Jesse looked at Bill, and straightened his collar, just a little. “You wait out here.”

“No, I think I should –“

She silenced him with a finger across his lips. “I need to do this. Need to talk to Daddy by myself.”

“You think he’s gonna be pleased?” Ethan asked, lounging against the wall of the airlock. “He is so going to kill you.” He grinned, taking the two year age gap – in his favour – very seriously.

“No, he won’t. I've always been able to get him to see reason.” She pushed her long brown hair back behind her ears.

“You think?” Ethan laughed. “Can I have your capture when you’re dead?”

“Momma won’t let him kill me.” She stuck out her chin. “She’d have to clear up the mess.”

“Oh, Jesse.” Ethan couldn’t stop the chortles bubbling up from his throat. “This I can’t wait to see.”

“Where is he?” She ignored his comments, just walking up the ramp and elbowing him in the stomach on the way.

He rubbed his belly. “They’re resting.” His face took on a slightly revolted look.

“They’re in love,” Jesse responded, having slightly more sympathy for the way her parents couldn’t keep their hands off each other, even now.

“But they’re old.”

“Ethan, you’ll be lucky to keep a girl interested in you long enough to say hello, let alone stay together as long as they have.”

“You’re disgusting.”

“Takes one to know one.”

“Jess, honey, I really think you ought to let me come and see your dad first,” Bill said, still standing outside in the sunshine.

She turned, her face softer, so like her mother’s. “No, really. He doesn’t even know about you yet. I don’t think you asking him for his daughter’s hand is going to go down that well.”

“It isn’t your hand he wants,” Ethan said, still smarting from the insult, and the blow to his stomach.

“He’s already had the rest,” Jesse said airily, smiling sweetly at him, as Bill flushed furiously.

“Oh, God, I didn’t need to know that!”

“Know what?” Jayne asked, ambling up behind them.

“Uncle Jayne!” Jesse said, running down the ramp and hugging him. “I didn’t know you were here!”

“Me and your Auntie River arrived about an hour ago. Wouldn’t miss this for the world.” He lifted her up and swung her round like he used to when she was little, before putting her back down and grinning at her.

“And don’t start before I get there,” they all heard River’s voice in their minds. Everyone grinned, even Ethan.

“And the twins?”

“Gracie and Caleb are on the boat. Getting ‘emselves all spruced up, if I'm any judge.” His blue eyes sparkled. “So what’s this Ethan didn’t need to know? And who’s this long streak of –“

“Uncle Jayne.” She sounded like her mother too, and it made Jayne laugh.

“Your beau?”

“My fiancé,” she corrected.

“And Mal don’t know?” Jayne guffawed. “Oh, I really didn’t want to miss this.”

“Nobody’s going to watch,” Jesse said firmly. “This is between my daddy and me.”

“You think?” came a voice from the darkness inside Serenity.

“Oops,” Ethan said, his grin threatening to split his face.

Jesse coloured, the blush rising up past her ears. “Daddy.”

“That’d be me.” Mal stepped out into the light. “Guess you’ve got something you want to tell me.” He glared at her, his hair only lightly sprinkled with silver, still full and thick, the laughter lines at the corner of his eyes just a little deeper.

“I thought you were busy,” she said, standing back from Jayne and smoothing her dress down.

“I was.” His face was stern. “Your mother said I should maybe come out and learn something to my advantage.”

As if on cue Freya strolled out behind her husband. “Hi, Jayne,” she said, smiling. “Everything okay?”

“Shiny,” the big man said, his eyes softening at the sight of her. “You?”

“Oh, just waiting to see who has to clean up.”

“Well, it ain't gonna be me,” Mal said, crossing his arms and staring at his daughter. “Well?”

Jesse glanced at her mother, taking heart from the slight lift to her lips. She knew, of course she did. Neither of her children appeared to have inherited her psychic abilities, but that didn’t mean she wasn't keeping a close eye on them both. And it annoyed the hell out of Ethan, too. “Um …”

“I'm waiting.”

She took a deep breath. “Daddy, this is Bill. We’ve known each other a long time now, and … well, he’s asked me to marry him.”

“I see.”

“And I've said yes.”

“Without talking to me or your mother about it.”

“I thought it wasn't really any of your business.” She stuck out her chin again, a look of stubbornness fixed across her face.

“Really.” He lifted an eyebrow. “You’re seventeen. You don’t get to do anything without my permission.”

She crossed her arms in response, and now the resemblance between father and daughter came to the fore. “I'm not a child.”

“Yet you go around behind my back getting engaged.” He turned to look at Freya. “Unless you knew all about this?”

“Hey, she’s your daughter. She never said a word to me about it,” his wife said, lifting her hands.

“That wasn't what I asked.”

“Momma didn’t know anything about him,” Jesse said quickly, adding, but only mentally, ‘cept what she saw in my mind. Freya smiled.

