“Soon?”

Bethie sighed. Jesse had been asking the same question for days, and as much as she wanted to tell the little girl to wait, she couldn’t. She wanted it to be now, her own self. “Soon,” she agreed.

Ethan looked up from the drawing he was doing as a surprise for his mother, and nodded. “Soon, Jesse.”

“How soon?”

“Soon soon.”

“Soon soon soon?”

He smiled at his baby sister. “Yes.”

Jesse smiled widely, showing little white teeth. “Good.” She went back to tickling Fiddler’s belly as he lay on his back, one of his legs kicking in ecstasy as she found the right spot. She giggled.

Ethan looked at Bethie, who had an expression on her face far beyond her years. “I'm glad they’re coming for us,” he whispered. As much as he loved his Auntie ‘Nara, he wanted to have his Mama hold him, to show his Daddy how much he’d grown.

“Me too.” Bethie had seen, through her Auntie River and Auntie Freya, the small ceremony on Prometheus, when her grandpa was laid to rest. She knew she shouldn’t be sad, but there was a little hole in her heart somehow. She’d only known him a few hours, but he was her grandpa. She lay back and looked up at the ceiling of the nursery above them, but not seeing it as her mind went over the images again …

-

As much as all the crew wanted to see their children, that was going to have to wait until after a much more sombre task. The two ships put down high on the hill, waiting for Jayne and Hank to finish the digging, then everyone gathered at the grave site.

The warm breeze caught at River’s floaty dress as she stood next to her mother, Simon the other side, supporting Regan as Alex, Jayne, Breed and Dillon lowered Gabriel’s body into the ground.

“Should be raining,” Kaylee murmured, standing just to one side with Zoe and Freya. “Somehow, shouldn’t have funerals when the sun’s out.”

A butterfly wandered past, dipping on the gently moving air, captivating them for a moment before Mal’s voice broke into their reverie.

“I seem to have done this all too often lately,” he said, glancing at the stone that marked the only remains of the crew of Road Runner, his eyes moving from it to Jethro’s grave, then his unborn daughter … “I just pray that I ain't gonna be doing it again any time soon.” He cleared his throat, opening Book’s old bible. “The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside the still waters, he restores my soul …”

River nodded slightly. These were the same words he’d used for Jethro, for Burton Wyatt and his crew … they were right.

As he finished, Jayne picked up the shovel.

“No, wait,” Regan said, stepping forwards.

“Mother –” Simon put out a protective hand.

“It’s all right. I'm not planning on throwing myself in after him.” She managed a weak smile. “We knew this day was coming, even if we both denied it. And we had those last few months together.” She gripped their hands. “More, he saw you both. Made peace. And met your beautiful grandchildren.”

Kaylee wiped her nose on her sleeve until Freya gave her a hankie to mop up her tears.

“I'm glad he did,” Simon said, and meant every word.

Regan blinked hard, her eyes already red from hours of weeping, but determined not to give in. Letting go of her children, she reached into the top of her blouse, pulling out a small crumpled posy tied with a red ribbon. “Bethie gave this to Gabriel,” she said softly, inhaling the faint scent of rosemary. “I found it when we were …” She swallowed. “I was going to keep it, but it’s not mine to keep.” Placing a kiss on the faded flowers, she tossed the posy into the grave.

“It’s okay,” Kaylee said, her warm heart breaking for her mother-in-law. “She can make you one. I mean, you’re coming with us, ain’t you?”

Regan looked at Simon. “Can I?”

He looked down into her eyes, and wondered when she’d ever been that much shorter than him. He put his arm around her and squeezed. “Of course you are. I don’t think Bethie would ever speak to me again if you didn’t.”

Jayne caught River’s eye, and she nodded slightly. “Come on, Mother. Let’s go for a walk.”

“Good idea,” Alex said, seeing Jayne flexing his muscles ready to fill in the grave. “We can talk about my mother, and you can tell me all the scandalous stories about when she was young.”

She understood, and the truth was she didn’t really want to see the rich, dark clumps of earth covering her husband. She nodded, and turned away, walking slowly down to the brook that ran along the bottom of the valley.

Jayne stripped off his shirt, his body glowing in the warm daylight, and began to fill in the grave. Hank joined him, with Dillon and Breed.

“You don’t hafta,” he said gruffly.

“We want to,” Breed explained.

Jayne pondered a moment, then said, “Okay.”

Freya watched her brother and River accompany Regan down the hillside, Simon a short distance behind. “I’m sorry,” she said softly.

