"We're going to need clothes." Simon announced, suddenly bewildered and overwhelmed with thoughts. "And... and a place to sleep and books and toys and school supplies..."

"Simon.." Kaylee started.

"And I need to give them physicals, Dakota's going to need an extensive work up and I have to access what's on this drive..."

"Easy sweetie." She cut him off, grabbing a hold of his eye contact. The blue eyes had the same look in them when River used to be what he fretted over. "Can we just get through today?"

He glanced back, at the table where their freshly adopted children sat, and took a deep breath as Kaylee rubbed a palm up and down his back. "We still need clothes at least."

"Shouldn't leave them though." She gestured to Liam and Dakota. "I mean, we gotta start bonding with them. Bein' parents."

"We don't have anything for small children though." he folded his arms, mulling everything over, attempting to a least. "How about we take a ride out to town? Family trip? There's a few families that owe me for treating them, can see if they have hand me downs or anything of the sort. Plus I have store credit at Colter's."

"I think we should just stay here." She announced, passively.

"Kaylee I'd rather we get everything we need and then spend all the time in the world staying home with them." Simon pressed gently.

There was a reluctant sigh from the mechanic.

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

"So a crew?" The Operative walked alongside Tasya and River, by the horses in their pasture behind the barn.

"You won't be apart of it." River announced. "Can't be apart of the execution, you don't meet the acquired criteria."

"So you're going to hand pick this crew?" Tasya announced.

"Already have." River announced. "Most positions filled, including medic."

The doctor gave a sideways smile, reluctant to show her excitement at the thought.

"The pirate life calls." River's grin was toothy. "And needs someone to patch the hurt."

"We're going to need a boat."

"Everything is...." River suddenly stopped, talking, walking, breathing.

"River?"

She swayed slightly, shutting her eyes.

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

"So, they're both Simon and the Crazy's?" Jayne quizzed. There in the group was Zoe, Inara, and Mal was next to her with Meilin in his arms. "Ain't that like, incestuous er somethin'?"

"The boy is River's, the girl is Simon's numb nut." The captain corrected.

"Oh."

"And Simon and Kaylee are going to take care of them both." Mal noted, looking across to Zoe who seemed to be brooding over the matter. "River says it ain't her place to be a mom. Reckon it's wise too seeing as she's still a kid as much as the tyke is."

"It won't be a problem though, I think we have more than enough space for two more children at the ranch." Inara commented. "Plus once the backyard gets put in there'll be a safe place for them all outside to romp."

"Seems like the ranch is gettin' full." Zoe shifted her stance, eyes cast to the floor. "Reckon the Reynolds boys'll stay..."

"Well... I never exactly said that." Mal countered.

"You like havin' your Pa around. And word is he does good work outside, him and your brothers. Reckon we could use the hands on the drive." She explained.

"Well.... huh... yeah..." He nodded his head, patting Meilin's back. "That's.... what I was conjuring."

"We ain't gonna need more folk." Jayne grunted. "Means more ways the money's split,

"Zoe's right." Mal replied. "On the drive so far there's four of us taking our beef. It's a month long drive to Horus, spare hands are welcome on a job like that, with that number of steak and a whole lotta terrain between here and the market."

"Sides, my lungs keep gettin' shot I may not be fit for it." Zoe sighed.

Mal was suddenly bewildered, as if his best friend wasn't going to be allowed to go out and play. "What are you sayin?"

Meilin saw her father frown, and she frowned too.

"Just sayin the prairie or otherwise keeps on makin' me sickly, Sir." The second in command divulged.

"So you ain't gonna ride?"

"Might not." Her voice was firm, and full of displeasure. "There's no use for a cripple on a month long cattle drive."

As Inara knew Mal could winge for hours about Ahab being without his Starbuck, she redirected the subject. "I think we could change the bunkroom upstairs into a nursery." Catching their attention she continued. "We can leave one of the bunks in, paint the room, we could even put Meilin's crib in there."

Mal blinked, then turned to Zoe. "But I gotta have ya Zoe, you're my second."

"We're going out." Simon broke concentration as he strode over wearing his hat and coat and picked Liam up, tucking the boy on his hip.

Kaylee scooped up Dakota and tugged the coat she had come in on.

"Where we doughing?" The girl asked, squirming about.

"To town, Dakota." Kaylee explained.

"You're going to take them to town." Inara quizzed.

"We need to pick up some things," Simon explained. "but, we don't want to leave them. So it's a first family outing."

"How are you you two gonna explain that you suddenly have a set of kids?" Mal asked.

"They're mine." Simon exhaled."I didn't know about them until now, twins from an old relationship, however I now suddenly have custody. There's much more, it's very detailed and I think rather believable."

"Guess that's plausible enough." He responded. "How you gonna buy the stuff?"

"People owe favors, store credit at Colters." He looked down at Liam, who was quite content in his arms. Though Dakota had to be let down by Kaylee as she whined and squirmed so much.