Mal turned to the young man in question. “And you think you can just waltz onto my ship and take my daughter away from me?”

Bill straightened up, his broad shoulders squaring off. “Sir, I love Jesse. I want to marry her. And whether we live here on board your ship, or somewhere else, I want to be with her for the rest of my life.”

“Good start,” Mal said. “Calling me ‘sir’. Don’t mean I'm gonna say yes, though.”

“Yes it does,” Freya said softly, having seen the look pass between her daughter and the young man. “He means it.”

“I don’t doubt he does. Anybody’d love Jess, soon as look at her,” Mal agreed, but then shook his head. “Still ain't gonna let them railroad me into this.”

“No-one’s trying to railroad you, Daddy,” Jesse said, stepping closer to her father. She put her hand on his arm. “I love him.”

“The last time that look of yours worked on me you were six and I let you keep that puppy. And remember how that ended up,” Mal pointed out.

“Daddy, Bill isn’t going to fall into the compression coil.”

“You cried your eyes out for days.”

“I was upset.”

“You said you loved him, too.”

“I didn’t sleep with him.”

Mal’s jaw dropped. “You mean …” He took a step towards Bill. “You been taking advantage of my girl?”

Bill didn’t move, gazing eye to eye with her irate father. “I … yes, sir, I have. But it was entirely mutual.”

“Some women my age have two or more kids hanging onto their skirts,” Jesse pointed out, stepping between them.

“You ain't a woman,” Mal said, glaring at Bill over her shoulder.

“Yes, I am.” She stared into his blue eyes, making him look at her. “Daddy, I'm pregnant.”

Ethan hooted with laughter until his mother slapped him around the back of the head. “Ow.”

“Serves you right,” she murmured.

“Frey? You know about this?” Mal asked, his gaze not moving from his daughter’s face.

“Well, I can’t say it comes as a surprise.”

Mal’s lips tightened. “Why was I expecting that?”

“Hell, I wasn’t,” Jayne put in. “Want me to shoot him for you?”

“No, I'm thinkin’ I’ll have that pleasure myself.”

“You won’t shoot anyone, Daddy,” Jesse said firmly, stepping back into Bill’s protective arms. “I’m pregnant, he’s the father and we’re getting married.”

“And it don’t matter to you none that you’re doing this the wrong way round?” Mal asked.

“No.”

“’Sides,” Jayne put in, uncaring of his own safety, “Kaylee and Simon weren't married when they got Beth started. And you and Frey –“

“One more word and I’ll be shooting you,” Mal promised.

“’S true, though. And Hank and Zoe.” He looked around. “They here yet?”

“Tomorrow,” Freya supplied. “They had to stop off to pick up Marnie and LW.”

“Be good to see ‘em.”

“That it will.”

“And Inara?”

“Her liner gets in tomorrow too.”

“Been a month o’ Sundays since we seen her.”

Jesse and her father hadn’t broken eye contact throughout this little diversionary conversation. “Daddy, I love him,” she said, her voice starting to crack.

“’N’ I ain't ready to be a granddaddy!”

Freya smiled, stepping up behind him and putting her arms around his waist. “You already are,” she murmured in his ear, kissing his neck.

“Oh, please,” Ethan said, turning his back on this display of affection.

“And you can keep quiet or you’ll be cleaning the septic vat for a month,” she said over her shoulder, adding in his mind, and you know I’ll make you.

“That ain’t fair, Ma,” Ethan wailed.

“Life sucks, doesn’t it?” she said, grinning.

Jayne nodded. “Ethan, you shoulda seen the number of times they made me do it. Surprised River ever let me take her to bed.”

“Will you please all stop talking about sex?” the young man asked, striding away into the interior of the Firefly.

Freya breathed in her husband's ear. “Mal, you’re going to be an amazing grampa. You’re an amazing father.”

“No, I ain’t,” he said, leaning back against her just a little.

“Yes, you are. Look at your daughter here.”

He hadn’t stopped looking at her, seeing the obstinacy he recognised in his own character. “Damn,” he whispered.

Jesse relaxed, taking Bill’s hand in hers. “I told you it would be all right.”

“No it ain’t,” Mal said, but there was no heat behind it. “I still don’t approve of the way you’ve done this. And I am still pissed as hell at you sleeping with the boy behind my back.”

“Would you have preferred to watch?” Jesse asked.

“I’d’a preferred you not to be doing it at all!”

“Daddy, you were fourteen.”

“I’m a man!”

“That’s a very outdated attitude,” she pointed out.

“She’s got you there,” Freya agreed.

“But your Momma was –“He stopped as the woman in question pinched him. “Shit.”

“Language,” Freya said automatically.

“Next thing she’ll be saying she swears too,” Mal sighed.

“Like a trooper.”

“And that was Jayne’s fault.”

