for dinner. I know it ain’t fancy, more or less a few different flavors an’ colors of protein. We got protein loaf, protein sticks, an’ some soup. Oh! I nearly forgot, we got fresh fruit for dessert, picked some up on Persephone. Makes all that protein stuff worth eatin’.”
Angel smiled at Kaylee and took the seat River indicated for him. “I’m sure it will be wonderful, Kaylee. I’ve had to eat much worse than protein loaf before.”
Jayne eyed Angel as he took a seat. “Yeah, like what? What’s the worst thing a prissy boy like you ever had to eat?”
Angel met Jayne’s eyes, not backing down. “I don’t exactly think that’s a good topic for dinner. I don’t want to ruin anyone’s appetite.”
Mal looked between the two, curiosity aroused. “Go on an’ tell us, Liam. I’m sure you got us all a whole world of curious now.”
Angel sighed and looked at Mal. “I tried to warn you.”
Angel looked back at Jayne, who was smirking at Angel. “Rats, Jayne. I had to hunt and eat raw rats, ‘cause I didn’t have anything to cook them with, and I was starving.”
Simon, who had been about to take a bite of what he held in his chopsticks, paled and set his food back down on his plate.
Jayne stopped smirking and gave a little grunt. “Yep, that’s pretty gorram disgustin’,” he said as he shoveled a huge bite of his dinner into his mouth.
Kaylee’s face screwed up in horror as what Angel said sank in. “Oh, Liam, that’s just awful! You get stranded on a planet or somethin’?”
“Yeah, something like that. It’s not something I like to think about,” Angel replied.
“I have to admit, Liam, you’re tougher than you look if you had to resort to that to live,” Zoe commented before sipping at her soup.
Mal gave a lopsided grin, holding a piece of food in his chopsticks. “I think that was a compliment, Liam,” he said before he resumed eating.
Angel had finished serving himself while Zoe and Mal were talking. He met Zoe’s gaze, “I’m sure you and the Captain understand having to do whatever is necessary to survive in extreme situations.”
“Yeah, we do,” she said sadly.
“Oh, Liam, while we’re all together, I thought I might explain the rules of this ship to ya, and to some of those who occasionally need some remindin’,” Mal said, with a glance at Jayne. “The first thing to be rememberin’ is this is my ship, so my rules. Same goes for any jobs we get, you do what I tell ya to do. Ya get your own bunk, a percentage of each job, and access to the galley any time ya want. We eat meals together three times a day, an’ take turns cookin’ an’ cleanin’ up. The only other person ya haven’t met is Inara. She’s a genuine Companion, an’ she don’t service anyone on this ship, so don’t ya be gettin’ any ideas. She’s in one of the shuttles, an’ that’s her private place. Oh, an’ I don’t like shipboard romances ‘cause they tend to go an’ complicate things. Dong-ma?”
“That won’t be a problem at all,” Angel said before taking another bite.
“An’ I assume, considerin’ both your cousins are ‘fugees wanted by the Alliance, that you learned not all of the jobs we get are exactly legal.”
“I guessed that not everything on this ship was exactly on the up and up with the Alliance, which doesn’t bother me a bit. You won’t find any warrants for me on the Cortex. I’ve managed to stay out of the Alliance’s way so far.”
“I think we got ourselves an understandin’. You’ll be comin’ with us on the job tomorrow,” Mal said and started eating again.
“I’ll be ready,” Angel replied.
After dinner Angel helped Kaylee clean up, then went for a walk. He wandered through Serenity’s corridors, and found himself on the catwalk above the cargo hold. He stood in the shadows, leaned against the railing, and thought about the past day. Everything had happened in such whirlwind. He needed some time to digest everything. The last of his family had found him, and they were completely out of their element. He worried about River, what the Alliance had done to her, had turned her into. He had no idea what she was capable of. All he knew was that he had to protect her and Simon, to try to make their lives easier, regardless of what it required.
Chinese used
Tian xiao de - Heaven knows
Dong-ma? - Understand?
Author: Rhiannon - rhian_morwenna
Summary: Liam/Angel settles in on Serenity
Rating: PG
Word Count: 1,791
Characters: Liam O’Connor/Angel, Mal, Zoe, Jayne, Kaylee, Simon, River
Genre: Drama, Crossover
Pairing: none - gen
Warning: none
Spoilers/Timeline: Post BDM
Sequel To: Can’t Stop Fighting 3 - Family
Series: Can’t Stop Fighting - Big Damn Table here - Previous Chapters: Can’t Stop Fighting, Persephone, Family
Disclaimer: Don’t own any of the characters, they're all Joss's, so don’t sue. The story is the product of my crack-happy brain.
