A/N: Seemed to update rather quick this time, didn't I? I was sick one or two days last week, so I had time spent in bed doing nothing. Well, obviously I decided to put the downtime to good work! (And by good work, I mean writing and putting together my "Darkness Is Coming" soundtrack. All I have to say is... Muse is an aptly named band. Thanks to qaffian_luvr for beta-ing this chapter!
Review Responses:
MicroChips: Doctor Who and Firefly are so perfect for crossing over with each other! I'm trying with Mal, although I do admit that this is a much more River-oriented arch.
Bad_werewolf: Thanks! I love writing River, it's such a different kind of prose.
flyfloyd: Koschei is just as snarky as the Master, he's just a lot less evil about it!
Five miles northwest turned out to be a farmstead, a few farm animals fenced in a grassy area, and a small garden for food.
"That's it," the Master said, unimpressed.
"Well… I did say nearest life forms. That doesn't mean no other life forms whatsoever," the Doctor pointed out, only to be rewarded with a glare. The Master stormed up the fence, smoothly jumping to the other side.
As the Doctor climbed over the fence himself, he noticed a child hiding around one corner of the farmhouse.
"Oh hello!" he called, waving cheerfully. "Could you go and find your parents? We're in a bit of trouble."
The child nodded solemnly and disappeared around the corner.
"Well, that solves it," the Master said. "Junior can go and get Pappy, then we'll hitch a ride on the old horse and buggy to the nearest Rift."
"You sound very excited," replied the Doctor, amusement creeping into his voice.
"Do I?" the Master asked before turning around and eyeing the horses. "Well, at least if they don't help us we can always steal some transportation."
"We're not stealing horses from a family farm," the Doctor said.
"We have a TARDIS, Doctor. We could bring them back once she in functioning," the Master replied with a shrug. A door slammed and they turned as the child came around the corner again. He wordlessly pointed at them as a woman came close behind him, warily regarding them from underneath her bonnet.
"Hello," called the Doctor, beaming disarmingly. "We just got a little lost, and-"
"Doctor?" the woman interrupted, staring at him in disbelief.
The Doctor blinked in surprise. "What?"
"Doctor, it is you! I'm Annabelle Lee," she explained, sliding off the bonnet to reveal her blonde hair tucked back into a tight bun. "And… Master, that's you hiding behind those glasses, isn't it?"
"I-" the Doctor stared at her before glancing at their surroundings. "Are we on Londinium?"
"No, Cassiopeia," Annabelle Lee explained. "We left the core planets a long time ago."
"Why? Were the rich men not desperate enough to pay well?" the Master asked.
Annabelle Lee's smile tightened as she glanced down at the boy. "Evan, go play with your sister."
"Sister?" the Doctor glanced at the boy's resemblance to Gareth and the gold band on Annabelle Lee's hand. "Did you and Gareth get married?"
"Six years ago," Annabelle Lee replied, with a warm smile as she led them inside the house. It was clean and cozy, a fire crackling in the corner with a soup boiling in a pot suspended over the fireplace. The first half of the room had a wooden table surrounded by simple straight backed chairs. There was a narrow staircase in the corner leading to another level and sun shone in through glass windows.
"Cassiopeia is a moon of Paquin, isn't it?" the Doctor asked. "Are you settlers?"
"No, this was my great-aunt's farm," Annabelle Lee explained, clearing assorted vegetables from the garden off the table so the Doctor and the Master could sit down. "She died two years ago and she left the farm to us. She was estranged from the rest of the family for being a colonist, the Alliance would never think to look for us here."
"Alliance?" the Master raised an eyebrow. "As in the Union of Allied Planets?"
"They wished Agent 35's experiments to remain unknown to the public," Annabelle Lee explained, her lips forming a thin line. "They branded us traitors and ordered us to be killed. Lucky we still had enough friends to escape in time, but it was close."
"Doesn't sound particularly Alliance," the Master said. "This star system is a magnet for space travel."
"You mean aliens?" Annabelle Lee asked, shaking her head. "No one's seen an alien around here. We thought Reavers where, for a while, but they were just men."
"We did leave you during the early Alliance period," the Doctor said, scratching his chin. "Suppose it makes sense."
"Now, how did you and the Master find yourselves here?" Annabelle Lee asked. "I didn't see the TARDIS outside."
"We're sort of stuck," the Doctor replied sheepishly. "We ran out of fuel."
"In mid-flight," the Master added. "Only the Doctor could do that."
"What does the TARDIS run on?"
"Well… this and that. What would be easiest would be finding a Rift," the Doctor continued seeing Annabelle Lee's blank look. "Do you know any planets that are rumored to have strange events? Lights in the sky, odd devices or a few disappearances?"
Annabelle Lee bit her lip, thinking. "Maybe Ita. They said they've found aliens there but no one believes them."
"Ita," the Master's brow furrowed. "I've never heard of it before. Where is that?"
"I don't know," Annabelle Lee explained with an apologetic shrug. "I've only heard it mentioned on Londinium before we left."
"Sounds suspicious," the Doctor murmured as a rumbling echoed overhead, shaking the house.
"Oh!" Annabelle jumped up and tied her bonnet back on. "I nearly forgot we were having company today!"
"Is that a ship?" the Doctor asked, going to the window before his eyes widened. "It's a firefly!"
"A firefly?" the Master repeated, unimpressed. "That's an old ship design, Doctor."
"A fantastic ship design! I've always wanted to see one!" the Doctor replied, before eagerly following Annabelle Lee outdoor. The ship's hatch opened, doubling as a ramp. A well dressed dark haired woman stepped down the ramp to meet Annabelle Lee.
"Inara," Annabelle Lee called, delicately kissing her friend on the cheek. "Lao pung yo, nee can chi lai hun yo jing shen."
"It's been too long," the woman agreed, glancing at Annabelle Lee's simple cotton dress. "The local clothing looks wonderful on you."
"Not my type, but it's so much easier to blend in," Annabelle Lee explained with a laugh, turning to look at the people standing behind behind the woman.
"This is Captain Malcolm Reynolds," Inara introduced. Annabelle Lee shook his hands as Gareth came down the ramp, looking past his wife to the Doctor and the Master.
"Doctor?" he asked in surprise.
"Hullo, Gareth," the Doctor replied cheerfully, still admiring the ship.
"When did you get here?" he asked, looking at his wife questioningly.
