It was two months and one outstandingly successful, yet danger-fraught, heist since Harriet’s disastrous family outing. She’d pretty much settled back into the routine of the Serenity way of life. Her ribs had healed, but the pain of her brothers’ betrayal had not. She figured on that being around for a while. But she could cope with it, surrounded by the, not always content or happy, but certainly loyal, crew of Serenity.

This particular morning, she was kneading dough in the galley when a thought struck her. Tying her large white apron neatly around her waist, she wandered towards the engine room and hovered in the doorway, looking around for Kaylee. She could see two small feet emblazoned with bright green nail varnish poking out from beneath the engine’s superstructure.

“Kaylee?”

“Uh-huh? Right here! Just fixing the” *grunt* “secondary grav. boot . . . . its been playin’ up something awful!”

With a further groan, Kaylee squirmed out from beneath the engine holding a long piece of flexible tubing “Wha’s’up?”

“Not much, but I was just thinking, ain’t it your birthday comin’ up?”

“Yeah! It’s in two days time right enough,” Kaylee’s face shone, “but I didn’t think as anyone ‘ad remember! How did ya?”

“Oh,” said Harriet with faux vagueness, “jus’ this little thing I like to call a memory, you might ‘a heard of it – sorta thought to myself this mornin’ “now, what was I doin’ this time last year?” ‘n’ then I realised I was makin’ your birthday cake! So what’s it to be? I ain’t got no chocolate, and ain’t likely to get none out here in middle of no and where, but I can do ya coffee or lemon . . .”

“Ohh coffee please . . . with walnuts?” Kaylee tried hopefully, Harriet nodded.

“Walnuts ‘s something I can do.”

“Actually,” began Kaylee, “I was thinkin’ about my birthday and all . . . . Wouldn’t it be real shiny to have a party? I don’t mean,” she went on pleadingly, seeing the uncertain look on Hat’s face, “invitin’ folks and such, I jus’ mean for Serenity. We’ve all been worki