These characters belong to Joss, I'm just borrowing them for a while (and I should have written more of it, before I started posting it, but here you go...).

Sometime after Serenity, the BDM-

The 'Rim expedients', or 'herbal folk preparations', as Kaylee had heard Simon call this sort of thing, were smelly and disgusting, even before Kaylee peed on them. They were also unreliable, as were, she suspected, certain other 'Rim expedients.'

'Oh God,' she thought, 'what's going to happen when Mal finds out?' He would want to put her off of the boat, for her own good!

Salty tears fell on the wall, ran down and mixed with Serenity's rust, like tiny, blood-red seas. Kaylee wiped her eyes with the back of her hand, and made a face. What would Simon or Inarra say if they saw her like this? Probably something oh-so-proper. She grabbed a reasonably clean rag.

"You're leaking..."

River was at the door to the Engine room. It occurred to Kaylee, that, like a lot of things that River had to say, this probably meant something else, as well. Simon said that River was 'deeply intuitive.' She was that, and more, a Reader. She could read surface thoughts, glean deeper meanings and was vaguely aware of future things. Kaylee once had witnessed her shoot three men without even looking. To save herself , Kaylee, and the ship from being boarded, it was true, but Kaylee had been so afraid of River, for a time.

River had smiled when Kaylee looked up at her, and now she added, brightly, "I'm going to be an Aunt!"

Kaylee chuckled, then blew her nose. "Of course, you knew about it already..."

"Aren't you happy?'

"I think I would be, if I could keep it-"

"Her."

Pause. "For future reference, Genius, that's the sort of thing a body ought to be allowed to decide for herself. Whether or not I want to know, or be surprised!"

"But you were surprised..."

"River!" Kaylee started to say, her tone unconsciously like Simon, and then she sighed, also like Simon.

"What'm I gonna do?"

"Kaylee?" Zoe called, as she came to the engine room. "Good, there you are. The Captain said you had a list of parts and such we can pick up, after we finish the job. Morning, River." Zoe gave River a hard look. River just smiled sweetly, before she skipped out of the room, singing, "Liar, liar, pants on fire..."

Kaylee and Zoe stood there, uncomfortably, for a few seconds, before they, respectively, blurted- "Were you-", and, "Did you-"

"Well, I expect this will make all our lives a little more interesting," Zoe said, wryly.

"Do you think, maybe, we could not tell Mal about this..." Kaylee pleaded.

"I think he has the right to know that we've picked up another passenger," Zoe said, smiling. It was the first time Kaylee could remember seeing her smile, in weeks.

Since Wash died.

"Speaking of which, don't you think we need to go talk to Simon, maybe before his sister informs on you?"

Zoe and Kaylee both started as they heard the distant sound of metal crashing to the floor. They looked at each other and said, together, "Too late."

Footsteps could be heard, running up the stairs and the hallway.

"Kaylee?"