Kaylee knew she had to get up early.

There were a dozen things to do before they touched down and she got to officially be on vacation with Simon. That was, if he pried himself away from researching everything Gambit had told him about to actually take a vacation. Hopefully he would, because she had heard some shiny things about the new rim planet Sierra and the city they were going to dock at and she wanted to go out with him. However she had to take inventory of the parts Serenity needed as well as fix a few things before they could land, and she currently found herself stuck. Simon was holding her in his sleep, and regardless of the fact that it felt wonderful, and his face was absolutely adorable while dreaming, she wasn’t going to be able to leave him without waking him up. Carefully, Kaylee maneuvered herself out of his embrace, trying to make it so that he wouldn’t stir. Unfortunately, the loss of her body heat roused him, his eyes slowly opened and he let out a mumbled sound from his deep sleep as he awoke.

“Kaylee?” He lifted his head up as she went over to the head of the bed and leaned down.

“Go back to sleep. Xiu diao.” She stroked his dark brown locks out and gave him a kiss, paying attention to the fact his face had ‘why are you leaving me?’ written all over it. “I gotta go work early ‘n fix the entry coordinates or else we’ll burn up when we hit atmo.” Giving his lips another kiss she pulled back and brushed his cheek. “K?”

Simon let out a heavy sigh as he reached up and tucked some hair behind her ear. “I like this sleeping arrangement by the way.” Guiding her face down he gave her a long thoughtful kiss.

When they finally parted to breathe, Kaylee’s eyes were glazed over. “Well good mornin’ ta you too.” she exhaled.

“I’d ask if that would make you stay, but I think I’d like to not die today so I won’t try to beckon you to bed.” He pressed his lips against her nose.

“Trust me, I’d rather be all cozy with ya then elbow deep in shotty engine parts.” Cupping his face, she let go and sighed reluctantly. “But you gotta rest without me.” Getting up she left the room. “See you at breakfast.”

Simon Tam rolled over and found it hard to sleep without Kaylee Frye situated against him.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Wash stirred to life in his chair.

“Lambytoes?” He asked half asleep.

“Um… No. It’s. Simon.” The doctor enunciated as he sank into the other chair, giving Wash an odd look at the recital of the pet name. He doubled back and studied the pilot again. “Did you sleep here?”

“Um… yes.” He sat up and stretched, glancing at the monitors and thankful no Alliance ship had dogged them. Gazing over, he found Simon, fully dressed for the day and ready of winter on Sierra in boots, some slacks and a thick sweater. Scratching the side of his head he made a puzzled face. “Why are you up so early?”

“Because Kay…” he caught himself from saying ‘had to get up and I couldn’t sleep after she left’ “lee… and I need to spend time together. So, I’m on the cortex looking this city up.” He typed in the name and watched the screen buzz as it retrieved information. “Hopefully there’s something fun we can do…”

“You do know the definition of fun.. right?” Wash probed as he folded up his blanket.

Simon narrowed his eyes at the comment.

“I’m just saying, last time you took her to see an alien in a jar…”

“It was a cow fetus.” The doctor corrected. “And I know that wasn’t my finest hour. However I think if I do a little research I can avoid history repeating itself.” He mumbled the rest to himself. “It’s bad enough I’m prone to insulting her, wo wei dei wa dong da yi yi jian ri.” He scrolled down, reading about the city and smiled.

“What?” Wash asked as he set the blanket on the floor.

“Ming Yu is a tourist oriented city and they’re having a winter festival.” Simon smirked in accomplishment.

“Wow, you got lucky…. That’s got Kaylee written all over it.” The wheels in his mind began turning as he thought of his own significant other.

The doctor noded his head as he concocted his plan. “I’ll have Gambit or Ru watch River, I’ll go out with Kaylee…”

“You know what you’re gonna get ‘er for Christmas?” Mal asked as he stepped onto the bridge.

Simon’s face went blank. “Um…” He turned pale, and his mouth went ajar ever so slightly. “ah….” He shut his mouth and gave Malcolm a cold look for ruining his moment, snorting air out of his nose in frustration.

Mal smiled back at Simon. “Come on Doc, Christmas ain’t but a week away and lil’ Kaylee’s your Sweetie.”

“I’m getting Zoe a new jacket.” Wash leaned back into his chair thoughtfully. “I mean, I know she wants something else that’s… homemade…. But I think she’ll like the jacket considering all of the bullet holes in the old one.” He leaned forward and moved towards his cortex screen. “Maybe I should figure out somewhere to take her…”

The captain looked to Simon. “And you?”

Simon left, looking rather deflated.

