disclaimer: I wished for it on my birthday, but sadly I still don't own the Firefly Verse
"No! I need my jacket! Mommy, pleeeeeease!"
"Mattie, you are going to bed," Kaylee said firmly. "You don't need a jacket. Now lay down."
"Mommy, I need it. Other wise the monster will get me! It will get my arms like this." The tiny boy wraps his arms around himself to show his exhausted mother. "I need my jacket or it will get me!"
"Mattie, bâobèi , there's no such thing as monsters. Now lay down and go to sleep."
"You heard your mother." Kaylee and the wriggling boy in her arms turn at the sound of Jayne's voice. "Lay down or we won' go swimmin' 'fore we take off tomorrow."
"Daddy, you promised! Make Mommy gimme my jacket an' I promise I'll go to sleep."
"Mattie, it's the middle of the summer out there, you don't need ta wear yer jacket." Jayne lays the boy back on the pillows, pulling the blanket up to his pajama clad waist. "Now, I don't wanna hear another word outta you. Sleep." And with that he turned off the light and grabbed Kaylee's hand to pull her along with him as he climbed out of the boy's bunk.
"Thank you, Jayne. He just wouldn't listen tonight. I was too tired to fight him..."
"Ssh bâobèi. Don't you ever thank me for taking care of our son. Us havin' that kid's the best thing I ever been part of and I ain't never gonna do wrong by either of you. He hugs Kaylee close, pressing his lips to her hair, "Where'd he hear 'bout monsters, anyways? He's only three years old."
She thinks for a minute, then offers, "I bet I know... Wash! River! Get in here, now!"
River pops up behind Jayne as Wash stomps into the hall.
"Wash, what are the rules when you're playing with Mattie?" Kaylee's eyes are large as she waits for the pilot's response.
"Only Steggy and Rex. No more biting or fighting." Wash scratches at the back of his neck idly.
"Then you wanna explain to me why he's in there hollerin' about monsters?" Jayne's voice takes on an impatient edge.
"I tried to explain," River chimed in, "that monsters are fictitious. I told him that the idea of the 'under-bed' or the 'in-the-closet' monsters are false and that the boogeyman, if he existed, cannot reach him in a vacuum."
"But where did he hear about them in the first place?" Confusion is evident on Kaylee's face. She looks from River to the two men.
"I told you. I tried to explain." River snaps.
Realization hits Wash. "You started it? I couldn't figure out why suddenly he wanted to know about monsters...that I never should have told him about." The words came out in a rush as the mechanic turned a frustrated gaze to the nervous pilot. "I swear, all I did was answer his questions, Kaylee."
"Hoban Washburne," Kaylee sighs, "That's more'n enough, considerin' the imagination of a three year old! You should know, you act like him more often than not."
The troublemakers grin sheepishly at one another, both mumbling "Sorry..." as the exhausted couple heads toward the mess.
The End