Freya lay back in the bath, her hands resting lightly on her stomach as it floated near the top of the water. Just the top of her belly button was poking out, and she stroked the skin absently. Not her idea, she pointed out to the baby inside. Inara had insisted she try and relax.

“You’re making me nervous.”

“I'm not doing anything.”

“Wearing out my carpet by pacing the floor is not doing nothing. And it probably isn’t good for the baby.” She sighed as Freya looked guilty. “He’ll be in contact as soon as he can. You know he’s okay – Hank said so.”

“I know. I just … until I can see his face, talk to him …” She began pacing again, then stopped as Inara coughed delicately. “Sorry.” She lowered herself into the armchair.

“I thought I was bad.”

“That’s not fair.”

“Then relax.”

“I can’t.”

“Then maybe I can help.”

Freya had looked at her askance, wondering just what her friend was suggesting, but right now she had to admit she was right.

The hot water was doing wonders for the knots in her back, and even the little girl growing inside her had calmed down. She’d been very active the past few days, kicking her mother so much Freya had begun to inspect her abdomen for bruises. Inara had suggested trying the gold bubble bath, but having seen the effect it had had on Jayne – even via the somewhat grubby filter of his mind – she declined. Instead she had tossed in a handful of lavender bath salts and sunk tiredly into the water.

She had to try and stop getting so tense, she knew this. Mal wasn't going to be back in visual range for more than a week, not with the job on Lilac, and there was nothing she could do about it. No matter how much she wanted him here, next to her, she still had to wait.

With a sigh, she turned her attention to why she’d stayed on Lazarus in the first place.

The last few weeks had been a mixture of laughter, tears and throwing things, but in a way it had helped both of them. The conversations had been hard, wringing confessions from the two wome