Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters. Points finger at Joss Whedon.
Chapter 1: Zoe
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She was floating through an endless sea of black with small pinpoints of frozen bright white scattered about. Of course, she was breathing, but that didn't seem to matter. Nothing mattered. Except to float, just float right on through space.
Someone held her hand tightly but she had forgotten who. Gradually, as if someone pushed her away, she turned. And stared in wide-eyed amazement. He looked straight back at her, smiling. Yes, it was the same light blonde/red hair, the same twinkling blue eyes. And the very same laughing grin that filled her heart with love. A silent tear rolled down her face as she smiled back.
Her heart swelled with happiness.
Everything was perfect.
Yet perfect couldn't last.
For just as she felt like nothing in the world could bring her down, his hand slipped from hers.
And she saw the giant spike come slowly closer and closer. She saw its blade slice through his fragile body, pushing and pushing. Stealing his precious life away bit by bit. All she could do was watch as her heart broke and the pieces disappeared into the black universe. But she didn't want to watch, she didn't want to deal with the excruciating pain. No, no, no!
Her scream filled the darkness, shattering the shadows.
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Zoe awoke in a cold sweat with sheets tangled around her body. Her heart thumped in her chest and her muscles tensed from subconscious fear. It was just a dream, she told herself, just a dream. But she could feel the damp skin on her cheeks where tears had fallen.
"When will these nightmares go away?" Zoe whispered into the darkness. Of course, she knew there would be no answer. There never was.
Sighing, she dragged herself out of bed, wrapping a bathrobe around her muscular frame. She crept through Serenity in silence, making her way to the mess hall. Zoe was surprised to see River already there, pouring two cups of tea.
"Why are you-?" she tried to ask.
"You need help. Feeling pain…," River spoke as she furrowed her brows, obviously reading her feelings. She handed Zoe a cup of tea and sat down at the table. "Time will soothe the pain. Memories keep us together."
Zoe smiled for the first time in a very long while, and sat down at the table to enjoy the tea and knowledge she was not alone.