A/N: So the other day there was a conversation happening over at rayneshippers about this moment in Ariel. And well. I'd been thinking about writing a story about it for a while and decided to jump on it before anyone else could. So here's my rather quick take on what would of happened if this went our way.

The Spirit of the Holiday
By RingPrincess

"And don't look in the closet either, it's greedy. It's not in the spirit of the holiday." River said with a choked half laugh.

Jayne glared at her. "You shut the hell up right now or so help me. I will shut you up."

River's eyebrows rose and her eyes looked at his hands cuffed behind his back and back to his angry face and decided his threat was idle. "And unlike Grinch there was no reformation."

Jayne's eyes narrowed. Did the girl not listen? He glanced at Simon, whose lips were twitching slightly in the urge to repress a smile. Given the dire situation they were in smiling at his sister's bratty antics wouldn't be appropriate. Jayne growled and looked back at the moonbrain.

River continued, "Just piles of coal until I was buried in it, dark and hard, couldn't move my hands or feet and the air was choked with dust."

The officers around them were staring but Jayne didn't care. He leaned in real close and gave it one last try. "Shut up."

She stared into his eyes and even as her mouth moved she thought that they looked like a clear winter sky, highly appropriate since it was December. "Could only wait for someone to dig me out." She really was done there, out of things to say but Jayne didn't know that. He kissed her, lips soft against hers despite his anger. River's eyes fluttered closed as his teeth scraped her bottom lip. She leans forward, his goatee scraping her chin and cheeks. Jayne's feelings tumbled through her, his anger, his confusion, and guilt at putting them in this situation, his enjoyment of her lips, soft and sweet under his. He pulled way all too soon for her. And she smiled, bright and beautiful just for him for a few seconds because kissing on the mouth was dangerous. And that was the beginning of everything.