She just isn't a crack addicted muse if she isn't beating me up with fics.

Anyone who knows me knows I had a very bad night last night, I just wanted to say that everyone who replied and left comments on my fic is gorgeous and I love them for supporting me and making me feel better. THANK YOU.

I think we all know where I'm headed with this, just warning you now.

Title: Something From Nothing (2/?).

Rating: G.

Disclaimer: Only one is mine, the rest belong to Joss.

Comments: Be patient, let the story unfold. There are answers to your questions and they will come.

Previous Chapters: one.

*~*~*~* chapter two *~*~*~*

"Mama?"

He stood just inside the shuttle door, one hand steadying himself on the frame. Dark hair sat plastered against his scalp, stuck down with the sweat of sleep, his cheeks were rosy red and his eyes were wide.

Kaylee took the stairs two at a time.

"Hey sweetie." His pudgy little arms reached up just as she reached down and they both swung themselves into the practiced movement until he rested on her hip. "You awake already?"

She brushed the curls from his forehead and replaced them with her lips.

"Ship gonna fly?"

"Ship is flying, baby." She whispered it like the confirmation of a promise. "We're flying up, up and away."

"Uh... Kaylee?" Mal tapped his foot, she could hear it echo through the bay. "I believe you had an announcement? You can't leave us hanging like..."

"Mal!" Inara hissed and the sound of a hand hitting a shoulder could be heard.

A laugh bubbled out of Kaylee as she turned. She'd missed them, more than she thought possible. Missed them all. It was habit and nothing else that made her cradle his head to her shoulder, made her hold him that much closer, away from sight.

They were all watching her with varied expressions. Mostly surprise and shock and she couldn't blame them. Little fingers pressed into her back, small and hot, holding on as she began the long walk down.

"Everybody, this is James." She nudged her shoulder forward and he took the hint, turning to face them. "James, this is everybody."

Kaylee could feel it in him, in the way his legs and arms tightened around her, the way his fingers curled deeper into her shirt and how his body snapped tighter.

"You had a kid?" Mal asked, his eyebrows skyrocketing.

"He's certainly adorable." Inara added with a warm smile. "Not that he had a choice, with you as his mother."

It was River that stepped forward with a serious expression. She bent her head to look James in the face and offered him her hand.

"I'm River, but you can call me Ray until you get your V's." Kaylee breathed easier when he reached out to grab her fingers and River grinned in response. "Yes, thank you! I agree."

And then she moved away.

"Congratulations, Kaylee." Zoe's smile was warm and genuine.

"Hey, little man." Wash was next, stepping forward fast and it was sudden, the burrowing into her neck. "You like dinos? I have..."

"He's not too good with strangers." Kaylee explained as she struggled to hold him, the baby that climbed her body. "He just needs a little time to get used to you, is all."

Wash made a face.

"He liked River."

"Maybe it's your shirt." Zoe smiled innocently. "'Cause, frankly, that scares me a little, too."

"You've done a remarkable job." Book told her. "I can tell."

"Kaylee." She turned to look at River, holding out her arms. "He wants food. I'll take him."

"Oh, no." It was instinctive, the embarrassed little gush. "It's alright, I'll take him, he don't go to..."

To her surprise, James leaned forward out of her arms towards River. It was a physical flash that caught her somewhere between pride and loss. He was light as a feather, but the absence of his weight was noticeable. Her hand ran from the top of his spine down his back, just that last little touch before she let go.

"It's okay." River told her. "I know."

"Hey." Wash frowned. "I'm just as friendly as she is. Kids love me."

"Don't worry, baby." Zoe patted his shoulder and they both turned to follow the little group made by Book, River and the baby. "He'll warm up, Kaylee said."

"I'll be there soon!" Kaylee called after them.

"He's..." She couldn't do it, she couldn't look up at Jayne when he struggled to get the words out. "He's a fine lookin' boy."

Kaylee swallowed.

"He ain't yours, Jayne." She didn't want to see the look that passed over his face at her words, didn't want to know if it was relief or disappointment. She didn't think she could handle it either way. "His daddy is long gone an' he won't be back."

"Kaylee..." Mal reached out and she took a step back.

"His daddy is gone." She repeated, staring at the floor. "An' I don't need any of you sayin' anything about it 'round him, neither. Just let it be."

She didn't need to look up to see Jayne turn around and follow the rest of them out of the bay. It left the air a little easier to breathe.

"Kaylee." She did look up to see Simon blink, his face was still spread out in shock. "If you need anything, from a doctor I mean, just let me know."

"Thank you." There was something sad in his eyes and she knew what it was. She wondered if the others did, too, wondered how long it would be. "But we're fine, Simon, really."

"Right then."

Simon wiped his hands on the side pockets of his pants and smiled before walking away.

"Well that went smooth." Mal noted.

"Better'n I thought." Kaylee agreed with a wry tilt to her mouth.

"Good thing we have our very own doc on board." He grasped her shoulder, gave it a small squeeze and it was the most she could hope for. "I think the entire crew is workin' to give me a heart attack."

She couldn't disagree with him.

"Come on, Kaylee." Inara took her hand. "Let's go find your son."

Soft fingers closed in around hers and Kaylee looked down at them, surprised. She gave Inara's hand a squeeze, light and grateful.

"Yeah." It was soft. "I'd like that."

"There's something you're not telling us, isn't there?" Inara asked as they walked up the stairs.

"Yes." Kaylee couldn't lie to Inara.

"Will you tell us eventually?"

"Maybe."

