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 2
In Which the Crew of Serenity Goes Shopping and Tries to be Mysterious
Hester City had a decent-sized marketplace. Shops lined the stoned paved streets, peddling just about anything a traveler straight out of months in space could wish to buy. Some had pretty clothes that blew like silk butterflies in the high wind that had kicked up about the time Serenity had set down on the planet. Others had shiny bangles – bracelets, necklaces, and every other kind of jewelry – softly clinking together. There was even a bookstore at the end of the street, though its clientele was considerably less in number than the toy shop next door.
Mal glanced across the street just in time to see Simon and River attempting to sneak out of one of the jewelry stores. River was holding a small package in her hands.
"Keep that safe, River," Simon said gently, and wrapped his sister's fingers more tightly around the paper-covered bundle.
"I will," she assured him, and hugged her present close to her body like a child would a treasured toy. Simon cautiously looked around, searching the area for anything that looked dangerous as well as any crew members he didn't particularly want seeing them right at that moment. He jumped a little when he caught sight of Mal, but gave the captain a perfunctory nod of recognition. Mal nodded back.
"Come on, next stop," Simon said, and pulled River into the toy store. Mal raised an eyebrow at the doctor's interesting choice of destination, but didn't have time to ponder it much on account of Zoe and Wash coming around the corner not four feet away from him. Not having any time to run, Mal, leaned against the building and attempted to appear nonchalant.
"Any luck, Sir?" Zoe asked.
"I'm still thinkin' on my options," he replied. "Some people on this crew are powerful hard to shop for."
"I'll leave you to that, then," Zoe said, and she and Wash breezed down the street, arm in arm. Mal watched them until they disappeared into the bookstore, and breathed a sigh of relief before continuing on his way, scrutinizing the displays in every window, hoping for inspiration to strike.
…………………
Inside the bookshop, the light was dim, the dust was thick, and there was a faint musty smell in the air. Wash breathed in deeply.
"Ah, I feel smarter already," he said, and flipped open the book that was nearest to his fingertips, furrowing his brow in an attempt to seem intellectual.
"Sure wish it worked like that," came a gruff voice from the shadowy corner of the room. The couple turned to see Jayne pawing through a precariously stacked pile of books.
"Jayne?" Zoe asked, even though it was perfectly obvious that the person standing in front of her was indeed Serenity's resident mercenary.
"You do realize that you're in a bookstore, don't you?" Wash said cautiously, approaching his shipmate as one would a dangerous animal that has strayed somewhere it shouldn't have.
"What?" Jayne demanded.
"It's just… this is like coming upon a tropical flower in the middle of the desert!" Wash said in mock excitement. Zoe and Jayne both looked at him funny. "In the sense of being out of place, I'm not talking beauty, here," he amended. Zoe stifled a laugh, and Jayne glared fiercely at Wash in hopes that he would go away.
"Come on, Honey, there are lots of other books for us to look at," Zoe said, and guided her husband away from his staring contest with Jayne, who muttered something unrepeatable before stomping loudly up to the front of the store to pay for his purchase.
……………………
Book smiled to himself as he watched Jayne coming out of the bookshop. Just the man I wanted to see.
"Hey there, Shepherd," Jayne muttered when he saw Book walking up to him. He was a little embarrassed to be seen in a place where he was so conspicuously uncomfortable.
"I was wondering if you might help me out," Book began, giving Jayne a conspiratorial look. "What I have in mind involves venturing over to the less than upstanding part of town. I wouldn't want to go in alone, thought you might like to tag along."
"What would you be gettin' over there?" Jayne asked. "Who's it for?"
"I might tell you. If you promise to keep it quiet, and if you come with me," Book replied. He put a friendly hand on Jayne's shoulder and waited for an answer. As it turned out, the dangled carrot of secret information was just the thing to pique Jayne's interest.
"I'm in," he said. The two men walked down the main road for a few steps, then turned off into a darkened alley. "Now, who's it for?"
"I had this idea, you see…" Book explained, his voice fading into the darkness as they got further and further away from the civilized part of Hester City.
……………………..
Mal was still window shopping an hour later. Seeing Inara coming out of a clothing shop and making her towards him was a welcome distraction.
"I see you've met with success," he said, and pointed at the package under Inara's arm, which was festively wrapped in metallic green paper.
"Yes, I have," she said, and looked down at the captain's empty hands. "I suppose it's safe to say you haven't?"
"I like to take my time, find something appropriate," he covered. "It would be a lot easier if I had your fashion sense… I could just get my person some shiny new piece of attire…" he looked closer at Inara's package. "That is what you got, right?" Inara swiftly hid her present behind her back.
"I'm not telling you!" she said. "If you think I'm going to tell you who I have so you can narrow it down, it's not going to work."
