Mal had taken his boots off, and his socks, and was now sitting on the end of the small dock, letting his feel dangle in the water.

“You know, you could go the whole hog and go swimming,” Simon said, walking up behind him.

“Nope, this is fine,” Mal replied.

“You’re virtually healed. It wouldn’t hurt.”

“You can promise that?” Mal smiled as the young man sat down next to him, resting his forearms on his knees and lightly clasping his hands.

“As your doctor I can promise you, light exercise would do you good.”

“Been getting that. Only it wasn't that light.” Mal smirked, and had to stifle a laugh as Simon blushed. “You know, you gotta get that under control.”

“I never had a problem until I came on board your boat.”

“You saying we corrupted you?”

“Big time.”

“Glad we could be of assistance.”

“So you could swim. Unless those scratches on your back have become infected.”

“Nope. That cream of yours seemed to do the trick.”

“And you’ve got no more?”

“You want a blow by blow description of my love life, doc?” Mal asked.

“Not particularly.”

“Then, no. Frey’s calmed a bit the last couple of nights. Now she knows Ethan’s fine.”

“I'm glad.” He truly was, too.

Mal gazed out at the mountains fringing the world. “Sure is pretty here.”

“Yes, it is. I'm not surprised Inara wanted to stay.”

“Oh, I think there’s more than just its good looks, doctor.”

Simon nodded, perfectly aware of the feelings of all involved. He glanced down at the water. “Is it cold?”

Mal shrugged. “It’s okay once you get used to it.”

For a moment the young man paused, then pulled off his shoes and socks, rolling up the bottom of his pants legs. Gingerly he lowered his feet into the water.

“Wo de mah!” he muttered.

“Yeah, but it gets better.”

“When?”

“’Bout the time your toes fall off from frostbite.” Mal wriggled his, looking down at his bare feet. The water was so clear he could see all the way to the bottom. “Fed by the mountains, according to Monty.”

“I can believe that. It’s colder than last time.”

“Fresh snow fallen up there,” Mal said knowledgably. “Autumn’s coming pretty fast. Wouldn’t be surprised if this lake freezes in the winter.”

“Skating.”

“Ain't never done it myself.”

“Not even as a boy?” Simon was surprised.

“Shadow never got that cold, least not the part we were. Wet, yeah. I grew up being soaked through for four months outta the year.”

Simon shuddered. He hated getting rained on. “So you never saw snow?”

“’Casionally. Never really lasted, though. Wasn't until I got out to the war that I saw the real stuff. Bit too much of that once in a while.”

Simon didn’t press it. He and Freya had talked before about her experiences, and although she was more forthcoming than the captain, there were parts neither of them were ever going to discuss.

“I used to skate,” he said conversationally. “When I was a boy. There was a pond in the neighbouring estate, and I used to go there on the way home from school.”

“You and your friends?”

“I … didn’t have that many.”

“Sorry.”

“Don’t be. I knew what I was going to be, and that sort of …”

“Pig-headedness?” Mal suggested, his lips twitching.

Simon amended, “Ambition … well, it can be off-putting to other boys who just want to have a good time.”

“So you went alone.”

“The whole of one winter. In a pair of old skates I found in the attic. I got pretty good.”

“What happened?”

“The ice broke one day. I didn’t realise it had been thinning out, with the spring coming, and I fell in.”

“Your ma stop you?”

“I don’t think she ever found out. I managed to get to my room without anyone noticing, and let my clothes dry in the bathroom.”

“Surprised you didn’t drown, not knowing how to swim and all.”

Simon blushed again. “I’d forgotten everyone knew.”

“Thing like that, you ain't likely to keep a secret.”

“I suppose you can swim.”

“Like a fish.” Mal laughed. “Course, it’d have to be a fish with no tail and only one fin. But least I can stay afloat.”

“I didn’t. If I hadn’t been able to touch bottom I’d be dead.”

“Which would make life far too interesting for the rest of us.” Mal smiled. “Kinda glad you didn’t.”

“Me too.” Simon grinned, then looked along the edge of the lake to where Kaylee was playing with Bethany in the warmer shallows.

Mal followed his line of sight. “Ain't she supposed to be fixing Serenity?”

“She can’t work all the time.”

“We came here so she could get my ship back together. Four more days she said, and that was two days ago. Pickett ain't gonna wait forever.”

“And you expect her to ignore our daughter?”

“Well, no, but –“

“She’s worked damn hard this last week, Mal. I think she deserves some time off. Don’t you?”

Mal’s lips twitched. “You’re getting masterful in your old age.”

“I’m not old.”

“Well, if you intend getting any older, I’d suggest you don’t go ordering me around too often. Once a week is enough.” He held up a hand. “But I take your point. Kaylee needs some fun too.”

