18. When you're dreaming with a broken heart/Giving up is the hardest part

[pompous_today]

River Tam has left Paradisa again.

It is better this way... she'll be waiting for me back home and will get her memories back.

My sincere thanks to everyone who cared for her and showed her kindness during her time here. I am her brother and would normally have taken care of her, but I was her price to come to Paradisa, and so was never able to have the level of closeness to her I would have liked. Knowing she had many friends to look out for her eased that pain a little.

Comments

[spongetastic]

[of course she's gone. Peter was calling her "little sister", and he can never hold onto family]

Thanks, Simon.

[pompous_today]

The thanks all belong to you for taking care of her.

[spongetastic]

I know you would do the same for me if Claire ever came.

[pompous_today]

Always.

Still... she needed a brother. Even if it couldn't be me.

[spongetastic]

I... I was proud to call her my little sister.

[lightbranded]

I will miss her, I think.

[pompous_today]

You're Will, right? She was excited about the prospect of camping with you. I wish it had actually happened...

[lightbranded]

Mmm, Will Stanton. We talked quite a bit.

[pompous_today]

I am glad for that- that she had friends. I realize she's not the easiest person to talk to sometimes.

[lightbranded]

Was she? I didn't notice anything like that.

[iaimtomisbehave]

I expect she's better off back home, rememberin' you.

[Mal clears his throat.]

But I understand missin' her. I'll miss her myself.

[pompous_today]

She is. It wasn't very healthy for either of us.

[Simon is a little surprised by that reaction, considering.]

She became part of your life, didn't she? She did everyone, sooner or later.

[iaimtomisbehave]

I've always found your sister pleasant enough. Helluva pilot, too.

[pompous_today]

That she is- on both counts. Still, you do have reason to mistrust her.

[iaimtomisbehave]

I don't let nobody fly my boat that I don't trust.

[kungfuwitch]

Oh sweetie. I'm so sorry. If you need anything, anything at all...

[pompous_today]

I appreciate it. It's going to feel... very lonely again without her.

[kungfuwitch]

I understand completely... I felt that way when my sisters left. But you have friends here. You're not alone.

[pompous_today]

I do. And, well... she didn't remember me while she was here, anyway.

[kungfuwitch]

That doesn't make you any less her brother. The love you feel for her is still there. You'll be together again someday and somehow you'll find some peace.

[silentrunning]

[Four words scrawled in reply to Simon's post.]

I'll miss her too.

[pompous_today]

Thank you for being kind to her, Chell.

[silentrunning]

You're welcome. She was like me a lot. I grew fond of her.

[She thinks for a minute before writing more.]

Can I offer you comfort?

[pompous_today]

She does grow on people very easily.

[Simon pauses, his pen resting on the page, leaving a dot of ink.]

Soon. I think I want to be alone right now, though.

[silentrunning]

[She writes back.]

Well, my door is always open. You may consider yourself to have a friend, Simon Tam. I mean, you could already, but I'm not good at telling people when I am growing fond of them.

[She hopes he knows how she means that, that she means as friends, etc because she doesn't have many words for social situations, even now even after living here for almost a year.]