“What for, ai ren?” Mal asked, standing close to her.

“I saw a death. Before. When we were here before. I'm sorry.”

“You think you made it come about?” When she didn’t answer he moved around her to look into her dark eyes. “Frey, my sweet, darling, crazy Frey, I’m just glad it ain’t one of us we’ve put in the ground. As much as I feel for Regan, for River and Simon, I didn’t know Gabriel. And like I said before, he’d’ve wanted to go that way. And it could’be been Simon we just planted. Or Jayne. Or you.” He moved closer, until she could feel his breath on her lips. “And for that I'm giving thanks.”

She finally smiled. “Me too.”

“And if you don’t stop with all this being sorry, I swear I'm gonna put you over my knee.”

“You keep promising that …”

He laughed and pulled her to him.

Below them, listening to the water tumbling over stones rather than the sound of earth falling, Regan held tightly to her daughter’s hand.

“He won’t be lonely,” River said. “And they’ll have lots to talk about.”

“They?”

“The others. I see them, sometimes,” the young psychic admitted.

“You do?”

River nodded. “Jethro, Burton, Yuki … even little Alice. Book and Wash, too, even though they aren’t buried here … I don’t tell the others because it might make them sad, but sometimes …”

Regan didn’t know what to make of her daughter. “Ghosts, you mean?”

“Perhaps. Or memories. I don’t really know.” She smiled. “But they’re not gone. Still here, watching us. Kaylee believes, so does the Captain. And Freya. The others aren’t sure, and Simon would never admit to it, but they’re our guardians.”

“I used to tell you stories about them, you know.” Regan smiled. “About guardian angels watching over mankind.”

“Bright and shining wings.” She remembered.

“Yes.” Regan turned to Alex. “And do you believe?”

“In the afterlife? Yes. It’s how I was brought up. But I know I want to, more than anything.”

Regan nodded and looked back over the stream, seeing the valley rising to meet hills, mountains tipped with snow further out. “River, what happens if someone wants to build here?” she asked. “I know we’re some distance from any towns, but … what then?”

River shrugged. “I don’t know.”

“I wish there was something I could do.”

“Be my niang mu zi.”

“Oh, River. Always.”

-

“Don’t be sad,” Ethan said, breaking into Bethie’s thoughts. Being an empath he couldn’t pick up what she was thinking about, not specifically, but her unhappy mood seemed to sit around her like purple fog. “Didn’t know my grandpa either.” He might not be able to Read her, but he could guess pretty well.

“He was like your daddy,” she said, sitting back up, deliberately pushing the gloom away.

Ethan grinned. “S’good.”

“Soon?” Jesse asked again, staring at them both. “Be here soon?”

He leaned over and grabbed her, rolling her over and tickling her until she was breathless with laughing at him. “Yes, Jesse. They’ll be here very soon.”

---

“Do you really think those Blue Sun men are psychics?” Zoe asked, brushing non-existent lint off her waistcoat.

Freya shrugged. “I honestly don’t know. All I can say for sure is when I damaged those gloves they wear, I could feel … something.” From the shudder she gave it was obviously more than that.

River stirred from her seat on top of one of the crates. “Like us. Only not.”

“Honey?” Zoe turned to look at her. “What do you mean?”

The young woman sighed. “Taken to the Academy. Worked on. But they were the failures, but not enough to be disposed of. So used in another fashion. Caretakers, in a fashion.”

Freya felt ice slip down her spine. “You mean they could’ve been our friends.”

River nodded, her dark eyes bottomless pools. “Unable to control the input, even a little bit. Gloves are more than armour, but keep them sane and useful.”

“Albatross, you wanna try and talk in sentences poor transport ship captains can understand?” Mal asked, hobbling down the stairs into the body of the cargo bay. He was healing, but not fast enough, at least as far as he was concerned.

She looked up. “I don’t think that’s possible.”

“Then you wanna try maybe cleaning out the septic vat for a month?”

She gazed at him. “You wouldn’t.”

“No?”

She backed down. “I was merely suggesting that the body armour they wear, with the gloves, dampen their psychic reception.” Her eyes narrowed. “That better?”

“You know, you’ve been spending way too long with Jayne. You’re getting real uppity lately.”

Unexpectedly she smiled, lighting her whole face. “You noticed.”

He shook his head. “Sooner we get you back to Caleb the better.”

“Soon,” she said, her whole demeanour one of happiness. “Very, very soon.”