"Oh, our ship sort-of stopped working. We just happened to stumble into your path," the Doctor said, running around the side of the ship before whistling in appreciation.
"Ignore him," the Master said, seeing the expressions on the ship's crew's faces. "He has the attention span of a three years old."
"Right," Captain Reynolds said, sparing the Doctor one last glance before turning back to the couple. "So, we heard you were in a peck of trouble?"
"Trouble?" the Doctor asked, cheer leaving his face at once. "What kind of trouble?"
"Just some local boys who think they can muscle us off the farm," Annabelle Lee explained. "Nothing you need to worry about, not with the crew of Serenity here."
The Doctor eyed the guns the crew had. "Is there going to be a fight?"
"Shouldn't be," Captain Reynolds replied. "Not unless the boys try their luck."
"Which they won't," Gareth added. "Their parents own successful businesses in the nearest town, so they're used to getting what they want. They'll back down as soon as they come into contact with real rebels."
"Rebels, eh?" a tall well-built man grunted. "Big damn heroes is more like it."
"We haven't done any thrilling heroics yet, Jayne," a dark skinned woman said coolly before looking back at the captain. "We'll start scouting, sir."
"This is an intimidation mission, Jayne," Mal reminded the man as he turned. "Don't fire unless the shoot you first. Unless they're good shots."
"And then, sir?" the woman asked with a raised eyebrow.
"If you need a good shot-" the Master started but the Doctor glared at him warningly. "What? I'm only trying to be helpful."
"Go on, Zoe," Captain Reynolds said, nodding at the woman before turning back to Annabelle Lee and Gareth. "When did they say they'd be here?"
"Twenty minutes," Gareth replied. His skin had gotten darker from working under the sun. Even Annabelle Lee had given up on her cosmetics. They still carried the grace of a Companion, though, the training shining out from under the country clothing.
"Do you think there'll be much trouble?" Annabelle Lee asked, glancing back towards the house. Two tiny faces peered out of them.
"Shouldn't be," Mal assured her with a confident smile.
"Guns, really?" the Doctor asked the couple with a sigh.
"We're at the fringes of the Universe, Doctor," Gareth said firmly. "We'd prefer to not to stoop to this, but sometimes it's the only way."
"Fringes of the Universe," the Master repeated in amusement. "You haven't seen anything yet."
"Really?" Inara asked, her eyes running over him. "What makes you say that?"
"This is the Doctor," Annabelle Lee broke in before the Master could reply.
"Inara Serra," the woman replied, smiling warmly at him. "Pleasure to meet you."
"And that's the Master," Annabelle Lee continued, beckoning him over.
"People call you the Master?" Captain Reynolds asked, raising a skeptical eyebrow.
"Generally, yes." The Master smiled, showing all of his teeth.
"Harold Master," the Doctor added.
"Very nice, John," the Master shot back, "Rob me of my mystery."
"Where's Donna?" Annabelle Lee asked suddenly.
"She's with our little blue box," the Doctor explained. Annabelle Lee and Gareth nodded in understanding.
"In town for long?" Gareth asked as Captain Reynolds returned, eyes scanning the horizon.
"Not exactly. We're trying to find a ship. Where's the nearest port?"
"Southside? Two days drive with a horse and buggy," Annabelle Lee said, frowning. "Will that carry your box?"
"Oh, it's light enough," the Doctor replied.
"I'm sure we'll find someone," the Master said, an idea coming to him as his eyes flicked over to Mal. "We have more than enough money so we can pay whatever fee they want."
"That'll come in handy, specially in Southside," Gareth said. "Good ships are expensive and you wouldn't want to travel on the cheaper ones."
"Southside?" Inara asked. "We have friends to collect there, maybe the captain will take you."
"Where're you heading from Southside?" Mal asked, looking at the pair of them consideringly.
"Ita," the Doctor replied.
"They're trustworthy," Annabelle Lee added. "Saved us from the Alliance."
"Did they now?" the captain asked. "Can you pay for the trip?"
" How much for ourselves and our two companions??" the Doctor asked. As he bartered with the captain, the Master stared up at the ship. "Serenity" was painted on it's side. The Master eyed it, trying to remember why the name was familiar.
"Think you can stand on a real ship for a while?" Annabelle Lee asked him quietly. "It's a bit smaller than the TARDIS."
"With the Doctor it's not small enough," the Master replied.
"Captain Reynolds," Gareth called, keeping his eye on the horizon. "Our local boys are coming."
Mal turned away to collect Zoe and Jayne and Annabelle Lee quickly took Inara and the two Time Lords into the house, despite their protests. The Doctor hesitated, standing in the doorway before deciding that Malcolm Reynolds was a man of his word. If he said he would try to avoid violence, then he would. Besides, the Doctor reasoned as Annabelle Lee pressed a cup of tea into his hands, he couldn't fight all the battles for humans.
-------
Donna admitted that Jenny could be learning more complex things at the moment, like operating the TARDIS or how to create one of those temporal-whibbling-neutron-dispenser machines or whatever the Doctor and the Master liked to talk about, but she also had to learn sensible things. Things that were very important. Things that Donna knew the Doctor would never think to teach her because really, for an alien genius the man was an idiot.
"Do we get to put icing on it now?" Jenny asked, staring at the cake on the cooling rack. Donna had started by teaching her how to make a pot of tea because, really, that was a life skill. Then they had moved onto pancakes and hot chocolate. Jenny had soaked up the information like a sponge, so Donna decided to indulge her sweet tooth and taught her how to make a chocolate cake from scratch. Nothing said bonding like chocolate.
"We have to wait till the cake cools completely," Donna explained, sipping her tea.
"I bet it'll be delicious," Jenny replied with a grin.
"It's my granddad's recipe. Best in all of London," Donna promised. Jenny nodded and picked up the icing spoon, licking off the extra. Donna rolled her eyes- it seemed licking was genetic.
"Donna?" the Doctor's voice called from somewhere down the corridor.
"Speak of the devil," Donna murmured to herself as the Doctor came into the kitchen.
"We've got transport!" he announced cheerfully, bouncing on his heels. "Quickly pack up some of your clothes."
"Why?" Donna asked, surprised. "Are we leaving the TARDIS behind?"
The Doctor looked shocked. "Course not! We're being transported by another ship- we're on a planet called Cassiopeia, by the way. We met Annabelle Lee and Gareth, and they might get a bit suspicious if we live in the tiny blue wooden box."
