solarbaby614 (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
solarbaby614) wrote2008-12-24 06:04 pm
solarbaby614) wrote2008-12-24 06:04 pm
Beyond Wonderland: Chapter 3
Title: Beyond Wonderland
Author: Solarbaby
Rating: T
Disclaimer: All I own is the plot.
Words: 1680
Summary: The past has a way of returning. Rasey.
Spoilers: Series finale for Jungle Fury and (set after) Serenity for Firefly.
Note: This update is a Christmas present for Violetlightening (UrbanPhoenix). Writing this has also confirmed the nagging suspicions that I had about the fact that I do in fact write better at one in the morning that at one in the afternoon. Go figure.
oOoOoOoOoOoOo
Chapter 3: Scary Monsters
Taking a deep breath, Casey got up from his seat. “Hello, RJ.” It took effort not to squirm under his eyes. From the corner of his eye, he saw River and Simon quietly slip out of their seats and disappear out the door.
“Casey,” RJ repeated. His mouth kept opening and shutting, as if he wanted to say something but wasn’t sure how. He just stared. Casey was certainly looking different from the last time he had seen the tiger. His clothes were more ragged and his hair was messy. But Casey seemed so much more comfortable than he had when he saw him at that party.
Before the wolf even blinked he found the tiger beside him. He blinked in surprise, taking in the dark expression on his mate’s face. A hand grabbed his coat and he found himself being tugged out of the dining area.
Casey pushed RJ out into the corridor, glancing back at the stunned expressions momentarily. “Don’t let Jayne eat my food.” A ‘hey!’ followed them as Casey drug the wolf down to the cargo bay. He released his hold on the man and stomped a few feet away.
“Casey?” RJ stepped forward, closing in on his tiger. “What--.”
“What the hell are you doing here, RJ?” The tiger master cut him off.
RJ just looked even more confused. “What are you--. I’ve been looking for you.” Casey shifted away from him again, apparently intent of keep a certain amount of distance between the two. He didn’t like it but stopped his advances. The last thing he wanted was for Casey to run again. “I’ve been looking for you for months.” He got a scoff in reply. “I knew Inara lived on this ship and you were her escort. I thought she might know where you were.”
“Well,” Casey replied as he threw up his hands. “You found me. Now what?”
“I just--.” RJ didn’t quite know what to say to that. He really hadn’t thought farther than finding Casey. “Why did you leave?”
“Which time? ‘Cause my reasoning for the first time was kinda obvious.”
“Casey, you don’t know how sorry I am about that. How sorry we all are. We didn’t know. We thought--.” He was cut off by an annoyed sound from his mate.
Casey waved him off. “That doesn’t matter. It’s in the past.” He almost flinched at the hopeful look on the wolf’s face. “As for the last time, I had to leave and you were sleep. I didn’t want to wake you. It was easier this way.”
RJ move toward his mate, freezing when the tiger looking one step away from bolting.
“I can’t do this. Not again.” He backed off, flinching away. A hand brushed his shirt as it tried to grab it. “I’m sorry, RJ. I just can’t.”
Casey turned and bolted up the stairs, pushing past a startled Jayne. He ignored the wolf’s yell for him to stop.
“Does this mean I can have your food?” Jayne called after him.
oOoOoOoOoOo
Rolling over in bed, Casey beat at the pillow. He kicked at the sheets and stared at the ceiling. It was a surprise that none of the others had come to ask about the scene in the kitchen. He guessed it was possible that they sensed his need for privacy and actually decided to honor it for once.
RJ.
RJ was on Serenity.
A laugh escaped him at the seemingly impossible scenario. But as impossible as it seemed it was also completely true. Serenity had pretty much been his safe heaven since he arrived. The first time he had felt truly at home since he lived on the ranch.
And now his past had invaded his present. Casey wasn’t sure what to do next. He had honestly never expected RJ to be looking for him and especially not to be found. The universe was a big place and it was easy to get yourself lost out on the rim.
Sighing, he rolled over on the bed and allowed sleep to claim him.
oOoOoOoOoOo
Heat.
Indescribable heat was the first thing the noticed when he was dragged back to consciousness. Gasping, he struggled to drag air back into his lungs. Fire licked his skin, making it itch. Casey whimpered and whined, tossing on the bed. Something latched on to his wrists, pinning his arms and effectively stopping his movements.
“Calm down, Casey. You’ll be fine.”
“Give him this.”
“You need to drink this.”
He clinched his jaw tight; not wanting the nasty liquid forced passed his lips. A hand grabbed his chin and forced it open. Casey gagged and choked as it was poured down his throat.
