Kaylee and Simon were sitting outside the infirmary talking. Well, Simon was talking and mostly over Kaylee.

“You can’t just repair ships for the rest of your life. I mean Serenity is going to fall apart eventually and then where will you go? Don’t you have any plans?” At this point Kaylee was near tears. He had been poking at the way she lived, her ship, her family, how she talked for near on two hours! She was about to point out that maybe if Simon didn’t think about those things than maybe they wouldn’t bother anybody. Before she could say anything a faint voice interrupted.

“You can’t change the current.” It was River in one of her less lucid states. The psychic put her ear to Kaylee’s chest, right above her heart. “All ready the tides are pulling away from you. I hear the ocean,” she murmured, turning to Simon. “But you’re not the shore.” With that, the girl turned and fled the room.

Simon was quiet for a moment. He finally turned to Kaylee and said “We have to talk.”

*****

Kaylee was sitting on the floor. All the feeling had gone from her legs. She wasn’t sure how long she’d been sitting there with her back against the wall when Zoe sat down next to her. She was sure she looked a mess; she had been crying for a while, her face felt sticky and red. Zoe didn’t say anything.

“Simon left me.” Kaylee whispered. Zoe didn’t say anything. “He said that he wasn’t in love with me anymore. He didn’t say it right out loud but I could tell he never loved me.” Zoe still didn’t say anything. “But the worst part was that I was going to ditch him first. I just didn’t get the chance.” Kaylee started to cry again. Zoe put her arm around the girl and said “You’ll be fine.” She didn’t smile.

*****

“What the hell happened to you?!” Jayne shouted. The merc was surprised as hell when he saw Kaylee’s tearstained face. That gorram doctor had walked by only a moment before, looking a little serious if not his usual self.

“Jayne!”

Kaylee rushed into his arms. Jayne could feel her face, wet and hot, pressed into