TITLE: "THE FRIENDS YOU CHOOSE"

CHAPTER: 6. Sequel to "SERENDIPITY"

SERIES: THE DICHOTOMY SERIES

FANDOM: "FIREFLY"

AUTHOR: Alison M. DOBELL

PAIRING: Zoe/Tracy

RATING: PG-13

SUMMARY: "While some friends are made

enemies do seem to keep crawling out of

the gorram woodwork."

"FRIENDS YOU CHOOSE"

A "Firefly" Story

Written by Alison M. DOBELL

* * * * *

Pain, his one true constant. Waking, sleeping, neither made any impact on the fragmented tatters of his mind. No North, no South, East or West. No Up or Down, no Night, no Day. Where the good gorram was he and when would this nightmare of nightmares end? Or perhaps he was already dead, he just didn't know it? He blinked, or thought he did, but nothing happened. The inky darkness that had swallowed him whole was unrelieved, unchanging, an endless midnight of the soul. Like Jonah in the belly of the gorram whale. Wriggling his fingers produced nothing at all, no feeling, no sensation. Did he still have fingers? *Wode ma* this must be *diyu*, it was the only thing that made sense yet if that were so where in the nine hells was that fiery furnace, the sulphur and brimstone? Or maybehaps it was worse than that and he was in the world between, where the ungodly gnashed their teeth in eternal frustration unable to see let alone approach the gates of Heaven.

* * * * *

Wash was puzzled. "Where're we goin'?"

"*Fang xin* somewhere safe."

"You really a Horse Doctor?"

Book smiled, the aspect of his face shining like some benign Buddha. Wash blinked and the man called Book was just a man again. "I am what I am."

"That's no answer."

A dark warm chuckle rumbled back at him. "You are a very suspicious man, has anyone ever told you that?"

"*Ni shi shei, zhende*?"

"A friend."