FF/SPN: Whitefall

[vaznetti]

And finally, another part of Blessings against the Thunder. No, really. At least it's substantial.

Blessings against the Thunder: Whitefall
by vaznetti
SPN/FF (John/Zoe and ensembles)
R for language and violence, spoilers for Serenity, c. 4,000 words

Notes: Many thanks to rez_lo and musesfool for beta reading and to the_grynne for going far beyond what might be expected in helping me with Chinese language questions. This one's for hossgal; I hope she likes it.

Summary: In which some things are broken and some things are mended, plans are made and discarded, Kaylee and Zoe gossip and Sam and Inara have tea. There are also explosions, of various kinds.

Previously:
Eurydice Settlement
Caieta Port
Xú Landing, 1, 2
Xinwuwei Docks, 1, 2
Blackout Zone, 1, 2, 3
Blackout Zone: Epilogue



1.

Mal and Jayne spend the first day fixing the well-pump, Mal wishing half the time it were Zoe working by him. It ain't that Jayne needs direction, but Mal can't seem to help directing him anyways, and it don't make for a pleasant working experience. Soon as the water's flowing clear, Jayne stomps off to sit on the porch of one of the old ranch buildings, leaning back in a chair with a wobbling leg and spitting into the dust now and then. Then Adelaide lands, and Impala the day after, and now Kaylee's got half Serenity's innards spread out in front of her on the ground, something about refitting the life support along the lines she saw on Impala, that Dean Winchester sitting by her and helping her work and not minding too much the way River squatted next to them, quiet and still, watching them at it.

They eat out under the stars, though Mal can't help thinking that they were enough to make Serenity's galley feel crowded and noisy, and how that might make a change. In the morning he hears Inara and Zoe laughing as he climbs his ladder, and smiles all the way down the corridor. And there's John Winchester taking up space at the table, drinking his morning tea and grinning like he belongs there, like he's got nothing better to do than hang around on Serenity making women laugh. Which Mal nearly says, but he reckons Winchester can see it on his face, 'cause he puts down his cup and gets to his feet, saying something about work to do as he nods to them all and heads out. Zoe gets up to follow him.

"Go check on Kaylee," Mal tells her. "See how she's doing. I don't want any problems, if we need to leave in a hurry."

Zoe turns in the doorway, face as smooth as her voice. "We planning on that, sir?"

"Best be prepared," Mal says. "That's all."

"Yes sir," she says, and heads out.

Mal turns back to the table, where Inara's sitting with steam rising from the cup in front of her. She's giving him a look he don't know what to do with.

"What?" he says.

"Nothing," she says. "Bèn dàn." She takes her tea and goes.

"Fine morning," Mal tells himself. "Damn fine."


2.

Dean can hear Sam from the ranch house steps, not really yelling, not yet. "Dad," he's saying. "It thanked me. It asked me to send it back to hell."

"We are not running some kind of rescue mission for demons," John says.

Dean pauses in the doorway and examines the room: papers pinned to the walls and recordings stacked on the rickety chairs, and a swath of paper across the floor, from Sam sweeping the table clean with one long arm. He can tell from their voices that they've been arguing over the same territory, back and forth, all morning and the day before, and feels a prickle of guilt for spending yesterday working with Kaylee, instead of running interference.

Now Sam's leaning over the table, and John's got his back to the wall and the way they're glaring at each other is almost enough to make the whole thing feel normal. Then River uncurls herself from the floor in the corner. "They're fish behind glass," she says. "And when the water runs out, they're still trapped. Flesh and blood."

"You've seen the tapes," Sam says. "They've found a way to use the hosts to control the demons. That's not something we can ignore."

"Do you have a suggestion that won't end with demons running loose on a core planet?"

"We could let the Academy find me," Sam says.

Shit. "No," Dean says. "We can't."

"Once I'm inside I could..."

John glances at Dean, then back to Sam. "Dean's right. They'll have your ID from what we just did. No way they'll let you just walk in, now."

"Do you have anything better?" Sam's got a scowl on his face. "We need to get in, figure out some way to contain them."

"I'll think of something," John says, like they all don't know him well enough to know what's underneath that confidence.

"Eggshells," River says. "Brew beer in eggshells to catch a changeling. And once they break you can't put them together, not all the king's horses and all the king's men." She crosses the room in that dancing way she has and stops by Dean. "You have to use the edges." Then she's gone.

