Simon was terrified. He had left River all alone on Serenity! How could he have been so stupid?

‘Maybe she knew it would happen,’ he thought. ‘Maybe she saw it?’ He thought of what Kaylee had said to him only an hour or so ago. It was impossible! What could have happened to make her worse? ‘Or maybe’ he thought darkly, ‘she was never better to begin with.’

Simon pushed the thought away, violently. He and Zoe were almost to the docks. River would be fine.

*****

Mal looked at the sleeping girl. He thought of all she’d been through. The bandages he’d put on her arms covered her only escape attempt. Thinking back, Mal suddenly couldn’t blame her. River had been alone.

‘All of us around her, none of them really there.’

Kaylee’d gone off with Jayne, Simon was always distracted, things Mal would have thought impossible a year ago. Everybody was so far away from both of them.

“Well, little Albatross,” Mal took her hand. “Looks like it’s just you and me.”

In her sleep, River smiled and squeezed his hand.

*****

There were bodies everywhere. Jayne kicked the one blocking the door out of the way. He was half carrying Kaylee. When that Reaver had landed on her ruttin ankle, hurt it. Her arm was a mess from that idiot shooting her. Little Kaylee took more looking after then a whole gorram townful of women.

Kaylee clutched her pistol close to her, ready to shoot anything that moved. They were close to the docks now. She did her best to hold it together. She looked up at Jayne. Without him she’d be dead or worse by now. Kaylee smiled thinking on how foolish she’d been about choosing him. Sometimes it was ridiculous how much people over thought things.

“This is getting stupid little Kaylee.” Jayne said.

“What do you-”

He scooped her up into his arms. “We’ll get to the docks much faster if I don’t have to help you along. So I’ll run and you shoot, dong ma?” Kaylee nodded without hesitation. She kissed his cheek. “Don’t worry. I’ll protect you!”

*****

They had finally r