A/N: River finally gives birth! You have all been clamoring so I hope it lives up to the wait.

Also, I have to give credit to the writers of "Mad About You," who I think wrote the best labor/delivery scene ever between Paul and Jamie. A lot of my scene with River's labor was inspired by that.

Thanks to Leiasky for the beta!

***

A NEW REASON, 4/5

***

14 Months After Jayne’s Death – The Present

***

Mal entered his and Inara’s room as quietly as he could, having already slipped out of his clunky combat boots on the way up the stairs. He and Zoe had been out with Willis, discussing the finer points of a more lucrative job they had in the works, and he guessed Inara might be just a bit perturbed by the lateness of the hour.

As he eased the door shut and padded across the room to divest himself of his clothes, he heard her quiet voice. “Don’t come sneaking in here like you’ve got something to hide, Malcolm Reynolds.”

Smiling tightly at her tone, as Mal recognized it for the tease it was, he pulled his suspenders down off his shoulders and slipped out of his trousers as he said, “Well, now, darlin’, you know my life’s an open book.”

Rolling over, she eyed him critically and by the time he’d made his way to the bed and under the covers with her, she was smiling widely. “You know,” she told him, pressing a few ardent kisses to his lips and neck. “A lesser woman would be very jealous.”

“A lesser woman wouldn’t be my wife,” Mal answered back, his voice dropping an octave as Inara’s touch enlivened him.

Chuckling against his mouth, she murmured, “Very true.” She kissed him a bit more, their tongues meeting and increasing the passion play as he ran his hands up the silk of her nightgown and into her hair, her hands caressing his chest and face.

Parting for air, Mal was more than ready to kiss her again, when Inara raised a hand to stop him. Confused, he pouted a bit and asked, “What, ain’t I gettin’ lucky?”

Throwing him a sultry look that sent a jolt of desire straight to his groin, Inara told him coyly, “Maybe. But first … I talked with Winnie today,” she said, her voice dropping any hint of playfulness as her eyes grew serious.

Now, Mal understood the look of concern. “And?” he asked, propping his head up on his bent arm, the other running down Inara’s back. She smiled slightly at him, and Mal caught the hesitation she was trying to mask. Sighing he said, “C’mon, ‘Nara, tell me.”

With a sigh of her own, she said, “It really could be nothing, but Winnie says River’s been dreaming a lot lately.”

“Like the thrashin’ an’ trashin’ dreams of old?” Mal asked, his expression going from one of concern to one of remembrance.

Shaking her head, Inara elaborated. “No not really nightmares, at least not according to Winnie. She’s just been dreaming more of Jayne.”

With a sigh, Mal brought his hand over his eyes and tried not to curse. He really had wanted to believe River was all right, but he’d known that her flirtation with sanity had been too good to last. “So, these are the screamin’ an’ cryin’ dreams, then?”

Shaking her head again, Inara frowned at him as she sat up. “Why do you assume that River’s losing touch with sanity? She could just be grieving Mal.”

Eyeing her skeptically, Mal told her, “Look, ‘Nara, you know I love River like’n she was my own, but that girl’s track record with dreamin’ and pain and grief ain’t exactly top-notch.” Looking to her for a moment more, he brushed some of her thick hair off her shoulder and asked quietly, “You really think this is just grief?”

Dropping her eyes from his, Inara admitted, “No.” Laying her head back on his chest, she added quietly, “I just don’t know what we can do for her, Mal.”

Placing a kiss in her hair, Mal whispered, “I know, darlin’. I know.”

***

“Hey there, baby girl.”

Turning with a wide grin on her face, River saw Jayne, standing with his thumbs hooked in his belt and smiling at her. Running towards him, River jumped into his arms, causing both of them to fall back on the bunk. His deep laugh vibrated through her skin, as her cheek came to rest over his heart, once again beating steadily in his chest.

“Miss me?” he asked quietly, his hand running lazily through her long hair as she cuddled on top of him, taking in the smell of him, the feel of him.

