"Inara, there have been a few…changes on Serenity since the last time you've been on board." Inara gazed serenely at him.
"Changes?"
"Wash died, remember? We talked about it. I had to take on a new pilot. She's…a piece of work." A slight frown fell over Inara's face as she observed Mal's shifting expression. She could tell right away that he didn't like his new pilot, and was impressed that Mal was keeping it together.
"I'd like to meet her."
"I'm not sure she would."
"Is it that bad?"
"Yes. The only reason I haven't marooned her somewhere is because she gets along with the rest of the crew so well. If I didn't know any better, I'd think there might be some crushing going on. Jayne, as rough around the edges as he is, seems like a totally different man. If Vee was more the malicious type, he'd never rest falling over her like he does." Mal remembered walking in on one of their chats. He had never seen such a soft look on Jayne's face as he talked about his mother. Despite Jayne's rough exterior, Mal was learning how emotional he could really be. Even River seemed happier, which was a relief, but Mal just couldn't connect to her. He felt that she didn't respect him, that her own experiences outweighed his, even though she was just a pilot he took pity on.
She doesn't under stand what I'm fighting for, he thought sourly. She thinks she's special just because she gradated from the stupid Academy and can hear River in her mind.
"Mal?" Mal blinked, shaken from his thoughts by Inara's voice. Inara looked him over slowly. There were shadows under his eyes, faint, but noticeable to someone as familiar with him as Inara was. There were new creases around his mouth too, adding a severity Inara was unfamiliar with. "You need to take better care of yourself. You look tired."
"Inara, please."
"You miss Wash too. It's understandable. Zoë has been your friend longer than anybody and I bet she's hurting terribly. I should go to her. See if she'll talk to me."
"She may not."
"I have to try. I'm sure you haven't tried. You've never handled loss well. You'd have no idea where to start." There was humor in her eyes, despite the truth in her words. Mal hadn't tried to talk to Zoë and regretted it. But Inara was spot on when she said he had no idea where to start. But he had to start somewhere.
"I hate her, Mal!" Mal and Inara had pulled Zoë aside, worry in their eyes. It was clear she hadn't been sleeping well and it looked like she was loosing weight. When they had brought it up, Zoë had simply exploded.
"It's like she's always been here. Everyone likes her and spends time with her. Jayne is her gakking lap dog, River's always with her and Kaylee keeps gushing bout how helpful she is with the ship. No one seems to miss him except me!" At this, Zoë burst into angry tears, collapsing on her bed as sobs ripped through her. Inara sat beside her, resting a gentle hand on Zoë's heaving back.
"Zoë, you're being irrational. Of course the others miss him. They need to laugh. But I'm sure he is in their thoughts."
"But you haven't seen them, Inara! You haven't seen!" Inara pulled Zoë into her arms, cradling the grief- stricken woman as she murmured soft nonsense words n her ear to cal her. Kaylee walked by the open door at that moment, freezing when she saw how distressed Zoë was.
"Oh, Zo. We miss him. We really do." Kaylee folded herself across the pair of them, stroking Zoë's hair. "But we can't afford to be sad all the time. And besides, once you get to know her, Vee's really sweet. She can be a little short tempered, and she has a bit of a dirty mouth, but she's very understanding. Give her a chance, Zo. For us."
"Wash wouldn't want you to waste away with grief, either," came Inara's level voice. "Get up, wash your face and give us a smile, will you?" There was a twinkle in her warm gaze and Zoë couldn't help but give a weak smile.
"I needed that, guys," she said softly. "Thank you." The three of them stood up, Zoë rubbing at her eyes, and they smiled at each other, eyes over bright. Mal coughed, embarrassed by the flood of emotion in the room.
"I'm not sure about you three, but now that this love fest is over, I could really use a drink." The three women turned and stared at him.
"Mal?"
"We can get everyone together for a little party and introductions. It would be nice. And it's almost your birthday, Kaylee. We can call it an early birthday party." Kaylee blushed, feeling a little bashful.
"It's sweet of you to remember, Mal," she said, a bright grin crossing her face. "Normally we have to drag you to these sorts of things." Mal rolled his eyes as they left the room, slinging an arm affectionately around Zoë's shoulders.
"What can I say?" he asked, tongue-in-cheek. "I'm just like that." A ripple of laughter bubbled through the halls, the first real laughter from Zoë since Wash's death.
A/N: I wanted to give the spotlight to some characters I've been neglecting recently, so here's a snippet of Mal and Zoë. Sorry it took me so long to update. I've been busy with AP classes and my SAT's…
And a huge hug to RionaEire who has read and reviewed every chapter so far. I can always count on her for insightful reviews and great ideas. You should all follow her example and drop me a line. *winkwink*
