Christmas Ghosts
A gift from the past brightens the future.
Spoilers: Serenity, the movie
Rating: PG
Characters: Zoe/Wash, Mal
Disclaimer: They belong to Joss Whedon and Mutant Enemy.
Notes:For Nancy. With much thanks to Em for listening to me whine and looking it over before I posted.
She wasn't the type to normally give Christmas gifts, but this year it seemed like everyone on Serenity need a little cheering up -- herself included – so she'd made an effort to do a little something for everyone, even if it was just something incredibly small, like being extra nice to Jayne for the day.
But she'd known the Captain for a sight longer than she liked admitting and she'd decided that he deserved an actual gift, one that had some sort of meaning. And there wasn't anything better she could think of than the pocketwatch Wash used to keep dangling from the bedpost in their quarters.
She'd already taken it off the post and polished it up nicely, but it needed a bit of shiny wrapping or something before it was ready to be given, so she'd gone looking for some in the footlocker at the end of the bed.
And there, hidden beneath an old blanket, was a small shiny package tied with string with her name written on it in Wash's writing. She picked it up and turned it over.
"Wash, what did you do? What did you get me?" she asked the empty room.
"Open it and find out," Mal said from the open hatch.
She turned, surprised to see him there. "Sir, I didn't know you were there."
"Just walkin' by and noticed your light on. Thought I'd stop in and see if you wanted to share a drink with me. It bein' the holidays and all."
"Not really, sir. Doesn't quite seem like the holidays, despite everything," she commented, looking down at the package in her hands again.
"Open it," he repeated.
"I'm not sure I can."
"You can."
With a sad smile at Mal, she pulled at the string and unwrapped the paper. Nestled inside the package was a soft leather bracelet.
"He used to work on it late at night when the rest of the ship was sleeping," Mal shared. "Said he needed something to do to keep him from contemplating all the emptiness out there."
"That sounds like him."
He stepped down into the room. "Here, let me fasten it for you."
She silently handed the bracelet to him and held out her wrist, too choked up at Wash's gift to do anything more.
Mal slid the clasp closed. "Looks mighty fine on you," he said.
"It does, doesn't it?"
"Yup." He glanced at the door. "Now how about that drink?"
"You go ahead. I'll be up in a minute."
"You sure?"
"Yeah. I just have one thing I need to do first."
With a nod, he left, and Zoe sank down onto the bed as she twisted the leather bracelet around her arm. "Merry Christmas, Wash."
And from somewhere out in the 'verse, she swore she heard him whisper it back.
Posted by Cassie on 05:00 PM