The engine note changed, and Hank’s voice sounded over the com. “Might wanna hold onto something. Seeing as I’m gonna break my record.”

“Shit,” Mal said, grabbing hold of the railing.

-

The flames died away from the bridge window, and Jayne released his death grip on the back of the pilot’s chair. It had been either that or Hank’s neck, and he considered Mal would probably take offence if he killed the man just as he was landing. Zoe probably wouldn’t much like it either, and that was a worse prospect.

“Coming up real fast,” he said, watching the ground rush towards them.

“You want to see Caleb, don’t you?”

“I’d kinda like to be in one piece to do it.”

Hank grinned, somewhat maniacally. “I'm good, Jayne. Admit it. I’ve not crashed us yet.”

“There’s a first gorram time for everything.”

“Nope. Not today. Got me a son waiting down there.” He pointed out of the window.

“Dammit, can you keep both hands on the wheel?” Jayne half pleaded, half threatened.

“It’s not a wheel. It’s a –“

“You wanna be in one piece too?”

“Fine.” Hank fitted his hand back to the yoke, their air speed dropping dramatically as he nudged the retros. “There she is,” he said at last, his voice barely audible.

Jayne looked out, seeing Inara’s home looking like a toy on the landscape, and he couldn’t help a slow smile inching its way across his face. “And …” He couldn’t speak as he saw figures exit the house.

-

Simon held Kaylee against the counter, his arms bracing them both for the expected slam into the ground.

“He won’t,” she assured him, taking the opportunity to rest her hands on his chest. “Won’t hurt my girl.”

“What about the rest of us?”

She giggled, sounding just like her daughters. “He’s too good for that.”

“Mmn.”

Kaylee lifted her chin and kissed him briefly. “Soon be down.”

“That’s what I’m afraid of.”

“And Bethie will be there, and Hope, and all the others …”

“I’d better give them all physicals,” Simon the doctor said. “Just to make sure they haven’t picked anything up.”

“They’re at Inara’s!” Kaylee was astonished. “What could they have picked up?”

“Quite a bit of weight, if Mrs Boden’s been feeding them up.”

Kaylee laughed. “As if she would.”

“Little balls of butterfat,” Simon went on, enjoying the sensation of his wife wriggling against him. “So round they won’t be able to walk.”

“Don’t you dare say that to Bethie,” she admonished. “She’ll think you’re …” She stopped, her body stilling. “We’re landing,” she breathed.

-

Serenity touched down with hardly a bump, and a moment later the doors open and the ramp dropped, and five balls of energy left the group waiting outside the house, running full pelt to meet those hurrying from the ship. Columbine, landing a little further off, was totally ignored.

“Momma!” Bethie shouted, tackling Kaylee and taking her down to the ground with her.

“Oh, honey …”

Simon reached down and picked up Hope, lifting her high into the air before hugging her tightly.

Zoe went down onto her heels, wrapping Ben into her embrace as his father ran from the bridge, almost falling down the stairs in his excitement to get to them.

Ethan came to a halt in front of Freya, looking at the cast on her leg. “Mama?” he asked tentatively. “Can I …”

She smiled, blinking back tears. “Oh, Ethan.” She dropped to the ground, ignoring the jarring in her knee as she gathered her son onto her lap.

“Daddy!” Jesse bounced at Mal, who grabbed her, swinging her round. He sat down heavily next to his wife.

“Not going to do it again,” Ethan insisted, tangling his hands in his mother’s shirt. “Not going to leave us behind again.”

“And that’s an order, is it?” Mal asked, feeling Jesse almost strangling him, and not minding in the slightest.

“Yes.” His son nodded firmly.

“And you think we should do what you say.” The nodding increased until Mal was worried his head might come right off.

“Don’t tease,” Freya whispered. “Of course we’re never going to do this again.”

“Promise?” Jesse said, her voice muffled from being buried in her father’s neck.

Freya reached out, stroking her hair. “I promise.”

Jayne strode out past them, River already at Inara’s side, taking Caleb from her.

“And how has my boy been?” she asked, tickling his cheek.

“As good as gold. And –” What she was about to say was lost forever as Caleb strained in River’s arms, reaching out towards his father.

“Dada,” he said, and Jayne’s chest swelled so much he thought he was going to burst.

“Oh, Sam,” Inara said, crying herself with relief that everyone was alive, and relatively untouched. “Thank Buddha.”

Sam wound his arms around her waist. “I agree. Oh, I totally agree.” He grinned, his eyes roaming over the small groups until he caught Simon’s eye, letting go of Inara so he could move off a little.