He voices the confusion he can see on both their faces, as well. "What the hell is that girl on about?"

Sam shrugs. "Damned if I know." He goes back to the reports like it's nothing, but Dean watches his father stare at the empty doorway and wishes he knew how much the old man's hiding.

Goddamn research jobs.


3.

The sunlight's thin but warm enough, and Kaylee has her fans and filters laid out on Serenity's ramp: secondary life support, after Zoe's message from the captain. Which Zoe had told her in a tight voice before stomping off somewhere, and Mal repeated when he came out and went stomping off somewhere else. Kaylee reckoned it made sense enough, seeing as they didn't have the best history here on Whitefall, but then she talked to Inara a little. So now she's out in front of Serenity, tools to hand and the system spread out before her, because keeping the ship alive's her job, even if it don't feel like enough, some mornings.

But the work lulls her like it always does, and it's pleasant to be outside in the sun. They're a ship's length away from the old ranch house, directly across from it, with a cluster of sagging shacks and barns scattered to Kaylee's left and Adelaide about seventy feet away to the right. Not as nice as Serenity, that ship, but Kaylee's got used to the shape of her. Impala's a little further past Adelaide, sketching out a kind of square. That, Kaylee has to admit, is a well-kept ship, smooth and gleaming, and kept just as sweet inside as out. Not a work-horse like Serenity or even Adelaide, either: she's all speed and power and don't care who knows it.

She's jarred out of her woolgathering by Zoe coming back from wherever she'd walked off to; 'stead of heading for the house, she comes up to the ramp and settles down at the top of it, near where Kaylee's working. She don't say anything, and Kaylee's got a delicate set of connections in her hands. She keeps working a while before looking up and asking, "You gonna keep me company out here?"

"Reckon I might," Zoe says.

"Shiny," Kaylee says. "Pass me that coil of tubing, there?" She fiddles a little longer, working with the tubes and filters of the system, enjoying the sun warm on her hands. "You know," she says, "Captain don't mean--"

"I know what the captain means," Zoe says, dry as the dirt around the abandoned ranch house.

What Kaylee really wants to ask is how Zoe is, herself, now that they're up against Blue Sun or the Alliance or whatever did what they did to River, one more time. Because Kaylee remembers how scared she was, and how she got shot and how much it hurt, but Zoe was hurt more'n any of them, more than Serenity herself, though it's hard for Kaylee to think it. Serenity's not quite the ship she was before that landing, but she was patched together out of love and regret; Kaylee's not sure what's gonna hold Zoe together if the patches she's got now start ripping. But she don't have words to say that to Zoe, thinks Simon might, with all his fancy way of speaking, if only he had eyes to see the need for it. So she sits and lets her hands work, and watches Dean walk up into the old house, and River step out a little while later. She comes walking across to Serenity and up the ramp, all that grace Kaylee's ma would have called uncanny.

"Any progress in there?" Zoe asks her.

River pauses. "They only see the fire," she says. Zoe nods like she knows what that means, and River disappears into the cool shadows of Serenity's hold.

Kaylee thinks about asking, but she's got another thing occurs to her now. "Zoe," she asks, "what do you make of Dean Winchester?"

She looks up to see Zoe looking at her. "What do you mean?"

"Well, I mean, he's good with engines, takes real good care of Impala there; you can tell how he much he loves that ship. But with people... well, with female people..."

"Kaylee," Zoe says, "you aren't--"

"Me?" Kaylee squeaks. "No! I mean, he's cute and all, but I have Simon. And he'd be good for a tumble or two, but I don't reckon he'd change course to happen to meet up with you. That's the part's worrying at me."

Zoe gives her a sharp look. "Why're you worrying if you're not thinking of him for..." She stops and Kaylee watches her think of it. "River?"

"She looks at him sometimes, Zoe. I don't know. He's nice to look at, but..."

"River?" Zoe asks again. "He said anything?"

"I don't think he's seen it," Kaylee says. "River ain't exactly..."

"She can be hard to read," Zoe allows. "You think the captain's noticed?" And Kaylee thinks anyone else might have started to laugh, but Zoe just smiles, wide and full of wicked glee.


4.

The shriek nearly makes Mal spill his drink, ringing in his ears as he sits up in Serenity's galley. His feet are already taking him clattering down the stairs to the passenger quarters and he can still feel the sound vibrating in the hull; he turns up in the lounge and there's River curled up in a ball, Simon crouched in front of her and Kaylee standing behind him holding a shirt wrapped around herself like she's cold.

