Just In The Wind For Awhile. Have you ever noticed that when people get upset, they stop hearing what you're actually saying behind your words? they stop seeing the most miniute  facial motions. To busy being concerned.  They'll figure it out. I have my own things to worry about. like replacing my spacesuit, I've grown a bit tall for it.

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Simon Made me sit down and talk to him today. Wouldn't look him in the eye, too many things he's hiding, can engulf me, make me lost for half a day. His shoes are easier to bear. Simon talked about dreams, and fragmented memories, even wandered into psysic abilities for awhile. Kept coming back to me. Simon gave me some paper, and a few of KayleeSimons pens. Told me I could draw whatever I liked. A apology, of sorts, for all the talking, I suppose. Simon's a good brother. He tries so hard.

I drew him the illistrations that went with the story I gave them. Pictures of the dark, cold, tower, the tiny window that from, you could sometimes see a star, or a spotlight shining. I even drew a picture of the children, lying down to sleep on their first night. The first, and last time, that they would all see each other again. Four dead.  Two turned. One insane, one rescued, and five, trapped in the tower, forgetting what the sky felt like.

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Zoe did some magic that Wash had shown her once upon a time, on Serenity's Cortex link, managed to pull up some lease papers from years ago, showing the Alliance had commendeered the entire moonlet base durning the war, turning it into a 'supplies, archive, and research center". spook speak for they don't have a gorram clue what it was use for. I know. But no ones asked. I'm cuddling sweet, sweet Allie right now. Let the grownups play knights and supers. The children need some quiet time now. especially with all the new friends that we'll be making soon.

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Inara tugged me and Allie into her shuttle, to play dress up while the others argue. I know what she's doing, distancing herself from a battle she thinks she's already lost. Even though InaraMal have a bunk, she still keeps her shuttle, a place to retreat too. I know, of course. About the sickness. Not even Malcolm Renyolds knows. Only Simon, and he can bury a secret. I saw, though. Hard to miss. Not eating, no fighting, visting the infirmary everytime she had the helm. Anything to hide weakness from the others in the pack. It was a close call. Too close. That's why today Aunty 'Nara hold Allie just a little bit tighter when they hug, and she brushs my hair just a little bit longer. I know what she's doing, and I let her. Pack protects Pack, goes back to fish, to the sea on The Earth That Was. Always has been, always will be. Just takes some longer to see it.

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Kaylee has been all confused up inside. Too much at once, for the sweetness of the ship. Simon, Emotions, our current family side trip. So much to take in, and Serenity still trying to fall apart. I know how she feels. I was Serenity, for awhile, before I was River again. Our home in the heavens is old, and ailing. But she has some years left though, before she must rest in the fields she first flew from. Back to the places we left far behind.  Little sister's always been there. Been big sister, too. Before long, she'll be having happy making tiny suprises of her own. but not quite yet.

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Mal put everything together. Knew what questions to ask, both me, and what contacts he could reach. The truth is bitter, but more so for him. He didn't share the details with the crew.  I can see them lurking in his eye. More ghosts, to haunt his dreams at night. He'll finish this, if he can. As a amend that he does not owe, for the sins of other men.

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Jayne always brings more than enough guns. He protects his family. Money hasn't been good in years, but ain't the point. We're Crew. And that's better than most have these days. Jayne and Zoe will take point, behind the Cap'n. Captain and Kaylee cooked up a diversionary tactic, except Cap'n called it 'a hell of a wake up call." Kaylee's manning the helm, with Inara at The Zâo Hé's  controls, waiting to pull us out. Simon will come last, while I drift in the middle of the sea of vengance.  After all, paybacks is a unpleasant and totally acceptable reaction.

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Zâo Hé and Zâo Shì. Serenity has been a good mother all these years. Protects her family, aging like a Lady. Has two pretty little children, too. Zâo, she's spoiled. 'Nara decked her all out, with satin and silk, steering her to the fabulous places she went. Shì, he's the Stuborn one. always hitching his cycles, refusing to start when Cap'n really, really, needs him to cycle up right this gorram minute. Shì's still loved though. Takes after Cap'n, as much a a machine can. Mal recgonizes that on some sorta level, despite his insistence on calling Shì's sister shuttle the Tengzhe Chūn, in 'honor' of Inara. of course, hearing her home called 'the jumping bedbug' aint exactly the best way to win her good grace, but Mal doesn't care.   For him, its enough both are working, and big enough to hide the treasures from the eyes of the merchant men, long enough for the pirates to escape. And it worked, too.

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Serenity may be stretched past capacity, but she has her ways to fit us all. Some of the boys, have set up in Shì a dormatory of sorts. Even now, away from that place, old habits die hard.  Two of the girls, insist on sleeping in Inara's shuttle. Mommy Aunt Inara doesn't mind. Allie got moved in with me, and Zöe's bunking with the other girl. It's like the sleepovers Kaylee had, before Miranda and KayleeSimon. Serenity may be overloaded, overcrowded, and older than Mal, but she's flying true. Won't fail her family, or our new cousins, on our way to find a home landside, for those who can't stand the sky.

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Allie she's the first of our next crew. The littlest lioness, fearce as can be. She takes to comanding like a fish to the sea it was born in. Her 'crew' may be old enough to have birthed her, but they respect her without question. only 5 years old, and already smarter than her superiors. Mals awful proud of her. Helped Zöe raise her from kittenhood, after all. Seeing her help organize sleep spaces, and clean up our new friends, makes him as happy as he can be.

_____________________ I. am happier now. The little boy and his friends, have been saved from the terrible tower, and the Princesses promise was kept. They even saw the sky again, and remember what it looks like. Most of us might not have families to go to. Not any that wouldn't send us back again.  But Badger owes us, and Cap'n plans to call on that debt. Should be enough for IDs, some cashy money, and some living arangements on a outer planet. Muddtown'd be mighty happy to see us again, Jaingyin, or St Albans, too. We might not have blood families to go back to. But their each others family now. Just like Simon, Inara, Mal, Zöe, Allie, Jayne, Kaylee, and Serenity are mine.  And that'll have to be enough. Family matters, after all.

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AN. I'm so sorry!! I completely forgot I hadn't posted this on FFF! hope you enjoy! and entries for the sequel will start posting in a few days, on alliewashburne.tumblr.com . see you in the black! - Ji.