"Annabelle Lee and Gareth?" Donna repeated. "What are the odds?"
"Very very small to the point of being minute. Now, hurry up and pack, and I mean dump everything in, like there's an evacuation. They're probably wondering how the three of us fit in here, as we speak."
"Great," Donna said with a sigh, standing up. "You can clean up the cake then."
"Cake?" the Doctor repeated, perking up and causing Jenny to laugh. Donna shook her head at him as she left the kitchen, pleased to find her bedroom to be the second door on the left. If the Doctor insisted it was a speedy pack then Donna would be speedy. She tossed in her favorite gray tunic and her tan leather jacket as well as a few other items from her dresser. She might be stuck in the middle of the desert, about to board a spaceship for a distant moon or asteroid or wherever the Doctor was taking them, but she wasn't going to leave behind her cell phone. She wanted to be able to call Granddad to say goodbye if something went wrong. Fun little trips often ended in disaster and Donna didn't want to be caught unawares.
Jenny turned out to be a faster packer than she was and was already waiting in the hall.
"The Doctor already has his own bag and he packed the Master's," Jenny explained. "Oh, and when we leave he wants us to toss out our bags first and open the door as little as possible."
"He packed the Master's night bag for him?" Donna asked, amused. "My, they've become an old married couple awfully quick."
"Haven't they always been?" Jenny asked as they walked through the console room, following the Doctor's instructions as they heaved their bags out of the door before slipping through it themselves. They were blinded by the sudden sun and had to blink several times before they realized a spaceship was towering over them. It was obvious it was an old ship for its time, but Donna could see why the Doctor was so excited. It looked like his type of ship.
"These your companions?" a man was asking the Master.
"Donna Noble and Jenny Smith," the Master replied, waving at each woman respectively.
"Smith?" the man asked, turning to look at Jenny. "Look a mite young to Dr. Smith's daughter."
"Wife?' Another man grunted, striding down the ship's ramp. "Hell, all the pretty ones are taken."
"Hold on, sunshine," Donna snapped, glaring at him. "Are you implying that I'm not pretty?"
"She's my niece," the Doctor quickly cut in before the man could reply, not wanting Donna to get in a fight.
"Hmm," the first man replied before holding out his hand for Donna. "Captain Malcolm Reynolds. You can ignore Jayne, his momma dropped him on his head when he was a baby."
"Hello," Donna smiled, shaking his hand. Captain Reynolds was handsome, no way around that.
"This is Zoe, my first mate," Mal was saying as a tall dark skinned woman appeared at the top of the ramp as while driving a small cart down to the TARDIS. "You've already met Jayne, and the rest of our crew is down at Southside. We'll be flying over there as soon as we're loaded."
"How many rooms are we staying in?" Donna asked the Master quietly. She would have asked the Doctor, but he was helping load the TARDIS onto the little vehicle.
"They had three available rooms," the Master replied. "The Doctor and I are sharing the last one, you two get the others."
"Oh my, sharing a room?" Donna asked wryly. "You two are moving awfully fast. I hope the walls are thick."
"You have an unhealthy obsession with our sex life, Donna," the Master replied easily. Donna chuckled in amusement before picking up her bag and following everyone else up the ramp.
"Right," Mal said, closing the hatch doors. "Few ground rules to go through. Number one, don't be in the hold unless one of the crew is with you. If you need to get to your cargo, find one of us and we'll go with you. You have a clear shot at the kitchens, feel free to whenever you want. We do have group dinners, but they're not mandatory or anything if you're feelin' solitary. If you feel sick or get hurt, tell our Doctor and he can patch you right up."
"Would you mind if I used the kitchen tonight?" Jenny asked. "I know it's only our first night but I think Donna and I could make something special."
"We don't have anything but the basics," Mal warned.
Jenny grinned. "We still have some extra food left in… our blue box. We can share."
"Shiny," Mal agreed before clapping his hands. "Well, we'll just be off then. You four get settled and you'll meet the rest of the crew soon enough."
"This is so exciting," Jenny whispered to Donna as they followed Zoe up a set of metal stairs and down a hallway to their rooms. "We are going to have a fantastic time!"
Their rooms were small, barely able to fit a bed. Still, Donna reasoned, it was better than being stuck in the desert for the rest of their lives. She smirked, wondering how long it would be before the Master and the Doctor killed each other in the small space.
--
River stood with Kaylee and Simon in the marketplace at Southside, running her fingers along the cover of the book she had bought with her shiny new wages. It was blue with eight blue squares carved into the front, filled with blank pages. She wasn't quite sure why she had felt the urge to buy it but she didn't fight it.
"Here comes Serenity," Kaylee announced, craning her neck to look at the sky with a fond smile. "Looks like their job went smoothly."
"Of course," Simon agreed. "The only jobs that ever go smooth happen if I'm not there."
"Oh, come off it, Simon," Kaylee giggled, playfully pushing him. "The captain and Zoe have done hundred of smooth jobs. Sometimes things just get mucked up."
Serenity landed neatly in the port and the hatch opened, the compressors hissing as it lowered. River stared, delighted, at the little blue box she could see from the hold, bright like a beacon.
"It's here," she breathed,
"Course it's here, silly," Kaylee told her, grabbing her hand as they walked up the ramp. "Did you think they'd leave us behind?"
"Leave you behind?" Mal asked. "Why would I do a moon brained thing like that when I got the best mechanic and pilot in the whole 'verse?"
"You forgot to add 'doctor', Mal," Kaylee replied cheerfully.
"Huh. Funny that," Mal said.
"I'm wounded Mal, really. I'm hurt you wouldn't think of me," their doctor replied, a small smile on his lips.
"Careful, Simon. You're coming awful close to humor and I don't want to overtax that brain of yours," said the captain before he turned to River. "There's an Alliance cruiser headed this way and I'd rather be in the air than on the ground when they land."
"I want to meet them first," River said, her eyes never leaving the TARDIS.
"The new people?" Mal asked, not even bothering to ask how she knew about them. "Plenty of time to get to know them once we're out in the black."
River hesitated, drawn to the blue box but decided to obey her captain. She didn't want him to get suspicious of them. She practically flew to the controls as Mal announced their departure over the com system, getting Serenity into atmo and on course as fast as she safely could. Job done, she returned to the hold. She stepped down the stairs, drawn to the three new passengers. The blue box distracted her for a moment, a muted whisper coming from within. The voice called to her and River smiled in return, gland that she and Serenity had someone new to talk to.
