Based on the world of Firefly by J. Whedon --------------------------------------------

It was fifteen minutes later before Jayne motioned to Cat, his big leather and skin clad hand leaning toward a seedy bar. She smiled, shaking her head and he gave her one of his 'huh' looks. "What? We didn't find him at Badger's and if I was gonna speak words to Mal, I'd be at a bar."

"And I'm sure it would have nothing to do with the fact there's alcohol and women." A look back at him, her green eyes catching his as he smiled.

"Never crossed my mind." His tongue ran over his lips, something he'd say he did because they were drying in the dust, but Cat wasn't easily fooled.

"We keep our minds on the task at hand. No distractions...I get shot because you are flirting with some female stripper and me and you are gonna have words. I promise at least three of them you'll understand." She pointed at him with her long hunting knife before sliding it back to the sheath at her side.

"Yes'um, Boss Lady." The merc teased, making sure his guns were loaded and the single gernade nestled under his shirt was still tight within its holder.

Cat moved like velvet over the ground as she sauntered toward the bar, a few eyes catching the sway of her backside. She could feel each one, each sickening thought that crossed their mind as well as her partner's. Jayne was a good soul and he did what needed done when it came to protecting what was Mal's. He had also become the bes thing for Kitty anyone could have imagined, loving her as if she was normal. Something Cat couldn't even do. Still, when it came down to it, Cat still longed for her Captain at her side or....

Her head shook for a moment to get him out of the blackness there. Those days were over, past spent longing after him at her side would damn her to a life of regret. Still, in a fight, there was only one other person she trusted as much as her husband, and he was back on Serenity.

Her fingers pushed against the double doors to the bar, like the ones you see on the old cowboy movies that the Cortex tended to play at night when everyone slept. It had become a nightly ritual for Mal and she a few times a week. He'd fall asleep with her on the couch in the common room, the pair watching whatever happened to be on. It was their try at normalcy, something both tended to forget when it came to battling fleshing eating monsters and interacting with a psychic 500lb panther.

She had been to this bar before, its smell like all the rest save for the smell of something more, her own blood...somewhere in a corner that hadn't been cleaned in several years. A smiled split her full lips as she let the memories of what had happened tease her brain. Eyes looked above the bar, a single bullet hole that had come from her husband's gun, another from the one on Badger's side. Good times, though one's she had learned not to long for.

A voice called to the pair as Jayne motioned for a beer, his shoulders shrugging at her glance. Pulling up a stool, he sat, elbows propped around the bottle to hide his face. A woman who smelled of booze, sex, and incense slid in next to him, a cooing coming from her mouth as Cat just shook her head. A leopard didn't change his spots and Jayne was definitely spotted.

Down she let her legs carry her toward the far end of the long wooden bar, further into the den of lions where she was definitely at home. Someone waved as she nodded back, but made no other sign that she was interested. Cat was hunting and unilke most humans, her mind was one tracked.

The bartender looked at her as she took the last stool at the bar, her hands folded on the old wood surface. Water rings that were older than she was made it appear as if an octopus had crawled across it. "Tequila, if you have it. Whiskey, if you don't."

"I got it, but it's expensive." He growled reaching for a glass as he flicked out a black beetle. It scurried across the bar, zig zagging around glasses and hands before an old man caught it. His one eye stared at the wiggling mass for only a moment before dropping it into his mouth with a sickening crunch. Cat shrugged her shoulders before looking back to the barkeep. After all, she'd eaten worse.

"Make it whiskey." She smiled, reaching in to throw a couple bills on the counter. A year ago Cat would have splurged on the Tequila, but then she wasn't responsible for a crew now, a family. Still, as the Bartender closed the golden liquid, her nostrils flared at the scent.

"You care what country it comes from? Irish? Scottish? American?"

"You telling me you have all those?"

"Nope, but I've heard I'm one helluva liar." He grinned a toothless grin, or at least one missing a couple teeth. Spilling some on the table as he poured, Cat took the glass and belted it, quickly as she could without anyone noticing her eyes rolling into the back of her head. Sometimes, sacrifice just sucked.

"You know a lady like yourself should indulge in something with a little more bite." The voice was familiar, a deep sensual voice that if she wasn't completely spoke for...twice...might interest more than the curious side of her, but this voice didn't give her those sweet feelings.

As the barkeep poured the Tequila into her empty glass, she growled before taking a drink. "So, Ruger, is this drink gonna cost me or is it just payment for saving your ass more than once or twice?"

The man laughed and nodded as he handed some money to the man behind the bar. "You know me well, Cat. Too well sometimes. Just call this a 'glad to see you' present and the fact I can't stand to see you drink cheap." She caught his deep blue eyes as they catch hers before casting a glance around the room.

"What you looking for?" She asked, letting the bite from the wicked brew burn her throat. Her hand rested on the knife at her side as the man beside her ran his fingers through the rich dark hair, it laying in a wavy pile.

"Half expecting your old man to be holding a shotgun to my head for buying you a drink and not him."

"You'll be waiting awhile. Run with a new crowd now."

"Heard that. Captain Malcolm Reynolds...Serenity if I remember. Man's quite a legend when it comes to us runners. Taken on the Alliance and making the world see what they really are. Got balls of steel, that one." He motioned for another to be poured into her glass as well as one into his. Lifting it up, he smiled. "To the Browncoats."

