I dont own 'em. They belong to Joss

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Your crew is dead Mr. Reynolds. You'd be better off to give up I think." said the rough accented voice.

The words stung but he refused to believe them. "You've always been a liar Niska. I've never believed you an' I don't plan on startin' now." Mal spat the blood from his mouth onto the boot of a large thug.

Mal figured they'd been torturing him for goin' on thirty-six hours. It was painful. What hurt worse was the thought that the remainder of his crew was dead. It had been over two years since they'd lost Wash and Book but the pain was still sharp. Losing another or several others would be unbearable for the captain. As he slowly blacked out he recalled a memory from only a few weeks ago.

"Cap'n! Cap'n!" cried the mechanic.

"What in the gorramn hell is goin' on in my kitchen?" yelled the man as he walked into the dining area. "Simon, what happened?" he asked taking in the sight before him. His wife laying on the floor and the doctor crouched beside her.

"Contractions started a few moments ago. Help me carry her to the infirmary." said the doctor.

"Come on, bao bei." Mal said lifting his wife into his arms. "It's time."

"Mal it's too soon." she said into his neck before crying out loudly.

"Don't worry Inara it'll be fine. Jus' let the doctor check you out." he kissed her forehead as he laid her down on the exam table.

"Captain, I'll need a few moments to do a thorough exam. Kaylee?" he called indicating for his wife to remove the man from the room.

"C'mon Cap'n." she lead him out of the infirmary after he kissed his wife one more time.

He waited outside, pacing. The sweet lull of Kaylee's voice as she sang to the infant in her arms was somehow soothing to the captain. "Is it hard?" he asked.

"Givin' birth?" she asked with a small laugh. "It's the most painful thing in the 'verse. An' I been shot once."

"No." he said with a pensive smile. "I mean being a parent."

"You'd be surprised how naturally it comes." she smiled at the small bundle in her arms.

"And if it doesn't?" he asked.

"It will." she said surely. "You've been a daddy since the first day you had this ship. Congratulations, Captain. It's a girl. Her name's Serenity." The woman smiled, a beautiful glint of motherhood in her eyes.

"Captain." The voice startled him. As soon as he recovered he rushed to the doctor. When he reached the infirmary door Inara hobbled out. He looked at her confused.

"Should she be doing that?" he asked, pointing to his wife.

"Oh shut up and help me to bed." Inara grumbled.

"It was braxton hicks contractions." said the doctor. "Flase alarm." he added at the captain's confused look.

"So, no baby?" he asked.

"Seriously Mal." sighed Inara with exasperation. "What do you think false means? We've been through this before."

"Of course, bao bei. Let's go to bed." he lead her to the passanger dorms where they'd been sleeping for the safety of her and the baby.

The painful scream echoed in the small room as electricity shook his battered body.

"Mr. Reynolds you are losing my patience." Niska said as a goon detached the electrical clamps.

"It seems... we have somethin' in common, Al." Mal struggled to gain breath.

"Yes, perhaps this is so." he said. "But I have a life ahead of me where as you have none."

"That's where your wrong you sick son of a bitch." Mal spat in the man's face. He was cracked suddenly, however expected, across the face by the back hand of a large thug.

"You see Reynolds. Life is a gift deserved for those with purpose and power. You have neither." At Niska's comment Mal went insane with laughter. Niska nodded to his thug who elbowed the captain in the temple, knocking him unconcious.

"Wo de mah." he breathed.

"You like it?" Inara asked, twirling to give him the full effect of her silk nightgown. It was a peach color. A color she knew accented her features the most. He stood and crossed the room to where she stood next to the changing screen she had placed in his room a few months ago.

"You're beautiful, Mrs. Reynolds." he said, placing his hands on her hips. He stroked the silky fabric as she spoke.

"You're not so bad yourself, Mr. Reynolds." she smiled as he bent and kissed her passionately.

It had been over a week since they'd returned from their honeymoon but as far as the couple was concerned it hadn't ended.

"Mal, we need to talk." she sighed, pushing him away. She sat on the edge of their bed waiting for him to sit beside her.

