Inara's Gift
Another addition in the Sushi!Fic 'verse!
I'd say this takes place at the very very very end of the 'verse. And much thanks to terimaru for inviting me to this shiny comm and letting me play along. *winks* The only description I've got to give is: it's a Zoe!Surprise fic.
Disclaimer: Joss owns it all 'cept for the glorified guppies.
Rating: PG
Much, much, much thanks to homespunfic for beta'ing (and being an all around Hun) my story. You'll always be the Mal to my Zoe.
Zoë would look back on her lifetime with Malcolm Reynolds and his wife and smile often. They had some good times, some bad - never smooth sailing. And as she sat rocking on her small front porch, their children came calling. Not two-hundred yards from their folks’ own house, her home was often a hideout, playhouse, or a place to rest their heads.
“Story, Aunt Zoë, story!”
Little Matthew would scramble up on her lap and look at her with eyes of blue that were comfortingly familiar. The boy had dark hair, smattering of freckles across his nose and a swagger that would make his Pa prouder than a peacock. Matthew’s elder sister, Alleyne, would hang back, only coming as far as the posts holding up the porch roof. So much like her Ma, Zoë thought, so much. Her wavy, jet black locks were rarely out of place, and her dark eyes always saw more than they ever let on. Age and wisdom and an old soul looked out at Zoë every time she glanced Alley’s way. And grace…child was Inara through and through.
Putting a hand to her pursed lips, Zoë pretended to think on what the small ones wanted to hear. With Matthew it was always stories of capers, fracases, adventures. One thing she never talked on with Mal’s son was the war. As far as her mind could see that was Matt’s Pa’s job, if and when he ever felt like speaking out about his part as a Browncoat.
With Alley, the girl was obsessed with the small minutiae of life as a Companion. More recently she’d been inquisitive about her namesakes - she and Wash. Alley’s first questions were innocent enough, but the jolt of her asking straight out the first time - well, that made an old wound ache. Zoe knew some hurts just went much deeper than anyone could see. This particular one - it’d been starting to heal over when Inara had come to Zoë and told her that they would name their firstborn Alleyne Washburn Reynolds… Thinking back, it had been like a closed fist to her gut. It had taken the wind out of her and she wouldn’t hear of it for days.
And then one night, her heart changed and accepted.
“Okay, xiao zhi nu, a story just for you today. I’d ‘preciate it if you don’t mention it to your Ma and Pa, though. This is just for you and me. Dong ma?” Those serious and dark eyes looked back at her and then a slight nod of her head was the only sort of acknowledgement Zoë was gonna get.
You are so like your Ma, little one.
“When your Ma was expecting you, Alley, I’d never seen a man happier than your Pa during that time.” Smiling down at Matthew, she touched the end of his nose. “That is till you came along not much after - happiness all over again.”
Tilting her head back, Zoë closed her eyes.
The silent hum of Serenity’s engine created a backdrop for the living she’d done back then. Laughter filtered in as she could hear the clank and clink of dishes and silverware being dropped into the sink. Kaylee and Simon walked out the door to their bunk. River strolled off in another direction.
They’d waited till everyone else had left, Inara asking Zoe to hang back and talk. Surprise didn’t quite pinpoint how she felt when Inara sat at the head of the table and Mal stood behind her with his hands braced on her shoulders.
“Zoe, we have some news. And we wanted to tell you first before anyone else, before the rest of the crew. It’s not that we don’t think they’ll be excited. I mean, they will.” An out-of-sorts Mrs. Inara Reynolds wasn’t something a body saw everyday. Leaning back and folding her foot over her knee, Zoe laid one hand idly on her ankle while the other rested on her knee. Smiling at the two, she’d no idea what they had going…but it was gonna be worth the price of admission.
“If this is about the fishes expecting… already know. River told me.”
Looking up into Mal’s face, she expected find the telltale smirky ass grin. Only it was absent. In its place was… What? Compassion? Pity? What in the hell was that doing there? She’d only ever seen that look once before, in the cargo bay.
