Tears. Tears feel onto his face from high above. His vision was a mite blurry around the edges, but he knew that it was Kaylee. He had made her cry. DAMN! He hated it when she was hurt, and even more so when he was the one who had hurt her! She read something from a piece of paper, read it aloud to the crew. He couldn't hear her, but he knew the words by heart already. It was a crying shame that he couldn't hear her voice anymore. Voice like some bell, she had. More tears fell on his face, mixing with the blood that came from his mouth. He knew that he had been shot, felt the holes where the little pieces of oblivion hadentered. They was a mite colder than the rest of him. Probably 'cause of the air rushing through them. More tears. He wanted to wipe them away, but couldn't find the strength, his hand only moved a bit to the left. He had hurt her many times before this. Hewished that he could just go back and fix it all, make the tears go away. But he was tired. So, very tired. If he just closed his eyes for a minute... *** The Canton bench was warm against his back, and he felt Kaylee's weight and warmth on top of him. She was like some angel, all warm and peaceful and innocent. She didn't snore. She gently whistled when she slept, making one of the most beautiful noises he had ever heard. Then, he heard Mal come in. Ol' Cap'n Tightpants hisownself. Simon closed his eyes and pretended to sleep. Mal came over and stood over them, all stoic and silent. He waited there for a good five minutes, while Simon savored having this beauty on top of him. Finally, Mal went and "Harrumph"-ed at them. Kaylee opened her eyes sleepily, finding herself looking into Simon's swai smile. She mumbled something to him then closed her eyes again. Such a deep hazel, so pretty and deep. He loved them. Mal leaned over them, and put his head near Simon's. "Ya mind tellin' me what transpired here, doc?" Simon rolled his eyes at the older (and armed) man. "I really wish I could, Captain. But, unfortunatly, I don't remember a gorram thing. Kaylee, do you remember anything?" He gently blew into her ear until she woke up again. She sleepily batted the air around her ear, lke she was trying to geta bothersome fly. "Kaylee, bao-bei, wake up. Come on, xin gan. Time to wake up." She opened her eyes, still half-asleep. "Oh, mornin', Simon...SIMON!!!" She sat up, being all surprised at finding herself sleeping on top of Simon. She smiled her signature smile when she saw Mal. "Oh, hi, Cap'n! Ain't everythin' jus' shiny?" Mal shook his head. "C'mon, you two. We got a job ta do. Remember? The job? Now, if'n you two would kindly stop...oh, god, I did NOT need that image in my head! C'mon, you two. We ain't got all ruttin'...Great. That image was disturbing enough, now I gotta deal with this'un. Ya'll just follow me." Mal stalked off, rubbing his temple, trying to rid his brainpan of some rather disturbing images. Simon turned to Kaylee and rolled his eyes. "Gee, you would think he would have taken that better. "Come on, lets go make sure he doesn't fall into a well or something." Simon took her hand, and led her out after Mal. One wrong set to right. *** NO!!! She couldn't let him die! Not now, when he still had so much to live for! His life, his love, his child! She had felt each of those bullets as they had entered Simon's body, as if it was she who had been shot, not him. The bullet's had entered him at the chest and stomach, forming clusters over his lung's and near his beating heart. A dime cluster of three near his heart, two in his right lung and two more nestled in his stomach. River battled through the drug haze that fogged her mind. Why, oh why hadn't she warned themof the disguised feds? Oh, she could have stopped this, but had thrown a fit instead. Still the same moonbrain, can'tcontrol what she does! Damn! It had been months since her last smopther. She was having a hard time breaking it down. She struggled against it, battling and battering against the walls that surrounded her mind. She would not let him die!!!! *** Blood. More blood was on Simon's chest than was in his viens. Blood that he couldn't afford to lose. Mal and Zoe carried him on the stretcher, toward the infirmary. Kaylee held onto his hand, not letting go, not giving up on him. Inara was readying Serenity for takeoff, and Jayne and Badger walked behind them, trying to seem useful. When they got there, they found River wide awake, face streaked with sweat and tears, like she had forced a fever to break out of sheer will. She stood on wobbly legs, and went over to Simon. She took a quick look around the small, and woefully