“I take it she’s back?”

“Yes.” Freya retraced her steps back into the kitchen.

Mal cocked his head slightly. “Jayne does not sound happy.”

“I think that’s putting it mildly.” She still wasn’t looking at him as she walked to the counter. “You’d better go before he gets really angry.”

“You’re not coming?”

“No. Not this time. I think this is something you need to deal with.”

He stared at her a moment longer, then nodded sharply, just once, and strode out of the kitchen.

Leaning on her hands, Freya tried to calm her heart rate. She knew he didn’t mean it, that it was said in the heat of the moment, but it still hurt, and he hadn’t apologised immediately, just left it out there, almost accusing her of being the reason Hank was lying in the infirmary, hooked up to all those machines. Which was irrational, and stupid, but she wasn’t feeling particularly clever or sane at that moment. Just alone. She glanced towards the bunks.

---

“Are you fong luh ?” Mal asked, anger bubbling inside him even as he took a microsecond of a pause. “Well, more crazy than usual.”

“I know a hawk from a handsaw,” River said, sitting down at the tiny dressing table and looking at herself in the mirror.

Jayne had explained, in terse, mostly monosyllables, what his wife had been up to. “Did you know ‘bout this?” he thundered at Mal.

“No.” The hard look on Mal’s face was all Jayne needed to be sure. “Do you think I’d have let her?”

“I was safe,” River insisted, taking the pins out of her hair and letting it loose, scratching idly at her scalp. “And I’m home now anyway.”

“That ain’t the point.” Mal crossed his arms.

“Then what is?” River turned on the small chair to look up at her husband and her captain. “To keep me from danger?”

“Yes!”

“I can look after myself.”

“Really.”

“And I wanted to get close to Medea, see what makes her tick.”

“She ain’t clockwork, Riv!” Jayne said, shaking his head.

River stood up and began unbuttoning her blouse. “I could make such a