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schmericaMore. First snippet here. Second here.
And now future.
****
Simon couldn't manage real sleep, deep sleep, just a brief troubled doze, and that snapped at the sound of the broken twig.
He froze in his position on the ground, under the dirt colored blanket. There was nobody next to him.
"River?" he whispered, as quietly as he could.
"Simon," she said, and he turned onto his back towards her voice, and gazed at her where she stood at the edge of the clearing.
The trees were thinner over there, and he could make her out in the moonlight, standing absolutely still, facing away from him, into the wilderness. She reminded him of a deer, or some other animal, thin and graceful and completely wild.
Alone. It's not like he ever liked leaving her alone, but it was worse now, of course. Any moment he let her out of his sight...
Simon didn't even know where they were, its name; it had been a last minute change of plans, the drop off point for the latest set of goods.
Someone must have known about River, someone must have turned them in, someone must have been paid well. They'd been waiting when Serenity landed. Like walking right into a trap.
Simon couldn't quite think of it head on yet. He couldn't imagine really what it must be like for River.
"Somebody might see you," Simon said. "Lie down with me."
River didn't move.
"River."
"I miss her." She turned her head in his direction.
There were any number of people she could have been talking about. "Serenity?" Simon guessed.
"She's hurt. It's my fault."
River walked towards him slowly. Her dress was white cotton, thin from hundreds of washing. She had had a sweater, something warm and sturdy, but she had lost it sometime the night before. Tomorrow, Simon thought, he'd have to find something new for her. Boys' clothes, maybe. They could cut her hair. He had only had time today to snatch the blanket and a couple days worth of food. He'd had River wait in the woods while he tried the town. He had been afraid he would get caught (on this boondocks planet where they probably still hanged for petty thievery) and not be able to return to her. He had been afraid she would be gone when he did come back.
"None of it's your fault, River." He leaned up and pulled her down with him when she came close enough. She let him guide her, laying slack in his arms without any argument. Her arms were bare and freezing.
"Serenity, and Kaylee, and the Shepherd. If it wasn't for me they'd all be fine," River said, her voice low and even.
"No. You have done nothing wrong. They're all going to be fine. You'll see when they come back and get us." He didn't even hesitate at the lies anymore.
"They're dead. The ship is better, but it's far away. The captain thinks what happened to them happened to us."
Simon wished he had a way of believing that flat tone of River's was anything but undeniably true.
"It will be okay," he said, firm as he could, and he tightened his arms around her. "I promise."
"Careful," she said dully. "You don't want to hurt it."
Simon closed his eyes as a sick dread filled his chest. He swallowed. "Hurt what?"
River turned around in his grip. "Ten fingers, ten toes..." she whispered. She rested her head against his chest.
Oh, god.
He swallowed again. "It'll be all right," he said again, because there was nothing else to say. He kissed her hair. "I'll take care of us."
River didn't respond, just breathed against his chest, and they lay together silently in the rough clearing as the night wore on.
And now future.
****
Simon couldn't manage real sleep, deep sleep, just a brief troubled doze, and that snapped at the sound of the broken twig.
He froze in his position on the ground, under the dirt colored blanket. There was nobody next to him.
"River?" he whispered, as quietly as he could.
"Simon," she said, and he turned onto his back towards her voice, and gazed at her where she stood at the edge of the clearing.
The trees were thinner over there, and he could make her out in the moonlight, standing absolutely still, facing away from him, into the wilderness. She reminded him of a deer, or some other animal, thin and graceful and completely wild.
Alone. It's not like he ever liked leaving her alone, but it was worse now, of course. Any moment he let her out of his sight...
Simon didn't even know where they were, its name; it had been a last minute change of plans, the drop off point for the latest set of goods.
Someone must have known about River, someone must have turned them in, someone must have been paid well. They'd been waiting when Serenity landed. Like walking right into a trap.
Simon couldn't quite think of it head on yet. He couldn't imagine really what it must be like for River.
"Somebody might see you," Simon said. "Lie down with me."
River didn't move.
"River."
"I miss her." She turned her head in his direction.
There were any number of people she could have been talking about. "Serenity?" Simon guessed.
"She's hurt. It's my fault."
River walked towards him slowly. Her dress was white cotton, thin from hundreds of washing. She had had a sweater, something warm and sturdy, but she had lost it sometime the night before. Tomorrow, Simon thought, he'd have to find something new for her. Boys' clothes, maybe. They could cut her hair. He had only had time today to snatch the blanket and a couple days worth of food. He'd had River wait in the woods while he tried the town. He had been afraid he would get caught (on this boondocks planet where they probably still hanged for petty thievery) and not be able to return to her. He had been afraid she would be gone when he did come back.
"None of it's your fault, River." He leaned up and pulled her down with him when she came close enough. She let him guide her, laying slack in his arms without any argument. Her arms were bare and freezing.
"Serenity, and Kaylee, and the Shepherd. If it wasn't for me they'd all be fine," River said, her voice low and even.
"No. You have done nothing wrong. They're all going to be fine. You'll see when they come back and get us." He didn't even hesitate at the lies anymore.
"They're dead. The ship is better, but it's far away. The captain thinks what happened to them happened to us."
Simon wished he had a way of believing that flat tone of River's was anything but undeniably true.
"It will be okay," he said, firm as he could, and he tightened his arms around her. "I promise."
"Careful," she said dully. "You don't want to hurt it."
Simon closed his eyes as a sick dread filled his chest. He swallowed. "Hurt what?"
River turned around in his grip. "Ten fingers, ten toes..." she whispered. She rested her head against his chest.
Oh, god.
He swallowed again. "It'll be all right," he said again, because there was nothing else to say. He kissed her hair. "I'll take care of us."
River didn't respond, just breathed against his chest, and they lay together silently in the rough clearing as the night wore on.
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(no subject)
18/3/03 10:23 (UTC)everyone's a woobie in this thing. i can't pick just one. i wanna hug them all. sad, sad future, but i choose to blame it all on the fox network.
(no subject)
18/3/03 10:47 (UTC)Grrr. FOX.
Thank you, dude.