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[simon_doctor]

It's midmorning in Logan City on Praxed -- early afternoon, ship's time -- when Serenity touches down at the spacedocks. There's supplies to take on, and cargo to unload ... and two members of the crew to go ashore.

Simon and Kaylee are standing by the gangplank, next to the float pallet bearing their luggage. They've put in a call for a rental skimmer; it should be here sometime in the next twenty minutes.

This isn't goodbye forever. But it's still goodbye.

Comments

[makesmeatease]

Inara comes to stand next to Simon, her hand going to his shoulder, and a soft smile on her face.

"This isn't forever," She says, with conviction. "I'll still miss you both though."

[simon_doctor]

Simon turns, and manages a smile in response to hers.

"We'll miss you too." And it's the truth.

[makesmeatease]

"Call, when you're settled. When you need to talk, anything." Inara glances back at the ship. "We've got shuttles for a reason."

[simon_doctor]

His smile is small and painful, but no less sincere for that.

"And you know where to find us."

[gonna_live]

When Kaylee woke up this morning, when Kaylee put the last of her things in her bag, when Kaylee went through the motions of eating breakfast and doing the last walkthrough of the engine room and everything and everywhere else, it was with one thought beating in her head like a drum: I will not cry.

"Well. 'S why there're waves." With a small, awkward smile. "It'll be all right."

[makesmeatease]

"Exactly." Inara smiles, just a little bit tinged with sadness. Mostly she's happy for Kaylee. The sadness comes from her own selfishness to not lose the girl.

"Wave me anytime, any hour. I demand updates about your life out here."

[gonna_live]

Because she's so good about keeping up with people. She used to be.

Maybe she will be again.

"I'm thinkin' about puttin' together a newsletter." Half-teasing.

[river_meimei]

River's been scarce, this morning. Quiet.

(Hidden, for a while. Ship's got a lot of nooks and crannies.)

But now -- now she's here, drifting silently down the ramp towards Simon and Kaylee.

[gonna_live]

Kaylee looks up.

Quiet, and warm: "Hey, you."

[river_meimei]

River's smile is tiny, and a little belated, and more than a little wobbly. But it's still there.

Kaylee gets one, even now.

"Hi."

[simon_doctor]

He looks up.

And tries to smile. "Hey, meimei."

[river_meimei]

River tries to smile back.

It probably works about as well as Simon's.

[swinging-cod.livejournal.com]

"I'm just standin' here," Jayne announces, after a few awkward moments, "to see if the Doc there starts bawlin'. I got money on it."

With whom?

Better not to ask.

(WITH VERA, MAYBE.)

[simon_doctor]

Simon looks at Jayne for a long moment, and shakes his head.

"I knew we should have gotten you drunk," he sighs.

[swinging-cod.livejournal.com]

Hah!

"Hah!" snorts Jayne. "Yeah, 'cause you're top of the list of folk can drink me under the table."

. . . maybe he should have let him try. There'd have been tears for sure!

[gonna_live]

Kaylee reaches out and idly slugs Jayne in the arm.

[swinging-cod.livejournal.com]

"That's a real friendly goodbye," sulks Jayne, pot to Kaylee's kettle.

[flybywash]

Naomi learned how to walk a couple weeks shy of her first birthday.

What she learned very soon after that? It's really, really easy to outrun Daddy.

She barrels down the ramp, giggling; on her heels comes an exasperated (but lovingly exasperated! There's love to be have here. It's just kinda doing the lagging thing right now, too), "Naomi, inside when we're working!"

[simon_doctor]

Everybody on the ship's gotten more or less good at it by this time: Simon takes two quick steps and bends to intercept Naomi, scooping her up into his arms while she shrieks and giggles some more.

"You listen to your ba," he tells her firmly.

[flybywash]

"No," she retorts gleefully between giggles, objecting more out of rebellion than some real desire to keep running around. She squirms in Simon's arms.

"Yes," says Wash just as firmly as he finally catches up, holding out his arms for her. "Because otherwise you're not getting a bedtime story tonight, and you'll never find out how Wings escaped the tiny stubby-armed grasp of Crichton."

"But baaaa -- " she whines.

"No buts, kiddo. Come on."

She pulls a grumpy, sullen face, but stops trying to wriggle out of Simon's grasp.

[badinlatin]

Mal's last. He doesn't mind.

"Doc. Kaylee."

[gonna_live]

She looks up.

I will not cry. I'm not going to do it.

Kaylee's smile is awfully crooked. "Hey, captain."

[badinlatin]

"Kaylee."

It's still not perfect, the two of them. But it's easier. He can do this.

"If you don't wave when you get there I'm coming after you myself."

[simon_doctor]

Simon nods, almost formal. "Captain."

[badinlatin]

"Doc."

They've had the conversations they needed. River, keeping the infirmary there and going and how to hide the medical tape from Jayne.

He wants to say 'you'll be fine'.

It comes out as "Keep your hands clean, huh?", when it should probably be more of a 'Don't forget'. Don't forget what you learned out here.

Just...don't forget.