Zoë was waking up. And in the best way possible. Slowly, gradually, and with a smile on her lips as all the familiar sounds entered her consciousness; the low hum of the engine, the occasional thump from the cargo bay as the cargo there slightly shifted. She opened her eyes, and while stretching her rested body and still smiling, she glanced at the walls and the ceiling of her bunk, perfectly convinced that this was the best place in the 'verse to wake up in. Next to her Wash began to stir and she crept closer and put her arm around him.

"Good morning," she whispered and kissed the back of his neck.

"Morning," he mumbled and rolled over unto his back to face her.

They took a moment to just look at each other, to take in all the known and beloved features. Then they kissed, slowly and passionate, before she put her head down on his chest, a sigh of satisfaction escaping her lips.

"What time is it?" she asked.

He stretched and shifted and reached for his watch. "Wow…"

"What?"

"It's not so much morning anymore."

Her head snapped back up and she took the watch from his hand and looked at it herself. It was almost 11 am. "Ai ya," she said. "Weren't you supposed to be on the bridge by eight?"

"I was. Musta forgot to set the alarm."

She sat up, and after stretching one last time he followed her example. "Funny how the captain hasn't been around to wake us," he said. "Or maybe he has and we didn't hear 'im and he's waitin' outside ready to chew my head off." He frowned and then innocently added, "Maybe we should just stay in bed today?"

Zoë was already searching for her clothes on the floor and she turned back to face him, a half smile on her lips. "If he tried to wake us, honey, he'd have succeeded."

His eyes widened. "Then he must be dead! Maybe Jayne finally snapped and did everybody else."

Zo