Mal4Prez felt I needed this to bookend the Prologue. So, I wrote this in hopes to appease her. She is, after all, a FAR better writer, so I tend to listen to what she says:)

Anyway, the Prologue and Epilogue of this story are told in 'present time'. The rest of the story is the past, and what led to these moments.

It's a bit different kind of story telling than I usually do, and when I had the idea, I wanted to explore it.

There are some things not covered in this epilogue for a reason.

Chapter 12 can be found Here

Thanks to Mal4Prez for the beta.

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Simon winced as his back hit the deck, Kaylee’s weight hitting him directly in the gut. Sparks flew and metal whined as it was stretched to the snapping point. Lights flickered off, glass shattered, and smoke poured from cracks in seals that he should not have been able to see through. Small splinters of light shooting through the hull were nearly blinding in their sharp contrast to the dark room.

He wrapped his arms around Kaylee in an effort to shield her body from debris hurling about the room, but it was no use. There were simply too many. He couldn’t protect himself, much less the pregnant woman in his arms. But he tried. He covered her head with one hand and her abdomen with another.

The floor buckled and Simon rolled over to try and further shield Kaylee. Just as he moved, the ceiling cracked and something hurled its way down toward them like a heat seeking missile and struck Simon in the back of the head, momentarily knocking him unconscious.

He roused at the sound of Kaylee’s strangled cry, and with a groan, he glanced down to see her gasping for breath, hands tightly cradling her stomach.

Simon took a deep breath and closed his eyes in an effort to force away the dizziness. He hadn’t prayed in a long time. In the split second it took his mind to decide what to do, Simon prayed to any God that would listen to save Kaylee and their child.

Large heavy panels crashed beside them on the deck, and Simon panted heavily as he pulled himself and Kaylee to her feet.

“We need to get to the Infirmary!” Simon cried over the noise.

Kaylee doubled over in his arms, her weight forcing him against a buckling wall. “Can’t! Hurts too much!” She reached out to steady herself against him, her body trembling.

“We need do this!” He coughed as the smoke pouring from the engine began to affect his breathing.

Kaylee’s head whipped around to take in the damage her ship had already sustained. “Serenity –“

Simon’s voice was suddenly calm. “There’s nothing more you can do for her.”

Kaylee’s eyes met his and he could read her fear as easily as he could understand the complexity of the latest medical procedure. He was certain the look only mirrored his own.

She didn’t speak, only clutched his hand tightly in acceptance and began to follow him out of the room. Then out of the corner of his eye he noticed it; the large, metal beam sailing toward their heads, its descent slowed as it struck any obstacle in its path and crushed it. Simon knew they wouldn’t have enough time to get out of its path; so he pushed Kaylee just as the beam struck his back and knocked him to the floor.

Kaylee screamed and all Simon could remember before his vision went black was his prayer.

~*~

Elsewhere, as the ground rapidly approached, River closed her eyes, tightened her fingers around the controls to steady the ship as best she could, and braced herself for impact.

END

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