stocked room. She had already done the calculations. They couldn't save him, not on what they had here. Without proper medical help, he would die, and there wasn't a damn thing that she could do. They didn't have blood, or the equipment neccesary for a transfusion. She yold Mal so, and he yelled at her for a moment before calming. "Okay, thats fine. We can't geta hospital here, cuz a that gorram fed. We'kk just go to Greenleaf, they got-" "Greenleaf's too far, Mal. He'll die long before we can reach there. There's only one place that can save him. Mal's face paled, but before he could answer, Badger cut in. "'Scuse me, gents, but I fear it's time for me ta leave. Mal, I'm gonna do all I can to catch that fed. When I do, do ya want me ta keep him alive for you?" The funnily dressed man looked serious. Mal looked at him. "Kill him... slowly." Badger threw him a bag of coins, and Mal caught it. "'Ere, you use 'at for him. If I'm correct, he'll need it for the hospital expenses." Mal gave him a look. "We don't live off charity, Badger." The man in the bowler hat smiled. "Consider it as a forward payment for the job." He turned around and walked away. Mal looked after him for a minute. He was torn. Finally, he punched the comm next to him, and spoke into it. "Jayne, dump out that dead fed. And, Inara...set a course for Hera." He took his hand off the button when both aye's came back. "I hope you know what your doin', lil' Albatross..." *** Simon pulled River back from the machine on the side wall of the Jianying shop. "River! Don't touch that, that...what is that?" "A postholer. For digging holes...for posts," said Kaylee. Simon pulled River back, saying, "It's sharp and dirty." Then took a quick look over at the resident merchandice. He picked up a commerative plate. "Jiangying open praries...my god! They're actually asking money for this crap?" Kaylee looked at it and gulped. "Yeah... hard ta believe." She tactfully changed subject. "So, don't see you two out too often." Simon looked at River distractedly. "Yes, we uh, we are trying something new." He picked up another plate. "Yeah, well, it may be a chance for you two to have some fun." She tried to maintain a cheery disposistion, though it was somewhat hollow next to Simon's dourness. "Fun? Oh, yes, I think this is fun. Being forced to the ass end of the galaxy, on a luh suh wreck, and putting up with our pien djoh duo chow ren of a captain!" He saw the hurt in Kaylee's eyes, and she said, "Luh suh?" She looked heartbroken. "Serenity's not luh suh." Simon winced, then rubbed his temple. "No...no, your right. Serenity's not luh suh. I'm sorry, Kaylee, I... I just get...frustrated. Out here, I can't do a damn thing to help River, and Mal can still be the most annoying cuss this side of Earth-that-was. I just...lost my temper. It's...complicated." Kaylee thought on this a moment, then giggled. "Yeah, I guess your right, Simon. The cap'n is shiny, but...he can be difficult sometimes." "Yeah...sorry I took it out on Serenity." "S'alrigh'... say, wheres River?" Two wrongs righted. *** The hospital on Hera was not like the one on Ariel. Since the war, the Alliance had done as much as it could to make it as close to a core world as they could. They failed, miserably. The folk there still resented being used as a stand by, and having a heavy toll taken on them from Alliance taxes during the war. The only thing that did benefit the people there was a fair to decent hospital system, that led to several hospitals being placed around the planet. This one was a dank mud color, just like it's landing strip, which now held the shuttle. Kaylee, River, and Inara all followed the doctors as they brought Simon into the ER. No new wanted posters for him had appeared on the cortex for a while now, so it was almost safe to bring him there. Almost. Kaylee's hand had finally been pryed from Simon's, and she waited anxiously in the lounge, comforted by Inara and River. River had had to use all their remaining blood supplies to keep the good doctor alive. She had inherited a crash course in doctoring from Simon over the course of their stay on Serenity. She had put that knowledge to good use over the course of the two hour flight to Hera. Soon, Mal, Jayne, and Zoe would come. River looked in the direction of the ER. "Finally says all the right things and she isn't around to hear them all. Figures." River smiled sadly. Kaylee didn't bother asking about it. She was too distraught, over alll this shit. She fingered the ring, the sapphire set in a golden band, and re-read Simon's note. You need only into my eyes, and see the love there. Thats what