She went looking for him after the rest were asleep, finding him on the bridge. He was there most of the time now, brooding - when he wasn’t holed up in his bunk, brooding. Ever since…she cut off the thought. Tonight she’d have to stir up enough hurt; there was no need to add more.

She sat down on the steps next to the Wash’s chair. Mal ignored her. The tightness around his mouth might have been a slight indication to some that he didn’t want company - to Zoe it was a scream. She sighed. She’d picked her moment of deployment carefully, making sure none of the others were around. This was just about the two of them. She knew Mal like no one else in this 'verse, and she knew it was time for healing to start. What they’d run into tonight seemed like a good opening.

“Guess that was their Easter celebration back there.” He made no acknowledgement that he’d even heard her. “Just wonderin' if that was why we aborted a perfectly good job - cause of a religious holiday.” His mouth tightened even more at the word 'religious', but he still wouldn’t look at her.

“Never did quite grasp that whole thing,” she continued. “What was the concept behind Easter again - in a nutshell?”

Incredulousness had him turning his head. Her direct gaze told him she wouldn't back down. She shrugged, “In a nutshell.”

He turned back to space. He might not know where Zoe was going with something, but he knew that she wouldn’t stop ‘til she got there.

“Sacrifice, forgiveness, rebirth…love.” His words came out from gritted teeth. “Never knew you to be one for religiosity or Bible readin’, Zoe. You need a Sunday-school lesson, you best be findin' a preacher.”

“Reckon I had a few lessons. Had this sergeant once, back in the day. He was always spoutin’ off stuff out of that book, quotin’ pieces out loud during a battle, prayin’ for all of us.

But it wa’n’t the words so much that I took note of. I figure it was the doin’ that caught my interest. Doin’ for the wounded, sayin’ a cheerful word where it was