“Thanks.” Simon was really grateful. “I mean that.”

“That’s okay.”

They sat in silence, just being company, until the young man licked his lips. “Mal …”

“Mmn?”

“I …” He didn’t really know how to broach the subject.

“You got something to say, you’d better come out and say it,” Mal advised.

Simon nodded. “I suppose.” He thought for a moment, just making it clear in his mind, then said, “What with Kaylee saying Bethany can hear Serenity, and being so advanced for her years, I thought it would be a good idea to …”

“To what, doctor?”

“I measured Bethany’s IQ.” Simon spoke softly.

“Yeah?” Mal didn’t look at him, just kept staring at the mountains in the far distance. “And what did you figure? Genius?”

“Off the charts.”

Mal hid a smile. “I take it you don’t think that’s a good thing.”

“My father would have said she had to be nurtured, contained, possibly even sent away to a school where they could properly form her mind.”

“And what do you say?”

“I’ll kill anyone that tries.”

Mal turned to look at the young doctor. “Simon, I guess you’ve grown up. And I'm kinda proud of you. No-one’s gonna send Bethie away. Not now. Not ever. There’s the Cortex, you and River … and Kaylee’ll teach her how to be a mechanic, I've no doubt, if she wants. And she’ll grow up in a loving home. No reason for her to be put into one of those schools.”

Simon relaxed a little. “My father’d have it that a genius is of benefit to all mankind.”

“I ain't your father, Simon. As I had cause to tell Jayne just a while back. And your father let River go to the Academy.” Mal leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. “Is being schooled here, on Serenity, gonna make her unhappy?”

“No. Just the opposite.”

“Then don’t worry none. If she ever feels like she’d being held back, she’ll tell you. Any daughter o’ Kaylee’s ain’t gonna be backward in coming forward. So no worries on that score.”

“I just feel …”

“Simon, if she’s meant to save the ‘verse, I kinda think that’s gonna happen whether she knows how to cuss in Latin or not.”

“I don’t do that.”

“But you know how.”

“Well …”

“And I know damn well I've heard River say stuff that’s probably in a dead language.”

“I want the best for her.”

“So do we all, Simon. And that looks like being here. With us.”

Simon let out the breath he’d been holding. “Thanks, Mal.”

“No need for that. There ain't no-one on that boat don’t love Bethie like she was their own.”

“But I still want to thank you. If it hadn’t been for you, I don’t know where we’d be.”

“That goes back double. You’ve saved our lives – all of us – more’n once. And now with Ethan …”

“It really is all about family for you, isn’t it?”

Mal nodded. “Most important thing of all. Even above freedom. ‘Cause if you ain't got family to share it with, it ain't worth the having.”

Simon’s lips twitched. “Is that so?”

“That it is.” Mal sat back. “So, did you …” He spoke diffidently.

“Ethan?”

“Mmn.”

“It’s difficult, as he’s not really talking yet, but there are ways … yes, to some degree.”

Mal grinned. “He ain't a genius.”

“No.”

“Can’t say I'm surprised. Not with my genes mixed in there.”

“But he is highly intelligent. Works out problems very quickly.”

“Must be his momma’s influence.”

“Probably.”

Mal glanced at his hand, the calluses where he’d made the skin hard from drawing and firing a weapon. “I wondered whether the sickness … that he …”

“It didn’t, Mal. The pacemaker … well, Greenleaf’s medics did a good job, and there’s no after effects from that. Nor any discernible from the illness.”

Mal breathed a sigh of relief. “It’s just … I remember someone I knew … their kid got sick, high fever, and the doc there said he’d never be right. That it burned out something in his brain.”

“Nothing like that here, Mal. And I‘ll be keeping an eye on him.”

“Mighty glad to hear that. Freya’ll be singing your praises again too, soon as I tell her.”

Simon smiled a little. “Mal, I’d … if Freya doesn’t mind … I’d like her to take charge of teaching Bethany. River can be too … eclectic.”

“You mean she scatter brains?”

“Sometimes. And now she’s … with Jayne … Bethany needs some kind of order. Not like a school, or being told she can’t do things, but … it’ll help her train her mind too. That control we’re always talking about.”

“Does Kaylee know about this?”

Simon nodded. “We spoke about it last night.”

“Then I'm sure Frey’ll be honoured you asked.”

“Thanks.”

“I told you. We’re family.” He paused a moment. “Look, I’d be beholden if you could do me a favour in return.”

“Of course.”

“Frey’s still limping. She says it don’t hurt, but … is there anything you can do?”

“I've been keeping an eye on her, but I suppose I could do some deep scans, see if there’s anything I missed.”

“I’d be obliged, Simon.”

“Like you said, Mal, we’re family.”

to be continued