I don't own these characters.

A/N: a few things – this story started out as a long one-shot, then got really long, so it's now in chapters.

This story is unbeta'ed, so there will probably be several typos. Please, excuse them and I apologize in advance for them.

Also, excuse anything that seems OoC. It's been a long time since I've watched the Swat Kats. This is my first time writing this pairing. I hope it comes off well.

Lastly, I've made up some culture for the universe. I hope it works out. Please, enjoy. If you want to keep up with updates for this, check out my profile or my Facebook page (there's a link on my profile).

Lioness

1: Territorial

The day started out normal. As normal as a day in Megakat City could, anyway. It was a warm day, spring pushing out the winter chill. The sky was clear, a lovely, rather angelic blue staring down on them, watching the mayor's dedication speech for a new park.

The park suited the day. It was a new, large green space in the otherwise dreary, gray city. Enforcer Lieutenant Felina Feral looked forward to being able to go jogging in the park. She wanted to get some use out of it before it went the way of the other city parks. Because Megakat City was anything but normal, crime ran rampant in places it should not. While the Enforcers chased terrorists bent on the city's entire destruction in some way or another, drug deals, muggings, and even homicides went by with little consequences.

It was an utter shame and yet Mayor Manx stood here now, on a platform for all to see him and hear him, proclaiming how wonderful it would be for the kittens to have a place to go after school. If the kittens had half-a-brain, they all went home after school. But, from the size of the crowd, it was possible they believed him. Maybe people just wanted to believe the mayor, wanted the city to be something it was not, which she could understand. No sane, normal kat wanted to live in a criminal cesspool, after all.

Megakat City was such a strange and almost perpetually dangerous place that sometimes Felina wondered why people stayed, but a glance at the Mayor reminded her why. Money. The city's economy did very well. For some reason, there were always businessmen interested in moving into the city, bringing pieces of their companies, stocks, and jobs. This was something else Felina did not understand, which her coworkers often chalked up to her being a "country kat." Never mind the fact that she had traveled and seen more of the world than most of them combined.

Shaking those thoughts away, Felina focused back on the crowd. She was on stage standing close to the brothers who financed the new park. They busied themselves by leering at deputy mayor Briggs, who was next to them. Having been guilty of the activity herself at the poorest of times, Felina could not blame them.

Movement in the crowd pulled the lieutenant's attention from the kats she was meant to guard. Someone was cutting through people in a rush and it did not feel right to her. There was a glint in the bright sun.

"Gun!" Felina called right before shots rang out from the automatic weapon.

Without thinking, Felina pushed the businessmen down, flinging them off the stage. She watched as the enforcer guarding the deputy mayor move to protect Mayor Manx. The gunman seemed to be aiming at the mayor, but Deputy Mayor Briggs was too close. The shots were too close. The deputy mayor seemed frozen in place, possibly unaccustomed to being so blatantly in danger without the Swat Kats being nearby. Felina moved again, going by instinct.

Felina leaped in front of the deputy mayor and pushed her to the floor. The world seemed to pause and even though Felina knew she was hit, she did not feel it immediately. She did not feel anything, hear anything, or even notice anything beyond the scene. She could see enforcers tackle the gunman, so she knew the world was not actually paused. And then she was on the ground, feeling very cold, noise around her sounded garbled, like she was under water. Darkness engulfed her vision.

-8-8-8-8-

The beep of the machines was the only thing that let Callie know Lieutenant Feral was still alive. She stood by the lieutenant's bed, trying not to stare at all of the machines and wires. But, if she did not stare at those, then she stared at the enforcer. The sight made her stomach hurt.

It was hard to see the lieutenant like this. Usually, Felina Feral was a force to be reckoned with, a powerful presence, and all-around dominating individual. She brought weight to rooms when she entered. Now, she looked small and ashen, unconscious in her hospital bed. It seemed like the air could crush her. She was in the ICU ward of the Kimba Memorial Hospital and the doctors still were not sure if she would make it or not.

"You silly idiot. Why'd you jump in front of me?" Callie frowned, shaking her head. While the lieutenant would not be offering up any explanations for a while, she could guess. The silly enforcer would probably just tell her, "It was my job." Callie shook her head. "Your job was to make sure the Onca brothers were all right. You did your job. You didn't have to do more."

