"I charged him 50 credits for his supper last night, but Zoe made me give it back to him." Only Jayne Cobb could manage to pout in a manly fashion. "Said his meals was covered in the fare."

"So, no real problems, other than ethical ones?" Simon smiled to take the sting out of his words, and he was in too good a mood to berate the mercenary for being true to his nature.

"Naw. Smooth sailing. We got paid some pretty coin and your sis put us in the sky, easy as lyin'. We're shiny, so long as we don't go to flyin' into a moon, or some such." He didn't sound very concerned at that prospect.

The crew-folk were gathered in the common room. They had all had a quick meal after River and Mal had put them on a course (Zoe had found something urgent to do in the cargo bay, but Inarra had kept them company- and looked over their shoulders) for Beaumonde. The meal hadn't been fancy, just a little protein gussied up to pretend it was the real deal, but it ate, and the company was good. A little less with the laughter and funny tales, but that was to be expected.

Meal over, the crew sat around the big, heavy table. Probably some of them were thinking of another time, just after Book died, and just before Wash was to die. A Council of War. They had uncovered a secret that the Alliance had killed, murdered wholesale, to try to cover up. The crew of Serenity shook the pillars of Heaven that day.

It was amazing, really, that they all were still alive, and free.

River focused on the whirl of the wood in the great table. It was like a fingerprint of the tree, which had lived and died since humanity left Earth That Was. At the same time, River was doing the math. Nine minus two, was seven. Seven plus one, what was seven plus one?

This was not the first time she had met an unborn person. During her time on Serenity, she had assisted, in her way, Simon and Inarra in the delivery of a baby boy. There had been one other time, one of the few good memories from that place of torture, a woman in her second trimester. A boy, as well, bright with possibilities, but fuzzy, out of focus. Like this girl child, although she blazed like a small sun. River had heard, somewhere, that humans could make angels weep, with joy, and demons laugh. This one... The possibilities wound tightly around her, a knot for her to one day unravel.

Interesting times, ahead.

"Nine minus two, is so blue," River sang. "Seven plus one, that could be fun!"

"Nine less two, so very blue," "Blue by blue, hands we lost, two." "Seven plus one, just might be fun." "Funny, sunny, sunshiny one."

It wasn't terribly good, free verse with an internally consistent pattern. Not quite right, and she needed another line... River looked around and saw that, as usual, the others were staring at her. Why did they do that?

"Mal, girl's talkin' nonsense, again," Jayne groused. River had delightedly ticked off the syllables on her fingers, as he spoke them. Jayne scowled at her and smote the table with his fist. "And this boat ain't no place for a tyke!"

River stuck her tongue out at him. "I couldn't say as I-" Mal caught the Jayne-glare from Zoe and stopped. "Well, thing is, I need to hear from everybody, and then I decide what's best for the ship."

Zoe nodded and relented. Jayne and Mal shared a look. Jayne's was 'see what it's like?' Mal was used to this from pretty much everybody else, save Zoe. Inarra,for instance. He nodded to her.

Inarra wanted to sigh, badly, but controlled herself. Control was the first lesson, the first rule. She only ever relaxed with these people, all but one her friend, but what she felt was... inappropriate.

"I think that Kaylee and Simon have already decided. I'm willing, more than willing, happy for them and-" 'Oh no!,' she thought, inwardly, as she babbled. Mal was watching her closely, curiuosly. "I'm very happy for them!" She lied, and smiled.

Kaylee beamed back at her, and Simon actually seemed to unwind, just a little more. River stared at Inarra, then (thank the Budha!) she turned and stole the pear that Jayne was about to eat. As Jayne sputtered, the crew seemed to forget about the slip. Maybe. Zoe looked thoughtful.

"Jayne, River, don't make me come down there!" Mal tried and failed to glare. Jayne grabbed up another pear and bit into it, growling around it, "Mine!"

"Well, how about you, Kaylee? Maybe we should have started with you, you and Simon, at that." Mal stopped as a thought occurred to him. "Hunh. Do you two, three, even want to keep sailing with us?"

Kaylee's eyes got big. "No! I mean, yes! I do. If we can." She squeezed Simons' hand and he nodded.

"Nothing’s been decided, yet," Mal said, glancing at Zoe. "Just visiting the possiblities."

Simon spoke up. "Ah, I think Kaylee is worried about Serenity, being able to take care of her. Since we're visiting those possibilities, as you say, captain," he nodded to Mal. "Is it? Possible?"

"Won't say it doesn't give me pause, Doc. But we'll get by, come to that."

"Getting by, not to put too fine a point on it, but-" Simon cleared his throat, embarrassed. "Kaylee, everyone, getting by is what we always do and that-"

"Simon, simple Simon!" River cried.

"River! we're trying to decide things."

Mal said, a little dangerously, "Are you implying that we're not good enough? Or do you want to run things?"

"Mal, Captain. I don't want to run anything, except maybe a quiet little practice. I'm not saying this quite right, as usual-"

They all laughed at that, Jayne braying in a fashion that Simon always found so annoying.

"What I mean to say is that we need to do better."

"Does doin' better mean more money, or not?" Jayne asked.

"Yes, that's part of it-" Simon was cut off.

"Then I'm thinking maybe you and your genius sister could maybe plan us a sweet little job, is what we need."

"Jayne we're talking about Kaylee and Simon's little bundle, here!"

"And I ain't , Mal? Coz, I think I am. The Doc is worried about money, and keeping the ship in good repair, which, no offense, lil Kaylee, would be a first. Hey, gettin' the old girl tip top afore Kaylee gets big with child, and can't crawl around in her. Maybe having a little set aside for when she drops the kid, and we take some time, or we leave them somewhere safe, for bit. Not permanent, like! Mal, he plans better jobs than you do, donmga? And this old bucket will fall outa the sky without Kaylee."

Mal looked around. "Does anyone here think that I'm not like to put Kaylee off this boat?"

River jumped up and down, waving her hand. "I don't!"

Kaylee laughed. "River, that's cheating!"