Mal leaned on the wall, watching his wife teach. Although she hadn’t been too easy with it at first, she’d got into the swing of things now, and it was fun to see her cope with five children of different ages. She’d found the knack of keeping them interested and entertained at the same time as they learned things, particularly as they all seemed to be highly intelligent. Bethie was obviously gifted, coming from the bloodline she did, but he couldn’t help the swell of pride at knowing his own children appeared to have inherited more than just his good looks.

Not that it stopped the occasional argument.

“But Auntie River said that on at least three planets magnetic north has changed.”

“Bethie –“

“But if that happened wouldn’t it mean everything falls off?”

“No, that –“

“Or maybe everything would be upside down, and then we’d all be walking on our –“

“Bethie!” Freya took a deep breath. “Thank you for that input, but I think we can move on now, don’t you?”

Mal couldn’t help the smile that drifted across his lips. Sometimes the little girl was all too much like her aunt, although from the look on her face he couldn’t swear she wasn't doing it deliberately as she swung her feet under the table just above Fiddler. Ethan was certainly grinning widely.

You’re doing good, xin gan , he thought carefully towards Freya.

She rolled her eyes a little. Can’t I just face Reavers and be done with it?

He laughed at the pleading in her mental voice, then saw Ethan glaring at him.

“Use words,” the little boy said firmly.

Mal turned the laugh into a cough. “Think I might be needing something for this frog in my throat,” he commented, heading out of the door towards the bridge. At the turn for the stairs he came face to face with Jayne.

“Mal.” He seemed anxious, at least for an ex-mercenary.

“I was when I got up this morning.” Jayne didn’t react except to draw his brows together a little. Mal sighed inwardly and added, “What can I do for you?”

The big man steppe