Jade ([info]jadethe2nd) wrote in [info]ff_friday,
2003-09-07 00:22:00
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for the "childhood" challenge



Memories of Guns

"I can't wait to find out who she'll be. See her live, grow up. You think she'll be a pilot?"

"She may be."

Wash and Zoe sat on their bed, gazing at the baby girl Wash held cradled in his arms.

"Or she may be a doctor, or a mechanic, or something we don't have on this ship. But she'll be our daughter."

"What'll it be like, growing up here on Serenity? I mean, where I grew up was so far removed from this... I just can't imagine it."


The first time she remembers seeing someone shot is when she was four. She remembers blood on her daddy's shirt, and Kaylee crying. She remembers having her nose pressed up against the window to the infirmary, trying to see what Simon was doing to him. She remembers being tucked into bed that night, and hearing her momma cry when she was pretending to be asleep.

She remembers Momma holding Daddy's hand until he got better.


"You'll find out. It'll be hell, having her crawlin' 'round all over the place. But it'll be great, knowin' that there's not a single soul on Serenity who doesn't love her. She'll learn the things that're important, not the things some guy in a suit thinks she should learn. She'll see the galaxy, when most other kids can only dream about it."

"I could teach her to fly."

"Yeah. Everyone should be able to fly."


The first time she got shot she was eight. Running from someone, she can't remember who, she got hit in the leg. It hurt like hell, and they couldn't get back to Serenity right away. Jayne bandaged it, to make it not bleed so much. She remembers Momma telling her how brave she was. Daddy said how proud he was of her.

She still has the scar. She likes to show it off.


"But what about all the bad stuff?"

"You mean the guns an' the hidin' an' the runnin'?"

Wash nodded.


The first time she shot someone she was eleven. Momma was losing a fight with some man, so she snuck out from her hiding place and took the gun from a dead guy's hand. She hit the attacker in the side of his throat. She was upset because when she practised shooting with Mal she hit her mark better. Momma was upset for some other reason. But the next day Mal gave her her very first gun.

Sometimes she was allowed to go out on jobs after that. It felt good to know that people would trust her with their lives.


"We'll keep her safe."

"We won't be able to do that all the time."

"No. But we'll keep her happy."


Sometimes people ask her if it doesn't bother her to have memories full of guns. She remembers things that didn't involve guns. Sitting down at the table to meals filled with laughter. Kaylee teaching her to make stuffed animals. Daddy's joy the first time she landed Serenity all by herself. Helping the shepherd make pastry for pies. The birth of her baby brother. Beating Jayne at horseshoes. Waking up in the middle of the night from a nightmare and sitting in the common area with Momma, talking while everyone else slept. Playing dressup in Inara's clothes. Birthday parties; the chocolate her parents somehow managed to find for her every year. Sitting in front of Mal on a gallopping horse, shrieking with laughter. Listening to people's heartbeats with Simon's stethoscope. River telling her bedtime stories.

Hugs, kisses, family, love. A whole bunch of plastic dinosaurs.

The memories of guns don't matter.

She couldn't imagine a happier childhood.


Wash looked at his wife and daughter, both now sound asleep. He kissed them both on the forehead. Then he lay back, imagining the future.

He couldn't wait.



Sort-of sequels:
Everyone Has Nightmares
Flight Of Fancy
Dastardly Dinosaurs
Tags: 001 (childhood)

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  • 32 comments

[info]burntcopper

September 6 2003, 16:59:55 UTC 8 years ago

:looks impressed:

...Dayum, girl, that was *good*.

Anonymous

April 6 2006, 22:14:21 UTC 6 years ago

guns

brilliant,dam good, and of course shiny!

[info]sphinx81

September 6 2003, 20:56:14 UTC 8 years ago

*Sigh* That was wonderful. Now I totally would pay to see a series chronical the adventures of Zoë and Wash’s kid. And I’m glad to see everyone remains intact on board Serenity!

[info]jadethe2nd

September 7 2003, 00:55:46 UTC 8 years ago

Well, I couldn't really have her say she had a happy childhood if people kept dying all the time... Okay, I guess I could have made it work, but I didn't wanna :D 'Specially since my last ficlet involved someone dying.

Glad y'all liked it!

[info]peach1250

September 9 2003, 07:07:21 UTC 8 years ago

Very

well drawn picture of a child growing up on Serenity. And you packed so very much in to such a short space.

Excellent! Bravo!

[info]dumbphilomel

December 14 2003, 11:06:43 UTC 8 years ago

Hi,

I read this late, but just wanted to say ... that was lovely. Thanks.

[info]tptigger

December 27 2003, 12:19:53 UTC 8 years ago

*poking my head up late*

I'm all the way through the DVDs, so now I'm spoiler proof (I'm bad with show titles :).

Anyway, this was lovely. My favorite line, however was:
Playing dressup in Inara's clothes.
Because that's all I needed to *see* it-- complete with too much lipstick and the look on Wash's face.

Though I'd love to hear some of those bedtime stories of River's. (-8

Great story!

