I don't own anything. The lyrics to the song Zoe sings come from "Where Will You Stand When the Flood Comes?" from the musical Parade, by Jason Robert Brown...the last verse modified a little (come on, I couldn't have Zoe singing about Georgia). Takes place before the series, before Inara shows up. I got the idea after reading on IMDB that Gina Torres was a mezzo-soprano.

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Wash turned and looked at the clock next to his bed. The glowing red numbers said 2:37 AM…as if that meant anything out here. He could judge much better by the clock he set himself- the one inside him that was saying it was time to eat. It was a dilemma, whether to get up and find something to put in his stomach or stay here in the warmth of his bed. There was something about the floor of a spaceship that just sucked all the heat out of you. But then his stomach growled again, and there was no doubt which he would pick. He was at the top of the ladder leading out of his bunk when he heard it- a low, soulful melody that seemed to be coming from the kitchen.

Will you walk with your head held high?

Or move aside when they're passing you by?

Will you run when the fires are fanned?

And where will you stand when the flood comes?

He walked carefully into the kitchen and saw Zoe standing at the counter making herself something to eat. Not wanting to sneak up on her -never a good idea to surprise a soldier- he made sure that his feet made a little noise as he went down the steps. "Hey, Zoe."

She didn't look up in acknowledgement. "Wash."

"Uh…whatcha doin'?"

"I was enjoying the solitude." Did he detect a hint of sarcasm in the usually deadpan voice? "Now, I'm not sure. You?"

"Just hungry. Find anything good?"

"Protein. Tea. Bread."

"O-kay..." How was he supposed to have a conversation with this woman? Uncomfortable silences made Wash…well…uncomfortable. He was about to give up and go back into his room, when Kaylee appeared in the doorway.

"Hey," she said drowsily. "What's everybody doin' up?"

Zoe smiled slightly. "Seems it's dinnertime. What about you?"

"Heard Wash get up…then I heard you singin' That's a really pretty song, what is it?"

Wash didn't understand it. If he had asked that of Zoe, he would probably get a cold glare and perhaps a snide comment. Kaylee, she smiled at. "No name, just an old war song. From where I'm from, on Agamemnon. Sang it in the trenches." Zoe sat, and Kaylee joined her. "Some nights, the quiet would get to be even worse'n the sound of the shells rainin' down all around you. So, we would sing."

Kaylee giggled slightly. "Even the Cap'n?"

"He was a Sergeant back then. And no, that man couldn't carry a tune in a bucket, and he ain't afraid to admit it. Get him drunk, though, and he'll sing like a songbird."

Wash laughed at the though of a drunk Mal singing, and Zoe shot him a dirty look, as if he were intruding somehow. Well, tough to her. It was his ship just as much as it was hers…he thought. "You've got a nice voice," he ventured cautiously.

That cracked her armor a bit. "Yeah. Well, never could hit the high notes very well. Still, it passed the time in the trenches. Figured it would do just as well here."

Kaylee was looking from Zoe to Wash and back again. "Is there more?"

"A bit."

Will you ride by the side of God?

Or will you hide in the soil and the sod?

Will you fight for the soul of your land?

Well? Where will you stand when the flood comes?

"Never thought I'd hear you singin' that song again, Zoe." Mal was walking down the hallway and into the kitchen. "What's everyone doin' up? Kaylee, I don't want you too tired to install those bracer quads tomorrow. You'd best get back to bed, little one."

Kaylee let out an exaggerated sigh. "Yes, sir." She shot one last look back at Zoe and Wash as she went down into her bunk. Wash yawned.

"I'm not so hungry anymore. Night, everyone."

Mal sat down in the seat that Kaylee had vacated. "He's not so bad, you know. I'd think after nine months you'd be used to him by now-"

"You're right," Zoe cut him off. "He's not that bad. Knows good music when he hears it, at least."

"So…think we can keep him?"

She looked after the way Wash had gone, an expression in her eyes that Mal couldn't quite place. "Yeah, we can keep him. Might even come in handy."

Here's the home of the strong and the sure,

And we'll fight like hell for the land of the pure.

Now see that our victory isn't close at hand.

So where will you stand when the flood comes?

"Now that I think of it, he is kind of annoying-"

"Sir, please don't try to change my mind about this."

Mal grinned. "Night, Zoe."

"Night, Sir."

Oh, where will you stand when the flood comes?

She would get used to him. Might even grow to like him…

Or not.

Where will you stand when the flood comes?

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Review, please! This is a one-shot, by the way.