Work Text:
Pairing: Hoban ‘Wash’ Washburne/Zoe Washburne (Firefly)
Setting: post-BDM AU where everybody lives
Zoe Washburne wouldn’t say she was especially religious. Not that she didn’t believe in God. Sights she had seen, nobody could blame her for giving up the faith. She knew others that had and never wondered how it happened. Still, she held on to the fact that she was saved, that her sergeant-turned-captain came through, trusting that some force bigger than they were always got the crew of Serenity out of every scrape in the end, even if it was kind of a close call sometimes.
It was why she smiled and thanked the preacher for his fine reading from the Bible. The story of the Christ child’s birth was one she hadn’t heard since she was coming up as a child herself, but it seemed awful fitting to hear it again with her own babe in arms right there in her lap.
“I’ll leave you to your own thoughts now, and to some rest that I don’t doubt you all need,” said Book, smiling at the Washburne family, before ascending the ladder out of their bunk.
“Good Bible.” Wash sighed, his head falling sleepily onto Zoe’s shoulder.
Still, his eyes were open, as he watched his baby girl wriggling in his wife’s arms. Though his movements were still a little stiff, he managed to lift a hand to gently touch little Emma’s brow.
“I know she’s not a saviour, but I promise she means as much to me as if she were that important to the world,” said Zoe, looking from Emma to Wash. “And you. You mean just as much to me. You know that, don’t you, husband?”
“Who, me?” he said, forever joking, though the look in his eyes mattered that much more than the smirk on his lips when their gazes locked then. “I know,” he promised her then. “And nobody could mean more to me than the two of you. Pretty sure it’s only by God’s grace I’m here with you now. Even the Shepherd said he never saw such a miracle as that day.”
Zoe shuddered as she recalled the moment he spoke of. When they had landed on Sygnus, part of that awful mission which had uncovered such terrible truths, when the Reaver spear had suddenly shot clean through the ship, pinning Wash to the pilot’s seat. For a few excruciating moments, Zoe had believed he was dead on impact, but no. His wounds were bad, life-threatening, but not life-ending. Every vital organ had been narrowly missed, and though the flesh, muscle, and bone had all taken time to heal, were still taking time, even a year and more on, he was alright.
“You know, I fought for you, always,” he said then, head once again lolling at her shoulder, “but that one night, when you came down to the med bay and told me we had a baby on the way... How could I miss this?” he asked, looking down in wonder.
Emma kicked a little, let out a yawn, and then began to settle into Zoe’s chest, sleep taking her at last. She was beautiful and perfect and so incredibly special. Zoe would like to think she would have been a fitting gift to be left with if the worst had happened that day on Sygnus. Thankfully, she got her miracle. God had been merciful, even kind, and allowed her both parts of her family, all parts, she thought, glancing up and thinking of each and every one of their crew.
“We should have a Christmas this year. I know the Cap’n will fuss, but Inara will convince him, if I ask her. Just this once, a real Christmas celebration, for Emma, as well as ourselves and, well, to thank God that we’re all here together.”
“Mm-hmm,” Wash murmured, all but asleep at her shoulder, but that was okay, just so long as he was still there with them.