Disclaimer: I own nothing worth taking me to task for. I enjoyed Serenity, but had to have a little more. This is my first Serenity fiction, so be a little easy on me, dong ma? I have no idea where this story may lead, which is unusual for me. I am used to a clear view of where I am going, just not how to get there. And if ever any of this overlaps what Joss Whedon brings to whatever screen they give him, I am truly sorry. But then again, great minds think alike.

Spoilers: If you haven't seen the movie, don't read this. You must see the movie first. I was fortunate that my movie experience was not spoiled, and I don't wish yours to be either.

Summary: Starts a few weeks after the movie, things are starting to clarify into what will now be normal.

Last chance to back out! Thank you for reading.

Clarity

Chapter One: The Job

She sat on the bed staring at the calendar. Putting Serenity back together had taken near a month, but the exhaustion lingered. She had to force herself to get up in the morning, dragging out of bed. It didn't help that the captain could find no work, honest or other. They were in orbit near Persephone so Inara Serra, their resident companion, could keep an appointment. They hadn't yet made it to gather her belongings supposing, of course she actually decided to stay. The energy necessary to care about the ship or who was on it failed her.

Her attention returned to the calendar. 'Vestigial form of time measurement' according to River Tam, another of Serenity's occupants. Yet the passing of time meant little to her anymore. That smile would never be there again. Next to the calendar was an old capture, one taken the day the captain married them. Her husband was busy staring at his new wife, and now she wished he had smiled instead.

River had replaced the dinosaurs he loved on the control panel. His final landing had shaken just about everything loose in the ship. He was so proud, muttering a phrase that drove the captain crazy at the time. It was a phrase Shepherd Book had given him the last time they were all together. Shepherd had been trying to explain how lost he had felt at one point in his life, and Wash had loved his description "a leaf on the wind".

Wash. Saying his name even in her mind made the tears come, and meant she would be late to breakfast again. Not that she had much of a stomach for anything lately, but there was no way she would let the others see her cry. They knew, of course, especially River, but that was a far sight different than seeing.

Wiping her face in a vain attempt to stem the flow, another date on the calendar caught her eye, and she gasped.

Simon Tam reviewed the inventory for the millionth time. Having no work meant there was little for him to do. If Kaylee Frye, Serenity's mechanic hadn't been so busy… but no, he was alone, probably for the day. His sister, River, spent most of her free time with the captain on the bridge. He had become strangely tolerant of her since Miranda.

He heard a step behind him, and looked up at Zoe Washburn.

"Hello, we missed you at breakfast." He said gently. It was evident she had been crying again. She avoided his eyes, looking uncomfortable. "Can I do something to help you?" he inquired.

"Actually," she began…

River Tam loved staring out the forward windows of Serenity. Space was never empty to her. Now that she could control her senses, however, she loved to let go a bit and just feel the vastness of it.

"Well, little albatross, where are we today?" Captain Malcolm Reynolds asked as he slid into the pilot's seat. She smiled at him, but didn't respond. He always was unnerved when she did that. His mind had never been fully open to her, but his emotions were. He hid them so well from most everyone else. It felt like having the most wonderful secret of all. Except today, she really had a secret.

"What?" He insisted.

"There's a new voice on Serenity" she said.

"An intruder?" he exclaimed, quickly activating sensors and flipping switches in alarm. She laughed, and he turned to her with an angry expression that he didn't really feel.

"No one that you can see." She giggled.

"Well, then what?" Mal demanded.

"You'll see." She responded cryptically.

Zoe finished fastening her boots. "You can't tell anyone."

"You can't keep it a secret much longer, unless…" Simon drew out the last syllable, although he was sure he knew what her answer would be.

"No!" she cried, and then her tone softened. "I'll tell them when I'm ready."

"Cap'n will probably try to put you off the ship." Simon stated, sadness in his voice.

"I know." She said simply, her stony façade returning.

"Kaylee, however, will be ecstatic. And River…" he stopped and looked at Zoe. "She probably already knows."

"Keep her quiet, please." Zoe begged, a rare note of hysteria evident in her voice.

Simon sighed, "I'll talk to her."

Mal flipped a switch over his head and the 'wave came into view on the bridge monitor.

"Inara." He greeted

"Mal." The fuzzy picture returned. "I will be done here by this afternoon."

"Well, we're here whenever." Mal interrupted.

"There is one other thing." Inara persisted. "I have a job for you." Mal's ears perked up at the word job.

"A job, you say? More of your friends needin' assistin'? He inquired.

"Not quite like last time." She replied smoothly. "The core planets are getting a little restless. These ladies would like to book passage to a calmer locale."

"Ladies or companions?" Mal asked, but immediately regretted how is sounded.

"Perhaps this was a bad idea…" Inara replied, a cold tone to her voice.

"Not at all, Inara. It doesn't make a lick of difference." He covered, acutely aware that when it came to keeping Serenity in the air, he was right. "I'll have Zoe and Kaylee set up the passenger rooms. River can stay with Kaylee, and Simon with Jayne. 'Fact, that might be the only way to keep 'im in line." Inara relaxed slightly. Mal began to make a mental list of what they'd need. "How far they needin' to go?" He inquired.

"Boros, for now. Some will stay there, others may want to continue elsewhere." She offered.

"How many people we talkin' 'bout?" He requested.

"Nine. I was thinking two to each passenger room, and one would stay with me on my shuttle."

