based on the world of Firefly by Joss Whedon

------------------------------------------------ Falcon's creatures moved quickly, but not the way Reavers moved. These were more like the lumbering of Zombies, creatures Jayne had seen on the Cortex time and time again when he stayed up too late. Werzbowski fired the first shot, the big shotgun at his side barking loudly as the buckshot severed an arm, but it did little to stop the creature.

"Aim for the head." He cried over his shoulder, and then pumped the gun again to finish the job with the one armed creature by removing its brain. Big combat boot drove into another, the deep tire like pattern shown on the critter's face. Kitty bent down running her hand over Cat and then screamed when a monster went to grab her, but River caught a long bowie knife Mal threw at her and sliced the creature's head almost off. The little girl clung to the wounded Cat burying her head on her bloody chest. Batha, the large cat rushed to her side, long canines showing in the lights as she issued a challenge in a roar.

"Kitty, you need to heal Cat." Mal yelled, not trying sound demanding, but instead making sure he was heard over the noise. He fired his pistol toward where Jayne was letting Vera have her fun, catching one of the mob that had tried to sneak up on the big merc.

"I can't." She cried back as 'Ski's gun fired again barely missing Mal and hitting the creature that had its claws poised to kill him. Looking at the little one, Cat's husband felt sorry for her. She had been thrust into a situation that even with her highly intelligent mind was hard for her to handle. Now, the only one she knew could protect her and love her lay dying and she was too scared to do anything about it.

"Leave her be, Reynolds. If we got to do this without Babe, then we will." He used the big gun's hard butt to drive it hard into the face of one of the critters as Zoe blew off the head of one on his left. He nodded a thank you before grabbing some more bullets from his pocket before head butting an enemy who took advantage of the situation. "Need to worry more about finding an out."

"I know what we need, Werzbowski." Mal commented back, his heel driving into the head of one crawling toward Kitty, leaving a trail of blood from its completely blown off legs.

Simon continued to try and stop Cat's bleeding, his white shirt all but tatters as he had strip it entirely into bandages to cover the bone deep cuts on her skin. He had seen a lot, but the last time the doctor had seen damage so horrible, it had been on a cadaver with ten inexperienced medical students cutting on it. "Kitty, can you at least heal her ribs? If we try to move her, the jagged edges could puncture a lung. At least then we can get her to the Mule and out of harm's way, nyen ching-duh ."

"I...I can try." She shivered and closed her eyes, concentrating on Cat's shallow breathing and faint beat of her overworked heart. 'Heal.' She commanded, as the cells complained back at her. They were tired of healing, tired of working to repair damage only to have to do it all over again. Again she repeated the word, though her mind seemed to fight the urge to open her eyes to look at her surrounding, ears picking up the blast of the shotgun, fists plunging into faces, and drops flying...landing on the walls, ceilings, and even on occasion herself. The small framed girl never once let her thoughts play with what the substance was.

'Cat,' she called out letting it echo in the emptiness that answered her back. 'Cat, I'm scared.' Without an answer, she went back to work, trying hard to convince the weary nerves to do what she was telling them, all the while worrying that her protector wouldn't wake in time to save them.

---------------------------------------------------

"There's too many. We'll never get out of here." Jayne called over to Mal as he tossed another handful of ammo to his captain.

"We got to try, Jayne. Cat ain't in no shape to help us." He cast a quick glance to Kitty, who shook her head again. The beautiful bloodied woman had still not moved or show any sign of getting up. Even with his link, Werbowski couldn't get her to answer.

'Ski slammed the butt of his shotgun into the nearest creature as another bit down on the arm with the gun. Balling his fist, he drove it over and over into the head of the biter, hearing as teeth broke and bones snapped. Finally, without anything to continue biting with, the creature let go and 'Ski turned the gun on it and filled its toothless mouth with the long metal barrel before blasting a hole straight through its head. "Get Cat out of here."

Mal twisted as a clawed hand passed over him. "What?"

"Think he's tellin' us to get the hell out, Sir." Zoe shouted over the Mare leg in her arms as Kitty looked over to 'Ski.

"What 'bout you? I ain't leavin' you to die." Mal growled, his fist ramming hard into a monster at his side as he moved closer to 'Ski.

"You don't got a choice, Reynolds. Either you get or you're dead. Ain't letting that tah mah duh hwoon dahn win. Not this time, not with her again." With a knife from his side, he embedded in a monster that had come behind Mal and then used the body to toss it toward the crowd of others.

"You die and she'll never forgive me." Mal tossed a look at Cat as he slammed a foot into another of the mob.

'Ski turned and grabbed Mal by his coat. "I don't give a damn what she thinks of you, Reynolds. If you let her die, I'll bury you in the hole next to her....alive."

Mal stared at him as the man reached in his pocket and tossed the only grenade he had found toward the door. It blew a hole in the horde and made a path to the door, body parts flying as both men ducked. The blast halted the mob as each one stared at the damage done. "It won't last long so get going."

