“Kaylee?”

Kaylee looked up at Mal’s voice, alarmed. “Quick, go chase him away!” she whispered to River. ”Don’t let him come in here!”

“Chase him away?” River repeated, frowning. “How am I supposed to do that? He’s the Captain!”

“Kaylee!” The voice was getting nearer.

Kaylee was starting to look a little panicked. “I don’t care how!” she exclaimed, shooing River towards the door. “Tell him anything – just keep him out! He’ll ruin the surprise for everyone!”

River hurried out of the little storeroom, and almost crashed into Mal. “What’re you doin’ in there?” he asked curiously.

“Ummm…nothing?” River attempted to sound innocent.

He didn’t look convinced. “Are you up to somethin’?” he asked, narrowing his eyes at her. “You didn’t bring another puppy on board last time we docked, did you?”

“Nope, no puppy,” River assured him with a smile that only seemed to make him more suspicious.

“Then what were you doin’ in there?” He moved toward the door, and River moved with him, blocking his way. “Now look – this is my ship, and I got a right to know –“

“Simon and Kaylee threw me out!”

Mal stopped cold, looked at the closed door, then back at River. He didn’t say anything for a long minute, and River wondered if he was going to start yelling. It seemed likely. But then again, it always did.

“You’d think neither one of ‘em had a gorram bunk,” he sighed, shaking his head. “Well, if you see Kaylee when they’re -- when she’s -- I mean -- ah, forget it.”

River nodded, and pretended to walk off in the direction of her room.

When she was sure Mal was gone, she ran back to the storeroom.

“He’s gone,” she informed Kaylee, then trailed off, eyes wide.“Oh,” she breathed. “It’s beautiful.”

“It is, ain’t it?” Kaylee beamed.

The lights had come from Kaylee’s door. The decorations had been a bit more difficult. But they’d made do with spare engine parts polished or painted, ribbons, lace and sparkling beads from one of Inara’s discarded dresses, paper chains and River’s small origami creations.

“Sure wish we had somethin’ to put on top, though,” Kaylee sighed, “it don’t seem right to have a Christmas tree without no star.”

“Oh!” River exclaimed. “I forgot, I found something!” She dug around in the small box of makeshift ornaments, while Kaylee watched with interest. “Here!”

She held out something very odd-looking. Kaylee made no move to take it, only stared at it warily. She wasn’t about to touch something that fuzzy and orange without knowing what – “River, is that the hat Jayne got from his mama?”

River giggled. “Yes.”

A huge grin broke over Kaylee’s face. “It’s perfect!”

Once the hat was situated on the top of the tree, they sat down on the deck and gleefully admired their own work.

“See?” River said after a while, leaning her head on Kaylee's shoulder. “I told you we’d get a tree.”

Kaylee started to ask how in hell’s name River had managed to get a five foot tall fir tree on board without anyone noticing, then decided she was better off not knowing.She sighed happily. They might be light-years from anywhere, out in the middle of the black, but it sure felt like Christmas.