Title: To All a Good Night

Author: Shealynn

Spoilers: reference to “Out of Gas” and “Safe,” but no spoilers. Takes place at holiday time…at some point.

Disclaimer: no characters belong to me, glory be and the Joss be praised, thanks for lettin’ me play.

Email: shealynn88@hotmail.com (Please feedback!!)

“You all want to what? ” Mal demanded irritably as he and his first mate struggled through the holiday crowd at the famed Eglantine bazaar. The rest of the crew straggled behind them, checking out the holiday wares with their recent payday fresh in their minds. It seemed to Mal that the holiday had only gotten more garish as Christmas and the Chinese New Year had merged. Red was the predominant color all around him, and there were more nativities and statuary than he ever remembered from his youth. He scowled at the thought.

“Sir,” Zoe explained calmly, “Inara has an assignation, so we’re stuck here anyway. What’s a little celebration for the crew, anyway?”

Mal hated it when she was logical. “It’s just…Gorramn it, Zoe, how much of this do I have to take?”

“None of it, sir. We were thinking of staying planet-side. You don’t have to join us, though you’re welcome to.”

“Ha,” the captain scoffed. “Why would I want to celebrate a centuries dead child, an old man with clothing worse than mine, and a billion unnamed gods who never did me no good?”

“Sir,” Zoe chided. “You can’t stop the crew from keepin’ the holiday. They worked hard for the credits they’ve got, and they’re gonna want to spend ‘em, especially now. You really want to coop them all up when all they want is to be out celebratin’?”

“Now wait just a gorramn minute! I didn’t stop Kaylee from decorating Serenity with those ridiculous red tinsel-y things, now did I? And when she wanted to put up those blinkin’ lights around her door? I didn’t complain, though they give me a guay of a headache! I ain’t said a gorramn thing to any of you about—Kaylee you put that d