A NEW DAY, ch. 21: Recurrences
Thursday, October 5, 2006
Set three months after A NEW BEGINNING. All of Rylee's demons have not been exorcised and Simon feels more guilt than he knows what to do with. S/K, M/I, R/J - Rated light R for adult situations.
CATEGORY: FICTION TIMES READ: 3312 RATING: 9.0 (G) SERIES: FIREFLY
A/N: There is plenty of angst to be had, my friends. Enjoy!
Thanks to everyone for the great comments and continued support - it's awesome!
And to Leiasky - thank you, danke schoen, de rien, gracias, grazie - and any other expression of gratitude you can think of I pass along to you!
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A NEW DAY, ch. 21: Recurrences
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It was very late by the time Simon wearily made it back to the Frye’s. Ascending the stairs slowly, he let out a sigh, feeling his whole body fatiguing under the weight of not only the upcoming move, but his anger at his sister. Rubbing a hand along the back of his neck, he reached the landing and paused for a moment. He was so tired of being anxious and nervous and worried about Rylee or Kaylee or the twins, and truthfully, he was just as tired of being upset and angry at his sister.
Finally making it up to the second floor, he was about to enter his and Kaylee’s room when he decided instead to check on Rylee. Making it down to her door, he pushed it open quietly and peered in, sighing a silent breath of relief as he saw her sleeping peacefully. Glancing to the corner of her room, he also could just make out Ethan and Emma’s small forms, also sound asleep.
Moving into the room, Simon sat gingerly on the edge of his daughter’s bed and found himself staring at her for a long while. Her dark hair was splayed out around her and her hands were curled into fists under her chin. In sleep her cheeks were flushed just a bit, reminding him of Kaylee and he had to smile.
Simon reached out a light hand and ran it through her hair, before leaning down and giving her a gentle kiss to the cheek. Worried he might wake her if he stayed too long, he was almost back out the door when her small voice called to him.
“Daddy?”
Turning, he went back and sat next to her, even as she rolled over and rubbed a hand over her eyes. “Yes, sweetheart,” he whispered, keeping his voice down so as not to wake the twins.
“Don’t be mad at Aunt River.”
Simon’s br
I've avoided commenting on the last few chapters for two reasons. 1) I wasn't entirely sober and 2) I was really, REALLY pissed off. Simon has been such an asshat towards River that I just couldn't trust myself to respond.
Honestly, with all the heartache and trouble he and Kaylee are facing, it's nice to see him finally back on familiar ground - struggling with a loved one who was traumatized instead of traumatizing a loved one (no matter how his justifications work).
River is my soft spot, she deserves so much more than she's gotten and it's driven me nuts that she keeps getting within touching of what she deserves (like a baby and real joy and happiness) only to get it ripped away. Good for her and Jayne to go after it, balls to the wall! And I can so see them both working together like you wrote. Shadowy, clandestine locations, using all their abilities... it's downright yummy!
My only curiosity is with Jayne and River doing their thing, and Simon and Kaylee doing there thing... that leaves literally only Mal and Inara on Serenity (assuming that Zoe is staying planetbound). Even with Zoe, no mechanic, no medic... how is Serenity faring?
Yay for this chapter... can't wait for the next!
Particularly Rylee's reaction to needles; of course they're going to terrify her, possibly for her whole life. I was wondering what what happen the first time she needed medical treatment of some kind- would she freak?
I think you nailed her reaction.
It is really a shame that Simon is the only doctor they all have access to right now. As good as he is, with all of Rylee's issues she really needs someone else to attend to her medically, so that Simon can just be her Daddy. She is still very young, and it seems natural that she would group Simon in her mind with the bad guys when he starts reacting as her doctor.
I feel terrible for him; it certainly isn't his fault. He did what in his medical judgement was necessary. But I think it brings home that maybe Rylee wasn't entirely ready to come home yet. Or, ideally, she's home but she is still getting therapy of some kind.
This is another reason that the Tam's move to Aberdeen may be a good idea. I'm hopeful that there will be help there for Rylee.
Definitely loving the Rayne covert ops scenes you threw down here, TS. Especially the moments where we get even vague descriptions of their intimate moments...just to show they are still "into" one another after all that's happened;D
Really got a mighty bad feeling about Rylee's dreams, honestly. It's been more than 5 years since River was in the Academy, so I wouldn't doubt the HoBs have improved their subliminal conditioning techniques...and I get the notion Rylee got a nice dose of them when in captivity:(
BEB
River and Jayne still squicks me big time. I just can't see those two together, but you've done a good job of making their relationship believable and growing it slowly over three very LONG stories.
Rylee and the needles just breaks my heart. She needs 'daddy' and not 'doctor' more now that she's home. And poor Simon and his family is still suffering, three months later.
You can't take the sky from me
Yay for River finally getting to hold the baby.
“You’re just like them,”
~ That's more'n a little chilling
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