"Yeah. I have a kid. Sort of. I mean, she's not MINE. She has parents. They just aren't HERE. So yes--ish. She didn't have anywhere to go. And she took a shining to me so I thought--now that I have a big enough place--I could look after her some. Not all the time. But some. Wait! What did you think I meant?" Wash suddenly said.
He laughed, not happily, at her other comments.
"Why do I have a sneaking suspicion that this is you talking to you? I have no words to express how sorry I am that you had to lose me so many times, Zo. I can't control that either. If I could I would go back in time and be the one who stayed. I want to do that so much that my chest aches," he said sympathetically.
"But...I gotta deal with this my way. And maybe I don't have to let it go. Maybe I can make something new out of it. Maybe it didn't save you from your nightmares, but Serenity, she's my baby. And I'm sorry it's bringing up all that's bad here for you. But I don't think I'm hurting anyone bringing her back. And, if you want, you don't have to have anything to do with her. Just..." and he licked his lips and sighed in exhaustion.
"Please don't tell me what to do with my life. Not now. You're dealing with things. Hey! This place makes people go insane! I get that--at least as much as I can. I'm dealing with things too and they're nothing like yours ever were. So don't pretend you know. Cause you don't. Just like I don't really know what you're going through. I want to still be in touch with you. Don't push me away like this. Please. Serenity is bad memories, okay. But it's here. And I'm here. We're not going away. We're not a battle field that you don't have to look at again. Don't bury us, okay?"