Time Turner
. . . fiction by Odyssea
. . .A Stuffed Bird Thingy In A Pear Tree. . .
Time came round for Kaylee�s birthday once again, and the crew of the Serenity joined together to find the one perfect gift.
Mal came up with an obvious suggestion, and while Kaylee would have loved to get her hands on a pair of reverse thrusters, the crew decided to get something just for her. Jayne�s suggestion was too obscene to even consider, and River�s idea of filling the hold with a million tiny, dancing ice crystals was too impractical, though it sure sounded pretty.
It was Simon who finally struck on the perfect gift, and one they were sure Kaylee would love � fruit. It seemed like a simple gift, but it was the perfect gift for their engineer.
Luckily, the Serenity was somewhat close to the Core, where there were shops that sold those delicacies. It would cost quite a bundle, but they�d been doing all right job wise, so they all pooled together. The crew ended up choosing Zo� to buy the present, since they had to present the right image to the proprietor, which discounted those members of the crew who were fugitives or just too improbable to be buying dainties like fruit. With some careful coaching from Simon, Zo� set out to buy Kaylee�s birthday present.
�Oh, it�s just the sweetest thing, guys!� Kaylee said, enraptured. �I don�t think I�ve ever seen fruit growin� on the tree before.�
Everyone looked at Zo�, who threw her hands up. �That clerk just kept talking, so I bought the first fruity thing that I saw so he�d shut up. And it worked, too.�
Wash laughed. �My talking doesn�t fluster you that much. Was he good looking? Will I have to punch him for hitting on my wife?�
�He was old and bald, Wash. Anyway, I�d most likely be the one doing the hitting.�
�Probably true,� Wash replied. �Fact is, that�s the only reason I married you. To fight my battles for me. Or not. Let�s all look at Kaylee�s tree.�
Kaylee beamed, playing with the small fruit. �It�s just so shiny and perfect. But, uh, what�s this stuffed bird thingy stuck on top?�
Simon shrugged. �It must be a local custom. I�ve never heard of putting a partridge in a pear tree before.�
Jayne grunted. �Maybe we can eat it.�
�Nobody�s eatin� my tree, Jayne,� Kaylee said. �Huh. A partridge in a pear tree. How �bout that!�
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