She’s hurt plenty. But she’ll fly true.
Zoe straightened up - straighter than in her days of soldiering - her spine was ramrod tight.
“Zoe…” Mal started to speak. Ducking his head, she saw his hand tighten on Inara’s shoulder. “I can’t,” she heard him whisper.
“We’re having a baby, Zoe.” Inara blurted out.
She felt her spine relax. Grinning, her heart was warmed by the thought of a little Mal or Inara Junior.
“That all? That’s good news. Best piece of it I’ve heard in awhile.”
Mal then did something that surprised her even further. He dropped a kiss on top of his wife’s head. “I can’t,” he whispered, again. He turned without looking once her way, and Zoe was on guard again. Hearing his footsteps retreat no further than the other side of the door, she could picture him leaning on the wall just beyond the doorway.
“Zoe?” Her attention snapped to the former Companion sitting at the opposite end of the table. Rising gracefully from the chair, Inara strode to the end of the table where Zoe was seated. Inara then settled into a chair.
“You’ve always been his family. The most important thing in his world and I never once questioned it. You’ve become just as integral to me, in my life. And it scared me so much when you lost Wash…when we all lost Wash.”
“Inara. Really don’t see what this has to do with your bundle of joy.”
“You will, I promise. I just have to say this first, Zoe. There would be no Mal and I without a You and Wash.” Inara raised a hand as if she would brook no interruptions. “You two gave us this remarkable and inspiring example of why it could work out here, in all of this. The love between you and Wash was something you could see and feel and I do not profess to have River’s … knack for such things, but I knew that no matter what you two would last forever.”
Zoe couldn’t help but let the tears come. Some things just lasted - and her hurt over losing the only man she loved would last a lifetime.
“We, that is Mal and I, talked about it and we would like to name the baby after you. Simon was kind enough to tell us that our baby is a girl. And if you’ll allow us the honor we’d like to name her Alleyne Washburn Reynolds.”
She’d taken the shock of running away from her husband’s body. She’d taken it with his name still warm on her lips, and ran. Killing the animals that had done him in helped, in retrospect. There was no one to lash out at here. Just a friend sitting in front of her wanting…wanting. Balling her hands into fists, they tightened on her pant legs. Breathe, breathe, breathe. Don’t let it show. Don’t let her know how much this hurts. Wiping her eyes clear of the tears, Zoe stood and walked out the room. Just outside the door Mal stopped her.
“Zoe.”
“Now would not be the time, Sir.”
“You suss it out for a few days, okay?”
Staring intently into his eyes, she snapped. “No, Sir. Nothing to ‘suss’ out this time. Answer’s no. Take that back, it’s hell no.”
Storming off and down the ladder into her bunk, Zoe crawled onto their bed. She waited until then…to let go. Weren’t much time later when she heard footsteps on the ladder. Seeing the chic and rich fabric of Inara’s skirts, Zoe turned her face to the wall.
“Mal told me I was on a fool’s mission with this whole business.”
Rolling her eyes, Zoe punched the pillow further under her head giving it an extra shove for good measure. “He’d been right.”
“Zoe, I do not know how to make this right in your mind. And I would like to think you and are good enough friends to talk about it.”
Zoe gave herself a moment or two to get composed and then turned over. Looking at Inara, she tried to remember that under all that perfection was the woman Mal loved.
“Only other person in this ‘verse that’s got those two names is me. I got a right to ‘em. I earned ‘em. Was born with one half of it, married the other half. Buried him, too. It might be selfish, but it’s all I got left, Inara.” Turning, she presented Inara with her back. “Now leave me be.”
Days later Zoe stood in her bunk, her mind full of everything. Wash had been dead for some time but this new friction had nothing and everything to do with the man long gone. Sitting on her bed and looking at the capture of herself and Wash, Zoe smiled. Wondering what he would do about the wall of silence between she and Mal.