"It's OK," Simon is saying. "It's OK, mei mei, you're safe, just breathe."

But she's gasping and shaking her head, saying "I'm sorry," over and over. "Don't be angry," she says. "I have to touch the glass. I have to see what's on the other side."

"Doc?" Mal asks, and he knows it comes out angry, but this is bad, as bad as it was in the early days, and he's tired from a day spent fixing what'll break soon as they leave, nothing soothing about the way the skills come back to his hands, hammer and nails to patch a fence when there's no cattle to keep in. "You got any idea what's going on?"

It's Kaylee who answers. "She just started screaming, Cap'n. I don't know..." She trails off and they both listen to the reassuring nonsense coming from Simon's mouth, while River shakes her head and weeps.

"Get the doc's bag," Mal tells Kaylee; she runs off and is back in no time at all.

They stand and watch Simon reach inside, measure out a dose of something, speaking all the time, in a low voice. "That's right," he's saying. "It's OK, just a moment more and you can sleep."

"Where's Zoe, anyhow?" Mal asks. Scream like that should have woken her up.

Kaylee gives him a funny look. "On Adelaide, I guess."

He's spared having to think of something to say to that by River, slipping forward into Simon's arms. "No more blood and fire," she says as her eyes close, "just pillars of smoke."


5.

Dean looks right at Zoe's hand, the minute he steps through the doorway: the way she's resting it on John's shoulder while they look over one of the reports. John raises his head, which gives her an excuse to move it. "What's on your mind, Dean?" he asks.

Dean's eyes flick to Zoe, and she can take a hint, says, "I'll be outside." She gets to her feet. No point pretending it's something it isn't, and everything feels off this morning; she don't have the energy to deal with this, too.

"No need for that," John says, and Dean's mouth twitches in something that ain't a smile, like he wants to ask, so that's how it is?, but John just nods at him. "What is it?"

"It's Sam," Dean says. "He's dreaming, and he won't tell me what."

"Is it bad?" John asks.

"He won't tell me what he's seeing, Dad." Dean says every word slow and distinct.

John's quiet for a moment. "We're not sending him in there. You understand me?"

"I understand you," Dean says. "Don't you do anything stupid, either." It's the kind of exchange she's getting used to, watching John's family: only a few sentences, but those so weighted down by shared experience that they might well collapse under it. Sometimes she thinks she's starting to understand the dialect, and sometimes she's fairly sure she doesn't want to.

Dean turns to go and John swings around on the bench so he's looking up at her. "Well," he says. "You figured it out yet?"

She starts; the question's a little too close to her own thought for comfort. "Figured what out?"

"How we took out the thing that killed Mary and Jess."

She's relieved to have something concrete to focus on. And it ain't like all the pieces aren't right there in front of her. "Sam let it in," Zoe says. "Destroyed it from the inside."

"You must be wondering how I let him do it." His voice is low, almost too low to hear.

"Sam seems fairly determined," she says. "I might even say, stubborn."

"Boy gets that from his mother," John says, but the smile don't make it into his voice or up to his eyes before it disappears. "Dean hated the idea, thought it was too dangerous. He didn't know half of it, what it's like to--" He breaks off. "He was right, that's all."

"It worked," she says.

"Yeah." He's quiet a bit. "Sam is-- Sam is good," he says, and not like he means good at what he does.

"Reckon you're going to tell me he gets that from his mother too," she says, and just as quick as the words leave her mouth, she wishes she could take them back. All she can think is how careful he is around Wash's memory, won't hardly step onto Serenity's bridge, and she'd be out of that dusty room if she could, if it weren't for John's hand wrapped around her wrist. When she finally looks up from it, there's something she doesn't want to name mixed with the sorrow in his eyes.

"They say lightning don't strike the same spot twice," he says. "I'm not sure I believe that, now."


6.

The dust around the houses tickles Inara's nose; she traces an old path past them and out to the ravine behind the ranch. She settles in the short grass growing at its edge and motions to her companion to do the same before she pours out the tea they've carried with them. Sam Winchester lifts the cup and breathes in: he looks as if he knows enough to appreciate it. Then he looks up and flushes slightly. "You know, I can't... that is, I don't have..." He trails off.

"It's a cup of tea, Sam," she says. "Nothing more."

