The chill on the Eavesdown Docks lent the air a different smell, heavier and earthier than what Kaylee was used to. It was a cold day by Persephone's standards, but that only made it feel more like Christmas. Unfortunately, despite the holiday-like weather, she was having no luck coming up with a gift for Jayne. He was a man of simple tastes, she knew. Liquor, women, and weapons were his pleasures. But it occurred to her that was about all that she knew about him. It was a surprising thing to realize. After being on the ship with him for as long she had, Jayne was still mostly a mystery. To help her solve it she turned to Book, since the preacher was as close to him as anyone, but the Shepherd couldn't offer her any better suggestions for a gift than what she had come up with on her own. She could have asked Jayne directly, too, but he was still not in the most forthcoming of moods. There was little doubt he would appreciate a good bottle of whiskey, but that did not really seem to be in the spirit of the season, and it was too obvious besides. She really wanted to think of something special and unique he would not expect. So, tired of mulling it over in her bunk, she had donned her coat and headed into the Docks, hoping for some outside inspiration.
After a good two hours of shopping, though, the right present still eluded her. Frowning, she kicked along the dusty alleyways, scanning the shop fronts and signs but with dwindling hope. Oddly, it wasn't the sight but the sound of one store in particular that finally caught her attention. Heartened slightly by the music seeping through a half-open doorway, Kaylee crossed the alley and pressed her face against a small, dusty window. When she saw what was inside, the inspiration she had been searching for erupted into full bloom. It was such a shiny idea she did not know why it hadn't occurred to her before. Tickled at her good fortune, she hurried inside.
The atmosphere in the shop was laden with fresh cut wood and sawdust. The music that had attracted her emanated from a bald-pated man on a stool bent over one of his instruments. He stopped playing and looked up when he heard her come in.
"Gui gan, xiao jie?"
"How much are those?" Kaylee asked, spying what she was looking for right away and pointing to it behind the counter.
"Three platinum," the man quoted his price. Those two words were all it took to wipe out Kaylee's burst of enthusiasm. She already knew it was useless, but she scrounged in her pocket anyway and pulled out her money. It stared forlornly back from her palm. One platinum and a few bits of scrip, not nearly enough.
"Oh. Well, thanks anyway," she told the shopkeeper, unable to mask her disappointment. She shoved her pittance back into her pocket and trudged out into the chill again with a long face. The gift exchange was her idea, and here she was, unable to buy something even halfway decent for Jayne. Maybe it hadn't been such a good notion after all. Tired and defeated, she wandered back to Serenity.
Back in her bunk, she left her coat where it fell on the floor and slouched onto her bed, chin in hand. She tried hard to brainstorm something else for Jayne, but nothing seemed to compare to what she had seen in that shop. If I only had just a little more, she pined, but there was no point in wishing for what she couldn't get. Her gaze wandered around her room, searching for another source of inspiration, but all she found was her frilly pink dress hanging uselessly on the wall. Feeling bereft of Christmas cheer now, she stared at it, wondering why she still kept it around. After all, she wasn't likely to have the chance to wear it again. It should have belonged to someone who could use it and appreciate it once in a while. It didn't deserve to be kept stowed away in her bunk, and at the very least, given the money Badger had been conned into paying… Wait a minute! her spirits leaped at the sudden epiphany. That's it! Sitting up with renewed hope, she inspected the dress more closely. She didn't know what it was worth anymore, but it had to be at least a few platinum. That would be more than enough to get what she wanted for Jayne. Jumping up in a swell of enthusiasm, she pulled it from its hook. But as her fingers touched the lace and satin trim, her resolve wavered. Her eyes roved over it longingly. It was such a lovely thing, and she had spent many a night imagining all of the wonderful occasions where she might wear it, several of which involved Simon in some way. But those were just fantasies. She shook her head and drew her thoughts down out of them. Realistically, when did she ever expect to need it? And right now, it would certainly be worth more to Jayne than to her. Pushing the regret away, she bundled up the dress in her arms and snatched her coat from the floor. Running down the stairs to the cargo hold, her mind was on how much she thought she could get for it, and with her vision slightly obscured by the mound of embellished fabric, she did not see Zoe. She almost bowled her over as the other woman was coming across the catwalk.
"Oof! Oh, sorry, Zoe!" Kaylee apologized as she bounced off.
"Easy there, Kaylee. Where are you rushin' off to?" Zoe asked, steadying her before she tumbled down the next flight.
"I found this really great present for Jayne," Kaylee explained in a rush, trying to slip by without having to further elaborate, but Zoe was too keen to be put aside that easily.
"So what're you doin' with that?" she asked, eyeing the dress.
"Well, I don't exactly have enough…" Kaylee bit her lip a little before she revealed her plot, "so I was gonna sell it."
"You sure about that?" Zoe raised her eyebrows in genuine surprise. "I mean, I thought you loved that thing?" Kaylee looked down at it, fighting the return of the sentimental tug in her chest.
"I do. But I really wanna get somethin' nice for Jayne, you know. And it ain't like I'm gonna wear it anytime soon." Zoe mulled on that for a moment, not looking convinced, but then she just shrugged.
"Well, if that's what you want to do, it's not my place to stop you," she stated, thankfully not questioning Kaylee's motives any further.
"Yeah, it's what I want," Kaylee answered, mustering her strength to keep the slight forlorn note out of her voice. "Just don't tell Jayne, okay?"
"Promise," Zoe smiled.
"Thanks!" she called over her shoulder as she ran across the bay and out the doors.
Winding through the docks again, she rushed into the first consignment shop she could find. "How much?" she demanded, throwing the dress on the counter in front of the matron minding the store.
"Hmm…" the woman mused. She unfolded it and examined it at full length. "Condition is decent. Hasn't seen much wear, I take it," she appraised. "But it's out of style now. Won't be easy to sell." She bobbed her head in consideration. "I can give you two platinum for it."
"Deal," Kaylee agreed without hesitation. The woman pulled the coins from her register and Kaylee fled out the door as soon as they were in her hand. She immediately went back to the music shop and slapped three coins down on the counter, grinning. As she walked out with her purchase, her dress was mostly forgotten and she could only imagine how surprised Jayne was going to be come Christmas day.