Sighing, Callie threw her hands up, knowing the lieutenant would never accept that logic. They did not know each other well, but she knew enough about Felina Feral to be aware the job was never done. There was always more, especially in their crazy city. Maybe it was something in the Feral bloodline.

Shaking her head once more, Callie rubbed her eyes, trying not to think about how close she came to death. There was something different about this brush with death and maybe because it was so upfront and, well, almost successful. Her heroes had not been there to save her. Instead, Felina Feral of all people had thrown herself in front of Callie, taking actual bullets for her. It was surreal, more so than anything she had gone through with the Swat Kats.

It was not that she had anything against Lieutenant Feral. It was not like Commander Feral had saved her, but it was still overwhelming to actually see someone willing to die to save her. Callie was not sure how to handle it. She was not even sure what to make of it. It was not like her life was worth more than the lieutenant's life.

"I didn't need you to save me," Callie growled. She wanted to be angry, but even pretending to be infuriated just made her stomach twist right now. The grinding made her want to vomit. Everything was too raw. "I'd punch you if only I didn't think it would make you take a turn for the worse. But, then again, you've made it through three emergency surgeries, so clearly you're as tough as you look. Well, you usually look anyway."

There was nothing tough about Felina Feral right now. Callie frowned at the comatose enforcer and could only shake her head again. Gripping the bed railing, she tried to sort out what she felt, but nothing made sense. It was all a jumbled mess, tearing at her insides and swirling like a vortex. Her thoughts were in ruins as well and Commander Feral entering saved her from standing there bewildered and possibly furious.

"Deputy mayor," the commander greeted her, giving her a little tilt of his massive chin. His eyes were hard and maybe that was how he always was, but Callie took it differently now.

Callie could not form words, could not breathe. Suddenly, her mind was consumed, only thinking how much he must hate her. She could and would understand if he did. For some reason, his presence and stare made her feel dizzy. She rushed out of the room, fearing she might pass out. She would need time to come to grips with everything.

"Why did this have to happen?" she wondered as she fled to the nearest elevator. She could not bring herself to get on it, though. She could not bring herself to be a whole floor away from the lieutenant. What if something happened, after all?

This question proved a jinx, Callie supposed. It was hardly ten minutes later that doctors flooded into the lieutenant's room. Commander Feral was practically shoved out. Callie's body trembled as she watched the door, waiting for some sign that the headstrong, crazy enforcer was all right.

"What happened?" Callie found herself asking, even though she did not want to know. She could hardly even believe she had asked. It did not sound like her voice, not from the way it shook.

"I don't know…" the commander whispered.

Callie swallowed hard and tried to breathe, but it hurt so much. Tears fell from her eyes before she realized it and she quickly wiped them away. Her stomach felt like it dropped into her feet. And just when she thought she would fall apart from fear and grief, she felt a hand on her shoulder. Glancing up, she saw it was Commander Feral's large paw.

"She's strong," he promised. Maybe the words were a reminder for him, but they wrapped around Callie to help keep her together.

-8-8-8-8-

Felina was vaguely aware of a presence in her room. This had been the norm since she woke up a couple of days ago. At first, she thought it was her uncle because she could not focus enough to pick up clues beyond the fact that he was the only one who would want to see her, but then the visitor spoke. Though everything sounded like she was under water with cotton jammed in her ears, she knew the voice belonged to the deputy mayor. She had only been able to groan in response and then nurses rushed in. Deputy Mayor Briggs had not said anything since, but she showed up every morning and sat in the corner, just out of view. Felina wondered if someone said something to the deputy mayor and that was why she had not spoken.

Felina wished someone would say something. It would be nice to have something to focus on. Instead, all she could do was think about how fuzzy everything was. Her body gave dull thumps with pain. She could hardly smell anything, even though she knew it would just smell like a hospital.

Felina decided to be the one to say something. Maybe she could get an idea as to why the deputy mayor was there or why she had not spoken in days. If nothing else, she could at least interact with someone. But, when she opened her mouth, all she could do was groan. Everything ached and pained her, even in the haze of murky clouds and muddy water that was acting as her brain.

"Are you all right?" Deputy Mayor Briggs asked, coming into view. She stood by the side of the bed.

