“What I always do. Saving all our asses.” Hauk hissed as he was shocked rewiring their power modules. Worse, life support was quickly bleeding out. Unless he restored it, they only had minutes before it was gone. He plugged it as best he could and then used an override code to fool the overheated generators back on. He tapped his link to Jayne. “One pulse on my mark. Three. Two. One.”

She hit it and they went into hyperdrive.

“Go, Hauk, go!” Jayne shouted.

“Yeah. Don’t cheer yet,” he said under his breath as he kept working on everything that had shorted out. He cursed again at another shock.

His fingers turning black from it, he wanted to tell Jayne and Ryn where to shove this mess. Then he glanced to Kalea.

Snuggled up against Fain, she had her hands over her eyes and her fingers spread wide so that she could watch him through them. Damn, she was the cutest thing he’d ever seen.

She lifted one hand and waved at him.

Strange how in all the missions he’d run – in all the times he’d come through unbelievable odds and all the people he’d pulled to safety – he’d never felt as tall or as heroic as he did right then from that innocent sweet look on her tiny face.

That’s my girl.

His throat tight, he returned to working on the ship until he had most of it going again. They were still lower on shields than he’d like, but…

“Jayne? I’ve given you guys the best I can without pulling over for parts. Can you radio for an escort?”

“We already have one. Saf and three of his brothers fell in about two minutes ago.”

He breathed easier knowing that. “Good. We don’t need to take a hit. Shields are minimum, but I had to put that power to the hyperdrive, dampners, and life support. Let me know when we come out and I can redirect it.”

“You got it, Hauk.”

He put the panel back in place and returned to his seat.

Kalea bit her lip. “Are you a superman, Daddy?”

“Yes, he is,” Fain said. “He’s saved the life of everyone in this ship at least once, and many of us, a lot more than that.”

“Really?” she asked, eyes wide.

Fain nodded.

Hauk blushed as Kalea wrapped her arms around his biceps and hugged him tight.

After a few seconds, she tugged at his arm and made a face at him. “Daddy… I gots to go the bathroom now.”

Horrified, he gaped at the mere prospect of something he’d never done before.

“Now, you can panic, Hauk,” Nyk said with a rare laugh. “This one might not be housebroken.”

“Does she have nappies?” Hauk looked at Kalea. “Do you have nappies?”

“No, Daddy! Kalea a big girl. But I gots to go bad.” She twisted her legs together. “I can’t wait!”