I don't own em.

Sorry I've been gone for so long. I've been looking at all the stuff everyone's posting and there is a total lack of M/I so I think you guys need me to put that back in the mix. Here ya go.

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*Present*

"Papa what's this?" asked the little girl from where she sat on her father's lap at the ship's helm.

"A button." he said simply, knowing her reaction would be more questions.

"What does a button do?" her voice was small but filled with amazing excitement.

"Well Jax, I don' rightly know." The captain scratched his head, he really didn't know what it was for. "But that's why we don't touch it cos we might go boom and it would take Auntie Kaylee and Uncle Simon a long time to fix us."

"What nonsense are you putting in my daugther's head now?" Inquired Inara as she waddled onto the bridge next to her husband. She bent down and kissed Mal on the cheek.

"I's just askin' papa what buttons do what sos I can fly like Auntie Rivey some day." the tiny girl fiddled with the steering wheel.

"No, dont-" Inara began to yell.

"Hon, were on auto. She can't hurt nothin'." Mal said, squeezing his wife's hand affectionately.

"Still Mal, I don't want her playing with things she shouldn't. she gave her husband a glare. "Jacqueline I made your lunch. It's on the counter."

"Protein an' fruit?" the child asked excitedly.

"Protein and fruit." Inara confirmed with a smile.

"Mal set the child down and watched her run down the hall. He stood and rested his hands on his wife's swollen belly. "I can't believe she likes that pi hua."

Inara laughed. "It's probably because of all those protein cravings I had with her."

"Yea. I'm so glad your cravin' steak with this one." she slapped his arm playfully.

"I can't believe she'll be five in a week." Inara pouted after a moment of silence.

"Me neither. An' our little Mikale will be along in a month or so." Mal sat down on the edge of the pilots chair and pressed his cheek against her belly. "Are ya havin' fun in there lil man? Torurin' your mama with the constant peein' and the nighttime kickin'. You know when you so that you torture papa too. She wakes me up."

Inara slapped him again before breaking into laughter. "Mal I've been thinking. I don't think Mikale is a good name. Plus you only agreed to it because I was in hysterics."

"True." he smiled "What name do ya like instead?"

"Depends. Are you still going to say no to Malcolm?" she asked sweetly.

"No such luck bao bei. Maybe for the next boy." he chuckled.

"Next boy!" she shouted through her laughed. "Good luck with that one." Mal mischieviously raised his eyebrows. He stood and began kissing her neck affectionately. "Mal, stop!" she giggled. "I'm already pregnant."

"Oh. Right." he pulled away slightly. "In a month or so then."

"Where's Simon? I better tell him we need to start birth control again the moment I deliver." she smiled.

He laughed. "So what other name do you want?"

"Well," she thought. "we can't use Hoban anymore since Zoe and Jayne had Scott Hoban last year. So we need both a first and a middle name."

"Got any ideas?" Mal asked. He sat back into the pilots chair and pulled her onto his lap.

"What about Tristan?" she asked, resting the back of her head in the crook of his neck as they stared into the black.

"I like it." he kissed her hair.

"What about Malcolm as a middle name?" Inara asked with a mischievous grin.

"You're just tryin' to get out of havin' another kid." he pouted.

"Your point?" she turned her head to look at him.

"What about Mikale? We could still use it." offered Mal.

"Tristan Mikale Reynolds. I think it works well." she kissed his chin, being the only place she could reach in her current sitting position.

"An' we don't have ta have anymore kids, if thats what ya want." he said kissing her hair.

The disapointment in Mal's voice did not go unnoticed to his wife. "Mal you surprise me more and more everyday."

"Hows that?"

"I never thought you'd want kids. I never thought I'D want kids." she laughed.

"Bao bei, how could I not want more of you around here? Of course we wont have near 'nough room on this boat for all the babies I plan on makin' with ya." he smiled as her giggle shook him lightly.

"Mal we can have plenty of sex without having a baby." Inara continued to laugh.

"Well whats the fun in that? Ow!" Inara slapped Mal's arm. Hard.

"Mal, Simon and Kaylee may want to leave soon and I-" Inara was interuppted.

"Leave?" he exclaimed. "They're my mechanic and medic. I need them. The next thing I'll hear s'that my pilot's goin' too." he stood and paced around the small bridge.

Inara stood in front of him with her arms bracing her aching lower back. "Mal they have three kids!"

"Well they shoulda thought bout that 'fore Kaylee started poppin' 'em out." he ran his hands through his hair.

