Very, very sad. The ending of this was very moving. I liked the way it began and the dialogue all the way through was well done and IC.

I think you lost the flow a bit in the very middle of this... It seems to not have the depths of emotion that you capture so well in the last few lines of it. *There* I can really see Simon's pain and guilt, and its very well done by you. Good job.

KrisEleven~

Very well written, worth going into the archives to read. I liked your use of repetition in phrases and themes. I thought it was interesting that Simon thought the second question was more logical for River to ask, they both seemed to have the same amount of logic to me. This was so well written and it really conveys the frustration Simon must be feeling in those early days, getting used to the way things are now and finding ways to help himself mannage and adjust to the new way the world is for him and River.
Riona

I have always thought that in many ways Simon was infact more isolated than River. He not only has his issues to deal with but hers as well. A Core bred young man trying to keep both of them alive in a world he in no way understands. There is a backbone of steel in Simon Tamm. Dispite their superior size and tendancy to intimidate, Jayne and Mal are rarely able to make him back down when he feels he is right. The definition of courage is not the absence of fear, but the doing of what has to be done inspite of it.

Keep going with this thread please. I find it very interesting and very thoughtfully written.

I'm new to the Firefly Fanfiction, and I've only been browsing this section for the past couple days so I'm not sure how much my opion is worth exactly.
But from every other Fic I've read so far, none of them seem to be able to do Simon justice. Not like you anyhow.
This might sound a little cheesey but to say I love this stroy is an understatement. As an older sibling the way you portray Simion's thought's are often exactly what I'm thinking.
So all in all
Great fic! lol
-Liann

A nicely and powerfully written piece that would be awesome in a longer story exploring Simon's side of things. Yep, a not so subtle hint! Please??!!

your story is very thoughtful and beautiful and sad. I really liked
sadness in the fact that nothing she says ever seems to make sense these days (his exhaustion and grief)
and
He told her not to worry
That is so realistic - that River would have been apprehensive about leaving home and that her big brother would have reassured her. That was a particularly graceful paragraph - his guilt over this must be crushing, but he has, as you say, to be the rock (nice reference to River's "make me a stone" prayer in the BDM).

This was amazing, and the insight into the burden Simon carries was so dead on. Please write more.