Shortly after Objects In Space

Springtime

Zoe woke with a groan, the faint light in the compact room driving into her skull with all the friendliness of shards of glass. She couldn’t remember drinking, but from the way her head was pounding she was either hung over or someone had hit her. She shifted slightly, feeling a tug of harsh rope around her wrist, which sensation instantly brought her fully awake and aware of herself and surroundings. It was an old soldier’s skill to force yourself coherent, even if it was just coherent enough to see how bad off you really were. In the space of a few seconds Zoe decided she was pretty bad off. She didn’t know where she was, save she could feel the gentle rocking of movement that made her think it was some kind of wagon, tied and her head was like to explode out the back of her skull from pain. Considering the last thing she remembered was a glass of wine and the Captain giving instructions to be back on board and ready for take off first thing in the morning Zoe came to one staggering conclusion. She was in trouble.

* * * * * * * *

Mal was near tempted to whistle as he made his way out of the little town and towards the field where Serenity was waiting. Unlike the majority of their jobs lately this little milk run had gone smooth as silk and the weight of the coin they’d been paid promised at least two fuel stops and a chance to stock up on actual food stuffs instead of more bars of protein in every color of the rainbow. Add that to a night of good food and sleeping in an honest to goodness no fooling feather bed, and Mal was in a rare mood. From the way Jayne was staggering and the cloying smell of perfume that clung to the man it seemed he’d had a good night too. The Captain strode up the gangway, the heels of his boots making his footsteps echo noisily. He loved that sound, the sound of coming home to -his- ship, the echo as familiar as each scrap of metal and plastic. Jayne followed, but rather quickly turned off on his own, headed for the kitchen. Drinking and sex both made Jayne hungry and this mornin' he was famished. Mal called after him. “Don’t eat us bare first day!” There was a smile on Mal’s face as he said it and he near swaggered into the cargo bay, pausing as he saw Wash standing on the stairs. It wasn’t so much Wash standing there that seemed odd, but the expression on Wash’s usually smiling face. Wash was peering out beyond Mal, as though he was expecting someone else to come striding in. He tapped his fingers on the stair rails before his gaze finally settled on the Captain. “Aren’t you missing something?” “Don’t rightly know what.” Mal was puzzled, and looked towards the head of the stairs, expecting Zoe down to check up on the payment and the next job. “My wife?” A cold chill ran down Mal’s spine as Wash spoke and he spoke slowly, as though the speed of the words might change what Wash was saying. “What’re you talking about. She came back last night.” “No. She didn’t.” Wash’s already pale complexion went paler. “Mal, where is Zoe?” Mal searched for an answer, spinning on his heel towards the outer world. “I don’t know, but I’m damn sure gonna find out.”