No. Not again.
Pain shot through his limbs, paralyzing him. The heat tripled in intensity scorching him from the inside out. He felt his animal spirit echo his pain and weaken. The tiger inside of him was being forced away, pulled from his body.
Casey growled as his eyes shot open and flashed animal. His animal spirit dug in its heels and he latched onto it, refuse to let it be taken. The dark haired man above him stumbled back from him, his hand releasing its grasp on the tiger’s chest.
“What is it, Nate?”
He fell limp on the bed as he watched the wolf step up beside the man, sending Casey a worried look. A different kind of pain flittered through the tiger. Not physical this time but emotional. Betrayal filled him causing him to let out a cry. His eyes fluttered closed as the man, Nate, talked.
“His animal spirit is strong. It refuses to let go.”
“Are you sure about this? I mean, the tiger’s never given any indication of being feral. And it’s taking so long to pull it…”
“RJ, this is what I do. If you want to save your… mate then we have to get rid of it.”
A hand grabbed his chest again and indescribable pain shot through him. Another cry escaped him. It felt like he was literally being ripped in two. But he just tightened his hold on to his animal.
They weren’t going to take his tiger spirit. Not without killing him first.
“River?! River?!”
River shot up in bed, clutching her chest. Tears poured down her cheeks as she cried. She shivered and shook. Hands wrapped around her arms, holding her. She didn’t even have to look up to find her brother sitting across from her. “Simon,” River cried as threw her arms around the man.
“River, what is it? What’s wrong?” he asked her.
She pulled from his grasp and got up. “Casey. It’s Casey. Bad dreams, scary monsters. Wake up, Casey. Please…” River didn’t even bother to put on shoes as she left the bunk, Simon on her heels.
Mal met her in the hallway, looking more annoyed than worried. He was followed by Zoe and Jayne. “What the gor’ram is going on?! Screaming like a banshee? She having another fit, Doc, cause I thought those were long gone.”
“She is. It’s not a fit,” Simon reassured them.
“Then what--,” Mal cut off as he looked over the siblings. “Senator,” he greeted. “What are you doing up?”
“Chancellor,” RJ corrected. “It was all the screaming. I was wondering if there’s anything I can do to help.”
Shaking his head, Mal started to herd the man back to the guest bunks. “We’ve got everything handled here. Don’t you worry.”
“It’s Casey.”
That named stopped both of them in their tracks. RJ turned to find the dark girl staring at them. “River,” He whispered. Turning to the man next to her, RJ examined what he could see of him. Even without the similarities to the girl, he would have noticed the man anywhere. “Simon.”
“What about Casey?” Mal ignored the Chancellor.
She wrapped her arms around herself. “He’s having The Nightmare again.”
“Ai-yah tyen-ah.” The captain hissed as he turned and headed back down the hallway, towards the pilots bunk. “I knew letting him sound proof the bunk was a bad idea.” He by-passed the locks on the door and pushed it open.
Pain filled screams echoed down the hall, making RJ freeze. They sounded horrifyingly familiar, having been a part of his nightmares for the longest time. He watched as the Captain of the ship stepped down into the tiger’s bunk, followed closely by River. The other three hovered at the entrance, uncertainly.
Mal was the first to reach Casey on the bed. He grabbed the man by the shoulders and shook him. Howling filled the room as River moved beside him. She grabbed the tiger’s arm and closed her eyes. Suddenly, Casey’s eyes shot open and the room went silent. All that could be heard was Casey’s gasping breath.
He blinked up at the two, uncomprehendingly. Slowly, realization filled his eyes.
Mal frowned at River. “What did you do to him?”
She reached up and ran a hand through the pilot’s hair. “Pulled him back to reality. Tiger spirit called to tiger spirit.” River tilted her head as she looked at Mal thoughtfully. “Not sure what I was supposed to do so I went with instinct. I’m still a cub.”
“Cub,” Casey breathed. He gave the two a weak grin. “Did I wake you?”
A harsh laugh fell from Mal’s lips. “Just a little.”
“Sorry.” He reached up to run a shaking hand through his hair and turned to River. “This is why I don’t sleep.” An empty laugh escaped him. “I should have known better than to sleep so soon. And you wonder why I used to drink myself unconscious.”
Worry crossed Mal’s face. “You gonna be okay?”
“Talk to Simon,” River said before Casey could even mutter a word. “He’ll find something to help you sleep. No more monsters.”
Casey’s grin turned a little more real. “Didn’t your mother ever tell you that monsters aren’t real?”
“Didn’t your mother ever tell you not to play with wolves?” River returned.
