“Hey, doc, I just saw a small naked butt disappear into the cargo bay.” Jayne leaned on the doorway to the infirmary. “So unless we’ve got elves …”

“Bethany,” Simon breathed, glancing at Freya, sleeping the sleep of the quietly sedated, then hurried past the mercenary, almost vaulting the steps into the bay. “Bethany!” he called.

Jayne watched him, a wide grin on his face, then, turning on his heel, said, “He’s gone, squirt.”

A little face looked out from behind one of the easy chairs. Bethany giggled. “Game,” she said. “Daddy playing.”

The big man nodded down at her. “You’re getting to be something of a handful.”

Bethany giggled again. “Daddy playing with me,” she repeated. “Hide ‘n‘ seek.” She stood up, as naked as the day she was born, looking around for a new hiding place.

“Yeah, we got your Pa good and proper,” Jayne agreed, scooping the little girl up into his arms and sitting her on his hip. “You think we outta tell him you were playing with him?”

Bethany shook her head. “Is a secret.”

“’Kay. We won’t tell for the mo,” Jayne grinned, hearing some very unaccustomed language from the bay as Simon banged about. “Although, you know, he ain’t exactly gonna be pleased. Don’t reckon we’d better let this go on too long.” A muffled yell indicated Bethany’s father had dropped something on his foot.

The little girl put her hands on Jayne’s face, stroking his beard. “Bear,” she said approvingly.

“Well, at least you ain’t calling me a rabbit.”

“Uncle Jayne. Bath time, ‘kay?”

“You want me to bath you?” he asked. “Not sure your momma would like that. ‘N’ I’m damn sure your Pa won’t.”

“Jayne,” Kaylee admonished, hurrying down the stairs. “What did I tell you about that kinda language in front of Bethany? She’s talkin’ up a storm now, and I don’t want her to be hearing that sorta thing from you. Or anyone.”

“Hell, that ain’t nothing compared to what your husband’s saying in the bay.”

Kaylee listened, and sure enough she could hear Simon’s voice, his inventive Chinese cursing appearing to have come along immensely.

“What’s he doing?” she asked.

“Looking for the squirt.”

“And you didn’t tell him …” She looked aghast and shook her head. “He must be worried sick.” She went to stop him, but Jayne held her back.

“Few more minutes won’t hurt,” he said. “’Sides, it weren’t my idea.”

“Momma, play with us?” Bethany asked.

“Well, there’s no more playing now. It’s well gone past time for your bath, young lady.” She reached out, and Jayne reluctantly let her take Bethany from him. “I don’t know, ever since she learned to crawl I ain’t been able to keep track of her. And now she can walk … Half the time I got no idea where she is. And there’s so many dangerous things she could get into around here …” Kaylee paused, picturing a number of them, and shuddered. “I don’t even know how she got out. There I was, running the bath, I turn and she’s gone.”

“She’s got more escape routes on this boat than Mal’s got hidey-holes,” Jayne agreed. “Maybe you need to tag her.” He thought for a moment. “Or reins.”

“What?”

“Matty was always getting himself lost once he learned to walk, so Ma made this set of reins. Kinda attached him to the wall on long leather strips. He wasn’t any too keen on ‘em, and eventually learned how to undo ‘em, but by then he’d figured out running off wasn’t such a good idea.”

“Reins …” Kaylee said thoughtfully. “And I could put hooks or somethin’ in most of the rooms …”

“What the –” Simon reappeared in the cargo bay door, glaring at the sight of his wife and the daughter he’d just been searching for, standing chatting calmly to the big mercenary. “You told me she went into the cargo bay!” he said accusingly.

“Musta been one of those optical illusions,” Jayne said.

“I’ve been searching, turning over stuff – do you know what gos se there is in there?”

“Simon, language,” Kaylee warned, putting a hand on his arm. “And she’s shiny.”

“Daddy, play again,” Bethany said, wriggling to get at her father.

“It’s not playtime,” her mother said, but Simon held out his arms and she smiled as he put their daughter on his hip, her little arms clasped around his neck.

“I love my Daddy,” she said softly, kissing him on the cheek.

He felt all the anger and resentment drain away, and his face took on a dreamy expression. “I love you too, poppet,” he said.

“Aw, hell, if you’re gonna get all sentimental I’m gonna go clean Vera,” Jayne said in disgust.

“Wait ‘til you have one of your own,” Kaylee said, a mischievous glint in her eyes. “You’re gonna be one great big soft marshmallow.”

“Me? Kids?” Jayne backed up a step. “Ain’t no way that’s ever gonna happen.”

“We’ll see,” Kaylee said, smiling.

“Kaylee!” Mal’s voice yelled down the stairs. “You left the gorram tap running and that bath thingy’s overflowed!” He did not sound pleased.

Kaylee jumped. “Oops,” she said, grabbing Bethany and hurrying up the stairs. “I’ll clean it up, Cap’n,” she called as she ran.

“See that you do! Serenity may be a boat but I don’t wanna be floatin’ to our next job!”

“Don’t you worry none, Cap’n. Only takes the work of a minute …” Kaylee’s voice faded away.

“If’n he wakes Freya up, he’s gonna feel real bad,” Jayne said grinning and half-turned, meeting Simon’s glare. “You gotta problem, doc?” he asked.

“You do that again,” Simon said, very quietly and very clearly, “and you won’t need to worry about ever having children.”

Jayne guffawed and slapped the doctor on the back. “You look to your own,” he advised. “Let me take care’o mine. If anyone wants me, I’ll be in my bunk.”

Simon watched the big man go back into the cargo bay, and shook his head. Sometimes he wished he’d never taken that Hippocratic Oath.

He was about to go check on Freya again when he heard a little voice from upstairs say, very loudly and with great gusto, “Gos se!”

And his wife followed with, “Simon!”

He sighed. Somehow he just knew this was not going to be one of his best days ever.