Mrs Boden had done them proud. The evening meal they’d just eaten was enough to keep the Serenity crew going for at least a week up in the black, and now they were all too full to move much. Mal had been forced to undo the top button on his pants, and even Jayne couldn’t get another mouthful down.

“That was … amazing,” Sam said, half leaning back in his chair, his hands clasped across his stomach. “My compliments to the chef.”

“I’ll pass it along,” Inara said, glad she’d worn a looser dress than she’d planned. She hadn’t eaten like that in a while, and she wondered if she was going to be able to keep it down.

Hank wasn't so circumspect. He belched loudly. “God, that’s better,” he said, relaxing a little.

“Is he yours?” Mal asked, fixing Zoe with a stern eye.

She shook her head. “No, sir. Never seen him before. I thought he was with you.”

“If I was considering turning sly, I think I’d have more taste.”

“I'm just glad Ben and Hope are in bed,” Kaylee said, shaking her head. “Hearing things like that.”

“Hey!” Hank put in. “I am actually here, you know. And I’m insulted.”

“That’s unlikely.” Mal glanced at Freya and saw her lips twitch. He glared back at his pilot. “About as unlikely as me taking you into my bed.”

“Anyway, that weren't nothing,” Jayne put in. “This is how you do it.” He put his chin into his chest and let rip with an almighty belch that seemed to rattle the cutlery.

“God, that’s –“ “You don’t to that in front of –“ “There are children –“ “How could you –“ Indignant voices spoke over each other in varying degrees of distaste.

As they died back, Mal cleared his throat. “Jayne, you do that again and you’ve got a date with an airlock.”

“I’d rather you didn’t,” River said. “That would be leaving me with a child to bring up all by myself.”

“I'm sure we could manage.”

Simon glared at his brother-in-law and said, “Jayne, you are disgusting.”

The big man grinned, unphased by the uproar. “’S’why River loves me.”

“I love you be