shamefully overdue i know... hope you haven't forgotten what's happened! i couldn't get it right and still unsure... what do you think of the ending? was trying to get some wash sarcasm in there too because realised he'd been really mopey... added the wash-zoe memories just 'cos its fun! hope you enjoy...

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Darkness, death, despair. I had been lost but never so truly as now. So alone. Darkness, death, despair…

“Wash, I wish -”

“Can you just leave me alone, please,” I said quietly. There was nothing Eve could say. I needed time.

I heard her leave, my eyes still closed. I was in a hotel room, sprawled across a bed that smelt of damp masked by cheap perfume. I felt empty, hollow. Why her? Why not anyone else? Why not everyone else? Tears ran down my nose, soaking into the colourless pillow into which I buried my head. Sorrow heaved in my chest and I sobbed. “Zoë…”

~

He loved her. He really loved her. I hadn’t been expecting a guilt trip. Maybe I did like him, seems I actually care. I wasn’t used to caring, made a habit of not caring, it was so much simpler. I’d honestly thought that he wouldn’t mind so much… but now I really realised the strength of what I’d done. And how could I make it better? Ha! Wash, you’ll never guess what, I lied to you! Yeah, I was only kidding, fooled you! Your wife wasn’t really killed…

~

“I love you.”

“Hu, wha?” Zoë looked startled.

“I actually love you.”

“Wash, you’re crazy… and drunk,” added as an afterthought.

“Don’t make it less true.” Zoë just stared at me. “And you love me too.”

She snorted. “You’re wrong.”

“No, I’m not!” I insisted, moving my chair closer to hers.

“Prove it.”

“You’ve not punched me yet!”

“Do I have to punch you to prove I don't love you?” she asked, a smile flickering across her face.

“Oh come on, Zo, I’ve seen the way you look at me…” I said, grinning.

“Love? That’s pity.”

“Fine, I’ll prove it. I’ll kiss you and if you don’t love me you can punch me and if you do, you can kiss me back.” It made sense in my head.

I hesitated for a second and Zoë smirked. “Scared?”

“Just don’t… punch me.”

“You’re the one who’s so self assured as to think I wouldn’t.”

“Would you?”

She hesitated for a moment and I kissed her.

~

“Quit it.”

Zoë’s lips hardly moved. Her voice was drowsy with sleep. Her eyes were determinedly closed, curls of her silken hair falling over her chocolate cheeks.

“What?”

“I’m asleep. Quit staring.”

“I’m not!”

She was so beautiful. Like she as an angel, a Goddess. The curve of her body, the shape of her lips, her long lashes, her skin, so soft and smooth so I could hardly bear not to touch it – it was as though she had been made as perfection.

“You’re still staring…”

“I’m not!”

Her eyes blinked open and she smiled with satisfaction.

“Well, you’re not asleep!”

“Thanks to someone…”

I kissed her gently. “Sleeping’s overrated.”

~

His voice was quiet, barely distinguishable. He wouldn’t look at me. “I thought… I thought she would always be… she was so strong!”

Why hadn’t they come back for him if they were so in love? Why had they left him in the hands of the Alliance? “Honey, I know it hurts, but you’ll be ok, it’s ok.”

He shook his head, his voice void of emotion. “No, it won’t.”

I sighed and stood up, walking to the window. A man in the street peered up, but glanced away as our eyes met, walking hastily away. Strange…

“Wash… I think we might be…” The Alliance hadn’t chased us like they should’ve. The crew of Serenity were alive and wanted by the Alliance so, could it be… “Wash, I think we may have been followed. Or maybe…” I grabbed his wrist, ignoring his yell of protest. “Ai-ya!” I cried, seeing the dark lump of skin. “Oh ai-ya tian-a”

“What?”

“I assume you didn’t have that before you arrived in hospital.”

“Well, no, but I -”

“You’ve been tagged. The Alliance let us escape. We’re being watched. Gos-se!”

“What? Why would they bother -”

“I don’t have time to explain.”

“You’re crazy!”

“You’ve got to get it out…”

“Oh, cai-bu-shi…”

“Here.” I held out the knife I had stolen. He didn’t take it.

“As fun as it sounds to cut on myself…”

“Do you want me to do it?” I said, grabbing his wrist.

“Ah! Crazy woman! Let go!” He wrenched his wrist free. “Fine. I’ll do it.”

“Wimp.”

“Psycho”

“Idiot.”

“Freak.”

“Fatty.”

“Hey!” Wash protested, “Dormant muscle!”

I scoffed. “Go on then.”

~

We crept down the corridor. My wrist throbbed with a dull pain. I could feel the blood pulsing through my arm; leaking through the piece of cloth Eve had inexpertly bound my wound with. A part of my liked the pain, distracted from the aching of my heart.

“If we get seen they’ll know you’ve got rid of it, so don’t draw any attention to us,” Eve hissed.

“Yeah, because I thought now would be the perfect time to do the Hokey-Pokey,” I said, my voice dripping with sarcasm.

“I would really feel safer with a gun…” Eve muttered, ignoring me. A man stepped from the room to our left and without a pause Eve delivered a blow to the head and then bashed his face against the wall. He slumped to the floor and she swooped up the gun from his holster, smiling. “Thanks!”

“What would you have done if he’d been unarmed?”

Eve glanced at me, her gaze exasperated. “Cried.”

Suddenly, there was shouting and the rushing of feet. Two men burst around the corner ahead of us and shots flew out. I froze, but Eve grabbed me, dragging me into the room, slamming the door.

“Lao-tian-ye! I’ve got blood on me! Eve! I think I’m bleeding!”

Eve turned to me, her face suddenly pale as death. “Don’t be an idiot. It’s me.”

I just gazed at her, my mouth open. She’d been shot. Blood was oozing from a wound in her chest, slowly, determinedly. “Eve…”

“Save it.” She slumped against the door, her breaths harsher, deeper.

“Eve, it’s gonna be -”

“Save it! I’m gonna die. It happens.” She slipped to the floor and I crouched next to her. There was shouting from outside, banging. “You’ve got to know… She’s alive. They’re alive. I lied.”

“What? Why would you -” I protested.

“It doesn’t matter. I just -” She coughed heavily, blood spurting from her lips. “They’ll be back here in a week. Wait. Find them. You really… love her…”

I was silent. I touched her hand gently. Could it be… “Eve…”

“Save it, flabby. I’m gonna save you’re gorram life now, again, so let me just die in peace.” She struggled to her feet, swaying slightly, looking faint.

“What, Eve don’t -”

“I shoot, you run. Got it? Don’t mess up or… I’ll kill you.”

Before I could object she flung open the door and began firing.

~

I squinted in the light as we stepped off Serenity. The job had gone well. It was kind of chilling when that happened. Everyone was expecting something to go wrong as we flew back to Persephone. Not everything could be right…

Suddenly I froze.

“Zoë?” I heard Mal’s voice distantly, as though it were muffled.

“No…” I whispered, stumbling forward. It can’t be. But it was. He stood right there, just gazing at me. My walk turned to a run and I flung me arms around him.

Tears blinded me, the tears I promised would never fall, but it did not matter. I did not need to see, I could feel him, and my tears fell on him. I tried to speak but my throat was choked up. “Oh!” I moaned, grasping at him, holding him tight so he could not leave me again ever. I was too happy to smile, too stunned, just too dazed.

He took my cheeks in his hands his eyes searching mine and kissed me, a kiss I wished would last for all eternity.

He was home, I was home.