Crimson Regret Pours Brown

--------------------------------- based on the world of Firefly by Joss Whedon

She had gone back into town to sleep, a feat she had gotten use to finally after all this time. Sadly, today she was restless, a feeling that made even the hard parts of her soft. What was she to do?

Her instincts wanted him dead, to discard her like a used up part on his ship. Why did he always underestimate her? Had she not shown him exactly what she was capable of during the War, the men she had slaughtered to keep his safe? Cat's mistake was maybe she had been too good. The tiger in a pussy cat's body...pretty and fun, but deadly and untrusting....She had given her life over for the sake of being used.

Yet, if this were the case, why ask her for a drink? He had opened himself up to her, walked right into what could have been her trap. Was there something she was missing? Or maybe he needed to clear the air and tell her he was over her and moving on to the Companion.

She had found out her name....Inara. Exotic and one of the best there was. Of course, she would be the one he fell for. Mal never went half ass to anything. After all, look who was hunting him down.

Cat damned herself as she flung off the bed, stripping of the sweaty clothing she had been wearing. Her hand immediately went to her throat, but then remembered she had given it back to him. It was probably a mistake, but then any bullet from her many guns would kill the captain. Just with that slug, well, it would have been more poetic.

Her eyes glanced into the mirror as she surveyed her subtle body. She had a perfect figure. Test tubes and genetics made sure of it, with firm chest and equally long, flexible legs. Her hand fell on the spot where a normal navel would be, but there was only smooth skin, marked here and there by an occasional scar. Cat wasn't invincible or untouchable.

She had been shot several times, stabbed, burned, beaten...and that only by the very people who created her. It was to see how fast she would heal and if she could continue fighting, when her body looked like swiss cheese. Strange how interesting the face on her one creator had been when she had broken the glass with her fist, before running him through with the pole from an IV.

Her long legs carried her to the shower as she twisted the knob. Hot water fell across her supple body and began washing the road dirt from each facet of her being. It had been awhile since she had had time to enjoy water, and it was intoxicating.

She dressed quietly even to her thoughts, clearing her head as she decided just what she should do. Join the only one who had ever given her a reason to live or say goodbye to the only one who had given her also a reason to die. Her hand clasped the .44 as she slipped it into its holster, casting a glance into the mirror again. Long red hair fell over her dark red silk shirt. If she had any doubts, now would have been a good time to play them and if she had only realized what would happen next, Cat wouldn't have reached for the old war torn brown coat from the black duffel bag she carried.