It had been a long day.

Malcolm Reynolds had been told, warned, in fact, that he needed to convert his wheeled wagon to a sleigh and use that for the winter. Apparently since the Alliance had taken over Shadow, the EPA had ordered a regulation for it and all snow baring planets that hover vehicles were prohibited during the winter time. Apparently the anti-gravity thrusters melted the snow when they idled too long, which was harmful to the environment (or something to the effect, Mal was tizzied that the government was telling him what to run). So, he had been in the barn all day, the wagon on a jack as he took the wheels off to replace them with the sleigh bars. He had checked the harnesses, the traces, the collars and made sure everything was in working order. Plus the drafts, Tao and Nui were in fine shape to do some sleigh pulling. Nui was in foal, a recent and good development, but she still had a ways to go before being unable to work. The only canundrum was who the father was, because both Tao and Donner had been friendly to her in the pasture.

Shortly after finishing up in the barn, tossing hay into the feeding troughs, leading Xin from the pasture to her stall, Mal bundled himself up and braced the snowstorm outside. Winter had pushed through but a few days from returning from their trip to the mountains. The clouds had rolled in, built up tall like a range of grey and white granite peaks. Wind howling, snow coming down in violent sheets of white for the span of nine days, snowing them in. Now, the flake fall was but a dusting, like powdered sugar on an already liberally frosted cake. Mal walked tentatively to the house, following the path Zoe and Tao had cleared with the harnessed snow plow. The way was slippery, but eventually after a few near misses he climbed the hollow steps to the porch, shook himself up and went inside.

It was there that he afforded himself the luxury of venting his opinion of the hovercraft regulation during dinner. Everyone had listened with a high degree of tolerance, used to his anti-Alliance ramblings when something government related reared it’s ugly head. The crew just nodded along, eating in silence, River making it her job to roll her eyes when he wasn’t looking. After a meal of garlic rice, smoked elk, the last bit of fresh vegetables steamed and a bowl of dried berries and some preciously sweetened rice pudding for dessert, everyone went their separate ways.

Zoe soaked in the great washtub upstairs; relished her nightly hot water, soap, and vanilla oil before retiring to her chair in front of the fire to finish whittling an Elysian Prairie lion, complete with bulky mane. Simon and Kaylee did the dishes before taking to the couch; the doctor reading the veterinarian’s desk reference as he was now in charge of the animals, and the mechanic halfway through a science fiction romance about a rim girl having a sordid love affair with a rich man’s rogue clone. River, too wise for books lest she critique them, was sketching Zoe. The cats were their separate entities. Boston was looking like an ermine ruff around River’s collar, purring happily regardless he had been the chosen one for being fixed. York, the more masculine of the two (whichthe rest of the house presumed was why he was intact, nobody asked River as it was an already sore subject), was sleeping on the top of the pleasantly vibrating fridge. The dogs were inside, pity on them for being left out in the cold as they basked in front of the fireplace’s inviting warmth with twitching feet, Churchill still sore from his own procreation related surgery. Inara was practicing her calligraphy, something that helped her relax and meditate as Meilin slept in her basket. Finally, Mal sat at the kitchen table, in full view of his kin, and worked on financials.

He hoped, as he jotted down expenses and what little profit they had, that there would be some extra coin for the holidays. It was a new life, and they all deserved something special during the holiday season. Perhaps not all of the trappings, but decent food, maybe some real sugar instead of the cheap imitation, a churning machine so they could make butter from their own milk cows (that was a mighty big dream), and flour for Christmas baked goods. Seasoning for meats, even some rather pricy Highgate yuletide sausage, along with a bottle of Red Moon saki. Such fripperies could be excused, yet that was if they had the tender. Finally as the others filtered off to bed, and Inara shuffled off to the stove to fix a bottle, Mal set his pen down. Stretching, pushing out his chair, getting up he lumbered over to the basket and gathered up the fussy bundle.

Meilin, pushed against him obstinately, beginning to wail louder than the first little pouts. However Mal gave her a well washed pinkie, and she settled down as her mouth sucked instinctively, occupying her.

