Based on the world of Firefly by Joss Whedon

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It was night before she made it back to camp, opting to explore the further reaches to make sure there were no more surprises to be had. Thankfully, besides a rather hungry wolf pack that had just killed a deer, it seemed pretty quiet. A disturbance near her right sent her on high alert, fangs issuing in a display of pure power and aggression as a growl built up in her throat. Cat smelled blood.

Slowly, her sleek body crouched into a hunting position, her feet barely making any sound. The brush moved again, large enough to conceal a body. She was sure that she had counted right, five scouts not six. Still, not that she did it often, Cat could and did make mistakes, just not in judgment.

Something moved again and this time Cat was ready. Claws out, she pounced and wrapped tight around the squirming object in her arms. It cried out, but not in pain....its cry was pure fear. Fur moved in her hands and when she finally was able to secure the creature, Cat realized that in her hands was a baby deer, its moans calling for the mother that was only a few feet away, but afraid to approach.

The darker side of Cat echoed its hunger and its anticipation for blood, but something in her stopped. Her fingers slid from the little one's fur and watched as it ran to its mother, both taking off as the muscles in Cat's legs flinched, ready to follow in a chase. Instead, she continued on her way, scouting, but in her mind, there was something not quite right. The beauty, enhanced and ready to destroy life, had just saved it and it had felt good.

******

"I saw the bullet go in." A voice behind her made Cat turn, long fangs bared in the low light. Zoe stood a few meters off just staring, shotgun held tight in her hands.

"Hit the dirt." She growled and faced the other way, not really wanting to talk with the woman she had saved even though everything in her told her not to.

"It was meant for me. Would have hit me in