"Mal, what are we going to do when I have another one?" Inara waited for a response but Mal simply sat back down and laid his head in his hands. "It wont be too long before Tristan comes and then we have however long we want for the next one."

"What do you want me to do?" he was more begging for her to bring him peace than asking a question.

"I just want our children to know both worlds." she put her hand on his back and traced circles.

"We could land I s'pose. Some place quiet. We wouldn't be leavin' Serenity we'd just live out of her on land. It wouldn't be too bad." he said. "I could take a shuttle for jobs with Jayne and Zo."

"No that wouldn't work." she replied bluntly. Almost harshly.

"Why not?" he asked.

"There's no infirmary on a shuttle much less a doctor. You wouls have to travel all the way back to us to recieve medical attention." she walkedaway from him attempting to keep her emotions in check. But to no avail. Tears were already slipping down her cheeks. "If you got hurt I wouldn't be there and our children wouldn't get to say.." she swallowed the lump in her throat. "g-goodbye."

Mal got up and closed the distance between them and wrapped his arms around her. Inara held on tightly as he husband cradled her in his strong arms. "You wont have to bao bei. You'll never have to do that."

"Mal I dont think I could do it alone." the tears fell freely as she sobbed into his chest.

"I promise you wont." he kissed her forehead.

"Will you make me another promise?" she looked up into his loving eyes.

"Anything for you my ai ren." Mal bent his head and gently kissed the tip of her nose as he wiped a few tears away.

"We can stay on Serenity.." she paused. "Until our children have their own. Then its time to settle. Ok?"

Mal sighed. "I dont much like the idea of leavin' Serenity but I suppose it sounds fair." They shared a slow passionate kiss. "Now lets go see what mess your daughter has left for us."

*14 years later*

"Daddy?"

"Yea bao bei?" he responded.

"He's a really nice boy. A doctor jus' like Simon." she smiled that adorable grin that used to work when he'd flash it at Inara.

"You really are turnin' inta Kaylee." he laughed.

"Papa please? Just tell me what he said." begged Jacqueline.

"He asked if... if he could marry ya." Mal sat in the pilot's seat with his daughter sitting on the floor beside him. He tried not to laugh at her eagerness.

"And you said?"

He let the pause linger. Mal loved teasing her, the way father's do. "I said... yes."

"Oh, papa!" she gasped as she threw her arms around her father's shoulders. "Thank you."

"What's this?" a gentle voice sang from behind them.

"Mama!" the girl ran to her mother and threw her arms around her also. "Papa told Danny he could marry me. I hate to go wave Kaylee!"

The girl ran from the cockpit and down the hallway towards the engine room, where she always loved to wave Kaylee.

"Well there goes another mechanic." Mal threw his hands up in mock defeat.

"You didn't lose Kaylee, she just had a bunch of kids." Inara laughed.

"Yea, I'm glad she trained Jax before she left." Mal commented.

"I always wanted a ten year olf girl who new more bout the ship's heart than it's own captain." Inara gave Mal a small peck on the cheek. "And now you've got her married."

"Bao bei, she's nineteen. I would have married you if I had known ya." he smiled.

"But I wouldn't have married YOU." she said.

His smile didn't waver despite the insult. "Of course you would have." Mal pulled her into his lap.

"Well maybe. But I would have resister a little."

*Nine years ago*

"Kaylee what in the gorram hell is goin' on in my engine room?" Mal shouted over the comm.

"Its jus' shiny cap'n. Jax has got ta learn sometime." Kaylee said cheerfully.

"She's ten!" Mal yelled.

"I started learnin' 'fore I could walk. She's got lots of catchin' up ta do." Kaylee laid in her hammock, hand over her very round stomach (number four), as she spoke with the captain.

"Kaylee where does this piece go?" A small voice came from underneath the engine.

"Hmm. Not too sure sweetie but I think thats the piece that keeps us breathin'." Kaylee responded.

"Oh right." They young girl replaced the object and climbed out from under the engine. Jax was a beautiful young girl. For a ten year old she stood tall. She was lean and muscular like both her parents. Her face was round with long dark locks framing it. In that aspect she looked exactly like Inara. Except for one thing: her deep blue eyes.

When Jax stood she noticed Kaylee was pointing while focusing most of her attention on the strawberries she was hungrily eating. She was pointing to a spot on the wall that was ablaze with flying sparks.

"She's bleedin' better put a band-aid on 'er." said Kaylee, not bothering to look up.

The girl rolled her eyes before returning to work on the ship.

*9 years and 8 months later*

"Honey are you okay?"