“You know, you keep on eatin’ all this formula, I ain’t gonna have any cash left for when you’ll need solids.” Mal scolded her softly, lovingly as his body swayed lightly and his index finger petted her round cheek. “Gotta hole in a toe, I’m convinced.” No one could argue he was a proud pa. She wasn’t but a month old, but she was something special, and as far as the rest of the world knew, she was from him. A perfect little bundle, with a clean bill of health from an impressed doctor (Simon was amazed she had no abnormalities due to her birth, abandonment, and presumed complete lack of pre-natal care), and more than enough family under one roof to love her. Mal rocked his way over to Inara, and watched the bottle as it heated on the stove.

Inara smiled warmly, as the sight of them always made that emotion bubble to the surface, and took Meilin, confusing the father who was accustomed to the responsibility of the nightly feeding. She kissed his cheek as her hand offered Meilin a proper pacifier. “Go upstairs and take a bath.”

“You sayin’ I stink?”

She dismissed the feigned offense he displayed. “No, I’m saying you deserve to relax.”

Malcolm eyed his lover warily, but, as his cold joints could use a soak, agreed and left his girls. Padding up the stairs, he turned into the bathroom, and stopped in his tracks to see a bath already drawn, just the way he liked it. The water was so hot the steam was coming off of the cherry scented bubbles (he wasn’t a bubble man, but alright), the towel was set out, the sweet pea soap was atop a fresh washcloth, and a candle was lit. For awhile, he looked over the entire scene as a man pondering over a landmine sign. Dubiously, a foot stepped in, then another, at a sideways path, almost like a crab scuttling towards the unknown pebble. Finally, he looked around, afraid of disturbing someone. Because it couldn’t be for him, it wasn’t possible.

Unless…?

Mal finally sensed someone was onto him. The years of secrecy, he was finally had. Sighing, in defeat instead of anticipation of comfort, he shut the door, stripped down, and let himself disappear into pretty smelling bubbles.

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

Kaylee was in her pajamas, waiting with Simon when their door opened.

River floated in, Boston following tightly by her heels. Wordlessly, she got on the bed and molded herself to Kaylee like a needy tot. The mechanic, though concerned, obliged and held her close, Boston yaowling in protest to his neglect and looking to Simon for attention since his River wasn’t responding. Simon arched a brow, but nonetheless scratched the cat as he scooted next to River.

“River?” He began softly, worriedly. “Is everything all right?”

“Shiny.” She muttered, flicking her head so her wild tresses would hide her uneasy face.

“Honey, you know you can tell us, right?” Kaylee cupped River’s face, freeing it from the curtain of hair, and rubbed her thumb over the curve of the young woman’s cheek. Reading the big, dark, bottomless eyes, she could tell River was reluctant.

River bowed her head. How could she tell them?

Simon was beginning to naturally assume the worst. “Are you hurt? Is… is something wrong, do I need to get my kit?”

River glared a resounding no at him. No doctors.

He pulled back a little because of the ferocity. “O-k, no med kit.”

“Sorry.” His sister apologized sullenly.

Kaylee kissed the girl’s eye. “It’s alright mei-mei, I’d get grumpy too if your brother thought all of my problems could be solved with blood work.” Ignoring the slight expression of offense given by her beloved, she continued to mollify River who could easily work herself up. “Now, whatcha gotta say?”

Boston let out a particularly loud howl, Simon wasn’t scratching him right. Tiring of the poor petting performance, he went over and curled into the hollow River’s body made, between her legs and bent her torso, purring to sooth her as he smelled her anxiety.

Simon began to feel it might not be something River was comfortable talking to him about. Perhaps a talk that related to females only. With an understanding face, he got up to leave.

“No,” River called out, reaching she grabbed the sleeve of his pajamas and yanked him down with impressive strength. “Need you, both of you.” As he sat down, she took a deep breath and stared at her own hands. She didn’t want to hurt their feelings, or anyone elses. “I want to live somewhere else.”

Simon, gaped, though he quickly closed his mouth, his face still blanched.

“No, not like that.” She corrected their ideas. “I want the barn loft. Far enough away from everyone and their loud dreams. I sleep well there.” Looking up, she gave a hopeful grin. “I dreamt there. My own dream.”

Kaylee gave an excited smile, she knew how hard it was for River to sleep, for she wasn’t anywhere near in control of her clairvoyance. “Your own dream?”

“Had to be, animals only dream simplistically, food, play, attention. Had depth.” River rocked a little, excitedly. “Plus it wasn’t one of your own, I know everyone’s possible dreamscapes, none of them fit your REM tendencies, so it had to be mine.”

“Oh sweetie that’s great, when?”

