She cradled the capture in her arms, watching the small movie of Mal again and again. The blood was warm on her hands. The driver's car wasn't a hovercraft, and its wheels had cut cruely into him. She heard them screech mockingly at her as the driver sped away. Her tears were wrenched free, and mixed with the blood that ran freely over the Shinon ground, dust and ashes. Her tears fell, slowly, serenly, onto the screen. It didn't stop, like Mal had never stopped for her tears in real life. So much the better, really. It made her going all the more easier. But it was still pretty damn hard, truthfully. Weakly, his hand came up to touch her cheek, and fell just as quickly as a leaf from a tree. It left a trail of blood on her cheek. He tried to speak, but all that came out was a rattling, coughing sound. He was dying. Kaylee maqde it especially hard for her. Her mei-mei. She was crushed by her leaving. But, she had Simon with her now. At least one love would survive her shattered Serenity. At least she had seen to that. But she couldn't stay. Not after... him. The Guild members came upon them, almost immediately after he was struck. There eyes held no compassian. Only accusation. They did not even look at Silas, who was slowly, agonizingly, bleeding away under their stern gaze. He reached out a hand to one of them, and she visibly had to hide her disgust. It didn't work. At least she didn't kick him. They took her by the arms. Women, once beautiful... now, they were naught but vessels for the Will of the Guild. They dragged her away, screaming. She was twenty at the time. Silas died on the road, bathed in dusk and dirt, the Ambulance arriving almost twenty minutes too latef a client to be with a Companion, even one as young as Inara. She had been sixteen when Silas was killed. The Guild called it an 'unfortunate accident'. But she knew better. They didn't approve of him, that boy from the village across from the Temple. She never had proof. But, she knew, that if she took Mal into her bed... he would end up dead, the victim of another 'unfortunate accident'. Taken up by her thoughts, she continued in this vein until she heard the scream. *** Simon watched as Kaylee shook as she slept in his arms, snuffling a little. She started to break out into a cold sweat, and sunk deeper into his embrace, trying to find some solace in his arms, even as she slept. Still, she got worse, and started to thrash around. Simon staeted to hold her tighter still, so she wouldn't hurt herself. He yelled in her ear, "Kaylee, KAYLEE!! Wake up! Its me, Simon!!" Suddenly, her eyes sprang open. She looke around the room. Then, she screamed, loud and ringing. Mal burst in at that moment. Scarcely pausing for breath, she shouted, "NOOOOO!!!!!", and buried her face in Simon's shoulder, sobbing fit to rack her entire body. Mal looked upon the shaking girl, then at the doctor holding her in his arms. He looked at the both of them for a second, then said, "What'd I do?" Simon gave him a venomous look, then turned his full attentions to the sobbing mechanic. He softly rubbed soothing circles into her back, and he said, "Shh, shh. Kaylee, its me. Its alright. Your safe here. It was just the Captain. Please, bao-bei, don't cry." At that, Mal raised an eyebrow, and Kaylee stopped crying. She looked up, her face streaked with tears. Simon smiled at her. "Now, would you mind telling me what you saw?" He wasn't a psychologist, but he had had some preliminary training, for dealing with shock patients when they came. Therein, he had learned that different dreams had different meanings. He might as well try this. Tears welled in her eyes again, and, for a second, he had wondered if he might had said the wrong thing, like so many times before. But, then, in a deathly whisper that he could scarcely hear, "You." After a moment, she elaborated. "And, and there was Early, and me,and you got shot, and I couldn't... I couldn't..." Tears went down their trail again, saying all that she would not... could not, bring herself to say. This was the first time that she had spoken of this to him, and he could only guess that all the rest were like this to a similar extent. He didn't understand it. He couldn't. He couldn't help her, like he couldn't help his sister. So, he did the only thing he could. He gathered her up in his arms, and hugged her tightly, trying, vainly, to make her tears stop and chase her fears away. It was all he could do. *** The dusty port of Persephone sprawled out before her. Behind her lay her shattered Serenity. But Serenity was as dead to her as Silas. She couldn't let that happen to Mal. Or to any of them. Least of all Malcolm Reynalds. She couldn't... she wouldn't. Her things were packed all before her, laying on the ground in a heap. There were only the two bags of her clothes, and her big bed, draped e'er in silks and fine linens, a disguise to her self, locked ever inside of her mind. They could never now, her clients. She wouldn't let herself get distracted by her love. It would destroy them both. *** Mal was away, with Jayne, securing some deal or other with Badger. Wash and Zoe were up in their bunk together, doing things that everyone besides Jayne would rather not know about. Simon and Kaylee were talking on the couch, doing nothing execpt relaxing, thinking random thoughts about anything they wanted to think and talk on. It was great. And River... River was searching for something... dark. She didn't know what, but she had an idea that it was on Serenity. Her peace, her solace, was already shattered. If this... thing... was what she feared it was, it would be shattered irreperably, lost to her forever and ever. And she would not let that happen. Ever. She would die first. She wandered throug the halls in what seemed an aimless pattern, and for the most part it was. But, no pattern, it was as near to impossible to second guess her, or as close enough to make no never mind. Through the corridors, lit by dark and dawn, she traveled, looking for the shadow that haunted the shadows cast by her Serenity's warm light. She knew that it was somewhere, this someone... or, at least she hoped it was. Otherwise, they were all so screwed that it wasn't even funny. Well, if anyone found anything funny about their particular situation, they were one perverted sumbitch. Really. The