Nobody had been surprised when she’d not used the names chosen.

Not even Kaylee.

Course she’d complained about it.

Said they were such pretty names.

Fancy names.

She smiled, they were fancy names; they were very pretty too.

But they were core world names.

What good would it be to name them Elpis, and Arête?

Crew’d never use them.

The girls would never use them either.

Ellie and Ari were a lot easier to say.

So that’s what she’d named them.

Ellie Mae Washburne and Ari Lee Washburne.

Good names, pretty enough, but still good solid sensible names.

Names the girls would never have cause to be ashamed of.

The first time she’d held them, had been simultaneously one of the happiest and saddest moments of her life.

She’d thought that when this happened it would be Wash that held her hand.

Wash that announced the births to the crew.

Even though they watched the whole thing through the window.

Wash that had cut the cords.

Wash that was the first person beside herself and the doc that held them.

But it was Mal that had done those things for her.

She was glad that he’d been willing to do them.

Glad that he’d been there for her.

It still hurt that Wash wasn’t there for this.

Part of her was angry at him.

So mad that she didn’t know if she could ever bring herself to forgive him.

Mad that he’d gone and died leaving her behind.

She was the one that was supposed to die, if anyone had.

Not him.

She’d never entertained the idea that he would die before her.

Never had to wonder how she would get on without him.

Because if he died the ship would go with him, and by extension everyone else would also be dead.

But she was mad at him for doing this.

For leaving behind his sperm.

For refusing to have a baby with her, but leaving her the means to have a baby without him.

She would never have believed that she could be as conflicted as she was.

Mad at him for dying.

Mad at him for leaving her the babies.

And grateful that he’d left the babies.

Happy that she had them.

And sad because he wasn’t here to see them.

And resenting the certain knowledge that if he hadn’t died she would still be childless.

But mostly she was happy.

She was a mother.

She wondered if she’d be a good one.

She knew she’d do her best for them.

And while she wasn’t truly alone, not with the whole crew as a family, she wondered if she alone would be enough.

Ellie started crying, she would never admit it to anyone, but if Ellie didn’t have a small mole behind her left ear she’s never be able to tell them apart.

Wash would’ve said it.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

They were in what he thought of as “their” bunk.

Kaylee still referred to it as his bunk.

She’d liked it better when they’d stayed in her bunk…but River had mentioned that the Captain was having trouble sleeping due to certain evening activities.

He still felt himself flushing whenever he thought of it, as he felt the tips of his ears burning now.

She’d just laughed, giggled really, one that raised his blood pressure, and said that was the Captain’s problem.

She’d only agreed to come down here because she knew how shy he was.

That’s what she called it…Shy.

She was wearing a short pink kimono robe, and nothing else, sitting cross-legged on the bed.

Which was extremely distracting and affecting his self control.

She was talking animatedly about the babies, something she’d been doing non-stop since they were born.

He tried to concentrate on what she was saying, but the ring in his pocket was burning a hole, and the robe really wasn’t helping.

He’d decided tonight was going to be the night.

Tonight he was going to ask Kaylee to marry him.

But now, he was so….distracted….by the robe, and he’d been waiting for a pause in the conversation for a half hour now….and he didn’t know how long his nerve would last.

She paused, just to take a breath before continuing and he forced himself to dive in.

“I know that it’s only been a few months since Miranda, and I know that we haven’t been a couple for very long, but I’ve loved you for a long time. I hope you know that. You were the reason I chose Serenity. I actually preferred another ship but I saw you there, in that blue shirt, with your tattered umbrella, and you were so happy, happy to be there, happy to see me, and I decided to go with Serenity right then, on the basis of your smile. I have never been one to make decisions on a whim, or on the basis of a smile. But you turned me all around, still do. And I want you to be there to turn me all around when I’m eighty, I hope you don’t think I’m rushing this…Kaylee will you marry me?”

He’d looked down at the floor the whole time he was talking, but the last part the most important part he looked her right in the eye as he said it.

Then he drew the ring from his pocket and offered it to her.

It wasn’t much, not what he could have afforded three years ago.

Just a small one caret diamond ring, but it was almost more than he could afford.

And it wasn’t the ring that mattered, it was what she said.

“Oh Simon! Of Course!!”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“And what if I forbid you to marry him?”

Kaylee rolled her eyes at him, Simon got that Holier than thou look that he’d all but lost since Miranda, and Zoe smacked him on the back of the head.

Cupping his head “Hey! I didn’t say I was gonna, just wanted to see what she’d say is all…”

Zoe smacked him again “No, you just wanted to yank Simon’s chain! Consider it done sir, give them your blessing and go take an aspirin.”

He smiled at Zoe, shaking his head “You make it too easy Doc, can’t help myself sometimes.” Out of the corner of his eye he saw Zoe start to swing at him, ducked and laughed.

“Alright, all the time! Anyway, you’ve my blessings and my congratulations for what they’re worth, and now if you’ll excuse me, I am in need of some aspirin.”

He smiled when Simon started to offer to get him some, “No, Doc, I ain’t sure I’d want to trust anything you’d give me right now.”

Simon started to get an outraged look on his face, stopped and smiled, not a real good one, but he’d tried. Boy was learning, maybe Kaylee didn’t do so bad for herself after all.

The End…of this arc anyway! Lol!