Disclaimer: I don't own She-ra!

Title: I Bet My Life

Summary: Adora might be Shadow Weaver's favorite, but that by no means saves her from the harsh punishments she cooks up.

Setting: Pre-canon

...

Adora's scent was cold the first morning, and faded by the second. Catra had asked around, had even gone crawling to Shadow Weaver, but they all refused to comment.

Catra never slept well without Adora. There were tales of Bright Moon children who carried stuffed cloth creatures, doting on them and sleeping with them to chase away bad dreams. If true, then Adora is the living version of that. They don't always share a bed, but Catra can't rest without her presence nearby, her smell and breathing and snoring.

It doesn't help that they only ever got separated as punishment.

Catra cuts class day three to follow her trail, coming up on one of the many drop holes for machines. She curls up on top of it and sleeps, then slinks off when found. Catra knows Adora's nose is weaker than hers, but she hopes she was of some comfort.

Adora comes back that night. There's a blanket across her shoulders, and a hand on top of each blanketed shoulder as Shadow Weaver leads her into the sleeping chambers.

"Adora!" Catra cries, torn between relief and horror as she crossed the room. Adora is pale and shaking, eyes hollow. She leans on Catra without a word. "What did you do to her?"

Shadow Weaver's eyes narrow. "I did nothing. She was slacking on her work so I reminded her how cruel the world can be." She reached out to touch Catra's face. "And you'd do well to heed that lesson yourself, you impertinent little-"

Normally, Catra can stand Shadow Weaver's insults and abide her need to touch her chin and her cheeks. Sometimes, when she's feeling particularly giving, Catra can muster up a purr. But not today. Not like this.

Catra bites her hand.

Shadow Weaver jerked back with a yelp of pain. The room got very quiet and very, very dark. Catra, ears pinned back, growled and waited for the agony to come.

"I'll take my leave- for now," Shadow Weaver hissed in what could almost constitute as a normal tone. "I need time to think of a more suitable punishment for you."

"Good riddance," Catra said. The woman pretended not to hear, turning and striding away.

"Catra?" Adora mumbles, sweaty brow pinching. "I'm hungry."

"I know." Catra led her over to the cot, tail lashing back and forth behind them. "I've been keeping a stash for when you got back. It's in your pillowcase."

Adora eats while Catra inspects the damage. A couple of cuts and bruises, but otherwise the girl isn't any worse for wear physically. The hard part is the dark, suffocating spaces amidst the metallic rubble, struggling to stay on top as more and more destroyed models are tossed in. The fear. The loneliness.

"She said my aim was off," she explained finally, swallowing a bland bite of day old bread. "And that if I ever got lost, I'd starve before anyone could find me."

"That's dumb. I'd be with you if you ever got lost. We'd find something."

"That's what I told her. She didn't like that very much."

Catra doesn't care what Shadow Weaver likes on a good day, let alone now, but she forces herself to purr- it makes her feel better when she's sad, why not Adora? "She shouldn't get to do this."

Adora shrugged, eyes fixed on her lap. "She's Shadow Weaver. No one's gonna disobey her."

She opens her mouth to argue, but Adora's swaying now, so she guides her onto her side instead. She sighs and sinks into the cot like it's the softest thing she's ever felt. Catra lays next to her and pulls the blanket over them. Adora's smell washes over her with every breath, giving off a soothing effect Catra hasn't been privy to the past few days.

"Someday, we're gonna run this town," she promises, voice low. "Then nobody'll mess with us again."

"But, Shadow Weaver-"

"We'll kick her to the curb. Then we'll squash the rebellion and make the Fright Zone safe. And, I dunno, adopt some orphans or something. Things'll be better, whatever we do."

Adora manages a weak titter, burying her face in the crook of Catra's shoulder. "Sounds great."

"It'll happen, I swear. So you gotta get better, okay? I can't do this alone."

Her eyes slipped closed. "Okay, Catra."

Author's Note: I've only seen three episodes so far (I'm liveblogging them over on my Tumblr) (Edit: it's been like five now. I finally got around to cross-posting this) but I have some serious Catra/Adora feels askdmosdlcodcs.

-Mandaree1