“Night before, snuck out there because everyone was too loud. Slept with Willow, she’s warm.”

“And it was a good dream?” The doctor quizzed.

River nodded her head, watching the metamorphosis of his mouth from tense to glad.

“Congratulations Mei-mei.” Simon patted her back and gave her a brotherly kiss on the crown of her head, beaming proudly. Dreaming her own good dreams was something she needed. For so long she had been gleaning off of people, or reliving the Academy. It was the progress he had prayed for. Getting up, he went over and grabbed his coat and a pair of socks. “Tomorrow I’ll clean the loft up and set a room up there, but for now I don’t think there’s anything wrong with you taking a sleeping roll and a few blankets out there, right?” He began to put on his socks, as he was definitely going to help her. However River came over and stole the socks from him.

She kissed his nose. “I can do it myself.” Giving him a hug, she further whispered. “Thank you. Glad you understand I can’t sleep here because everyone is too loud. Love you.”

“Love you more.”

“Liar.”

With that, River flitted off, cat following her like an extra shadow.

Kaylee went over and hugged Simon. “She’s growin’ up.”

“I know.” He pressed his lips to her forehead and sighed at parenthood.

“You afraid?”

“Of her growing up? Terrified beyond description. But I’m not going to hold her back, she deserves it more than anyone else.”

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

Mal, padded into his bedroom, smelling like summer cherries and sweet pea. Inara was in bed, wearing one of her silken things as Meilin was dozing in her arms. “Good evening ladies.”

"Mal...."

"Hope the bottle went well, though I see she’s in a new outfit….” He dropped his towel and went to fetch a pair of pajama bottoms.

"Mal...."

He pulled a dark brown pair out and slip them over his lower half. "Is that the new one Colter’s wife knit? It’s offly big on her, makes her look like a pink marshmallow of some sort…”

"Will you let me talk?"

"About what?" He paused, cautiously, evasively.

Inara rolled her eyes as she knew full well what he was avoiding. "Will you just go to my dresser and take the box?"

Mal pursed his lips, his face tense and wary. "Wei-shen-me?"

"Because, it's for you."

"From who?"

"Meilin and I."

"Why'd you two get me a box?"

"Will you just take the damn box, you insufferable man?"

Slipping on a shirt lying haphazardly on the chair from the night before, he tugged the hem down. Carefully treading over to the dresser, he picked up the box, so elegantly wrapped in what appeared to be leftover wall paper. Pulling the wrapping off, he opened the box and found lying on top a rather shiny set of new suspenders, with a black and white picture of his two favorite girls underneath.

"Happy birthday." Inara announced.

Turning, he gave a questioning look.

"One of your mother's photo albums has your birthday." She divulged. "It was either that or getting it out of Zoe. But I don't think anyone below rank has ever pressed a secret out of her."

Mal chuckled a little. It was so true. However he face turned worrisome. “Everyone else knows?”

"I was impressed you had hidden it for so long, but yes, they do. Though I must ask why all the secrecy?"

"Never made the effort ta say it. Celebratin' costs money." Absently, the captain fingered the supple buffalo hide on his new suspenders. "And I'd rather have Kaylee gettin' some new gizmo part or Jayne shoveling a poundful of cake inta his gullet then have the others celebrate the birth of their insufferable cuss of a captain." Slinging the suspenders of his shoulder, Mal admired how they would sit on him. "Well, I thank thee for such natty suspenders. Makes me all fuzzy-wuzzy inside."

“One more gift.” Simon slid into the room and went over to Inara. Reaching out, he took Meilin carefully. Meilin grunted, however Simon, used to helping out Inara when need be, shushed her and patted the tiny back. “I suspect Kaylee, Meilin and I will be in the living room tonight. The closer to the stove the less crying.”

“Thank you again.” Inara spoke softly as to not wake stir Meilin anymore.

Simon nodded his head and walked over to Mal, so he could say goodnight to the baby.

Mal looked at the doctor with a disappointed face. “No offense, but I would much rather see Kaylee on my birthday, then you.”

“Funny, but I came due to the fact that if Kaylee had, she would have sung to you Happy Birthday in English and Chinese and every other version she knows.”

“In that case, thank you.”

-THE END-

Next Up: LILAC SYNDROME

****** ****** ****** TRANSLATIONS

Mei-mei: little sister

Wei-shen-me: What for?

**As always, the writer appreciates all comments whether they be positive, negative, or suggestions.