“You’d make us talk. Wouldn’t you, husband?”
Laying the image on her chest, she thought back on moments over the last few days. The two of them standing on the bridge saying nothing or in the common room eating quietly or helping Kaylee with the engine. A chore that used to be filled with laughter and Kaylee-type chatter was now reduced to tapping each other on the forearms to pass tools back and forth. Even Jayne had taken to being quiet, except when muttering about turning Inara’s beloved fish, Sushi and Sashimi, into some proper cuisine. And River, bless the addlebrained little one, her only words were “He’s hurting. You left him. When he couldn’t walk you carried him.”
Carefully laying the capture on their bedside table, she tossed on a set of clothes and climbed up the ladder. Tea. Beer. Wine. Something. She needed something wet and needed it right now. Walking into the mess area, Zoë stopped short at the sight of the Captain sitting at the table. Shouldn’t have startled her - man didn’t sleep well, never had. And for the first time in her friendship with him, she wanted to retreat. Keeping her steps light, she toed backwards through the doorway.
“Zoë, sit.”
Go se. Inches from a clean getaway, she thought. Striding forward, she went into the galley and retrieved a glass of water. Looking over at the Captain, she saw he had hands curled around his favorite green mug. Sipping something. Zoë noticed a bottle at his elbow and shook her head. That kind of night, she thought. Dumping her water back out, she grabbed another mug and joined him at the table. He poured the dark colored liquid into her cup, and she took a sip. Kaylee’s wine.
“Zoë, I got no point of reference here, and I got no call to ask you to think on this.”
“That’s right. You don’t.”
Kicking herself, Zoë couldn’t do this to him. But…gorramit.
“Not that you don’t have rights - you got right to parts, just not all.”
He rubbed his hands over his face, which was as clear to Zoë as waiving a white flag. Man was damned. His wife wanted this to honor herself and Wash; any damned fool could see Inara’s intentions. Just didn’t make that ache any less painful.
“I know that,” he whispered. “I do, Zoë, I know it. She just wants to do this, knew from the first moment what she wanted. I can’t stop her.”
Taking a big gulp of the fermented juice that Kaylee called wine, Zoë felt the world warm just a degree or two. “Sir?”
He looked up at her. And she saw the pain that she was causing him. Caught between his wife and his best friend was not a place he cared to be, she was sure of it as she was that she would never marry again. Captain nodded his head, giving her leave to continue.
“I got through those days just the same as the war. Knew it was something I had to do, not something I wanted to do - just had to be done. Eating, everything tasted like sand. Sleeping, dreams came all the time. Daytime, everywhere I looked there he was.” Leaning over, Zoë refilled her mug again. Taking a deep drink, she looked at the cup and then back up. Kind eyes. He always did have the kindest eyes.
“Not gonna say that I know what you were feeling, cuz there ain’t a pain like that. No amount of bullet-riddlin’ could count the same. Tried to imagine it more’n once, only thing I could come up with was Inara not being in this world anymore. Didn’t like that feeling overmuch.”
Letting the silence sit between them, Zoë stared at spot on the wall. They’d always been able to talk on almost anything - except Wash. And dying hadn’t made it any easier. Hearing Mal take a drink and then a deep breath, Zoë prepared for more.
“You know she’s not doing this to hurt you.”
Zoë just nodded her head in assent.
“This is her way of saying that she wished that you and Wash’d had the chance at this bundle of joy… Gorramit, Zoë.” His voice caught and Zoë felt her eyes fill. Tears had happened between the two of them, not that anyone would believe it if she’d told ‘em. “You two deserved this chance.”
She knew that, in her heart she knew that. And any idiot would understand that Inara was giving her a chance at this child.
Shoulda been us, Wash. Should be our first borne on Simon’s table.
I know, baby, I know.
