Mal climbed the stairs towards the shuttles, and felt Serenity lift off. He wasn’t worried they were likely to get tabbed for the deaths of those two men - the Feds weren’t going to search too far, not with what they were going to find inside that room. There was a small frisson of anxiety for the women, but he had to believe the Alliance’d look after them. And what he’d said to Hank was right - nothing else they could do to help.

More, though, he wanted to get away in case anyone else had seen them. Rumours it might be, but what he’d read suggested this Monster was all too real, and he didn’t want to get involved. That kind of thing could just blow up in their faces.

Outside Inara’s door he paused. She left before, more than once, and if River hadn’t just been blowing smoke, she was planning to leave again. Even Freya thought so, and he’d begun to trust her returning abilities. Good thing to have in a job like theirs. Might actually stop some of the bad stuff happening.

He took a deep breath and stepped over the sill. “Anyone home?” he called.

Bethany rushed towards him. “Uncle Mal!” she called, jumping, waiting to be picked up. He swung her up onto his hip.

“Hey, there, Bethie. You keeping your Auntie Inara company?”

“We’re playing,” Bethany said, putting her arms around his neck.

“Playing what?”

“I’m a Comp … Comp …” She couldn’t quite remember the word, and bit her lip in consternation.

“Companion?” Mal asked.

She smiled at him. “Companion.”

“Is that a good idea?”

“I was showing Bethany how to make tea,” Inara said, sitting on her red satin sofa. “That’s all.”

Mal came further into the shuttle. “Long as you ain’t putting ideas into her head.”

“I’m not going to encourage anyone to go into that profession. Unless they choose to.”

“After what they did?”

“A few, Mal. Only a few.”

“You still left.”

“My choice.”

“Mmn.”

Bethany looked into his blue eyes. “Uncle Mal cross?” she asked.

He smiled at her. “Nope, not cross. Just sometime