Author's Notes: Thanks to those who read and commented. Glad you're liking the story so far.

For those of you who care about such things, for obvious reasons, the POV had to change from Simon, in earlier parts, to Kaylee, going forward.

Thanks to http://www.fireflyfans.net/showprofile.asp?un=mal4prez>Mal4Prez for the beta.

Part I can be found:http://www.fireflyfans.net/bluesun.aspx?bid=16528 >Here

Part II: http://www.fireflyfans.net/bluesun.aspx?bid=16547>; Here.

Part III

It was a dream. It had to be. All of it. From the moment Simon had pulled her into his arms and kissed her with such confidence and passion, to this moment, as she stared at the rubble that was now the entrance to the medical center. This couldn’t be happening.

Kaylee stared unblinking as the dust and the smoke cleared, as the burning buildings around her hemorrhaged people who’d thought they would be safe inside. Dimly, she heard a familiar voice, but she couldn’t tear her eyes away from the medical center. She’d seen Simon run towards it, but she couldn’t calculate just when. It had been a few minutes, right? He’d had time to get into the emergency ward before the entryway had been hit – hadn’t he?

She barely registered the strong hand that pulled her backward into the whitewashed building, or another hand joining the first to shake her into mobility.

“Kaylee?”

She turned unfocussed eyes on the dark-skinned woman. “Zoe?”

“Fiightin’s moved into the city. We need to make a run for the ship.” Kaylee felt herself being pulled deeper into the building. She knew there was an exit in the back of it, but when they reached it, Kaylee twisted out of Zoe’s grasp, eyes lighting with a horrified fire.

“No! Simon! We gotta go back for him. We –“

“Captain and Jayne are headin’ up there to get him an’ River –“

“No!” Kaylee cried, trying to force the words past her mouth. She knew they woul