Categories > TV > Buffy the Vampire Slayer > Life Just Ani't Fair
Life Just Ain't Fair-ch.7
"You ain't takin' River nowhere." Mal stated. Xander made a dismissing noise, and gave him the 'are you stupid' look.
"Of course not. That damned Academy, never should have gotten a hold of her. After the school tests she should have been sent to the Anya Jenkins School for Gifted Children. The Academy only destroys girls like her."
Even Mal had heard of the Anya Jenkins School for Gifted Children. It was reputed to have started on Earth-That-Was. The only other intuition with the same longevity was the Companion Guild.
"What's your connection to the school?" Mal asked out of curiosity.
"I was a teacher there." Xander said as he got up from one of the pilot chairs and leaving Mal, as River silently followed, alone. Mal sighed and sat back in his chair. Looking up at the ceiling. That boy was a puzzle wrapped around an enigma. Pulled out of a stasis unit by a crazy girl who found the boy festinating, on the run from a couple of women the boy seemed not scared of but wary of. Xander Harris was going to bring nothing but trouble to Serenity decided Mal.
*****
Two days later, Mal walked into the galley to find his crew and Xander gathered around the table laughing. Mal smiled it had been along time since he heard his crew laugh like this, especially Zoë who you could barely pull a smile from since Wash died.
Xander was sitting in a corner, fiddling with a guitar, strumming the string and playing random notes. He had found some of his clothes and things stored in compartments in the stasis unit. River sat next to him petting his long mid-back length hair. Xander had, had a verbal fight when Mal suggested he cut it, Xander won. Mal sometimes wondered what Simon thought of Xander's relationship with River, he seemed to understand her even when she was having one of her bad days, where she didn't recognize anyone and thought she was still at the Academy. When asked how he could Xander just smiled and said you just had to listen then it would all make sense. Jayne had said sense Xander was just as crazy as River of course he understood her.
"Heroes." River said softly. Xander frowned as he shook his head.
"The heroes have all died."
River frowned at him.
"They weren't chosen...but they choose," she said as Xander continued to frown, " maybe volunteer is better."
"Browncoats." Xander muttered. The conversations of the others stopped.
"You have something against them." Mal growled out. Xander's eyes widen.
"No! You have to admire those people for what they tried to do. Serenity Valley was a dust up from start to finish. You can only admire their bravery, they tried to stop an evil while the rest of the 'Verse hide their heads in the sand." He said softly. Mal calmed down at the sincerity in his voice.
"You talk like you were there."said Zoë.
"I was," he said getting up, holding onto the guitar with a death grip.
"I fought for the Alliance." Was what he told them before leaving them shocked. River sits for a moment then looks at the others as if they were morons before she followed after Xander.
Kaylee didn't want to believe that Xander was an Alliance supporter, he just didn't seem the type to her. Jayne was making noises about throwing Xander off the ship, but then it wasn't a secret that Jayne didn't like Xander much. After all Xander did try to shoot him.
Simon was muttering about the Alliance finding them. Strangely neither Zoë nor the captain said anything. Until Mal slammed his hand down on the counter he was standing next to he glared at the others.
"That's enough of that kind of talk."
"But Captain..." Simon started.
"No! We all have seen he wouldn't do anything to hurt River, Simon you know that. This is just your worry doin' the talkin'. There is no one aboard this ship last hasn't lost something, or is not hiding something. It's what we're here to do. To forget, to hide, to survive, Xander's no different." Mal told them.
"He supported the Alliance, Mal!" said Jayne.
"That's not what he said." Zoë said with a shake of her head. Mal nodded in agreement.
"He said he fought for the Alliance, not that he supported them. Everyone knows the Alliance drafted people into there army." Mal told them harshly.
"We have no right to judge him. Not with our own sins." Said Zoë softly. To that the others could say nothing, as their captain and his first mate walked out of the galley in search of Xander.
***
Mal and Zoë found Xander and River in the cargo bay. He was sitting on a crate River sat on the floor in front of him as he strummed a tune on the guitar.
"Sing it." She demanded. Xander smiled and began to sing in a husky voice.
[Take my love, take my land
Take me where I can not stand.]
River sighed and closed her eyes.
[I don't care, I'm still free...
You can't take the sky from me...]
Mal and Zoë had come down to the cargo bay when they heard the guitar playing; they stood at the foot of the stairs.
[Take me out into the black
Tell then I ain't comin' back.]
Kaylee walked on the catwalk with Simon, they went halfway down the stairs when Kaylee entranced by Xander's singing sat down, Simon sat a few steps above her an hand rested on her shoulder.
[Burn the land and boil the sea..]
Jayne leaned on the railing of the catwalk.
[You can't take the sky from me...]
Most of the crew of Serenity had heard this song before but never really understood what it was about...slowly they were learning everyday just what it was about.
[There's no place I can be...
Since I found Serenity.]
Xander grinned slightly at that line.
River opened her eyes. The poor Knight so much pain, so much sadness. A soul so bright should shine in the heavens...not be so hurt.