"Sounds like a plan." Mal conceded. He glanced at a display of Persephone's port schedule, looking for a quiet time to land. No sense asking for trouble. "If you want to go ahead and bring your shuttle up, we can land for the ladies early in the morning."

"I'll see you this afternoon, then." Mal turned away to start the nav computer. "And Mal," He looked back at the monitor, surprised that she hadn't disconnected yet. "Thank you." She smiled at him and pressed the disconnect. A moment later, he grinned foolishly to himself.

It smelled wonderful as Mal entered the dining room. Inara's shuttle had just arrived, and hearing about her imminent return, Kaylee had whipped up an almost real meal.

"Well, Kaylee, I think you have outdone your self" He gushed as he surveyed the plates on the table. Taking a seat at the head of the table, he took a moment just to enjoy them being together. Even Zoe was present, a rarity since…but no, not even that could spoil his good mood tonight.

"You're chipper." Simon observed, though his eyes never left the blush on Kaylee's cheeks.

"We have a job." Mal announced.

"'Bout gorram time." Jayne Cobb observed, grabbing up the nearest plate to fill his own.

"Yes, it is." Mal responded, receiving a plate from the doctor as he passed it around civilly. "We got passengers."

"Ooh! Who are they?" Kaylee squealed.

"Some friends of Inara want to get someplace quieter. Seems the civilized planets ain't so civilized anymore."

Jayne's face perked up "Whores?"

"Of a fashion." Mal replied calmly, then stared Jayne right in the eye. "But, they are passengers to us, and nothing more."

"But, Mal, we been stuck on this boat…" Jayne started whining. The captain cut him off.

"You don't want to stay on Serenity, we land in the mornin'. I have no need of anyone that feels stuck." Even knowing how Jayne would react, it was still difficult for Mal not to throttle him. The thought of him fighting back helped to keep Mal's hand in check, but only just.

"How many passengers will there be?" Simon inquired.

Mal held Jayne's eyes a moment longer to be sure he got the point before answering the question. "Nine. Simon, you'll bunk with Jayne," Both started to protest, but Mal wouldn't let it. "It's temporary. River can stay with Kaylee. One will stay with Inara on her shuttle."

"Where are they going?" Zoe asked. Nearly everyone at the table jumped, it had been so long since her voice had been heard. Mal stared at her a moment, but she remained composed. He never could see any of what went on in her mind.

"Boros, for starters. Maybe elsewhere. Just not here." Mal responded vaguely. A step across the room broke the conversation.

"'Nara!" Kaylee cried, jumping up to greet the companion. They hugged warmly, and Kaylee led her over to a seat next to Zoe. Inara laid a warm hand on her shoulder, all the comfort she could give in a gesture and greeted the group.

"I see that Mal has mentioned the job. I hope it won't inconvenience anyone too much." She smiled gracefully as she took her seat.

"Not at all, Inara. It'll be nice to have some new faces on Serenity." Kaylee answered cheerfully. Jayne grumbled, but a stern look from the captain silenced him again.

"Welcome back" Simon greeted. "I'm sure Jayne and I will be fast friends before this venture is through." He offered, a wry smile on his face.

"They really appreciate this." Inara began.

"Just so longs we getting' paid." Jayne groused.

"Captain," Zoe started, again startling everyone except Inara. "How long are we going be port-side?"

"Dunno," Mal answered, lost at the change of subject. "You got a 'pointment to keep?"

"Of a fashion." She mimicked, staring down at her plate.

"Well, I s'pose long as it don't take too long." He allowed.

"Thank you, sir." She finished. The silence that settled over the table was heavier than usual, even to Mal.

"There's a new voice on Serenity." River announced to Inara.

"River, no…" Simon interrupted a panicked tone to his voice.

"A new voice?" Inara asked, intrigued.

Both Simon and Mal started to explain at once. "Her medicine…" Simon began, while Mal said "She was goin' on about that earlier." They were both interrupted by Zoe standing suddenly, looking every bit as dangerous as she ever was.

"Easy, all, this is just some new game she's playin' at, nothing to be getting all excited about." Mal soothed, very concerned that now he could read too much on his second's face.

"No, sir. I can't stand her games anymore." Zoe stated.

"Zoe," Mal began, standing to get a better vantage point on the conversation. Inara and Kaylee slid way from between the two. "Whatever you are going through, you can't take it out on River." He stated gently.

"Sir, you don't have a clue in di yu what I'm goin' through." She answered, a vicious edge to her tone.

"We all miss Wash," he held a hand up to forestall her protest, "and no, we wasn't all married to him, so you are due your grief. I've no mind to put an end to that, but you can't take it out on us." He tried to stare her down, but the force of her eyes he'd never gandered before.

"You will all move on with your lives, and he'll just be a footnote in them, but I can't abide…" Mal took a step to close the distance between them. He couldn't let her finish, desperate to maintain his control.

"You will abide everyone on this ship," he began, flashing in anger when Simon interrupted.

"Cap'n, you may want to go…" he attempted.

"Go where? We need money to keep flying, we need work to get money," Mal turned back to capture Zoe's stare, "We need each other to work." He finished. Simon made a sound to start again, and Mal flashed a warning his way, but Zoe stopped him this time.

"I think what Simon is trying to say is that you should go easy on me." Mal swung back to Zoe, full of confusion. On the way, he caught River's smile out of the corner of his eye. Before he could frame the question, Zoe answered. "I'm pregnant."