“Need a new dress, Momma,” Bethany announced.

“What?” Kaylee looked up from where she was tying her daughter’s shoe laces. “Why?”

“Just do.” Bethie grinned. “You know. For parties. And things.”

Kaylee pushed her hair behind her ears. “Parties. And what parties might you be thinking of going to, young lady?”

“Just parties.” The little girl tried to look ingenuous.

“What’s going on?” her mother asked shrewdly. “What do you see?”

“Nothing.” Bethie turned and picked up Fiddler from where he was lying on the bed. “Time for lessons.”

“No, you don’t,” Kaylee said quickly. “You don’t ever hurry to lessons.” She stood up and put her hands on Bethie’s shoulders. “I want you to tell me what’s going on, right now.”

“Not been peeking.” The dog licked her nose and she sneezed.

“I ain't said you …” Kaylee stopped. “Is it something that goes with peeking?”

“No.”

“Bethie …”

The little girl squirmed out of her mother’s grasp and ran out of the room. “Lessons!” she shouted over her shoulder.

Kaylee watched her go, her brows drawn together in thought.

“You down there, Kaylee?” Hank called from the stairs.

“Mmn? What? Oh, sure.” She stepped out so she could see him. “What is it?”

“Port injection’s gone again.”

Kaylee sighed, her mind diverted as always by her other baby. “The flow regulator keeps getting jammed. I’ll go bash it with a wrench. Again. Needs that special grease I told the Cap about, though.”

“Well, you should be able to pick some up on Persephone in a few days,” the pilot said, smiling.

“Should.” She stared at him until he started to feel uncomfortable. “Do you know why we’re going to Persephone? We got a job or something?”

Hank shrugged. “Probably.”

“Only the Cap usually tells us ‘fore this.”

“Maybe he’s trying something new.”

She walked up the stairs towards him. “What do you mean?”

“Being captain. You know how he’s always complaining that no-one lets him. Maybe he’s decided to make the decisions and tell us when w