"But you can't take the sky from me..."sang River as she smiled.
"You ain't takin' River nowhere." Mal stated. Xander made a dismissing noise, and gave him the 'are you stupid' look.
"Of course not. That damned Academy, never should have gotten a hold of her. After the school tests she should have been sent to the Anya Jenkins School for Gifted Children. The Academy only destroys girls like her."
Even Mal had heard of the Anya Jenkins School for Gifted Children. It was reputed to have started on Earth-That-Was. The only other intuition with the same longevity was the Companion Guild.
"What's your connection to the school?" Mal asked out of curiosity.
"I was a teacher there." Xander said as he got up from one of the pilot chairs and leaving Mal, as River silently followed, alone. Mal sighed and sat back in his chair. Looking up at the ceiling. That boy was a puzzle wrapped around an enigma. Pulled out of a stasis unit by a crazy girl who found the boy festinating, on the run from a couple of women the boy seemed not scared of but wary of. Xander Harris was going to bring nothing but trouble to Serenity decided Mal.
*****
Two days later, Mal walked into the galley to find his crew and Xander gathered around the table laughing. Mal smiled it had been along time since he heard his crew laugh like this, especially Zoë who you could barely pull a smile from since Wash died.
Xander was sitting in a corner, fiddling with a guitar, strumming the string and playing random notes. He had found some of his clothes and things stored in compartments in the stasis unit. River sat next to him petting his long mid-back length hair. Xander had, had a verbal fight when Mal suggested he cut it, Xander won. Mal sometimes wondered what Simon thought of Xander's relationship with River, he seemed to understand her even when she was having one of her bad days, where she didn't recognize anyone and thought she was still at the Academy. When asked how he could Xander just smiled and said you just had to listen then it would all make sense. Jayne had said sense Xander was just as crazy as River of course he understood her.
"Heroes." River said softly. Xander frowned as he shook his head.
"The heroes have all died."
River frowned at him.
"They weren't chosen...but they choose," she said as Xander continued to frown, " maybe volunteer is better."
"Browncoats." Xander muttered. The conversations of the others stopped.
"You have something against them." Mal growled out. Xander's eyes widen.
"No! You have to admire those people for what they tried to do. Serenity Valley was a dust up from start to finish. You can only admire their bravery, they tried to stop an evil while the rest of the 'Verse hide their heads in the sand." He said softly. Mal calmed down at the sincerity in his voice.
"You talk like you were there."said Zoë.
"I was," he said getting up, holding onto the guitar with a death grip.
"I fought for the Alliance." Was what he told them before leaving them shocked. River sits for a moment then looks at the others as if they were morons before she followed after Xander.
Kaylee didn't want to believe that Xander was an Alliance supporter, he just didn't seem the type to her. Jayne was making noises about throwing Xander off the ship, but then it wasn't a secret that Jayne didn't like Xander much. After all Xander did try to shoot him.
Simon was muttering about the Alliance finding them. Strangely neither Zoë nor the captain said anything. Until Mal slammed his hand down on the counter he was standing next to he glared at the others.
"That's enough of that kind of talk."
"But Captain..." Simon started.
"No! We all have seen he wouldn't do anything to hurt River, Simon you know that. This is just your worry doin' the talkin'. There is no one aboard this ship last hasn't lost something, or is not hiding something. It's what we're here to do. To forget, to hide, to survive, Xander's no different." Mal told them.
"He supported the Alliance, Mal!" said Jayne.
"That's not what he said." Zoë said with a shake of her head. Mal nodded in agreement.
"He said he fought for the Alliance, not that he supported them. Everyone knows the Alliance drafted people into there army." Mal told them harshly.
"We have no right to judge him. Not with our own sins." Said Zoë softly. To that the others could say nothing, as their captain and his first mate walked out of the galley in search of Xander.
***
Mal and Zoë found Xander and River in the cargo bay. He was sitting on a crate River sat on the floor in front of him as he strummed a tune on the guitar.
"Sing it." She demanded. Xander smiled and began to sing in a husky voice.
[Take my love, take my land
Take me where I can not stand.]
River sighed and closed her eyes.
[I don't care, I'm still free...
You can't take the sky from me...]
Mal and Zoë had come down to the cargo bay when they heard the guitar playing; they stood at the foot of the stairs.
[Take me out into the black
Tell then I ain't comin' back.]
Kaylee walked on the catwalk with Simon, they went halfway down the stairs when Kaylee entranced by Xander's singing sat down, Simon sat a few steps above her an hand rested on her shoulder.
[Burn the land and boil the sea..]
Jayne leaned on the railing of the catwalk.
[You can't take the sky from me...]
Most of the crew of Serenity had heard this song before but never really understood what it was about...slowly they were learning everyday just what it was about.
[There's no place I can be...
Since I found Serenity.]
Xander grinned slightly at that line.
River opened her eyes. The poor Knight so much pain, so much sadness. A soul so bright should shine in the heavens...not be so hurt.
"But you can't take the sky from me..."sang River as she smiled.
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