The others stared at each other.

“What the hell just happened?” Jayne demanded, looking to his wife, who gazed calmly back.

“All married couples argue,” she said quietly.

“Yeah, but not like that. She’s said she’s leaving him.”

“I know.”

Simon had his arms around Kaylee, who was trying hard not to cry. “It’s okay, bao bei ,” he said, stroking her back. “I'm sure she didn’t mean it. It’s okay.”

“No, it’s not. If’n I hadn’t said, if I’d just –“

“Had to tell the truth,” River interrupted. “Tell the truth and shame the devil.”

“Moonbrain,” Jayne said gently, but it wasn’t a rebuke.

“Well, I for one think Mal’s finally seeing the light,” Becca said, shaking her long blonde hair so it fell like a pale waterfall from her shoulders.

“No-one asked your opinion,” the big man warned. “And far as I can see, you’re the cause of all this. Nothing happened ‘til you set your pi gu on board.”

“Really? I’d say what we just saw was bound to happen. Mal keeps secrets. And the thing about secrets is that they’re usually pretty rancid by the time they hit the light of day.” She smiled sweetly at them all and walked out, her hands thrust into her borrowed pants pockets.

“Mal should’ve let you space her when you suggested it,” Hank muttered, turning to his wife. “And where were you, honey? When all that gou shi was hitting the fan back then?”

“With Mal. Only he wouldn’t let me go with him.” She shook her head. “I don’t think he expected to come back, and he wasn't going to let me get myself killed too.”

“You mean he –“

“You weren’t there, Hank. After Serenity Valley, then the camps, he had nothing. He wasn't even Mal any more, no matter what we …” She took a deep breath. “Right then, at that moment, I don’t think he’d’ve minded someone putting a bullet in his brain.”

“But he got over it. I mean, he did, didn’t he?”

“Got better at hiding it, maybe. For a long while. A long gorram while.”

“’Til he bought this boat?”

“Longer’n that. Sometime