Mal nodded and ran to scoop Cat in his arms as Jayne slid Kitty on to his back. River, skirt bloody smiled and grabbed Simon's and Zoe's hands leading them toward the opening the grenade had made.

The shock of the blast didn't last long and Werbowski backed up to where they had left keeping anything from going after them. He was alone and even though he missed his shadow beside him, he was okay with it. A figure at his side made him turn. Batha, Cat's panther, stood her ground beside him, blood coating her short black coat.

'Just your mangy ass out of here, panther.' 'Ski thought at it, but she growled a challenge at him, beautiful green eyes shining with blood lust.

'Not boss. Cat's mate. Stay. Protect. Die.' Her eerie voice entered his head again as she moved like lightning hitting a tree swiping her large paw and slicing open the chest of an enemy. She then, covered in entrails that even hung from her long ivory teeth with scratches lining her body already healing, leaped into the mob, claws shining in the lights.

-------------------------

"Going somewhere, Captain Reynolds?" Falcon spoke in front of them, the entrance only a few feet away, but blocked by his big frame. He was completely healed from his tangle with Cat and looked as though his monster within was just hovering above the surface. "Don't think we're done playing yet."

"Cat's hurt, maybe dead. What more do you want, you big bully?" Kitty yelled dropping from Jayne's back, her eyes covered in tears.

Falcon bent down so he was eye level with the little girl and just grinned wide. "Well, my tiny little pussy, I want Cat to die and then, maybe I'll teach you just why your Cat didn't like me so much."

"You piece of tsway-niou..." Jayne yelled, River grabbing him to stop the big merc from going after Falcon. "You touch her and I'll blow your psycho head off."

Laughing like an evil mad man that had just succeeded in his master plan, Falcon just shook his head. "You humans are so easy to anger."

"You have no idea." Zoe moved the mare's leg up to point it at his head, her finger twitching on the trigger. Mal, beside her, cleared his throat.

"Zoe, drop the gun." He spoke as the dark woman glanced over at him curiously, and then obeyed reluctantly.

"Made it out. Now, keep your bargain." Mal turned to address Falcon and held tight to Cat, afraid if he let her go, she would die. Her faint heartbeat could be felt against his chest. "Let us be about our merry and you can go about whatever craziness you want...without Cat."

"Bargains are meant to be broken. I have no intention on any of you leaving alive."

"How did I know you were going to say that?" With one arm around Cat supporting her, he drew the pistol at his side so fast that Falcon had no time to react. The large gun sounded, its bullet catching Falcon in the neck. Shocked by Mal's quick reflexes, blood coated the floor in front of the maniac as he fell to the ground, Mal readjusting his arms so they were around Cat. Stepping over Falcon's body, he called back to the stunned crew. "Let's get the hell out of here."

Following him out, they each looked down at the body of Falcon and slipped into the fresh air of outside. Only River paused to look behind and then to the body, her lips turned in a very odd looking smile. "Birdies don't like bullets." With that, River skipped out.

----------------------

"Ski." In the back of the Mule, Cat gasped as Kitty cradled her head. Mal leaned over and touched her blood coated hair. They had waited an hour for him and the big cat, but nothing had come out of the open door and the sun was starting to set. She mumbled again. "Where?"

"I don't think he made it out, boa bei." He spoke, but knew she was still completely out of it, even though inwardly he wished she was calling for him, Kitty unable to heal her in the mess that they had come out of.

"You know, Reynolds, never count a dog out until you see his dead body." 'Ski emerged from the complex, smiling with the big black panther behind him both covered in blood with a cigarette dangling from his mouth. "Or Cat." He looked back at Batha who padded over to climb up by Kitty.

"Made it, huh?"

"Can't let you get all the glory and the girl. By the way, might want to move your little posse away from the door." He smiled evilly patting his pocket before grabbing a piece of sinew that had somehow gotten on his shoulder. Flinging it, he shrugged before climbing into the back and sliding in next to Cat pulling his wife's head into his lap and flinching when Kitty hugged him.

"Serenity's waiting. Let's not keep her." Mal yelled and climbed into the saddle of the big black horse of Cat's,Sliepnir. It was going to break her heart that they couldn't take the stallion with them. Too long in space for the ebony giant not to have room to exercise. Jayne, the buckskin under him, smiled at River, who giggled as the paint tickled her leg with its nose.

"Let's be cowboys." She snickered using the reigns to encourage the silly horse forward as it neighed at her prancing a few steps before breaking into a nice steady canter.

Zoe shifted the mule into gear and once they were about a thousand yards from the complex's large steel fence, Ski brought a detonator, its flashing red light reflecting off his smile. He had literally tripped over the explosives on his way out and being 'Ski, figured he might as well not waste them. Leaning to Cat, he kissed her cheek and whispered low in her ear. "This is for you, Babe." The button pressed and the whole area they had come from exploded in flames and flying rocks. Pebbles rained on them as he brushed them from her soft, dirt smeared face. "I know how much you love it when things go boom."

---------------------------------

AN- Feedback, feedback, need to see some feedback.... LOL!!!