You and I Know What This World Can Do [Firefly, Zoe/Wash, PG]
Title: You and I Know What This World Can Do
Author/Artist: squish
Fandom/Characters: Firefly/ Zoe/Wash
Rating: PG
Warnings: Spoilers for the movie Serenity.
Word count: 938
Summary: A missing scene from Serenity and the aftermath of the events that changed Zoe Washburne's life.
A/N: Takes place during (on the trip to Miranda) and some time well after the movie Serenity.
Prompt: Firefly, Zoe/Wash: Vulnerability - Now everyone dreams of a love lasting and true / But you and I know what this world can do / So let's make our steps clear that the other may see / And I'll wait for you / If I should fall behind / Wait for me.
Thanks to whoever gave this prompt, it was just perfect for them! Thanks to Springsteen for writing the song.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~*~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~*~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Zoe climbed the stairs to the bridge slowly. The silence on the ship was winding its way into her bones, making her uneasy. She'd experienced the same thing during the war-soldiers would get quiet before a battle, some expecting the worst and others praying for the best. In her estimation, the night before a fight was almost always worse than the fight itself.
Almost.
She never thought she'd have to go through this again, though. Not on this ship and especially not with this crew. But Mal was determined to get to Miranda, so that's where they were headed. She wondered how the rest of them were handling it.
Mal was probably off brooding about his decision to take them all through Reaver territory. She hoped he had enough sense to be talking to Inara right about now. Or rather, Zoe hoped Inara was talking some sense into him.
The doctor was most likely looking after his sister and getting the infirmary ready for massive casualties. Kaylee'd either be with them or checking the engine.
She had no doubt where Jayne would be. He'd be loading every weapon he could find in the hopes of not being among the casualties. For the first time since they'd brought the man on board, the thought was a comforting one.
And that left her husband, who was on the bridge fiddling with the controls and looking like he'd rather be anywhere else. If she had ever doubted how much he loved her-well, she figured she was a fool.
She slid beside Wash, resting her hip against the control panel. "We all set, then?" she asked.
"Yeah," he sighed a little as he said it, reaching for her hand. "At least as much as one can be to take on a pack of enraged, animalistic humans."
She let his bad attempt at humor slide. It was his way of coping.
"We get there, you stay behind me and Mal. Let us take the lead." She cut off his protest with a wave of her free hand. "Just stay behind and watch out for Kaylee and the others."
"Jayne too?" he asked. "Hey, can I tell him I've been assigned to protect him?"
This time she did smile, glad that he was going to let the old arguments go today. She had other things she needed to say to him right now.
"Husband, it's time to be serious."
"I'm as serious as I can get right now, Lambie-toes."
His tone was only slightly mocking as he slid his hands around her hips and pulled her down onto his lap. Zoe wrapped her arms around his neck and let his warmth seep into her.
"Wash, if anything happens--"
"Nothing's going to happen. I'm going to stay behind you experienced warriors and protect the man with all the guns, remember?"
She tugged on his hair lightly, trying to remind herself that a slap to the head would likely ruin the moment.
"I meant, if something happens to me."
He stopped the slow circles he was making on her back. "Nothing's going to happen, Zoe. Tell me nothing's going to happen."
She couldn't. Had never looked away from him in all the time they'd been married. Had always met everything head on. But she had to look away now. Because she had a bad feeling about all of this.
Wash touched her cheek, turned her face back to his. She marveled at how he was really the strong one in their marriage.
"But if it goes bad," she said. "If we get separated-promise me, Wash, that you'll take the others and get out of there."
"I'm not leaving you, Zo. Not ever."
He could be so obstinate, she thought, and nearly said so. "Wash, this isn't up for debate-"
"Hey," he said, his hands moving again, she knew, in an effort to calm her. "We're going to be fine. You're going to be fine. We'll land, talk to a few Reavers, find out what's been going on and we're out of there-fast as a leaf on the wind."
Zoe raised an eyebrow at him. "A leaf on the wind?"
"Absolutely." He nodded enthusiastically. "They fly fast. Well, more like soar actually. In a drifting kind of way."
She interrupted him with a kiss-hard and a little desperate. Pressed herself against him until he was moaning softly into her mouth and his hands were pulling at her. They broke apart and she ran her fingers through his short hair, whispering into his ear.
"How much time until we hit Reaver space?"
Wash swallowed thickly, glanced at the controls. "Nearly an hour."
"Time enough, Husband," she said, kissing his jaw. "Time enough."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~*~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The memories come back to her now. Faded, more than a little rose-colored, and tinged with sadness that will never really leave. But they're her memories and no one can take them from her.
She never thought he'd be the one to die first. Never thought she'd be sitting on this bridge without him.
A voice interrupted her memories. "Zoe, you comin' to bed?"
"In a minute," she called.
Zoe closed her eyes, holding the toy dinosaur tightly in her hand. Funny how it only felt like cheating when she was sitting here.
"He ain't you, Wash," she said to the silence around her. "He's good for me, but he ain't you."
She stood slowly and placed the dinosaur back on the console. It was faded now, from all the years and miles, but it still had it's place.
