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.

[lightbranded]

I will miss her, I think.

[pompous_today]

Always.

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

[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]

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

[spongetastic]

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

[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.

[pompous_today]

Me, too. She is someone any brother would be proud of.

[spongetastic]

She is. I'll miss her, but I'm glad she has someone like you looking out for her.

[iaimtomisbehave]

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

[lightbranded]

Mmm, Will Stanton. We talked quite a bit.

[pompous_today]

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

[pompous_today]

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

[pompous_today]

Thank you for saying so. [He then filters to Peter alone.] I wish I could have done more. Being treated like a stranger was starting to kill me.

[lightbranded]

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

Simon

[spongetastic]

I know how you feel. I went through the same thing with Claire.

[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...

Peter forever

[pompous_today]

[Simon has to take a moment to get his emotions under control.]

I don't know how you dealt with it. Was it for long? If you don't mind me asking.

[pompous_today]

Really? Most people find it- [Pause as he tries to word it diplomatically] difficult to communicate with her.

[pompous_today]

True enough. You did keep Jayne around, after all.

[pompous_today]

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

same to Simon

[spongetastic]

It felt that way, because it happened more than once. I know she and I are important to each other, but it still hurt for her to not recognize me.