Disclaimer: Still Joss's world, still just playing.
Kaylee gaped at Simon for a moment, one hand automatically going to her stomach. "Pregnant? I'm gonna have a baby?"
Simon pressed his lips together and turned away. "Yes, you are."
Kaylee took a moment to absorb the news then looked back at her lover. She could read the tension and anger in every movement though she couldn't see his face. Kaylee started to feel a little angry herself. "Are ya sure?"
"Oh very sure," he responded bitterly. "I couldn't believe it at first, that's why I kept running new tests. But you are, Kaylee, you are most definitely pregnant."
Kaylee stared at him for a moment, shocked and hurt by the accusation in his voice, and by his continued refusal to actually look at her.
"I didn't exactly do this on purpose, ya know!"
"I didn't think you did. That's not really the point though, is it?"
"What's that supposed ta mean? You're as much at fault as I am!"
"Actually, I'm not."
That was when the shouting started. Mal walked in on it several minutes later. Kaylee was in tears and Simon was slamming little bottles around without any apparent purpose.
"I can't believe how...how stupid you're bein!" Kaylee shouted.
"Me? I'm the one being stupid?"
"Yes! And mean! We're havin a baby, and you're acting like I betrayed you!"
"I can't have children!"
Kaylee, already crying, started sobbing and ran out of the room. Simon muttered something under his breath and leaned against the counter, rubbing his temples.
"Kaylee's pregnant?" Mal asked. Simon jumped a little and Mal continued. "You got my mechanic pregnant, and now you're blaming her?"
"I didn't..." Simon started, but Mal cut him off.
"I don't want to hear it!" He stomped out of the infirmary and went to find Kaylee. He was not surprised to find her in Inara's shuttle. She was crying, more quietly now, into Inara's lap.
Kaylee didn't see him come in any more than she'd seen him when she ran past him a few minutes earlier. But Inara saw him.
"Mal..."
Mal sat down on the couch just behind Kaylee. "Mei mei, you all right?" There was a muffled sob. Mal laid a hand on her shoulder. "Kaylee, I heard you and Simon shouting at each other."
"I didn't mean ta get pragnant captain!" Kaylee wailed, sitting up. "And Simon won't admit that this is as much his fault as mine."
Mal saw Inara's eyes widen in surprise. "Kaylee!" Kaylee twisted to look at her friend. "Are you serious? You're pregnant?" When Kaylee nodded Inara sighed. "Oh Kaylee!"
"What's your problem?" Mal demanded, irked by the disappointed note in Inara's voice. "Ain't like Kaylee's got access to your whore birth control methods."
Inara didn't react to the barb but shook her head sadly. "Mal, get out. Kaylee and I need to talk." Mal opened his mouth to object but Inara cut him off. "This is a private conversation Mal, get out."
Annoyed by her presumption, but not in a mood to lose another argument to her, Mal stood up and stalked out of the shuttle. As soon as the door shut behind him, Inara turned to Kaylee. "Oh Kaylee, what did you do?"
Surprised by the unexpected lack of sympathy, Kaylee pulled back. "Nara!"
Inara leaned forward and took Kaylee's hand again. "I know you didn't mean to get pregnant..." she began, but Kaylee jumped up, sniffling angrily.
"I can't believe you're takin his side!" The sadness and disappointment in Inara's face made Kaylee feel even worse than the nausea. "Ain't no birth control method perfect! It's gotta be Simon's! All the time I spent in his bed, it can't..." she broke off in a sob. "It's Simon's baby, Nara!" She looked pleadingly at her friend but didn't find any reassurance.
- - -
"That don't sound like Simon." Zoe said.
Mal ignored this. "I've half a mind to space him."
"There's gotta be a reason."
"A reason? What possible reason could excuse the way he's treating Kaylee?"
"I don't necessarily disagree with you sir. I'm just saying it doesn't seem like Simon." Mal bit back a snarky response and rubbed the bridge of his nose.
"I suppose it don't at that. But we've been wrong 'bout people before."
"Wash and I talked about having a baby."
Mal blinked at her, startled by the abrupt change to such a personal thought. "Zo?"
"He was scared. Wouldn't admit it, kept saying he didn't think a smuggling ship was a safe place to raise little ones. But I knew my husband; he was scared. Scared he wouldn't be a good father."
Mal regarded her for a moment. "You thinkSimon's panicking about being a parent?" Zoe shrugged. Mal shook his head. "Boy practically raised his sister."
"And feels he failed her." Off Mal's look she shrugged again. "Inara and I talk on occasion. Simon didn't protect River, she got hurt. And he's still a wanted fugitive, and we know that puts people associated with him at risk."
"Still don't excuse the way he's treating Kaylee." Mal asserted.
A sound from the crew quarters attracted their attention and Mal moved to the door in time to see Kaylee disappearing into her bunk. Glancing briefly at Zoe, he jumped down the stairs and went after her. Jayne was just coming out of his bunk and Mal heard him come down behind him.
- - - - - - - - - -
Simon and Inara were, uncharacteristically, sitting on the floor of the infirmary. Simon had his head on his crossed arms and Inara had a hand on his elbow. River, kneeling on his other side was intent on apologizing to her brother.
"I'm sorry I didn't tell you."
"It's not your fault River."
"I should have told you. I should have told you before, I should have known his fishes swam like yours don't." River sniffed unhappily and leaned against her brother. "I'm sorry. I didn't want to be the one to tell you." Simon lifted his head and slid an arm around his sister's shoulder.
"At least now I know why you've been avoiding her."
"Are you absolutely sure it isn't yours?" Inara asked without any real hope.
Simon sighed. "I ran the tests on myself 27 times; it's not mine. I still can't father a child."
"Are you sure Kaylee's really pregnant?"
"I ran that test 20 times." He paused for a moment, staring blankly into space. "I just don't understand it. She went a year without sleeping with anyone, then suddenly she can't last three days?"
Zoe stood in the doorway staring at them and feeling sick. River was the first one who noticed her, peeking at her from behind Simon's shoulder. She met Zoe's gaze with sad, knowing eyes. Simon and Inara looked to see what she was looking at. Zoe saw Simon tense when she saw him and realized he was expecting another lecture.
"Knew there had to be a reason." Zoe said quietly. She figured Inara and River could look after Simon so she left them to it. She strode through the ship and ended up outside Kaylee's bunk. Jayne hadn't closed the door when he followed Mal down and Zoe could hear their voices drifting up. She listened for a moment; Mal was assuring Kaylee that Simon would come around or deal with Mal, and Jayne was just generally denouncing Simon as a stuck up core-bred hun dan.
Zoe climbed down down into Kaylee's bunk.
"Please stop," Kaylee said quietly. She sounded miserable. "He's right. Simon's right."
Mal and Jayne both shut up in shock and Zoe spoke into the silence. "Yes he is. And 47 tests is how much he didn't want to be."