Nodding once, River said, “Mmm hmmm.” After a moment, she propped her chin up on her hand so she could look at his blue, blue eyes and asked, “Have you seen our girl Jayne?”

“Little Miss Maddy?” he asked, his smile still big. “Yes, I have, darlin’, She’s gettin’ big.”

Smiling at him as well, River nodded and said, “I think she’s going to be tall like her daddy.”

Studying her for a minute more, Jayne brought both his hands to her face and pulled her lips towards his, kissing her gently, caressing her lower lip with his tongue as he pulled it into his mouth. Softly plying her lips apart, his tongue explored her mouth, tasting her, just like she remembered. River fell into the moment, let it swallow her whole, she couldn’t not.

But she was too smart for her own good, and with a small sob, she broke the mood, Jayne pulling back and wiping at her tears. She tried to smile at him, but it was a useless gesture. “I don’t wanna ‘cause ya more pain, baby,” he whispered, his breath still warm against her lips they were so close. “Maybe I shouldn’t be visitin’ ya no more.”

Shaking her head quickly, River felt more of her tears fall as she pressed a more urgent kiss to his mouth. The feeling was already fading, she knew soon she’d be awake again and alone. “No, Jayne, please don’t say that. I need you.”

“Ya need to go on without me, girl,” he told her, his strong arms now wrapped around her little form. “Ya need to take care o’ our girls.”

“They’re so wonderful, Jayne,” she breathed. “They’ve kept me going.”

Again the smile that made her knees weak; still did, even in dreams. “I know, baby, but you gotta keep livin’, ya here me? I don’t want ya wastin’ away.” His blue eyes were serious. “I don’t just wan’ ya to be a mama, I wan’ ya to be happy.”

She knew what he was trying to say and River shook her head against his words. “Jayne, we are not having this discussion.”

Smiling sadly to her, Jayne again caressed her cheek, drawing some of her tears away as he murmured, “No, baby girl, we really ain’t.”

And she was awake; awake and alone in a bed that was too big for her. Rolling onto her side, River buried her face in her pillow and kept crying the tears that had started when Jayne was still holding her. She wrapped her arms around herself, trying to hold onto the feeling, hold onto that warmth, but it was all just a memory now and it was fading faster after each dream encounter.

“Mama?”

Turning sharply at the unexpected noise, River wiped her cheeks hurriedly as she met Cadie’s concerned gaze. “What is it, baby? You okay? Is it Maddy?”

“No, mama,” Cadie said quietly, crawling up onto the bed. Sitting on her knees, she placed a light hand to River’s face and said, “It’s you.”

Crying again, as River had no choice, she pulled Cadie into a hug and the girl just hugged her back, wishing she had more power to take away her mother’s pain.

***

6 Months & 1 Week After Jayne’s Death

***

“Ai ya, Simon, it hurts!”

“I know, mei mei,” Simon told her, looking to Kaylee as his wife held River’s hand and tried to soothe her. “I know, just hang in there. Breathe.”

Rolling her eyes, Kaylee met River’s gaze and said, “Just go with it, he’s big on breathin’ durin’ intense labor pain.”

Smiling at her sister, River felt another contraction come and then almost as quickly go. “That wasn’t so bad.”

Looking up, Simon wheeled away from the end of the bed and told her, “No, it wasn’t, because it’s not the real thing.”

Snapping her head up, River asked, “What?”

“It’s false labor pains, mei mei,” he explained, helping her sit up. “You’re not going to have this baby tonight.”

With a sigh, River rubbed her stomach and murmured, “Oh, sure, make me wait.”

***

Six Months & 2 Weeks After Jayne’s Death (The actual due date)

***

“Breathe, River.”

“I am breathing, Simon,” she shot back, her eyes watering a bit as another painful contraction took hold.

“Okay, I’m here,” Kaylee said, entering the room breathlessly. “I got the twins down and Cadie’s watching ‘em.”

Smiling to her, Simon said, “Well, we can go about our daily lives.”

