Neither of them spoke for a while. Wash examined his hands, avoiding eye contact, while Li bit her lip, trying to find the right words. Wash almost missed their old relationship. Certainly, he missed the ease with which they spoke, though that also came with the name-calling, annoyance, and shouting. He may have referred to her as his "annoying little sister" for most of his life, and he was sure that she had called him worse, but he missed being able to speak freely with her. The awkwardness in the room was driving him crazy; he almost wanted to shout just to break the silence. However, that would lead to him having to explain everything that had happened, and his sister would forever question his sanity. So, he pretended to be fascinated in his fingernails and waited for her to speak.

"Do you mind explaining what happened back there?" she said finally. It was almost exactly what Wash had asked her after the incident on Bernadette, and the reference wasn't lost on him.

"It's a long story."

"Well, I've got time."

Wash took a deep breath. "If I said it was about smuggling, harboring the two most wanted fugitives, and dying, what would you think?"

Li stared at him for a second, then seemed to decide he was joking. "I'd feel bad for calling you crazy all those years, since you would clearly be suffering from a severe mental illness."

"Well, I'd better not say that, then," he said, and laughed desperate, hysterical laughter, making Li's face grow more concerned.

"Look, ge ge, maybe this isn't the best time. You're very sick. And who knows what these pain medications are doing. I remember after I had my surgery, I was spewing complete nonsense about unicorns and leprechauns stealing my brain,"

"I'm not crazy."

"Of course not," she said in a soothing voice that drove him crazy. She sounded like she was talking to a child. "You're just very, very sick. Whenever you recover some, we'll talk more. For now, you just focus on getting better." She patted his knee reassuringly and rose to leave.

"I'm not crazy. Or delusional from my meds."

Li paused in the doorway and looked back at him. There was such sadness and pity in that look that she didn't need to speak. It was the kind of look one gives their grandmother whenever they mistake you for your mother. It showed that she didn't believe him, would never believe him. She thought he was insane, and it was breaking her heart. However, all she said was, "Anything you say."

Wash almost wished she hadn't said anything at all.


Author's Note:The next chapter's going to be the last, a short(ish) epilogue set about 10-15 years in the future. I know that's kind of a weird ending, but, in case you haven't caught on before now, I'm really bad at endings. If I were better at ending things, this story might have been at least 5 chapters shorter. Remember when this story was about Anne? Those were simpler times. I'm sorry this got so off-topic and rambling, but I hope you enjoyed it anyway.