On the seventh day of Christmas my true love gave to me seven swans a-swimming

Mal was exasperated with Simon. The man had been plaguing the life out of him since the last wave from Inara.

“I need you and Wash here on the boat that’s why.” He was answering the tenth complaint from the doctor. “Wash is going to keep watch out here and pilot us away if need be. And you will get the infirmary ready in case we have injuries. Dong ma?”

“That’s all very well Captain, but I question why you need to take River with you.” Simon was worried about his sister and how she may react to all the new sensations on the moon. Although she had been a little improved since her tussle with Early, he thought she was by no means ready to go into a potentially dangerous situation.

If the truth were told Mal wasn’t too sure about taking the girl with them either. But he was willing to try anything that might help in the rescue of his crew.

“We might need a reader down there, and she’s the only one we have. So I’m sorry doctor but River is coming with us.” he turned to Wash “How long to the rendezvous?”

“Another four hours and we should be above Trinity.” And he’d be stuck here with the doctor again “You should be down on the moon by nightfall, and then the fun will really begin.”

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Jayne pushed aside the bushes and staggered into the cave where Kaylee was pacing anxiously.

“Jayne!” she dashed forward and grasping his elbow helped as he slumped to the ground. He was covered in mud, drippin’ water everywhere and bleedin’ from a bad gash in his arm.

Kaylee turned and picked up the med kit she had put aside when Jayne was late getting’ back. She blessed the fact that the stolen packs had included the kit as well as food and weapons.

“Cover the entrance first Kaylee.” He reminded her when she turned to him med kit in hand. He watched as she pulled the bushes back into place. She hadn’t flinched away from him this time. Yesterday when they stopped runnin’ Kaylee had taken one look at him all covered in blood and flinched.

Jayne didn’t think he could stand it if Kaylee were afraid of him. He could take the we’re friends bit. He could even stand the mechanic makin’ eyes at the doc ‘n every pretty boy that came along, as long as Kaylee weren’t afraid of him.

She was on her knees beside him now, head bent as she examined the gash in the arm. Ai ya it stretched all the way from his wrist to the elbow. “What happened Jayne? You were gone so long.”

Kaylee had been goin’ crazy waitin’ for him to come back. She was so worried ‘bout what might’ve gone wrong for Jayne that she had almost gone lookin’ for him. But she had promised him that she wouldn’t leave the cave. No way was she goin’ to disappoint him, but boy was she sick of him doin’ all the work, protectin’ them both.

“More in the group than I thought” he hissed as she swabbed the wound clean “Had to hide in the creek to get the drop on ‘em.”

The wound was clean, now she had to sew it up. She shuddered, there was no smoothers for Jayne to take, nothin’ to take the pain away. To distract him she asked “How many were there?”

“Seven.” He knew she was tryin’ to distract him. “Kaylee, I know there’s no smoothers. Distract me by tellin’ me why you’re so set celebratin’ Christmas.”

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“Well sir you sure are a thing of beauty.” Zoë smiled at the captain. Blue is definitely your colour.

She and River were the beauties thought Mal, they easily equalled Inara in the sophisticated stakes.

Zoë was swathed in a black dress covered in some sort of golden flowers. It fitted her from neck to ankles showing every curve the woman had. Made him glad Wash weren’t here to start rhapsodizing.

Looking at River, he was just as glad that the doctor weren’t present. He was pretty sure that Simon would object to how low cut River’s dress was. Somehow the red dress she wore made her appear a lot older than her seventeen years. It clung, all over, it wasn’t decent. But at least River looked comfortable which was more ‘n could be said for himself.

The shepherd actually looked comfortable in the outfit he was wearing. Since it was almost a companion to his, Mal didn’t know how that could be.

The collar of his shirt was so high he could barely turn his head. The coat so tight he couldn’t move his arms above his head, and if Kaylee thought the pants he’d worn to the ball at Persephone were tight, she should see these ones. The whole outfit was topped off by a red sash just like Sir Warwick’s. Made him fell like a gorram fancy man.

“Enough of this admiration stuff.” He said “have you heard anything of Jayne and Kaylee?”

“It appears that Jayne has already created a furore.” Remarked Inara

Mal was thankful that his crew were still alive “What’s he done then?”

Inara couldn’t hide her slight smile “He’s not following the rules.”

“Well of course he’s not following the rules, when does he ever?” remarked the captain “There’s rules for hunting people?”

“I’m afraid so my boy” answered Sir Warwick. “The prey is supposed to run scared, be hunted. It adds to the sport.”

“Jayne has turned the competition around” Inara explained “He’s hunting the hunters. So far he has accounted for ten of the competitors. For the first time in the hunt’s history, people are betting on the prey.”

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“I just got to thinkin’ on Christmas at home” Kaylee had never stitched anyone up before, least of all someone she cared ‘bout. Maybe if she just kept talkin’ it’d be over sooner.

“We’d start getting’ ready days afore Christmas. Ma had this special cake where everyone had ‘t stir the mixture for good luck. So everybody who stirred would come to stay, the house was full. People slept in the barn.” Her eyes lit up remembering

“My ma’s sister is blind. But she sings so beautiful. She would sit in the corner in the kitchen and sing every Christmas song she knew. She taught me and some of the cousins all the songs so’s to carry them on.” Thank Buddha she was nearly finished. Jayne was tryin’ not to show how much it was hurtin’. But she could see the lines of pain etched in his face and hear the barely smothered groans he gave from time to time.

“The years we didn’t have much money we made presents for each other. Other years we bought stuff, one year my daddy gave me a music box. It played one of the Christmas songs my aunt taught me.” She smiled “I don’t like snow, it’s too cold. But snow at Christmas its like magic. When we got older it was fun to cuddle ‘n kiss the special boy of the time under a blanket in the barn.”

“How many boys would that be, little Kaylee?” he grinned at her

“More ‘n a few,” she sighed “it was just a fun, happy time. For one day everyone forgot their problems, enjoyed theirselves. These last few months on Serenity the crew has been havin’ a hard time what with Tracey dyin’, Early causin’ all that trouble and Inara leavin’. I just thought we needed cheerin’ up. If I hadn’t thought that, we wouldn’t be here now.” She sat back on her knees surveying her handiwork, finished the stitching at last.

“Ya might not be, but I would” as usual Jayne never sugar coated anything. ”I’d still be injured and I’d have no-one to help me.”

Well maybe she was sort of glad she was here then, Kaylee didn’t want him to be alone.

Ai ya = damn