Hank sat back in the pilot’s seat and grinned. He’d been checking for an hour, but no-one was following them. Likely Rankin’d only just found out the Firefly wasn't where he left it.

He sighed happily. For once they’d gotten out of a scrape without anyone losing anything, like blood or bodies. Funny how it was the one time Mal wasn't on board his own boat. He picked up one of the dinosaurs still ranged on the console.

“Course, it ain't exactly his boat no more,” he said conversationally. “I mean, I won the money that bought her back fair and square. Well, maybe not … I mean, the deck was rigged, but I still won. Took advantage of it. And getting the fool’s card? Sheer, blind luck.” He grinned wider. “But I won it. All that money. So I'm thinking that, since I graciously allowed it to be used to buy her back, she’s mine.”

“And you’re planning on telling the captain you now own Serenity?” Zoe asked from behind him, having stepped silently onto the bridge.

He turned quickly, the dinosaur flying out of his hands. “Um, well, I was … actually …” He got down on his knees to retrieve the toy from under the sensor array.

“And you think he’s going to let you get away with it?” Zoe was smiling slightly.

“I was thinking out loud,” Hank said, sitting back down and returning the dinosaur to its place. “Just rambling.”

“Really. Probably not a good idea to ramble about that sort of thing where he can hear you.”

“No. I wouldn’t do that.” He shook his head in agreement, even if his thoughts were still full of the fact that he knew who owned what.

“Good. I wouldn’t want to break someone else in. Took me long enough with you.”

“Well, if you’d only said yes when I asked first time …”

“I wasn't ready.”

He stood up, their eyes on a level. “I'm glad you are now.” Very gently, with extreme care, he reached up and took her face in his hands, pulling her towards him so their lips met. He could feel her smiling.

“Me too.”

They kissed longer, her hands in his hair, his on her back.

“Mmn,” he murmured. “Almost makes me not thirsty.”

She laughed and let him go. “There’s fresh coffee in the kitchen. I’ll watch things.”

“I’ll be right back. You want one?”

“Sure.”

He grinned and strolled off the bridge.

A beep indicated a wave coming in, and Zoe sat down in Hank’s chair, finding it still warm. Activating the link she wasn't surprised to see Monty’s face appear.

“It worked then,” he said, smiling at her.

“It did.”

“I'm real glad about that.”

“So are we.”

“I wish I coulda helped,” Monty said, his face sincere. “But like you said, it was then or never, and I’d hate to see Mal’s ride getting torn up.”

“I doubt he’d be too keen either,” Zoe said, imagining her captain’s face if she’d had to break the news.

“So you heading back to Lazarus?”

“That we are. With more money than we arrived, too.”

“Do I get mine back?”

“Not sure, Monty. You were the cause of all this.”

He sighed. “Reckon I was. Well, if you can’t help a Browncoat out now and again –“

“Of course, we do still have your cargo.”

His dour face lit up. “You do?”

“They hadn’t unloaded it when we retook Serenity.” Zoe smiled. “Looks like you don’t lose out that much.”

“To tell the truth, I won’t lose out at all.” He managed to look a bit shame-faced. “Just after me and Inara talked, I got an offer on the stuff. Different planet, and more money.”

“We’re not delivering,” Zoe said firmly.

“Nope, wasn't asking you to,” Monty said quickly. “In fact, I'm on my way to you now. Meet you on Lazarus and we can swap.”

“Swap? What do you have that we want?”

“Well, I have just taken receipt of a fine crate of alcohol. Core best.”

“Stolen?”

“As if.” He winked hugely. “And I got some other fine victuals too.”

“Well, maybe.” Zoe sighed. “I don’t think it’ll be much to persuade the crew to take their ease for a day or two more. I don’t think they feel exactly rested.”

Monty grinned. “You gonna tell Mal he’s gonna have more company for a day or two?”

“No,” Zoe said, considering. “I think I’ll let it be a surprise.”

---

The sound of Serenity coming in overhead filtered in through the closed curtains.

“Time to get up,” Freya murmured from where she lay with her head on Mal’s chest.

“Guess.”

“Sounds like you feel like it at much as I do.”

“No.” She looked sad.

“Don’t you want to?”

“No.” She sighed. “As much as I want to see Ethan, these few days with you …” She blinked back tears.

“Hey, don’t,” he said, leaning down to kiss her softly. “This was just a taste of us, Frey. Just a kinda prologue to the life we’re gonna have.”

“With Jayne down the corridor, and Zoe and Hank over the way …”

“There’ll always be time for us.” He stroked her cheek.

“You promise?”

“I do.”

“Good.” She smiled. “You keep your promises.”

He lay back on the pillow, just enjoying the feeling of her being so close. It made his heart sing that she was his, and his flesh tingled when he considered there was nothing going to come between them.

“So,” he said after a moment. “Zoe’s pregnant.”

She sat up and stared at him. “Wha … what makes you think that?”

He lifted his head, his gaze measured. “Well, she didn’t drink any of my punch –“

“That was just sensible. Neither did I.”

“Hank moved a chair for her –“

“Being polite.”

“And nobody was letting her carry any of those boxes.”

“Ah.”

“Ah, as in yes she is, or ah, as in no she’s not?”

“If she was, were you considering putting Hank out of the airlock?”

He reached up and pushed his hand through her hair, making it lie flatter. “Oddly enough, no. But why didn’t she tell me herself?”

“I think she was afraid of what you might say. And I'm not saying she is. I mean, she hasn’t said anything to me at all.”

“Ai ren, she doesn’t need to.”

She smiled at him. “Perhaps not.”

Mal lay back. “More kids.”

“Just Zoe’s instead of Kaylee’s. Or mine.”

He turned his blue eyes on her, bright with hope. “Maybe … maybe you’re pregnant too.”

“I don’t think so.”

“Could you tell?”

“I don’t feel pregnant.”

Mal’s face saddened but then he grinned. “Well there’s still time,” he said, rolling her over so he could pin her to the mattress.

“Mal, they’ll be here any minute!”

“Since when did that stop us?” He pressed her knees apart. “You know, a quickie can be just as much fun …”

*

“Frey? Cap?” Kaylee shouted from the hall below.

“Coming!” Freya called out, her voice cracking.

Jayne looked at Kaylee, disgust written across his features. “Hell, ain't they got that out of their system yet?”

---