Xie-xie to my two wonderful beta readers - lvs2read and pesha - for the feedback and feeding my addiction. Mouseover for translations. If they don't work for you, translations are at the end. As always, feedback is very shiny!
Posted to afterserenity, ff_fanfic, and ff_with_fangs.
Mal sat at the galley table, sipping his coffee, watching Liam. I’ll be damned, another browncoat. Reckon I’ll give him a chance to prove himself on the next job. He watched as Simon and River continued giving Liam a tour of Serenity. Kaylee excused herself after she drained the last of her tea, and went to the engine room to check on something or other.
Mal and Zoe sat together at the table. “You been awful quiet there, Zoe. What d'ya think about Liam? You do have a say in this, ya know.”
“I don’t have any reason not to trust River, and if he fought for the Independents, then he’s worth givin’ a shot. I really can’t say any more about the man until I see him in action, sir.”
Mal sighed. “Zoe, can ya give me a gut reaction to him. Whaddya think?”
“I think he’s worth givin’ a chance. We’ll have to watch Jayne, though. He’s likely to go startin’ a fight just to see what Liam’s made of.”
“All right, then. He’s comin’ with us on the drop-off on Demeter. Ya think we’ll be needin’ River on this job?”
Zoe thought for a couple of seconds. “It wouldn’t hurt to start bringing her on as many jobs as possible, although that means one of us will have to stay behind, in case we need Serenity ready to lift off in a hurry.”
Mal stretched in his chair. “River stays on the ship this time. You, me, Liam, and Jayne will do the exchange. I want both of us to see what Liam's made of, and I don’t want to have to put up with Simon’s fussin’ over River. Tian xiao de he’ll prob’ly have a fit over Liam bein’ taken out to do somethin’ dangerous. He’ll get over it.”
“Yes, sir. If you’ll excuse me, I’m going to check on the cargo.” With that Zoe got up and left the galley.
Mal closed his eyes and shook his head. He hoped Zoe could get past the mourning, be left with the happy memories of Wash soon. She’d been operating in automatic mode ever since his death. Maybe having someone new on board would be the change in routine she needed to start living.
~
After River and Simon finished showing Angel the rest of Serenity, he collected his baggage from the cargo bay and went back to his bunk to get some rest. The Captain had told him during his tour that he would be helping with a job when they made planetfall in about twelve hours; dinner would be in about an hour. River would come and get him when it was ready. Angel was given the time until then to unpack some, decide how he wanted his room. There was a small dresser, a couple of shelves, and a nightstand with a couple more drawers. He checked the bed and saw that there was room under it for some storage, which was good to know.
Angel sat on the bed and opened his crate of personal belongings. He pulled out the carved wood box, held it for a moment, then put it in the back of one of the nightstand drawers. He pulled out a few more items and put them in the drawer with the box - a glass vial containing a lock of blue hair, a framed sketch, a carefully folded silk tie. He put a few books in the drawer, too. Centuries old and read many times. Angel closed the drawer, then pulled out some other items, newer, purchased mostly on core worlds, and put them in the other drawer. He set the book he was currently reading on the nightstand. He left the crate near the bed, so he could get to the weapons inside quickly if needed.
Angel looked at his skin, trying to decide if he should feed before or after the communal dinner. He saw how pale his arms looked, and went over to the cold-chamber, pulling out a packet. He felt the walls, trying to find where the heat conduits ran, and put the packet on the warmest spot. After a several minutes he decided to go ahead and drink the blood, even though it would still be cold. At least it was close to room temperature. Angel cut the corner, sat back on the bed, and drank.
A noise at his door caused Angel to jerk his head. He tried to hide the packet in his palm, next to his leg. River stepped in, and closed the door behind her. She walked over to him and tilted her head, looking at his face. She slowly reached towards his face, and he realized she had been staring at his mouth. River rubbed her finger up his bottom lip, catching the drop that hung there before Angel had a chance to lick it away.
“Go on,” River said distractedly, staring at the drop of blood on her finger.
“Are you sure you want to watch me drink this?” Angel asked, concerned. “Most people don’t like watching it at all.”
“All creatures need nourishment. Different creatures, different forms. Drink.” River continued to stare at the blood drop.
Angel sighed and quickly finished the packet while River was distracted. As he prepared to throw the packet away, he looked at her again. Her eyes were closed, the bloody finger in her mouth. She opened her eyes and looked at him, slowly pulling her finger out of her mouth.