Zoe felt a hand on her shoulder and knew. Laying her hand over Mal’s, she gave it a quick squeeze. “Sure we did, Sir. It just passed us by is all. Now it’s your turn.” Removing her hand from Mal’s she wiped her eyes. “You let that woman of yours dress that kid in foofaraw all the time, there will be words. She’ll be carrying three strong names, can’t have no greenhorn Reynolds in a dress.”
And it was okay. There would be an Alleyne Washburn Reynolds in this world. And her Wash would have loved every minute of it. Smiling to herself, she drained the last of the wine. Finding her feet, Zoe walked by the Captain, only to be detained by a hand on her elbow.
“Zoë…thank you.”
“Sure.”
Zoë was brought back to present day by Matthew’s snoring. Smiling down at him, she pushed his bangs off to one side.
“You loved Uncle Wash an awful lot, didn’t you?”
Looking down at Alley, who was now lazing at Zoë’s feet, she nodded. “Sure did, little one. And he would have loved you.”
“Yeah?” Laughing before she could help herself, Zoë quieted. Alley’s expression was all Mal and so full of skepticism.
“Yeah.”
“Good story, Aunt Zoë. That was a good story.”
“Weren’t nothin’. Now why don’t you run on ahead and tell your Ma that Matt is sleepin’ and I’m gonna let him set a piece. Send him home when he’s woke up.”
Alley stood and ambled down off the porch, only to grab a post and swing back around.
“Zoë?”
“Yeah?”
“You love my dad, don’t you? Not the same as my Ma, but you do.”
Looking down at Matt’s face and then back up to Alley’s, Zoë nodded. “Sure do, little one.”
“And he loves you?”
“I’d like to think so.”
“Good.” Zoë watched Alley trying to suss out the world’s problems while staring down at her shoes. “Zoë?”
Before she could get frustrated another bit of laughter escaped. “Yeah?”
“I’m glad. I’m glad they named me after you and Wash. Never used to be happy about it. Now…now I am.”
“Me, too, Alley, me too. Now run on and tell your Ma about Matt.”
Zoë rocked and enjoyed the feel of the boy in her arms, her heart lightened by a young girl who had a life yet to live.
I'd say this takes place at the very very very end of the 'verse. And much thanks to terimaru for inviting me to this shiny comm and letting me play along. *winks* The only description I've got to give is: it's a Zoe!Surprise fic.
Disclaimer: Joss owns it all 'cept for the glorified guppies.
Rating: PG
Much, much, much thanks to homespunfic for beta'ing (and being an all around Hun) my story. You'll always be the Mal to my Zoe.
Zoë would look back on her lifetime with Malcolm Reynolds and his wife and smile often. They had some good times, some bad - never smooth sailing. And as she sat rocking on her small front porch, their children came calling. Not two-hundred yards from their folks’ own house, her home was often a hideout, playhouse, or a place to rest their heads.
“Story, Aunt Zoë, story!”
Little Matthew would scramble up on her lap and look at her with eyes of blue that were comfortingly familiar. The boy had dark hair, smattering of freckles across his nose and a swagger that would make his Pa prouder than a peacock. Matthew’s elder sister, Alleyne, would hang back, only coming as far as the posts holding up the porch roof. So much like her Ma, Zoë thought, so much. Her wavy, jet black locks were rarely out of place, and her dark eyes always saw more than they ever let on. Age and wisdom and an old soul looked out at Zoë every time she glanced Alley’s way. And grace…child was Inara through and through.
Putting a hand to her pursed lips, Zoë pretended to think on what the small ones wanted to hear. With Matthew it was always stories of capers, fracases, adventures. One thing she never talked on with Mal’s son was the war. As far as her mind could see that was Matt’s Pa’s job, if and when he ever felt like speaking out about his part as a Browncoat.
With Alley, the girl was obsessed with the small minutiae of life as a Companion. More recently she’d been inquisitive about her namesakes - she and Wash. Alley’s first questions were innocent enough, but the jolt of her asking straight out the first time - well, that made an old wound ache. Zoe knew some hurts just went much deeper than anyone could see. This particular one - it’d been starting to heal over when Inara had come to Zoë and told her that they would name their firstborn Alleyne Washburn Reynolds… Thinking back, it had been like a closed fist to her gut. It had taken the wind out of her and she wouldn’t hear of it for days.