Felina opened her mouth, wanting to ask about the deputy mayor's presence and what was going on, but only a mewing noise came out. She quickly – well, it felt quickly to her – closed her mouth. She wished she could disappear. She did not want anyone to see her looking so weak, but she doubted she would be able to convey that without being able to properly speak and she did not want to open her mouth if she sounded like a newborn kitten.

"Go…" Felina tried to say, but her tongue was so thick and her voice was so groggy it sounded like a grunt, even to her own ears. Come on, do better. You can do better.

"You shouldn't try to speak yet, Lieutenant. Just rest. You'll be all right," the deputy mayor said, her voice gentle in a way.

Something about how that was said troubled Felina. It was like she was not all right yet. She knew she was lucky to be alive, but she should have been out of the woods by now. She was quite aware she had multiple surgeries and had been in a coma for the past two days, as her uncle had expressed anger in her recklessness the last time he visited. He had stared at her with his usual scowl and a look she could not quite place in his eyes. Maybe it was concern. Maybe disappointment. Maybe even relief. Maybe all of the above.

Her uncle had not spoken either. Felina assumed he was silent because he did not want to scold her while she was stuck in a hospital bed. He never stayed long. She was not sure if it was because she slept so long or if he just did not want to be around her while she was awake. Since time escaped her, it was actually possible he stayed longer than she thought or he had work and that was why he left often. She was not sure and it probably was not the best idea to try to figure it out while being pumped full of pain medication.

"Are you in any pain?" Deputy Mayor Briggs asked.

Feline shook her head… or so she hoped. It felt like she shook her head anyway, but her senses were so dull that she could have imagined it. She was in much pain, but she did not want anyone to know. The deputy mayor reached out, as if she was about to touch Felina, but she stopped herself before she did. The delicate hand fell to the deputy mayor's side.

"I want to thank you again. You saved my life," the deputy mayor whispered.

"Was nothing…" Felina managed to breathe out. "Doing my job…" This little bit hurt to say. It was like her chest was on fire.

"It was everything!" the deputy mayor declared in a strong voice, baring her teeth a bit. Her teal eyes, hidden behind ever-present glasses, seemed weary and glistening. "You put yourself in harm's way for me. You saved my life. I don't know how to repay you. I don't know if I can repay you." A tear slid down her cheek.

Felina shook her head. "Don't… have to…" Felina took a deep breath, or tried to. It was more work than she recalled it. "Hurts…" It hurts to the edges of my hair. Even her teeth throbbed with agony.

"I'll get your nurses."

The deputy mayor rushed off before Felina could even try to utter another word. Felina wondered if the she-kat actually did not want to be around her, even though she was vaguely aware the deputy mayor rarely left the room. It did not make much sense to her, but she did not have the strength to figure it out. Instead, she fell asleep before the nurses or the deputy mayor came back.

-8-8-8-8-

Callie could hardly look at Lieutenant Feral as she settled back into her seat in the corner. It hurt to see the enforcer in such pain. But, she could not leave her side either. She wanted to make sure her hero survived. They already had a couple of scares and she was not sure if she would be able to handle a third. She could not believe how strong and resilient Felina Feral actually was.

Taking a breath, she tried to shake the way Lieutenant Feral sounded and looked as she tried to speak. She hoped the nurses made the lieutenant more comfortable. She guessed they had to do something because the enforcer was asleep again.

The machines beeped steadily, making sure the room was not silent, but also assuring her that the lieutenant was all right. But, for some reason each beep cut through her and made her heart jump. Everything about the room seemed to be in battle with each other. Things that scared her also comforted her, things that made her stomach turn also settled her nerves.

She was drawn from her thoughts as a cup was held in front of her. It was Commander Feral. He insisted on bringing her coffee or tea, as if it was supposed to make everything all right. Why he wanted to make things all right for her was beyond her, though. It was her fault his niece was in the hospital, after all. She should have moved out of the way. Instead, she froze and Lieutenant Feral had to save her. Thinking about it now, she felt disgusted with herself.

"Thank you," she muttered without looking up at him.

