Author's Note: This is probably the saddest chapter, although it ends on a somewhat happy note. There's only one more after it, I think.

Simon hadn’t gotten back to sleep since Inara had come in and woken him. He’d crept into the engine room and taken a screwdriver out of Alf’s toolbox. He located what was broken, but he didn’t know what it was or how to fix it. He leaned back in his chair, feeling sick to his stomach. It was gone. There was no way to fix it. He looked down at the capture. It’s all I have left, he thought, pulling himself up and walking shakily into the cockpit.

~

“Simon?” Emily’s voice was incredulous and more than a little sleepy. “Did I wake you?” “No, no.” she smiled. “I just woke up.” “Emily, listen.” Simon took a deep breath. “I’m sorry for how I acted before we left Zephyr. It’s just—it’s been hard. You can’t imagine how hard it’s been. But you know what? Something happened to me last night and I realized that I couldn’t live my life preoccupied by someone who isn’t here anymore.” His voice hitched on the last sentence and he willed himself not to cry. “I hope you are able to accept my apology. I enjoyed being with you while we were on Zephyr and I was wondering…that is…would you like to join me on Serenity?” Emily’s face fell. “Simon, I…After you left, I met someone else, and…we’re getting married in September. You’re sweet to offer, though.” She smiled. “I have to go,” she said. “Bye, Simon.” “B-bye.” The cortex went dead and Simon stared aimlessly at the blank screen, then stood up and stumbled into his bunk. River was already there, tears in her eyes. “Your light will come soon.” “Mei-mei? Are you okay?” Simon stroked her hair in concern. “Don’t worry. Captain Daddy will take good care of me while you’re away.” “I’m not going anywhere, mei-mei.” She laughed, but it wasn’t a happy laugh. “That’s what you think.”

~

“There’s been a little bit of a bug in the nav,” Mal said one night, shortly after dinner. “This places us about two weeks behind. We’ll be arriving on Ariel on or around September 21st.” Simon breathed in hard and quietly excused himself from the table. “Don’t worry,” River whispered. “It’ll all be over soon.” “What in the hell are you talking about?” Jayne demanded. River stuck out her tongue, and then stared off in the direction of the bunks. “I’m going to miss him.”

~

That night, after everyone was asleep, Inara crept into Simon’s bunk. She silently set her capture of Kaylee laughing down on his bedside table and took the broken one out with her. Then she walked down to the engine room, where Alf was working on some last-minute repairs. “Alf.” Alf glanced up. “Yuh?” “Can you fix this?” Inara held out the capture. Alf slid out from under the engine and looked at it. “Memory chip’s destroyed. Can’t without a backup.” River chose that moment to wander into the engine room. “Won’t need it.” “River, sweetie, does Simon know you’re awake?” River shook her head. “He’ll have the real thing soon.” “River, what are you talking about?” She rolled her eyes. “Can’t tell you, you’d stop it. He deserves to be happy.” She turned and walked out of the engine room. “What the hell just happened?” Alf asked, turning to Inara for clarification. Inara shrugged. “She sees things even when it seems we don’t,” she replied. “Thanks for your help, Alf.” She smiled at him and then walked out of the engine room. “No problem,” Alf muttered.

~

The morning after they landed on Ariel, River climbed into bed with Simon. “Mei-mei, what’s wrong?” he asked upon noticing she was crying. “I miss you,” she sobbed, clutching the front of his shirt. “It’s so lonely.” “River?” Simon sat up, panicking. “River, I’m right here.” “But you won’t be anymore.” She groaned. “Don’t leave.” “River, I have to go on this job. Just one job. I’ll be back in a few hours.” “She needs you more. It’s dark and sad, and oh so empty. I miss you Simon.” Simon kissed her forehead. “I love you, mei-mei. See you later.” “Love you, Simon.” “Love you, River.”

~

It happened so fast that Mal didn’t have time to react. By the time he said Simon’s name, he was on the ground. “Simon, no.” Mal knelt down. “Don’t do this, Simon.” He looked helplessly over at Zoë. “We need to get him to the hospital.” “It’s not too far from here, Sir,” Zoë affirmed. “We can take him in the shuttle.” Mal brushed Simon’s hair out of his eyes. “Just hang on, Simon. Just hang on.”

~

“River!” Inara grabbed River’s arm seconds before she swung it out and flung a can across the kitchen. “River, what’s wrong?” “So…much…hurt.” River collapsed in Inara’s arms. “Pain. Blood. Not quite there. Pain. Simon, why?!” she said the last word on a keen, and careened forward, thirty seconds before Mal burst through the door with Simon in his arms. “Inara, we’re taking your shuttle.” Inara rushed over to them. “Mal, what happened?” “He got shot in the stomach. We gotta get him to the hospital, there ain’t much time.” River looked up. “You’re out of time. Game over. Danger, Will Robinson!” Inara glanced down at River. “C’mon, mei-mei,” she said, hoisting her up. “Let’s put you to sleep. Simon will be okay, sweetie.” River groaned. “Danger, Will Robinson,” she whispered. “Goodbye, Simon.”

~

“Mr. Reynolds?” Mal looked up at the clean-cut surgeon. “Where’s my medic?” he demanded. “Mr. Reynolds, there was some severe internal bleeding. We’ve done everything we could. He’s currently on life support, sir, and…” “Hey. Can I ask you a question?” “Certainly.” “What day is it?” “September 22nd, sir.” Mal sighed. “Let him go.”

~

On Serenity, River sat up suddenly on the bed in the infirmary, feeling strangely lucid and clear. “Inara?” she asked, padding down the hallway. “Inara?” “Oh, sweetie.” Inara held out her arms. “River, I have some bad news.” River smiled. “No, no.” She sighed, seeming almost relieved. “He found his light.”