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

"I'm fine." River waved them off.

"You obviously were hit by something." Tasya reasoned.

"Someone's coming." She explained. "You won't feel him until the ship lands."

"And that is?" The Operative quizzed.

"Soon."

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

"Horsee." Liam practiced as Kaylee held him up in the barn, allowing him to pet the ever so docile Tao.

"His name is Tao." She explained, throwing Simon a smile as he hooked Tao to his harness.

Tao nickered softly as he got his cheek scratched.

"Hi Tao."

"I wan up!" Dakota threw her hands up to Kaylee, scowling.

"Sweetie, you already had your turn." Kaylee explained. "Just be patient."

Dakota whined, tugging on the mechanic's coveralls.

"Dakota, please be patient." Simon voiced as he fixed a buckle. "You had your turn, now Liam gets to pet Tao."

"Tao." Liam smiled. "Good horsee."

"He's very good, and sweet. He's gonna take us to town." Kaylee gave him a squeeze.

Nui, in the other side of Tao, bobbed her head and reached across to nudge Kaylee. The female draft wanted attention too.

"Alright." Simon walked over and picked up Dakota, letting her let the horses. "One last pet and we're off." He looked to Kaylee. "Inara packed some food and blankets, and some sterile wipes. Can you have them wash their hands after we're done petting the horses?"

Kaylee giggled. "Simon, they're living on a farm, are you gonna make them wash their hands over every little thing?"

"Possibly." He watched Dakota pat Nui's nose. "The last thing either need is to get sick."

Her lips pursed. "Simon, please don't get skittish over every little thing."

He turned to stare at her, confused.

"They're three years old, they're gonna bump their heads and scrape their knees and get muddy and at the end of the day their hands will be filthy. They're farm babies now."

"We can still attempt to keep them clean." He told her, taking Dakota to the wagon and setting her inside atop of blankets.

"A little dirt won't hurt them." She climbed up with Liam, who rubbed his eyes with his horse hair covered fists.

Simon cringed some as he jumped up into the front and grasped the reins. Flicking them, the wagon groaned and moved forward out of the barn.

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

"If you guys want help adding space, puttin' up this backyard, we might be able to help."

Mal looked sideways at Virgil, who lay there in his portable medbed, and slowly sauntered over. "You're about as cripple as they get you old space dog."

"When we can stand, we'll get off our pigus and help you. Figure we owe you a favor." The captain explained.

"Just one?" Figgur a few more."

"You know I ain't generous." Virgil smirked. "I'm a wicked, wicked man. Only a few good deeds at a time."

"That right." Mal set his free hand on the railing, the other keeping Meilin against his hip.

"It is. In fact, this very moment I'm conjuring a way to steal that ravishing beauty away from ya." He smiled at Inara.

Reynold's brow drew up, it was full of caution and a hint of amusement.

"Inara, what would it take for you to fly away with me?" Virgil purred.

Inara gave an tickled smile. "I'm afraid I'm taken, Virgil."

"Posh, this hobbled old.... HeyYOW!" He scowled up at Mal as suddenly his heart monitor began to screech and a green dot that had been pasted to the inside of his arm was now dangling in Mal's fingers.

"Oops, looked loose." He tossed the sensor back at Virgil and smiled smugly. "Sorry."

"You hurt a bedridden man." East griped.

"Terribly possessive." Mal explained. "Tragic, really... then again you did steal quite a few things from me back in the day, so I don't think ya can blame...."

The sound of a ship's engine rumbled from on high.

Everyone paused.

"The hell..." Mal went over and handed Meilin off to Inara, the baby cuddling her as he strode towards the door. "What the hell is with folk wantin' to come here?!" He shouted as the engines became louder. "ZOE! JAYNE!"

"I'll help too." Hershel slung his pistol out of it's holster.

Opening the door, Mal watched as Shan-shan was running full tilt to the house from the cow pastures, looking more like a house cat that was being chased by a pit bull then a two hundred pound tiger. He held the door open as the terrified pet barreled in and raced up the stairs to try and hide in the closet. With that, those armed marched out as a patrol craft with the Alliance flag landed right in front of the house.

"Xing jiao wei shen me zong shi ta wo men?" Jayne snarled.

"Really I wish I knew." Mal muttered, stowing his weapon and signaling the others to do the same.

The craft's engines wound down, and the top opened, making them all freeze, breath caught in their throats.

River walked over to the ship and stood right beside it, her grin wide and toothy.

Everyone was puzzled.

Fiyero stood up and climbed out, jumping onto the ground.

River tackled him to the mud before he could even correct his balance.

The others were horribly confused.

*** *** *** TRANSLATIONS/DEFINITIONS pigus: Butts Xing jiao wei shen me zong shi ta wo men?: why the f**k is it always us? *****As always, the writer appreciates all comments whether they be positive, negative, or suggestions.**