After she filtered out the blue box she focused on the people. Two women, one young and blonde while the other was older and red-haired, were introducing themselves to Simon and Kaylee while a man in a pristine black suit spoke with the captain.
"Hello," River called to them, surprising the crew.
"Hello," the older woman replied with a wave. "I'm Donna."
River saw movement over Donna's shoulder but she ignored it. It wasn't from her time and River knew an echo when she saw one.
"This is my sister, River," Simon said, worriedly reaching for her shoulders to pull her back.
"I'm Jenny," the blonde girl said with bright eyes and an eager smile.
"You're young," River realized aloud. Jenny's eyes widened slightly, but she gave no other reaction.
"So are you," she pointed out with a strange smile. The man in the black suit had been watching her sharply ever since she first opened her mouth. River turned to him, trying to see past his dark glasses.
"Harold Master," he said, holding out his hand to shake. River sucked in her breath as she felt his cold hand. Time Lord. Then, smaller, danger.
"Saxon," she murmured. Only the man heard it and dropped her hand as if he had been burnt.
"River?" Simon asked in concern. "Are you okay?"
River opened her mouth to assure him that everything was right, when the door of the blue box opened.
"Sorry," a man's voice called. "I have the first part of the passage here."
River turned to see the new man, recognizing him from her dream. The moment he stepped out of the box, River's world dissolved into blinding white pain.
--
The Master had been uneasy having met the crew. There was something familiar about them, something that he couldn't remember. Then the girl, the ship's pilot, came to the hold and everything fell apart. And when she had called him Saxon, the Master was certain he didn't want her delving any more into his past.
"River?" Simon was shouting as his sister convulsed on the floor, hands clawing at her head and screaming. "What's wrong?"
"What's going on here?" Mal shouted and all eyes turned to them suspiciously.
"I don't…" the Doctor trailed off, staring at her. "Who is she?"
"She knows things," the Master replied before an idea occurred to him.
"Things?" the Doctor asked. "What things?"
The Master ignored him and turned to Simon. "Is your sister psychic?"
"I-what?" Simon asked, looking up from where he was trying to calm the girl down.
"Is your sister psychic?" the Master repeated through gritted teeth.
"Why do you need to know?" Mal asked, his voice ringing with false calm.
"Listen," the Master began but the captain cut him off.
"You need to do some explaining," Mal said. "I'm rather partial to my pilot and she's not of much use when she's in pain. So whatever you are doing needs to stop or I swear there will be some unpretty consequences."
"Doctor, help her," Donna cried as River continued to convulse. "She's having a seizure!"
"That's not a seizure, Donna," the Doctor said quietly. "That's-"
"That is what happens when someone can hear the Doctor's thoughts," the Master interrupted.
"What?" Simon asked. "She can't hear thoughts!"
"High level psychic." The Master scowled. "I asked if she was psychic and you wouldn't answer me. Instead we're wasting time arguing when I could be fixing it. If you wait much longer, her mind will be fried to a crisp."
"What?" Mal growled and drew his gun, aiming it at the Doctor. Jayne and Zoe followed suit as Inara emerged from her shuttle.
"What is going on?" she cried, running down steps.
"That's what I'd like to know," Mal replied.
The Doctor glared at them. "If you'd lower the guns and let us help-"
"You call this helping?" Mal shot back. The Master growled and darted to River's side pressing his finger tips to her temples.
"What are you doing?" Simon cried in alarm.
"Saving her life," the Master replied, sinking into her mind. The first thing he was aware of was pain and panic, her mind struggling to protect itself as the Doctor's consciousness washed over her in waves. He quickly slid his way through to her defenses and coaxed up some walls, giving the girl a shield. He glanced at the barriers, not sure that they would hold.
"They won't," a voice said from behind him. He turned to see the girl standing behind him, framed by bright light. He couldn't see anything more than her silhouette.
"Need some help, then," the Master replied. He gave the walls an extra boost with his own mind, helping them until the completely protected her psyche. That done, he turned to study the mindscape around him.
"We can see now," the River avatar said before pointing. "Look. There I am."
He glanced in that direction and raised an eyebrow. There were hundreds of copies of the girl, each doing something different. One danced, another seemed to be flying a ship while yet another one was cooking. Every action had a different girl and they scattered about, tearing around in different directions.
"That one can't get out," River said, pointing to another version of herself in a cage. She paced the length of her prison, weapons in her hands as she sliced at the invisible enemies around her. "She's not safe. We have to guard her."
"Your brain waves are different," the Master observed.
"For a human, you mean?" River asked.
The Master turned to her and nodded. "You're different."
"They stripped my brain," she explained with a shrug. "Knocked their way in and changed what they wanted, picking me apart until they had a living doll."
"Who did?" the Master asked.
River tipped her head at him. "You have both eyes here."
"What?" the Master asked, distracted.
"It's a noble eye you're missing. It saved her life," she continued before stopping and looking up. "My brother's worried. You should go before Jayne shoots you."
"The Doctor wouldn't let-"
"I know," she turned and looked him in the eye. "He'd punish them. They're my family. I don't want the Doctor's wrath to fall on them."
"How do you know so much?" the Master asked, curious despite himself.
River shrugged. "I was born into the Universe and I know it. I can listen and speak but I never understand what I see."
"But do you-" River stopped him, and a million hands seemed to push him to the surface at once.
"No time for that. Go."
The Master found himself out of her mind and he let his hands drop from her head. River sighed and her head dropped onto Simon's shoulder.
"What's happening?" Kaylee was asking quietly.
"I'm wondering the same thing myself," Mal replied. "And I think our new guest are going to enlighten us."
"Really?" the Master replied. "I think you're the ones who have to do the explaining."
"Us?" Mal repeated, laughing humorlessly. "You're a little funny in the brainpan, aren't you?"
The Doctor glanced between them. "Master…"
"Her mind's been torn apart," the Master told him, gesturing at River. "It's been stripped and rearranged."
"How did you know that?" Simon asked, clutching his sister closer.
"I saw it when I went in to pull up shields. She was burning to death because you wouldn't tell us she was psychic!"
Mal took an angry step forward. "Are you saying this is our fault?"
