Thanks for all the reviews. Well here it is, the very last chapter sob There may be a sequel if reader demand wants it (Review and tell me!)

Chapter 8: God Grant Me Serenity

"Well what you all starin' at?"

"You're not real, you're dead!" Wash finally throws at the man's question.

"Not as a rule no."

"River! Get back here!" Jayne snaps, his shotgun held high.

"I won't!" She yells back hanging onto the man's hand.

Simon is knelt at Kaylee's side, gently patting her face. He takes her pulse expertly with one hand, without even looking to find the artery. Her eyes flicker open and she blinks a couple of times. "Was that..?"

"No." Simon says coolly, standing up. He advances, his pistol aimed between the man's eyes. He holds his free hand out to his sister. "This man isn't Captain Reynolds whatever you think River."

"Anyone mind asking me in all this?"

"No." Jayne and Simon say flatly at the same time.

"Well well, the doc's all grown up and grown himself a pair."

"Shut up." Simon's pistol never even wavered. "Who are you?"

"You know full well who I am Simon," his voice was annoyed now. He walked down the ramp towards them, limping slightly.

Finally Inara ran forward.

"Mal?" her voice trembled as she reached out a hand for him, slightly nervously. As though she thinks he might break if she touches him.

A long ugly scar puckered its way down his face, running from his left temple to his jawbone. Another scar about an inch long created a line down his right cheek. His brown hair was shot through with grey now. His brown duster had seen much better days.

He managed to grin widely.

"I see the whoring is treating you well."

"Oh Mal." She flung her arms round him.

Then Kaylee was there, bundling into the hug which sent the three of them flying back to sit in the dirt. Kaylee kissed Mal full on the lips. Simon felt a flash of annoyance. Kaylee had slapped him. She wasn't slapping Mal. But he holstered his gun, albeit roughly.

Eventually Mal untangled himself from the two girls and pulled himself back to his feet.

Wash laid his gun on the ground and walked forward. "Mal. Hey." He held out his hand. They shook hands firmly.

"Where's my first mate?" he looks round hopefully.

Zoë edged forward slowly, and Mal's eyes widened. "A baby?" he looked at Wash then back to Zoë. "You guys had a baby?"

"We named him after you," Zoë's eyes were filling with tears, as she brought the baby to him. Mal pulls her to him carefully and she hugs him back with one arm.

"God Mal, I missed you," she whispers in his ear before pulling away again.

Mal stared down at the baby in stunned wonderment then said quietly, "You really did believe I was dead…"

Kaylee nodded crying freely. "And that Serenity was scrap metal."

Jayne lowered his gun, letting it hang at his side. "Ruttin' hell Mal. Way to scare a man."

"Nice to see you alive Jayne."

Jayne nodded back. "Likewise Mal."

Simon frowned sceptically, hating the fact that he wasn't overjoyed by the Captain's return. "So how did you escape?"

Inara's shuttle burst away from Serenity and Mal felt as if part of his heart was flying with them. Inara and little Kaylee.

Then the second shuttle went, and the Reaver ship followed. 'Fly fast Jayne Cobb,' he thought. 'Fly fast.'

As far as he could guess there were three or four Reavers trapped in the cargo bay. Jayne's inventive explosives had kept them trapped there long enough for the others to escape. He hefted the shotgun, pressed into his hands by Jayne before he left, in one hand, and the bag of explosives in the other. He prayed that he didn't rupture Serenity's hull. Kaylee would kill him.

Kaylee started to head up the ramp.

"Kaylee don't…." Mal leapt to stop her but she was too quick for him.

She stopped at the top and stared round the cargo bay in horror. She uttered a tiny squeaking noise of disbelief that made the others come to look. The walls were blackened and most of the walkways were twisted hunks of metal. At various points ladders and planks of wood had been laid between them to provide access.

"What's happened to Serenity? Cap'n what have you done to her?"

"I'm sorry mei mei…I couldn't fix her up. It was hard enough to keep her going…get here." Mal's head drooped. "It wasn't the crash course in ship maintenance or flying I wanted." He looked tired.