He smiles at that, and thanks her. They sit a while, looking out at the barren landscape. "So," Sam finally says, "What's worrying you?"

His tone is dry, and when she glances at him, he's staring at the ravine. "You don't suppose that I simply wanted some company, while I looked at the view?" He meets her gaze, this time, and she sighs. "The situation does seem to call for some concern."

"We'll figure something out," Sam says. "We always do." He doesn't sound entirely convinced, and she's on the verge of commenting on that when he adds, "It might be easier if my father and Captain Reynolds were speaking to each other."

That startles laughter out of her. "Speaking has been known to lead to yelling. Are you sure we aren't better off this way?"

He smiles easily, all white teeth and dimples. "You may have a point."

"And I think that coming up with a plan and solving Mal's personal problems all at once might be over-ambitious, even for us."

"Is that what this is?"

"Trust me," she says, "that's exactly what this is."

"You may be underestimating my father's contribution. Most of his friends greet him with loaded shotguns."

"I'm not entirely shocked to hear that," Inara admits. She gives him another sideways look. "Is that why you're spending the afternoon out here?"

"You don't suppose I simply wanted some company? Something a little more charming than what's back at the ranch house?"

She smiles. "Your brother does try to be charming."

Sam's face goes slack in mock-panic. "Please -- don't encourage him. He'll never shut up about it." She laughs again: Sam Winchester is easy to laugh with, an unassuming, comforting presence, more aware of his body's effect than most other men.

She pauses at the thought and considers it, while Sam sips at his tea. "We may not be able to solve Mal's problems," she says. "Or John's -- but we might consider being honest with each other."

He's caught off guard, and the smile vanishes. "Can you do that?" he asks. "Just decide to stop lying and... stop?"

She examines him, old eyes in a young face, nothing like the innocent pretense he wears like his own skin; it's only now that she can see how much of a pretense it is. "Honesty isn't often necessary, for Companions," she admits.

"Not for Winchesters, either," Sam says. His voice is light, but to Inara he looks very like his father, caught in an unexpected memory, and she suppresses a shiver and wonders what deceptions she has not yet noticed. "Is this Mal's home?" Sam asks.

She stares; it's an idea she's left half-formed herself, and she thinks again that she'll need to be careful of Sam Winchester: he sees far more clearly than she's used to. "If not," she says, "It's very like it." And Mal has enough history on Whitefall without that, she thinks. "And you?" she asks.

"We didn't exactly have a home..." he begins.

"No," she says. "What's worrying you?"

The grin brightens his face, and for a moment she thinks he might answer. "Nothing worth sharing," he says, and finishes his tea.


7.

The attack comes an hour after sunset. John hears the gunfire, makes it out of the ship in time to see Zoe pulling Kaylee up into Serenity, both of them safe, and to hear Impala's engine's start. Then there's Sam, coming up Adelaide's ramp in two long steps and practically throwing Inara at John. He stops inside just long enough to gasp out a report -- a set of men up on the low hill behind the outbuildings and another, fewer of them, coming up from the ravine -- and runs back toward the ranch house before John can get a word in. To get the fucking data, John thinks, laying down covering fire as best he can and barking at Inara to get on the horn and find out what the hell's going on.

"Patience," she says, like that's supposed to mean something. John fires again; three more steps and Sam will make the porch. "One of Mal's old friends, and I use the term loosely."

Sam's up onto the porch and through the door. "Old?" John asks. He's watching the ridge; aims and fires. Mal and Zoe are shooting from Serenity's hatch, Dean and Jayne from Impala; a bullet hits Adelaide's hull, just the other side of John's head.

"Patience!" Mal bellows. "What the gorram hell brought this on?"

Sam pauses in the ranch house doorway and scans the open ground. Dean's gesturing at him from Impala.

"Why'd you come back to my planet, Malcolm Reynolds?" It's a woman's voice, shouting back down from the ridge. "Ain't you got no respect for me?"

"I got plenty of respect," Mal shouts; he fires again, and someone screams. Sam ducks his head and starts running toward John and Adelaide. "I'd have more if you weren't such a maniacal feng guî!"

A pair of shapes come around the back of the outbuildings, up from the ravine; John tracks them more by movement than anything, fires, fires again. Mal and Patience are still shouting back and forth at each other.