Simon saw Sam watching him, and he disengaged himself carefully from his family, joining the older man.

“Did you have to use anything?” he asked, keeping his voice low so no-one could overhear.

“Yes. But only once. They were picking up on something, and … we were afraid they might hurt themselves,” Sam admitted.

“One dose?”

“Yes.”

“And no ill-effects.”

“No. Bethie complained it made her feel like she did when she had the measles, all foggy, but it wore off.”

Simon couldn’t help being a doctor. “How long did it last?”

“From dose to her finally saying she could hear again? Thirty-two hours.”

“Longer than I thought. I may have to adjust the strength if it’s needed again.” Simon glanced at the family further off. “And Ethan?”

“It more or less knocked him out. I was more worried about him than Bethie. In all honesty, I don’t know how much of what he was feeling was being picked up directly, or if she was projecting, but whichever it was … we didn’t have a choice, Simon.”

“I know.” He cracked a smile. “And it’s why I gave the doses to you.”

“And there’s something I need to give back to you. I don’t want it in the house anymore.”

Simon nodded. The poison. “I understand. But perhaps you should keep it. In case of emergencies.”

“No. I don’t want small hands getting into it.”

“Small?”

“The children. And, of course, Inara and I are trying for a baby ourselves.”

“You are?” His eyebrows threatened to disappear into his hair.

Sam’s mouth twitched. “Why, don’t you think we’d be good parents?”

Simon couldn’t help it. He laughed. “You know, I think you might be the best of us all.”

“I imagine there’d be some people disagreeing with you.” Sam nodded towards the little families, now merging into one as more hugs were made and returned.

At Columbine’s airlock, three men and a woman waited.

“You should go to them,” Alex said to Regan. “They’re your family.”

“Yours too.”

“I know, but …”

“Exactly.”

Bethie looked up, and tilted her head onto one side.

“What is it, sweetie?” Kaylee asked, pushing her hair out of her eyes.

The little girl didn’t answer, just let go of her mother and walked towards the Vanguard, her face determined. As she got closer, she smoothed her dress down.

“Grandma?” she said, stopping a few feet from them.

Regan smiled. “Hello, Bethie.”

“’S all family,” she said, holding out her hand. “All of us.”

Taking the small hand in hers, Regan bent forward. “You look very pretty,” she said softly.

Bethie preened. “Thank you. And I’m sorry about Grandpa.”

A stab of pain lanced her heart. “Me too, Bethie.”

“But you can’t be sad. Not here. Not allowed.” She pulled Regan forward.

“All right.”

“Good.” She nodded, then added, “Come on,” in exasperation over her shoulder at the others.

Dillon grinned at Breed. “I think she means us.”

“I think she does.”

Alex laughed. “I don’t think we want to get her mad, do you?”

“No, I think you’re right.”

The three men linked arms and hurried to join in.

---

As promised, there was a party, the table groaning and piled high with food, and quite a lot of drinking on the side of the adults. As Jesse had requested, there were also pressies hastily picked up during a refuelling stop.

Hank got quite a tune out of Inara’s piano, and Jayne joined in on the guitar, singing love songs and other ditties that should really not have been heard by sensitive ears. Or any others, really.

Even Mal was persuaded, after sufficient lubrication, to take a turn, and everyone pronounced themselves surprised that he had such a nice voice. Everyone except Freya, of course, who’d known all along. And Zoe, by dint of being Mal’s oldest friend, and knowing all of his best-kept secrets.

Alex asked Regan if she’d accompany him back to Osiris to visit his mother, claiming that if she were there his own wife and children might not kill him for being away for so long. Regan knew what he was doing, and was grateful for it. She couldn’t bear the idea of going back to that big house without Gabriel being there, and Inara filled her glass to help her take her mind off it.

The hangovers the next day were some of the worst they’d experienced, and Jayne blamed the concoction Mal had put together, although he took that back after being threatened with the airlock. However, fortified with various painkillers from Simon’s cabinets, most of the crew were able to enjoy themselves, lying in the sun or swimming lazily in the lake.

Jayne, being Jayne, couldn’t sit still for too long, and he and Mr Boden built a small boat, much to Bethie’s delight. Hank gave a hand, although after hitting his thumb with the hammer several times he was relegated to shaving the wood, and even then he got an almost terminal case of splinters. When it was finally finished, Inara was given the onerous task of naming it, and to much applause she poured a generous libation of wine over the bow and announced that this was the good ship Serenity II.

