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

Cat closed her eyes for a moment, her hand resting gently on the door she had slammed shut to keep Mal from coming back and trying to save her. What he didn't know was he already had, with the love he showed her no matter what she had become.

Taking her fist, she slammed it hard into the control box, wires spitting and sparking as blood covered them before power was lost. This was something she had to do alone and if her beast should raise its head and prevail, Cat wanted it contained and not free to kill everything in its path. After all, she wasn't sure if she could come back from a fight of this magnitude.

She cast a look to her hand, the long cuts already beginning to heal as the blood stopped flowing and she turned toward Falcon, who smiled despite the fact she knew he was pissed at what she had done. "There goes your audience."

"Already your lover is trying to fix the door to get in. He's got enough balls to do it, too and if he doesn't, that Reaver will kill himself trying to tear into the door."

"Ski's smart. He doesn't think a lot with his heart. He'll make sure River is safe." She believed that between Mal and Ski, her partner was the smartest of the two and the one who would maybe, for a moment, listen to her.

"He might be until he hears you scream." Falcon let fly the knife he had held to River's neck earlier and it embedded itself into her shoulder. Her scream echoed in her ears even as she tried to stop it. Reaching to pull the blade from its resting spot, she tried to send out enough of a message to Ski that she was okay, to continue with rescuing River, and to leave her to her fate. Her mind protested sharply.

* * *

Mal looked to the man, who claimed to be the husband of the woman he was now trying like hell to save. In a way, the captain knew that Cat wanted him and his crew safe, away from what she had become and everything that went along with the Academy's twisted ideals of a perfect life. The smart thing would have been to leave, but then Mal wasn't known for his good judgment and to hell if he was going to start now.

With the butt of his pistol, he slammed into the metal panel hiding the wires of the door. It sparked a little, but someone on the other side had done some serious damage like they didn't want him to put the puzzle back together. Some how they didn't understand his will to succeed at almost all costs. After all, his crew was safe and Ski would see to River's safety if something should happen to him.

"You're gonna need some help, Reynolds." A deep voice over his shoulder spoke as Ski looked at the panel. "And even if you get this thing open, Falcon's not gonna let her go easily."

"Ain't like I don't know the odds." He whispered, pulling out a few exposed wires. "And just when did you start turnin' your back on her?"

"I didn't, but I ain't dealin' with her temper when she finds out I didn't kick your ass and drag you the fuck out of here." Ski smiled as Mal turned to him, glaring at first and then slowly smiled in return.

"Sounds like her, I'll give you that."

"She doesn't want to be found." River muttered finally, watching the two exchange thoughts. "She doesn't want to be saved."

"We know that, River, but sometimes what we want is different from what we need." Mal took the knife Ski had offered him to strip some of the exposed wires and reconnect them.

"That's not going to work." River stated, her eyes not even on the panel, but just staring at the large metal door like she could see through it.

"And you know how?" Ski stated before a spark exploded in Mal's face, burning his fingers.

"Ching-wah tsao duh liou mahng," he yelled, putting the hurt fingers in his mouth and sucking on them.

"So, what have we learned class?" Ski commented, watching Mal inspect the blisters on his thumb and index finger.

"Guess it's better than being shot." The captain replied before casting a glance at River. "Well, if you know what we need to do, then come over and do it."

"She tells me not to." The young woman, a bit on the spooky side, turned her eyes to the captain and Ski.

"She ain't your captain. I am." Mal raised his voice a little as she shook her head.

"Not here. Not now." Her voice turned cold and hollow as they heard a scream emanate from behind the metal door. Shadows around them began to move and hiss. "We are prey and the hunters are vastly approaching."

* * * *

Cat held tight to the blade that had been only seconds before in her shoulder. The wound had continued to bleed out, her healing ability past its breaking point. It was slowly working on the wound, but working on overload from the last few hours hadn't helped matters.

Falcon only laughed at her and then pointed at the big door, something Cat wasn't sure she followed. “Care to share with the whole class?”

“I just thought you'd like to know I sent some greeters to make sure your gang felt right at home.” He smiled at her. “Did you really think I was going to let you have all the fun?!”

She snarled at him through her fangs as he just laughed harder. “And you know what the good part is. You just destroyed the only means to which you could help them.”

Striding up to him, Cat grabbed the collar on his shirt pulling her to him before using her strength to hurtle him into the door. With a thud that sounded like it broke bones, she grinned. “Better pray the door gives before you do.”

* * * *

Zoe was getting tired of guard duty. She had awoken to Cat holding some kind of smelling salts under her nose and felt like her head was going to explode. It hadn't gotten much better after that. Jayne sat, fingers playing with the trigger on that big old gun he carried and staring at a smiling little girl, who would talk to Simon and then turn to the large merc.

“I'm getting a little antsy, Zo.” Jayne commented, looking to her.

“I know, but we were given an order.” “Not really by Mal, but that psycho bitch.” It wasn't that Jayne didn't like her, hell, if push came to shove, he'd probably bang her, but she still gave him the heebie jeebies.

“Very true.” Zoe smiled, a total shock to Jayne, who thought she would argue the idea of doing anything against her captain. “But, I'm not sure how wise it is to leave these two alone.”

Jayne cast a glance at the doctor and then to the little girl who seemed drawn to him for some weird reason. “Can't take 'em with us.”

“No, we can't.” The dark woman threw a look to the semi open door to the facility and then to the blood prints that decorated the walls near them as well as the thirty odd dead bodies. A sound spooked her and she thrust the long Mare's Leg to her shoulder only to find the dark panther Cat had been traveling with, standing only a few feet from the Mule.

It motioned its head toward the door and then to Simon and Kitty. “Think it wants us to go.” Zoe said to Jayne, who only nodded his head.

“Are you sure leavin' us with this beast is a good idea?” Simon asked tossing a glance at the big cat before looking back at Zoe.

“She wants them to help your captain. She says that they are in grave danger and that she can't help protect them the way your guns can.” Kitty stood and leaned a hand on the large cat, it immediately returning with drying blood on it. Zoe moved to pull the girl away, but Kitty again raised her blood covered hand. “It's not hers.”

“Kitty, I don't think that cat is safe.” Simon bent low like he would if it were River. Defiance shown in her face as she got right back in his. “I'm safer with her than any one of you.” She snapped, slightly scared for Cat and the crew, but also mad that they would ever accuse her friend, Batha, as anything other than a friend. Leaning so her arms were wrapped tightly around the big feline, who licked her face with her rough pink tongue, Kitty replied. “Either you trust her or you lose Mal, Ski, and your sister. It's your choice.”

Simon backed up staring at the duo before turning to Zoe. He frowned at her and Jayne waving them on. The dark woman reached out and placed a warm hand on his shoulder as Jayne slipped the long strap of Vera higher on his shoulder.

“Guess we better go be heroes again, huh?” She smiled as they both waved goodbye to the doctor and the girl with her panther guardian.

“Why is it easy when we're bad guys.” The big merc replied as they stepped once again into the bowels of hell. ----------------------------------

Ching-wah tsao duh liou mahng = frog humping son of a bitch

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

AN- Feedback please and thank you......