Flopping back against the table with a groan River bit out, “Not again.”

“Afraid so, mei mei.” Rising, he took her hand and squeezed it gently. “No baby today.”

With a wry grin, she murmured, “You think this is Jayne’s idea of a joke?”

***

Six Months & 3 Weeks After Jayne’s Death

***

“Please?”

“Sorry.”

“Damn.”

***

Seven Months After Jayne’s Death

***

“Okay, let’s do your sevens next.” River watched as Cadie’s hands flew over her data pad, racing herself to do her multiplication tables, while River braided her long hair.

“Done,” she said proudly, holding up the screen.

Reaching out to grab it, River felt a sharp pain as her arm stretched and she inhaled quickly, causing Cadie to turn and watch her. “You okay, mama?”

Closing her eyes and taking a deep breath, River counted to ten and then opened them again. “I’m fine, baby, just more of those false labor pains, I’m sure.” Looking to the data card, she said, “Now, let me see.” Examining her work, she pressed a kiss to her cheek and said, “Perfect. How about the eights?”

By the time Cadie was to the nines, River was again experiencing a painful contraction rippling through her abdomen and having a much more difficult time letting it pass.

Noting her distress once again, Cadie jumped up as she felt her body tense. “Is it the baby?”

River couldn’t answer her as her teeth were clenched against the pain. Cursing silently, River said a prayer that this was not another case of false labor. She had been feeling a few of these twinges over the past couple of hours, but she’d just ignored them, assuming it to be another dry run for the big show. Now, she wasn’t so sure.

Rolling onto her side, River cradled her hands under her belly and felt wetness there. Yup, definitely not a dress rehearsal. Breathing in short pants, she told Cadie, “Sweetie, can you go get Simon for me?”

Not needing to be told twice, the girl took off at a run, barreling down the stairs and returning with Simon in record time. “River,” he asked, moving around to face her. “Come on, River, I need you to roll onto your back for me.”

She did begrudgingly as more pain shot through her. “Ah, Simon, they really hurt.”

Propping her legs up, Simon’s eyes widened as he saw how dilated she was. “Ai ya, how long have you been having contractions?”

Shrugging as she continued to breathe, she told him, “I don’t know, a few hours now.”

Swallowing a curse, Simon muttered, “You are such a brat.”

Giving him a deadly glare as River felt more pain, she told him, “Now? You’re going to pick a fight with me now?”

Smiling, Simon moved towards her and pressed a kiss to her forehead. “No, of course not, mei mei. I just can’t wait to tell my niece or nephew how unbelievably stubborn their mother is.”

Before River could form a decent retort, Simon had moved to the doorway and called for Kaylee who came running. “What’s all the … oh,” she finished as she noticed River’s legs tented on the bed.

Cadie was still in the room holding River’s hand, her little fingers no doubt getting crushed as the next contraction was more painful. Moving to her side, Kaylee gently pushed her towards the door, and said, “Why don’t you go downstairs and play with Danny and Ry, baby? We got this.”

Looking to River, the older woman turned to face her and smiled slightly. “It’s okay, baby. As soon as you can come back, I’ll have them get you.”

Smiling to her, Cadie headed out the door, closing it behind her.

***

Three hours later

***

“Sorry, mei mei, but you seem to have … plateaued.” Simon tried, he really did, to hide the grin on his face, but it was useless as his sister could still sense his mirth.

“I can’t believe you think this is funny,” she told him, her eyes glaring at him with a deadly intensity.

Swatting at him, Kaylee added, “Yeah, she’s in a bit o’ pain here, honey.”

“I know,” Simon said his expression immediately sobering. “I just can’t help thinking this is all so perfectly Jayne.” As both women turned startled expressions to him, he added, “Slow, stubborn and a bit painful.”

Both of them laughed at that and Simon joined them, so glad to see his sister smile. It had been a while. Edging closer to her, Simon took her hand and brushed some of her hair off her face. “Can I get you anything?”

