A NEW DAY, ch. 4: Event Horizon
Thursday, September 14, 2006
Set three months after A NEW BEGINNING. River's search for the antidote brings her dangerously close to an old enemy. Simon asks Inara for help and Rylee is still convinced her new brother and sister aren't quite a blessing. Simon/Kaylee, River/Jayne, Mal/Inara
CATEGORY: FICTION TIMES READ: 4493 RATING: 9.0 (G) SERIES: FIREFLY
A/N: The tension is mounting - enjoy!
Thanks to Leiasky for the beta!
Read and respond - comments are good for the soul!
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A NEW DAY, ch. 4: Event Horizon
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“I hate them.”
With wide and concerned eyes, Inara turned to regard Rylee’s huffy form as the girl sat dejectedly on the edge of the porch, her arms crossed over her chest and her lip jutting out in a severe pout.
Moving to her side as did Daniel who was just a few steps away, Inara sat beside the little girl and rested a hand to her back. Getting her brown eyes to meet Inara’s, the older woman said, “Rylee, you shouldn’t use a word like hate. It’s very strong and can hurt people’s feelings.” Averting her gaze from her aunt as she felt shame for her outburst, Inara watched as the four-year-old tried to control herself. Finally, Inara prompted her, “Who is it you don’t like?”
Turning her eyes back to Inara, Rylee looked over her shoulder to the closed clinic door and then brought her wide gaze to her brother’s concerned face. Rylee could feel his fear over what was happening to their mother and it only fueled her dislike. “The babies,” she grumbled quietly, again allowing her eyes to study the floor.
With a sigh, Inara thought she understood. Wrapping her arm around the girl’s shoulder, she pressed a kiss into her soft hair and told her, “You don’t hate them, baby, you love them. They’re your brother and sister.”
Pulling away from her aunt fiercely, Rylee’s eyes blazed with anger. “That ain’t true, I don’t like them. I don’t like them at all. They’re making mama sick and they ruined my birthday and I hate them!” And with that outburst, Rylee jumped up and sprinted off the porch heading across the flat landscape to the Frye’s. Inara watched her go, debating whether or not she should follow, when Daniel’s little hand on her arm stopped her.
Looking down into the boy’s intense blue eyes that always reminded Inara of his father’s, he said quietly, “Let her go. There’s nothing you can tell her to ma
I am worried about River's state of mind, and curious about what is behind her suicidal drive to have her "own" baby. I'm beginning to think that she may need therapy - and I say that with all kinds of concern. One does imagine that there are counselors in the Firefly verse, and our heros have more resources now that Reagan Tam has re-established contact with her children.
River is putting all of her relationships in jeopardy; and it makes me very sad. The tension between Simon and River makes me sad. Please tell me that their issues will be resolved.
Such an ominous chapter! I agree...River is going way too far, there will be no one for her to bring a child to if she keeps it up, I'm afraid.
And although I love all of the chapters, this section caught me especially.
[Following her, Jayne hurried to stand in her path. With heavy hands on her shoulders, he told her, “Oh, I think it is, at least partly. It’s my kid you’re so desperate to carry.”]
It just said it all, River is acting so unilaterally, forgetting Jayne entirely.
Thanks for writing, and I can't wait to see what happens next!
As of right now, River has not done anything that has directly led to Serenity being put in danger. It wasn't her cortex hacking that let them be located and allowed Gabriel to put a tracking device on the ship, it was the fact that they went to Boros, which they would still have done even if River hadn't undertaken this crusade.
And while I agree she doesn't have the right to unilaterally put the entire crew in danger, she does have the right to pursue something that was taken from her. The Academy stole so much from her - her late adolescence, any and all chance she had to be a "normal" person, her sanity (which is my one constant quibble about this entire series, she seems entirely *too* sane, regardless of the purging of the Miranda stuff), her innocence, and countless other things including her ability to have a kid. Out of that list, the only thing she can possibly reclaim is her ability to have children. In my mind, her crusade is about so much more than just having a kid, it's about fighting back, reclaiming what was stolen, and in a way proving that they didn't utterly shatter her, that she can be her own person and live as normally as possible - what's more normal than a woman having a child?
All this said, River has always been fairly conscious of how her very presence puts the people she loves in danger and her disregard for everyone's safety is a little troubling - but I reiterate, she has yet to directly put anyone in danger. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if, when the danger becomes more clear and immediate, she takes off on her own to pursue her quest to keep everyone else safe (and when/if this happens, you can bet the others won't be happy and will want her back ASAP - the BDHs can be pretty damn hypocritical and it *really* rubs me the wrong way). She and Simon both have always had a bit of a martyr complex.
So, I guess I feel some readers are being a little too harsh on River. It likely has to do with the fact that we're seeing this from the outside, we know what the bad guys are up to, we know the go se is going to hit the fan and hurt all the BDHs, so we're railing against the characters for being so irresponsible. From their perspective, though, nothing has gone wrong yet and they're all still safe.
Anxious to see how Kaylee's pregnancy resolves itself.
Waiting for more.
I really wanna not criticize River's behaviour here, as I doubt I would be any different if I was placed in even a vaguely similar predicament. She's in pain and she wants to fight back against those who harmed her. But I am just fearing that she will become worse than the Blue Hands and her father in getting to that goal:(
Also...I am really starting to wonder if Simon just made a big ole mistake by not talking with Kaylee about having her head off to Osiris for treatment. Cuz she could get a lot worse and his decision to delay the conversation could mean a lot more issues for their unborn twins.
BEB
I don't feel like I can comment on River's feelings, or exactly where she's coming from because I haven't been there. But I do see she's in pain, and that is something I hate to see.
So.... as Xander would say: not being judgey, just observey. ;-)
fanfic. I should have lots of shiny feedback for you over the next day or so. :)
Simon asking Inara to go to Osiris with Kaylee was a bit of a surprise, but her
initial reaction was exactly what I thought it would be.
“Is that a fact? And since when did you become such a marital expert?”
Returning her grin and the light in her eyes, he told her, “This is Simon we’re
talkin’ ‘bout, ain’t it?”
~ Simon just can't seem to get a break from anyone, even when they are several
planets away
The fact that the data stick is really a tracking device is devious and evil and I love it. :)
I guess I'll just have to keep reading to find out. :)
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