Hank sat back in the pilot’s seat and grinned. He’d been checking for an hour, but no-one was following them. Likely Rankin’d only just found out the Firefly wasn't where he left it.

He sighed happily. For once they’d gotten out of a scrape without anyone losing anything, like blood or bodies. Funny how it was the one time Mal wasn't on board his own boat. He picked up one of the dinosaurs still ranged on the console.

“Course, it ain't exactly his boat no more,” he said conversationally. “I mean, I won the money that bought her back fair and square. Well, maybe not … I mean, the deck was rigged, but I still won. Took advantage of it. And getting the fool’s card? Sheer, blind luck.” He grinned wider. “But I won it. All that money. So I'm thinking that, since I graciously allowed it to be used to buy her back, she’s mine.”

“And you’re planning on telling the captain you now own Serenity?” Zoe asked from behind him, having stepped silently onto the bridge.

He turned quickly, the dinosaur flying out of his hands. “Um, well, I was … actually …” He got down on his knees to retrieve the toy from under the sensor array.

“And you think he’s going to let you get away with it?” Zoe was smiling slightly.

“I was thinking out loud,” Hank said, sitting back down and returning the dinosaur to its place. “Just rambling.”

“Really. Probably not a good idea to ramble about that sort of thing where he can hear you.”

“No. I wouldn’t do that.” He shook his head in agreement, even if his thoughts were still full of the fact that he knew who owned what.

“Good. I wouldn’t want to break someone else in. Took me long enough with you.”

“Well, if you’d only said yes when I asked first time …”

“I wasn't ready.”

He stood up, their eyes on a level. “I'm glad you are now.” Very gently, with extreme care, he reached up and took her face in his hands, pulling her towards him so their lips met. He could feel her smiling.

“Me too.”

They kissed longer, her hands in his hair, hi