A/N: Here is the conclusion to Simon and Kaylee's honeymoon. One more bit of fluffy goodness, A NEW LIFE: Babies on Board, and then we will be ready to start again with the angst in: A NEW BEGINNING.

Thanks to Leiasky for the beta-ing!

And don't forget those nice shiny comments!

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A NEW LIFE: Newlyweds, Part 2 of 2

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Leaving Santo had not been easy. Simon and Kaylee would greatly miss the time they had had, alone, knowing that extended moments like this in the future would be few and far between. But truthfully, Kaylee’s bouts of morning sickness were getting a little bit more pronounced and he knew that she wanted to be in the comfort of her bed, despite the fact that it could never be as luxurious as the one in the resort. Besides, they both wanted to see Daniel.

His new in-laws met them at the transport station with Daniel in tow once they’d set down on Harvest, and he and Kaylee were pleasantly surprised to also be greeted by Zoe and Ellie.

The little girl ran up to Kaylee as soon as she had stepped off the transport flinging herself into her friend’s arms. “Oh, Miss Kaylee, I didn’t think I’d ever see you again,” she breathed dramatically, shooting Simon a dirty look over Kaylee’s shoulder as the woman hoisted her up.

“Now don’t be silly, baby, I can’t stay ‘way from you for very long,” Kaylee assured her, squeezing the girl tightly. Nodding to Zoe, she said, “It’s good to see ya. Are you still sure about stayin’? ‘Cause I’m thinkin’ if you came back with us, cap’n wouldn’t mind.”

Taking Ellie from Kaylee’s grasp, Zoe smiled at the girl even as she made a funny face in her direction. “Yeah, I think I’m good.”

Nodding once, Kaylee turned back to her folks and Simon, and found her husband already holding their son. “Well look who wants to see you, mama,” he murmured, holding the baby out so Kaylee could take him.

Smiling down at his little face, Kaylee pressed a multitude of kisses to his cheeks and forehead, before rubbing her cheek against his tiny tuft of hair. Opening shining eyes to Simon, she whispered, “I missed ‘im so much.”

Wrapping an arm around her shoulders and pressing a kiss to her temple, Simon loved the light that shone in her eyes at the sight of their son and his heart swelled when he thought of that same light shining on their newest child, seven months from now.

Kaylee grinned at him, that wide grin, and then started forward, heading for the mule her folks had brought along. As she made it to the top of the stairs, she faltered for a moment and it was only Simon’s firm arm around her shoulders that kept her upright.

Noting her unsteady step, her mother came around and took the baby in an instant, while Simon turned her face to him. “Kaylee, bao bei, are you all right?”

She nodded once, shaking off the momentary dizziness she’d felt and smiled back at him. “Just shiny. Maybe a little tired is all.” Her eyes rested on Simon’s face and he knew exactly what she wasn’t saying. Having just returned, they had not yet told her parents or anyone about her pregnancy and he knew this would not be the way to spring the news.

Placing a steadying arm around her waist, Simon’s “doctor” mode kicked in immediately, followed closely by his “worried husband” one. “Well, let’s get you home then. You can get in a nap before dinner.”

***

Simon took Kaylee into the room they had shared before leaving for the honeymoon and helped her sit on the bed. She was still a bit unsteady and Simon did not like the paleness that had assaulted her features. As he grabbed his bag, Kaylee lied down and took a few deep breaths. Truth was, she didn’t feel terrible, just a bit shaky on her feet is all.

Back at her side, Simon was quickly checking her pulse and heart rate. “Kaylee, you have to tell me exactly what you’re feeling,” he told her, trying not to sound too worried, but finding it difficult.

“Foolish,” she answered him honestly. Noting his eye roll, she sat up on her elbows and said, “Sweetie, I’ll be fine. Truth is, I was a little unsteady on my feet the first few months I was pregnant with Daniel too.”

“Unsteady, how?” he asked, not at all liking how that sounded or the fact that he hadn’t known about it.

“Just a little woozy is all, and I fainted once.”

“You what?” Simon’s “doctor” mode had quickly been usurped by “worried husband” and he had a feeling it would be a while before the two balanced out again – like, say, nine months.

Taking his hand in hers, Kaylee sat up all the way and smiled at him. “I love that you care, sweetie, but everything was fine. I was working at Walt’s and it was hot out and I just overdid it is all. The doc gave me a clean bill o’ health and told me to just take it easy from then on. An’ I did.”