A real laugh came from the tiger this time.
Author: Solarbaby
Rating: T
Disclaimer: All I own is the plot.
Words: 1680
Summary: The past has a way of returning. Rasey.
Spoilers: Series finale for Jungle Fury and (set after) Serenity for Firefly.
Note: This update is a Christmas present for Violetlightening (UrbanPhoenix). Writing this has also confirmed the nagging suspicions that I had about the fact that I do in fact write better at one in the morning that at one in the afternoon. Go figure.
oOoOoOoOoOoOo
Chapter 3: Scary Monsters
Taking a deep breath, Casey got up from his seat. “Hello, RJ.” It took effort not to squirm under his eyes. From the corner of his eye, he saw River and Simon quietly slip out of their seats and disappear out the door.
“Casey,” RJ repeated. His mouth kept opening and shutting, as if he wanted to say something but wasn’t sure how. He just stared. Casey was certainly looking different from the last time he had seen the tiger. His clothes were more ragged and his hair was messy. But Casey seemed so much more comfortable than he had when he saw him at that party.
Before the wolf even blinked he found the tiger beside him. He blinked in surprise, taking in the dark expression on his mate’s face. A hand grabbed his coat and he found himself being tugged out of the dining area.
Casey pushed RJ out into the corridor, glancing back at the stunned expressions momentarily. “Don’t let Jayne eat my food.” A ‘hey!’ followed them as Casey drug the wolf down to the cargo bay. He released his hold on the man and stomped a few feet away.
“Casey?” RJ stepped forward, closing in on his tiger. “What--.”
“What the hell are you doing here, RJ?” The tiger master cut him off.
RJ just looked even more confused. “What are you--. I’ve been looking for you.” Casey shifted away from him again, apparently intent of keep a certain amount of distance between the two. He didn’t like it but stopped his advances. The last thing he wanted was for Casey to run again. “I’ve been looking for you for months.” He got a scoff in reply. “I knew Inara lived on this ship and you were her escort. I thought she might know where you were.”
“Well,” Casey replied as he threw up his hands. “You found me. Now what?”
“I just--.” RJ didn’t quite know what to say to that. He really hadn’t thought farther than finding Casey. “Why did you leave?”
“Which time? ‘Cause my reasoning for the first time was kinda obvious.”
“Casey, you don’t know how sorry I am about that. How sorry we all are. We didn’t know. We thought--.” He was cut off by an annoyed sound from his mate.
Casey waved him off. “That doesn’t matter. It’s in the past.” He almost flinched at the hopeful look on the wolf’s face. “As for the last time, I had to leave and you were sleep. I didn’t want to wake you. It was easier this way.”
RJ move toward his mate, freezing when the tiger looking one step away from bolting.
“I can’t do this. Not again.” He backed off, flinching away. A hand brushed his shirt as it tried to grab it. “I’m sorry, RJ. I just can’t.”
Casey turned and bolted up the stairs, pushing past a startled Jayne. He ignored the wolf’s yell for him to stop.
“Does this mean I can have your food?” Jayne called after him.
oOoOoOoOoOo
Rolling over in bed, Casey beat at the pillow. He kicked at the sheets and stared at the ceiling. It was a surprise that none of the others had come to ask about the scene in the kitchen. He guessed it was possible that they sensed his need for privacy and actually decided to honor it for once.
RJ.
RJ was on Serenity.
A laugh escaped him at the seemingly impossible scenario. But as impossible as it seemed it was also completely true. Serenity had pretty much been his safe heaven since he arrived. The first time he had felt truly at home since he lived on the ranch.
And now his past had invaded his present. Casey wasn’t sure what to do next. He had honestly never expected RJ to be looking for him and especially not to be found. The universe was a big place and it was easy to get yourself lost out on the rim.
Sighing, he rolled over on the bed and allowed sleep to claim him.
oOoOoOoOoOo
Heat.
Indescribable heat was the first thing the noticed when he was dragged back to consciousness. Gasping, he struggled to drag air back into his lungs. Fire licked his skin, making it itch. Casey whimpered and whined, tossing on the bed. Something latched on to his wrists, pinning his arms and effectively stopping his movements.
“Calm down, Casey. You’ll be fine.”
“Give him this.”
“You need to drink this.”
He clinched his jaw tight; not wanting the nasty liquid forced passed his lips. A hand grabbed his chin and forced it open. Casey gagged and choked as it was poured down his throat.
No. Not again.
Pain shot through his limbs, paralyzing him. The heat tripled in intensity scorching him from the inside out. He felt his animal spirit echo his pain and weaken. The tiger inside of him was being forced away, pulled from his body.
