She barely waited for him to walk out of the Firefly.

“Why didn’t you call me?” she asked, hitting Mal in the chest with her fist.

“Ow.” He rubbed the spot. “Nice to see you too, ‘Nara.”

“Why didn’t you tell me as soon as Ethan got sick?” She was very, very angry with him. It had started the moment Hank had waved that they were coming, and had grown every passing second.

“Kinda had other things on my mind,” Mal pointed out.

“That’s no excuse.” Then she realised what she’d said. “Well, of course it is. But would it have hurt for someone to wave me?”

“Why, ‘Nara?” Mal asked. “Just so’s you could worry too? And you couldn’t even be there.”

“I still wanted to know! It was Ethan, for heaven’s sake!”

“Yes. My son. Mine and Freya’s.”

“So … what? I'm not family any more?” Inara stared at him.

“Course you are.”

“Then –“

“Because you couldn’t do anything. And worrying from a distance ain't good for your looks.”

“My …” This time the anger bubbled over, and she let fly with the flat of her hand, catching him right on the cheek.

He moved his jaw around but didn’t touch the vibrant red mark. “Better?”

“How does she put up with you?”

“She loves me.” He checked his teeth with his tongue. “You been working out?”

“What?”

“Seems to me you got more of a whack behind that than you had before.”

“One of these days …” Inara gave Mal one last glare then walked past him.

Freya, leaning in the doorway of the Firefly, laughed. “Don’t beat up on him too much,” she called. “He might get to enjoy it.”

“Hiya, Auntie ‘Nara!” Bethany yelped, running out of the cargo bay and past them all, heading towards the house.

“Where’re you going, honey?” Freya called.

“My room!”

“Don’t run!”

“’Kay!” Bethany was still going full pelt and disappeared quickly.

“It is still her room, isn’t it?” Freya asked Inara.

“Of course it is. And there’s a sweet little bed in there too, just the right size.”

“No wonder she’s in a hurry.”

Inara turned back