Author's Note: Thank you all for your reviews. I love it. I'm sorry that I haven't posted until now, life has been kind of crazy. It will probably take me a little longer between posts, I hope you can bear with me. Here is the next installment, I hope you all enjoy it. Thank you again.

Simon was enveloped in a blanket of warmth. Kaylee's scent surrounded him. She had exhausted him last night. A slow smile played across his lips. He reached behind him searching for her. He turned over and opened his eyes; he stifled a yawn and sat up. It had to be early. Where was she? Dropping his legs to the floor, he reached down and pulled on his pajama bottoms. When he thought of Kaylee's incessant teasing about his pajamas, he smiled.

Simon stretched his arms high above his head and another yawn over took him. He stretched his legs that were still heavy with sleep as he headed for the door. Just before he reached it there was a pounding on his door.

Simon opened the door revealing Mal.

"Kaylee." Simon knew; he could see it in the Captain's face.

Mal led the way to the infirmary. Simon felt his heart jump into his throat. "What in the ruttin' hell happened?"

"She was making breakfast, bouncing around, yammerin' about how great love was and then I turned around and she was on the ground. I brought her in here and came and got you."

Simon began checking Kaylee's vitals.

"Hey, doc, I think Lily is comin' down with a…what happened?" Zoe froze in the entrance of the infirmary.

Mal looked at her and then back at Kaylee.

"Mal!" Lily exclaimed. Her pudgy arms reached for him.

"Not right now, little one." He patted her head and turned his focus back to Kaylee. "Talk to me, doc."

"I don't know. I'm going to have to run some tests." Simon continued working.

"Kay-ee," the little girl said quietly. "Kay-ee seepin?"

Two hours later Simon came out of the infirmary where everyone was waiting. Jayne had Lily on his shoulders. He was trying to keep her entertained. River was standing against the farthest wall, pressing her back against it. Zoe was sitting and Mal was pacing. Inara was staring through the window at Kaylee.

Mal approached Simon.

"As near as I can tell, she's been poisoned."

"With what?"

"I don't know. The tests are inconclusive."

"Well make them conclusive," Mal demanded.

"I'll just snap my fingers," Simon growled.

Inara stepped between them, seeing a fight in the making. "This is not helping Kaylee," she snapped.

"I need some time. What ever it is, it's working slowly. She's got about twenty-four hours before she becomes critical. I need to see if I can identify the poison and then we've got find an antidote."

"What could've poisoned her?" Mal asked.

"I don't know. She's come into contact with the same things we have, none of us have been affected." Simon glanced around the room at the crew. "I need your help. I need you to start looking around the ship for anything that might be contaminated. The food, any supplies we brought on from Osiris, anything. She was poisoned about twelve hours ago."

"Simon?"

He barely heard her voice. He turned around and was by her side in an instant. He caressed her soft hair and looked down at her. "How are you feeling?"

Kaylee looked around at the worried faces that appeared by her side. "You're in doctor mode," she stated.

"I am."

"What happened?" she asked.

Simon's gaze flickered to Mal's. "It looks like you've been poisoned. We're not sure from what."

Kaylee's face scrunched up. "Poisoned? Can't think of nothing that tasted poison or looked poisoned. Heck, I'm the one who cooked dinner last night." A slow realization of what was happening showed on her face. "I'm gonna die, ain't I?"

"That's nonsense. The doc has fixed you once, he'll fix you again. Right, doc?"

"Kaylee, you're going to be fine," Simon reassured.

She smiled and reached up and cupped his face. "You're such a bad lair." Her hand slipped from his cheek and she rested it back over her stomach. "I don't feel so good," she muttered. Her head lolled slightly and she groaned.

"Mal, grab that pan," Simon instructed.

He obeyed and held it for his mechanic as she started to vomit.

Simon looked around the room, all the eyes pinioned on his Kaylee. "I understand everyone's concern, but the sooner I find that poison, the sooner I can get her better." He grabbed his box of gloves. "Use these, I don't need another patient. If you find something, come and get me immediately and I'll examine the substance. Do not have any contact with it if you can manage."

