Carving Out a Future

By: Dreamfall

Summary: Her crew doesn't know that Serenity's new passenger, a carpenter with an 'unusual upbringing', is a relic from the past. And Xander's not looking for trouble. Then again, neither are they. Not usually, leastwise. It just tends to come calling anyway. Gen. Canon couples mentioned, but definitely not the focus of the story.

Written for: NaNoWriMo and TTH100: Xander/Firefly

TTH100 prompt: 022-Space

Rating: FR13/PG13/T

Disclaimer: I own neither Firefly nor BtVS.

Spoilers: Takes place post Season 7 for Buffy, and post-Objects in Space (and post the comic books, for that matter), but pre-Serenity for Firefly.

Author's Note: This is the story I started in November for NaNoWriMo. I'm thirty or so chapters into it, but since there's going to be at least one hundred chapters (since it's for tth100, too), they're mostly pretty short. If you're coming from this from my HP fanfics-- it's very different. Way less dark. It's also an incredibly fun story to write, and I do intend to continue with it to its conclusion. And no, it's not taking any real time away from Cat, now that I'm not working obsessively on it, like I was in November. I'll be posting every couple/few days at least till I'm caught up with my livejournal (username dreamfall(underscore)nnwm). Hope you enjoy!

Review Response: Responses to any reviews will be posted in the same livejournal as my other review responses-- username dreamfall(underscore)ff.

Chapter Ten
Of Secrets and Dinosaurs

Wash looked up curiously at the sound of the bridge door opening and gave a friendly smile as he saw their passenger.

The man offered a diffident smile and waved one hand slightly, not stepping over the threshold. "Is it okay if I come in?"

"Sure." Wash offered an inviting wave of his hand and a grin. "Not that anything real interesting's going on at the moment. Just moving in a straight line, here to there."

Xander smiled and shrugged. "It's all pretty interesting to me. I -- grew up planet-bound. I was never on a ship until a few weeks ago, and it still feels pretty amazing just to be able to look around and see ... that," he explained, nodding towards the viewport and the star-filled void beyond.

"Have a seat," Wash said, pointing out the more comfortable of the two benches at the back of the room. "I can't even imagine never having been in space till I was -- what are you? Twenty-five? Twenty-six?"

"Close," he said. "Twenty-eight, actually."

"How'd that come about? Seems like everyone goes on at least one trip off-planet at some point. 'Specially core-worlders, they always seem to be flitting around from one Alliance planet to another."

"Unusual upbringing," he offered with a shrug and another hesitant smile.

Wash cocked his head slightly to one side, catching wind of a mystery. "Now that's not the first time you've given that as an explanation, and I gotta tell you: each time you say it I get a bit more curious as to what exactly it means." He watched as Xander's eyes grew shuttered, his smile faded, and he turned slightly away, body language shutting Wash out. "Not that I need to know. Mystery's no fun when you've got all the answers."

A hint of a smile answered him. "I don't mean to be mysterious," Xander said.

"No, of course not. Folks who do never succeed half so well," Wash agreed. "Me, I wouldn't mind being a bit mysterious, but, alas, everything there is to me is written on the surface."

Xander laughed, shaking his head. "I really doubt that," he said. "If it was true, I doubt you'd be half the pilot Kaylee says you are, and I really doubt the first mate would find you as interesting as she clearly does."

Wash allowed a contented smile to warm his face, inwardly applauding his success in lessening his guest's tension. "Well, there might be a trick or two up my sleeve," he said. "But mostly you know me right off."

They continued talking about nothing very serious for long while, Wash increasingly intrigued by how little Xander seemed to know about all things space-related, but not letting on about it. He was, on the other hand, delighted to discover that the other man was not only aware of the one-time existence of dinosaurs, but recognized several of the different types he had as toys.

"I used to think the T-Rex was the scariest of them," Xander was saying, examining a plastic figurine of the giant predator, "but then I saw -- then I found out about Velociraptors and the T-Rex was left in the dust. I mean, those things are scary."

"If you were starting to say you saw Velociraptors, you and I need to have words, implicit promise of not questioning or no, because if there's dinosaurs out there--"

"No, no, nothing like that," he said with a laugh. "Saw a show about them once, is all."

"Oh yeah? What was it called? Maybe I caught it."

He offered a hint of a smile. "I doubt it. But it was called Jurassic Park."

Wash searched his mind, but finally shook his head. "Don't sound familiar. Did--"

He was interrupted by a call of "Husband," in a beautifully familiar voice.

Face lighting up, he turned to the door. "Wife!"

Zoë came in, smiling, and then paused as she caught sight of Xander. Her posture stiffened back to its usual military precision. "I didn't know you had company, Wash."

"Yup, I do. Xander came up a bit ago, and we've been talking dinosaurs. Sit with me," he added, reaching up to catch his wife's hand and pulling her to him, encouraging her to perch on his knees.

She shot him a reproving look, which Wash returned with an unrepentant grin, and remained standing, eyes returning searchingly to their guest. "I believe you were told the bridge is off limits to passengers without an escort," she stated.

"And what am I?" Wash demanded.

Xander blinked. "Actually, no, I wasn't. But I apologize, I probably should've guessed as much. It makes sense," he said, rising.

Zoë shot her husband a look, but focused her attention back on Xander almost immediately. "The captain didn't tell you the bridge, engine room, and cargo bay are off limits?"

He offered an uncertain shrug. "He didn't. But it's a common enough rule that I should've assumed it was true here, and I apologize for not doing so. I'll get out of your way -- sorry for intruding, Wash, but thanks for the conversation."

"But you weren't intruding!" Wash complained. He turned to his wife as Xander waved again and closed the door as he left. "He wasn't intruding!"

"Well, he didn't know any better," she allowed, finally dropping onto his knees and curling one arm about his shoulders as she leaned back into his chest. "I'm surprised Mal didn't say anything."

"But how come you kicked him out? He wasn't doing anything wrong."

"Passengers aren't allowed on the bridge without an escort."

"I was here. I don't count as an escort? I can escort!"

She grinned at him. "You can escort me back to our room..."

"I can? I can!" he agreed, standing up, still holding her, and dropping a kiss to her lips. "But I still don't see why--"

"I worry about you. And I don't trust him."

"What? Why not?"

"He's hiding something. And he was probably pumping you for information."

"About dinosaurs?" Wash asked doubtfully as he set his wife down on her feet and wrapped his arm around her, heading for the door.

"About Serenity. Our destination, cargo. I don't know. I just don't trust him."

"I love you more than life itself you know," he murmured into her hair.

"I know."

"Then you won't take it the wrong way when I say I think you're mad?"

She laughed at him, drew him to their ladder, and then headed down to wait for him to join her. "It just seems too convenient. Him rescuing Kaylee like that."

"You think he meant to get shot?" he asked doubtfully, climbing down the last step, and turning to wrap his arms around her again. "I love everything about you. Even your paranoia."

Laughing, she shrugged. "All part of the job. At least he won't be on board for long. Now I can think of better things for us to be talking about."

"Can you?" he murmured.

"I can," she assured him.

"Oh," he said thoughtfully. "Good."