And then one night, her heart changed and accepted.
“Okay, xiao zhi nu, a story just for you today. I’d ‘preciate it if you don’t mention it to your Ma and Pa, though. This is just for you and me. Dong ma?” Those serious and dark eyes looked back at her and then a slight nod of her head was the only sort of acknowledgement Zoë was gonna get.
You are so like your Ma, little one.
“When your Ma was expecting you, Alley, I’d never seen a man happier than your Pa during that time.” Smiling down at Matthew, she touched the end of his nose. “That is till you came along not much after - happiness all over again.”
Tilting her head back, Zoë closed her eyes.
The silent hum of Serenity’s engine created a backdrop for the living she’d done back then. Laughter filtered in as she could hear the clank and clink of dishes and silverware being dropped into the sink. Kaylee and Simon walked out the door to their bunk. River strolled off in another direction.
They’d waited till everyone else had left, Inara asking Zoe to hang back and talk. Surprise didn’t quite pinpoint how she felt when Inara sat at the head of the table and Mal stood behind her with his hands braced on her shoulders.
“Zoe, we have some news. And we wanted to tell you first before anyone else, before the rest of the crew. It’s not that we don’t think they’ll be excited. I mean, they will.” An out-of-sorts Mrs. Inara Reynolds wasn’t something a body saw everyday. Leaning back and folding her foot over her knee, Zoe laid one hand idly on her ankle while the other rested on her knee. Smiling at the two, she’d no idea what they had going…but it was gonna be worth the price of admission.
“If this is about the fishes expecting… already know. River told me.”
Looking up into Mal’s face, she expected find the telltale smirky ass grin. Only it was absent. In its place was… What? Compassion? Pity? What in the hell was that doing there? She’d only ever seen that look once before, in the cargo bay.
She’s hurt plenty. But she’ll fly true.
Zoe straightened up - straighter than in her days of soldiering - her spine was ramrod tight.
“Zoe…” Mal started to speak. Ducking his head, she saw his hand tighten on Inara’s shoulder. “I can’t,” she heard him whisper.
“We’re having a baby, Zoe.” Inara blurted out.
She felt her spine relax. Grinning, her heart was warmed by the thought of a little Mal or Inara Junior.
“That all? That’s good news. Best piece of it I’ve heard in awhile.”
Mal then did something that surprised her even further. He dropped a kiss on top of his wife’s head. “I can’t,” he whispered, again. He turned without looking once her way, and Zoe was on guard again. Hearing his footsteps retreat no further than the other side of the door, she could picture him leaning on the wall just beyond the doorway.
“Zoe?” Her attention snapped to the former Companion sitting at the opposite end of the table. Rising gracefully from the chair, Inara strode to the end of the table where Zoe was seated. Inara then settled into a chair.
“You’ve always been his family. The most important thing in his world and I never once questioned it. You’ve become just as integral to me, in my life. And it scared me so much when you lost Wash…when we all lost Wash.”
“Inara. Really don’t see what this has to do with your bundle of joy.”
“You will, I promise. I just have to say this first, Zoe. There would be no Mal and I without a You and Wash.” Inara raised a hand as if she would brook no interruptions. “You two gave us this remarkable and inspiring example of why it could work out here, in all of this. The love between you and Wash was something you could see and feel and I do not profess to have River’s … knack for such things, but I knew that no matter what you two would last forever.”
Zoe couldn’t help but let the tears come. Some things just lasted - and her hurt over losing the only man she loved would last a lifetime.
“We, that is Mal and I, talked about it and we would like to name the baby after you. Simon was kind enough to tell us that our baby is a girl. And if you’ll allow us the honor we’d like to name her Alleyne Washburn Reynolds.”
