As soon as she was onboard again, Zoe headed for the infirmary. She didn’t have any particular need to go there, but it was becoming a habit. When she arrived, Simon was speaking with Kaylee. Zoe wondered why she would be there alone, she and Jayne were rarely seen without each other. Kaylee stormed out of the infirmary, shaking her head, barely noticing the mate.

Zoe forgot about all these things as she walked into the infirmary. Simon looked irritated and was completely distracted. “Doc?” Simon looked up at her. He smiled immediately. “Oh, Zoe. How are you?” the smile faltered. “Are you alright?”

Zoe smiled. “Why wouldn’t I be?”

Simon was nervous. “Well…you’re here…in the infirmary…so I just assumed that…” he looked up at her blushing. “Why else would you be here?” Zoe just kept on smiling. That gorram doctor put his foot in his mouth about every other sentence. But that was fine. Just meant…well it just meant he put his foot in his mouth.

“Care to join me in the galley, doctor? I’m making curry ice cream soup.” Simon laughed. “I’ll have to take you up on that offer.”

*****

Mal was unsure of what to say to Inara. He’d been practicing for weeks on his whole little speech about the way he felt and what a bastard he’d been to her. And now here he was, standing in front of her having said the wrong thing again. He’d been furious to learn that she’d been planning to take clients from the shuttle again.

“Well if you think I’m such a saohuo then maybe I should return to Sihnon!”

Inara was enraged. This man, this ridiculous man whom she had foolishly let herself fall in love with had once again insulted her to the point of utter contempt. She just wished she could leave again. But she’d realized that she was beset by the most hideous complication of all: she didn’t want to.

*****

Kaylee was so mad she could spit. That gorram doctor holding out on her with his little insults, like she was less than or something! Maybe he hadn’t meant for her to take it personally but she was pregnan