"Darlin' you're startin' to worry me somethin' fierce." she smiled slightly, grabbing his hand and pulling him to her. He saw the glint of tears in her eyes and moved with greater speed. "Bao bei, tell me what's wrong."

"Nothing." she smiled as a tear slipped down her cheek. "Everything's fine. At least I think it will be."

"Then why with the tears?" he asked, stroking her cheeks with his thumbs. She reached her hand to his wrist and firmly pressed it to her face.

"Mal, I-" she swallowed. "I think I'm pregnant." her smile faded as she awaited either his happiness or disappointment.

"A baby." he fought for words. "Huh." Probably not the best choice, he thought a little too late.

"Huh?" she got up as she spoke. "That's all you have to say to your pregnant wife?"

"All I mean is let's just see the Doc 'fore we do anything irrational." he said calmly.

"Irrational?!" she yelled. "Are you saying having a baby with me would be irrational?!"

"No, bao bei. Let's go see Simon. That's all I'm saying." he grabbed her arm in an attempt to lead her out of the bunk.

"Fine." she jerked her arm away. "Let's go."

They climbed out of the bunk and walked the few paces to where Kaylee and Simon slept. Mal called down and a few moments later Simon climbed out, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. Once they were in the infirmary Mal explained the situation while Inara sat, cold shoulder to Mal.

"Well, I'll do a blood test." he turned to retrieve a few instruments. "Inara." She held out her arm as she turned her head to glare at Mal. Simon laughed at the display; which reminded him of how River once treated him during her inoculations. "Give me a few minutes." said the doctor.

"'Nara you can't stay mad at me forever." he laughed slightly.

"Shows how well you know your wife." she retorted.

"Inara, I-" he was cut off.

"Okay." said Simon, reading from a print out. Inara grabbed Mal's hand as he wrapped his arm around her shoulder. She leaned in clutching Mal's shirt. "I'm sorry." the doctor apologized. "Your not pregnant." Inara placed her head in her hands and began to sob. "I'll leave you two alone. You know where to find me." Simon said leaving the couple alone in the infirmary.

Mal ran his hands through his hair as he paced the room. He finally threw his back against a cabinet and slid to the floor. He tucked his knees to his chest and rested his head on his arms.

"Are you happy, now?" she asked harshly. "Crisis averted, captain." Tears flowed freely from her eyes as she crossed the room to stand in front of him.

"You think this makes me happy?" he shot back. For the first time in her relationship with the captain she saw tears in his eyes.

"In the bunk you said-"

"You didn't give me a chance to say anythin'." he sighed. "I just don't- didn't want to get my hopes up s'all. Hell 'Nara any man'd be happy ta father your children."

"Oh Mal." she sat next to her husband and rested her head against his shoulder.

"You think we'll get through this?" he asked fearing her answer.

"Mal, many couples have false alarms. Usually it makes married couples stronger." he kissed her hair.

"You really want a baby soon?" Mal asked.

"As long as it's YOUR baby, I don't care when he comes along." she smiled up at him.

He thought for a few moments before chuckling slightly. "A son." Suddenly he stood. "Get up."

She stood, still holding his hands, using her strength to pull herself up. In one smooth motion she was cradled in his arms. "Mal, what-"

"Inara life's too short. If this has shown me anything it's that this isn't jus' somethin' we both want, it's somethin' we can do together." he kissed her again with all the passion he possessed.

"Your life will be short lived, Mr. Reynolds." Niska said confidently. "Although you see through my lies, our time together is almost finished so you must be awake please."

"Five... five more minutes?" Mal breathed.

"You're a funny man, but I think you may need this wasted breath for the words which will be your last." Niska smirked as his thugs prepped another and most likely last form of torture Mal would receive.

There was a grinding of a metal torture device signaling Niska that the thugs were ready. "You will die Mr. Reynolds. You will never see your crew and family again. Don't worry, I will make sure your ship never flies without its captain." The thugs approached either side of their victim. "Any last words for the infamous Malcolm Reynolds?"

Mal raised his bruised and bleeding head. He looked at the men and the torture device before holding his gaze on Niska. The strength of his stare made the so-called "powerful" man squirm nervously. "You can take my family, you may take my life..." he paused. "but you can't take the sky from me.

TBC???

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