Title: Christmas on Serenity
Author: Corri
email: corrielle@yahoo.com
Rating: PG
Spoilers: None.
Summary: Kaylee organizes a Christmas gift exchange. Secrets, funny banter, and good times abound.
Disclaimer: I do not own Firefly, or any of these characters. They belong to Joss, Mutant Enemy, and FOX ß(for now. Come on UPN… pick up the show…)
Feedback: Always welcome.
Chapter 1
In Which Kaylee Has a Plan and Jayne is Grumpy
Kaylee walked into the cargo bay of Serenity where the crew was gathered, waiting for Mal's signal that it was all right to leave the ship for a little free time at Hester City, their most recent drop point. She was holding a hat upside-down in her grease-smudged hands. While this may not have normally prompted any comment, there was something mischievous about the way the ship's engineer was looking around at her crewmates. It was enough to make Jayne feel a distinct uncomfortableness, and in typical Jayne fashion, he called her on it.
"What's with the hat, little Kaylee?" he asked.
"Maybe she's going to make a fashion statement?" Wash suggested.
"Nope," she said, and proceeded to ignore both of their confused looks and walk up to the captain.
"I'm with them. What's with the hat?" Mal asked. Kaylee held it out to him.
"Stick your hand in and pull one out," she instructed.
"Do I even want to know what's in there?" the captain asked, running possibilities through his mind – last week's protein dinner, whatever was growing in the engine room before I made her clean it out three days ago... I have a feeling I'm going to regret this.
"It's just a bunch of pieces of paper, Mal!" Kaylee chided him.
"Doesn't sound so scary," Zoe cracked. "What are they for, Kaylee?"
"Well, we all know what day it'll be five day from now," she began. The rest of the crew nodded and shared secretive looks of amusement. All except for Jayne, who just looked confused.
"Huh? What day is that?" he asked.
"I believe she's referring to Christmas, if I don't miss my guess," Book answered.
"Yeah, and since we're going to be out in the black, without another soul in sight, I thought we could do something to, you know, have a little holiday cheer," she explained, and smiled so brightly that Mal couldn't bring himself to do anything but nod. "So, I took some papers and wrote everyone's name down. We'll all draw one out, and get a present for the person whose name we pick. Then, on Christmas night, we'll have a nice dinner and reveal who we picked, and give them our presents." She looked around at her shipmates excitedly, and her face fell a little when she saw that none of them looked overly pleased with the idea.
"You've gotta feel for the one of us River draws," Jayne snorted. "They're gonna end up with a rock, or a scrap of paper, or something."
"Not necessarily," Simon said, putting a protective arm around his sister's shoulders. "I'll make sure she doesn't get me, and I'll help her pick something out."
"Sounds fair to me," Mal said.
"More like a stupid waste of money," Jayne grumbled. Kaylee glared at him. She'd had just about enough of extra-super-grumpy Jayne.
"Well fine, then! I'll just go through and take your name out. That way, you won't have to waste any of your cash on one of us, and none of us will have to waste it on you!" she snapped. Jayne winced. As much as he hated to admit it, having Serenity's sweet little engineer directing such harsh words at him felt wrong, somehow. The cold, even stare he was getting from Mal didn't help much, either.
"No, no, don't do that," he backpedaled. "Leave me in. Don't want to ruffle any feathers." Kaylee immediately brightened, and Book's look of vague disapproval melted into a knowing smile.
"Good," she said, and held her hat out to the captain once again. "You pick first, Cap'n." Mal stuck his hand in, pulled out a paper, and nodded.
"Well, seeing how this is our last stop before Christmas, I guess I'm off to do some shopping," he said. "All of you stay out of trouble, and remember, back at the ship in five hours." They all motioned that they understood, and one by one, the crew of Serenity reached in and pulled out a name.
"Just one, River," Simon cautioned when his sister's turn came. He pried River's fingers open and shook his head. "You've got two there. Put one of them back." She did so, and then unfolded the remaining slip of paper, read it, and solemnly held it out to Simon. "I think I can help you with this one," he said. "We'll find something that… this person will like." River smiled, and she and Simon turned and walked arm in arm down the ramp and onto the planet surface.
"Last one, Jayne," Kaylee said. They were, by now, the only two left standing in the cargo bay. Everyone else had drifted off to Hester City's marketplace, or gone back to their bunks to get cash and think on ideas. Jayne reached in and pulled out the last paper. He opened it, and let out a string of curse words that outdid even his high standards of vulgarity.
"Now now, be nice," Kaylee chided him, and gave him that same mischievous grin that she'd had on her face when she first walked into the cargo bay.
………………………
Five minutes later…
Zoe was not expecting to meet anyone else in Serenity's corridors, as she suspected that everyone else was already planetside. Therefore, her surprise when Kaylee jumped out in front of her was considerable. Before Zoe had much time to recover, Kaylee was whispering excitedly in her ear. Zoe chuckled quietly and nodded, and Kaylee disappeared down the hallway just as Jayne came into view. Zoe laughed a little louder, and made it look as if she were trying not to.
"What?" Jayne asked. "What's so funny?"
"Nothing," Zoe answered, and carefully schooled her face. Jayne peered at her suspiciously.
"You know something," he said.
"Maybe."
"Oh, come on, Zoe! I've been around you long enough to know when you know something! You get that… that… 'I know something' look on your face," Jayne insisted.
"And, though you've gotten real eloquent about naming my facial expressions, I'm not going to tell you anything," she said.
"So you do know something!" he deduced.
"Never said that," Zoe countered. "And even if I did, I wouldn't tell you."
"I'll bet you know who's got my name. Who is it?" he asked.
"I don't want to ruin Kaylee's little game! She'd be heartbroken! It's supposed to be a secret, Jayne," she teased. Jayne leaned in close and spoke quietly, well, quietly for him, into Zoe's ear.
"I won't tell anyone you told," he offered.
"You know, you're awfully excited about this for someone who didn't like this idea at first," she commented.
"Stop changin' the subject and tell me who has my name!" Jayne demanded, and seeing the resolute look on Zoe's face, added, "Please?" He was so absorbed in waiting for an answer that he didn't notice Kaylee rushing past them with something under her arm.
"You are such a five year old sometimes," Zoe said, and sauntered off.