he had said. But his eyes were closed, now. She couldn't look into them. Shecouldn't cry anymore, all her tears were long sped away. She clutched the note to herself, clutching the ring that Simon had meant to give her. She wished she could cry some more. *** Yup, that's a cow fetus." Simon stepped away from the glass bottle that housed the supposed 'alien'. Kaylee looked at him quizacally. "You sure? That don't look like a cow to me." "Its upside down," said Simon. Kaylee flipped he head to one side. Recognition dawned in her eyes. "Oh, yup. Yeah, that's a cow. Poor Betsy." Simon laughed. "Yeah, and thats a pretty dress." "Aw, your makin' me blush." She took his hands. "C'mon, tell me more stuff ya like 'bout me!" Simon smiled. "Your the only girl in the world for me." Kaylee raised her eyebrow at him. "Huh?" Simon smiled at her again. "Well, y'know, its just...nah, never mind. But...you know, you have the most beautiful eyes." Kaylee giggled a bit, then really did blush. "Awww, your jus' sayin' that." "No, you really do have the most stunning eyes. It matches your smile." Kaylee smiled at that. "Really?" "Really." Kaylee suddenly laughed. Simon frowned, afraid that he had done something wrong. "What?" "It's just, I think that ol' Betsy here is gettin' a mite jealous. Look, she's bubblin'!" Indeed, lots of bubbles were coming up from the bottom of the tank. Simon laughed, too. "Yeah, well, what girl wouldn't be jealous of you?" Kaylee sighed. "Yeah...I guess we oughta go an' get outta here, I think our times up." Three wrongs now set to right. Simon sighed. Now, he could sleep... *** So, my old friend, we meet again. Mal stared out at the vast expanse of Serenity valley. His oldest friend, his greatest foe. You don't leave Serenity. He stared down at the plaque that stared out at him mockingly from the valley floor. "This plaque commerates all the patriots who died in defense of the Alliance against the menace of the Independant army. Their memories will never be forgotten, for they are all heroes who died so that we may live in peace and harmony. May their souls find their way to the place in heaven that they so richly deserve." Mal smiled grimly. There were dozens of plaques and statues all around the valley, all commerated to the memory of the Alliance soldiers who had died in this hellhole. None mention the Indeendent's, or their ramshackle yet succesful defense of the valley. They had held it for seven weeks, all with half as much tech as the Alliance "defenders". Mal sighed. He knew that this was right. To see all his monsters and demons spread out before him. Someone called out behind him. He smiled, but sadly now. His only angel. Inara came and stood beside him. Somehow, her hand found his. She gave him all her strength, all her love. He needed her now. Just like she needed him. Together, they watched the day be swallowed up by the night, and slowly made their way back to the shuttle. *** Simon awoke with a start. He looked around, not knowing why he was in this comfortable white bed with linens. He looked again, and smiled when he saw Kaylee,sitting in a chair next to him, warm fingers curled around his. He tried to sit up, and gasped in pain when this sent jagged arches of fire up and down his spine. This awoke Kaylee, who came to with as much of a start as Simon had. She looked at him, and smiled. "Hey, sweetie. I was wunnerin' when ya'd wake up. Simon sat up, even though he was in pain. "What happened." Kaylee looked at the floor of the whitewashed room. "You got shot. Seven times, by that fed that was holdin' us up. We couldn't save ya on our own. We...we went ta Hera, an' the doctors there patched ya up all nice. Oh, god...we almost lost you, more'n a few times. Simon...I was afraid. So afraid. Afraid that I'd lost you again. Right when... Simon...We're having a baby." Only then did Simon notice the gentle curve of her belly, concealed by the angle of the chair she sat in. "How far along are you?" he asked her quietly. "Almost two months, now. Simon, I'm sorry, I forgot to take the pill one day, and I-" "Shh. Shh, bao-bei. Kaylee, beautiful, loving, wonderful Kaylee...this is the happiest day I could ever imagine. The woman I love...is having my child. Don't apologize... I'm just sorry that I was unconcious when you found out. By the way... how long was I out for?" Kaylee sighed. "Almost a week, now. You were pretty far gone for a while. Oh, and Simon?" He leaned back down into the hospital bed. "Yes, xin gan?" She grinned at him, and help up her hand, where the ring, the sapphire set in a gold band, nestled on her ring finger. "I will marry you."