"I'm saying that if you had let us-" The Master was cut off as a loud whistle pierced the air. They all turned to look at Donna as she glared at them and brought her fingers down from her mouth.
"Waving guns around and shouting at each other is a not going to solve anything," she said, her eyes flicking between the Master and Mal. "The alpha dog routine is just going to waste time."
"We're not-" the Master and Mal began but she held up a finger to stop them.
"Master, this is Mal's ship. I don't care if you're a freaky genius, you can't always be in control of everything. He's captain, and he's being nice enough to give us a lift so shut it!"
"At least one of your crew has an ounce of common sense in her," Mal said.
"And you!" Donna said, rounding on him. "The Master was just trying to help her, okay? If it weren't for him she'd still be in pain so you can be a little more thankful and a little less suspicious."
"Sir, maybe we should all sit down and find out what happened," Zoe said. "I want to know exactly what happened to River and make sure it never happens again."
"Fine," Mal snapped, gesturing to the kitchen. "We meet in the galley in five minutes. Simon, get your sister settled."
"Yes, captain," Simon said softly as Mal stormed away, stomping up the steps. Zoe trailed after him, throwing one last wary glance at them over her shoulder. Simon was running ahead towards another open door as Jayne carried River, handling her with surprising care.
"She'll be okay, right?" Kaylee asked shakily. "I mean, it wasn't permanent or nuthin', was it?"
"He fixed it," the Doctor told her solemnly.
"But what happened? I mean, River's been better lately, she hasn't gone off in a fit since… for months," Kaylee pressed.
Inara wrapped an arm around the frightened girl's shoulder, speaking calmly. "Simon will make sure she's all right, Kaylee. I have some tea in my shuttle, it should help calm everyone down."
"What just happened?" Jenny asked the moment they were alone in the hold.
"Remember the accident with that Agent I told you about?" the Doctor asked, continuing when the girl nodded. "It stripped down my mental defenses. It hasn't been a problem, but coming across River… she's a high level psychic. She could feel my Time Lord brain at full force."
"A human mind can't support a Time Lord one," the Master explained. "It gets overwhelmed."
"She almost died?" Jenny repeated, her face draining of color. "That's what could happen if I don't have the proper shields? I could hurt people?"
"You have enough shields, Jenny," the Doctor promised. "You don't have to worry about that."
"What are we going to tell them?" Donna asked. "Tell them 'Sorry I scorched your crew member, it's just that some crazy woman strapped me down to a chair and screwed with my brain'? That's not a reason, that's bad pornography!"
"That's exactly what we're going to tell them," the Doctor replied. "What else do we say?"
The four of them slowly walked up the stairs to the bridge running across the hold, following into a cheerily painted kitchen. A well-worn wooden table stood in the centre of the room with an assortment of chairs circled around it. While the rest of the ship seemed to be made of cold metal, the kitchen was painted in yellows and browns, giving the room a warm feeling.
"Everyone here?" Mal thundered from the doorway. Down the corridor beyond him, the Master could see the blinking lights of the console in the cockpit hiding just behind the open metal doors.
"We're all here, Mal," Inara said, settling into her chair. Mal sat at the head of the table and eyed the chairs across from him expectantly as they say down.
"So." Mal nodded at them. "Explain."
"This might sound sort-of strange," the Doctor began.
"Doctor, I've seen all manner of strange things. Nothing you can say will likely surprise me," Mal replied coolly.
The Doctor's eyes sparked mischievously for a moment before he continued. "I've had a recent run-in with an Alliance agent. In her quest for knowledge she found my psychic abilities rather interesting. As a result she strapped me to a chair and… Well, she played with my brain."
The entire crew took a second to look shocked before Zoe spoke.
"They played with your brain?" she asked hesitantly.
The Doctor nodded. "So to speak. There was machines involved and science and whatnot but long story short, it's temporarily stripped me of some off my defenses. One of them changes they way I broadcast my consciousness. It's not something that affects much unless I'm near a high level psychic. It hasn't been a problem. At least, until we met River."
"Speaking of River," the Master said as the crew absorbed this information. "What happened to her?"
"The Alliance played with her brain too," Simon replied quietly from the corner. "River Tam was someone they wanted." The Master and the Doctor stared at him before it slowly dawned on them.
"Did you say River Tam? As in the River Tam?" the Doctor stood up. "Wuh duh ma huh tah duh fong kwong duh wai shung!"
Donna stared at him. "Since when do you speak Chinese?"
"Now is not the time Donna," the Doctor said, eyes darting around the ship. "I should have known! How many Fireflies in the universe are named Serenity?"
"Something wrong, Doctor?" Mal asked with a deadly calm voice as he stood up. "What's wrong with my boat?"
"Nothing's wrong with the boat," River voice said from the doorway. They turned, startled to see her leaning against the frame. "They're just in the wrong timeline. They're afraid of doing the wrong thing. It might change all of history. Can't get too close or the timelines break."
"Can't get too close to what, River?" Simon asked.
River's eyes flicked past them, staring at the cockpit beyond the kitchen. Suddenly, alarms were going off and the crew rushed forward. Somehow River and Mal managed to be the first ones there, sliding into the pilot seats with ease.
"Proximity alert," the ship repeated before Mal switched it off as they stared out the window at an unmoving ship. It hung in the black space dark and hulking.
"Any distress signals, River?" Mal asked as she bent over the console, fingers flying gracefully from one control to the next.
"Negative. Negative everything, no life, no power." She looked up at them, her eyes wide. "The dead are screaming."
"They didn't even send out an SOS?" the Master asked, craning his neck to look at the readings. "The only reason they wouldn't have time is if there was instant power failure."
"Lights, air, temperature all went at once," River said, staring out at the ship, now a tomb for the dead. "Froze to death gasping in the dark."
"We should find out what went wrong," the Doctor said.
"We are not doing anything," Mal snapped. "You're a passenger, dong ma? Only my crew goes."
"I might be able to help figure out what went wrong," the Doctor argued, gritting his teeth.
"With a ship? What kind of a Doctor knows anything about ships?"
"I'm a doctor of everything!"
"Verbena," River whispered, and suddenly the ship was silent.
"What did you say?" Jayne growled.
River blinked and shook her head, the moment passing. "We'll arrive on Santho in two days."
"Santho?" Kaylee asked, confused. "What's on Santho?"
