Have Wings, Will Fly Chapter One: Still Flyin’

Hey all, Sara here. This is my first chapter of my first Firefly fanfic. I hope you enjoy, and I plan on creating many more chapters in the time to come. ~*~*~ The ship Serenity sailed peacefully tonight, or the crew’s equivalent of a “night” while aboard a space-bound vessel. Mal, Simon, Jayne, Inara, and Kaylee were not making a sound as they slumbered. In the infirmary, Zoe had fallen asleep upon her husband’s chest while he entered a deep sleep, her dark tresses covering his numerous bandages on his waist and legs. A small plastic dinosaur was carefully tucked in the thin sheets beside Wash’s sleeping face; it’s plastic, toothy grin making Wash himself smile while he slept.

Two black combat boots were propped up on the consol in the cockpit; the light from the dashboard surrounded the room in a calming blue aura. The owner of said boots, however, was asleep; her head leaned back slightly, and her mouth open, vulnerable to bug-swallowing had they been anywhere else but in deep space. In her slender hands was a small leather-bound book that was left open to a page now resting on her floral-covered belly. She was snoring gently. Since Miranda, River had been able to recover herself to an extent. Sure, she had secrets. More than anyone should have to bear, but for now, she could rest with relative ease. She seemed to be more coherent in regular conversations with the rest of the crew, and her fits had subsided. Jayne, however, still skirted around the girl when it came to being only him and River in the same room. He had seen what she had done to the Reavers that fateful day, and as much as it made him thankful, it scared the go-se out of him. He still wasn’t sure what to make of it, as most things usually feel like to Jayne.

Wash had been presumed dead when they had left him pinned to his chair in the cockpit. True, he had entered a severe state of shock, but the wound wasn’t fatal, thanks to Simon and the team of Alliance doctors. The spear had missed his spine by inches, leaving him with a rather nasty belly wound. He was to be bed-bound for many weeks, if not months in his weak condition. So, River had taken the position of pilot. Mal even thought her skills could rival Wash’s, though he’d still prefer a mentally stable being at his beloved’s cockpit. River was more than capable for the job. She loved finally being an asset to the crew, instead of the wilting flower in the corner.

Mal had only taken minor, semi-legal jobs the past few weeks after the ordeal on Miranda. He figured the crew was pretty shaken and needed a rest. The rations the Operative had given them could very well last the rest of the year, so they needn’t worry about spending any more than necessary. The rest of the ‘verse, however, was in the middle of discerning the chaos that ensued after the airing of the Miranda vid. The Alliance had made many official announcements condemning “Browncoat hoaxers”. The Alliance had amped up their search for River, as their first and foremost Operative had failed them. It wasn’t as if he was entirely indispensable for the Alliance, anyway. They have control of the ‘verse, and have many capable men waiting in the wings for the opportunity to capture their elusive genius. The Operative, though, had managed to clear any evidence surrounding River’s affiliation with Serenity, so she still is of now at fugitive status.

Tonight was unlike the past few nights, however. They seemed to be nights similar to those of River’s worse days. Tonight her dream was frightful, but different from the torture sessions she usually flashbacked to. This particular dream focused around a young man, sitting in a bright room filled with all sorts of horrendous equipment. He was fastened tightly to the chair, and various men were circling him, taking notes, flicking switches, adjusting the boy’s glowing helmet. The faces of the men were blurry, but the face of the boy’s was as if River were standing inches away from him. He was quite handsome. A flash, and River saw him smiling, shaking hands with blue ones. A flash again, and River saw how different his face was from moments before. His eyes now, were locked with a look of utmost fear. To his right there was a brain scanner; the different lobes alight as they matched his thoughts. The lobes on the scanner began to glow ominously as the boy emitted a bloodcurdling scream.

