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dolevalanTitle: Remains
Fandom/original: Firefly
Characters: Zoë, Jayne, Mal, Kaylee
Rating: PG
Word count: 229
They stood on an empty plain, looking out at what had once been a farm. It was burnt and twisted and there was not a green thing left on it. “You think it was Niska, sir?” Zoë asked, low.
“Coulda just been raiders.” Even Jayne sounded subdued, looking at the extensive damage.
Mal shook his head. “This was a strike on purpose. Ain’t many on my boat with family left to be hurt.” His voice was calm, even, but Zoë at least could hear the fury running under it. Niska had crossed another line, but this might well be his last. Mal strode on, forward toward the setting sun.
Kaylee came tearing out of the house, like a bullet from a chamber. But she saw Mal and veered, veered to crash straight into his arms. It took a minute for him to catch her words: a long stream of “They left, they’re gone, they weren’t here,” and like things. He stroked her hair as she clung to him. Jayne and Zoë kept a distance.
She finally looked up, face tear-streaked. “Cap’n… I coulda done this. I didn’t ask you t’come.”
“I know,” he said. “You didn’t have to.” A little louder, so the others could hear, he said, “Now let’s go find your people, and make sure they’re in one piece.” She nodded, wiped her eyes, and they went.
Fandom/original: Firefly
Characters: Zoë, Jayne, Mal, Kaylee
Rating: PG
Word count: 229
They stood on an empty plain, looking out at what had once been a farm. It was burnt and twisted and there was not a green thing left on it. “You think it was Niska, sir?” Zoë asked, low.
“Coulda just been raiders.” Even Jayne sounded subdued, looking at the extensive damage.
Mal shook his head. “This was a strike on purpose. Ain’t many on my boat with family left to be hurt.” His voice was calm, even, but Zoë at least could hear the fury running under it. Niska had crossed another line, but this might well be his last. Mal strode on, forward toward the setting sun.
Kaylee came tearing out of the house, like a bullet from a chamber. But she saw Mal and veered, veered to crash straight into his arms. It took a minute for him to catch her words: a long stream of “They left, they’re gone, they weren’t here,” and like things. He stroked her hair as she clung to him. Jayne and Zoë kept a distance.
She finally looked up, face tear-streaked. “Cap’n… I coulda done this. I didn’t ask you t’come.”
“I know,” he said. “You didn’t have to.” A little louder, so the others could hear, he said, “Now let’s go find your people, and make sure they’re in one piece.” She nodded, wiped her eyes, and they went.