"To Serenity." She smiled raising her glass to click it against his. "Damn it's actually good to see you."

"Cat, this man bothering you?" Jayne asked behind Ruger and when the stranger turned, Jayne showed him the gun at his side.

"Well, looks like you replaced Ski with another crazed gun carrier." Ruger looked Jayne over before Cat could laugh.

"Ain't Mal, though crazed and gun carrying is about half right. Man that's staring you down with the pair of six shooters on his hip is Serenity's Public Relations specialist, Jayne Cobb. Jayne, meet another man from my past, Jacob 'Ruger' DeWitt."

"You marry this one too?" Jayne growled, but shook the man's hand, spying the sawed off shotgun that lay nestled in his duster.

"Never got a chance to. Ski would have had my balls I got near her in any way that weren't polite."

"Knew I liked that man for a reason." The merc slid into the stool next to Cat, who had motioned for the barkeep to pour a glass of whiskey for Jayne. He looked at it and then reached for her Tequila, tossing it back. Slamming it down in front of her empty, he then grabbed for his glass and took it as well. "So, Ruger, how's business?" She asked, tossing a look to Jayne as she wrapped her finger around her glass.

"Big man came through asking questions about a red head and my old friend Badger. At first, I didn't put them together and then I saw you walk in. Figured after all the shit you did for me and for my sister, well, I'd offer my help if you need it."

"Still know how to fly?"

"Why? Your hubby use to fly circles around me. Just ask him."

"I didn't ask that. I need someone who can fly a Firefly class transport." As she said it, Jayne looked at her. "Sure make me feel safer if River was staying with Kaylee, Kitty, and Inara. Niska wouldn't go after them with her as their bodyguard."

"You trust him." Jayne tossed a look at the stranger and growled something in Chinese that needed no translation.

"As much as I trust Badger. Neither would be stupid enough to betray me and at least with him, well, he owes me more than one."

"She's right about that. Wouldn't be breathing if it weren't for her and I've been itching to get this debt out of the way if you know my meaning."

"I do. Cat's a hard one to owe stuff to. She's liable to take your head for a debt not paid." A smiled slowly crept across her lips.

"Besides, I for one want to see this man who beat out Ski. Way you two were..." A knife in his side stopped him.

"You want to repay me. Let that bit go. No more talk of my husband and you will respect Mal or I promise to make good on my threat." A nod from the blue eyed man let the knife find its way back to her side.

"Do I want to know what that threat was?" Jayne asked as Ruger took another shot.

"Day I met her she told me if I ever fucked with the ones she loved...she'd gut me, slice me in half, and send each one to my sister and mother respectively."

"Gorram..."Jayne blinked. "Worse threat I got was she'd cut off my man parts. Though to be fair, it was a complete misunderstanding."

"What hell you live in that those thoughts were a misunderstanding?" Cat sneered.

"I was having a dry spell. River is too young, Zoe is just...scary, Inara, well, I've entertained those enough and Kaylee's been with the doc. You were fair game, plus what man in his right mind don't want to know what a woman like you feels like in bed."

"I'm gonna go find the big man that's reporting to Badger. You boys can continue this conversation alone." Standing, she smiled. "Though I am sure Mal will love to hear how you let me go off on my own to look for this dangerous man to lust after me."

"What am I gonna love?" A hand fell to her shoulder and if his smell hadn't proceeded him, Cat might have warned him, but her captain never had to ask permission.

"Mal, I was..." Jayne bumbled, sliding off the stool almost tripping as he did.

"Name's Jacob DeWitt, but everyone I know calls me Ruger on the happenstance that I carry two of them." The stranger stuck out his hand and Mal, after a nod from Cat, returned the favor. "Heard you all could use a pilot for a couple weeks?"

"Make things a bit easier for us. Though I don't trust just anyone with my boat. Same goes with Cat." His eyes looked to Jayne, who had tried to hide behind Ruger, but it wasn't working. "Jayne, you wouldn't be drinking when you're suppose to be keeping Cat safe?"

"Just one or two...ain't some polly that can't handle his liquor?" The big merc looked almost insulted.

"Take it you haven't found Badger's babysitter." Mal had given up on Jayne, or at least trying to separate his thought process. Not many understood the big man, and even less wanted to.

"Either he's headed back to Serenity with the cargo or he's somewhere talking with Niska. This place is in the darker part of town and it also is a little seedier than most." A look over the patrons made her point, but Cat knew it even better since her experience with Ski.

"Remember there are rooms upstairs as well as down. Think maybe he's be in one of those." Ruger handed Mal a glass of something, Cat not quite knowing what by the color, but the smell made it seem like scotch.

"Seems like a good place to start. Jayne, you head upstairs and Cat and I will do the down. Take this man with you." As the merc shook his head, Ruger cast a glance toward Mal. "Consider it your interview. Live and you might get to go with. Die and I won't have to pay you."

"Nope. Not like him at all." Ruger smiled and headed after the merc toward the stairs.

"What?" Mal asked Cat and she shook her head.

"Nevermind. He's a bit touched in the head."

"Well, he'll fit right in." Her captain bolted back the drink and handed the empty glass to the bar keep before following after Cat.