“An epidural,” she kidded, smiling wide. She had told Simon, months ago, that she didn’t want to use any drugs. She was too afraid of something going wrong. Simon had told her it would be a painful way to go, but once Kaylee had let on that she hadn’t had had any medicine with Daniel or Rylee, River had resolved to do it drug-free.

“I can if you want,” Simon told her seriously, willing to do anything at this point to ease her discomfort. “It’s not too late.”

Shaking her head, River turned to regard Kaylee’s beaming face, and said, “No, us Tam women are a strong breed.”

Moping at the girl’s brow, Kaylee kissed her cheek and said, “You got that right.”

Simon looked to them both, so grateful that his family was whole and happy, at least for this exquisite moment in time. He was about to comment on that very fact, when River’s face again contorted, before she let out another scream, squeezing his hand with a fierceness he should have expected but hadn’t prepared for.

Pulling out her grasp, Simon again returned to the business end of the bed and told her, “You’re doing so good, mei mei. Just keep breathing.”

“Simon, I swear to all the gods in the ‘verse if you tell me to breathe one more time,” River muttered through gritted teeth as she tried to ride out the pain.

Simon tried to hide his smirk, noting that she seemed to have dilated another centimeter. “You’re close, River. Eight centimeters now.”

Her head falling back onto her pillows, River took in a few shaky breaths and tried not to let her tears come. They weren’t tears of pain, not really, they were tears of longing, for Jayne. Kaylee, who was by her side, noticed her distress, and leaned forward a bit, lowering her voice, so Simon wouldn’t hear. “You okay, honey?”

Turning her head to regard her sister, she knew Kaylee, of all people would understand. “I really want Jayne,” she murmured, a few of her tears leaking out of the corner of her eyes and falling down into her hair.

Smiling sadly at her, Kaylee blinked back a few of her own tears, and placed a kiss to her cheek. Squeezing her hand, she said, “He’s here, honey. I know it.”

Nodding her thanks to her, River was about to say something else, when another contraction took hold. Sitting up, she yelled, “Simon, I really want to push!”

“Not yet, River,” he commanded, his tone very business-like. “Not yet. It isn’t time.”

“Then make it time,” she bit out, her tone again angry.

As she breathed through the contraction and waited for the next, River glared at her brother, causing him to feel just a bit uncomfortable. As the pain again starting building in her abdomen, River cried out. “Simon, I want to push now!”

Knowing his next comment would easily get him hit, he was very glad his assassin-skilled sister was incapacitated at the moment. “I’m sorry, mei mei, but you can’t. The baby’s not ready.”

“Simon.” River’s tone was hard and commanding and her brother had no choice, but to take a deep breath and meet her gaze. “Let me push or I will tell Kaylee about the time I caught you with Molly Sanchez at-“

“Okay, okay, okay,” Simon shouted, drowning out the rest of that story, even as Kaylee turned her wide eyes to her husband, grinning wickedly. Blushing, Simon tried to ignore the curiosity seeping out of his wife’s pores and muttered to his sister, “I can’t believe you’d use blackmail.”

When all she gave him was a smirk, Simon knew the next time River felt pain, the baby was going to come, whether it was ready or not. Frowning to her, he said, “You know, I’m not exactly sure why you’re taking out all this aggression on me.”

Looking to him with an even deadlier gleam in her eyes, River retorted, “You see anybody else in here with a Y-chromosome?” Smiling sweetly, she batted her eyelashes and said, “You win by default.”

Simon nodded once, thinking for about only the second time in his life, that he really did miss Jayne, just as River again started to cry out.

***

Thirty minutes later

***

“All right, you can come in now, but ya gotta be quiet,” Kaylee instructed as she led Cadie, Daniel and Rylee into the room. River turned her head lazily in their direction, her body thankfully numb from the birth, her beautiful and perfect baby cradled in her arms. Simon moved out of the way as the three children moved towards the bed on tiptoes, clamoring for a view. Walking up to his wife, Simon wrapped his arms around her waist, resting his chin on her shoulder and just watched.

