Kaylee was crying. It wasn't very loud crying, or very many tears. But it was there.

She cried for Tracey, for his parents. But she had cried for them, many times before this. It was more for herself that she cried. She cried about Simon.

She knew that she loved him, nothing could be clearer to her. But that gorram doctor just wouldn't take a hint. Wouldn't even bother to look at her.

No, that weren't right. Lor' knows, he had tried to, many times. Problem was, he just was to damn shy for his own good. Too proper.

She sighed, and went back to working on Serenity. Her engine had been preety banged up, thanks to all the missles and bombs that those feds dropped near her.

A familiar cough and three knocks sounded off behind her. She didn't turn around, but said, "come in."

Simon entered softly, and stood next to Kaylee. "Hi."

"Hey." She crouched next to the engine, pretending to fiddle with some part. In reality, she was wiping her eyes.

"Listen, Kaylee, I just wanted to apoligive."

"'bout what, doc?" Simon winced. She was never so formal with him, unless she was really, really annoyed at him.

"Well, about before. You know...betsy."

Despite herself, Kaylee laughed. "Yah, you really did mess up there."

"Yeah, I did. Problem is, I didn't get to say what I wanted to. I would have earlier, but...y'know."

Kaylee nodded sadly. Tracey. "So, Simon, what did you wanna say?"

"Well...for one, you have the most beautiful eyes that I've ever seen."

"Hmmm...an' what else?"

"Well...that, well...you're the reason that I'm on the ship." He'd sort of blurted that out. Wanted to wait on that for later on.

"I'm...wha'?"

"Well, on Persephone, you were just sitting there, all nice and smiling, and you had that little parasol, too."

"My sun umbrella?"

"Yeah, that," he said. He was rushing along now, trying to get it all out before he messed up again. "And, you smiled at me, and it was like...it was like...wel