Zoë had been in her bunk all night. She couldn’t believe this was happening. Or rather she wouldn’t believe. Wash couldn’t be alive. This had to be a trap. Just a gorram trap. A she lay in her bunk she could hear Mal and the others talking on he bridge. Well actually, she could only hear Mal and Simon yelling above the rest. She stayed still as a rock listening to the conversation willing it to just be a dream. This didn’t make any sense. Then she heard Kaylee’s small voice come out among the rest. “What about Zoë?”.

Mal was quiet. Zoë, he had completely forgotten about Zoë. He frantically looked around but realized she was nowhere in sight. How could he forget about her? He had been so caught up in the fact that the Alliance wanted River again. He didn’t realize who they wanted to exchange her for. Wash. Zoë’s Wash. He had been fighting with Simon about the whole ordeal when Kaylee had mentioned her name. What was he going to do? It came down to a decision , his decision.

“Where is Zoë?”, said Inara. “She didn’t come in with the rest of us.”

“Doesn’t believe.” said River in a small voice. “She can’t believe.”

“Well little Albatross, should she believe? Is this for real or is it another gorram trap set up by the Alliance scum?”.

“How would they have a picture of Wash though?” , chirped Kaylee.

“Something doesn’t seem right bout all this.” , Jayne grunted.

“ Its real. Real as you and me. Real as the stars.” Everyone turned and looked at River.

“Great, crazy girl is at it again!”, grunted Jayne. He got up and headed out the door. “When you all decide you need a gun ya call me. I’ll be in my bunk.”

Simon, getting agitated, stood up to advance towards the captain. “We, you , can’t just hand River over like a piece of meat.”

“Captain, she’s part of our crew!”, Kaylee exclaimed.

“That might be so but so is Wash.” Mal turned and walked out of the room. The rest of the crew were left speechless and wide eyed.

Zoë heard Mal leave. At the sound of W