Disclaimer: Firefly and the opening dialog (first two lines are from Out Of Gas) are not mine.
A/N: I feel much better about this chapter, mostly because it's a little more in character than the previous chapter three. It's a little less straight foreward than the other two chapters, and it's more other people's reactions than the interaction between Zoë and Wash (although, I kind of like it that way). Also, it's less about the 'leaf on the wind' thing, as in not at all. It's from Mal's POV.
3. Wife
"What? What about him bothers you?"
"I'm not sure. It's just… something."
Hoban Washburn, our pilot. Freshly hired, and he came with a list of recommendations as long as my leg. Literally. I mean, the thing was actually as long as my leg. And my first mate, Zoë, has to have that somethin' naggin' at her so she don't like him. Of course. It's bad enough I've got Bester, who I thought'd be a fine mechanic but turned out to be a weight around my neck.
Now I had to deal with Zoë's feeling?
I explained to her what her 'something' was up against, and she just pulled a Zoë. Just nodded and said "Yes sir." Besides, we had more important things to worry about, like keeping Bester from messin' up the engine and lendin' out the shuttle (I've got this Surveyor and his wife who want it, and they'll pay the askin' price). Course, I don't think Zoë's gonna give up on that 'somethin' bothers me' thing.
She stole his lip ferret.
I don't know how, when, or why, but she took a page outa Tracey's book and stole his lip ferret. She didn't wear it though, that's just not a Zoë thing to do. Though, it ain't much of a Zoë thing to steal a guy's lip ferret, but I think she just really doesn't like this guy.
I went down for breakfast that mornin' and he was sittin' there clean-shaven and lookin' pretty groggy. He was pokin' at his food, but not really eating it. I sat down at my seat and started chowin' down, I was hungry.
"So, you finally shaved off that gorram lip ferret?" I asked. I was getting' kind of tired of the silence. Talkin' seemed to help, 'cause he actually started eatin'.
"Someone stole it." Damn me for takin' a drink. It went everywhere when I started laughin', I stopped laughin' pretty quickly when I noticed that it was soakin' into my breakfast.
"What d'ya someone stole it?" I asked, separating the beverage from my protein.
"I had it when I went to bed, but it was gone this mornin'." That's when Zoë walked in, carryin' one of Wash's dinosaurs.
"Stop leavin' these lyin' around," she said, tossing the dinosaur to Wash. She stood at my side, and I just stared at the Dinosaur. It had hair. Not just any hair, but a blonde wig made out of Wash's lip ferret. Wash stared at it for a second, then he started laughin', I started laughin', too, and Jayne and Kaylee (our new, and much more competent mechanic) were walkin' in, too. Jayne just stared, confused, but Kaylee started gigglin'. And she's got the cutest giggle. Zoë just turned and left, though, while the rest of us were laughin'.
I think Kaylee's the one who noticed it first, that somethin' was either very wrong or very right. She came up to me in the cargo bay, I was hidin' some stuff for Badger, and just stood there for a minute.
"What's up, Little Kaylee?" I asked. She gave me a small smile.
"Have you noticed how of ten Zoë seems to go up to the bridge nowadays?" she asked. I shrugged.
"Probably just wants to check up on things."
"At night?" She had a point. I sighed and stopped what I was doing. "You think somethin's wrong?"
"Nah, Kaylee, it's probably all right." I wasn't so sure myself. There were two possibilities. One, Zoë was tryin' to figure out what bothered her and then do something about it, or two she was checkin' up on his progress. I didn't want to think about what she'd do if she figured out what bothered her.
"I heard her call him Hoban." Kaylee shook me from my thoughts. I stared at her for a minute then shook my head.
"He won't even let me call him Hoban," I said. Kaylee nodded.
"I know, but I heard it. I'd been up late talkin' to Serenity and I was headin' to my bunk and I heard her say 'Good night, Hoban.'"
"Huh. Well, best not worry about it. Get back to work, little Kaylee." She nodded and I patted her on the head as she walked away. Zoë walked in as she left.
"Everything's set, Sir. Badger's expectin' us and Inara'll be leavin' as we're settin' down." She said. Nothing seemed different, 'cept she seemed a little more relaxed. I just ignored it.
"Good. Best start dinner," I said. She cocked an eyebrow.
"It's your turn to cook, Sir." She said. I nodded.
"Right, then, I'll go do that." I left, but I heard her chuckle. She chuckled.
.-.-.-.-.-.
"Goodnight," I heard Zoë's voice float down from the bridge as I headed to my bunk. I stopped, slipped into a shadow and watched her walk down the steps. Wash jogged after her.
"Wait, Zoë," she turned and he grabbed her hand and got down on one knee. I had to choke back my surprise. "Will you marry me?" I had to lean in to hear him 'cause he was whisperin', but I caught it. I started rackin' my brain, tryin' to figure out how long whatever this was had been goin' on.
I turned my head and gave them some privacy, and when I looked back Zoë was standin' right in front of me.
"How're things, Captain?" I assumed she meant the cargo.
"Fine."
"That's good."
"Right." I walked past her towards my bunk.
"Sir?" I turned back towards her. "Wash and I are getting married." I thought for a moment.
"Don't."
"Sir?"
"It'll complicate things."
"Sorry, Sir?"
"Don't marry him"
"I wasn't askin', Sir. I was tellin'."
And she went to her bunk, leaving me standing there like an idiot. I went to bed.
.-.-.-.-.-.
They got married, much to my chagrin. I knew it'd complicate things, but they didn't listen. And by they I mean Zoë. It was Zoë I expected to hear my reasoning and accept it, but she didn't accept it. She ignored it.
At night, when they're alone on the bridge, you can hear her call him Hoban if you listen close enough. She doesn't do it regular, though, only when she says good night. Like the name itself is some sort of farewell.
