“Zoe told Kaylee,” River said without preamble, dropping into Mal and Freya’s bunk, her stomach preceding her.

“Anyone ever told you about knocking?” Serenity’s captain asked, sitting up on the bed where he was enjoying a quiet moment with his wife.

“ You don’t.”

“I don’t have to. And the door was locked.”

River waved her hand, dismissing the fact that she’d technically broken in. “Anyway, that’s beside the point. Zoe told Kaylee.”

Freya rearranged her shirt. “All of it?”

“No. Just about me.” She sighed.

The older woman smiled. “I gather she wasn’t too pleased about being kept in the dark.”

“Not particularly.”

Mal swung his legs off the edge of the bunk and reached for his boots. “So by bedtime everyone’s likely to know.”

“She promised not to.”

He chuckled. “You think? This is Kaylee we’re talking about.”

“She’s got better,” River insisted.

Freya got to her knees behind Mal, resting her elbows on his shoulders. “I think this has somewhat pre-empted the whole ‘ keeping it secret until we land ’ thing, don’t you?”

“I suppose.” She sighed again, a sound dragged kicking and screaming from the soles of her bare feet. “Then I suppose I’d better tell everyone at dinner. Tonight.”

“Better make it after dinner,” Freya suggested. “It’s my turn to cook again, and that way Jayne’ll be weighed down a little so he might not be able to catch you.”

“You making that batter thing again?” Mal asked, looking at her over his shoulder.

“No. You don’t have to worry.”

“That’s …” He wondered what he could say that wouldn’t get him chastised in any way, and decided that discretion was the better part of valour, and not being black and blue. Instead he turned back to River. “Jayne might not be too pleased.”

“He won’t be upset.”

“You sure about that? Going behind his back ‘n’ all?”

She bit her lip, a frown creasing her forehead. “I don’t think so. He loves me.”

He shook his head sadly. “River, I love Frey, but she makes me mad sometimes