Cadie was closest to River, her eyes wide as she peeked into the pink, fuzzy bundle her mother was holding so carefully. “She’s real pretty, mama,” Cadie breathed, her gaze locked on the little baby as she slept.

“Thank you, baby,” River murmured, leaning down to press a kiss to her cheek.

“I wanna see,” Rylee pouted and Cadie stepped aside, letting the other girl get a look. Turning to Cadie, Rylee raised an eyebrow at her and said, “She’s not pretty. She’s red and squished.”

“Rylee,” Kaylee hissed, reaching out to grab her daughter’s arm. But River stopped her with an upraised hand.

“No, it’s okay Kaylee,” River told her. Waiting until Rylee had turned back to face her, she leaned towards her niece and whispered, “You know what? I think that’s exactly what your Uncle Jayne would have said.”

Giggling, Rylee smiled big. She knew it was. How she knew, she wasn’t so certain, but she did.

“I’m sure she’ll be really pretty one day,” Daniel said, ever the diplomat.

Grinning at him, River said, “You know what, Danny? I think you’re right.”

“Yeah, as long as she doesn’t look like Uncle Jayne. Right, Daddy?” Rylee’s comment caught everyone off guard and as Simon’s face flushed, he buried his head into the crook of Kaylee’s shoulder.

“Sometimes, I really can’t stand the fact our daughter’s a reader,” he murmured against her skin.

Kaylee could only giggle in return.

***

They left River and the newborn slumbering peacefully in her room and ushered the other children downstairs. Standing outside River’s door, Simon sighed heavily and leaned against the wall. Looking to Kaylee as she wrapped her arms around his neck, he murmured, “I cannot believe my baby sister just had a baby.”

Smiling to him, Kaylee pressed a kiss to his cheek and murmured, “An’ you delivered it.”

Grimacing, Simon told her, “Don’t remind me.”

As she laughed again, Kaylee studied her husband’s furrowed brow as he finally let his fatigue hit him. Knowing she might not get a better chance, Kaylee looked to him thoughtfully and said, “Well then, maybe you can remind me o’ somethin’. Something about a story that River was going to tell. ‘Bout you an’ a Mol-“

The rest of her tease was cut off as Simon pulled her quickly to him and kissed her firmly on the mouth, his hands running up her back and fisting into her hair. When they parted for air, Simon touched his forehead to hers, praying that had been enough to make her forget about River’s threat. Besides, there was something else on his mind; something that had been on his mind for a few months, and seeing River with her baby had just brought it roaring to the surface.

Uncertain how to bring it up, he finally just took a deep breath and asked, “Kaylee?”

“Yes.”

Noting her firm tone and even firmer answer, Simon leaned back to get a good look at her noticing how her big green eyes were twinkling. “You don’t even know what I was going to ask.”

Grinning at him, Kaylee kissed him again, and pressing herself tight to him, said quietly, “You were gonna ask me if I wanted to have another baby.”

His eyes widening, Simon muttered, “How could you possibly know that?”

Her grin only deepening, Kaylee shrugged lightly and said, “’Cause I know you.”

Reaching up and taking her face in his hands, Simon held her gaze, his expression turning serious. He had not forgotten all the problems with the twins’ pregnancy and he knew Kaylee hadn’t either. It was one of the main reasons he’d hesitated to mention it. “Are you sure?”

Nodding once, she told him, “Are you?”

He could only smile and say, “Yes.”

Kissing him again, Kaylee murmured against his mouth. “Then I am too.”

He kissed her back, feeling another unbelievable swell of love for his amazing wife. Just as he was about to deepen the kiss, both of them tensed as they heard, “Mama! Daddy! We’re hungry!”

Parting, they both chuckled lightly, and Simon dropped an arm around Kaylee’s waist as they headed downstairs. Looking to her out of the corner of his eye, he teased, “You’re really sure?”

***

To be concluded in A NEW REASON, 5/5.