“Kinda appropriate,” Mal commented.

All in all they spent two weeks on Lazarus, and Freya had to be pried from the bath before they could leave.

And Bethie gave Regan a little posy made of flowers and herbs, tied with a pink ribbon this time, to remember her by.

---

Three months later a letter and package arrived for River. They picked them up at Wayborn, at the same time as a new pair of shoes each for Bethie and Hope, some medical supplies and a shirt for Simon, some lacy fripperies that Mal kept hidden ready for Freya’s birthday, and two huge jars of gherkins and strawberry jam.

“Just … don’t eat them where I can see,” Simon pleaded, watching his wife drool at the thought, her hands wrapped around the burgeoning bump at her belly.

The letter River shared with her brother, and then the rest of the crew, in which Regan announced her intention to stay with Eugenia Rostov for a while, if they didn’t get on each other’s nerves too much. For some reason this made Freya smile.

The package, though, she kept hidden until everyone else had gone to bed, and only Mal was still up, taking the last watch before joining Freya in their bunk.

River slid into the co-pilot’s seat, her feet bare as usual, wrapping her sea-green dress around her knees.

“You know, you oughtta wear trousers,” Mal commented idly, just glancing at her. “Be warmer.”

“I'm not cold.”

He smiled. “No, ‘spect you’re not. You just engender that feeling in others.”

“Long words won’t make me go and put on pants,” she pointed out, her lips twitching nevertheless.

“You want long words? ‘Cause I got a few. Some of ‘em are in Chinese, too.”

“No. But thank you.”

He chuckled and went back to gazing out of the window at his unchanging black. “So, why aren’t you in your bed, xiao nu? Jayne’ll be wondering where you are.”

“He knows I'm here.”

“No secrets, huh?”

“We have secrets. But only things we haven’t told each other yet.”

Mal laughed. “Best definition I've heard, albatross.” He shook his head. “And you haven’t answered my question. Why ain't you defiling my shuttle?”

“This.” She held out an envelope, thick and official looking.

“What’s that? You serving papers on me now? Am I gonna have to hand my boat over to you in lieu of some debt or other?”

“No.” She jiggled the envelope.

His lips curving, he took it from her, pulling out a wedge of legal documents. He scanned the top one and his eyes widened. “River …”

“Mother sent them to me. She wasn't sure Simon was ready yet.”

“We can’t accept this.” He was adamant, holding them back out to her.

“Yes, we can. I have. I would just like you to put them somewhere safe. Perhaps with the ship’s papers.”

“River –“

“It’s for us. All of us. So we know our family will never be displaced, and we will always have that final place to go.”

He stared back at the documents in his hand. “You know this represents a big piece of real estate.”

She nodded. “It is the entire valley on Prometheus, and a fair proportion of the surrounding countryside. My mother was very thorough.” She didn’t mention that she knew it was bought with the proceeds of the sale of the Tam home on Osiris. She knew that would make it so much harder for Mal to accept. Instead she smiled. “You will be able to continue trying to teach Freya how to skip stones until you’re both old and grey.”

“With this crew around me I conjure that’s gonna be sooner rather than later.” He waved the land deed. “This makes you pretty wealthy.”

“No. I don’t need the money. I have you to pay me when we finish a job.” She grinned mischievously, and in a flash was out of her chair and in his lap, taking the papers from his fingers and refolding them. She slid them back in the envelope and tucked it under his arm. “Somewhere secure.”

“You know Frey made me change the combination on the safe, don’t you?” He put his arm around her waist, wondering if Jesse was going to do this to him when she was old enough.

“She will,” River said gently. “And it was no longer appropriate. But it’s a nice thought to use Freya’s birthday.”

“Hey, you ain't supposed to be peeking!”

“Red lace and pink bows …”

For some reason he blushed. “You stay out of my head, River,” he ordered, his voice catching.

“Only if you call me xiao nu again.”

“Am I allowed? I mean, you made it up with yours.”

“I can never go home again,” River admitted, her voice a sigh. “I know that now.”

“Didn’t know you ever wanted to.”

“It would have been … nice.”

He didn’t like her sounding unhappy. “Anyhow, you’ve got a home. Here. With us. Long as you want it, xiao nu.”

She smiled, this time happily, and laid her head on his shoulder.

“See?” Jayne growled from the doorway.

“You were quite right.”

Mal swivelled the chair round to see the big ex-mercenary standing in the doorway, Freya next to him.