"Yes bao bei. I'm fine." he responded in a somewhat harsh tone.

"Danny, what's wrong?" Jax asked.

"I didn't think being a ships medic would be so hard. I mean I met Simon at the wedding and he told me stories. You never told me that he replaced a severed ear on this boat!" Danny had spent the most of his time in the infirmary since the wedding, well at least the times he wasn't with his new wife.

"Yea that was my papa." she smiled almost proudly at that.

"Simon was an amazing doctor." Danny said warmly as he approached his wife.

"Is." she corrected. "Simon is a good doctor." Danny bent down and gave Jax a sweet kiss to her forehead. "Speakin' of. You wouldn't mind if I left for a day or two to see him and Kaylee would ya?"

"And leave me here?" his eyes went wide with slight fear.

"Only for a little bit. You'll be fine." she smiled as she tightened their embrace.

"Sure bao bei. Do whatever you need." he kissed her again, on the lips this time.

"I'll be back as soon as I can." she placed a delicate greased hand on his cheek as she spoke. "I love you."

"I love you too, Jax." he pulled her against him and kissed her fiercely before he allowed her to leave. Danny watched as she ascended the stairs and moved to their shuttle: shuttle one.

*2 Hours Later*

"Oh Kaylee! I missed you far too much." squealed Jacqueline.

"Who's takin' care of our girl?" Kaylee askedraising a quizical brow.

"Papa is." she replied with a small girn.

"Cap'n? Wo de ma, my poor ship." pouted Kaylee.

"Where's Simon? I need ta speak with him." Jax asked.

"At work in town. You can take your shuttle there and park just on the edge of time. No one'll mind. Oh and will you remind him to pick up Leah and Pheonix after school." After giving Jax another hug she turned back towards the house and scooped up an attempted escapee from the doorway: a toddler, Simon Jr.. "C'mere you mini felon."

Jacqueline flew the shuttle into town. When she reached the building labeled 'Dr. Simon PhD.' she entered and waited in the small room lined with chairs and one desk.

A door to her right opended. "There you go Mac. Just don't be taking that bandage off." he patted the man on the back as the young woman caught his eye. "Jacqueline! Bao bei, it's good to see you." he enfolded her in a warm embrace. "How are you? And how's River?"

"River's fine. She's doing really great. So is everyone else. But Simon I need to talk to you bout somethin'. Can we go in an exam roomn?" she asked.

Her mysteriousness was unnerving to Simon. "What's wrong? Here sit."

She hopped up on the nicely padded exam table. "I've been having bad pains, a lot of nausea, and fatigue."

"Ok. Let me just run some tests." the room stayed quiet as Simon prepped a machine. "So, run any big jobs lately?" he asked, not looking up as he performed some minor test.

"Nah. Pa's been doin' some honest work as of late. I think he's worried about me an' Danny." she smirked.

"Most likely. Jacqueline, I'd like to perform an ultrasound. To make sure everything's okay." He explained. Her smile grew nervous. "Sure."

Within moments the machine was beside them and her shirt was pulled up to reaveal her belly.

"Ok. Let's just take a look." he flipped on the monitor as he scrolled the handle over her taught stomach. "Jacqueline how long have you been feeling this way?"

"Well... a few months." Jax smiled sheepishly knowing she'd be scolded for consealing an illness.

"Jacqueline you should have come to me sooner." he gave her a stern glare. "How long ago did you and Danny get married?" Simon asked.

"About five months I'd say." she laughed. "You were there."

Simon looked up at her with a warm smile. "Yes, I remember."

"So what's wrong with me, Simon?" she asked when his look turned from jovial to pensive.

"Nothing at all. Do you see that?" he pointed to the screen.

"Yea." she said still confused.

He flipped off the monitor before turning to look at her. "You're pregnant. A little over four months I'd say. You'll start showing any day now."

"Wo de ma." she whispered.

"You're lucky I'm sure it's not older than five months otherwise your father would shoot that boy." he laughed at the thought. "I had to go through that fear when we found out about Leah before Kaylee and I were married."

Jax hopped off the table quickly and adjusted her clothing. "Simon will you please tell Kaylee I'm sorry I couldn't stay. And if you don't mind I'd like to wave her the news later on."

"Sure. No problem." he smiled reassuringly.

"Thanks." she gave him a hug before turning to leave. "Oh and don't forget to pick up the kids at school." she called over her shoulder.

------ TBC-I hope this had caught your interest. I'm a little rusty. I added the time changed for this one so everyone wasn't confused. Thanks guys.