She’d taken the shock of running away from her husband’s body. She’d taken it with his name still warm on her lips, and ran. Killing the animals that had done him in helped, in retrospect. There was no one to lash out at here. Just a friend sitting in front of her wanting…wanting. Balling her hands into fists, they tightened on her pant legs. Breathe, breathe, breathe. Don’t let it show. Don’t let her know how much this hurts. Wiping her eyes clear of the tears, Zoe stood and walked out the room. Just outside the door Mal stopped her.
“Zoe.”
“Now would not be the time, Sir.”
“You suss it out for a few days, okay?”
Staring intently into his eyes, she snapped. “No, Sir. Nothing to ‘suss’ out this time. Answer’s no. Take that back, it’s hell no.”
Storming off and down the ladder into her bunk, Zoe crawled onto their bed. She waited until then…to let go. Weren’t much time later when she heard footsteps on the ladder. Seeing the chic and rich fabric of Inara’s skirts, Zoe turned her face to the wall.
“Mal told me I was on a fool’s mission with this whole business.”
Rolling her eyes, Zoe punched the pillow further under her head giving it an extra shove for good measure. “He’d been right.”
“Zoe, I do not know how to make this right in your mind. And I would like to think you and are good enough friends to talk about it.”
Zoe gave herself a moment or two to get composed and then turned over. Looking at Inara, she tried to remember that under all that perfection was the woman Mal loved.
“Only other person in this ‘verse that’s got those two names is me. I got a right to ‘em. I earned ‘em. Was born with one half of it, married the other half. Buried him, too. It might be selfish, but it’s all I got left, Inara.” Turning, she presented Inara with her back. “Now leave me be.”
Days later Zoe stood in her bunk, her mind full of everything. Wash had been dead for some time but this new friction had nothing and everything to do with the man long gone. Sitting on her bed and looking at the capture of herself and Wash, Zoe smiled. Wondering what he would do about the wall of silence between she and Mal.
“You’d make us talk. Wouldn’t you, husband?”
Laying the image on her chest, she thought back on moments over the last few days. The two of them standing on the bridge saying nothing or in the common room eating quietly or helping Kaylee with the engine. A chore that used to be filled with laughter and Kaylee-type chatter was now reduced to tapping each other on the forearms to pass tools back and forth. Even Jayne had taken to being quiet, except when muttering about turning Inara’s beloved fish, Sushi and Sashimi, into some proper cuisine. And River, bless the addlebrained little one, her only words were “He’s hurting. You left him. When he couldn’t walk you carried him.”
Carefully laying the capture on their bedside table, she tossed on a set of clothes and climbed up the ladder. Tea. Beer. Wine. Something. She needed something wet and needed it right now. Walking into the mess area, Zoë stopped short at the sight of the Captain sitting at the table. Shouldn’t have startled her - man didn’t sleep well, never had. And for the first time in her friendship with him, she wanted to retreat. Keeping her steps light, she toed backwards through the doorway.
“Zoë, sit.”
Go se. Inches from a clean getaway, she thought. Striding forward, she went into the galley and retrieved a glass of water. Looking over at the Captain, she saw he had hands curled around his favorite green mug. Sipping something. Zoë noticed a bottle at his elbow and shook her head. That kind of night, she thought. Dumping her water back out, she grabbed another mug and joined him at the table. He poured the dark colored liquid into her cup, and she took a sip. Kaylee’s wine.
“Zoë, I got no point of reference here, and I got no call to ask you to think on this.”
“That’s right. You don’t.”
Kicking herself, Zoë couldn’t do this to him. But…gorramit.
“Not that you don’t have rights - you got right to parts, just not all.”
He rubbed his hands over his face, which was as clear to Zoë as waiving a white flag. Man was damned. His wife wanted this to honor herself and Wash; any damned fool could see Inara’s intentions. Just didn’t make that ache any less painful.
“I know that,” he whispered. “I do, Zoë, I know it. She just wants to do this, knew from the first moment what she wanted. I can’t stop her.”