[info]kurukami

January 5 2005, 20:15:49 UTC 7 years ago

That was an incredibly shiny story. Bravo! Of course, now the muse is whispering in my ear as well, suggesting that I write bedtime stories as told by River... :)

[info]anastasiab

January 6 2004, 16:57:27 UTC 8 years ago

This was just utterly delightful. Probably the happiest,sweetest, best written Firefly fic I've ever read. Thank you so very much for sharing it.

[info]ebonbird

July 28 2004, 05:21:26 UTC 7 years ago

Hey, thanks for this.

Guns are important, but late nights talking with her mother? Wow.

[info]charnah

September 1 2004, 22:35:17 UTC 7 years ago

Really loved this one! So full of feeling and warmth! Oh how I really hope the series will go on:/

[info]erin_giles

April 10 2005, 19:12:15 UTC 7 years ago

Awwww bless! That was the damnest cutest thing I ever did read! All the good outweighing the bad... it's how life should be!

Keep up the good work!

[info]silverkit

July 27 2005, 23:47:54 UTC 6 years ago

This was one amazing story. Dark yet hope filled all at the same time.

[info]claramata

September 3 2005, 01:38:42 UTC 6 years ago

Oh my god, that was PERFECT! ^_^

[info]hermionesviolin

September 24 2005, 17:53:23 UTC 6 years ago

This is so perfect.

[info]frodolyn

October 2 2005, 22:25:15 UTC 6 years ago

that was beautiful *tears up* stupid wonderful big damn movie, i wish they had children.

[info]morbidmuse

October 5 2005, 05:38:00 UTC 6 years ago

Wow. That was just wonderful.

Anonymous

January 6 2006, 05:27:22 UTC 6 years ago

Wow

That was so beautifull! I think i'm going to cry, I've never seen a fic writen like that. Very nicely done!

[info]sagey1899

January 22 2006, 03:39:05 UTC 6 years ago

OMG I loooooove it! *glee*
Very nice! Can't wait to read the other three.
If only Wash could be around for it *le sigh, sob*

[info]narsilion

February 13 2006, 01:44:24 UTC 6 years ago

That was such a beautiful fic! [info]rivendellrose linked me to this wonderful story, I owe her a great big Thanks!

[info]jadethe2nd

February 13 2006, 19:37:04 UTC 6 years ago

Thank you, I'm glad you liked it. Out of all my Firefly fics, this seems to be the one people like the most :D

[info]4492

March 27 2006, 00:36:01 UTC 6 years ago

OMG. I wish I was past this stupid stage I always get for about a month when my fave characters are killed off, so that I can appreciate this fic in all its wonderfulness. Because it truly is. Wonderful, that is. I have a serious amount of love for this story, which is odd as I don't usually like Zoe/Wash kids stories, but this one is just so perfect!

Damn my angst

[info]best_pirate

April 13 2006, 23:23:14 UTC 6 years ago

I know this is real late, but I just read your story, and I literally got all choked up and started to cry. I swear, yours is the first fanfic anywhere on any fandom, that has made me do that.

[info]susan_dara

July 12 2006, 00:14:40 UTC 5 years ago

Beautiful and touching

I just wanted to write and let you know that this is one of the most beautiful and touching stories I have read in a long time. I wanted to compliment you on the pacing and tone. I'm glad that you didn't kill off any of the characters, but I"m also glad that you kept the tension between life and death in the fic, because that moment between loss and gain added a wonderful dimension to the series. How wonderful would it be to grow up with such a family... although I'm surprised that Mal taught her to shoot... I wonder how Jayne felt about that :)

Blessings
Susan

[info]desahra

September 19 2006, 23:37:56 UTC 5 years ago

Hey, I've got a lot of friends who'd appreciate this; mind if I link to it in my journal?

[info]jadethe2nd

September 20 2006, 14:13:24 UTC 5 years ago

I don't mind at all, go right ahead!

Glad you enjoyed it :)

[info]apocalypticbob

5 years ago

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Anonymous

September 19 2010, 21:48:58 UTC 1 year ago

Girl's name

I love how you have created a daughter for Zoe and Wash so much, I wanna go as her for All-Con! but I dont know her name. Can you help me out?

[info]jadethe2nd

September 20 2010, 11:28:44 UTC 1 year ago

Re: Girl's name

Hi there,

can't believe people are still reading these! I'm very flattered.

I never did think of a name for her. Pick your own :)

Jade

Anonymous

September 21 2010, 00:27:19 UTC 1 year ago

this is sab, too lazy to log in on my touch phone.

Omg Jade. Yeah, I just read this... how come I just read this?

And found it looking through the archives here. :) loved it!

[info]ktbean

October 27 2010, 04:05:18 UTC 1 year ago

I've just rec'd your lovely story over at the [info]crack_van.
Thanks for writing it!

Anonymous

November 20 2010, 23:05:22 UTC 1 year ago

Oh, so sweet... Why, BDM, why did you make this scenario impossible? In a Firefly comic "Float out" (post-Serenity) there's a glimpse of hope, though. <3
I love this!
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