“Honey, I’m not so sure about this.”

“What?” Kaylee asked, checking Bethany was sleeping soundly in her crib and pulling the light cover a little higher.

“Your family organising our wedding.”

Kaylee turned to look at him. “Why?”

“I … it’s a lot of work.”

“That weren't what you were gonna say.” She crossed her arms. “You worried they might embarrass you?”

“No, no!” Simon said quickly, stepping forward. “I … it’s just … being done third hand like this … I …” He tried to gather himself. “I thought you’d want to be doing it.”

“You are. You’re worried they’re gonna make it some kind of big fancy hoedown. Ain't you?”

He tried to smile. “A little?” he admitted, waiting for her to get really angry with him and walk away in a huff.

To his surprise she smiled. “Honey, they wouldn’t do that.”

“Oh. Good.”

“That don’t sound like you’re reassured at all.”

“No, I am.” He smiled again. “Honest.”

“Come on,” she said, taking his hand and leading him back to their room next door. “You really need to tell me what the problem is.”

Simon followed her inside. “I … I wish it were just us.”

“Like the Cap’s wedding?” Kaylee kicked off her shoes.

Simon nodded, closing the door behind him. “Yes. That was just us, just family, and that made it so much more … fun.” It was a bad word to use, but the only one that came to mind.

“It will be family,” she pointed out. “Just maybe a few more of them.”

“How many more?” he asked, pulling his sweater over his head and letting it fall to the decking.

“See, you just don’t know how to treat your clothes,” Kaylee scolded, picking it up and turning the sleeves the right way out. “And I ain't your maid.”

“No, I know.” He took the offending article from her and dropped it back on the floor. “So how many more?”

“More what?” She shimmied out of her coveralls.

“People.”

“Well, there’s my immediate kin, a’course. Then there’s Pa’s three brothers and their families, and I think four of them got married in the last year, according to my momma, so there’s them, then –“

Simon stepped forward and put his hand across her mouth. “A rough estimate will be fine.”

She licked his palm and he hurriedly pulled it away, wiping it ostentatiously on his pants. “Around fifty. Or so. I guess.”

He swallowed. “Fifty?”

“I didn’t know you could squeak,” Kaylee said in delight.

“I didn’t squeak.”

“Yes, you did.”

“I … well, if I did it was in horror.” He pulled his pants off one leg at a time and dropped them on top of the sweater.

“That ain't a lot. When Moira, my cousin, got married, there was well over three hundred people there.”

“Oh.” Simon felt a little weak at the knees. “Where did this small family gathering take place?”

“There’s a Mission hall in town – they hired that.”

“And your folks aren’t planning on anything quite so … elaborate?”

Kaylee pulled her own top over her head, folding it carefully before putting it down. “No. This’ll be a quiet affair.” She looked down at her breasts, spilling out of their confinement a little. “Damn, I’m gonna have to get me a new bra if these don’t get any smaller.”

“I’ll buy you all the bras you like,” Simon assured her.

She looked at him. “Really? You like ‘em like this?” She hefted them in her hands, and they jiggled.

“Those, and every other part of you.” Simon stepped out of his underwear and climbed into bed.

“That’s nice.” She smiled at him and undid the offending item, tossing it onto the chair before doing the same with her panties. She slid in next to him, moving her body along his into her normal position. “So what would a Tam family wedding’ve been like?”

“Back on Osiris?” Simon thought for a moment. “Formal. Morning suits for the men, cocktail dresses for the women.”

“What tail?”

“Cocktail. Something between daywear and ball gowns.”

“I like ball gowns.”

“And you look delicious in yours.” He reached down and put a kiss on her nose.

“Thank you kindly. Go on. About the wedding.”

“Well, it would have been held in the cathedral, of course. All the best people get married there. And probably the Bishop presiding.”

“He a kind of super-Preacher?”

“Something like that. But with more jewellery.”

“Oh.”

“And then the reception would have probably been at home, in the ballroom.”

“You gotta ballroom?” She raised herself up enough to look into Simon’s eyes. “A proper ballroom?”

“Only ever used on high days and holidays,” he confirmed. “River and I used to play in there. Until we got found out one day and the doors were locked.” He smiled. “That didn’t stop us … River could always find the key.”

Kaylee lay back down. “It sounds romantic,” she said, a little wistfully.

“No, it wasn't,” Simon said firmly. “It would have been silly and over indulgent, and all done just to make it look like we were better than everyone else.”

“Still … a ballroom.”

“Kaylee, I'm going to marry you. I don’t care where we do it. I don’t even care if Mal does it.”

“The Cap?”

“Exactly. Traditionally a ship’s captain can marry a couple. I don’t think that’s ever been rescinded.”

Kaylee thought for a moment, then shook her head. “No, I think I want my family to be there.”

“They will be. And I'm sure it’ll be wonderful.”

“Momma knows what I like.” She sighed with happiness.

“Good,” Simon said, still feeling a thread of apprehension.

Kaylee wriggled against him. “Be kinda nice to tell ‘em we’re expecting again, though, wouldn’t it?”

He looked down at her. “These things take time.”

“I know, but we’ve been trying the last couple of months, and I don’t want Bethany to be an only child, do you?”

“Of course not. But she’s not a year yet.”

“Simon, I want lots of kids. Hundreds.”

“I'm not sure I can manage that,” he joked.

“At least three. And not so far apart they don’t get on.”

“Ai ren, your children will all adore each other.”

“How come you always know the right thing to say?”

“I'm well-trained.”

“That you are.” She began to stroke his chest. “I just wish Freya and the Cap were so lucky.”

“Me too.”

“He’s so sure.”

“I wish he wasn’t. Or at least … I wish I could make it different.”

“So she could get pregnant?”

“Mmn.”

“But the Cap is positive she will.”

“I know.” He rolled into her a little more. “You know, I was speaking to Zoe about that, just today. She says he was like this when they were fighting in the war, certain they could beat the Alliance, and that certainty kept his men going. His belief.”

“Until Serenity Valley.”

“I just hope something else doesn’t happen like that, to take that certainty away again. I'm not sure he could recover.”

“He believes in Freya now. More’n anything. In how she feels, how he feels …” Kaylee snuggled closer. “Ain't nothing gonna stop them.”

“Do you think this is what he was like before the war?”

“What, you mean all warm and cuddly?”

“I'm not sure I’d ever describe our captain as cuddly.”

“Oh, I don’t know. And I think Freya finds him that way.”

Simon considered for a moment, then shook his head. “No. Definitely not cuddly.”

Kaylee grinned. “Okay. Then … tender.”

“That I can see. Yes, I think maybe he was.”

“The war took more from him than maybe he realised.”

“Oh, I think he knew. Just wouldn’t let anyone back in, in case he lost them again.”

“Like Inara.”

Simon hugged his fiancée. “I know how he felt.”

“You ain't gonna lose me, silly,” she said, running her hand down his smooth chest towards his groin. “And him and Freya’re gonna be parents. River says so.”

“And she knows?” Simon closed his eyes briefly as her hand stroked him.

“Of course she does.” Kaylee smiled. “Now, you gonna make love to me or am I gonna just lie here?”

“You never … ever … just lie there,” Simon said firmly, making good on her request.