“Eight months old and cute as all get-out,” Hank said, watching Kaylee bring Bethany down the ramp into the snow. “And her momma’s just as pretty.”

“Why, thank you, kind sir,” Kaylee grinned. “She does look a picture, don’t she?”

Bethany did indeed look wonderful. She was dressed in a red one-piece padded outfit, with feet attached, and gloves that went through the sleeves on a string.

“I had a pair o’ them once,” Hank added, looking at the gloves. “Wish I had a pair now. I always seem to lose the left one.”

“I’d pay to see you wearing them,” Simon said jovially, following his fiancée out of the cargo bay, a capture in his hand. “We could have recorded it for posterity.”

“Hey, I make anything look fashionable,” Hank said, laughing.

“Yeah, but you ain't as pretty as Bethany,” Kaylee said, bending down so that her daughter could stand up.

“She’ll get her feet frozen.”

“Lots of socks.”

“Wish I had,” Jayne said, stamping his feet behind them. “It’s ruttin’ cold.”

“Jayne, what did I tell you about swearing in front of Bethany?” Simon asked, not looking at him.

“Hell, that ain't swearing. Swearing is –“

“Jayne!” Kaylee said quickly.

He grinned. “And it is cold.”

“It’s Christmas Eve, Jayne,” the young mechanic said, laughing as Bethany tried to eat a handful of snow. “I think it was sweet of the captain to make this detour for us so she can see what a real white Christmas is like.”

“Ismus,” Bethany said.

Hank and Jayne stared.

“Did she just say Christmas?” the pilot asked.

“Sounded like ‘ismus’ to me, but …” Jayne shook his head. “She talkin’?”

Kaylee exchanged an amused glance with Simon. “Well, let’s just say we wanted to keep it secret for a few days. Just for us.”

“And you didn’t tell anyone?” Hank was scandalised.

“Wouldn’t be a secret if we did.”

“Hey, can she say Jayne?” the mercenary asked, squatting down on his heels next to the little girl.

“We’re lucky she hasn’t said something worse,” Simon muttered.

Jayne ignored him. “