"Watch the gorram ridge," Dean yells, just as Sam comes up the ramp. John turns around, and what the hell is that? some kind of cannon? It flashes fire like an answer: too short, sets one of the ranch buildings alight. Won't take them long to correct the angle.

"We need--" Sam starts.

"Yeah," John says, tossing him the rife. "Get up to the cockpit," John tells Inara; she's already moving, and he shouts after her. "Get ready to take us up." He rests a hand on Sam's shoulder, runs for the engine room: there's another boom from the cannon up on the hillside. The engine turns over; the ship lurches up then over, tossing John against the wall. The momentum pushes him up to the cockpit, where Inara slides out of the pilot's chair so he can fall into it. Sam's already bringing the guns up, and he circles them around; hard to see in the smoke, but Impala's in the air above them and Serenity's lifting up as well, and John brings Adelaide around, above the canon up on the ridge. Sam doesn't wait for a command: he fires once, then again, and they all have the satisfaction of seeing the gun go up in a burst of exploding ammo.

Then it's up through atmosphere, into the black.


8.


"Look," Mal says, just as he's said more than once already, "we know Impala made it off-world. We both saw it. For all I know, that boy of yours got lost, with my crew aboard."

"Dean did not get lost," John grates out, the anger in his voice clear all the way over the comm channel.

"We've been back along the route twice," he says, "and he ain't on it. Now either he's taking the long way round, or he's run off on his own, with my crew aboard." River and Jayne missing and Inara on Adelaide; Mal wasn't wholly sorry they were having this conversation on the comm, but he wanted Inara back on Serenity.

"If we hadn't needed to leave in such a hurry, they wouldn't be on Impala. That's down to you."

Mal grits his teeth. Like he'd seek shelter with a friend in the middle of this, but he don't see the need to explain his choices to Winchester. "If you want, we can wait a while more, 'stead of heading off in some random--" Feet clatter up the steps to the bridge, and Mal waves his arm at whoever it is.

"Listen," Simon starts off, and keeps talking, a jumble of words about how they need to start now, how he's figured it out, something about finding River.

"Slow down," Mal tells him. "We're gonna find her, soon as we figure out where that Winchester boy's run off to."

John says something over the comm, but Simon drowns it out. "No," he says, "that's it. I know where she's gone."

"What?" Mal says, same time as he hears John's "Where?" coming over the channel.

"Back to the Academy," Simon tells them. "To Corinium."

"Why in all hell would she do that?" Mal asks.

"That's where it started. That's where they're keeping the..." he hesitates, "the demons. She's gone to set them loose."

"No way Dean would go along with that plan," John says.

Mal looks at Simon: the boy's got that scared and determined look to him, face pale and breath quick, but he meets Mal's eyes. "You sure about this?" Mal asks.

"I'm sure."

Mal turns back to the screen. "Your boy may not have a choice. Not if River's made her decision." He watches Winchester think that over, reckons he can put the story together without Mal leading the way. "So here's what we'll do -- just hook our two ships together, let Inara come over here," and, he thinks, if Zoe wants to stay on Adelaide for this run, Mal won't raise a fuss. "Then we'll set our course and go chase after Impala before anyone does anything foolish."

""Corinium." Winchester says. "Right." His hand comes down next to the console and the screen goes blank.

"How're we gonna--" Mal starts, and then looks up: through the glass he can see Adelaide powering up. Tamade, nà ge sîguî zheng bù kê xiangxin de! "Kaylee," he shouts, as Adelaide gains speed. "Kaylee, get us moving!"

end, at least for now.

Comments

[hossgal.livejournal.com]

AAHHHHHEEEEEE!

Dean and River, stepping out! Inara and Sam, having tea! PATIENCE! Winchester men all in Mal's space, making time with Mal's women-folk! (Women folk who would squash Mal with their little fingers if he used the words "my women-folk" out loud, but still!)

And John and Dean and John and Sam and JAYNE and many different sorts of wonderful. And John Winchester, you stubborn, inscrutable, hard-headed bastard.

*ahem*

It's okay, I guess. If you like that sort of thing.

- hg

[vaznetti]

It's okay, I guess. If you like that sort of thing.

Hahahaha! and also, EEEEEEEEE!!!

Actually, I think Mal's women-folk are used to his little ways, and would probably only squish him a little, until he apologized and promised never to do it again.

Glad you liked it. I think Jayne will have fun in the next parts, since he's stuck on Impala with Dean and River.

