"Wan' wawa!" Hannah screamed, for what felt to her mother like the thousandth time. "Wawa! Wawa! Wawa!"

"Mommy's looking," Kate nearly snapped, tearing through her luggage and looking very frazzled. "Aha! Got it!" she crowed triumphantly, pulling a crumpled-looking ballerina doll from one of the trunks. Her tutu was crushed to the point of being unrecognizable as such, and her hair was tangled, but at least she might convince the little girl to finally taker her gorram nap.

"Wawa," the two-year-old cooed, clutching the doll to her chest. "Love," she sang in that adorable way small children do when happy. "Love wawa, love mama, love dada."

"And welcome back, Baby Jekyll," Kate muttered, trying to set the trunks of clothing and various keepsakes to rights. "At least I rank above the complete stranger you've adopted, since I'm obviously a distant second to that rutting doll."

"Wan' dada," Hannah commented, conversationally. "Where dada?"

"Rescuing your gorram rutting new uncles, I'd reckon." Kate replied. "Daddy's flying, baby girl. He'll be back soon. Meanwhile, it's nap time."

"No wan' nap," Hannah pouted. "Wan' dada."

"Aiya, ni ta ma de," Kate swore. "Not again."

~*~

"I appreciate your generosity, Duncan," Inara smiled, "but I can't accept your money when the agreed-upon services were not provided. My conscience won't allow it." That and the fact that I just helped Mal steal your enormous diamond, she thought.

"Damn your conscience, woman," Philips grumbled. "If you won't accept payment, will you accept a gift?"

"Duncan, I -" Inara's eyes widened at the sight of an emerald the size of her big toe. "I can't accept that, it's too -"

"Nonsense," Duncan cut her off. "You've always done well by me. I noticed your ring, Ms. Serra," Philips said honestly. "I knew from the moment I set eyes on you that this evening wouldn't end as others have in the past. Call it a wedding gift, and give my best to your young man."

Inara blinked in disbelief. "That's it?"

"That's it." Philips smi