"I thought you were bein' nice to Simon." The pilot muttered.

"I ain't a saint."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ru strolled onto the deck in her usual trousers, boots and fingerless gloves but with a long sleeved shirt, bandana round her neck to keep it warm, her duster and a woolen beanie for the snow. Looking out to see the planet growing larger and larger as a sweater clad Wash eased Serenity down into the atmosphere. The world they neared seemed green, woodsy, with lots of snow blanketing the breathtaking mountains.

“Will you look at that.” She said in awe while sidling up to an equally bundled up Mal and Zoe.

“I know.” Zoe’s mouth was slightly open in wonder. “Never been here before, newly Terraformed ground. Heard it’s taking off though, all kinds of shops and places to stay.”

“Sierra.” Wash announced with a smile, as it was past noon and he had finally back in Zoe’s good graces. “all forest, mountains, fertile land, plus it’s winter where we’re touching down in the town of Ming Yu. So it’s gonna be a bonafide Christmas with snow….”

“Which means it’ll only be a short while before the Alliance comes in and takes complete control.” Malcolm sighed in a sour fashion, his scarf dangling from his neck. “Best we enjoy paradise before it’s exploited.”

The three on deck with their captain frowned as he had killed the moment. “So what’s the plan?” Ru probed.

“One week’s vacation, we’re celebratin’ our handsome earnings from the last job.” He announced while watching the buffer panels on the ship turn red hot as they fought off the atmosphere. “Everyone has their share, we land at a dock, do a few chores, then ya'll do whatever you want. You can stay on Serenity or disappear for seven days. Don’t care as long as you come back when we fly out again. Which is Christmas Eve, jus in time for a shindig on our boat.”

“You hear that baby?” the pilot said while adjusting something. “We’re going to rent a cabin on a lake and have ourselves some alone time. No ship, no guns, just you me, a fire and a nice mattress.”

Zoe laughed, walking over and sliding her hand on his shoulder. “Husband I like the way you think.”

Perhaps she could persuade him on the baby making idea.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

River, dressed for the snow outside in an oversized sweater and a long skirt, was very busy.

“That’s my medical book!” Simon snatched the book from her, the pen she was using dragging on the page and leaving a red streak. “River! This…” He gazed in disbelief at his poor book. A book on neural abnormalities he had bought in Persephone and had cost him three hundred and fifty credits. “This….”

“Too many fallacious excerpts.” She told him, plucking the book from his fingers and getting back to her task. “They need to be corrected.”

“Correcting things again eh?” Ru asked as she stepped in. “You gotta keep her away from books.”

“So I’ve found out.” He sighed. Seeing Gambit come in, dressed in his usual rustic garb yet with the added calf high boots and a coat made out of some kind of animal skin with a furred collar, the doctor went over to him. “Gambit, do you think you could watch River perhaps tomorrow?”

“I don’t see why not.”

“I’ll beat you at Tall Card.” River read his mind as she jotted down the correct answer to a rare disorder.

Gambit furrowed his brows. “Who say’s we’ll play Tall Card?”

“I’ll beat you at Chinese Checkers too.”

The blonde frowned.

“That’s not nice to think that.” She reproached him.

“Why da ya’ll like ta play them games while on vacation?” Jayne asked as he strode in wearing his orange knitted cap and a long sleeve tee that was snug and read ‘Mr. Mistletoe’ in mandarin with his army jacket and a duffle bag slung over his shoulder. “T’ain’t like you’re stuck on this gorram rust heap, it’s leave… ya leave it.”

“Some of us like to spend time on Serenity.” Kaylee piped as she was ready to leave in some pants, a blue sweater with a heart patched on the front, a pink scarf and her own fur lined jacket her pa had made her with some skins from a hunting trip. “And she ain’t a rust heap.” She added defensively. Going over to Simon who seemed to look rather dapper in his long dress coat and scarf she gave him a smile while the others filed in for the report before they got to leave the ship. Not seeing one of her friends, Kaylee made a face. “Where’s ‘Nara?”

“Left this mornin’,” Mal explained. “Client’s ‘n such.”

“She didn’t say goodbye.” The mechanic’s voice murmured, her head lowering sadly.

Simon wrapped his arm around her and rubbed his sweetie's shoulder for comfort. Not caring that everyone saw her lean on him.

“Well now, as you all know we’re in Ming Yu.” The captain began. “Nice, big city, new as the terraformin’ ain’t but a few years old. Which means we’ve never been here. So, ta keep everyone in health, those who ain’t gunhands, I want ya to leave the ship with a gunhand since we don’t know what kind of folk are about..”