[medie]

in a rush so cannot properly feedback at the moment but Oooooooooooooooooh

[vaznetti]

Yay!

[phantomas.livejournal.com]

Mostly, what hossgal said, and also, yay!
Every time you add a piece to this, it makes me very very happy.

River looking at Dean makes me smell trouble, and Sam having tea with Inara...on, the boy who is not a boy anymore! Kaylee and Zoe warm my heart, and Mal...all captain-like and all 'my ship, my crew!' and rumblerumblerumble...*G*

I love it, and I love that I can read and re-read at leisure and taste each word and 'see' each scene, action and characters all entwined.

YAY YOU! :D

I think you mistyped cannon in part 7.

[vaznetti]

Nice catch! (Shot by canon, indeed!)

I'm so glad you liked it, and yes, I smell trouble too on the River and Dean front. Especially considering she's practically just hijacked Impala, which you just know is not the way to Dean's heart. (Meanwhile, Inara gets to deal with Sam and John on Adelaide.)

I'm just glad to have posted this -- I feel like I've been working on it forever! -- but there's some fun stuff, and I hope it's setting up something good.

[neviditelny.livejournal.com]

Omigod, I am totally in love with this series! I just discovered it today, went back and read all the previous parts and it is totally made of awesome.

So... more soon?

[vaznetti]

Oh, how nice to find a new reader! Yay, and thank you for commenting.

There will be more, but how soon depends on time and the plot. But there will definitely be more.

[merrycontrary.livejournal.com]

Wow. Wow. I might have just fallen in love with your Sam and Inara a little bit. Or a lot. That was a great scene. And next will be the two of them and John! Under stress, in smallish ship. So much fun.

And Kaylee noticing River noticing Dean was so wonderful. I'm selfishly hoping there'll be a lot of Dean-River interaction in the next segment.

[vaznetti]

I'm so glad you liked it -- especially Sam and Inara, which I hope is, as you guessed, setting up some meaty interaction for them on Adelaide. (I say "I hope" only because I never quite know how things will work out until I write the scene down, but really -- Inara having to deal with John and Sam, both of them a little stressed out, and all of it in Adelaide, which is not that big a ship -- it just seems likely.)

As for River and Dean -- well, considering that she's basically hijacked Impala with Dean and Jayne on board, I think I can guarantee a lot of Dean-River interaction.

[ultraviolet9a.livejournal.com]

I can't wait for more River/Dean interaction. I positively love this. Like, love this. You combined the two verses in the most brilliant way i could ever imagine. Is it ok if i friend you?

[vaznetti]

As I say above, considering that River's just stolen Impala with Dean in it, I can pretty much guarantee that there will be some interesting interaction there.

It's been wonderful to have your comments trickling in through the morning; I'm so pleased that you like the story, and of course I never mind being added to anyone's friends list -- I don't always friend back because of time constraints, but I don't mean any offense by it.

The crossover started out as a challenge to myself (could I write it and make it work?) and because I thought John and Zoe would be hot, and so did musesfool. But it's taken on a life of it's own and I'm just so happy whenever I hear that it's worked for other people.

[hkath.livejournal.com]

I've had this open for a while, and read the whole thing today. Fantastic, just... wow. It's amazing how much your first story has managed to expand into this fleshed-out adventure, and how well the Winchesters fit into the Firefly world. Looking forward to more!

[vaznetti]

Thank you so much -- I'm glad you commented, and that you like the way this story has expanded. it's always a bit odd writing something like this, because it becomes so much of an AU as it develops that you worry about losing readers.

[celli]

I really just want to sit here and shout River! If you get Dean killed I'll be very upset with you!

Because, well, River.

I love all the interaction (with more or less grace, oh, Mal). The Sam and Inara scene was unexpected, and just awesome.

[vaznetti]

River won't let Dean get killed. Don't worry. Dean won't let River get him killed.

Poor Mal. He'll get over it, eventually. At least, I think he will. And I'm glad you liked Sam and Inara -- they're fun to write together.

[topaz119.livejournal.com]

Oh, I'm delighted to see more of this! I love the interconnections between the characters, the unexpected bonds.

[vaznetti]

Thank you! It's interesting to me, as I write it, to see which characters fit together, and how they do so.

[e-juliana.livejournal.com]

RIVER STOLE THE IMPALA.

flail

Love.

[vaznetti]

I KNOW!

Dean is so upset.

