“No!”

“River, plea…”

“You promised….can’t lie to regret cause’ it comes back to get you….doesn’t work that way”

“River!”

“No needles! They won’t help!” She shouted, backing towards the stairs. Simon stared at her. His lips moved in response, but no sound came out. A few tears made their way down River’s cheeks.

“Some things broke…can’t be fixed…even though you want them to….go search for the glue and when you find it you try to use it….but it won’t work….just breaks more pieces….I don’t wanta be hurt anymore,” she whispers, crying. Simon gaped at her, his eyes wide.

“River, am….am I…hurting you?” he asked, not fully believing what he was hearing. He wanted to make her better, never...never…hurt her. She nodded, then took a few steps foreward and buried herself in his arms.

“Not your fault. Didn’t cause it, just trying to help. I understand, but you gotta let go. Not the little girl I used to be. I’ll be fine,” she said into his arm, and he forced himself not to cry. He never wanted to let his little sister see him cry. She giggled suddenly.

“always saw you…cried more than me.” He opened his mouth and she stepped away, giggling.

“I did not!” he said, a grin working its way to his face.

“Did too, always su…” her voice trailed away and she looked off, all the color draining from her face. Simon stepped foreward, worried.

“Mei Mei? What’s wrong?” he asked, wondering if she even heard him, as her eyes had a very faraway look in them. After a moment, she refocused back on him.

“trouble.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

[Inara! Get my ship ready to go, now!]

[I will], she replied over the radio, then hurriedly flipped the switches that powered up Serenity’s engines. When River and Mal were not piloting, she had taken up the position. She had not expected this though. Her stomach rattled with worry, as it always did when they were runnin back from an "unsmooth" job. She flipped the intercom so it would be heard from all over the ship.

[Kaylee, please go to the cargo bay, and ge