Firefly/Doctor Who crossover fic: A Different Kind of Companion (20/20)

[locker_monster]

Title: A Different Kind of Companion (20/20)
Rating: PG-13
Characters/Pairings: Ten, Rose, Ten/Rose, Mal, Inara, Mal/Inara
Timeline: Timeline change for this chapter. Post "Serenity" the movie for Firefly and immediately after "The Runaway Bride" for Doctor Who
Summary: After an encounter in the 26th century, Inara and Rose find themselves in unfamiliar settings.
Disclaimer: Firefly and Doctor Who belong to their respective creators and showrunners. Too much awesome would happen if Joss Whedon and Russell T Davies ever worked on something together.
A/N: The biggest thank you goes out to browncoat_2x2 for betaing this story and helping with the minor changes. The last chapter. Thanks to everyone who's been reading. It's been fun.

Chapter One. Chapter Two. Chapter Three. Chapter Four. Chapter Five. Chapter Six. Chapter Seven. Chapter Eight. Chapter Nine. Chapter Ten. Chapter Eleven. Chapter Twelve. Chapter Thirteen. Chapter Fourteen. Chapter Fifteen. Chapter Sixteen. Chapter Seventeen. Chapter Eighteen. Chapter Nineteen.

I just don’t want to draw this out.

                                    …So make up your mind.

 

                                                            Once the breach collapses, that’s it. You will never be able to see her again. Your own mother!

                                    I made my choice a long time ago, and I’m never gonna leave you.

 

            You ready to get off this heap and back to a civilized life?

                        I, uh… I don’t know.

                        Good answer.

 

                                                                                    Am I ever gonna see you again?

                                                                        You can’t.

* * *

            Crowds of people swelled around them. Inara had never seen the market on Persephone so busy before. People were everywhere, buying wares and clothes and mobile merchants with their carts had set up anywhere they could find a free space. It seemed like everyone on Persephone had descended on this one city, which was likely true considering today was its founding day celebration. She stuck close to Mal, making sure she didn’t lose him amongst the people.

            Of course, it was for just that reason that Mal had decided to come to Persephone. Badger had offered him a job and Mal had eagerly accepted. After all the changes that had happened over the past few months, the crew was ready to get back into doing some crime. Inara couldn’t count herself amongst those who shared that belief, but she could admit she was glad to be back on Serenity.

            “This is it.” Mal pulled Inara aside. They had stopped across the street from a tall building with windows that reflected the bright afternoon sun. Inara could just make out Jayne and Zoe in the glare.

            “You’ll have to walk the rest of the way back to Serenity on your own,” said Mal. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a fake I.D. Badger had provided. “If we weren’t on a job, I would escort you all polite like.”

            “Why, I’m flattered Mal,” replied Inara, a smile on her lips. “But I do have to say today hasn’t been all bad.”

            Mal clipped the I.D. to the lapel of his coat. “Yeah, well, might as well make use of the time we’re here.”

            “I’m sure Kaylee, River, and Simon are having a wonderful time.”

            “Just wait until they return all heartbroken because Simon couldn’t win them a prize over at the games stand.” Mal grinned at Inara.

            From across the street, Zoe gave the signal. Jayne entered the building first. “I’ll leave you to your crime,” said Inara.

            “See you back on the ship.”

            The crowd melded around Mal as Inara walked away. When she glanced over her shoulder, she couldn’t make him out anymore. It was perfect cover if for some reason Mal’s plan went awry and they had to make a quick escape.

            The intensity of the crowd began to fade out as she neared the docks. People chattered excitedly as Inara passed by them. The excitement of founding day celebrations were second only to Unification Day celebrations, though she couldn’t imagine how that would play out this year, not after the wave about Miranda.

            An old Sihnon folk tune drifted down the street, making Inara smile. She hadn’t heard that one in years…

Then, she heard another familiar sound, just underneath the music. Stopping in the middle of the street, she listened. At first she thought it might have been her imagination but the sound was unmistakable. There was nothing else like it in the universe.

            Inara ran, following the sound to an alleyway. She arrived just in time to see the TARDIS finish materializing.

            The doors opened and a face she hadn’t seen for months appeared. “Fancy a trip in the TARDIS?” asked the Doctor.

            Inara’s smile widened. She hurried her pace, crossing the last few steps to enter the time machine. “You just happened to be in the solar system?” she asked the Doctor as he closed the doors.

            “2518. Very good year. But I know one better.”

 

            When Inara stepped out the TARDIS she found herself standing on the roof of a building, in the midst of a sprawling city and for one moment she thought the Doctor had brought her to one of the larger cities in the Core. But then she noticed the lack of air traffic and massive electronic billboards.

            “Where–” She quickly corrected herself. “When are we?”

            The Doctor stepped up beside her. “London. 2007. Earth.” He turned to Inara with a grin. “Welcome home.”

            “This is beautiful.”

