Hank watched the flames of the fire consume the piece of gnarled timber he had placed on it, sparks flying when it got to the knothole. Not that he really saw it. He was too busy thinking.

“Penny for them?” Freya asked, coming up behind him and sitting down, warming her hands.

“I’d be overcharging you,” Hank said, looking up at her and breaking into the ghost of a smile.

“You okay?” she asked.

“Shiny.”

“Doesn’t look like it.”

He took a deep breath. “No, seriously. I'm fine.” He managed to make the smile seem more real. “Just thinking, is all.”

“What about? And if I had a penny, I really would give it to you.”

He shook his head. “Things. Nothing important. Just …”

“Things?” Freya supplied.

“Right.” He stared back into the fire.

“I don’t suppose stripping off naked would get you to tell me?” Freya asked, leaning back onto one elbow.

He jumped, staring at her. “Well, I … it might help.”

“Don’t even think about it,” Mal said from the darkness. He walked into the light of the fire, pulling his coat a little more firmly around him. “You ain't that good a pilot.”

“Yes I am,” Hank said.

“Well … maybe …” Mal back-pedalled. “But not so good that I’d let you see Frey without her clothes on.”

“Besides, it is a little chilly.” Freya added.

Mal sat down. “It is that. Don’t think I’ll be sleeping out here tonight.” He nodded towards the sound of the cattle they’d recently unloaded. “Jayne’s volunteered to keep watch. I think he’s been feeling a little bit of cabin fever, truth be told.”

“More likely he knows otherwise you’d have told him to sluice out the cargo bay,” Freya said.

“Yeah, you could be right.” Mal laughed. “I knew I should never have said yes. Last time we had cows on board, couldn’t get rid of the smell for weeks. Kept finding things, too.”

“Things?”

“Best you don’t ask.” He smiled knowingly and patted her on the shoulder.

“Then I won’t.”

“So what were you all talking about before I got here? That got Freya to offer to g