Bethany was ecstatic. Just that morning her father had scanned her arm and announced, at lunch, that she could have the cast removed.

Now, as they were all sitting down to their evening meal, she was showing everyone how pale her skin was.

“Yuck,” Hank said. “Looks like some kinda sea slug.”

Bethany giggled. “Does not.”

“Does too.” Hank picked up one of Bethany’s pens and drew eyes on her two middle fingers. “See?”

“Hey, that don’t wash off!” Kaylee complained.

Bethany, on the other hand, was delighted. “Uncle Jayne!” she crowed, running round the table to him. “I’ve got a sea slug!”

“That better’n a puppy?”

“Course not,” she scolded, then waved her fingers at him. “Tentacles!”

“Bethie, come and sit down, it’s time to eat,” her father called.

“Daddy, can I have a sea slug for my birthday?” she asked, coming around the table and climbing into her chair.

“I don’t see how,” he said. “We’re a pretty long way from the sea.”

“Stuffed one?”

“We’ll see.”

“It was nice seeing Auntie Nara and Giselle,” Bethany chattered on. “Why does she call Giselle Jayne, Uncle Jayne?”

“’Cause she’s pretty like me.” He grinned at her. She giggled.

“You know, I think we’ve seen more of Inara than we ever did before, and that was when she was living on board,” Mal commented.

“At least you know the girls are going to be well looked after.” Freya put her hand on his.

They’d dropped the girls off on Lazarus, and Mal had good-naturedly endured Inara’s gentle digs.

“Well, you always have said you wanted a girl.” She laughed. “Now you have five.”

“Technically six, ‘cept I have doubts Honor’d see it that way,” Mal pointed out. “You sure you’re okay with this? I mean, they’ll likely be with you a good long while.”

“I shall enjoy it,” Inara assured him. “And I’m sure their father will come and visit often.”

“Father?”

“You, Mal.”

“I ain’t their daddy.”

“Surrogate, at least.”

“Look, I may be their guardian, but I ain’t their flesh.” He watched her laugh a