Someone to Watch Over Me

PART 8

Nine months to the day that she was conceived, Emilia Belle Cobb decided to make her grand entrance.

Inara sat next to Kaylee on the couch in the lounge. Mal was pacing back and forth in front of the infirmary doors.

"Mal, would you please sit down, you're making me nervous. Anyone who'd look at you now would think that you were the one getting a daughter today."

Mal stopped wearing a trench in the floor to turn and glare at Inara. "River, River, is in there having a baby!"

"Didya just realize that, Cap'n? Didn't no one ever explain what happens? What'd you think was growing in there for nine months?"

Two identical smiles looked up at him, causing him to glare some more. When that had no effect, he said, "I'm gonna go on up to Zoe, smartasses."

"Ah, hear that Nara? Cap'n thinks we're smart."

"Well he does like to state the obvious: we're smart, River's having a baby."

Mal gritted his teeth as he walked up the stairs to the sound of giggles.

"Please save me from these women. Too damn many on board." He announced as he stepped onto the bridge. If he hadn't been Mal he wouldn't have noticed the way Zoe's hand clutched the armrest and her back stiffened. "Zoe?"

"Yes, sir?" Her voice sounded a little nasal, but it was steady as a rock. That's when Mal knew something was definitely up.

"What's going on?" He crossed over to her side and swiveled the chair towards him. Zoe, as she was trained to do, met his eyes squarely. They were red and puffy. "Zoe?"

She sniffed, "Sorry, sir, I can't protect you from the women, I seem to have turned into one of them." And with that, she lost it, folding in on herself and letting the tears fall.

Mal crouched down next to the chair and placed his hand on her shoulder. He wasn't that bad at dealing with crying women, but this was a crying Zoe which was completely different. He wasn't sure what he was supposed to do, or what could possibly have set her off like this.

He was surprised when she slid off the chair and leaned into him. He automatically wrapped his arms around her while she gasped against his shoulder. Mal dropped to the side so that he was actually sitting on the floor instead of crouching, which pulled Zoe half into his lap. Instead of resisting Zoe just curled up into him, clutching at his shirt.

"What happened?" Mal finally asked after she had quieted to gentle tears.

"That son of a bitch left me here."

Mal tightened his arms a little, of course that's what this was about, what else could it be about? "He left us all here, we're all standing in the dust with you, you're not alone."

"But he left you here whole. He didn't steal pieces of you and leave the rest here. Serenity's about to get its first child and I can't even stand to go near anyone. They're full of hope and love and happiness and I think, I think he took those things with him. That bastard left me here with hate and despair and emptiness . . . just emptiness."

Zoe was back to great gasping sobs. Mal stroked her back and tried desperately to think of something to say. He was saved by Zoe, who pulled back and wiped her eyes.

"You don't have to say anything. Just . . . don't let the others see me like this, please."

"Don't worry none, they're all downstairs. Besides, there's nothing to be ashamed of. This ain't you being a woman, it's you being a human. I don't know how often you let yourself do this, but know this, I'm always here if you need to do it again. That shoulder to cry on that everyone goes on about? Look at this one, don't it look comfy? I know I'd wanna spill tears and snot all over it. Or, if that one ain't quite up to spec, don't worry, I got another one, see?" He emphasized his point with a goofy little shoulder shimmy.

Zoe looked up into her best friend's face and gave a watery chuckle. "Thank you, Mal."

"Speaking of tears and snot, why don't you go get cleaned up. I'll keep watch up here. Then, I think I'll order you to be on piloting duty all night. Now, don't forget to bitch and moan about what a miser I am, making you work so hard."

Zoe nodded and with a little smile, she went to her bunk to wash up.

--

Emilia's first cries rang out through the whole ship. Inara and Kaylee rushed up to the doorway to see. Simon was over on the side, cleaning the baby up. On the bed, River looked exhausted but happy. Jayne was gazing down at her with wonder. He leaned over and kissed her forehead.

Soon, Simon brought a squirming bundle of pink fluff over to River. He placed Emilia in her arms and Kaylee wept as she watched River hold her daughter for the first time.

"She's beautiful." Jayne breathed, reaching out to run a finger through her downy hair. "She's gonna live up to the name Belle, just you wait."

River was in awe of this tiny creature. "She's perfect. Look at her. Did you know that noses could be so small. And look at her ears!" She exclaimed, gently tapping Emilia on that tiny nose.

"Welcome to the world."

River got no response. "Emi?" Nothing.

"Jayne! I can't hear her, something's wrong!"

"You mean in your head?"

"Yes! She's gone, her voice is gone. I can't hear anything coming from her." River looked up at Jayne with big eyes.

Jayne thought hard and fast, "Look, maybe you could only hear her before 'cause she was connected to you."

Simon jumped in, "Yes, didn't you say that some people are easier to read than others?"

"Some have natural defenses." River agreed while trying to hold back her tears.

"Well, maybe she has really, really strong natural defenses." Jayne offered.

"But why would she block me out?"

"Maybe she can't control it. Or she don't know whose thoughts are whose."

River looked back down at Emilia, who was sleeping now, for a long moment. "Maybe. I guess it doesn't have to mean that something is wrong. It's just . . . I've been talking to her for 6 months, that's not something that I can just get used to being gone."

Jayne sat on the edge of the bed and wrapped an arm around her shoulders, "It'll be ok, darlin'. I bet with you as a mother, she'll be talkin' out loud real soon."

River gratefully leaned into his embrace, but she looked down at her baby girl with a worried look. What if something was wrong? What if the drugs that she had been on at the beginning of the pregnancy had messed her up? River would never forgive herself.

But Jayne was right, there was nothing they could do but wait.

AN: I knew there was a reason I don't post stories unless I'm done with them. You see, if I hadn't finished this whole story a long time ago you would not be getting an update now because I'm in the middle of writing 3 papers. After this I won't want to look at a Word document for a while. Love you guys, thank you for your fabulous reviews, especially my loyal readers/reviewers!