He sat down in the seat next to her and watched the lieutenant sleep. His eyes looked the same as always. She did not understand it. It was like he was angry, but she doubted he was upset with his niece. Maybe he was upset over her circumstances, but it did not make sense for him to look at the lieutenant in such a way. Callie was starting to understand that she did not understand the commander.

"She woke up earlier and could actually talk," she reported before sipping her warm beverage.

"She'll be fine," Feral stated. It might have been more for him than for her… or maybe it was equal as he swore she was worried out of her mind. But, he said it every time they shared this space.

"The nurses said they'll move her as soon as the infection is gone. Does she know about the infection?" This was why the lieutenant had been in such pain when she woke up.

Feral shook his head. "I only told her about the surgeries and I'm not even sure if she was coherent for that. It's good they got all of the bullets and the fragments."

Callie nodded. The first couple of surgeries had been declared a success until the lieutenant developed an infection. There were still bullet fragments in her body, but another surgery got those. Thankfully, she had been in a coma through all of that, but the infection was still there. She was on antibiotics. Still, she had a long recovery ahead of her.

"You don't owe her anything," Feral said out of the blue.

Turning, she gawked at him. "Excuse me?"

"You're not close, Deputy Mayor. You're not friends. If you're here out of guilt, you don't need to be. She did her job and protected you."

For some reason, she was affronted by his words and glared at him so hard it hurt her face. She could hardly see straight. "I'm not here out of guilt. I am just as worried about her as you are!" The nerve of this guy!

His face did not even twitch, as if he was not surprised and unaffected by her outburst. "She'll be fine," he repeated.

This let her know how worried Feral actually was. Usually, he was irrational and angry, but right now, he was just tense and rude. If he had hated her, like she first thought, he would have said as such. Instead, he probably accepted that his niece had merely done her duty and no one was at fault, except for the shooter.

So, instead of barking at Callie over something he did not think she needed to carry, he brought her coffee or tea. He sat with her and watched the lieutenant. He spoke those words, "she'll be fine," because it seemed like if they hung in the air, they would be the ultimate truth. He wanted to build his niece up with his own spirit, but now Callie could see what she could not. He stared at the lieutenant as if he expected her to slip away right in front of him and he tried to fight those thoughts back.

They were silent for a long time. "You should see the psychiatrist who handles the enforcers. He specializes in trauma like this," Feral offered.

Callie shook her head slightly. "I've got my own doctor." She had been seeing a psychiatrist for many years now to help deal with a number of issues. This was a drop in a bucket. Granted a large drop, but nothing that could not be dealt with. Well, as long as Feral's words proved true. The lieutenant needed to be all right or else this would be a bucket all its own.

Feral merely grunted and they kept their vigil. The lieutenant woke up a few times, but she was not very aware. She mumbled things and tended to drift back to sleep minutes later, which was good. She needed to rest, needed to save her energy to get better. But, she was strong. She would be all right.

-8-8-8-8-

There were not many visitors beyond her uncle and the deputy mayor. This did not surprise Felina. Her father had called to check on her, but she did not expect him to make his way up to the city. Her brother had also called, but he could not come to see her either. She was not very popular among her fellow enforcers, having only a few who would even talk to her beyond necessary word exchanges in the field. The Onca brothers dropped in one day and her uncle thankfully stepped out. The deputy mayor was not there for the moment.

"We realize we are in your debt and might never be able to repay your swift actions," the taller brother said, staring at her with intense golden eyes. His arm was in a sling, but he looked no worse for wear.

Felina's brow furrowed. "I don't need you to repay anything. I was doing my job."

"Yes, but your job saved our lives." He motioned to his silent brother, who did not appear hurt in any way that she could see.

Felina shook her head. "What happened to your arm?"

He chuckled. "I broke it when you pushed me off of the stage."

The shorter one chimed in. "It was good you pushed us, though. The enforcers have traced the path of each of the bullets fired. We would've been dead."

"So, we are in your debt. Anything you need, don't hesitate to ask us," the taller one stated. He handed her a business card. "My personal numbers are on the back. Anything you need, whenever you might need it."

Felina shook her head and tried to hand the card back. She did not need anything. She did not do what she did for accolades or rewards. Still, the Onca brothers left their cards with her. It was from those cards she actually learned their first names – Hernan and Desi. As long as she did not use the cards, she doubted she would ever hear from them again. So, they were one less thing to worry about.