Inara stopped and turned to look at her.

"Well, either way, I'm always available if you want to talk." Leaning forward, Inara wrapped her arms around Kaylee's shoulder's and pulled her in for an embrace. "I'm so glad you're back, mei mei, I missed you."

After a pause, Kaylee's hands came up and landed on Inara's back. It was warm and alien and familiar all at the same time. Her eyes closed, heavy, and she could feel exhaustion creep in.

The ship was a cacophony of sound, the daily life she'd forgotten, engines and gears and stabilizers always humming underneath the silence, her ears vibrated with it. But, sharp as a blade, she picked up the small whimper.

Quiet though it was.

"James."

She left Inara on the stairs and sped through to the mess.

***

"But these are plastic." River explained as she jiggled the triceratops. "They're incapable of harming you."

"River." Jayne growled from the corner couch where he had plunked himself and pretended not to watch them all. "You done just told that boy the damn things would rip his throat out for lunch."

"The real ones." She rushed to explain. "Not these. These are toys for the enjoyment of small children. And pilots."

"Thanks, River." Wash grinned as he hefted the tyrannosaurus and made a grumpy face. "See? Little man, he won't hurt you, look. Rrooowwrr!"

The dinosaur bit against River's neck and she giggled back before she could stop herself.

James' face crumpled, turning red as his lip quivered. Then he began to cry. Loudly.

"Husband." Zoe winced. "I don't know what you just did, but undo it. Undo it, now."

"I didn't do anything!" He exclaimed in frustration, turning on Zoe. "River started it!"

James screamed.

"Wash? Sit down." Kaylee came in, pushing past them all and grabbing her son. His forehead was hot and clammy as she kissed it, fingers brushing his hair back as she cradled his face against her shoulder. "It's okay, sweetie, it's okay. They was just playin'."

"Fine." Wash pouted, but sat down on a chair. "River does it and he just giggles, I do it and it's Armageddon. Kid hates me."

Kaylee ran her hands over the soft, round head. Her fingers knew the grooves of his skull. Her eyes warned Wash over James, fierce and protective, even as her voice was soft.

"Just playin'." The child's back hitched, rising in fits as he choked his tears down. "We're all fine."

Wash poked his tongue out at River.

"James' Pet."

"So?" Kaylee tried to smile. "You promised us food?"

***

Jayne flicked idly through the gun catalogue, his eyes glazed over the pages and he didn't see a single thing on it. Not that it mattered, he knew this one by heart, coulda told anyone that his own private collection was better'n anything they had to offer.

He'd been about to sharpen his knives when the kid had lost it and Kaylee had come in. When she'd shooed them all away and come to sit down near him, bouncing the kid on her knee, Jayne figured it'd be better to put the sharp things away.

The closest thing that wasn't a weapon had been the old catalogue and he kept thumbing through it to look like he wasn't watchin' the two of them out of the corner of his eyes. Secretly glad they was sittin' so close and the rest of them all just floating about and leaving them alone.

"So?" He saw the way she flinched at his voice. "What's wrong with 'im, anyway?"

"What?" He wondered if she knew her hand kept stroking the boy, wondered if she did it to calm him or herself. "I don't...?"

"Yeah, ya do." He kept his voice calm and didn't look up, didn't catch anyone else's attention. "Kid freaked out over a game, Kaylee."

Kaylee's eyes searched the room.

"He don't like loud noises, is all."

He wondered if this counted as giving her space in Mal's book. Probably not, but he could give a ruttin' damn right now.

"That ain't it an' you know it. River was louder before you got here an' he didn't even yawn."

"Fine."

The boy was sittin' in her lap, a half chewed, soggy biscuit clutched in his fist as he gnawed at it. His sharp eyes kept watching the large room, kept watching the people in it. He didn't even react when Kaylee's hands came around him and squeezed, didn't bat an eye lid when she rested her cheek on the top of his head.

Kaylee looked at him and Jayne felt it hit right deep in the middle of his chest. Her face was pale, drawn out and weary, an’ that was if he was bein’ kind enough not to mention the fear that hid just underneath. Mal had been right, she'd lost more weight than he was comfortable thinkin' about, but it was her. And she was still beautiful.

"He don't like loud noises when they come from men, is that what you wanted to hear?"

Jayne's teeth ground inside his jaw. No. It weren't anywhere near what he wanted to hear. He breathed through his nostrils and kept a lid on the red that threatened to bubble up behind his eyes.

"Just askin', is all."

***

It looked like a large trunk, like any other bit of luggage that she'd stowed in the shuttle, but when Kaylee opened the lid, it was a trundle bed. Full of blankets and pillows and everything soft.

"Here ya go, baby."

He fell from her arms and blinked up at her, sleepy and drowsed.

"Renity?"

"Oh." Kaylee quickly scanned the bed and its surroundings, her hand skimmed the mattress and felt underneath the pillow. "Here she is."

His tiny fingers curled around the small, wooden carving she handed him. It was crude and clumsy, lumpy in all the wrong places, and the best she'd been able to do from memory. He loved it and so did she. Her eyes followed the familiar arc of it above the boy's head.

"Ship gonna fly."

"Yes." She held her breath as she wiped his brow again. "Just like I said, ship's gonna fly."

He yawned.

"An' nice people?"

"Yes." Kaylee couldn't stop kissing his face, his beautiful, beautiful face. "With the very nice people."

"An' sleep?"

"Yes." She laughed and kissed him once more, finishing their routine. "And go to sleep."

***

to be continued.