Zoë and Inara stood in a circle with their friends. Mal directly across from them, with Jayne, River, Kaylee and Simon in between. The trees that may or may not have resembled real willows from Earth-that-was dripped cool fronds of leaves around the open glade in an over-manicured park on their last day on Paquin.

Zoë looked like a queen, surrounded by an arbor swathed in a field of mauve flowers, draped in the dazzling dress she last wore to lay her husband to rest. She nervously smoothed the fabric over her still-slim belly; in another couple of weeks she wouldn't be able to squeeze the slinky fabric past her hips.

"You know I'm not big on flowery speeches, or flowery things of any sort." The friends laughed at her standing their framed in flowers. "You're my family. Saw me through the worst hell I've ever experienced. Twice." They knew she meant not simply loosing Wash, but the whole nightmare associated with Miranda, as well as the time they'd saved Wash and Mal from Nishka. "Some of you three times now." Her gaze fell on Mal and their eyes met vibrating a deep understanding.

"I asked you here to celebrate the first rays of light out of all that darkness. Its Hope. Hope Alleyne Washburne. The 'verse is a darksome, dangerous place. If we come 8 months hence still fairin' well, we'll celebrate her welcome into the world. For now, I'm grateful to welcome her into being, the little beam of life that brought me back to you all."

"I've written a poem, a song really, about earth that was. The words came to me and I swear was Wash who told 'em to me." Inara stepped forward and lit a candle. Holding the candle, she began to sing.

Have you heard the silent night

The earth is always singing
Praises of the morning sun
Even before morning
And the whole world is singing of
It's beauty all day long
And even the quiet dark
That silence is a song

Weep not for the day of gray
For the heavens are not weeping
The roses are still red and gay
They are even blooming
And the whole world is singing of
It's beauty all day long
And even the quiet dark
That silence is a song
That silence is a song

Then Inara passed the candle to Zoë and each one in turn gave their pledge to Hope:

"I wish for my daughter to know of her father. To be loved by her family - that's all you. To be free in the 'verse to be her own woman. To walk proud, love hard and live long." Zoë's eyes shone with tears as she passed the candle to River.

"My wish for Hope is wisdom. I'll be her tutor and teach her every kind of learning in the 'verse, and to fly," River promised.

"I'll teach her 'bout weapons and fightin'. Seems like a mother aught not have to teach killin' to her own daughter." Jayne passed the candle quickly on.

"Integrity, honor and bravery. I'll show her why those things are all wrapped up in her mother," said Mal. "And I'll do whatever I can to make her mother happy in this world." Mal looked up into Zoë's eyes to find his best friend's eyes spilling tears and laughter. Hunh.....

"I'll teach her of the inner planets, so no place in the 'verse will take her by surprise." Kaylee kissed Simon for his contribution, then added her piece.

"Happiness and joy. I'll teach li'l Hope to enjoy the shiny simple things, and to fix anything in the 'verse," Kaylee beamed.

"And I'll be whatever you want me to be for her. I can open doors for her on any planet in the core worlds. The Guild will never turn their back on a request from me. Should anything happen to Serenity, she'll want for nothing."

Inara passed the candle to Zoë, who set it in a holder on the little bench and reach for and squeezed the hands of Inara and River, who were closet to her. Mal walked across the grass and picked Zoë up, twirling her in a circle. He ended facing toward Jayne who gave him a nod that said "go on, now," while Zoë looked over his shoulder to Inara and winked.

Mal spoke low so only Zoë could hear, "I'd like to speak with you for we jump off this rock." Zoë answered by walking away from the glade, stopping only to check whether Mal followed.

--*--

Zoë moved through the draping greenery and flowers to find a circle of stone benches a ways off from the others, who were already going off to seek the last pleasures of Paquin. Inara was the last one standing in the glade, watching Mal approaching her, then departing through the trees. Mal caught up to Zoë and reached for her hand.

She hesitated, then allowed him to lead her to a bench. She sat on the cool stone while Mal stood over her, studying her features as if for the first time. He turned and sat beside her and let out a sigh.

"That bad, sir?"

"Indeed. Worse."

"I can make this easy for you."

Mal nodded, "I know. I don't want you to."

"You just say the word."

"I had a lot of time to think this week since you and Inara spent most of the time here thick as thieves."

"Can't go drinkin', nor fightin'-which usually ends up the same where your concerned. We went and found things for the baby, I took Hope 'round all those touristy-type attractions Wash always went on about. Even let Inara drag me to a museum or two. How come you and Jayne didn't start no brawls?"

"It's Paquin. I can be civilized. 'Sides, a fellow finds himself auditioning for the role of daddy, some things just don't seem quite so hilarious."

"That explains you."

"I ain't the only one aimin' to save li'l Zoë from a lonely life."

Zoe felt bile rise in the back of her throat. "Spare me the details, sir."

"Any chance you might leave off calling me sir, Zoë?"

"That'll depend."

"On what?"

Zoë took a deep breath. Time to dive in. She reached for his hand.

"Mal, I come to an understanding with Inara just 'fore we landed. But, I need to hear from you before I commit to my decision. I've had a lot of time alone to wander this planet and think about things. There's a lot of past between us and so much never got touched on."

