Zoe found Mal on the bridge, alone. She closed the hatches, and locked them. Mal heard the bolts click.

He waited.

"What are you going to do about the Shepherd?" Zoe asked.

"You mean, about Shepherd Book?" Mal replied.

"He's not Shepherd Book."

"Mmmm. You mean, am I going to throw him out the lock?"

"I mean, are you going to let him stay?"

"Ain't asked him whether he even wants to stay."

"What if he does?"

Mal breathed deep, looking out at the vast black. "Shepherd's a member of this crew," he finally said.

"He's a creation of the Alliance, most probably their tool."

"Could be."

"You going to let him stay with us?"

"If he wants to."

Zoe took her own turn, staring out. "I don't think that's safe."

"Nothing we do is safe."

"There's such a thing as an unnecessary risk."

"Yes... yes, there is."

"Letting him stay is an unnecessary risk. Especially since he's so much like the Shepherd we knew, who knew us."

"Keeping that baby is an unnecessary risk, but you're going to do it." He shouldn't have said that. He knew it the second it was out of his mouth, but it was too late then to bite his tongue. He didn't dare look at her now. "What I know is this. I got to believe something. And right now, what I believe is that Shepherd Book is a member of this crew, until I change my mind or until he chooses not to be."

So there it was. Maybe it was the end.

Maybe it was just another beginning.