Zoë woke up with a start, the memory her dream still running through her mind. She had been dreaming about him again. That’s all she ever dreamed about any more. Every time she fell asleep she dreamed of Wash. Ever since Miranda. They weren’t always the same though. Sometimes they were of Wash dying. Zoë frantically trying to save him to no avail. Others were more pleasant. Wash alive and well joking with her, flying Serenity, or lying next to her in bed right where he’s supposed to be. These were the good dreams. The dreams she never wanted to wake up from. These were the dreams were she actually woke up believing nothing happened, that Wash was still alive. This was the type of dream she had just woken up from. Turning over she half expected Wash to be lying there, laughing at her and trying to wake her up. She would give anything for that. But he wasn’t and a deep sense of dread took over her. She lay there in her grief wondering what woke her up when she heard it. Mal’s voice was streaming over the comm. “Zoë! Zoë! Get up to the bridge right now! You need to be seeing this!” . Zoë drug herself out of bed and up to the bridge. It was time to work, no time for sorrow. As she entered the bridge she saw Mal and River crowded around the cortex screen. River, sensing Zoë come in, moved away so she could see the screen and Zoë let out a small gasp. There on the screen was Wash. He was tied up, gagged and bruised but was very much alive. He stared at the screen with pleading eyes. The screen then flickered to an Alliance Operative saying“ An exchange is all I ask. Bring me River Tam and I shall give you your pilot!”. All Zoë could do was stare at the screen then to River’s big brown eyes. This had to be a dream, just a dream!