Just like Wash would always have a place with her.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~The End~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Author/Artist: squish
Fandom/Characters: Firefly/ Zoe/Wash
Rating: PG
Warnings: Spoilers for the movie Serenity.
Word count: 938
Summary: A missing scene from Serenity and the aftermath of the events that changed Zoe Washburne's life.
A/N: Takes place during (on the trip to Miranda) and some time well after the movie Serenity.
Prompt: Firefly, Zoe/Wash: Vulnerability - Now everyone dreams of a love lasting and true / But you and I know what this world can do / So let's make our steps clear that the other may see / And I'll wait for you / If I should fall behind / Wait for me.
Thanks to whoever gave this prompt, it was just perfect for them! Thanks to Springsteen for writing the song.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~*~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~*~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Zoe climbed the stairs to the bridge slowly. The silence on the ship was winding its way into her bones, making her uneasy. She'd experienced the same thing during the war-soldiers would get quiet before a battle, some expecting the worst and others praying for the best. In her estimation, the night before a fight was almost always worse than the fight itself.
Almost.
She never thought she'd have to go through this again, though. Not on this ship and especially not with this crew. But Mal was determined to get to Miranda, so that's where they were headed. She wondered how the rest of them were handling it.
Mal was probably off brooding about his decision to take them all through Reaver territory. She hoped he had enough sense to be talking to Inara right about now. Or rather, Zoe hoped Inara was talking some sense into him.
The doctor was most likely looking after his sister and getting the infirmary ready for massive casualties. Kaylee'd either be with them or checking the engine.
She had no doubt where Jayne would be. He'd be loading every weapon he could find in the hopes of not being among the casualties. For the first time since they'd brought the man on board, the thought was a comforting one.
And that left her husband, who was on the bridge fiddling with the controls and looking like he'd rather be anywhere else. If she had ever doubted how much he loved her-well, she figured she was a fool.
She slid beside Wash, resting her hip against the control panel. "We all set, then?" she asked.
"Yeah," he sighed a little as he said it, reaching for her hand. "At least as much as one can be to take on a pack of enraged, animalistic humans."
She let his bad attempt at humor slide. It was his way of coping.
"We get there, you stay behind me and Mal. Let us take the lead." She cut off his protest with a wave of her free hand. "Just stay behind and watch out for Kaylee and the others."
"Jayne too?" he asked. "Hey, can I tell him I've been assigned to protect him?"
This time she did smile, glad that he was going to let the old arguments go today. She had other things she needed to say to him right now.
"Husband, it's time to be serious."
"I'm as serious as I can get right now, Lambie-toes."
His tone was only slightly mocking as he slid his hands around her hips and pulled her down onto his lap. Zoe wrapped her arms around his neck and let his warmth seep into her.
"Wash, if anything happens--"
"Nothing's going to happen. I'm going to stay behind you experienced warriors and protect the man with all the guns, remember?"
She tugged on his hair lightly, trying to remind herself that a slap to the head would likely ruin the moment.
"I meant, if something happens to me."
He stopped the slow circles he was making on her back. "Nothing's going to happen, Zoe. Tell me nothing's going to happen."
She couldn't. Had never looked away from him in all the time they'd been married. Had always met everything head on. But she had to look away now. Because she had a bad feeling about all of this.
Wash touched her cheek, turned her face back to his. She marveled at how he was really the strong one in their marriage.
"But if it goes bad," she said. "If we get separated-promise me, Wash, that you'll take the others and get out of there."
"I'm not leaving you, Zo. Not ever."
He could be so obstinate, she thought, and nearly said so. "Wash, this isn't up for debate-"
"Hey," he said, his hands moving again, she knew, in an effort to calm her. "We're going to be fine. You're going to be fine. We'll land, talk to a few Reavers, find out what's been going on and we're out of there-fast as a leaf on the wind."
Zoe raised an eyebrow at him. "A leaf on the wind?"
"Absolutely." He nodded enthusiastically. "They fly fast. Well, more like soar actually. In a drifting kind of way."
She interrupted him with a kiss-hard and a little desperate. Pressed herself against him until he was moaning softly into her mouth and his hands were pulling at her. They broke apart and she ran her fingers through his short hair, whispering into his ear.
"How much time until we hit Reaver space?"
Wash swallowed thickly, glanced at the controls. "Nearly an hour."
"Time enough, Husband," she said, kissing his jaw. "Time enough."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~*~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The memories come back to her now. Faded, more than a little rose-colored, and tinged with sadness that will never really leave. But they're her memories and no one can take them from her.
She never thought he'd be the one to die first. Never thought she'd be sitting on this bridge without him.
A voice interrupted her memories. "Zoe, you comin' to bed?"
"In a minute," she called.
Zoe closed her eyes, holding the toy dinosaur tightly in her hand. Funny how it only felt like cheating when she was sitting here.
"He ain't you, Wash," she said to the silence around her. "He's good for me, but he ain't you."
She stood slowly and placed the dinosaur back on the console. It was faded now, from all the years and miles, but it still had it's place.
Just like Wash would always have a place with her.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~The End~~~~~~~~~~~~~~