Inara walked out to the porch and rested her hand on a post, letting out a sigh before addressing Zoe who was silent and surveying their little slice of Western Shadow with a mug of coffee in hand. "I wish I could have gone up too."

Zoe turned and smirked. "That obvious?"

"You were born up there, it's only natural." Pulling her kimono tighter to ward off the cold, she stepped lithely forward in a pair of thick shearling boots that didn't match the rest of her ensamble. "This place is beautiful, but it just doesn't have the same feeling..."

"I feel closer to Wash when I'm up there."

The announcement silenced Inara, as her gorgeous brown eyes looked the second in command over and finally saw the small dinosaur head poking out of her pocket, a hand idly toying with it.

Zoe gazed out into the middle distance, her face slackening to show the pain she kept behind all of the armor. "He's up there, he ain't on the ground, that's for sure."

"Have you ever considered contacting his family?" Inara suggested soothingly, for a tragic faced Zoe was something that aroused concern.

"I did, sent them a letter with a few pictures and captures. They never cared for me though, so I doubt they'd meet me with open arms." She supplied with a bitter twist to a selection of words. "Washburns weren't what you would call 'brown coat lovers'."

"Oh."

"Wanted Wash a proper girl, one that wore the apron and pleased him like a little servant. Not some backasswards wu shun Independent." Her voice tightened as she thought out loud, gaze narrowing. "I didn't fit their bill, they didn't acknowledge us when he stood up to them, nothin' else to it."

Stepping in, Inara slid her palm onto Zoe's back and gave her the comfort she rarely seemed to need.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"My love fer me now ain't hard to explain, the hero'a Canton the man they call... meeee."

Jayne sung his big barrel gunned heart out while he road Donner, who had ears twisted back as if he wasn't too impressed with the melody. The