"And who said that that was my plan?" Mal asked. His wide-eyed innocence did little to convince Inara.
"Don't toy with me, Mal. I can read you like a book," Inara said, then smiled playfully at him and started to walk off in the opposite direction. "I'll see you back at the ship," she said over her shoulder. Mal watched her go, then went back to staring at the nearest store's window. Finding that its contents looked promising, he went inside.
The interior of the store was filled with neatly laid out displays advertising a host of different items – mostly household supplies, decorations, and furniture. A clerk, a neatly dressed older gentleman of about Book's age, appeared as if by magic at Mal's elbow.
"Is there something I can help you with, Sir?" the clerk asked.
"I'm in the market for some advice," Mal told him. "I've got this friend I'm supposed to shop for…"
"Well, perhaps I can give you some suggestions," the clerk offered. Mal nodded and let the clerk lead him around the store.
……………………………
The captain was standing on Serenity's ramp, leaning against the side of the ship as he waited for the rest of crew to return. It was dark already, and though Serenity had some of her outer lights on, he still couldn't see very far. However, he knew his crew, and he'd hear them coming before he ever saw them.
"Was it just me, or did that walk seem longer comin' back than it did goin'?" he heard Zoe ask.
"Don't be complaining to me. We didn't even have to leave this shipyard to get what I needed. You're the one who made us walk all the way down to the other end of the street," Wash replied.
Book and Jayne followed, right on the couple's heels.
"Well, that was certainly an interesting experience," Book was saying.
"Did you see the look at that guy's face when he figured out you weren't alone? Funniest gorram thing I've ever seen," Jayne said, and laughed loudly, clapping the preacher on the back. They walked past the captain, and Book gave Jayne an admonishing look.
"We're back on the ship now," Book reminded him. "Remember our deal. Keep quiet."
"Don't worry, I won't squeal," Jayne promised.
"Oh, but that would be so interesting," Inara said in her best sultry voice, coming up behind him. The rest of the crew stared at her in shock. That little comment was enough to get her past them all without any interrogation.
"Now there," Jayne muttered, "is a master of diversion."
Everyone was still watching Inara climb the stairs to her shuttle when Simon and River reached the ship. All heads turned to stare curiously at them.
"Are we late?" Simon asked.
"Nope, you're just about on time," Mal told him. "Now it's only Kaylee that's missing."
"Should we be worried?" Book asked, peering out into the night.
"Not just yet," Mal said. "Kaylee's a big girl. She can take care of herself." Still, the captain couldn't help looking a little concerned. He didn't have to worry for long, though.
"I'm here! Sorry I'm late! I had to wait a while to make sure what I got would um… fit…" Kaylee explained as she ran up the ramp into the cargo bay. She carried a sack on one arm, and was trying to keep something else out of sight under her coat. She and Zoe shared a significant look, and both of them nodded in understanding.
"Guess I'll go get Serenity up and running," Wash said, and started towards the cockpit.
"Not just yet," Mal told him. "I've got one more thing I'm waiting for."
"But, Cap'n, everyone's on board," Kaylee said.
Kaylee's protests were interrupted by the arrival of a young man in a delivery service uniform.
"Are you Malcom Reynolds?" he asked Mal.
"That'd be me," he answered. "You got something for me?"
"Yep. You mind your people helping me a bit unloading all this stuff?" the deliveryman asked.
"Not at all," Mal answered. The crew all gave him questioning looks. "Well, get to it," he told them.
"So, what is all this stuff we're carrying?" Kaylee asked as she set an armload down in the cargo bay.
"Christmas dinner," Mal answered. The ship suddenly got very quiet.
"Someone say something about dinner?" Jayne asked.
"I figured we'd have some real food on Christmas night," Mal told them. "There's a ham, some potatoes, other vegetables, and peaches, flour, and sugar so Kaylee can make that peach pie of her grandmother's she's always talking about."
"Real food!" Kaylee squeaked, and threw her arms around Mal. "I know I've said this before, but I love my captain!" She gave Mal a quick kiss on the cheek and the knelt down to stare at the food.
"Now, I want y'all staying out of the food till Christmas. I hear about anyone filching, I'll… I dunno… have your hands cut off or something," Mal threatened, directing most of his warning at Jayne.
"What are you looking at me so hard for?" Jayne asked.
"Because you're so suspicious lookin'," Zoe answered for Mal. "Now, how about helping me get all this up to the kitchen? You'll at least get to be near the food."
"Don't have to ask me twice," Jayne said, and practically jumped to pick up two large boxes at once.
"Careful! Don't drop it!" Kaylee called, then, seeing that Jayne's precious cargo was in relatively small danger, smiled to herself and climbed the stairs to the crew quarters so she could put back what it was she'd borrowed.