He moved as one in a trance, not really seeing anything but the small coffin that housed Kaylee's body. They were a few minutes from landing now, in that sunny and shiny world that had never felt such a horrible sting as when it learned of the death of one of its own. This would be the worst of all. His vision was narrowed down to only that little slit. In his arms, he carried the assorted things of Kaylee's, the Teddy Bear, the small locket he had found under her bed. The diary... the diary, he would keep. Maybe it would help him... or maybe it would destroy him. As of now, he was past caring about anything other than Kaylee's cold, lifeless body in front of him. He would be the first to place his offerings in the coffin. It was a tradition on her planet that, when someone died, some valuables from the deceased's closest friends and family, as well as some of their own stuff, was buried along with them. He had loved her most, and he was the first. Softly, he placed the Teddy Bear next to her, an eternal guardian in the dark. Then, he placed the locket around her neck. All the things in his arms, he placed around her deftly, with precission. When his arms were empty, he put his hand in his pocket, and pulled out a small cherrywood box. He reverently opened it, and puled out the bracelet, the sapphire set on a golden chain. He lifted up her arm and placed the bracelet around her wrist, fumbling a little with the clasp. When the deed was one, he placed a soft kiss on her hand. A single tear fell, landing where his kiss had branded her hand. A single, shining orb of silver sparkling witha pale golden light. And for each tear shed, a hundred remained locked behind his eyes. When he stepped back, he fell in beside River. Serenity hungin orbit for now. Landing could wait. First, this had to be done. Slowly, the rest all came up, placing their gift next to their fallen friend. First off after Simon came Mal. His face was screwed up in pain, trying not to let his tears fall. He mumbled a few bitter words of farewell. "Goodbye, lil' Kaylee. I hope you find the peace you really deserve. I ain't ever been good with words... and I am glad that we got the hwoon danh what did this to ya. Give my regards to the Shepard and Wash. You wasn't the one supposed to go." Fumblingly, he fished out his best pistol from its holster. "I know you ain't good with guns, Kaylee, but I hope that that'll help... somehow..." He turned away, not looking back, falling in besides Zoe. Next came Jayne. He spoke no words, for fear his voice would crack. He cradled one of the orange hats his mother had sent him. It was the same one they got when they recieved Tracy via the local mail office. He set it gently on her head, then backed away, arms stiffly at his sides. Somehow, he managed not to sniffle. Then came Zoe; she carried three things in her arms. The first she placed down next to Kaylee was the small plastic stegasaurous that had formerly decorated the pilots chair. She muttered, "That was from Wash." Next, she took the well-worn and weather beaten Bible that had always graced the dinner table since Miranda. She placed it on top of Kaylee's folded arms, fixing it so that it would not fall. "That's from the Shepard." Next, she took a a long bladed knife, shineing silver. It's hilt was a bit too small for her hand, meant for someone a bit smaller than the Amazon. "And that's from me. It's the first knife I ever got. I had meant to give it to my kid when it got old enough... but that ain't ever gonna happen now. Goodbye, my friend." When she stepped back into the semi-circle around the front of the coffin, her face was set as if it were stone. Next was Inara, and she placed a small parcel of hair pins next to her friends head. She leaned over, and tears fell onto her friends ashen face. She kissed her brow. "Goodbye, meimei. I'll miss you. We all will." She stepped back, not looking at Mal nor the still form of Kaylee. And, last of all, came River. The normally energetic girl was subdued and sullen now, as if she could stop feeling if she stopped living. Maybe she was right. She softly placed the box of little red jewels next to Kaylees hands, on the left side. Tears slid down her face as she pulled away, not saying goodbye. There was nothing to say. Not anymore. She let lie the little box of sweet, succulent fruits right there, next to the one who had loved them most. No one could fathom how she had gotten strawberries out here. But no one particulary cared anymore, either. *** Outside, in the fields of amber wheat and grain, children frolloced and scampered through the outskirts of the farm, laughing and playing and being more alive than ever, even the day before. They didn't know much about Firefly's in general. And that included this one. They could never have fathomed, in their small, pure minds, that death could be something as tangible as the stalks they ran through. But it was. The smallish, slightly rotund women outside the house near the local mechanic watched as the strangers came closer, stopping her sweeping of the front porch in favor of the spectacle. There were six of them, three men on one side, and three women on the other. They carried a longish object between them. She was preplexed when they made a turn down the well trodden dirt path towards her house. "Jack," she called out, "you best come see this." Soon, her husband stepped out, shrugging on a plaid jacket. She saw that the six strangers carried a coffin between them. Her heart beat in her throat as they neared. When they stopped, a man stepped up to them. No, not quite. He seemed... older. Like he had experienced too much in too short a time. He wore expensive looking clothes, something that the town folk didn't see too often around hear. When he spoke, his voice was subdued. And the words made her heart, which for so long had been the only reminder that she was alive, stop dead. "Are... are you Kaylee's mother?"

Next, the big damn funeral. *sniff*