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Charlie was surprised that Mal hadn't caught her and Jayne in the few weeks they had been sneaking around together. After all, they would disappear several times a day, especially after a complicated job. Of course, she'd always be back in her room before Mal would come to get Jayne in the morning.

Whenever they went planet side, Jayne would tell the captain he was off for wine, women and song. Charlie would make an excuse that she had to get some Tryptophan, and likewise disappear. Then, when they were out of Mal's sight, they'd meet up and find an empty room at some lodging.

She was putting away one of the guns she had acquired since she joined the crew, when she suddenly felt horribly nauseous. She ran to the toilet, arriving just in time to lose her lunch. After what felt like hours, her stomach was empty. She groaned and pushed it back into the wall. Protein bars look even worse partially digested.

Charlie reluctantly headed to the infirmary. She may hate needles and pills, but something had to be done. She walked in to see Simon tidying up the cabinets, again.

"Simon, can I talk to you?"

He turned and smiled at her. "Sure Charlie. Something up?"

"Yeah, it was weird, I just threw up." She grimaced. "And believe me, it was not pleasant."

"Did you eat something bad on the last job?" He motioned for her to sit on the table.

Charlie sat, and then raised an eyebrow. "Si, I was designed to shake of nerve gas like it was black pepper dust. A little bad food wouldn't hurt me."

"Right." Simon thought for a moment. "Well, let's check you out." After a few moments and a few tests, he had the answer.

"I'm what?" Charlie leapt off the table.

"Pregnant." Simon calmly repeated.

"That's not possible. Transgenics are generally sterile, an accidental flaw having to do with how out part-feline DNA bonds with an ordinary partner's DNA." She began to pace.

"Well that makes you lucky, or unlucky, whatever the case may be." Simon put a hand on her shoulder. "Is it possible the father is a transgenic?"

"Not at all." Charlie sighed. "What am I going to do?"

"Well, eventually you'll have to tell the captain." Simon replied calmly. "I don't know how he'll take it though, not with Zoë's son Rex only a week old. Unless you plan to leave Serenity, he's going to find out eventually. You're not, right?"

"Of course not!" Charlie exclaimed. "Besides those men who woke me from cryo-sleep, you all are the only people I know in the 'verse."

"Then you have to tell Mal."

"I will, but can we keep this between us? Just for now?" She looked pleadingly at him.

"Of course, but I need you to come in every two weeks, to make sure the DNA stays bonded." Simon replied.

Charlie spent the next month trying to figure out what to do. She knew she had to tell Jayne, but she wasn't sure how he'd react. If worse came to worse, she could leave Serenity, but that was her last resort. She loved the ship and its crew, even its grumpy merc.