Title: Something Taught Universally
author: Jmaria
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: Joss made em, I just play with them.
Summary: A stowaway finds herself in Serenity's cargo hold. Questioning and threatening ensue.

Something Taught Universally

"Are you telling me I'm in fricken' outer space? Because that is all kinds of crazy, and I'm really not - we're in space?" Dawn screamed, this close to hyperventilating.

"Crazy isn't relevant, less chance of drowning and you fear that above all else," River said in a manner that was supposed to be comforting.

"Dawn, you need to calm down or you're going to hurt yourself," Simon cautioned, prepping a smoother.

"Even if it - it's not possible to be in space unless you're an astronaut! Finding it a little hard to believe that - that guy Jayne got into the Space program!" Dawn yelled, tears starting to streak down her cheeks.

"Girl needs to know, Earth-that-was isn't there."

"Hold on for like one second? I - is this another dimension? Just - tell me this isn't happening!" Dawn screamed, glaring at the men and women who stood around her.

"Key opens all doors through time, space, and cross dimensions. Led you through time and space, forgot all about the dimensionality aspect," River murmured, taking the girl's hand in hers.

"More exiting new revelations keep happening to me with this stupid Key bullshit. Never - am I really in the future?" Dawn whimpered, the truth hitting her harder than she would have like.

"Oh, um, well, see that all depends on when you think you're from," Simon replied, methodically sanitizing a patch of skin in the crook of her elbow while her attention was diverted.

"Put it that way, and a girl could almost think you really believe her," Dawn snapped, yanking her arm away. "Quit trying to drug me!"

"Really you can relax, it's only a painkiller for your wounds - it's nothing more -"

"Simon's spinning lies, like back on Osiris. They're sedatives, meant to make you sleep," River cut him off, giving him a patented little sister look.

"Usually a guy treats me to dinner and a drink before he tries to slip me a Mickey, Doc," Dawn glared, folding in on herself.

"Very sorry to interuppt what seems like a 'lets pick on the good doc', cause I always do enjoy those, but answer his question," Mal said from the doorway.

"Why should I?"

"'Xactly two things are keepin' me from shoving you out the airlock and taking a deep breath. You should know that your appearance on my boat is, along with bein' alarmin' and mystifyin', warrants a full disclosure of who and what you are includes whatever time you think your from, less you wanta be riddled with holes."

Zoe gave her Captain an are-you-shitting-me look. Although he was a better man than he fessed up to being, she wasn't so sure he was planning on either shooting the girl or tossing her out the airlock. But there was a go-along-with-the-mean-old-man routine, and Zoe gave the girl the I'm-not-gonna-stop-him look.

"Captain Pain in the ass, I'm from the year 2005," Dawn snapped. "Do you want to tell me how far into the future I've landed, or do you just want to toss me out your precious airlock?"

"Everyone should just calm down," Book said peacefully, having read the looks between Zoe and Mal.

"Five hundred years, by rough calculation. Gonna tell me you slipped through a portal a blood to land on my gorram ship?"

"How am I supposed - you think this is a game, Captain? I would love to tell you I snuck on at Tatooine and that I am a Jedi master here to fight the Sith, but I'm just a - it's not easy for me to deal with this -" Dawn broke off, tears in her eyes.

"Just let me give you a sedative, Dawn," Simon begged, seeing the girl's pain reflected in his sister's eyes.

"Keep an eye on her, Shepherd," Mal whispered, he turned to Zoe as the girl answered the doctor.

"Like I could stop you," she murmured, falling deeper into herself.

"Meet me in the common area in five with 'em as soon as she's out, get the doc to bring that encyclopedia with him."

"Now how is that supposed to help?" Zoe asked.

"Obviously she's a'lyin' about being from 500 years in the past, so we're gonna think a somethin'."

"Possible you're gonna expand on that, sir?"

"Quiz her, and look 'er up in the history device people search all the newest models got on 'em."

"Really think that's gonna work, sir?"

Sure, he was all manner a grateful that Zoe was the one person who would have his back no matter what, but right now she was workin his last nerve.

"There's a girl sittin' in my infirmary who thinks she travelled through time an' space on account a her blood. Until now, I thought I'd heard and seen every damn excuse in the 'verse that a hitchhiker can make up. Vast amounts a go-se is what I read in the girl's story, that is a'course before I looked into them doe eyes and felt like the biggest hundan this side a the world."

"What do you think's real, Mal?"

"'Xactly what she said, but my mind says it can't be real, cause magic an' such ain't real. You think ya heard everything, and then some little slip of a fragile piece of existence comes and knocks you on your ass."

Zoe only nodded in agreement.