Then

River had good days and bad days, and today was definitely a bad day. She’d woken Simon up in the wee hours of the morning, crying and wandering, and hadn’t settled down since. “It’s not over,” she repeated over and over. “Keep her safe, Simon, since they won’t be.”

“Who?” he asked, gently taking her arm. “I’m going to help you sleep, okay?”

River made a face. “Don’t let them know when they arrive,” she said urgently.

Perplexed, Simon hugged her. “Okay,” he said. “I won’t.”

And then she slept. Her body slouched and her breathing went regular and Simon wiped the tears off her face and took her to bed.

Kaylee caught him by the wrist on his way out of her room. “Hey!” he said, engulfing her in a hug.

“How’s River?” she asked, trying to keep her voice bright. Simon sighed and ran a hand through his hair. “Something is bothering her,” he said carefully. “She told me not to tell ‘them’ when ‘they arrive’. She said ‘Keep her safe because they won’t be’. I just don’t know. She’s been doing so well, and now… I feel like we’ve taken a huge step back.”

Kaylee kissed him. “I’m sorry,” she whispered.

He forced himself to smile for her. “I’m sure it’ll be okay,” he told her, reassuring them both. “Let’s call it a night, hmm?”

The next morning, River padded barefoot into Simon and Kaylee’s room, formerly her and Simon’s room. Kaylee was already up and dressed, and Simon was nowhere to be found. River sat down on the bed next to Kaylee and curled her feet under her. “You’re pregnant,” she said.”

Kaylee fell off the bed. “What?”

“Ten weeks.” River nodded. “How could you not know, Kaylee?”

“I…I thought, but I didn’t know.” Kaylee paused, smiling. “Does Simon know?”

River smiled. “I wanted you to tell him.”

Kaylee struggled to her feet and started running toward the infirmary, shouting for Simon. River leaned back on the bed, trying not to cry. She didn’t tell Kaylee about the Alliance, or the psychic part. That would come in it’s own time.

In the infirmary, Simon paced excitedly. “We’ll need a heartbeat