Zoe raised her head at the sound of the intership comm. The familiar buzz, and then Wash’s voice, his irrepressible cheerfulness barely concealed beneath an attempt at professionalism.

“Zoe, report to the bridge. Repeat, will Zoe make her lovely way to the bridge.”

She rolled her eyes, pressed her hands to the table and lifted herself from her chair. Mal crossed her path as she left the mess hall for the bridge, he having come from that direction. He gave her a significant look, one not absent of a little humor, and passed her deliberately. Zoe made her way to the bridge, guns blazing for a little revenge.

Wash had his back to her, his dinos arranged artfully about the console. Zoe started right in.

“Do I sense an inappropriate abuse of power here, Wash?” she demanded, hands on hips.

Wash spun in his chair. “Are you referring to my position as pilot of this ship, or my infinitely more enjoyable position as your lo-ver?”

She sighed. “You’re not keeping our secret very well, Wash.”

He linked his fingers behind his head and leaned back in the pilot’s chair.

“C’mon, Zoe,” he pleaded. “It’s been, say...one month. Today!”

She raised one eyebrow, but quickly counted the days in her head. Gorram it, he was right.

“Besides,” he said with a sly smile. “It took some extensive connections - and begging - to smuggle these on board.”

Reaching under the console, Wash suddenly produced a bouquet of crimson lilies, the stems swathed in a piece of cream-colored silk. Zoe couldn’t repress a small gasp. She accepted them ruefully, a smile twitching at the corner of her mouth.

“They don’t go with my outfit.”

“Nonsense, my dear! That’s part two. Go to your bunk and get yourself all dolled up. We’re docking on Persephone in....” He glanced at the chronometer. “Forty-five minutes. And I’m taking you out for the finest dinner can be found on this side of the ‘Verse.”

As she retreated, stunned, to her bunk to change, Zoe couldn’t help but shake her head. What in the wuo de ma had she gotten herself into?

*****

Hours later Wash and Zoe stumbled, sated in every way but one, back up the cargo ramp of Serenity. Food and drink they’d had in plenty, and drink enough to send them into each other’s tipsy arms at the slightest provocation.

“Whoa, watch that edge there,” Wash warned. Zoe answered with a peal of laughter, which, infectious, soon spread back to Wash. Still giggling, they found their way up the stairs and into the fore hallway, where Wash managed to pin Zoe against the bulkhead as soon as they topped the stairs.

“Mmm,” he sighed, leaning in to place a sensuous, and slightly drunken, kiss on her lips. He pulled back, gazed into her eyes. She licked her lips and giggled again.

“Whose bunk tonight, Bao bei?”

Zoe pulled him to her by the tie, in which, by the way, he looked quite attractive. “Whichever’s closest,” she whispered, low, into his ear.

“’Nuff said,” he acceded, eyes wide, and helped her down the ladder to his bunk. Gorram, he loved it when she took charge.

No sooner were they below than he found himself attacked and mauled by a warrior woman, but somehow couldn’t find a single fiber of his being that objected. Zoe pulled him by his lapels down onto the bed, on top of her forgiving form. She fumbled at his tie.

“We’re going to make this good, Baby,” she sighed as she kissed him below the ear.

He couldn’t resist. “Isn’t it always? Or have I been under a tragic misapprehension...”

Zoe growled. “Where’s your ambition?”

With that he set to work, kissed her from her jaw down to the neckline of her slinky dress. Pulled the lovely tan and white silk fabric from her shoulders. Allowed the crisscrossed pattern that hugged her curves so faithfully to slip away from her chocolate colored skin. Soon the dress was sliding down her thighs and off of the bed.

“Wu deh tien ah...” he murmured, eyes roving her exquisite body. Zoe broke into a lovely smile. “Shut up and kiss me, Wash.”

They both smiled, then, memories of their first night together sweetening the moment.

“Come here, you,” he said, wrapping his hands around her waist and drawing her to him. She arched up into him and kissed him sweetly, her innocent move belied by the fact that she was naked to the waist, and mostly naked beyond. In seconds he was as bare as she, their bodies pressed tightly together. They slid against one another, dampened skin radiating the heat of their passion. They grappled, each in the moment wanting the upper hand, until their embrace grew so fervored that....Wash disappeared.

“Liou coh shway duh biao-tze huh hoe-tze fuh ur-tze...!” came a voice from the floor.

Zoe rolled over, pulling a sheet up around herself and craning her neck over the edge of the bunk. Wash was naked, sprawled on the floor.

Zoe laughed long and hard, much to her erstwhile companion’s consternation.

“Something tells me we’re gonna need a bigger bed,” she quipped, then laughed again.

“Bad news, honey,” Wash called up in response. “I think I broke my...everything.”

Still smiling, Zoe pulled herself off the bunk.

“Don’t worry Baby, I’ll come to you.”

And so she came to him. And they finished the job where they were.

*****

A gentle knock sounded on Zoe’s door.

“Who is it?” she called wearily.

“Inara.”

Zoe called her assent and watched Inara descend the ladder with more than a little curiosity.

“What brings you down here?”

Inara produced a small ivory bowl and sea sponge.

“I was wondering if you might like someone to wash your feet. And rub them too, of course.”

Zoe eyed Inara up and down, took in the Companion’s hopeful expression. Inara had never approached her alone before, let alone offered to rub her feet. Even her chats with Kaylee had been off-limits to Zoe by tacit agreement. Zoe was just...not one of the girls.

Zoe laughed, then, and eyed her own growing stomach. Things had certainly changed.

“I’d love it,” she replied with a smile. Inara looked truly pleased, and moved to pull the sink from the wall.

Wash had rubbed her feet occasionally, but nothing, nothing could compare to the way Inara pulled the ache from Zoe’s swollen heels. The woman couldn’t help but moan in delight.

“I had no idea pregnancy would be so hard on the feet,” she sighed.

Inara smiled softly. “You’re like a fertile earth,” she said. “You are changing in ways the rest of us can only imagine.”

“But you must have done this before,” Zoe said between moans. “This foot rub goes way beyond companion training, I’m sure.”

“For a friend or two.”

Zoe accepted the answer and leaned back onto her and Wash’s large double bed.

“So tell me why you’re really here, Inara,” she said to the ceiling.

She felt Inara dry her feet and set down the sponge before standing gracefully and emptying the bowl into the sink. Zoe hefted herself into a seated position once more and waited while Inara finished and took a seat beside her. Inara gathered her thoughts before beginning.

“I know you haven’t been about much these days,” she said. “And we were afraid that news such as this might bring up...memories.”

“Don’t fear for me, Inara,” Zoe replied. “I keep to myself, but I don’t live in memories. I’ve got quite a future to look at,” she said, placing a loving hand on the mound of her belly.

“Well then,” Inara continued. “Mal and I...”

“I get it,” Zoe interrupted. “And I’m glad for you both.”

Inara cast a suspicious glance at the woman beside her.

“I mean, I figured it was bound to happen. Surprised it didn’t, even before...”

Inara’s hand closed around Zoe’s.

“How come Mal sent you to tell me?” was Zoe’s only question.

“He didn’t,” she answered quickly. “It’s only just begun. But I’ve had enough of secrets. Things between us have been so clouded...”

Zoe nodded, but Inara looked pained. At last Zoe let out a laugh and drew Inara’s head onto her shoulder.

“Don’t worry, Meimei! You can have ‘im. Ye Soo knows he’s the last thing on my mind these days. And he certainly won’t take care of himself.”

Zoe felt Inara’s smile against her shoulder. “Thank you, Zoe.”

They sat that way, quiet and content.

At last Zoe broke the silence. “Are we having a moment here?”