[dotfic.livejournal.com]

I can't tell you how GLEEFUL I am that you're continuing this (I see that other people are using capslocks).

The Winchesters interaction was spot-on as usual, and I love what you're doing here with the demons. Winchesters and Serenity crew interaction, fabulous. I'm kind of reading this mostly for the fantastic Winchester material but your Firefly characterization is wonderful, it feels like them (this fic series of yours is still my only foray into reading FF fanfic and I think you're making me love the characters *more*--it's like getting more of the series). In each part you captured the voice of the Firefly characters so well.

Really like the Inara and Sam scene. And River's crush on Dean (why am I suddenly very anxious for Dean? *g* She stole the Impala, with Dean in it! So much FUN.)

Serenity + Adelaide + Impala = OT3! :D

[vaznetti]

I'm so pleased that you're enjoying this story, since I'm still having fun writing it! And I'm blushing at what you have to say about the characters -- especially the FF characters, I think, although I'm also pleased that you think I got the Winchesters right.

She stole the Impala, with Dean in it! So much FUN.

I know! Poor Dean; he's not going to be happy about that.

I love your OT3 here. It just cracks me up.

Thank you so much for commenting!

[mclittlebitch.livejournal.com]

Got pointed over here by dotfic and I'm so glad she did. This is one of those crossovers that starts out "how can that work?" and ends up "of course it works!" You've combined the two canons brilliantly.

John and Zoe are now my OTP of shootin' stuff and not discussing their issues.

[vaznetti]

John and Zoe are now my OTP of shootin' stuff and not discussing their issues.

Mine too! (Well, all my OTPs prefer shooting stuff to discussing their issues, but John/Zoe takes it all to a higher level.) It amazes me, actually, that the two canons merge so smoothly. It started out somewhere between a challenge to myself and a joke, and yet here we are!

Thank you so much for reading, and for commenting. There will be more of it, of course -- it's just a matter of getting it done.

[tenillypo.livejournal.com]

John is not my favorite character, so I didn't think I would enjoy a story centered so much around him. But I'm in love with the way you've melded the two universes here, and fit the Winchesters in so well. The narration and the dialog all have such a nice flow. It's hypnotic! I can't wait for more. :-)

[vaznetti]

I'm really pleased, first that you gave it a try anyway, and second that you found stuff to like about it. It's been a great deal of fun to write, and although it did start out with a tight focus, it's been nice to expand the universe to take in Dean and Sam, as well, and see how they're the same and how they're different.

Thank you!

[sarapen.livejournal.com]

This story just sucked me in and didn't let go! I miss John on the show and the way you characterized him on here is just so lovely. He's gruff and ornery and he doesn't know how to stop being a hunter even after the demon's gone. The way you melded the two 'verses seamlessly, I feel like John and the boys have always been in the Firefly universe. I like the plot. It's grab-you-by-the-balls exciting; I'm reading this right now instead of studying for finals! Ooh, I wonder what's up with Sam? Does he still have visions? I like that all we're told about the showdown with the demon is vague, but at the same time I wanna know! Lastly, River going back to the Academy? Oh noes!

[vaznetti]

Thank you so much -- I'm glad you enjoyed the story (although I will be sad if you do poorly on your exams on my account!)

The way you melded the two 'verses seamlessly, I feel like John and the boys have always been in the Firefly universe.

yay! That's exactly what I intended. The really do fit into it so smoothly that SPN might as well be written in the Firefly 'verse anyway. And you're right -- Sam does still get visions (and in this case, visions which are not making him at all happy), although they've gone back to being nightmares.

[black-samvara.livejournal.com]

Dayum. I just started at the beginning and made my way through to here and there are so many bits along the way that made me happy.

You've combined two of my favourite fandoms ever and I'm utterly impressed by your characterisation.

I loved the way so much was left unsaid between people - especially John and Zoe. I really like your Kaylee and your Dean and I loved Jayne and Dean taking the grenades with them. The parallels between Dean and Simon's and their relationships with their siblings was very interesting and the way you worked the two myth arcs together was really smooth.

err Thank you!

[vaznetti]

I'm so glad that you're enjoying the story. I'm writing this crossover because I love the two shows so much separately, and I love putting them together.

I loved the way so much was left unsaid between people - especially John and Zoe.

I think with characters like those two, it's easy to over-write. But neither of them is ever going to say "I love you," to the other, so you have to let them say about as much as they're able to, and then leave the rest to be filled in in the spaces in between. And then, in canon Sam and Dean mostly communicate without speaking, and everything River says needs to be translated so...