“I’m kinda thinking we should maybe put ‘em both out the airlock,” Jayne went on.

“That’s certainly an option.”

“’Specially since this ain’t the first time I’ve walked in on the pair of ‘em.”

“Shocking. Just shocking.”

River blinked slowly. “Jayne,” she said, holding out her arms.

He crossed the bridge to pick her up, holding her tight against his chest. “Moonbrain.”

“Is Caleb asleep?”

“Yep. Took a couple of stories, but he’s gone off like a good boy.”

“Then I’d like you to make love to me.”

He smiled slowly, desire lighting his blue eyes. “Nothing’d give me more pleasure,” he admitted.

“Oh, go,” Mal said, trying for disgust. “I knew I’d regret letting you use my shuttle.”

River turned her head to gaze at him. “We rent it.”

“And I ain’t never seen a penny of that money.”

She opened her mouth to argue, but Jayne stopped it with a kiss. “Come on,” he said. “Let’s see if we can’t make a little brother or sister for Caleb.” He carried her out.

“Do you think he meant that?” Mal asked after a moment’s horrified contemplation.

Freya stepped closer to him, lowering herself gently onto his lap and wrapping her arms around his neck. “He wants lots of kids, you know that.”

Mal felt her weight settle, heavier than River, but all of it his. “Yeah, but she didn’t exactly handle it well the last time.”

“But she’d experienced now. And I’m sure the spoon incident won’t be repeated.”

He had to chuckle. “No, although that I don’t mind, long as it’s not be me getting it removed from my shoulder.”

“So what did River want?” she asked. “Or do I have to pick your pocket to find out?” She slid the envelope out from beside him.

“Regan Tam’s bought us the valley on Prom.”

“What?”

“Well, technically bought it for River, but that girl’s determined it’s for all of us.” He touched her jaw. “Better close your mouth ‘less you want to try catching flies.”

“I didn’t … can she do that?”

“’Parrently so.” He ran his hands around her waist to rest on her belly. “Looks like Alice’s resting place is safe.”

She nodded, feeling a lump in her throat that she attempted to swallow back. “And Jethro’s. And Gabriel’s.”

“Hey, don’t forget Road Runner.”

“I don’t.”

“That where we’re gonna be laid one day?” he asked, looking into her face. “You and me, same grave?”

“If we don’t go out in a fiery blaze of glory.”

“Nah. We’re gonna die of extreme old age, arms around each other, in a warm bed, our great grandkids playing with their kids in the other room.”

She raised one eyebrow. “You’ve got it all planned then?”

“Yep. And there’s instructions in the safe to bury us on Prom.”

She put her hands on his cheeks, holding him so she could gaze into the depths of his blue eyes. “Good.” She licked her lips slowly.

He felt the blood starting to leave his brain. “And … um … I was thinking. Maybe we should swing by Mead. See Isaiah Kilbrook. I think he’d take care of these deeds for us.”

She smiled. “You just want to see Casmir.”

“Maybe I do. That’s a good horse, and I’d like to see him run.”

“You’re a big softie,” she murmured, her breath making his skin tingle.

“You tell anyone that and I’m puttin’ you out the airlock.”

“And you want to get drunk with Kilbrook, exchange stories.”

“How come you know me so well?”

“Let me give you a clue.” She smiled, dropping her mouth to his, and his hands tightened on her waist. As the kiss deepened, her fingers ran up to tangle themselves in his hair.

Pulling back a little, he said, “Um, ‘fore this goes any further, I take it the kids are down for the night?”

“They are.” She nuzzled his ear lobe.

“And they ain’t likely to wake up and be wanting anything.” His voice was deepening, becoming more gravelly.

“Not a thing.” She pulled lightly at the skin over his jaw with her teeth.

“Then … hadn’t we better lock the door?”

Lifting her head so he could see her eyes, lightly hooded, yet full of desire for him, she said, “Your boat, Mal. Your rules. And I feel like seeing if we can’t extend our own dynasty.”

He ran his fingers up her back, knowing her flame tattoo was burning brightly and making her gasp with pleasure. “Yeah,” he agreed, all the love in his heart reaching out to her. “Can’t let Jayne have all the fun.”

He pulled her back down to him, reclaiming her heat, their bodies joining together as Serenity made her small way through the ‘verse.

--- -- -

A.N.: And here it ends. For now. Lots more to come. If you're interested, I will be uploading a blog about this story in the next few days. Thanks for reading! Jane