            “You could say this year was the turning point for the human race. The existence of aliens broadcast to the entire world. A lesser species might have gone mad, but, no, not humans. You wanted to see more. Paved the way for your solar system.”

            “Wait. Aliens. They don’t exist.” Inara said her words with certainty.

            “Well, not in your corner of the galaxy but they’re out there. And a lot of things can be forgotten over five hundred years. Eventually the purists will make it back to Earth and re-establish it as home. They’ll set up shipping lanes between here and your solar system. You’ll even meet the descendents of the humans who got lost during the exodus. Whole new human colonies will spread out into the rest of the universe and you’ll finally remember you aren’t alone.”

            She moved closer to the safety railing running along the edge of the roof. A river ran straight through the city, sunlight sparkling off the surface of the water.

            Inara glanced back at the Doctor. He stood casually, hands in his pockets, watching her reactions. His usual smile was on his face but it didn’t quite reach his eyes. She turned her attention away from the city. “Where’s Rose?”

            The Doctor didn’t look away. “She left,” he said bluntly.

Inara walked back to the Doctor. His expression was blank. “She didn’t just leave, did she? I remember what she told you.”

            “Nothing lasts forever.”

            “But you wanted this to.” When the Doctor didn’t respond, Inara pushed on. “You allowed yourself to forget. She made a promise and you believed it.”

            “Are you hungry?” The Doctor dodged around Inara and pointed off into the distance. “They sell good chips down there.”

            Inara felt like sighing. He was worse than Mal. “Doctor.” She placed her hand on his arm and looked him squarely in the eyes. “You lost Rose. Maybe you don’t want to hear it or even admit it to yourself, but it happened. Let yourself feel something.”

            Gently, the Doctor lifted Inara’s hand off his arm. “There was a battle. Two invading armies. She stayed. She stayed for me.”

            “Did Rose…”

            “She’s alive, but gone. Pulled into another universe.”

            “I’m sorry.”

            “Rose is living a life with friends and family. She’ll… she’ll be all right.”

            The conversation ended there. The Doctor walked over to the ledge and stared out at the city. He seemed transfixed by something in the distance but Inara couldn’t tell what it was. She simply stood beside him and enjoyed a view no one in her lifetime had seen for hundreds of years.

            After a few minutes of silence, he turned to her. “You know, you still haven’t had a proper trip in the TARDIS. Earth is one thing, but there’s an entire universe out there with things beyond imagining.”

            “You don’t like to travel alone, do you?”

            “Better with two. Or even three. Or four. Haven’t had that in a while.”

            “I can’t just leave,” said Inara. “Tempting as it sounds.”

            “Please don’t tell me I’m being turned down again. At least you’re not in a wedding dress,” the Doctor muttered to himself. “All right, how about this? One trip. You’ll be back before anyone knows you’re gone.”

            Inara didn’t know what to say.

            “Come on.” The Doctor cajoled. “One adventure. One step into the unknown.” The pause that followed was full of anticipation.

            Then, Inara smiled, her grin matching the one on the Doctor’s face as she took his hand and returned to the TARDIS. “One adventure.”

Further A/N: I just wanted to add that I wrote this before Smith and Jones aired so the Doctor asking Inara to join him for one trip is pure coincidence. :-D

Comments

[pescivendolo.livejournal.com]

Sweet ending. This was a lovely story. I really enjoyed it! Two great fandoms that taste great together!

[locker-monster.livejournal.com]

Aw, thank you. Yup, Firefly and Doctor Who mix well together to create a tasty fusion. :-D

[theladylucilla.livejournal.com]

Great series! Lovely blending of both universes. I haven't commented before, but now that it's finished I had to let you know how much I enjoyed it.

[locker-monster.livejournal.com]

Thanks for reading! I'm glad you enjoyed it. It's great when the two universes mesh so easily.

[jpgr.livejournal.com]

Wonderful ending to a great fic! If you happen to decide to do more.....

[locker-monster.livejournal.com]

And thank you for reading it. I do have a few ideas bouncing around for a sequel, and I'm currently writing something for sonic_tea's Ten/Inara Ficathon. After all, the two of them need to have a proper adventure. :-D

I've just read this whole thing

[amazonx.livejournal.com]

And it's wonderful. I enjoyed it very much! Well done!

Re: I've just read this whole thing

[locker-monster.livejournal.com]

Thank you. It was a blast to write and great to share such an epic story. Well, epic for me at least. :-D

[sunstar77.livejournal.com]

I loved it. Really sweet ending and I love the idea of Inara as the new companion. :-)

[locker-monster.livejournal.com]

And since time is relative, Inara could travel with the Doctor for awhile and no one would notice she's gone. Unless the Doctor messes up when the TARDIS lands of course. ;-)

[sunstar77.livejournal.com]

The Doctor, messing up when the TARDIS lands? I've never heard of such a thing. *snort*

On another note, who is the little girl in your icon? She looks familiar, but I can't place her.