And I thought, Jayne will have to take grenades, because John's plans are as likely to go wrong as Mal's, which is saying something.

The parallels between Dean and Simon's and their relationships with their siblings was very interesting and the way you worked the two myth arcs together was really smooth.

Thank you! That parallel kind of crept up on me as I wrote, but of course both Dean and Simon have that complete devotion to their younger sibling. And it does mean that I don't have to worry about Dean hitting on Kaylee all the time, which I thought might be a problem. But Dean has a lot of respect for people he thinks are doinga good job at the "older sibling" role.

[http://users.livejournal.com/amy_star_/]

Here on a rec by ethrosdemon. I don't usually do the crossovers, let alone Winchesters in Space, let alone Firefly crosses... but. Damn. I've been up reading this all night! Awesome.

[vaznetti]

I'm pleased that you took a chance, even though it isn't your usual thing, and that you enjoyed it -- thank you so much for letting me know!

[kelly-girl.livejournal.com]

Wonderful story. Firefly was my first big fandom when it aired. I met great people online and got my writing bug back. I just started watching Supernatural, in part because John is hot.

Loved John/Zoe, and your Dean and Sam are perfect. The thought of Dean and River feels me with glee. He would totally take her with him to scam unsuspecting pool players.

[vaznetti]

Thanks! I'm really glad that you're enjoying this!

It's a fun crossover to write, even though really, the crossover shouldn't work as well as it does. And I'm very glad you like the Dean and Sam here, ans I'm always worried about getting them wrong, being something of a John fan, myself.

[xanphibian.livejournal.com]

\o/

This story blows my mind. It's SO good, and everyone is just pitch perfect.

[vaznetti]

Thank you so much! I'm glad that everything works for you!

[innie_darling]

This is a story I've been meaning to read for months and I finally read the whole series today, one clip, and it is SO GOOD. I really cannot believe how well you've pulled off this crossover, with not a whiff of artificiality. What a lovely job!

[vaznetti]

Thank you! I'm so glad that you enjoyed it -- it's such an unlikely crossover, so I'm both pleased and surprised that it works at all.

[lyonie17.livejournal.com]

O. M. G.

I tagged this series MONTHS ago. Back before I changed jobs and got a new BF. I really really wish I had read it then, 'cause then I could have kept on reading it over and over and over and over, 'cause I loves it. It is my precious. I shall call it ADELAIDEZoeJohnRiverDeanInaraSERENITYSamSimonKayleeMalJayneIMPALA, and read it early and often.

*cough*

I may possibly like it a little.

But seriously, characterisation, timing, dialogue, plottyness, moving the Winchesters into the FF 'verse, it's all spot-on. And delicious.

[vaznetti]

Thank you so much! I have to admit that I am fond of this universe myself -- it's a great deal of fun to play around in -- and really, really do intend to finish this story, and not leave everyone hanging about in space on the wrong ship like this.

And thanks again for the lovely feedback!

yay!

[storm-of-roses.livejournal.com]

*loves quietly*

thank you! It works really, really well. unexpected, this cross usually doesn't.

[firstgold.livejournal.com]

I've had Blessings Against Thunder (http://vaznetti.livejournal.com/tag/blessings_against_thunder) bookmarked for a very long time, and only finally now gotten around to reading it. I wish I could tell you how I found it, but that doesn't really matter. What matters is that I did.

I love how you've taken the Winchesters and made them belong in this 'verse. You've blended the two canons fabulously, I think, and I love your Zoe voice.

[ngaio]

Hi

I reread this today and remembered how much I loved it. Just thought I'd let you know.

[alesca-munroe.livejournal.com]

!!! This is so awesome and I stayed up most of last night to read all but the last two pieces. Fabulous work, the two series go together much better than I thought possible. Hope to see more, even if it's been a few years since this piece.

[springwoof.livejournal.com]

I don't remember how I got here, but am so glad I did. This? Is the most gorgeous, fabulous crossover I've seen in many a moon. The characters are so perfectly, deliciously themselves, and you've somehow melded both the Firefly and Supernatural 'verses, and kept the integrity of both. Amazing stuff.

Um. Is there more? IOW, do you have more of this story archived on a website or on AO3 or something? Because finding more of this story would feel like Christmas came early....