When Mal got back to the ship, carrying a bundle he was able to scrape together from various little shops, he noticed a significant difference in the amount of people onboard.

And they were all looking for something. Or, rather, some one .

"Hey," Mal said, setting down the bundle down on the cargo bay floor. Zoë and Kaylee looked up from the hideaway in the wall. "You lose something?"

"We can't find River," Kaylee whispered. "Simon told us you said she was sleepin' somewhere, but he still can't find her. We're helping him look."

"She's not on the bridge," Wash said, coming down the stairs.

"I thought you were staying in town," Mal ventured. Zoë shook her head.

"Mix-up with the hotel," she replied.

"I said I was sorry!" Wash insisted. Mal nodded.

"What's all this?" Kaylee asked, indicating the bundle. Mal looked at it and then at his mechanic.

"Christmas," he replied. "From Santa."

"Santa?" Zoë repeated. "As in, jolly old elf in a red suit?"

"As in River never had Christmas before," Mal replied. Kaylee looked at him and beamed.

"So you know where River is?" Zoë asked softly.

"She's sleeping," Mal replied. "And it'd probably be best if we could set this up 'fore she wakes."

"There's a spot in the kitchen," Wash offered, helping Mal pick up the awkward parcel.

"Shepherd and I have some presents laid out on the table," Kaylee explained.

They managed to get to the kitchen without too much fuss and unwrapped a small fir Mal had overpaid for knowingly. The rest of the bundle revealed small candy canes and tinsel and small wrapped items Mal insisted were presents. As Wash and Kaylee manufactured a small stand out of bits Mal was sure he'd seen in the scraps he'd asked Kaylee to chuck, Zoë, Simon and the Shepherd hung tinsel and candy canes from various branches. Jayne had shown up after a quick shower and disappeared into his bunk only to return with an odd assortment of ornaments that looked as though they'd been made by a drunk five year old... Jayne