Disclaimers: Joss Whedon and Mutant Enemy own all characters. I make no profit, but feedback is a wonderful form of payment.

Author's Notes: As mentioned in the recap, this does contain spoilers for the movie. It was written to answer a challenge regarding a trivia piece found at IMDB(dot)com. Enjoy.

***

"Kaylee?" A voice wafted from her door down into her bunk.

"Here," came her somber, mumbled reply.

Hesitantly, the voice asked, "Are you ready to go?"

"No," she sniffed. "I ain't goin'." Her face was red from the tears she had shed, and her hands lay folded in her lap.

From the hallway above, Simon furrowed his eyebrows as he leaned his crutch against the hull by her door. "I know you don't mean that," he gently stated. "I know nothing in the 'Verse could stop you from going." He listened to the silence and watched, hoping to see her shadow float across the floor.

Gravely looking at the ladder, he hadn't attempted steps of any kind since he had been shot in the stomach a few days ago. The stitches pulled whenever he moved so he had no doubt that climbing down a ladder was going to hurt. He held onto the handle and stepped onto the rungs. Slowly, one by one, he descended, trying not to outwardly grimace.

He stopped midway, looking down at the sad girl sitting on the bed. Wash and Book's deaths had affected everyone on Serenity. Book had been off the ship for a few months, but he was always a friendly face, welcoming them whenever they would land and spend time on Haven. Wash had always been a mainstay of the ship, and everyone missed his humor and friendship.

Kaylee's eyes grew wide as she watched Simon come down the ladder. "Simon, you shouldn't be doin' that," she fretted.

"I shouldn't, but I am," Simon replied defiantly, finishing his descent and standing by the ladder to regain his breath. "Now, don't make me regret coming down here because that was not easy," he lightly joked. "In fact, it was mighty painful."

His comment made her gigg