Simon’s face wrinkled a bit, as neither he, nor Kaylee was a gunhand, and he wanted to spend time with her, alone.

“And, before we run off and make merry, we gotta few chores to complete…”

“Awwww… ruttin' hell.” Jayne puffed and pouted like a petulant child. “Mal can’t they wait? I gotta thousand credits and I’m about ready ta injure myself if I don’t git to a bar and find me some whores. My John-Thomas is as anxious as a dog lookin’ at a butcher shop…”

“Sir, I think I speak for everyone in saying, just let him go.” Ru quipped. “Cause his talk is all sorts of disturbin’, we’ll pick up the slack.”

There were head nods and ‘yeahs’ all around from the crew.

“Jayne, you may leave.” Mal nodded his head as the merc was right disturbing to him as well. The closer they had gotten to Ming Yu, the more colorful his euphemisms had become.

“Yes!” Jayne grabbed his bag and took off.

“Be back in seven days!” The captain hollered as the large man was gone faster than anyone had ever seen him move. Clearing his throat, he turned to the others. “Well now, where were we before that rather disturbin’ moment occurred?”

“Chores.” Wash reminded him.

“Ah yes, well, Wash, Kaylee, Ru, you three gearheads are 'n charge of goin' to the local junkshops and gettin’ parts for the ship. Ya can go and buy whatever parts you need for Serenity, I ain’t gonna make you choose what, but preferably used.” He countered, handing Wash a roll of credits. “And, something needs ta be down about that mule…”

“Cap’n I’ve tried ta fix the mule but since we blew it up on Niska’s base it ain’t workin’.” Kaylee explained sourly. “Don’t think it can be fixed personally. She’s all charred up ‘n the smoke ruined all of the chips ‘n the engine.”

“Well then if ya can get anything there to replace the mule cheap, do it. Ya hear mei-mei?” He replied, getting a smile from her “I’d say get brand new doo-hickeys but we can’t go throwin' all of the money away on shiny widgets or whatever ya need. We gotta use some of what we have for other things.. and you.” He turned to Ru. “Slightly… older.. mei-mei…”

“Good one boss.” She told him sarcastically.

“Give me a break, I’m goin’ on vacation.” Mal quipped back. “Pack heat and look all manner of intimidatin’, sometimes ya can getta discount that way.”

The auburn head nodded a yes.

“Wash, use the rest of that ta fuel us up. Now, Zoe,” Blue eyes moving to his first mate. “You, Simon, and River…”

“What?” Simon blurted.

Malcolm ignored him. “Are going to go and git them fancy Christmas decorations everyone complains we never have when winter holiday rolls around.” With a dry smirk that said he didn’t really want to blow good money on decorations, he tossed her a leather purse, the coins jingling inside.

“You gonna let us getta big tree?” Kaylee probed. “Whenever we get one, it’s always on the pitiful sidea puny…”

“I do recall there only being sixteen needles on last year’s tree.” Wash added. “And it died in three days…”

“Ah yes.” Zoe nodded her head with a wistful expression. “And Kaylee made an ornament out of a lug nut and the whole thing bent in half when she put it on.”

“Poor thing didn’t have a chance.” Her husband sighed dramatically.

Mal pursed his lips as it meant more money spent and hesitated. “Zoe, getta big tree.”

Everyone smiled, with the exception of Simon who was still stuck on taking River out in public.

“Which leaves me ‘n Gambit, we’ll be gettin’ groceries for the week…”

Zoe cleared her throat and took out a piece of paper.

“What?” Mal quizzed.

“Well, no one never likes whatcha buy when it’s your turn for groceries.” The mechanic told him softly. “So we complied a list.”

His first mate handed it to him and he curled his lip. “A what?” Mal's face, as he looked at them, was as if they had just told him it was a mutiny.

“Zoe came up with it.” Wash announced quickly. “I was just entranced by her feminine wiles and went along.”

“Ya’ll don’t like my chow?”

“Sir, all you git is army chow.” Zoe explained. “We’re on vacation, we like… variety.”

He studied the listed “Shen-me di-yu… Kaylee! Strawberries ‘n the middle a winter?”

“Please?” She gave a meek smile.

“Steak?! Fresh eggs, milk, butter, breakfast pastries?” He scoffed. “We ain’t rich core folk…”

“Yeah, but we gotta celebrate.”

*****

*****

***** TRANSLATIONS

*Xiu diao: rest up

*wo wei dei wa dong da yi yi jian ri: I do not need to dig the hole deeper with a lame date.

*mei-mei: sister

*Shen-me di-yu: What the hell