Simon watched the blood flow out of Billy's body, the wound over his tiny heart spewing what little blood he had in him over the priest. Brother Alphaeus groaned and moved a little, head sore after hitting the adobe wall. The Fed, the same fed that had gunned Simon down on Persephone, stood there, trigger happy as ever.

Simon fell to his knees, his ability to do anything other than stare at the body of his newborn son. Then, that grief was swallowed by anger. Then, rage. Then...Simon felt nothing, nothing at all. He was as empty as a hollowed out shell.

And then... and then, Simon felt very, very cold.

***

72 HOURS EARLIER

Kaylee lay on the chair in the infirmary, screaming as pain ripped through her body. A phantom labor, the second this week. Simon already knew that she wasn't giving birth now, he just wanted to stop her pain.

Kaylee gripped the bar that was a part of the chair. Simon had learned the first time to not let Kaylee get a hold of your hand when she went through contractions, if you valued the further use of your hand! Simon gently pressed the needle into her skin, and it put a light sedative into her, stopping the contractions. Stopping her pain.

They were on their way to Paquin, where they had contracted with a local Church, the Church of the Apostoles, to deliver Kaylee's child. Kaylee and Simon's child. As it was, they all agreed that Simon shouldn't deliver his own child unless absolutely necessary. And, luckily, this place was cheep, and was experienced at the birthing aspect of sex. Not the other part, though (They had convienlently forgotten to say that Kaylee and Simon weren't married yet, per se)

Simon looked up at the tiny patter of his sister's feet. River came in, and went up to Kaylee. Without a word, she placed her head on Kaylee's bulging stomach. She closed her eyes, and just listened...

After almost five minutes, she looked up, and turned to Simon. "He's afraid.