Pull the Trigger, Kill the Hurt

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

She flung open the doors of the bar and walked straight over to where he was sitting and pointed her .44 against Mal's temple. "I should kill you here and now and be done with it. You act like I'm some monster that would kill some innocent girl and then toss me away like some used piece of shit."

"Hello to you, too, Cat." He looked up at her, not a look of fear but amusement. "You gonna holster that piece."

"You're such a son of a bitch." She dropped into her seat, tossing back whatever he had had in his shot glass.

"Glad to see you haven't changed." His hand dipped into his pocket as he brought out the bullet. "You dropped this."

"Shouldn't it go to your Inara."

"She may hold my eyes at the moment, Ai-ren, but only one can hold this." He placed it back in her hand.

"Thought you didn't trust me."

"I don't, but i don't trust Jayne either and he's on my gorram boat." He laughed. "Though Jayne's more a trained monkey than a threat. You are as beautiful as you are deadly."

"Think that was the point."

"You could've said goodbye. I mean the note was fine and all, but it would have been nice to try and convince you not to leave."

"As much as I would've enjoyed you trying, I couldn't risk it. They were not happy with my betrayal. Staying with you and Zoe would have only lead to your deaths."

"It would've been nice to make the decision for myself."

"It was hard enough for me to make." She let her eyes fall to the bullet, letting it rotate in her fingers. Mal's hand fell over it and she felt the warmth of his touch, one she had missed more than she cared to admit. "You love her?"

"Inara?" She shook her head. "If you would have asked me yesterday, I probably would've said she's the only one, but now, I can't trust you or even know if tomorrow you will be here, but damn it, Cat, you have me feeling things that I haven't in a very very long time."

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be. I've missed this feeling."

"So what now? They are still hunting you and the girl. I can offer my protection, but even I'm only one person and I'm not too sure your Inara is going to appreciate me walking in on her parade."

"Cat?"

"Ya, Mal."

"Shut up." He smiled at her as his hand slipped around her neck drawing her soft lips into his. He drank for them deeply, sending fire into her abdomen and stirring the very fibers of her cold soul. As he pulled away to catch his breath, he whispered into her ear taking in the smell of her hair. "Cat, you got a room?"