monster she sensed grew fainter, her alreday tenuous hold on its train of thoughts slipping. It was running. But, to where? *** Mal came back to the ship almost an hour later, face casting a black cloud over everyone, even the normally irrepresible Wash, and he was, for only the second time, laconic. Scary, innit? Mal and Jayne had brought back a few dozen crates, filled with provisions for some border world or other. Jayne had carried Mal's foul mood back with him, and had immediately retired to his bunk. Mal punched the button to close the cargo bay doors, once all the crates were all in. He then punched the comm, ringing into Wash, and he said, "C'mon Wash, get us off this rock. I'm sick of it already." As Serenity lifted off, Mal punched the wall just for the Hell of it. Then, he walked to his bunk, cradling his aching hand. *** Serenity sailed serenly through the black, leaving an ion trail in her wake. Wash and Zoe were in the cockpit, simply talking. Simon and Kaylee were sitting on the couch, her legs laying in his lap, just reveling in eachothers company (coincedentaly, this was their favorite thing to do nowadays. Jayne was nowhere to be found, and Mal was sulking in his room. He did that a lot since leaving Persephone, and they were'nt even a day out yet. And River... River was doing what she did best. Finding something to kill. *** "Simon?" "Hmmm?" He awoke from his semi-doze at her voice, awoken from his day-dreams. "Whatcha doin'?" He grunted as he sat up, using his arms to prop himself up to meet her gaze. "I was daydreaming, until you woke me up." She stiffened just a mite. "m'Sorry," she muttered. He just shook his head. "No, its alright. They weren't very interesting, anyway." "Oh." She looked out at the wall for a second. "Do you... do you know what's goin' on with my head? I mean, those dreams I've been havin'..." She trailed off, and her eyes widened. Her face went pale and white as a ghost, and her lips formed words, yet no sound escaped them. "Kaylee?" Simon gave her a quizical look. "Kaylee, whats-" She pointed at the door. Slowly, Simon turned to face her terror, sealing his doom. There stood Jubal Early, no longer resplendent in his red spacesuit, which was now merely tatters around. He looked thin, drawn, like he had starved for the entire three weeks he had been gone. That probably wasn't so far off, considering that most of his funds were invested in his fancy-pants ship, which was now just another piece of space trash in the 'verse. His hair was unkempt, long and wild. But his eyes were what put the fear of God into you. Or, to be more exact, the Devil. They were dead, empty. All the fires that had formerly burned in his gaze were gone... replaced by only a burning desire for revenge. And, the pistol that he was pointing at them was steady, and, by all accounts, loaded. His voice, when he spoke, was cracked and drawn, and it barely rose above a whisper. "Now, lets have no undue fuss, now. You don't shout or make any unbecoming noise, I don't shoot this finely crafted gun at one of ya'lls pretty lil' heads." Yep, he was crazy. He was done with King's English. Yep, they were screwed. Simon slowly stood up, keeping himself between Early and Kaylee. "Now, lets not be hasty. Just be resonable about all this, Jubal-" "Not nobody calls me Jubal, boy, 'cept for my Ma, an shes dead. Now, you just sit right back down, an I wont have ta blow your brains out." He turned to Kaylee. "Now, I take it you remember our little arrangement from last time 'round. Now, heres the plan: I take you two in the shuttle, we go back to Persephone, and I hand you over to the feds." Simon gulped. "But... but, Kaylee isn't wanted by the feds." Early smiled evily. "Yeah. I want to... try her out for myself, if ya catch my meaning." Simon's face paled, if possible. "I... I can't... I won't let you do that." "Oh, but tou will. And, ya know why? Cuz I'm the one with a pistol pointed at yas pretty lil' skull, thats why!" His voice got slightly louder towards the end, and it sent a faint echo down the halls. When he had ascertained that no one had heard, he turned back to Simon. He motioned toward the door with the gun, "Now, if you'll-" "NOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Shouting his lungs out, Simon lunged for the gun, grabbed it, wrenched it downward- It discharged. Simon's face showed shock, then pain, and he sunk to the floor, gasping and clutching his stomach. Early spat on the floor next to him. He moved toward Kaylee. "Now, he screwed me up, so if you'll-" He grunted as he fell, his legs scissored in both of Simon's legs. The gun flew from his surprise slackened grip. He viciously punched Simon on the nose until he let go, gasping. He frantically made for it- To find River there, holding it loosely in her hands. Her eyes held no pity for this shadow of a man. "You can't take them away from me." She fired three shots, and they formed a dime-cluster in Early's forehead. He slumped back, dead truly this time. Simon shakily stood up, blood pooling on his face where his nse was bleeding. There was no blood on his stomach. The shot had missed him. He had faked the wound to take Early off guard. It had worked. He beckoned to River, who let the gun drop to the floor beside her, and to Kaylee, who joined them. Together, the three embraced, trying to erase their problems and pains with their love. Sometimes, they felt it was all they had left. *** Mal pushed the forlorn body into the bottom hatch of the cargo bay, using his foot, and hang the respect for the dead, this one didn't deserve it. Once the door was closed, he lightly tapped the button to open the exterior doors, his hand being all punched out. Kaylee held Simon as she watched Early's body spiral into the black for the last time. Truly he was dead, and for that she would sleep easier. But, she reflected to herself as she pushed herself tighter into Simon's strong embrace, I don't plan on gettin' all that much sleep for a bit. She grinned despite herself. No, not much sleep at all. River looked darkly out the porthole at the body, all gangly limbs and bones. Won't ever take him from her. Or from Kaylee. She sighed. Her Serenity was made whole once again, but- With Inara gone, Mal's fragile serenity was shattered. Maybe for good this time.

Oooh yeah, everything is wonderful now...