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tamingthemuseTitle: Missing Persons Report
Fandom: Firefly
Prompt: Gossip
Warnings:
Rating: G (so far)
Word Count: 605
Summary: The crew is making new friends and taking new jobs.
*****
‘River’s words tend to have a real dampening effect’, Mal thought, as he and the rest of the crew glared at Norton. Zoe’s hand grazed the butt of her gun, and Jayne’s crossed arms disguised the fact that his fingers were now closed around the hilt of the very large knife he’d strapped to his forearm.
Norton stared in awe at River as she moved fully into the room, stopping in front of him. “Don’t need to lie to the crew. Can’t lie to me. Won’t get what you need unless you speak truth.”
Mal looked sharply at River. “You saying what I think you’re saying? You thinking we oughta help this fella, even after he’s been telling us false?”
River rolled her eyes. “Well, Captain, would I have come back to get his bunk ready if I didn’t?”
Mal felt himself flushing at River’s condescending tone, but no one had a chance to notice. All attention had been drawn to Norton, who’d fallen to his knees and began to sob.
It took time to get Norton calmed, but at least there was the advantage of relieving some of the tension in the crew. Mal tried his best to draw River over, though he felt incredibly foolish thinking at her. He could tell she heard him, because she refused to make eye contact. Little witch drove him right round the star charts some days, but there wasn’t much he could do about it. At least, not much he was willing to do about it. She was difficult, sometimes dangerous, but she was theirs. That was a decision he’d had to make time and again, and always with the same result. River stayed.
They finally got settled around the table, and Norton began to tell the truth about his story. Mal kept one eye on River, knowing she’d warn him if Norton strayed again.
“I worked in a Blue Sun subsidiary on Londinium. I wasn’t a scientist or anything important; just a pencil pusher. It was dull work, but it paid more than my father ever made, and I met my wife there. She was sweet and kind, lovely but shy. We were devoted to each other and anxious to start our lives together, but… Londinium’s a crowded planet. They’ve got rules about people getting married and having families. We needed money to buy our license, money to buy a home we could both live in, and much more money to be allowed to have children. I had access to money at work, and the temptation was too much. Tiny amounts at first, just to get us the things we were dreaming of, but it was so easy to take more. And then Isabel conceived.”
His voice broke. “It was a difficult pregnancy from the start. The only reason she didn’t lose the baby was we were on Londinium. We had access to the absolute best health care in the ‘verse. But it cost us. And the money started disappearing faster than I could cover it up.”
“Blue Sun waited until after I buried my wife and brought my son home. But the very next day, there were three men on my doorstep. Two frightening large men grabbed me and sat me down, while an even more frighteningly elegant man told me there’d been gossip about my indiscretions. They knew about every cent, and they knew there was no way I could pay them back. But I had something they could use. My son. My Isaac. And if I promised to let them test him, all my troubles would go away.”
“God forgive me, I agreed.”
Fandom: Firefly
Prompt: Gossip
Warnings:
Rating: G (so far)
Word Count: 605
Summary: The crew is making new friends and taking new jobs.
*****
‘River’s words tend to have a real dampening effect’, Mal thought, as he and the rest of the crew glared at Norton. Zoe’s hand grazed the butt of her gun, and Jayne’s crossed arms disguised the fact that his fingers were now closed around the hilt of the very large knife he’d strapped to his forearm.
Norton stared in awe at River as she moved fully into the room, stopping in front of him. “Don’t need to lie to the crew. Can’t lie to me. Won’t get what you need unless you speak truth.”
Mal looked sharply at River. “You saying what I think you’re saying? You thinking we oughta help this fella, even after he’s been telling us false?”
River rolled her eyes. “Well, Captain, would I have come back to get his bunk ready if I didn’t?”
Mal felt himself flushing at River’s condescending tone, but no one had a chance to notice. All attention had been drawn to Norton, who’d fallen to his knees and began to sob.
It took time to get Norton calmed, but at least there was the advantage of relieving some of the tension in the crew. Mal tried his best to draw River over, though he felt incredibly foolish thinking at her. He could tell she heard him, because she refused to make eye contact. Little witch drove him right round the star charts some days, but there wasn’t much he could do about it. At least, not much he was willing to do about it. She was difficult, sometimes dangerous, but she was theirs. That was a decision he’d had to make time and again, and always with the same result. River stayed.
They finally got settled around the table, and Norton began to tell the truth about his story. Mal kept one eye on River, knowing she’d warn him if Norton strayed again.
“I worked in a Blue Sun subsidiary on Londinium. I wasn’t a scientist or anything important; just a pencil pusher. It was dull work, but it paid more than my father ever made, and I met my wife there. She was sweet and kind, lovely but shy. We were devoted to each other and anxious to start our lives together, but… Londinium’s a crowded planet. They’ve got rules about people getting married and having families. We needed money to buy our license, money to buy a home we could both live in, and much more money to be allowed to have children. I had access to money at work, and the temptation was too much. Tiny amounts at first, just to get us the things we were dreaming of, but it was so easy to take more. And then Isabel conceived.”
His voice broke. “It was a difficult pregnancy from the start. The only reason she didn’t lose the baby was we were on Londinium. We had access to the absolute best health care in the ‘verse. But it cost us. And the money started disappearing faster than I could cover it up.”
“Blue Sun waited until after I buried my wife and brought my son home. But the very next day, there were three men on my doorstep. Two frightening large men grabbed me and sat me down, while an even more frighteningly elegant man told me there’d been gossip about my indiscretions. They knew about every cent, and they knew there was no way I could pay them back. But I had something they could use. My son. My Isaac. And if I promised to let them test him, all my troubles would go away.”
“God forgive me, I agreed.”
