Chapter Seven: The Color of the World is Changing

"Hello," Adam said as he walked into the dining area.

"Hi," Zoë said, before turning back to cleaning her gun.

Adam poured himself a cup of coffee and sat down across from Zoë, "Where's the Kid?"

"You mean Wash?" Zoë asked. She gestured towards the bridge. "He and Kaylee are working on something up there. Best to wait until they're done."

Adam nodded and the two sat in silence for a moment before he said with a grin, "So you never did tell me how the Kid ever wound up with a such a beautiful creature such as yourself."

Zoë rolled her eyes, "Now I know where he gets it from."

"Got that right, ma'am," Adam said. "I taught that kid everything I know, but he must have picked up a few other tips along the way since I was never lucky enough to come across anyone as lovely as you."

Zoë eyed Adam, "Those lines ever work?"

Adam laughed, "Unfortunately no, another thing that the Kid learned from me. I think he started using his own lines from the time he was 16." He raised his mug at her, "And obviously they worked."

Zoë shrugged, "Not really, all they did was bug me at first. Then the next thing I knew…."

Adam nodded, "That sounds like the Kid. That's how it was with us, at first he bothered me and I didn't want anything to do with him but it didn't take long before I loved him more than anything in the 'Verse." He looked straight at Zoë, "And that hasn't changed."

"Then why did you let him think that you were dead?" Zoë asked. "If he means that much to you?"

Adam sat back in his chair, "What did he tell you about the last time we saw each other?"

"Not much," Zoë said. "Your ship crashed and he wasn't able to see if you were alive or not."

"The ship crashed and we were separated right after," Adam explained. "I was told that he was dead. I never quite believed it since I thought that I heard him calling for me after the crash but I wasn't able to locate him until the other day."

"So you knew that Wash was piloting Serenity?"