"Forget them," Inara urged.

"Whole gorram crew," Mal whinged. "Everyone's goin' space crazy."

"I certainly must be, if I've signed on to marry the king of the crybabies," Inara chided. "What's this really about?"

"He - he ain't bein' true," Mal sighed. "To Zoe. To her memory. He's down there dancin' with Kate, an' I think I saw kissin', an' where there's kissin' there's likely gonna be sexin', 'cause it ain't like they never been intimate before."

Inara sighed. This was going to be a long night, in any case, but she'd hoped for a long night of celebrating. "Zoe's gone, Mal. She's not coming back."

"I know it," Mal frowned. "They never do. But it just don't seem right."

"He's alone," Inara said softly. "She's alone. Don't you think it's right that they should be alone... together? Especially since they share a child."

"I suppose it ain't right a man should be alone when there's a woman warm and willin'," Mal conceded. "But it still just don't feel right."

~*~

"Are you gonna invite me in?" Wash asked. He'd walked Kate back to her room after their "date."

"It's only our second date," she said coyly. "Goodnight, Wash."

He settled for a kiss. "Good night. Sweet dreams."

Her dreams weren't exactly sweet, but neither were they nightmares. She dreamed of a tall, dark woman, exotically beautiful and clearly intimidating.

"Kate," the woman said. "Kathryn Angela Frye."

"Yes?" Kate replied, confused. "Zoe?"

Zoe nodded. "Take care of him, hear? He's a good man, an' he deserves to be treated good. Do right by him."

"I -" Kate blinked. "How?"

"You gave him the one thing he wouldn't let me give him," Zoe told her. "That's a start."

~*~

"Zoe?"

"Hush, baby," she told her husband. "You didn't think I wouldn't check up on ya from time to time, did ya?"

Wash smiled. "How'm I doing?"

"You're a daddy," she smiled back. "I always knew you'd be a good one."

"Zoe, I -" he began.

"I know, baby. I figured somethin' done happened on Vegas the way you made it up to me aft