“Hey, don’t blame me.” The big man shook his head. “I weren't the one taught her her first cuss word. That was the doc.”

“We’re been a really bad influence on people,” Freya laughed.

“That we have.” Mal turned to take his wife into his arms. “It’s all your fault.”

“Mine? How?”

“Bringing her up to be so independent.”

“Independent. Like that’s so bad. Especially coming from a Browncoat.”

Mal kissed her, passion flaring through him like it always did.

“Daddy, do you have to?” Jesse asked, blushing slightly.

“You’re the one who’s pregnant,” her mother pointed out.

“Yeah, that’s right,” Mal said, turning back. “I don’t think you’ve gotten the right to be embarrassed.”

Jesse smiled suddenly, running forwards and hugging her father. “I love you, Daddy.”

“Yeah, well, don’t you forget that.” He closed his eyes, holding her close.

“Hey, d’we miss anything?” Hank asked, strolling towards them, his arm around Zoe.

Freya grinned. “I thought you were coming tomorrow?” she asked, walking out to greet them.

“Got a bit more juice out of the old bird, made it early.” Hank looked Bill up and down. “And who’s the stranger?”

“Everyone, this is my fiancé,” Jesse said.

“And the father of her kid,” Jayne put in.

“You’re …” Hank motioned with his hand up and down in front of himself.

Jesse nodded.

“Congratulations,” Zoe said, stepping forwards and hugging the girl.

“At least someone’s pleased,” Jesse murmured.

“It ain't like I ain't pleased!” Mal insisted. “Just …”

“Overwhelmed?” his wife suggested.

“Yeah. That too.”

“Oh, Daddy, don’t be disappointed in me,” Jesse said, turning her big eyes on him. “I’d hate that.”

Mal sighed, then moved forward, not in the slightest because Freya gave him a push. “I ain’t disappointed in you, JJ,” he said, using his old nickname for her. “But you’re just so young …”

“I know,” she said, her voice a little quieter now. “And I’m a bit scared.”

Mal gathered her into his arms. “Don’t be. We’re here. Your Mom and me.” He glanced over at Bill. “And him, I guess. Seems to me like we’re having a wedding to celebrate.”

She looked into his face, and her heart swelled at the love she saw there. “Two,” she said, hugging him tightly.

“You know, it don’t seem twenty years ago your mother finally said I do,” Mal commented, his chin on top of her head. “And that was only after months of cajoling, pleading and downright threatening.”

“As if you had to threaten me,” Freya said, joining her family and being pulled into the hug.

“Ah, that’s so sweet,” Hank said, head on one side, grinning.

“It’s gross,” Ethan called from inside the cargo bay.

“Just ‘cause you want to come out and join in and your pride won’t let you,” Freya responded.

“Ain't prideful. And I ain't the one knocked up.”

“Ethan.”

“Aw, diyu.” He walked reluctantly out into the sunshine. “Do I get to be an uncle?” he asked, scuffing at the dirt with his boot.

“I think it goes with the job of being the brother,” his mother said, ruffling his hair.

“Don’t,” he implored, flattening it again.

“So,” Jayne said, clapping his hands and startling them all. “When do we get down to the serious drinkin’?”

“Some things just don’t change,” Simon said, stepping down the ramp, Kaylee on his arm.

“Where were you?” Mal asked.

“Keeping out of the way.”

“Wasn’t our place,” Kaylee said, winking at Jesse.

“You knew?” Mal asked, affronted at his mechanic.

“Course. Jesse tells me everything.”

“And she’s healthy. The baby's fine too,” Simon added, sounding all doctory.

“We seriously have to go over the whole ground rules thing here,” Mal said, shaking his head. “Mainly the one about keeping the captain in the dark.”

“Mal,” Freya said, running her hand through his hair, “if we told you everything that went on, this would be white.”

He shuddered. “Maybe I’ll just live in blissful ignorance.”

“Good idea.”

“Ignorance of what?” Bethany asked, running up to Jayne and jumping on his back.

“Hey, short stub,” he said, grinning over his shoulder at her.

“Hiya.” She placed a wet kiss on his cheek.

“You missed all the fun,” Ethan said somewhat sourly.

“No, I didn’t. Heard it all.” She tapped her temple before jumping back and landing like a cat on her feet. “And Freya’s right. Better not to be told.” She grinned, twirling her sunhat.

“I'm gonna worry, now, ain't I?” Mal said. “About all the things I don’t know.”

“Like me and Ethan,” Bethany said, looking down at her bare feet.

“What?” The explosion was multiplied by not just coming from Mal, but from Simon, Kaylee and Jesse too.

“Oh, juh jen sh guh kwai luh duh jean jan,” Ethan muttered, turning bright red.

Freya laughed. “I think you have some explaining to do, my lad,” she said, patting her son on his shoulder.