Despite his wife’s reassurances, Simon did not feel a bit better. He should have known, all of it, any of it – anything and everything that Kaylee had gone through when she was pregnant with Daniel, he should have known. But with a sadness that made his heart heavy, he knew that wasn’t possible. Those nine months, almost an entire year, was lost to him. And he had to accept that.

“Simon.” Kaylee’s voice and the light hand she placed against his cheek brought him out of his reverie. “It’s okay, sweetie,” she told him earnestly, holding his gaze in her own. “We’re okay. Daniel was born, healthy and happy.”

“I know, Kaylee, I know.” Simon reached out to take the hand she’d placed against his face and kissed it gently, before saying, “I just can’t help wondering what I missed, all those months.”

“Well, lucky for you, we’re gonna be relivin’ it pretty soon,” Kaylee told him, taking his hand and pressing it to her belly, her belly that wouldn’t be showing for at least another four weeks. Capturing his gaze with dancing eyes, Kaylee couldn’t help but tease him, just a bit. “An’ get ready Doctor Tam, because I fully expect to have cravings, mood swings and stretch marks, like you would not believe.” Smiling wickedly at him, she leaned forward and murmured, “So I hope you can handle it.”

Laughing at her despite his lingering reservations, Simon cupped her cheek in his hand and returned her devilish grin. “Oh, I can handle it,” he told her, and then drew her lips to his for a kiss.

Once they’d parted, Kaylee grabbed her stomach, instantly putting Simon on edge. “What is it?” he asked, his voice slightly panicked.

Smiling at him again, she said, “I’m hungry.”

Deciding that now would not be the best time to tickle his wife until she was gasping for air, Simon simply kissed her again, and then helped her up, taking her down for supper.

***

As they sat around the Frye’s dining table that evening, the large family, the Everetts and Thompsons had all come over as well, sat back enjoying the company of each other and delighting in the glow that shone off the newlyweds.

As Kaylee held Daniel, she looked to Simon who simply gave her that swai grin and she knew it was time. Handing over their son, Simon took him gladly and watched as Kaylee rose, getting everyone’s attention.

“Mom, Pa,” she started addressing her folks first. Reaching down, she grabbed for Simon’s hand and he held the ends of her fingers. He could feel her nervousness; she had confided in him how worried she was that her parents would not be so thrilled at being grandparents again so soon, but Simon had reassured her that it didn’t matter. All that mattered was that they were thrilled and that would translate to everybody else. “Everybody, Simon an’ I got an announcement to make.”

All the adults at the table exchanged glances and before Kaylee had even said another word, Winnie’s hand flew to her mouth, a squeal managing to pass through her lips. Okay, not so upset then. The children, completely confused, looked to each other and then the adults. Zoe was smiling, and she had tears in her eyes, which Ellie could count on one hand the number of times that had happened before.

“Mom,” Kaylee said, noticing that the woman had started to tear up before she’d even finished the statement. Going to her side, she knelt in front of her and said, “You ain’t upset, are ya?”

Taking her daughter’s face in her hands, Winnie looked into Kaylee’s big eyes and then over her shoulder into her new son-in-law’s beaming face. “Are you kiddin’, baby girl?” Wrapping her into a tight embrace, Winnie whispered to her, “If’n you’re happy, I’m happy. And it’d take a fool not to be able to see how joyful you are.”

Kaylee hugged her mother back, so grateful that the woman was not upset, but rather excited at the prospect of another grandchild. “This just means,” the older woman warned, pulling back from Kaylee to give her a stern look. “That you gotta come back and visit more often.” Pointing over her shoulder to Daniel’s little form, she also met Simon’s gaze and said, “I don’t wanna be seein’ that boy again when he can fly Serenity all on his own.”

“Yes, ma’am,” Simon said firmly, knowing better than to ever disagree with a grandma.

Rising, Kaylee turned her big grin to her pa and questioned softly, “Well?”

Eyeing his daughter and the young man who had now given her two babies, Thom rose and circled behind his wife’s chair to hug his little girl. “I’m happy for ya, baby, you know that.” However, the look he shot Simon over Kaylee’s shoulder made the doctor gulp involuntarily.

Pulling out of Kaylee’s embrace, Thom approached Simon and the young doctor found himself tensing slightly. Clapping a hand on the man’s shoulder, he looked down at him and asked, “Ain’t you a doc?”

Simon nodded once, allowing a grin to spread across his features, as Kaylee’s father also smiled at him and then muttered, “Don’t they teach you how babies is made at medical school?”

