bigdamnprincipal | Office Hours, November 29

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Office Hours, November 29

Zoe was sitting at her desk today with a squirming Grace on her lap. Grace had made quite a few protests that she was too old to be sitting with her mom like that, but Zoe just held onto her and told her she'd understand someday. So, for the moment, Zoe was looking intently at her computer, while Grace drew pictures and plotted her escape.

At least it was quiet.

[Door and post are open!]

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"Z-Zoe?" Kaylee said hesitantly, then corrected herself. "Um, Principal Winchester, I mean -- this is Kaylee. Not your Kaylee. I used t'go to school there. And my -- people're disappearing. Not just people." And that was what was crushing her.

Zoe didn't realize she was squeezing Grace until she said "Ow!" and tried to squirm off Zoe's lap again. "Kaylee. I'd say it's good to hear from you, but that's not exactly true with the circumstances and all," she said. "Do you have people with you?"

"It's just me and River," she said quietly. "Simon was the first to go. We lost you 'bout a week ago, and Mal -- Mal and Serenity disappeared at the same time. She's just gone. We're lucky we were on-planet, I guess, 'cause there ain't no way we wouldn't be like Mal, or floatin' in space, but -- I can't find a portal to Fandom, neither, Zoe."

Of course she couldn't, because that would be fair and right and god damn the people behind this, because if there was one person who didn't deserve to disappear, it was Kaylee. She brought too much light to Serenity to go out like this, and Zoe hated the helpless feeling in the pit of her stomach. Maybe that's what it was all really about, to teach the people of Fandom that sometimes, they just couldn't save everyone.

"Stay with River. You shouldn't be alone right now," she said, trying to be the strong one here. "I'm so sorry. It's happening all over."

"Serenity's gone, Zoe. I don't know what t'do with my hands," Kaylee said softly, her voice cracking. "S'only a matter of time, ain't it? Ain't no one here with no answers, anymore. S'why I called you."

"I wish I had answers for you, I really do," Zoe said. "We don't have much pieced together yet, but when we do, the people behind this are going to pay and then they're going to fix it all, do you understand me? I am not just going to let you go."

Zoe had always tried to give Kaylee her space while she was a student, like she had with River and Inara, but she didn't need to do that now that Kaylee knew how important she was. Damn, she hoped Kaylee knew how important she was.

"Can you try to be brave? Never could stand to see you scared."

"I'm bein' brave," Kaylee promised her softly. "For River, too. She's real scared, but actin' funny 'bout it, y'know? Like she sees something I can't. But if Serenity's gone, I ain't got no place no more, Zoe. No you, no Mal. No Jayne or Inara, neither. It's like losin' Wash again, a thousand times over, and no one here to give me no reassurances." Was it insensitive to mention Wash? The world was endin'. Kaylee hadn't never had no room for tact, and Wash's death was still fresh to her.

It wasn't insensitive, but it made Zoe think about John all over again, and that just made this all hurt so much worse. "I'm here, for as long as you need me to be. I won't go anywhere, all right?" she said.

"'Kay. I don't know what else t'do," Kaylee said, in an even smaller voice. "You take care, Zoe. I'm gonna try an' get a portal there, but -- " But they both knew it weren't gonna happen, right? "But I dunno when. I'll see you."

"You take care too, you hear me? You and River both," Zoe said. "I'll try to get a portal to you from this end." She had to hold onto a small sliver of hope that it would work, or what was the point in trying? "I'll see you soon, all right?"

She wasn't going to say goodbye. She just couldn't.

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Office Hours, November 29

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