She wondered if she would have to worry about the deputy mayor. She could see Deputy Mayor Briggs just as she stepped off of the elevator. She figured once she got out of the hospital, she would probably never see the deputy mayor again. At least, not until she got back to work anyway.

"Work…" Felina sighed. How long would it be before she went back to work? The deputy mayor entered with the doctor, so Felina would be able to ask.

"Lieutenant," the doctor greeted her. The deputy mayor smiled at her.

"Doc," Felina grunted. She had made his acquaintance several times since being able to stay awake for more than a half-hour. She was not a fan, but she was certain the feeling was mutual.

"Stayed in bed today?" the doctor inquired with his usual stern gaze.

"Couldn't help it," she grumbled. The first actual waking moment she had a few days ago, she had tried to get out of bed to go to the bathroom. It had ended about as well as could be expected from someone shot three times, battling an infection, and just coming out of a medically induced coma. It had taken three nurses to lift her back into the bed and she had torn some stitches.

He chuckled a bit. "Then thank you for making my job easier. Now, let's take your vitals."

"Can't you send in one of the nurses? They're a lot easier on the eyes and don't smell like sardines."

To his credit, he laughed. "Believe me, if I could, I would, but they don't deserve that kind of punishment. They think you're cranky, too."

Felina hissed at him. She had not interacted much with the nurses yet. She was a little embarrassed every time they came in, bathing her, helping her to the bathroom, and even feeding her sometimes because everything hurt when she moved. Humiliation did not even begin to cover how she felt. She just wanted to go home and get back to normal.

The check was quick. He rattled off about bunch of things that went in one ear and out of the other with Felina. She really just wanted to go home. He turned to leave, but before he was out of the door, she halted him.

"When do I get to leave?" Felina whispered.

"Soon," he answered with a smile and left.

"He wants to get rid of me, too," she muttered.

"Well, you're not exactly the ideal patient," the deputy mayor remarked with a half-smile.

Felina scowled. "Who would be? Stuck in this blasted bed, having to be washed by strangers, and too weak to even pick up a fork. This is no one's idea of a party."

The deputy mayor nodded, like she understood. Teal eyes watched her with a strange glisten to them. Frowning, Felina grunted and turned her head, not sure what to make of the attention from Miss Briggs.

"You're going to be fine," the deputy mayor said.

Felina just continued frowning, not feeling like that was true for the moment. She had three gunshot wounds, after all, and a list of other health problems. She could still remember the doctor's rather bland voice as he detailed her list of injuries: three gunshot wounds, two the torso, the last to the leg, two broken ribs, a clearing infection in her lungs, and a long road to recovery. The only thing she was happy about was that he did not treat her like a hero, praising her and thanking her like everyone else who came in.

Speaking of that, a couple of her coworkers marched into the room. They smiled and presented her with more flowers. Her room was covered in them, which she was thankful for as they chased away the "hospital smell." There were cards as well. If only there was something to drown out the noise from the machines, but at least the chattering of her coworkers stopped the noise for a while.

"The news is still talking about you and how you're a hero," Pete said with a grin.

Felina scoffed. She was sick of hearing about this every time they showed up. "I'm not a hero."

"Nah, you just saved three people, one of them the deputy mayor and the other two millionaire investors, and got shot up a bunch of times. Not a hero at all." Bob rolled his eyes.

Pete slapped Bob in the chest and laughed. "Look at it this way, at least you don't have to worry about catching shit from the other guys anymore about you only getting this job because the commander's your uncle."

"I don't care about that," Felina insisted. She was used to getting crap over that. And, if not that, the other enforcers would find other things. People always did.

"Of course not. What does her hero-ness, the great Felina Feral care about?" Bob asked with a teasing grin.

Sighing, Felina admitted the truth. "I just want to get out of here. I just want this to be over. I just want things to go back to normal." But, she felt like "normal" was a long ways away.

Her coworkers did not stick around for long. As soon as they were gone, a nurse came in. Felina scowled at her, but the nurse ignored her and checked her vitals. Felina pulled away, earning a sour look from the nurse.

"The longer you fight this, Lieutenant, the longer I'm here," the nurse pointed out.

Felina growled. "You don't have to check on me like I'm some kit."