"Heard of someone who needs some property to be discreetly lifted off world," Mal explained, shooting a glance at his passengers. "It's legal work, but the client didn't want a well known service."
"If we're done with this meeting," Donna said tiredly, wanting to get away from the sight of the lifeless ship, "Are we excused for the night?"
Mal hesitated before waving them away. "Yes, fine. But don't think we won't speak tomorrow, Doctor."
"Looking forward to it," the Doctor called over his shoulder as he walked down the hallway to the corridor. Parting ways, they slid back to their rooms, the two women falling asleep almost immediately.
"Eventful day," the Doctor remarked with a frown, thinking of the ship.
"You do realize you almost killed River Tam, right?" the Master asked, raising an eyebrow. "That would have been a spectacular blow to the timeline."
"Master," the Doctor said with a frown. "It's not funny."
"Never said it was," the Master pointed out as he folded up his dark lenses and put them away. "Either way, that girl's abilities were not exaggerated."
"Really? " the Doctor asked, intrigued.
"Once I got the walls up she was able to push me out of her head," the Master said. "No normal human can do that."
"Hnn," the Doctor nodded in agreement and stretched out across the bed, looking at the light switch expectantly. "Turn that off?"
"Ordering me around?" the Master asked, his good eye flashing.
"Asking nicely," the Doctor corrected before smirking. "And promising enjoyable rewards."
"Oh are you now?" the Master raised an eyebrow and flicked the switch off before lowering himself onto the Doctor. Their lips met in a kiss and soon they were battling for dominance before the Master cheated and stuck his hand down the Doctor's trousers. They were having quite a good time until Donna banged on their door.
"Bloody spacemen!" she shouted crossly through the door. "Some of us are trying to sleep while you two make an unholy racket!"
Donna, the Master noted furiously as the Doctor sighed and rolled over to turn his back to him, had an unrivaled talent for showing up at the wrong time.
---
River had fled to her bed while the crew suited up to investigate the ship and pretended like she didn't hear the Doctor sneak out to observe them. She didn't sleep, she didn't want to. The Master had entered her head but she could see into his and he had more nightmares than she did. She saw his past, all of it, even what he had forgotten. She waited until she heard the Doctor return and for Serenity to become silent while the crew settled down and Mal piloted the hell away from that ship. She knew what they would find, the floating bodies on the dead ship. She heard Kaylee tell Mal that nothing was wrong the engine or the equipment, that the ship just died. River could have told them all of that, like the dead had told her. But she didn't. She didn't want them staring at her like she was broken all the time.
Instead, River spent the night in the hold. She leaned against the little blue box that called itself a TARDIS and listened to it talking to Serenity. The two ships were very alike. They both were considered junkers by the universe but had developed into an actual being for the people who lived inside them. The Doctor was aware that the TARDIS was alive, but River didn't think Mal knew Then again he might; Malcolm Reynolds was the only man even River sometimes had trouble reading.
River wasn't surprised when Jenny snuck down to the TARDIS in the early morning. She quietly unlocked the TARDIS door and stepped inside, slipping back out ten minutes later with her arms filled with boxes. River purposely stomped on the floor so Jenny would hear her and the girl spun around.
"Oh!" she gasped, her eyes widening guiltily. "I know I'm not supposed to be down here, but I wanted to see if I could make something for everyone for breakfast. Food brings people together and all that."
"It's okay," River said, smiling at her. "I'll help you."
"Really?" Jenny asked before beaming at River, her smile lighting up the dark. "I can't make much, just pancakes and hot chocolate."
It was River's turn for her eyes to lighten up. "I haven't had those since I was a child."
"I have all the ingredients," Jenny said, nodding at the boxes. "We, er, stocked up for our trip. But now that we're here I think we should use it, before it goes bad."
River laughed and took one of the boxes, helping Jenny carry them up the stairs. "I don't think the TARDIS would let food do that. She likes perfection."
"How did you know that?" Jenny asked, astonished.
"She told me," River explained quietly. She waited for Jenny's eyes to become hooded, her face to close off. Even Simon did that sometimes, though River knew he had and would sacrifice everything for her.
Instead, Jenny laughed and she leaned closer conspiratorially. "You too? She can be a bit of a meddler sometimes, can't she?"
River decided that she liked this girl.
-
Mal had seen a lot of odd sights coming into the kitchen in the morning. He had found Jayne singing to his guns and Kaylee and Simon trying to wash off paint as they awkwardly tried to pretend that there weren't blue handprints on certain, frankly hilarious parts of their anatomy. He had once found Zoe covered in flour and angrily staring at a mixing bowl on Wash's birthday, an incident that they didn't talk about before and certainly wouldn't now. Still, finding River and Smith's niece flipping hotcakes as they giggled at one stuck to the ceiling was not something he ever expected to see.
"Serenity wanted a pancake, Mal," River explained when she saw him. "I tried to explain to her that ships don't eat, but she thought they smelled too good."
"I'll clean up the mess," Jenny promised, pouring more batter onto the pan. "We just wanted to make everyone breakfast."
"Is that maple syrup?" was all Mal could ask, staring in shock at the fresh food.
"And strawberries, Mal!" River cried, her laughter echoing throughout the ship. "Cinnamon and apple sauce."
"Where did all this come from?" Mal finally managed.
"We have left over supplies in our box," Jenny explained. "I wanted to share."
"They can afford it," River added, although Mal had the distinct impression that the girl didn't mean they could buy more. At that point Zoe, always an early raiser, came in, and Mal was fairly sure that his expression mirrored hers.
"Captain?" she asked, turning to look at Mal.
He could only shrug. "Shiao duh."
Donna entered the kitchen, smiling cheerily at them. "Oh this looks like a cozy breakfast. Are those pancakes?"
"Freshly made!" Jenny replied, setting the last bowl on the table.
"Why don't we just tuck in, then?" Donna asked brightly. "I can help you make more when people start waking up."
"The pancakes start out destabilized," River said to Zoe and Mal as they slowly sat down. "Just bits and pieces. Then you cook them for a while and they become something new."
"New and delicious," Donna replied with her mouth still full. "These are really good."
"Don't look at me," Jenny replied, grabbing a spoonful of strawberries. "River did most of the cooking. I just explained it to her and off she went."
