DISCLAIMER: Well …after 48 Chapters of repeating it ……say it with me:  ALL BELONGS TO JOSS!!!

NOTES: Here goes the epilogue which also sets the theme for my new story. ( Right …like you guys wouldn´t guess!!!

Thank you for all your kind reviews and sticking with me through this …ahhh …really loooong story!!!

The Prologue for the new story should be up in a couple of days!!! Hope to see you then!

( Chaos…..I´m an X-men girl…ahh that Gambit ! But I love Witchblade ( only the ones Turner worked on) Fathom, Darkness and I even have Magdgalena)

Epilogue

FINDING DAYLIGHT

She could hear her own heartbeat. A steady calming rhythm in the background of her own breathing …..in …out ……in ….out ………like the sound of waves rolling onto the shore.

It was the sound of breaking glass that disturbed the serene atmosphere. Heavy boots crunching broken glass underneath their thick soles. River knew she wasn´t really there and yet she could see it as though from very far away. No faces to see……no voices she recognized……but the interior of Niska´s vessel. Still shiny, still ……

" There is nothing left , Sir. We found 17 men locked in their quarters, an additional 12 who have been shot during the fire fight in which they were engaged."

" The prisoner?"

" She is gone, Sir."

" Niska?"

"One of the casualties, Sir."

" Download all the information from their main board before we deal with this mess."

" Sir …..there is nothing left. Whatever data there was is gone, the core has been wiped clean and then destroyed. Even the back up system is completely destroyed. Whoever did this was very efficient. "

" What else?"

" Three dead men on the bridge,  Sir. Looks like whoever came for the computer went through them as though they were a minor hindrance. We might be able to salvage little if any information off the security system."

" Fine. Deal with it."

" What about the survivors, Sir?"

Make sure there are none!"

River opened her yes, letting her breath catch in her throat. She was pretty sure it had not been a dream. Too much detail ……………and yet she had been sleeping. Carefully lifting Jayne´s arm off her waist, she slid out of bed. Making sure her movement had not woken the mercenary, who was still sleeping, his face half buried in his pillow, River climbed up the ladder.

It had been a long time since she had wandered Serenity´s corridors alone at night. And it felt like a reminder of that time now that she walked barefooted in her crinkled, purple dress.

Still walking, River closed her eyes and reached out. The familiar feeling of the other one´s presence brushed over her like a cool breeze. The sound of her breathing grew louder again, soothing like the sound of waves.

When she opened her eyes again River found herself on a shore basked in grey twilight. To her left and right was nothing but the beach that seemed to stretch on for miles and miles. She could feel the rough, fine sand and the waves licking at her feet as the rolled onto the shore. Next to her stood her mirror- image…… looking back at her.

"Why did you bring me here? This place is new."

" There is something you need to see, little sister." It whispered." About the things I saw back in that ship. The things we saw …..Deleting the data, wiping the core clean before destroying it."

River could feel her brow furrowing up, feel the wind from the sea catch in her hair. None of this was real ……she knew that. It was all in her mind…….but it felt real enough.

The dark sky was growing paler and paler.

" Show me…." River whispered, holding out her hand. The other one´s fingers slid over the back of her hand, their fingers intertwining.

" There…" it said, motioning at the horizon.

River´s gaze followed the gesture in time to see the first sunrays creeping up over the sea…..ever so slowly dawn was breaking. River´s breath came out in a surprised huff, unable to tear her eyes from the spectacle. Only there were no warm, golden rays of sunlight. The sun rising over the grey sea was dark blue……not yellow, not red, not orange ……blue. It gave off no warmth whatsoever.

The other one's  cool fingers slid through hers as she drifted back to the surface of her consciousness. Opening her eyes, River found that she had ended up in Serenity's cockpit.

Wash swivelled around in his chair, looking at her with an expression of surprise.

"River…… ….hey. Mal was here only a few minutes ago… doesn´t look like we´re being followed! Came away clean, how about that?"

River nodded absent-mindedly, slowly stepping up to the windows to look out into the blackness of space.

"Looks like we made it, ha?"

River pressed one hand to the cold, cold glass, shaking her head very slowly.

" For now……." She whispered with a sad smile. She leaned her forehead against the glass.

"They are still there…..out there somewhere, looking, searching. They don´t give up. They want us back ……me ….her."

Watch arched on eyebrow, staring at the dainty girl. Wash wasn´t sure whether she was talking to herself or him. What he was sure of was that he didn´t like what she was saying one way or the other.

"Who´re you talkin´ about ? Please tell there aren´t any more Reavers chasing after us!"

River shook her head again.

" No Reavers, no …" she answered huskily , still not looking at him, still staring out into space. " The men …….the men with he blue gloves. Two by two, hands of blue."