"Perhaps if you stopped behaving like one, you wouldn't feel you're being treated as such," the nurse commented.

Felina glared at her and pulled away again. She would not just be spoken to any old way. The nurse struggled to finish and snapped at Felina for being like a kitten. She stopped when the deputy mayor walked in. The last thing she wanted was for Miss Briggs to think she was a brat with the nurses, but then again, the deputy mayor had already seen her fight and struggle with both the nurses and the doctor.

-8-8-8-8-

Callie rushed into the hospital, wanting to be there when Lieutenant Feral was discharged. She assumed the commander would take the lieutenant home, but she hoped to see Lieutenant Feral once more before she went home.

"Deputy Mayor, you here for Felina?" a nurse asked with a friendly smile. She was a young she-kat with a lithe figure. She had cared for Felina and was one of the few nurses who the enforcer did not annoy.

"I am," Callie confirmed.

She pouted. "She signed herself out about an hour ago. I think a friend took her home."

Callie arched an eyebrow to this information. "A friend? One of the enforcers?"

Her brow furrowed in thought. "I'm not sure. I mean, I don't think so. It was a she-kat. There aren't a lot of she-kat enforcers, right?"

"No, there's not." Not in the officer sense anyway. There were a handful and Felina was the highest rank amongst them. She doubted the proud lieutenant, who fought with nurses trying to bathe her, would allow a subordinate to take her out of the hospital. "Well, at least someone was here for her. I thought her uncle would be the one, but I guess not."

"Maybe he was setting things up at work, taking time off, so he could look after her."

Callie nodded, even though she could not see the commander ever taking time off of work. Sometimes, she thought he slept at Enforcers' Headquarters. He might have been born in that uniform.

"That makes sense," Callie agreed, even though she doubted it.

"She is going to need a lot of care," the nurse added for a reason Callie could not figure out.

Callie nodded again. She was sure the lieutenant had worked something out. But, then again, this was the same lieutenant who fought the nurses for doing their job. Had she actually worked something out? Well, if not her, then the worried uncle probably had things well in hand.

Callie bid the nurse farewell and left the hospital, feeling oddly disappointment. Her stomach flipped and never quite settled. She was not sure why that was.

She should have gone home, but instead, she found herself going to Enforcer Headquarters. Commander Feral was there, barking at orders to some poor souls. He did not bother to pause when he noticed her, instead watching his officers hurry around the building. Deciding to finish yelling at his underlings before turning his attention to her, he then somewhat glared down at her. She was used to it. He always made it seem like she was underfoot.

"Deputy mayor. Is there something I could do for you?" Commander Feral inquired with a curl to his lip.

"I was merely wondering if you would need any help in taking care of Lieutenant Feral," Callie admitted. She had not crafted plan for this since the whole thing was spur of the moment, but she wanted to help in any way she could. She hoped he did not make this difficult because all she was armed with was her concern over the person who saved her life.

"Taking care of Lieutenant Feral?" he echoed and stared down at her like she had two heads.

She stared right back, studying his face. It seemed like he had not considered someone would need to take care of his niece once she was out of the hospital. "Well, someone has to."

Feral actually scoffed at this and turned his attention back to the officers moving around. "Felina's fine. She's happy to be home and if she was released from the hospital, she's able to take care of herself."

Callie's forehead wrinkled. It was hard to believe this was the same kat who sat by the lieutenant's bedside with her. How could this possibly be the same person who had to say "she'll be fine" every single day as it if was a prayer? But, then again, this was Feral. He probably felt like the whole ordeal was over once Felina was fighting with the nurses. Hell, Felina might have thought the same.

"You saw her yesterday. She could hardly lift her head," Callie argued. It was a bit of an exaggeration, but just because she was released from the hospital did not mean she could go on living her life.

He regarded her with an arched eyebrow and a practiced look of heavy annoyance. "She was fine yesterday, which is why the hospital released her. Now, I have work to do. One of my best pilots is out, after all."

Callie turned on her heels and marched out, practically stomping as she did so. Stupid, stubborn Feral. She should have expected as such. Well, now she would have to take matters into her own hands.

-8-8-8-8-

Next time: Felina tries to get back to normal while Callie takes command of the situation.