"You're a damn fine cook, River," Mal admitted, piling fruit on his plate. It wasn't so much about the food, which was much better than any of the go se they'd had lately. But River was happy, genuinely happy. Mal hadn't seen her eyes this clear in weeks. The rest of the crew trickled in and out of the kitchen as they woke up, Simon seeming to be the most surprised.
Mal had already done his "captain" duties and was drinking the mug of hot chocolate River had pressed into his hands when the Doctor and the Master wandered in.
"Hullo, Doctor," Jenny called, wiping up the last of the dishes. "You two have missed breakfast, I'm afraid."
"Yes, well," the Master replied, smugly straightening his tie. "We were busy."
River turned to look at them. "Laying on the grass," she said softly. Donna cocked an eyebrow.
"Is that what they're calling it now?" she asked, laughing. River smiled one of her crooked smiles and ducked her head, continuing to clean the glass she was holding, wiping at some invisible spot.
Mal eyed the two men as they sat down at the table. He noticed that Master always wore dark glasses even inside the ship and he didn't like it much. You could tell a lot about a man by looking him in the eye and Mal wondered if Master had something to hide. He watched as Master leaned forward and murmured something into Smith's ear, causing Smith to make an annoyed face before shaking his head and giving the other man a fond smile. Mal looked quickly back down at his mug. He didn't care much about how two men spent their time but he wasn't one to watch intimate moments. He would have need to have a word with Jayne about any fei hua comments.
----
The Master sat on the metal grating that ran across the top of the hold, watching the people below. Kaylee had playfully challenged Jenny to a game of what resembled basketball and it wasn't long before everyone else had joined in as well. Simon had joined his little girlfriend and the Doctor was pulled in to be on her team while Jenny recruited Jayne and Donna. Zoe watched from the sidelines, calling out what few fouls could be made in the game, laughing at everyone's antics. The Master shook his head and stood up, about to wander off to his room when he heard River's voice from the kitchen.
"They did nothing wrong, Mal," River was saying to Mal. The Master edged closer to the door and hid off to the side where they couldn't see him. "The Doctor didn't know what would happen and the Master only helped."
"Call them by their names, River," Mal said, crossing his arms. "Smith's not the only doctor onboard and while Master's pa might have given him the name, I am the only master on this boat."
"He's the Doctor," River insisted. "He wouldn't hurt me on purpose. He wouldn't have accepted your help if he'd known of me."
"Yeah, and that's something else that's making me a mite jumpy," Mal replied. "How did they know who we are? We didn't tell them our gorram life story!"
"They're gifted, Mal," River said gently. "Like me. Only different."
"You can see that?" Mal asked. "What else can you see?"
River was silent for a moment. The Master got the distinct impression she was looking at him through the metal wall. "They just travel, Mal. They're not evil."
"Are you telling me the absolute truth?"
"I wouldn't let them stay if they were, Mal," River said. "Don't worry."
"It's my job to worry," Mal said, but a smile was in his voice. "I also have to be concerned, wary, and sometimes down right cautious."
"I understand Mal," River replied as he walked off to the cockpit. The Master heard footsteps and then she was in the doorway, looking straight at him.
"It's impolite to listen to other people's conversations."
"Why, do you think I was eavesdropping?" the Master asked, raising an eyebrow.
River raised on of her own. "Yes."
"That's only because I was."
"Mal is suspicious. You're suspicious," she added before he could say anything. "He might kick you off at Santhos. It's a settled moon. You can get transport to Ita."
"How do you know that's where we're going?" the Master asked, his face neutral.
River shrugged and walked past him. "If you want to get to the nearest Rift and recharge the TARDIS, you'll want to go to Ita."
"You know?" the Master asked, unsurprised as he followed her.
River turned around and looked him in the eye through his glasses. "I saw your past."
"All of it? Now that is impressive," the Master grinned at her, showing all his teeth. "Then why aren't you running, my dear?"
"You're fahng-tzong fung-kwong duh jeh." She said. "But not dangerous right now. You will be, though."
"Oh will I?"
River paused, looking at him with piercing eyes. They seemed to see right through him, then she shuddered. "It's dark and cold."
"What did you expect? I'm not the darling Doctor. I'm dangerous, River Tam." The Master leered at her but when she looked up there was no fear in her eyes.
"You're going to die for him, you know," she said.
"I-what?" the Master blinked at her, surprised. "Like I would die for him."
"You'll die for him," she repeated. "Because if you don't he'll kill you."
The Master scowled at her. He didn't need little girls, psychic or not, telling him what he was going to do. "Is that what you think?"
"I do think so. But Master?" she called before she slipped out of the corridor to join the rest of the crew. "You know so."
She left him standing alone in the metal hallway wondering what the hell just happened.
---
The Doctor was glad to leave Serenity once they reached Santhos. River Tam and the crew of the Serenity were responsible for the change that was coming to the lost Empire. They were involved with more than one fixed point in history and the Doctor really didn't want to be involved, not with a psychic like River.
He paid Captain Reynolds his money and set off to find a ship to get them to another port like Persephone or Ariel. Donna and Jenny had run off with Kaylee for one last shopping trip before they parted ways and the Master was keeping an eye on the TARDIS, a task the Doctor was sure had nothing to do with the bar across from the docking area. It wasn't much work since Reynolds agreed to let them stay in Serenity until it was time for the crew leave or they found another passage. All in all nothing was amiss and if the Doctor noticed an unusually high amount of Alliance patrols, he didn't think anything of it until River appeared out of the crowd and pulled him into an ally.
"River?" he had asked in surprise. The girl looked pale and drawn, her eyes wide and shiny.
"They're coming, Doctor," she replied, her voice catching. "They've found me."
The Doctor nodded in understanding before taking her hand. "No, River, they're not. I'll hide you in my box if I have to but they're not taking you. Understand?"
River nodded and the Doctor cautiously peered out of the alleyway. He tugged on her hand, leading her quietly but urgently through the streets. They had almost made it back to Serenity when a patrol man spotted them.
"There's Tam!" one of the man yelled. "Get the fugitive!"
"Run!" the Doctor cried and they tore away, winding through alleyways and dodging people. More troops followed and getting away seemed more and more impossible. The Doctor pulled them into an alley only to find a dead end blocking any means of escape.
"Runtse de shang dee, ching dai wuhtzo." River whimpered, clinging to the Doctor. "Weoshang mayer, maysheen, byen shr to."
