Zoe was quiet. She was thinking on her husbands smile, his eyes, that gorram mustache he used to have She laid a hand on her stomach. She was a little weak from all the throwing up and the scent of engine grease was all but overpowering. But she could feel that beautiful child growing inside her belly, like a promise that everything would be alright.

Zoe laughed out loud. She laughed until she couldn’t breathe and tears were streaming down her face. She could see Wash as clearly as if he were here now, alive, with his ear to her stomach. “Wait, I think I hear it calling out to me! ‘I come in peace. Do not fear me.’ Zoe, that’s our baby in there, equal parts sarcasm and terse!”

She decided it was time to tell the others.

***** Kaylee was sleeping. Jayne lay holding her. He wasn’t too sure what was going to happen next. He felt like he’d gotten something back, something he’d lost. Book was gone, and Jayne sorely missed him at this moment. The Shepard could have at least helped him with what the hell to do next, let alone what to say to Mal. Women didn’t usually mean much to him. Hell, Kaylee was the first women he hadn’t paid for in God knew how long.

He pondered that until his head hurt. In the end, Jayne concluded that he did love her and that it had nothing to do with sex. Well, maybe a little bit. Little Kaylee was a wild cat in the sack. And of all the fe yu men in the verse, hell of anybody in the verse, Kaylee had picked him, was with him right now. If that wasn’t enough, she was beautiful and happy and good with machines. Most of all, he thought on how she’d come to him, like she’d known he was keening for her. All of that and about a thousand other things. He’d tell her when she woke up.

***** Jayne was asleep. Kaylee opened her eyes. He’d hogged the whole gorram blanket, but was hangin off the side of the bed, makin room for her. She smiled, pullin close to him. He mumbled in his sleep, “More tea, thank you.” Kaylee laughed and whispered in his ear “Would you like some sugar with that?” “Mm-hmm.” Kaylee sighed. How the hell did she get to be so lucky so fast? “And just think, it never would’ve happened if Simon had loved me,” she said out loud to no one in particular.

***** Zoe strode purposefully to the bridge. Mal saw her coming and was damned near shocked. Zoe had refused to be on the bridge for some time. His first mate looked at him and said “I need to make an announcement. Get everybody to the galley.” As she turned to leave, Zoe paused at Wash’s old seat. She put her hand on one of the little plastic dinosaurs and smiled.

***** Both Kaylee and Jayne were asleep. Neither of them heard Mal’s approaching footsteps.