Everyone laughed at that statement, Simon included, although his cheeks flushed a bit uncomfortably at the implication. However, he was glad the tension was broken. Kaylee came back to sit by him and leaned over to kiss him, good and long. He returned the kiss and when they had parted, kept a hand on her cheek as he said, “I love you.”

“I love you,” she told him, reaching out to weave her hand into his and listen to the happy sounds around her.

“What’re you thinking the cap’n’s gonna say?” Zoe finally asked, her own eyes dancing with laughter, but also with a knowing gleam.

Looking to each other Kaylee finally shrugged at her husband and then looked back to Zoe. “He ain’t got much choice, if’n he wants to keep Serenity flyin’.”

Leaning across the table, Zoe captured the girl’s hand and gave it a squeeze. “That’s right, lil’ Kaylee,” the older woman told her, giving her a wink. “You just keep remindin’ him o’ that.”

“Oh don’t you worry, Zoe,” Kaylee assured her, squeezing the woman’s hand back. With a glint in her eye that could have lit a thousands worlds, Kaylee said, “I ain’t lettin’ the cap’n forget much. I figure it’s only fair, now that you ain’t on board.”

“That’s my girl,” Zoe told her and then leaned back as the conversation again swirled around them. Ellie bounded over to sit in Zoe’s lap and she lifted her up with ease.

“Zoe?” she asked, drawing the woman’s attention away from the rest of the group.

“Yes, baby?” she asked, gazing down into those wide brown eyes.

Turning a quizzical gaze to her, Ellie planted her fists on her hips and asked, “How are babies made?”

***

One Week Later

***

Finding Serenity on Persephone wasn’t hard, at least, not for Kaylee; her ship shown out to her like a beacon, cutting through the other drab and sub par machines that littered the Eavesdown Docks. Winding their way through throngs of people, Kaylee’s face lit with a huge grin as they rounded the corner to see the captain, Inara, Jayne and River all standing at the end of the open ramp, a big hand-painted banner hanging at the entrance that said, “Welcome Home Newlyweds.”

Having to blink back tears, Kaylee basically broke into a run at the sight, meeting Inara’s open arms with a fierce hug. River went immediately to her brother, hugging him gently so as not to disrupt Daniel, before placing a kiss on her nephew’s head. Both Mal and Jayne clapped Simon soundly on the back, which Simon would have found disturbing if he didn’t already feel highly disturbed at the sight of his sister holding hands with the mercenary.

Trying to shake those thoughts away, he watched as River greeted Kaylee in a huge hug. “Welcome home, sister,” River whispered into her hair. Kaylee squeezed her eyes against tears, so glad to be back with her family. Pulling back slightly, River looked into Kaylee’s big eyes and confided, “I promise, I won’t tell, Not until you do.”

Kaylee nodded once, knowing River had sensed the new life growing inside of her and grateful that the girl was going to keep the secret. Simon and she had both decided that telling Mal first would be the proper thing to do and so that was how it would be handled. Of course, Simon was a bit nervous that Mal would again threaten to push him into an airlock, but Kaylee had simply smiled that brilliant grin and told him that Inara would never let that happen. Simon wished he had as much faith in Inara’s powers of persuasion.

As they entered the ship, Kaylee talking with Inara, Mal talking with Simon as River took the baby and Jayne went to close the hatch, Kaylee turned back to her husband and said, “You wanna carry everythin’ up now, or wait a bit?”

Turning a hard glare on her, as was part of the plan, Mal said, “Up? Carry everythin’ up where exactly?”

Surprised by his reaction, but sure that she was misreading his anger, Kaylee looked to Simon and then back to Mal before answering. “Well, to the shuttle. So we can get our things all squared away.”

“You can’t keep using my shuttle, lil’ Kaylee,” Mal told her harshly, hoping she would forgive him for his role in their little surprise. The girl was already starting to tear up. “I mean, I gotta have one workin’ shuttle on this boat and ‘Nara’s done already rented the other.”

At a loss, Kaylee looked again to Simon and then let her gaze flit to each of the other crew. All of their expressions were unreadable, but Simon finally came to her side, as she looked to Inara and asked, “Where we gonna sleep?”

“I’m sure Mal doesn’t mean it, mei mei,” she told him, again playing her role.

“Oh no, I done mean it.” Mal was mentally kicking himself as he watched Kaylee’s first few tears fall. Why had he agreed to be the heavy in this scenario? He was always the bad guy.

