Disclaimer: Sadly the owner of this is Joss. Notes: This is my first attempt at a Firefly fanfiction so I do hope you can bare with me. I'm searching for a beta to help with my grammar and plot holes, e.t.c. So please, if you are interested then I'd love to have a chat with you. Pairing wise, I'm keeping to the usual ones, though expect some Rayne eventually. I would love some feedback of your thoughts towards this story. I know the first chapter isn't much to go on but I would be grateful for any words you can spare.

No power in the 'verse by Uhlume

:-:

Chapter 1

The breeze spilled eagerly through the leaves of over hanging trees and swirled about in a warm laughter within the lush grassy clearing hidden betwixt the towering trunks of living wood. An open tent stood still to the side of the vast clearing, empty of any inhabitants; bench consoles and an image board the only remaining husk. Not too far from the vacant classroom a young girl sat against a weeping willow relaxed in the shade, a book her only company. Or so it first seemed.

Dressed in creams and whites, the girl in her early teens tucked a strand of long hair back behind her ear as it was snared by the ever playful wind. A minute sigh escaped her, doleful brown eyes sliding over the words laid out before her but had yet to take any of them in. The book was closed promptly with a snap of indignant pages and equally annoyed eyes trailed to the grass before their owner’s form.

Dull twittered protests of the grass as it was crushed beneath feet caught the girl’s attention. A pair of leather shoes entered her line of vision and she glanced up to regard the tall lanky boy looming over her with a cheery grin. The expression was similarly mimicked back at her as the lad with short chestnut hair bent forward at the waist. Russet eyes gleamed with amusement as they read the title of the literature arranged upon her lap.

“Aristotle?” The rhetorical question eased out of his mouth somewhat shyly and the girl had to contain the amused quirk of her lips from showing.

“Yes, I grew out of The Hungry Caterpillar when I was one,” was the wise remark.

The tall giant of a boy straightened and brushed out all of the imaginary creases in his shirt and waistcoat. The momentary lapse of silence provided a fore front to the background of delighted children and chattering leaves. He returned to stare intently at the seated girl once primed and proper.

“No need to be sarcastic, sometimes you need the obvious stated to you.”

The girl grinned broadly this time and poked her tongue out in a childish manner. Any shyness once ruling the boy’s actions had vanished now and he smirked down at the girl somewhat knowingly. And know he did as his lips silently worked in time to her next remark.

“Patrick, you know very well that it is you who needs the obvious stated to half the time.” She finished with a mock glower that stained a pale face with creases, her slender fingered working lightly over the cover of The Organon, half tempted to throw the hefty tome at Patrick’s stooping form. She didn’t appreciate his mimicry, and feigning a huff the girl ducked her head to the left and refused to look at him.

The grass was so green…

“Sure, sure,” replied the boy easily. “River Tam, avid Peripatetic.”

“Did you really think you would get away?”

Shocked and confused, the girl known as River glanced back up at this question…

Glanced back up to the image of the sharp edge of a sword propelling towards her face-

All went blinding.

River screamed.

-TBC-