Mal looked around his crew, his family, all sitting at the table for possibly the last time, and he couldn’t help but sigh. Then he saw Freya glance at him, a knowing look in her eye, and he had to smile. Damn, but it was awkward sometimes being married to a psychic. Thoughts weren’t even your own. She looked a little tired, though, drawn. He leaned in close to her. “You okay?”

“Fine,” she said, putting her hand on his.

“Only I don’t want you overdoing it.”

“Okay,” she agreed. “No sex tonight.”

“That wasn’t quite what I meant.”

She grinned at him. “I'm shiny, Mal. Honestly.”

“Just you stay that way.”

“With you to look after me, how can I not?” She leaned forward and touched her lips to his, just gently, before turning again to the others, her gaze lingering on his as she did so.

He listened to the conversation flowing backwards and forwards, talk of the slight groin strain Simon had managed to incur – and the fact that Kaylee would probably be dealing with that later – moving into the only other injury for the day being Jayne’s frighteningly red neck.

“I got delicate skin,” the big man was saying. “Runs in the family.”

“When’re we gonna meet this family of yours?” Hank asked. “Only we keep hearing about them, but don’t see ‘em. Personally I think you were grown in some lab, the result of some horrible genetic experiment that went wrong.”

“If I wasn't already incapacitated, I’d show you how horrible I can be,” Jayne promised.

“And I’d hold his coat,” River chimed in.

“Hey, I thought we were friends!” Hank exclaimed, looking hurt.

“You have been replaced in my affections,” River stated.

“I am wounded. Wounded, I tell you.” He grasped his chest above his heart. “Mortally, at that,” he added. “I shall have to resort to my fallback position.” He looked at Zoe. “Hi, honey.”

Zoe glared at River. “Please don’t wind him up. It’ll take me hours to calm him down now.”

River’s laughter echoed through the dining area, and everyone felt happy.

“What’s s