Life's Too Short- Part Twenty-Six

Not mine, don't sue, but please, please, please review! (Oh, come on.... Well, I thought it was cute.)

“You’re…” “Pregnant.” “Pregnant. Baby pregnant?” Simon was in shock. Kaylee bit her lip and nodded. “We’re gonna have a kid, Simon.” She paused, then started to speak again, then stopped, then started again. “Are you- is it- can we be okay? I mean, a… it’s a big deal. Can we raise a little one?” Expressionless, Simon turned to face his girlfriend. He stared at her for a moment, eyes unreadable. Then, in a flat voice, he spoke. “I guess I can’t call you ‘baby’ anymore. The title would be contested.” She blinked, taken aback. Then, catching sight of his stern lips quirking stubbornly, Kaylee began to smile. Simon gave in and a slow, awed grin spread across his face. “You’re pregnant,” he said again, and this time the shock was replaced by wonder. “We’re going to be parents.” She nodded, giving a hiccupy laugh. Simon grabbed her and kissed her, hands cradling her face. Suddenly, he drew back. “What? What’s wrong?” “You know what this means, don’t you?” Kaylee’s smile slipped. “What?” “I’m a well-bred boy, Kaylee,” Simon said, looking away with a cough. “Was raised by a rich family. We followed all the rules of society. Well, until I turned fugitive. But up until then, I was an upstanding citizen. Always did the right thing.” Growing more and more worried with each word, Kaylee grabbed Simon’s hand and clung tight. “What are you saying, sweetie?” “The society I grew up in would never accept an unmarried woman having a child. I can’t let down the expectations of everyone I knew.” He was frowning, and slowly pulled his hand from hers. “I love you, and I love our child, Kaylee, but… I just can’t do this.” Simon got up and went to a bag in the corner. Kaylee was breathing hard, the tears readying again. Simon took a deep breath. “There are only two options. Leaving is the other one, and I couldn’t live without you in my life,” he continued matter-of-factly. Simon turned around. He was holding something in his hand. “So I’ll do the other one.” Now, Kaylee was hyperventilating for a different reason. “Simon..?” “Kaylee Frye,” Simon said, dropping to one knee, “I would be honored for you to consider… I’m asking for your…” His shoulders slumped. “I’ve been on this ship too long,” he muttered before looking back up into her eyes. “Marry me,” he said simply. His hand opened to reveal a small black box, his thumb deftly flipping the lid. Kaylee stared down at the dark metal band inside. Slowly, she pulled it out. It was a nail, probably stolen from somewhere in her workbox, hammered into a ring, the sharp points filed down. “Until I can show my face in a jeweler’s shop,” he explained, smiling a little sheepishly. “You wanna marry me?” For possibly the first time in his life, Simon didn’t hesitate, didn’t stutter, didn’t consider the all the possible repercussions of his actions. “Yes,” he said firmly, holding her gaze. “Oh,” Kaylee sighed, swallowing. “Is that a maybe?” “Yes.” “Maybe?” “No. I mean yes. I mean yes, Simon, yes!” She held out her hand, and he slipped the ring onto her finger. “This way, we can wait until we’re ready to tell, because they won’t know it’s an engagement ring.” She held up her left hand, eying the ring. “Say that again.” He smiled. “Engagement ring.” “I’m getting married,” Kaylee squealed, and flung her arms around his neck. After a few minutes, Simon pressed his cheek against the top of her head. “Now I’ll have to come back,” he said softly. “Wouldn’t miss our wedding for the world.” “That’s right, mister,” she replied, voice lighter than before. “You don’t come back, I’ll sic Jayne on you.” “God help me,” Simon joked. “But I will, Kaylee. It’s all going to be okay.” And this time, she believed him.

* * * *

“So, my Dusky Amazon of the Thunder Thighs, I hear y’all are going after River.” “That’s right,” Zoe replied silently. “And if you ever want anything to do with my thighs again, you’ll never call me that.” Light laughter. “Zoe, have you forgotten? I’m dead, honey, I won’t have anything do to with anything down there for a while yet.” She ceded the point. “Why are you talking to me, anyway?” “I’m not. You’re making this up. It’s all in your head, you know that.” “I would never call myself a Dusky Amazon of the Thunder Thighs.” “Don’t look at me, it’s YOUR brain.” “How can I look at you if you don’t exist?” “Well, you seem to be getting better. That’s good.” “Last time I imagined you, it was a nightmare.” “That’s because it was a dream, sweetiecake.” “And this isn’t?” She slid a knife into her boot sheath, reaching under her pillow for her other gun. “Do you hear any snores?” “I don’t snore.” “Yes you do.” “No, I don’t.” “I slept beside you for-” “I do not snore, honey-baby.” Zoe checked the gun, tucked it into her belt, and sat down on the floor to stretch. “Back to the point. River. Rescue. Seems kinda, well, stupid, don’t you think?” “Mal’s going.” “Yeah. Mal’s going. So you have to go, naturally.” “What, are we gonna argue about this again, Wash? I thought we settled this a long time ago.” “Well, you obviously feel guilty about it, and want to fall at my ghosty feet and beg for forgiveness, because you’re still thinking about it. Making up conversations about it.” “One: guilty for what? Two: you just contradicted yourself.” “What?” “You called yourself a ghost and then said I was making it up.” She cracked her neck and reached for her toes, flattening her forehead against her knees. There was a pause. “Smart women are so sexy.” “So you’re okay?” “Yeah, I’m okay. You know, for a dead guy.” “I’ve been hurting so much, Wash. Why’d you wait ‘til now?” “I’m not real, I keep telling you.” “Stop saying that. You’ll only say something else like ‘oh, I’m a big scary ghost now’ and contradict yourself again.” “Yeah, yeah, yeah. I’m dead, and you still nag me.” “Nag you? Nag you?!” “Okay, bad choice of words.” “Uh-huh.” She pulled her legs up into butterfly position, stretching out her arms to either side and behind her back. “I’m just saying, Zo, this guy is crazy. This Saunders person. Be careful.” “I was planning on going in blindfolded with my guns unloaded, but since you warned me-” “I know you’re always careful. I can’t stay much longer, but I do have one more thing to tell you. Listen up, because it’s important.” Zoe flipped herself onto her feet, moving towards the ladder out of her bunk. She listened. “It’s gonna be a choice, bao bei. In the end. You won’t see it ‘til you have to choose, and it’s gonna come fast.” “Okay.” “But when it’s time, don’t blame the girl.” “River?” “Don’t blame the girl.” “That’s the important thing?” “I don’t have- they-” “Wash?” “I have to go, love. Remember!” And it was just Zoe again.