Epilogue

Inara docked her shuttle with the usual ease of any of her actions, but the turmoil inside came through only in her deep eyes. Kaylee came bounding up the stairs to meet her, planting a quick kiss to her cheek as she exclaimed:

“Oh, ‘Nara, I am glad you’re back!”

“So am I, mei mei,” said Inara. “But what on earth has gone on while I was gone? I got only the barest of messages.”

“Oh, lots,” said Kaylee with an exhalation. “You hungry? We’re just having lunch.”

“Assuming I get some answers from you during it,” said Inara with a slightly relieved laugh, “of course.” Nothing too terrible could have happened, she surmised.

~*~*~*~*~

“Will you read to me tonight?” asked River, nearly an hour after Zoe had left the infirmary.

“Read?” asked Simon, coming willingly out of his reverie as River suddenly became less distant.

“Soothing words, soothing voice,” she said, not quite looking him in the eye. “Remedy for nightmares,” she added in a low voice.

“Of course,” said Simon.

“Lunch first,” she said with a hint of a smile, her face losing any hint of worry.

Simon wasn’t sure if anyone had remembered lunch, but he and River went up to the kitchen and there found Inara and Kaylee.

“Hello, you two,” said Inara, smiling up at them.

“I didn’t know you were due back,” said Simon.

“Wash let me know once the trouble was over, and I was well ready to return,” she said. “Besides, you all had excitement without me—I had to find out as soon as possible.”

Simon nodded and left them, preparing his own and River’s lunch while the young women continued.

“So then, Wash stalled Serenity.”

“No!”

“I know, it hurt, it really did. I told him not to fly fancy, but he did a barrel roll !”

“Surely not for no reason,” Inara said, always protective of everyone.

“Well, we were being shot at.”

“Kaylee! Why didn’t you tell me that first!”

Simon glanced over and saw Kaylee give a sheepish grin.

Inara laughed. “It’s all right—I know how you love her. What else?”

“Well