TITLE: "MARKING TIME"

AUTHOR: Alison M. DOBELL

FANDOM: "FIREFLY"

PAIRING: None.

RATING: PG-13.

STATUS: One off story. Complete.

ARCHIVE: Yes. Just let me know where.

FEEDBACK: Welcomed.

EMAIL: AlisonMDobell@aol.com

WEBSITE: None. All Firefly stories archived at Fireflyfans.net

SUMMARY: "An innocent action has an unintended consequence."

The usual disclaimers apply. The characters and 'Firefly'

are the property and gift of Joss Whedon and Mutant Enemy.

No infringement of copyright is intended.

"MARKING TIME"

"Firefly" story

Written by Alison M. DOBELL

* * * * *

Normally the days, weeks, months and even years made no never mind to him. As long as he had his crew and enough fuel in his boat to keep flying everything was shiny. But that was before the Preacher had brought a gorram calendar on board. It was one of them holographic ones that lit up the whole side of a wall. The crew had been fussing and fiddling with it ever since, adding pictures and comments like some gorram diary. Now all he could do was stare, the countdown to the very second of the very hour of the very day his mama died staring back at him in silent condemnation.

*You left me, son. How could you do that?*

He couldn't blink nor turn his head away. The commons area was deserted but for him. His crew gone to their bunks hours ago. His nightly wanderings bringing him here like a noose around his neck, the rope a heavy drag of guilt upon his heart. The tears upon his face as cold and unnoticed as the Black through which they sailed.

*How could you leave me, Mal? Leave me to die at the hands of those Godless *hundan*? Off to fight in a war you had no right bein' in. Give your life for strangers while your flesh an' blood're slaughtered."

The Captain could hardly see the calendar for tears yet still he could not look away, no notion that he even wept. The sorrow in his heart as heavy as lead. Every breath he