River woke, screaming, and fell out of the pilot’s chair. Her hands groped for something, anything, to make River believe she was still there, and not some disembodies spirit. River had managed to pound her fist on the emergency button on the consol, thus sending a blaring red alarm throughout the entire ship. She hadn’t meant for it to happen. Within seconds, the members of the crew -in various states of undress- came running towards the cockpit and their fallen pilot. Simon had been the first, of course. He placed a soothing hand on River’s forehead where she had hit it falling to the deck. A small trickle of blood escaped and ran down his hand, hurting him more than her. He saw the deafening fear in her eyes as she tried to compose herself.

“Mei mei, what’s the matter?” He whispered, brushing stray strands of hair from her damp face. Inara moved towards River, but Mal placed a firm hand on her shoulder. She looked at him, understanding.

“I saw. Shouldn’t have. Never have before. Face…” Her eyes glazed for a second as she remembered the boy’s face, contorted. “They’ve got him!” She suddenly yelled, “And they’ve got no gorram right! He’s not meant for this…” She began to sob into Simon’s shoulders. For several minutes, the crew was silent.

“Who, mei mei? Who have they got?”

“I-I don’t know,” she stammered, her tears subsiding. “But he’s in trouble.” She peered up at him, concern filling her eyes. She closed them slowly and turned to the crew hovering in the doorway. It was then that everyone realized that little Kaylee was curiously dressed in nothing but a bed sheet. Jayne smirked, causing the mechanic to blush profusely.

“Well, ah, if River is okay’n all…you are, right, honey?” River nodded. “Then I’d best be getting’ off to…yeah.” And with that, Kaylee quietly excused herself, pointing her nose in the air as she adjusted the top of the sheet as she passed by Jayne.

“Well, folks, best we be on with our restin’. ‘Specially you, little Albatross. Be many more hours till we reach Londinium. We need you to get us into atmo safely this time, Okay?” He thought back to the previous week, when River had landed them on Sihnon, attempting some daredevil piloting maneuver called “The Drop and Stop” Wash had “recommended” she practice at. More like the Dive and Die, as Mal had nicknamed the pointlessly reckless maneuver. Wash, of course, didn’t mean practicing it in the middle of a high-trafficked area full to bursting of docking and already docked ships. Mal’d soon rather forget that little incident. “And a man’s gotta have his rest before being forced to deal with the likes of them fancy folk.” He shot a playful look towards Inara, the main reason they were hitting Londinium. They had actually planned a bit of a vacation in civilized places like museums, and, well, Mal had preferred not to drone on about culture unless he wanted to fall asleep. All he wanted was a little r and r. Wash was to enter a hospital for a checkup while the others checked in to a local hotel. Inara had a client lined up, and a few more that she was still considering. The crew was quite looking forward to it, especially River. She wanted to go to the beach and walk barefoot in the sand. She longed to feel the water on her skin, the sea breeze through her dark hair. She, of course, would have to lie low, check in under another name, and stay away from crowded areas. She didn’t mind, though, as she always seemed crowded no matter where she went. River slowly stood up with the help of Simon, and was guided back to her bunk. The rest of the crew sleepily ambled off to their respective bunks, muttering “’night”s to each other.

“So, Doc, you got yerself some trimmin’ done tonight? And I don’t mean no docterin’ neither.” He gave Simon a nasty grin, earning him a look of disgust from Simon. As suspected, though, Simon did not step into his own room across from River’s. He clicked the hatch to Kaylee’s and slid down.

“Knew it.” Jayne grunted as he trudged into his own bunk. Inara walked by, slapping him on the shoulder. “Be nice.” She said, before sweeping off to her shuttle. Mal closed his eyes and shook his head. ‘Bout time him’n Kaylee…yuck. Not even gonna go there.

River smiled underneath her sheets. Mal couldn’t read minds, but she surely could. And there were nothing but pleasant ones tonight.

~*~*~ Meanwhile, in the infirmary:

“Hello? Would someone PLEASE care to tell me what in the gorram guay is going on? HELLO?”

End chapter 1.