[locker-monster.livejournal.com]

The little girl is the girl in the White Room on Angel. I made the icon based on a comment Russell T Davies made in the podcast commentary for "The Satan Pit". There was concern that they didn't have the money to create the Beast in CGI so some of the other options Russell T Davies came up with included having a little girl like in the White Room.

[sunstar77.livejournal.com]

Ah ha, I remember that episode now. That would have been interesting. Little girls can be very creepy.

[goldy-dollar.livejournal.com]

I... *wibble*

[goldy-dollar.livejournal.com]

No, I loved it. I did. This has been an amazing fic. AMAZING. I'm really sad that it's over. (AND I'M REALLY SAD ABOUT THE DOCTOR AND ROSE. Doomsday still kills.) But I'm glad he has Inara. :D

Inara felt like sighing. He was worse than Mal.

Ha.

Also, I'm so going to rec this over on my journal later. And because you haven't yet, you should pimp this over at time_and_chips.

[locker-monster.livejournal.com]

I just had to have an epilogue set after Doomsday. I mean, who else would the Doctor turn to? Also, I briefly considered making this my entry for the sonic_tea ficathon, but I suppose that is cheating. :-D

I thought about joining time_and_chips when first posting this fic. Maybe I'll go do that later.

[elflore.livejournal.com]

Yes, yes, yes, YES.

*Perfect* epilogue, my favorite part of the entire fic.

And if you give in to the demands of your adoring public and write the sequel (that one trip!)...can I put in a request for a Ten/Inara snog? (C'mon, Ten always seems to fall into these things anyway...) *g*

Thanks so much for posting this, and bringing us all along for the ride!

[locker-monster.livejournal.com]

The epilogue was definitely my favourite part, too. It was interesting to show how the pairings did a complete 360 from each other.

Hmm, I suppose I could find a way to sneak in a kiss between the Doctor and Inara... :-D

And thank you for reading this fic.

[kefira.livejournal.com]

Wow. I have loved this story from the start. You have opened the door for me to love Ten/Inara and Doctor Who/Firefly crossovers.

If you write a sequel, I know I will love it. I really can't wait to see what you write for the ficathon at sonic_tea

Thank you for writing this and sharing it. One can never go wrong with making wonderful things even better by mixing them.

[locker-monster.livejournal.com]

This opened the door to crossovers and Ten/Inara for me, too. When a plot bunny starts nibbling at you, you have to give in. :-D

I think my entry for sonic_tea will be similar to this epilogue, maybe even an alternative epilogue with a more emo Doctor.

Thanks for commenting. It's always good to meet people with similar interests. :-)

[tptigger.livejournal.com]

::g:: Any chance of you writing that sequel you left this wide open for? :)

I love this story. Even how you managed the whole "there are no aliens in the Firefly 'verse" explanation for the Doctor at the end.

Very nicely done. :)

[locker-monster.livejournal.com]

It is left wide open, isn't it? :-D Actually, I do have some ideas floating around; it's just a matter of making those ideas into an exciting story.

I'm a firm believer that when you cross over two fandoms they should work. I learned that the First Doctor had a companion from the 25th century or a century before, and that really doesn't work with the Firefly universe. Hence the Doctor's dialogue about people going back to Earth and stuff. And who's to say there aren't aliens in the Firefly universe? ;-)

Thanks for reading!

[tptigger.livejournal.com]

And who's to say there aren't aliens in the Firefly universe? ;-)

Besides Joss? (-8 (I'll buy aliens they don't know about for whatever reason, but sometimes people just pop them into, say, the B5 'verse with no explanation whatsoever. Drives me bonkers. :)

Thanks for writing!

[whosrose.livejournal.com]

Finally, I found time to read the rest of your story.

Very well done. I shared it with a friend. She also enjoyed it immensely and thanked me for giving her the link.

I'll keep my eyes open for your other work. Although I must admit, I'm dying to see the TARDIS land on the cargo deck of Serenity. I'd love to see what River has to say to and about The Doctor.

[locker-monster.livejournal.com]

I'm glad you both enjoyed it. And thank you for sharing my fic with your friend. This story hasn't gone further than LJ so thanks for spreading the word. :-D

I've got a few ideas for a sequel bouncing around in my head. Maybe the TARDIS will appear in Serenity at some point. The rest of the crew has to meet the Doctor. :-D

[jarodrussell.livejournal.com]

Love this fic! I just googled "Doctor who firely" on a whim tonight, and your story popped up. Well done. You really, REALLY captured the Doctor's voice. Brilliant!

[locker-monster.livejournal.com]

Huh, I've never realized my fic would pop up if typed in "Doctor Who Firefly" into a search engine. Neat.

Thanks for reading! This was actually the first time I wrote a crossover and for Ten, so I was kind of nervous at the time if I was getting his voice at all. But he's got a rhythm that's easy to fall into once you get the hang of it.