Taking a big gulp of the fermented juice that Kaylee called wine, Zoë felt the world warm just a degree or two. “Sir?”
He looked up at her. And she saw the pain that she was causing him. Caught between his wife and his best friend was not a place he cared to be, she was sure of it as she was that she would never marry again. Captain nodded his head, giving her leave to continue.
“I got through those days just the same as the war. Knew it was something I had to do, not something I wanted to do - just had to be done. Eating, everything tasted like sand. Sleeping, dreams came all the time. Daytime, everywhere I looked there he was.” Leaning over, Zoë refilled her mug again. Taking a deep drink, she looked at the cup and then back up. Kind eyes. He always did have the kindest eyes.
“Not gonna say that I know what you were feeling, cuz there ain’t a pain like that. No amount of bullet-riddlin’ could count the same. Tried to imagine it more’n once, only thing I could come up with was Inara not being in this world anymore. Didn’t like that feeling overmuch.”
Letting the silence sit between them, Zoë stared at spot on the wall. They’d always been able to talk on almost anything - except Wash. And dying hadn’t made it any easier. Hearing Mal take a drink and then a deep breath, Zoë prepared for more.
“You know she’s not doing this to hurt you.”
Zoë just nodded her head in assent.
“This is her way of saying that she wished that you and Wash’d had the chance at this bundle of joy… Gorramit, Zoë.” His voice caught and Zoë felt her eyes fill. Tears had happened between the two of them, not that anyone would believe it if she’d told ‘em. “You two deserved this chance.”
She knew that, in her heart she knew that. And any idiot would understand that Inara was giving her a chance at this child.
Shoulda been us, Wash. Should be our first borne on Simon’s table.
I know, baby, I know.
Zoe felt a hand on her shoulder and knew. Laying her hand over Mal’s, she gave it a quick squeeze. “Sure we did, Sir. It just passed us by is all. Now it’s your turn.” Removing her hand from Mal’s she wiped her eyes. “You let that woman of yours dress that kid in foofaraw all the time, there will be words. She’ll be carrying three strong names, can’t have no greenhorn Reynolds in a dress.”
And it was okay. There would be an Alleyne Washburn Reynolds in this world. And her Wash would have loved every minute of it. Smiling to herself, she drained the last of the wine. Finding her feet, Zoe walked by the Captain, only to be detained by a hand on her elbow.
“Zoë…thank you.”
“Sure.”
Zoë was brought back to present day by Matthew’s snoring. Smiling down at him, she pushed his bangs off to one side.
“You loved Uncle Wash an awful lot, didn’t you?”
Looking down at Alley, who was now lazing at Zoë’s feet, she nodded. “Sure did, little one. And he would have loved you.”
“Yeah?” Laughing before she could help herself, Zoë quieted. Alley’s expression was all Mal and so full of skepticism.
“Yeah.”
“Good story, Aunt Zoë. That was a good story.”
“Weren’t nothin’. Now why don’t you run on ahead and tell your Ma that Matt is sleepin’ and I’m gonna let him set a piece. Send him home when he’s woke up.”
Alley stood and ambled down off the porch, only to grab a post and swing back around.
“Zoë?”
“Yeah?”
“You love my dad, don’t you? Not the same as my Ma, but you do.”
Looking down at Matt’s face and then back up to Alley’s, Zoë nodded. “Sure do, little one.”
“And he loves you?”
“I’d like to think so.”
“Good.” Zoë watched Alley trying to suss out the world’s problems while staring down at her shoes. “Zoë?”
Before she could get frustrated another bit of laughter escaped. “Yeah?”
“I’m glad. I’m glad they named me after you and Wash. Never used to be happy about it. Now…now I am.”
“Me, too, Alley, me too. Now run on and tell your Ma about Matt.”
Zoë rocked and enjoyed the feel of the boy in her arms, her heart lightened by a young girl who had a life yet to live.