TITLE: "ENDINGS AND BEGINNINGS"

AUTHOR: Alison M. DOBELL

FANDOM: "FIREFLY"

PAIRING: No specific pairing

RATING: PG-13.

STATUS: SEQUEL to "MIRROR IMAGE"

ARCHIVE: Yes. Just let me know where.

FEEDBACK: Welcomed.

EMAIL: AlisonMDobell@aol.com

WEBSITE: http://carlajane.50megs.com/Ali00.html

SUMMARY: "The folks on Glory are beginning to fret. River executes a cunning plan while Inara and Simon learn there is help closer at hand than they had dreamed."

The usual disclaimers apply. The characters and 'Firefly' are the property and gift of Joss Whedon and Mutant Enemy.

No infringement of copyright is intended.

"ENDINGS AND BEGINNINGS"

A "Firefly" story

Written by Alison M. DOBELL

* * * * *

They were coming up to what was called the Wet Season on Glory. Hal Larkin tried to hide his deepening sense of unease. The weeks were passing and still there had been no word from Rafe. A friend on a neighbouring ranch had a cortex link and he and Molly had gone over to beg the use of it but still no word. No nothing. He should have been relieved not to hear word of the *laoban* being caught or executed for siding with Independent rebels but it just deepened the empty feeling crawling in his gut that something must have gone wrong. He did not say as much to Molly but she was no fool. She was after all her father's daughter.

"He isn't dead, Hal."

The foreman grunted an awkward aknowledgement as if pretending he had been thinking no such thing.

"Besides, Chung-li's with him. If anythin' had gone wrong he would'a got us word, *dui*?"

He nodded. That much at least he could be sure of. Mayhap the girl was right and he was just worrying his old bones for no good reason at all. He thought about the boys, Ben and Mark, up in the high meadow moving the cattle. No word either on the status of the ranch so presumably that eleventh hour reprieve from old man Cyrus was still good. He cut a look to the tall beauty walking besid