33. They ran through the rain laughing, her tiny hand held tightly in his giant one, quickly approaching the ship when he suddenly stopped to pull her body flush against his and kiss her senseless as the rain fell around them.

For Book.

Shepheard Book was not as old as most on the ship would believe him to be; his greying hair wasn't due to age, but to the events those years had made him witness. Mal and Zoe could reminisce with the best of them, Jayne and Wash adding their own stories into the mix after so many years on Serenity together, Kaylee and Simon were still as innocent as the others wanted them to be.

Book, like Inara and River, was someone who was not supposed to have the kind of knowledge, images and first hand experiences of such atrocities as the Alliance gained control on the Verse. Mal and Zoe were but babes when Book lead his first life; a life that left scars, invisible to the eye and sometimes to the touch, but noticeable in words and actions.

Only River ever seemed to understand his resolve, his true attack of his conscience; not because of present events, Book would help to protect his flock, his family. The attacks came at time where he was forced to remember his own atrocities, things he had done in his past life that his current one was slowly helping to make amends.

Tonight was one of those nights where he was forced to remember; but the memory was slowly erased by a new memory. Images flashed by his eyes, faster than a reader could see, especially one so preoccupied, a marriage, his marriage. In his mind places were swapped and he was the strapping young man afraid his bride would change her mind, decide that an Alliance cop wasn't worth all she had to give in this world. In his mind he was transported back, almost thirty years now before these babes before him were born, to the most inspiring day of his life.

But those thoughts always lead to another memory, one he wish would fade with time, but it seemed only actions could; the night he found her, peacefully wrapped in arms that weren't his, the sheets his parents' had gifted them drawn up to their waists. That was the night he truly lost his faith in his old life and turned to a faith he could not image loosing.

Standing in Serenity's cargo bay – Inara and Kaylee wiping tears from their eyes, Zoe and Wash sharing smiles that only existed between those who married for love, Mal and Simon standing quietly hoping that this was simply a nightmare, but both hiding smiles at the strange turn of events – Book found himself smiling at the couple in front of him.

Jayne stood in what he would call his good clothes, which was simply clean versions of his least inappropriate clothing items. River was draped in one of Inara's old companion gowns, the contrast of River's pale skin and the deep red had made more than Jayne's head turn as Simon had walked her down the steps.

When River has announced their engagement only Wash and Book were left unsurprised. Mal and Zoe were predicatable in their response, drawing their weapons in response to an undone evil. Inara and Kaylee were left stunned; Inara because her years of training had left her at a loss for how she didn't see it, and Kaylee was too surprised that Jayne would marry River long before Simon had even mentioned getting engaged.

Simon's response left them all confused, more so than the initial proclamation. He wish them luck. And asked Jayne if he needed his head examined, as you could imagine he had a few breadrolls thrown at him, but his good-natured grin at his soon to be brother-in-law meant that he was forgiven.

Throughout the commotion Book and Wash shared a knowing grin, one that is shared by husbands when a new groom is announced. Both of them knowing first-hand that this marriage would survive where others hadn't. They both remembered that night, more than a year ago as both ran back from Mal's ill-advised camp site. The last two to return to the ship from their attempts at putting the tents up.

Both of them getting closer as the turmoil from Miranda and the Alliance had died-down and River and Simon had been able to claim the lives they once had, but both decided to forgo in exchange for a rag-tag group of seven who had meant more to them than those whose blood ran through their veins. That decision, and new-found freedom had let them let go of old responsibilities and commitments and meant they could really begin to create lives with these people.

Simon and Kaylee had begun dancing in smaller circles, drawing closer until they came together. You can imagine what that scene would look like, smiles, hugs, unfelt threats of harm on both sides.

River and Jayne had taken longer, their dance more of a sparring match; one opponent gaining ground then the other until one night, six or seven months after Miranda Jayne had stayed in and joined the crew for a night of frivolities. River began her offensive then, learning what Jayne wanted to hide and knowing that eventually he would gain his ground back.

But that night changed it all. The crew had landed on a small moon in the middle of the black, a moon that hadn't seen humans since Reavers had taken over that region of space. None had noticed the clouds until too late, the others had grabbed what would perish and ran for the ship, slipping off to showers and warmer clothes. Book and Wash waiting for the stragglers to close Serenity up for the night.

They watched as River and Jayne ran, faster that they thought Jayne could at his age, hands clasped together to stop from falling into the mud that the ground had turned into. In a moment that Wash and Book shouldn't have witnessed Jayne let out a of laughter, River's mixing with his for a moment before Jayne had spun her around.

A moment passed between them as Jayne lowered his mouth to River's. They stood like that, the rain having lost the ability to make them more wet than they were, kissing. Jayne picking River up for better access while she wrapped her arms around his neck.

Book and Wash looked on, waiting for them to finish their moment. And they waited.

Book laughed then, remembering a scene of complete happiness between the two people currently waiting for him to finish the ceremony. He wondered briefly if he should make them wait, like he and Wash had, but one look to Jayne made him realise that spending one less minute as River's husband was something he wouldn't submit Jayne to.

Book took a final look at his crew, his family, in front of him and smiled at the years of friendship, the years of love, the years of family layed out before him and he couldn't stop the smile that graced his face.

"I know pronounce you, Husband and Wife, you may kiss the bride."

Book laughed along with his family as he watched the newest married couple take their first kiss as partners for life.

Book's painful memories were slowly being erased by this crew, the family. And even if he never fully made amends for past actions, he knew that, whenever it was his time to leave these loved-ones he would never be alone, because his life had made and was made better, just knowing them.