note: this is one of my least interesin' openin's but i still like it for some reason. cute lil wash! anyways... ignorin' my wash fetish, this is a kind of sequal to the 'dreams' series. based a few weeks after those capors. things had calmed but something has happened to once again disturb the serenity...

~~~

“Mal wants us planet-side in 30 minutes,” Zoë said sternly at the door to the cockpit.

Wash smiled, his eyes calmly concentrating on their descent through the atmosphere. “We’ll be there in 20.”

Zoë turned to leave before he could say more, unwilling to begin any form of discussion…

“You haven’t answered yet,” Wash called out.

…especially that discussion.

She thought of just ignoring him, maybe pretending she hadn’t heard, but she wasn’t accustomed to lying, nor retreating. She was no coward and yet she couldn’t find it in her to…

“I haven’t an answer to give you,” she admitted finally, her voice slightly exasperated.

Wash turned slightly to face her. “A ‘yes’ or ‘no’ will suffice.”

There was a moment of silence broken by a sudden shudder of the ship that set Zoë off balance.

“Woah!” Wash span back around, bringing the ship under reign.

“I don’t really think this is the time to talk about this.”

“Right,” Wash replied bitterly as Zoë strode from the room. “Of course.” He suddenly had the overwhelming urge to kick something. Any answer was better than no answer. He hadn’t even meant to ask. He hadn’t planned it out, waited for it to be romantic, it had just happened. He had been thinking of it, of course. In fact he had been thinking of Zoë every moment of the day, how could he not? It had just slipped out. And she was so… just so…

Infuriating!

As Zoë descended into the cargo bay the ship juddered fiercely once more as Wash did kick something, almost knocking her off her feet. She grabbed the railing to steady herself, glancing around at Mal.

“Gor’ram it Wash!” Mal yelled up the stairs. “What’s got into him?” He then demanded of Zoë as she made her way towards him. Wash could do this landing with his eyes closed and it sure as hell wasn’t Serenity.

“He’s distracted, Sir, ‘s’all,” she said, keeping her eyes steadily averted, lifting the crates onto the back of the mule.

“Hmph,” was Mal’s reply. They both knew what he was thinking. He didn’t have to gloat on the verification of his predictions about shipboard romances. It had been weeks since their ‘chat’ and though neither had mentioned it since, there were times when they shared recollections of the somewhat bitter and angry words that had crossed between them. It was odd that Zoë’s first defiance of his command had been about a man, the last thing he had come to expect…

“Touching down in 10 minutes,” Wash’s voice crackled over the comm.

…especially that man.

Mal had been right. Zoë had known all along that shipboard romances did complicate things, but she had been willing to have Wash her complication. Now though… They had had an amazing time. Everything they did seemed natural, seemed right, but maybe that was it. It unnerved her. And now he had confirmed it, now she couldn’t hide behind any pretence whatsoever, she had to tell him the truth.

She did love him though, she did.

“Zoë?”

Her head sprung up, realising she hadn’t heard a word Mal had said. “Sir?”

He regarded her for a moment. “Got no use for a pilot who don’t fly or a first mate who don’t listen. No idea what’s gone on between you two and don’t particularly wish to, but while you’re workin’ there’s no distractions. 瞭解?”

“我瞭解.” She nodded somewhat tightly.

~

“Hey, Wash. Wash?”

“Hu?”

Kaylee smiled kindly, sitting next to him at the table. “What’s up?”

“Oh you know…” Wash said vaguely, peering aimlessly into his beaker of coffee. The Captain and Zoë had just left to drop the goods and with any luck get paid and as usual Wash was left with the ship.

“No, I don’t know, actually,” Kaylee replied.

Wash was silent for a moment, avoiding her eye contact. Finally he explained. “I think maybe I have completely ruined everything I ever had with Zoë.”

Kaylee sighed as though that was a ridiculous concept. Anyone who had seen them together could guess they would never be apart. “What makes you think that?”

“She’s ignoring me.”

“Oh.”

Wash laughed dryly. “Exactly.”

“Well, I’m sure…”

“And what’s worst is if Zoë’s 懊惱 with me then Mal’ll chuck me off the boat, possibly before landing, and then not only will I be promptly a million miles from her, I’ll most likely be dead too.”

Kaylee squeezed Wash’s hand. “My Pa always said if angry or upset the best thing you can do is talk about it. There’s gonna be no use in repeatedly tellin’ yourself how terrible things are.” She grinned brightly. “’Sides, things are never as bad as they seem. It’ll work out in the end, you’ll see.”

Wash couldn’t help smiling reluctantly back.

Kaylee had that affect on people. It was easy to judge a person on how Kaylee reacted to them. She was so honest and so good; if upset something must be seriously wrong, unless there was a boy involved of course. Wash and she shared something too. They shared a connection with Serenity. They both talked to her the same way and she talked back.

“Thanks.”

To be continued...