Kaylee snuffled, as a tear worked its way down her cheek. "Why didn't you tell us?" She wiped her nose with her hand, until Simon handed her a clean handkerchief. She smiled gratefully at him. "Why didn't you come for us?"

"How could I Kaylee? Mei mei…" Mal rubbed a hand on her shoulder. "I thought you'd be happy," he glanced at Simon. "I thought you'd be together…"

He gave Kaylee a little gentle push towards Simon, who put his hands on her shoulders.

"Maybe I shouldn't have come back…"

Zoë arched an eyebrow at him. "Sir I will order Jayne to shoot you if you say that again."

Jayne grinned and lifted the shotgun. "I ain't shot myself anyone for a while, what with the layin' low and such."

Mal put his hands out, palms towards the madman with the gun. "Alright Jayne."

"Where were you?" Wash says curiously.

"Hooked up with Monty for a while. Roamed about. Laid low. You lot are hard to find." He shrugs helplessly. "But that's a story for another time."

Kaylee tilted her head back against Simon's chest and felt safe, happy, for the first time in six years. She'd found the two men who meant the most to her.

River whirled around the blackened cargo bay in a happy dance. "Told you Simon, I told you. Family. All together again!" She grinned at Jayne who lowered the gun.

Zoë nodded to Mal. "Any orders sir?"

"How come you never called me Sir?" Wash grumbled.

"Mal -- you don't have to die alone."

"Everybody dies alone."

He stared at the control console on the bridge. His hands were slick with blood on the controls. What did Wash press? Oh yeah those three switches up on the right. He flicked them.

He swiped a hand across his face in a vain attempt to stop the blood obscuring his vision as it dripped into his eye.

Mal's head was spinning from the blood loss. 'Not gonna pass out', he swore to himself and pulled the tourniquet tighter around his thigh. Got to live.

Finally Serenity was going. He was free. But at what cost? He put his hands over his eyes and breathed deeply. His crew…his friends…his family…all gone. He thought about the last times he had seen all of them. Bleeding and scared. He couldn't think of them like that. So he thought about how much he needed them, liked them, loved them…

He reached out and touched the plastic dinosaur toys on the console, and remembered Wash calmly piloting the ship, his beloved ship that Wash had loved just as much. The mad Hawaiian shirts. Wash who always had a smart alec remark or joke to lighten the tension. Zoë his second in command, his confident, his best friend…Mal stared out at the black. He needed Zoë. She had always been there to save his skin, hold his hand and pull him onwards. If you can't walk, you crawl, and when you can't do that…you find someone to carry you. Zoë carried me, he thought. Even Jayne with his sarcastic comments and the ever-present threat of betrayal would be a welcome companion right now. With Vera in his hands. Or Book with a few calm words or unwanted prayers. Mal needed them now. And little River – crazy though she was, Mal was fond of her. And Simon. He was a good doctor and a good man. They had a mutual respect. He'd abandoned everything for what he believed. Like Mal had. And he loved Kaylee…his little Kaylee. His baby sister. Oh god where was she? Mal felt tears prickle the back of his eyes, and blinked hard until they went away.

And what of Inara? Would she forget him and carry on Companioning as if nothing had changed. She had wanted to leave…did this make it easier? He felt as though his heart was stopping.

Oh God…his lips started moving first in a silent prayer and then out loud. "Dear God, please watch over them, please protect them from the Reavers. Don't let them die. Not them. Take me instead if someone's gotta die. Don't let them die. Not Kaylee, or Nara, not even Jayne. Not Zoë. She's better than a Reavers death. Please not them. Not any of them. Watch them. Watch me. Help me, God help me." It started as a jumble of words, tumbling out of his mouth in a frenzied jumble. Then a prayer, maybe from Book, maybe even from before Serenity Valley. "God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change and the courage to change the things I cannot accept. And the wisdom to know the difference. Amen."

Translation Notes (for the whole story because I think I forgot on some chapters)

zhè bìng bù huài it's not that bad

mêilì beautiful

wode tìan Oh God! (Literally Oh sky!)

bù kê néng! no way!

Wo ai ni I love you

Hwoon dahn son of a bitch

shen sheng de gao wan holy testicle Tuesday