Author's Note: Try four at posting this, grr. Anyway, by the request of Leiasky. Gets a bit angsty toward the end.

***

"Hey, you," Simon said softly, sliding in next to Kaylee on the couch. "Can't sleep?" Kaylee instinctively shuffled closer, rearranging herself in Simon's arms, shaking her head. "Thinkin'." "About what?" he enquired lightly, determined not to mess this up again. "Why you left." Simon froze. "Bao bei..." "Lemme talk, Simon." She looked up at him, and his expression changed her mind. "Tell me about Pacquin." "Sweetheart...I...um. Think we should talk this through. To make sure...it...um. Doesn't happen again. I don't think I could...handle it happening again." Kaylee took a deep breath. "I thought I'd be happy. I used to love to hear your stories 'bout what life were like on the Core, 'til I realized how clean and...perfect it were. I knew I couldn't ever be like that. It didn't bother me none 'til I realized that, given the chance, you'd leave us--leave me--behind without so much as a backward glance. I was so afraid of losin' you that I tried to make myself into one of your Core girls. I knew full well that I didn't fit, but I were so happy to finally be with you that I just kept it up 'til I couldn't anymore. I...River came to my bunk that first night an' just lay there with me. She didn't care if I were green or purple or if I had grass growin' where hair should be or if I were from the Core or some hick backwater planet, she loved me for bein' Kaylee. An' that felt good, Simon. It felt good knowin' that someone loved Kaylee for Kaylee. Who didn't love her 'cause she'd have sex or 'cause their brother said she were easy...or...or someone who didn't wish she were smarter or cleaner; someone proper who didn't say "ain't". She made me feel happy to just be Kaylee." Simon reached down and wiped away the tears that had started trickling down her cheeks. "I love you for just being Kaylee," he whispered, not trusting his voice for anything louder. "Really?" Kaylee sniffled. "Really. I love the way your hair is fifty different colors. I love the way you look all covered in grease. I love the way you talk. I love the fact that you hide nothing. I promise you, Kaylee, there is not one thing about you I would change. I...I'm sorry for not telling you that. Kaylee, I don't care where you lived before you lived here as long as you live here now." He kissed her, hoping it would convey what he couldn't. "This will never happen again, dong ma? I won't let it happen again." He kissed her again with slightly more force. "Let's get to bed," he said.

***

Sometimes, River thought, it was really terrible to be a psychic genius, to always know everything. She missed Kaylee. That surprised her, since she'd known the playout since the beginning. She missed cuddling, and the way Kaylee laughed at her jokes, no matter how bad. She missed Kaylee's snoring and bed hogging. But, at least Simon wouldn't hurt her anymore with stupid words. At least Kaylee was happy, and Kaylee (Kaylee, who River loved and always would) being happy was a good, honest tstep towards River being happy. She waited for Kaylee to start breathing evenly, then got up and turned off her own light.