"We went through the valley and came out alive, survived internment. It's like we were born anew," Mal spoke with sadness, he looked off into the distance, seeing the past.

Zoë could tell he was recalling those days, she remembered when he'd learned of what became of Shadow, how the Alliance made an example of his home planet. How his mother was among those killed in the process, just so much dust clogging the surface, making the planet that much more uninhabitable.

"No family, no home, no resources, no place in the 'verse. What we have, we made together."

Mal nodded, but didn't speak.

"I know my mind, Mal, but I have to hear from you before I say it. I look back now on the days when you first bought Serenity. You don't know I nearly walked away then, I figured you had lost what little last sense you had held onto after all that time in torment. I recall laying besides you on the floor in the galley, hopin' noting would creep out a hole and bite me, or drop something nasty on top of me, while you talked about bright plans and futures. I knew the future you saw depended on me being in it, but...why didn't you tell me then how you felt?"

"Cause I didn't feel then! It was just put one foot in front of t'other, survive to show the Alliance they couldn't win. I thought when I asked you to come with me you knew that was all I had left to give. I didn't have enough care left in me to see you needed to be treated like a woman. I don't even know I seen you as a woman 'tall. I had lost myself, Zoë. Serenity brung me back. I thought there would be time to find us once I found myself."

"But I found Wash first."

"To be truthful, I found him first. You just fell in love with him."

"Details, details." Zoë smiled. She had so rarely smiled before Wash came to Serenity. Had hardly smiled since.

Mal reached up and touched the corner of her mouth. A tear rolled down and met his finger. "I didn't do much to keep a smile on your face. I was so gorram mad at you for falling for him. You couldn't stand his skinny when he first came on the boat."

"Had that terrible soup-catcher." Zoë laughed more tears down her cheeks.

"He shaved if off for you, you know."

"I dunno what I woulda done had he not come on the boat-or had he left that raccoon tail on his upper lip. Maybe we woulda found each other, or maybe I'd be racking with Jayne."

That got the desired snort from Mal. "Nearly took his head of for offering to give you a tumble."

"Thanks for the image, sir - Mal," Zoë corrected. "I'da probably turned to you after time had healed us more than those raw, rough days. But we can't turn the clock back. We can only walk forward."

"That's true, Zoë. This is about the here and now. You know I would do anything for you." Mal laid a hand on her knee and turned to look her full in the eyes. "Anything for you an' our li'l Hope."

Zoë's eyes flashed at the thought of her daughter, wanderin' through the ship, hand firmly in Malcolm's. She swore she could feel a double pulse, if only for a moment.

"Mal, Wash is still my husband and I have everything I ever wanted right here," Zoe patted her abdomen, tracing a circle over the place where Wash's ghost had marked her. "My luck holds, I'll see her born and raised. There'll be time to find out what else I might want. If your longin' to be with Inara, that'll sit fine with me. But if this," she gestured to herself, "this here's what you want - well, I'm a pirate afterall and I can't say my word is golden. So right here and now, tell me the truth. What is it you want?"

Zoe could see Inara's face sobbing and choking, struggling to just say the gorram words that would bring her heart's desire. She blinked away Inara's face and concentrated on Mal,watching the muscles in his jaw work. Truth or duty?

"I'm honor-bound, Zoe. Don't matter what I want."

", I didn't ask about your sense of honor! Just answer the gorram question!"

Mal hung his head as if admitting a sin, "Inara."

"Well. That's what I thought." Zoe rose and started back through the trees toward the park entrance. She turned to Mal, still standing with his mouth open, muttering to himself, and reached out her hand. "You comin'?"

--*--

Inara strolled back through the trees to the park entrance. She found a seat under a tree with fan-shaped leaves the size of her palm. A woman played hang drum and sang, the haunting sounds soothed her. But could not dispel her fear. She felt frozen in time.

She trusted Zoe, but that was part of the problem. This wasn't just between the two of them. It was about the three of them. Mal had his own mind. Now that she had found the courage to choose, would Mal? And what was there to guarantee he would choose her over Zoe.

She looked up to see them walking hand in hand, comfortable, familiar. Her heart broke. And yet, they were coming toward her. Zoe smiling through tears - still crying. They waved to her and rushed in her direction, Mal leading, Zoe falling back. Mal not letting Zoe go.

Inara stood to meet them, drawn to the look in Mal's eyes, so determined. As he reached her he swept her up with his right arm and gathered her into a kiss - still holding Zoe's hand.

Mal pulled away from her - Zoe laughing, probably at the shocked look on her face, maybe at her own embarrassment. They had certainly caused a bit of a show.

"Mal?"

"Zoe had unfair advantage, having kissed me an' all."

"He's easily confuddled," Zoe added, earning a soft punch in the shoulder. "Ow, sir."

Inara stared at Zoe, open mouthed.

"I still want to do for Zoe, and will - if you're willing to stand beside me when I do it, that'd make me all kinds of happy."

Take my love, take my land
Take me where I cannot stand ...

I don't care, I'm still free
You can't take the sky from me
Take me out to the black
Tell them I ain't comin' back
Burn the land and boil the sea
You can't take the sky from me
There's no place I can be
Since I found Serenity
But you can't take the sky from me...