Casey growled as his eyes shot open and flashed animal. His animal spirit dug in its heels and he latched onto it, refuse to let it be taken. The dark haired man above him stumbled back from him, his hand releasing its grasp on the tiger’s chest.
“What is it, Nate?”
He fell limp on the bed as he watched the wolf step up beside the man, sending Casey a worried look. A different kind of pain flittered through the tiger. Not physical this time but emotional. Betrayal filled him causing him to let out a cry. His eyes fluttered closed as the man, Nate, talked.
“His animal spirit is strong. It refuses to let go.”
“Are you sure about this? I mean, the tiger’s never given any indication of being feral. And it’s taking so long to pull it…”
“RJ, this is what I do. If you want to save your… mate then we have to get rid of it.”
A hand grabbed his chest again and indescribable pain shot through him. Another cry escaped him. It felt like he was literally being ripped in two. But he just tightened his hold on to his animal.
They weren’t going to take his tiger spirit. Not without killing him first.
“River?! River?!”
River shot up in bed, clutching her chest. Tears poured down her cheeks as she cried. She shivered and shook. Hands wrapped around her arms, holding her. She didn’t even have to look up to find her brother sitting across from her. “Simon,” River cried as threw her arms around the man.
“River, what is it? What’s wrong?” he asked her.
She pulled from his grasp and got up. “Casey. It’s Casey. Bad dreams, scary monsters. Wake up, Casey. Please…” River didn’t even bother to put on shoes as she left the bunk, Simon on her heels.
Mal met her in the hallway, looking more annoyed than worried. He was followed by Zoe and Jayne. “What the gor’ram is going on?! Screaming like a banshee? She having another fit, Doc, cause I thought those were long gone.”
“She is. It’s not a fit,” Simon reassured them.
“Then what--,” Mal cut off as he looked over the siblings. “Senator,” he greeted. “What are you doing up?”
“Chancellor,” RJ corrected. “It was all the screaming. I was wondering if there’s anything I can do to help.”
Shaking his head, Mal started to herd the man back to the guest bunks. “We’ve got everything handled here. Don’t you worry.”
“It’s Casey.”
That named stopped both of them in their tracks. RJ turned to find the dark girl staring at them. “River,” He whispered. Turning to the man next to her, RJ examined what he could see of him. Even without the similarities to the girl, he would have noticed the man anywhere. “Simon.”
“What about Casey?” Mal ignored the Chancellor.
She wrapped her arms around herself. “He’s having The Nightmare again.”
“Ai-yah tyen-ah.” The captain hissed as he turned and headed back down the hallway, towards the pilots bunk. “I knew letting him sound proof the bunk was a bad idea.” He by-passed the locks on the door and pushed it open.
Pain filled screams echoed down the hall, making RJ freeze. They sounded horrifyingly familiar, having been a part of his nightmares for the longest time. He watched as the Captain of the ship stepped down into the tiger’s bunk, followed closely by River. The other three hovered at the entrance, uncertainly.
Mal was the first to reach Casey on the bed. He grabbed the man by the shoulders and shook him. Howling filled the room as River moved beside him. She grabbed the tiger’s arm and closed her eyes. Suddenly, Casey’s eyes shot open and the room went silent. All that could be heard was Casey’s gasping breath.
He blinked up at the two, uncomprehendingly. Slowly, realization filled his eyes.
Mal frowned at River. “What did you do to him?”
She reached up and ran a hand through the pilot’s hair. “Pulled him back to reality. Tiger spirit called to tiger spirit.” River tilted her head as she looked at Mal thoughtfully. “Not sure what I was supposed to do so I went with instinct. I’m still a cub.”
“Cub,” Casey breathed. He gave the two a weak grin. “Did I wake you?”
A harsh laugh fell from Mal’s lips. “Just a little.”
“Sorry.” He reached up to run a shaking hand through his hair and turned to River. “This is why I don’t sleep.” An empty laugh escaped him. “I should have known better than to sleep so soon. And you wonder why I used to drink myself unconscious.”
Worry crossed Mal’s face. “You gonna be okay?”
“Talk to Simon,” River said before Casey could even mutter a word. “He’ll find something to help you sleep. No more monsters.”
Casey’s grin turned a little more real. “Didn’t your mother ever tell you that monsters aren’t real?”
“Didn’t your mother ever tell you not to play with wolves?” River returned.
A real laugh came from the tiger this time.
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Who's Nate? What the hell was RJ doing trying to take the tiger from Casey? Tell me!
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