“Your way is more efficient. Nutrients already in their basic form, ready to be metabolized,” she stated matter-of-factly.
Angel stared in shock. Finally, he gathered his wits so he could speak. “River, I assume you came to get me for dinner. We should be going.”
“Yes, I suppose we should. You look better now, not as pale. Blood does you good.”
Angel opened the door and let River leave first, following behind her. They joined the rest of the crew in the galley, where Kaylee and Jayne were putting the last of dinner on the table.
“Hi, Liam,” Kaylee said brightly. “I hope you like what we managed to whip together for dinner. I know it ain’t fancy, more or less a few different flavors an’ colors of protein. We got protein loaf, protein sticks, an’ some soup. Oh! I nearly forgot, we got fresh fruit for dessert, picked some up on Persephone. Makes all that protein stuff worth eatin’.”
Angel smiled at Kaylee and took the seat River indicated for him. “I’m sure it will be wonderful, Kaylee. I’ve had to eat much worse than protein loaf before.”
Jayne eyed Angel as he took a seat. “Yeah, like what? What’s the worst thing a prissy boy like you ever had to eat?”
Angel met Jayne’s eyes, not backing down. “I don’t exactly think that’s a good topic for dinner. I don’t want to ruin anyone’s appetite.”
Mal looked between the two, curiosity aroused. “Go on an’ tell us, Liam. I’m sure you got us all a whole world of curious now.”
Angel sighed and looked at Mal. “I tried to warn you.”
Angel looked back at Jayne, who was smirking at Angel. “Rats, Jayne. I had to hunt and eat raw rats, ‘cause I didn’t have anything to cook them with, and I was starving.”
Simon, who had been about to take a bite of what he held in his chopsticks, paled and set his food back down on his plate.
Jayne stopped smirking and gave a little grunt. “Yep, that’s pretty gorram disgustin’,” he said as he shoveled a huge bite of his dinner into his mouth.
Kaylee’s face screwed up in horror as what Angel said sank in. “Oh, Liam, that’s just awful! You get stranded on a planet or somethin’?”
“Yeah, something like that. It’s not something I like to think about,” Angel replied.
“I have to admit, Liam, you’re tougher than you look if you had to resort to that to live,” Zoe commented before sipping at her soup.
Mal gave a lopsided grin, holding a piece of food in his chopsticks. “I think that was a compliment, Liam,” he said before he resumed eating.
Angel had finished serving himself while Zoe and Mal were talking. He met Zoe’s gaze, “I’m sure you and the Captain understand having to do whatever is necessary to survive in extreme situations.”
“Yeah, we do,” she said sadly.
“Oh, Liam, while we’re all together, I thought I might explain the rules of this ship to ya, and to some of those who occasionally need some remindin’,” Mal said, with a glance at Jayne. “The first thing to be rememberin’ is this is my ship, so my rules. Same goes for any jobs we get, you do what I tell ya to do. Ya get your own bunk, a percentage of each job, and access to the galley any time ya want. We eat meals together three times a day, an’ take turns cookin’ an’ cleanin’ up. The only other person ya haven’t met is Inara. She’s a genuine Companion, an’ she don’t service anyone on this ship, so don’t ya be gettin’ any ideas. She’s in one of the shuttles, an’ that’s her private place. Oh, an’ I don’t like shipboard romances ‘cause they tend to go an’ complicate things. Dong-ma?”
“That won’t be a problem at all,” Angel said before taking another bite.
“An’ I assume, considerin’ both your cousins are ‘fugees wanted by the Alliance, that you learned not all of the jobs we get are exactly legal.”
“I guessed that not everything on this ship was exactly on the up and up with the Alliance, which doesn’t bother me a bit. You won’t find any warrants for me on the Cortex. I’ve managed to stay out of the Alliance’s way so far.”
“I think we got ourselves an understandin’. You’ll be comin’ with us on the job tomorrow,” Mal said and started eating again.
“I’ll be ready,” Angel replied.
After dinner Angel helped Kaylee clean up, then went for a walk. He wandered through Serenity’s corridors, and found himself on the catwalk above the cargo hold. He stood in the shadows, leaned against the railing, and thought about the past day. Everything had happened in such whirlwind. He needed some time to digest everything. The last of his family had found him, and they were completely out of their element. He worried about River, what the Alliance had done to her, had turned her into. He had no idea what she was capable of. All he knew was that he had to protect her and Simon, to try to make their lives easier, regardless of what it required.
Chinese used
Tian xiao de - Heaven knows
Dong-ma? - Understand?