Simon sat at the dining room table, staring into his plate. Everyone else was talking, laughing, the tension of the last few days relaxed and easy now.

“So when you gonna let that little girl back to work?” Mal asked, looking down the table at the young man. “Doc?”

“Sorry?” He looked up.

“You out playing with the fairies?” Mal asked good humouredly.

“No. No, just thinking.”

“Really. Not sure I should allow that on my boat,” Serenity’s captain added, trying to look serious. “I'm the only one allowed to do that.”

“And you’re so good at it,” Freya joked, smiling at him.

“That I am. Just ‘cos my plans sometimes don’t go quite as smooth as I intended, don’t mean they weren't well thought out in the first place.” His lips twitched. “So, when’s it gonna be?”

“What?” Simon asked.

“Kaylee. Getting back to work. She’s my mechanic, doc. Can’t have her lying in bed all day getting fat.” He grimaced as Freya kicked him under the table. “I meant lazy,” he amended quickly.

“You think that’s better?” Freya breathed.

“She needs a day or two more. Just so I can keep an eye on her,” Simon said, not letting the captain get to him.

“Well, something’s sure to break down soon. Just so long as you’re ready for that. Could be something important. Like the atmo feed.”

“Or the oven,” Jayne put in. “That’d be mighty hard to live without.”

“Oh, I don’t know,” Hank said. “You pretty much graze on whatever’s around. It not being cooked probably wouldn’t bother you.”

Jayne scowled at him, but Zoe interrupted before he could get started.

“How’s she feel about you not letting her up?”

“She’s annoyed,” River put in, tearing a hunk of bread into pieces and wiping it around her plate. “Wants to be back with her baby.”

“She’s with … oh, you mean Serenity,” Simon said. “Well, not yet. Not until she’s ready.”

“She’s pregnant, doc, not broken,” Mal said.

“And she nearly died down on that damn planet!” Simon’s voice was suddenly hard and loud.

“But she didn’t die,” Ina