After Miranda, Zoe had been to see Simon; feeling ill, throwing up frequently, and fainting. She knew what it was, but Mal had insisted, and Simon confirmed it. She was going to be a Mum. A baby. Wash’s baby. The thing was, she wasn’t sure how she felt, and no-one else could help her come to terms with it.

After a few weeks, Zoe had gone on a job, with the continually oblivious Mal, and Zoe had decided it was time to be a Mum. They had been watching children playing in the park, and it that pushed Zoe’s buttons.

Then that Hundan shot her. In the stomach.

She lost her Daughter.

What was worse, after the surgery to fix the gunshot wound, Simon told her she couldn’t ever conceive again. Zoe nodded, and calmly told Simon to do what he must.

It took her months to mend, she hated feeling so crippled, so started to search the cortex for an answer. There, she saw it. Her future. Zoe saw a new class of transport ship, a new boat to be flown. She had some Coin saved, but not quite enough. A lot of her Coin was tied up in Serenity.

After a few months, and a fair few Jobs, Zoe had almost completely paid for her new Ship. Her Boat. She contacted the ship-yard, and asked for one to be built to her specifications. It took a lot more Coin than she thought, so she drew in her breathe, and went to see Mal.

“I need out of this Boat, Mal” She said.

“We’ll set down soon, got us some work. Take a week off while we’re dirt-side if’n you want” He said, not looking up.

“No, Mal. I need my share of the Boat, the Coin I put in at the beginning. I need off this Boat” She said.

“Why, Zoe? Why do you want to leave?” Mal said, looking up. “We’re your family.”

“I have buried my Husband and lost his Baby in the space of a few short months on this Boat. I can’t stay. It hurts me here.”

River walked through the Galley at that point, and looked at the two of them. She stared Mal in the eye, and her voice in his head came through. “I’ll buy her out”

Mal nodded, and watched the tortured teen-ager bounce out of the Galley, and