The Doctor glanced up at the wall behind him and, decision made, turned to River. "River, you need to listen very carefully, can you do that?"
She nodded, eyes wide.
"I am going to lift you up that wall and you need to climb to the other side. Can you do that?" River stared at him.
"But- I need to be caught. Caught and played with and hurt and spurred. The timeline says-"
"Time is in flux, River," the Doctor replied gently. "Nothing has to happen."
He held out his hand and River hesitantly took it as he lifted her to the top of the wall and so she could swing her legs over it.
"What about you?" she called. The Doctor smiled at her.
"I have an ID that should get me out of trouble," he said cheerfully. He pulled out a little wallet and showed it to her. River stared at it, jumping when she heard voices coming closer.
"It's blank!" she protested.
"I'll be fine River," he promised her before his eyes drew together. "But- tell the Master dui buqi."
"What?" she asked again, but then there was movement at the opening of the alleyway and he hissed for her to go. She slid down the back wall, landing silently on the other side. She pressed her cheek to the wall, listening.
"Put your hands in the air," the agents yelled and River held her breath as she heard the weapons cock.
"Ee chee shung hoo shee," the Doctor replied.
"Bezui," one of the men shouted back. "Where is River Tam?"
"Like I'll tell you where the safe house is," the Doctor sneered, baiting them. The men took it and grabbed him, and River held back her sobs and she listened to them drag him away.
She allowed her head to rest against the wall for a moment, her tears smudging the dirt on her forehead. No, she though firmly. We have to act. She knew who was after her. She knew where to go. She turned down the alley and flew, winding her way through the streets in a way she forgot she had. She could never use her skills to save herself. Only fear for others activated them.
"River!" Simon exclaimed as she burst onto the ship. "Where were you?"
"No time," River gasped, looking around her widely. "Where are the Master and Mal?"
"River?" Jenny asked, frowning as slipped her bag into the TARDIS. "What's wrong?"
River didn't answer as she saw a distant ship fire into atmo. With a sinking feeling, she knew the Doctor was on it. She didn't know what lie he told them, but it worked too well.
"Wave just came through on the Cortex," Mal announced, striding briskly down the stairs. "They know we're here. They've landlocked all ships and put a bulletin out for our little albatrox."
"Where is the Master?" River repeated, looking around urgently. She could see everyone looking at her in concern- only the most important man was gone.
"He's-" Inara began, but a voice cut her off.
"I'm right here." The Master emerged from the TARDIS and glared at her. "What do you want?"
River lowered her eyes. "The Doctor's gone."
"What?" The Master stiffened. "What are you talking about?"
"They took him. He was protecting me and they took him."
The Master surged forward and grabbed her arms. His face darkened as he shook her and River flinched under his rage, the rage of a Time Lord. "Who took him?"
"Stop it!" Simon shouted pushing him away. "Don't you dare touch her!"
"Or what?" The Master snapped. "What are you going to do?"
"You wanna know what we're going to do?" Mal shouted, leveling his gun at the Master. "You come on my ship and threaten my people-"
"Oh, I haven't even begun to threaten your people," the Master replied, rounding on him. "Do you know what I've done to people I have threatened? How many people I've killed?"
"Nee tzao ss-ma? Nee-yow wuh-kai chang?" Jayne roared, brandishing a large gun at them.
"Oh what, is the big stupid ape going to shoot me?" the Master demanded.
"In my book you don't insult the man holding the gun!" Donna hissed, pulling Jenny away from the melee.
"Mal, don't hurt him," Inara whispered desperately. "He's obviously distressed that the Alliance took his lover, he's not going to hurt us!"
Mal glared at her, incredulous "You want me to risk my crew because some shiong-mung duh kwong-run lost his-"
"Quiet!" River screamed and everyone froze. "The Doctor saved me, Mal. We both knew what was going to happen and he went in my place."
"Where is he?" the Master hissed.
River turned her sad eyes to him. "Verbena."
The Master turned away, swearing.
"What's Verbena?" Kaylee asked.
"A planet," River replied slowly. "A planet with an Alliance base."
"We can't just-" Mal began but River laid a hand on his arm.
"You would have," she said. "Eventually. To get me out. To stop the experiments."
"They'll interrogate him," Zoe said quietly. "To find out more about River."
"Not when they find what he is," River replied. "They'll tear him open, see how he works. They'll peel open his brain. And then they'll break him. The Universe cannot survive a broken Doctor. A broken Doctor will end everything."
There was silence in the hold as they all stared at her before Mal spoke. "What is he?"
The Master sniffed. "We are Time Lords."
"Time Lords?" Mal repeated, looking skeptical. "What the kind of gorram name is that?"
"They're not human," Donna finally said. "I mean, I am, but they're not."
"Not human?" Jayne repeated, growling. "I don't know what kind of ruttin' games you're playing but you need to cut it the hell out."
"We're not playing games!" Jenny cried. "We're-"
River didn't hear what she said next because a new thread hit her. The Doctor was right, time was in flux and her kidnapping wasn't a fixed point. It was, however, much better compared to the alternative. River screamed as the new future exploded into her head.
"River?" Simon was at her side in a moment and River realized she had collapsed. She tried to open her mouth, to tell them what she saw but only four words would come out.
She looked up at all of them, terrified. "The Darkness is coming."
Next Time: Broken Skin
Translations and notes:
Lao pung yo, nee can chi lai hun yo jing shen- You are looking wonderful, old friend
Wuh duh ma huh tah duh fong kwong duh wai shung- Holy mother of god and all her wacky nephews
Dong ma- understand?
shiao duh- heaven knows what
Go se- crap
Fei hua- Nonsense
Gorram- swear word for the Firefly verse. Sort of like shirt, damn, and the f bomb all rolled into one
fahng-tzong fung-kwong duh jeh- a knot of self indulgent lunacy
Runtse de shang dee, ching dai wuhtzo- Merciful God please take me away
Weoshang mayer, maysheen, byen shr to- I will close my ears and my heart and I will become stone
Duibuqi- I'm sorryEe chee shung hoo shee- Let's take a deep - Shut up Nee tzao ss-MA? Nee-yow wuh-kai chang?- You wanna bullet? You wanna bullet right through your throat?
Shiong-mung duh kwong-run- Violent lunatic
* Dyton is the name of the planet (or moon, it could be either in this Universe) where all people with British accents seem to come from. Seems like England wanted its own little homestead)