Kaylee stepped out of the shower and began to towel off, humming happily. The new filtration unit (well, second hand, actually) was working well, and there was no sign of the faint chemical odour there had been from the recycling system. It also helped, of course, that the tanks were still fairly full, after their visits to Ezra and then on to Beylix and Whitefall.

The Cap had been right, for once – he hadn’t gotten himself shot, but that was quite probably due to Patience being away on business, and her foreman had dealt with everything. Mind, when that same foreman had suggested they wait, since she was due back any time, Kaylee wasn’t sure she’d ever seen the Cap move so fast. They were up and out of atmo ‘fore anyone could even offer them a cup of tea. She smiled at the memory.

Sitting down on the drop down seat she tried to dry her feet. Try being the operative word. Her bump had been getting bigger and bigger, and at just over seven months she was finding things increasingly difficult to reach. Finally getting between her toes, she sat back, letting her hands rest lightly on her son.

Her son. Just the thought that she was carrying a little baby boy made her heart zing. She knew Simon loved their girls to distraction, but a son … didn’t every man want someone to carry on the name after him? All the other men on Serenity had ‘em, from the Cap on down.

Her brow furrowed slightly. Had he felt left out, she wondered? Like he was missing something? ‘Specially when Jayne … She shook her head. No. They were all so close it was like having a whole passel of boys anyway, and he’d got a lot of experience baby-sitting Ethan and Ben, especially before he worked out that Mal had rigged the rota.

Leaning back on the tiles, she chuckled as she remembered Simon’s face. Still, it wouldn’t be long before another little Tam was running around Serenity. Or at least crawling. Well, crying, crapping, puking and sleeping for the first few months.

And according to River, there was another