Authors Note: Again, I had issues posting this installment. The first half of this chapter is posted separately. I apologize for any inconvenience and for taking up so much space.

Shadow

Kaylee walked into the small churchyard. Like most teenagers, Serenity had a morbid streak. Of late she had taken to coming here when she needed to think. But today she was nowhere in sight. Kaylee gazed around at the graves. She had been neglecting her friends. Weeds poked out randomly under the blanket of snow. Not that it mattered much, most of the graves were empty. The plaques were for remembrance, to comfort the living. Neither side was terribly good at returning bodies. Most were buried in mass graves on planets even she hadn’t visited. Some were lost forever. But never one for idleness, she busied herself setting wrong to right and pulling up the weeds.

*Together Forever*. . . *Judgment Belongs to God Alone* . . . *Beloved*

Her youth was buried here. Kaylee had always been the youngest. She had been used to people taking care of her. Now they were gone and she had to be the strong one. It was just so gorram hard trying to be strong. Serenity was right about one thing. It wasn’t fair, none of it was. She felt the tears come and she was powerless to stop. She knelt down at the last grave set far off in the corner of the yard, separate from the rest. *You and No Other*. Kaylee let her grief and anger wash over her. It felt good to let it go. “I just don’t know how to help them anymore. I wish you were here to tell me what to do.”

“Hey you.” Kaylee felt a hand lightly stroking her hair.

“’Nara.” She spun around to see River standing in the snow beside her.

“No, I’m me. Inara’s gone, won’t be coming back until judgment day,” the younger woman said looking at Kaylee as if she was explaining death to a child. The look on Kaylee’s face told River that her friend did not understand. Sometimes she didn’t even know why she bothered trying to help. Still, Kaylee needed her. Too mu