Everyone took their gloves and headed into Serenity.

"River, will you take Lily and keep her busy," Zoe asked approaching with the toddler squirming under her arms.

River tilted her head. "She understands that something is wrong. She feels her mother's worries."

Zoe looked down at Lily. "It's okay, Lily, mama is going to help take care of Kaylee, but I want you to stay with River."

Lily looked over at River warily. The toddler calmed down and Zoe set her down. "We'll stay here on the bridge and talk about the stars." River sat down on the floor at Lily's height.

Zoe smirked, "I'm sure that'll put her right to sleep."

The crew searched Serenity and found nothing.

"Come back here, ya little twerp!" Jayne went running through the cargo bay after Lily. Zoe was coming down the stairs.

"She's two, Jayne, how is it you can't keep up with her?"

Jayne turned and growled at Zoe. "What do you feed that little monster? She's all calm and chaos free when River is watching her the second I get her she turns into a rocket."

Zoe just laughed. "If she's too much for you to handle…"

"Nah, I got her." Jayne went tromping after her. He found her in the infirmary with Kaylee. She was standing staring up at the table that was far taller than she was. Lily looked unsure of Kaylee's condition. One of Kaylee's arms was dangling off the edge; it gave Jayne an uncomfortable feeling. Jayne grabbed Lily lifting her into his arms, resting her on his hip. He reached over and placed Kaylee's arm back over her stomach.

"Is everything okay?" Simon asked as he entered.

"Yeah, doc, Lily escaped from me and came in here, so I was just givin' her a better look since she was so curious."

Simon nodded. He went to Kaylee's side stroked her forehead affectionately.

Simon looked over at Lily. "Here let me see her a minute, I think Zoe was concerned that she was comin' down with a cold."

Jayne handed over the girl. Simon plopped her down on the other exam table and began checking her out.

Jayne looked down at Kaylee and felt his insides turn. She was a good girl, with a big heart. She was sweet to him and no one was sweet to him. He liked little Kaylee.

"Now what's in your mouth?" Simon asked bringing Jayne's attention out of the what ifs.

"Lily!" Simon sounded exasperated.

"What is it, doc?"

"Kaylee's ring, she had it in her…" Simon trailed off. "Ai-yah. Tyen-ah. Jayne, please tell the others to come here."

Jayne's normal behavior to be sarcastic and crude toward Simon was not evident when he all but ran to follow out the doctor's orders.

Once the crew of Serenity was outside the infirmary, Simon started talking. "I found the cause."

"What?" Mal asked.

"The engagement ring I gave her. My father must've…" Simon took a calming breath. Simon looked up at Zoe. "Lily had it in her mouth a few minutes ago."

Zoe tore Lily out of Jayne's arms. "What?"

"I'm sorry I didn't…I know what is happening to Kaylee now. But I don't have what I need. In about twelve hours Lily and Kaylee are probably going to be dead unless we get what we need, which we're probably only going to find in an Alliance hospital."

"We've done that before," Jayne said.

"Why is Lily going to die if she's been infected a shorter time than Kaylee?"

"She's smaller and younger and also she ingested it. It went through Kaylee's skin."

Zoe looked down at the bundle in her arms.

"What do we need?" Mal asked he crossed his arms over his chest.

"We need a plan."

River turned Serenity around and set a new trajectory. She heard Jayne's thoughts long before he stepped onto the bridge.

"I don't understand. You're a genius, explain to me how little Kaylee and Lily get poisoned by a symbol of commitment and love by your own father."

"My father sent me away with the Alliance to be cut on. The Captain lost his war. Simon gave up his life as a doctor. Zoe lost Wash. There is no balance of good and evil. Life's not fair."

"That's it? That's your brilliant deduction?"

"Logical. What did you want to hear?"

"That there's some greater purpose for it all."

"You believe in God, is that not what you believe already? You prayed with the Shepard before meals, you prayed when Wash died, you pray when someone is hurt bad. You pray for your mother."

"Don't you?"