“Well, there’s still the doc’s bunk,” Jayne offered, more than happy to watch the doc squirm as Kaylee got more and more upset. However, River, picking up on that emotion, shot him a look, which quickly wiped the smirk off his face.

“I can watch Daniel,” River volunteered.

Looking to Simon, Kaylee was trying desperately not to cry. “Simon?” she questioned him.

Taking her by the shoulders and wondering why he had thought this was a good idea, said, “I’m sure it’ll be fine, bao bei, let me just talk to Mal.”

“You can do all the talkin’ you want, doc, I ain’t—" Mal was unable to finish his memorized tirade as Kaylee turned and bolted from the cargo bay heading, no doubt, for Simon’s bunk as that appeared to be the only place on the ship she was welcome.

Simon followed at her heels, determined to be there when she saw the gift they had all tirelessly slaved over. Plus, even he hadn’t seen the finished product, as Mal and Jayne had been planning to put a few finishing touches on it while they were in space.

By the time he reached Kaylee she was standing, frozen in the open doorway of what had once been his bunk. Going up behind her, and wrapping his arms around her waist, Simon took in the sight. They had done a fine job, better than even he could have imagined.

While adjusting the crew bunks might have been easier, the ladders to get in and out were a deterrent to just about everything, never mind, carrying an infant. So Simon had asked, and Mal had agreed, to join two of the passenger dorms, knocking out a doorway between them and giving the newly married couple and their son, more space.

However, they had accomplished more than that simple task. As Simon’s eyes roved over the room, he saw that they had built for he and Kaylee a much bigger bed than even the one Zoe and Wash had had, as well, as designating the back room of their new bunk for Daniel, with a crib and rocking chair Simon could just make out through the new doorway.

And apparently, Inara had had a hand in the decoration as well, moving many of the pieces of furniture and décor from the shuttle to their new room. A privacy screen could be seen against the back wall, shielding the vanity area as well as their dresser of clothes from the bedroom proper; an easy chair, not very big, but looking very comfortable, fit snugly into a corner opposite the bed.

Placing a light kiss against Kaylee’s cheek, Simon whispered, “Welcome home.”

Still in a state of shock, Kaylee turned to look at him, and breathed, “You did this?”

Shaking his head, Simon told her, “No. I asked the captain if it would be okay and he did it, along with Jayne and Walt and your father.” He glanced over his shoulder to where the crew had now assembled and saw that Mal and Jayne were having a hard time meeting Kaylee’s grateful gaze. “Do you like it?” Simon asked, unable to wait another minute to hear her answer.

Looking to him with wide eyes that held a few tears, she whispered, “Are you kiddin’?”

Simon grinned even bigger as she gave him a long, slow kiss, before finally moving to hug each of the others. When she got to Mal, she hit him playfully on the arm and said, “I love my cap’n.”

“Yeah, well I love my Kaylee,” he said, as he wrapped her up tight in a hug.

Finally, taking Daniel from River, Kaylee drifted back to Simon’s side and gave a significant glance over his shoulder to the bed inside. Knowing exactly what that look meant, Simon grinned at her and then turned to the others. “If you’ll excuse us, Kaylee and I would like to … unpack,” he finished awkwardly, knowing that it didn’t truthfully matter what he said, they would never believe him anyway.

“Yeah, sure doc, you do that,” Jayne said knowingly, actually winking at the younger man as he wrapped an arm around his sister’s waist and led her out of the area.

Mal and Inara exchanged their own glances as Kaylee and Simon made a move to enter the room. Before they were fully inside, Mal called, “Oh yeah, and Simon.” Once the doctor had again turned to face him, Mal nodded to the walls of the bunk and said, “We added somethin’ else a little extra too. Figured you wouldn’t mind.”

Before Simon could even inquire as to what it was, Inara and the captain had also wandered away. Following Kaylee inside, he was closely examining the walls and doors of their new room as she put Daniel into his new crib.

“Huh,” he said, almost to himself as he noticed an odd material covering most of the room’s outward facing surfaces.

“What is it?”

Simon turned to see Kaylee standing there and pointed to what he’d found. “I’ve never seen this before. Do you know what it is?”

Kaylee walked up beside him, wrapping her arm around his waist as she studied the dark material. Then, throwing her head back, she laughed, good and long. Still not getting the joke, Simon asked, “What?”

Wrapping her arms around his neck, Kaylee brought her bright eyes to look at him and she delighted in the desire that flashed through them as she pressed herself tight to his warm body. Leaning forward, she placed a kiss against his cheek and then whispered, “It’s sound proofin’.”

***

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