Kaylee was mad. Or maybe it should be, still mad. Every time she thought she’d managed to calm herself down, to talk to herself sensibly, she heard him say that. That River was all he had. And the flames leapt merrily up to consume her again.

How could he say that? What gave him the right to just … toss her aside? And this was the same man who took that damn drug that almost killed him because he wanted to give her the baby she was longing for.

No. That didn’t fit. How could he do that if he really felt …

Damn him!

Kaylee threw the wrench against the wall, hearing it clatter loudly to the floor behind her workbench.

“ Ben tian sheng de fei fei de pi yan !” she shouted.

Why didn’t he explain? Why didn’t he just tell her why he … and it was no good even considering that she hadn’t let him. No good whatsoever. He must think she was dia ruo mu ji if he thought she was going to fall for that one.

“Kaylee?” Mal called from the other end of the galley. “You okay?”

“Shiny, captain,” she said, putting a smile on her face. “Just dropped something.”

“Long as it’s just that. Don’t want you breaking up my boat.”

“Wouldn’t do that,” she said brightly.

“Good.” He gave her an odd look, then went back to the bridge.

She turned back to the slowly rotating heart of Serenity. “Why’d he say that?” she asked in a whisper. “Why’d he say she’s his only family?”

Serenity didn’t answer.

That didn’t stop Kaylee. “I know,” she said wearily. “I should let him explain. But he just makes me so mad.”

The gentle motion held her attention.

“And he shot Jayne. He never shoots anyone. He’s not like that.”

A scuff of rust circled slowly past.

“I need to speak to him.” She dropped her rag on the bench and hurried down towards the infirmary. “Where’s Simon?” she demanded, seeing only Zoe sitting next to Jayne.

“He went out.”

“Out?”

“We’ve landed.”

“I know.”

“I think he needed some fresh air.”

“Leaving Jayne like …” Kaylee couldn’t beli