Zoë sat up gasping for air, glancing frantically around her into the darkness, her mind dizzy and disorientated. Only a groan next to her brought her back, though her heart still beat twice its usual pace. Her eyes became accustomed to the dim artificial light of her bunk and she almost recognised the dark tufts of hair that lay on the pillow next to her.

He groaned again and turned to face her, his dark eyes blinking sleepily open. “What’s up, baby?”

Baby. It stung like a bad memory. What had she been dreaming of? It was odd. There was still that horrible sinking feeling in her stomach like she had lost something really precious.

Baby, no! Baby, come on. You gotta go. Come on.

Zoë shrugged the feeling off and lay back down in bed, somewhat stiffly into the arms of the man with the concerned dark eyes. What was his name again? Ken? Maybe Ben… It had been noisy last night, noisy and hot.

~

Zoë showed the man out while trying not to look as though she was pushing him away.

“Just give me a wave next time you’re around, right?” He really was very cute, but she had never really gone for cute guys.

“I’m not sure when that’ll be…” she replied, hesitantly.

Ken gave her a lingering look, she was pretty sure it was ‘Ken’. She could see she had hurt his feelings, but what could she do? He wasn’t first, nor likely the last, drunken mistake she’d make. Glancing to the ramp that led out of the cargo bay Zoë spotted Mal. Damn… She’d hoped he wouldn’t be around to witness this. “Look, I need to get on. It was nice… meeting you, Ken.”

He gave her a look of utter disregard.

“My name’s Ben.”

Spinning on his heel he stormed off the ship, leaving Zoë looking helpless, though somewhat relieved.

“Who was that?!” Mal exclaimed as she approached him.

“Who is that?” Zoë dodged the question squinting at the man approaching Serenity.

“That is hopefully our pilot!” Mal explained proudly.

Zoë strained to see through the searing morning sun that beat down her chocolate skin. He looked short. Golden hair shone in messy spikes on the top of his head and he wore a baggy Hawaiian shirt.

“Alright?” He held his pale hand out to Mal who took it readily. “I’m Wash.”

“This is Serenity,” Mal indicated to the ship behind them, “I’m the Captain, Malcolm Reynolds and this is Zoë, my first mate.”

Wash stuck out his hand to Zoë, but she didn’t take it. She had been rooted firmly to the spot since meeting his watery blue eyes. She was unsure what it was though. Had she met him before? It was that unsettling feeling of déjà vu.

It bothered her…

The End.