"I have no use for symbols. Illogical and no proof. I believe I will protect myself and those around me until I can't anymore." River gave him a wry smile. "Doesn't hurt that I have all this conditioned weaponry stored in my head."

"You are an odd bird." Jayne looked out at the stars. "How far out are we?"

"We'll hit atmo in twenty minutes."

Jayne nodded. "Think your brother knows what he's talking about? Or is this plan as suicidal as it seems?"

River just gave him a look.

"Right, probably don't wanna know anyway." He headed down to the cargo bay.

"You need any help?" Mal stood in the entrance of Inara's shuttle.

She raised an eyebrow. "No, pretty sure I can manage to get dressed on my own."

"Right." He managed a weak smile.

"What's wrong?" She turned toward him smoothing out the silk material that hung around her.

"Nothin'."

"Mal, you're a bad lair."

"No, you're just a master of body language and freakishly knowing me too well."

"Funny, I didn't think I knew you at all." She turned away from him.

"Inara," Mal sighed. He opened his mouth to say something but he closed it again. He turned and walked out.

"Kaylee, this is all my fault," Simon whispered.

"This ain't your fault, doc. Your father is a bad man. There is no other person to blame but him. He sent your sister away to be tortured and he poisoned the girl you love. He's a bad man and he's messed with five of my crew members now…"

"Five?" Simon asked.

"Kaylee, River, Lily, and you and by default…me."

"You don't need my permission to kill him."

"I didn't want to step on your toes if you wanted to kill him first."

Simon smirked. "First?" He looked down at Kaylee. "Right now all I can think about is Kaylee and Lily. Anger and revenge will come later."

"Right, we'll talk when you're there."

"Captain?" Simon called just before Mal walked out of the infirmary.

"I feel like someone else besides me…I don't…I can't…"

"Spit it out, doctor." Mal turned around and stood crossing his arms over his chest. "It's bad news isn't it?"

Simon shook his head. "Kaylee's pregnant."

Mal glanced over at Lily and then down at little Kaylee. "How long?"

"Tests show about two months. I didn't know, I'm not sure she knew. I just ran the tests."

"Will it…" Mal wasn't sure how to say what he wanted to ask.

"I don't think it will survive. This poison is basically turning Kaylee's body chemistry against itself. It's her own body that is attacking her."

The ship started to vibrate and the engine noise grew louder. "We've just hit atmo," Mal stated.

Simon nodded. "Is Inara ready?"

The Captain turned to leave. "She's a classy lady, doesn't like to be late, even fashionably."

"Mal."

He stopped in the doorway but didn't turn around this time.

Simon continued, "I know you'll probably want to shoot me out the airlock but…don't let her go. I know I don't know anything about…but don't let her go."

Mal glanced over his shoulder at the doctor and gave him a small nod, then headed toward the cargo bay.

"Mal, what are you doing? I know this shuttle better than you do." Inara lifted her long gown as she stepped over the threshold of her shuttle.

"I think that you should move out of this ruttin' thing."

Inara froze and was instantly on the verge of tears. "You're kicking me off…"

"There's a larger bunk and you and I could…" Mal was fumbling the words; he couldn't get it to come out the way he wanted to.

Inara tilted her head. "What?" she asked.

"We're fightin', we've got some issues, but we always fight, it ain't ever going to change the way I feel and I'm gonna mess this up time and time again, cause it's what I'm best at. Either way, if you'll have me, you should, we should take a bunk together."

Inara stood there and stared at him. "Is this because I'm going to be in danger?"

"Woman, you are just…" he growled. He stood up in front of her. "If Kaylee dies, she'll know that Simon loves her and he knows that she loves him, just like Zoe and Wash. If I die or if you…I'm not sure you would know. You should know it, cause it's always been true."

"So you're saying…"

"You want me to say it?" Mal's eyes widened.

Inara smiled. "Say it when I get back." She touched his cheek and ran her thumb over his bottom lip.

He closed his eyes against her touch. "Be careful." He leaned down and quickly kissed her and then got off the shuttle, closing the door behind him.

To Be Continued...