Loyalty…

After a few minutes of dramatic crying on my part and Rixon laughing it off trying to make me feel better, I finally had the self-control to begin un-chaining him.

I reached into my bag to pull out the wire cutters, "I'm going to try not to cut you!" I assured him.

"Oh, great! Try, is that all I get now darlin'?" He laughed but I could see it was painful for him.

"Oh hush!" His wrists were blistered where he'd clearly tried to pull free but had failed, he should've been able to rip them straight off of their hooks. "Are these laced with something?"

"Well it for sure isn't mace," I looked at him bewildered for a second then realised when I'd pulled the wire cutters out the bag the mace had fallen out too.

"Oh," I laughed, "you never know."

It took a few minutes for me to finally finish un-chaining him, my hands are only slightly blistered, so I couldn't even begin to imagine how sore his were. I was standing in front of him to help him walk through the tunnels back to where the ring would still be to leave, but he was much heavier than I remember. He fell forward from the wall and I almost crumpled under his weight.

"Oh you fat git!" I moaned, he laughed and tried for a playful punch but it was no more than a child's tap. I wanted so much to make him better this instant but the best I could do was get us out of here as quickly as possible.

We were half way back to the ring, past the fire and screams and just past my father's chambers, where Dimitri and Max were still doing as they were when I'd left them.

"Was that you?" Rixon asked weakly into my ear, his head was resting on mine and his right arm was across my shoulders.

I laughed in reply, I needn't say anything, and he knew it was my doing.

"I'm proud..." It seemed as if he wanted to say something else but couldn't quite manage it.

We were back where I'd started now; I sat him on the floor and pulled out the bottle of water, "Here, drink this while I get us back." I ordered him.

He took the bottle but just looked from it to me. "Uh, think you can open it for me?" Again he tried a laugh but it ended up more of a whimper.

"Sure, but promise you'll stop laughing!"

It was torture to see him like this; Rixon was never so weak and feeble. I'd never seen him like this in all the time I'd known him, a long time.

I twisted the cap off and handed it back to him, then began calling the ring to open. If Patch had kept it open on the other end then it should be pretty easy to open it here. I just needed to concentrate, but that was impossible with Rixon's god dam breathing!

I turned to him and hissed, "Shhhh!" So violently he jumped and spilt his water all over him. "Rixon, I'm sorry!" I knelt before him and grabbed the bottle, now empty, and tried to do the best I could to dry him off but with no towels or tissue it was more of a task than usual. He put his hand over mine and I looked at him, "its ok, Kat. Just get us out of here."

He knew I was sorry, and that it was my demon side that had snapped. He understood, even in his weakest moment and that made me want to cry all over again.

This time I really concentrated. I concentrated on seeing Rixon's living room, seeing Patch! Calling out to Patch. There was a whoosh of air and a loud crack then suddenly we were back in Rixon's living room.

It was silent.

Patch was sitting on Rixon's sofa, just staring at us. I bent to help Rixon up but was too late, he'd already darted across the floor and had his hands around Patch's throat, squeezing.

"No!" I screamed rushing over to pull them apart. If Patch hurt Rixon while he was this weak I'd be the one to do some damage.

Patch rolled Rixon off of him onto the floor, Rixon's face contorted in pain, but then the strangest thing happened. He laughed. He actually began to laugh; he was wincing, but still laughing none the less. Patch stood and helped his friend up, "You alright brother?" He said, a smile spreading across his face, giving Rixon a 'bro hug'.

"Am I alright? You chained me in Hell you bastard!" But he persisted to laugh.

"Yeah about that..." Patch trailed off.

"It's all in the past, mate." Rixon said, plopping down onto the sofa. "Ay, it sure is good to have cushion for me arse!"

They both turned to look at me. I stood just staring at them, mouth agape. "Are you kidding me?" I shrieked. They both flinched clearly at the pitch of my voice. "I thought you were going to kill him!"

Rixon tried, pathetically, to raise his arm, "Which one of us you talking to there, Love?"

"You," I said to Rixon, then turned to Patch, "and you. Both of you!" I waved my hands around frantically trying not to over react. A little too late, however.

I turned my icy glare to Patch, "You, leave!" I demanded.

"What?" Patch asked clearly not wanting to leave.

"I need to clean him up; he's been through Hell, quite literally, so leave." I was not in the mood to be nice. I wanted to help Rixon heal and Patch being here would not help.

"No worries pal, I wouldn't do anything you wouldn't do." Rixon laughed and I flinched, expecting Patch to let rip.

"No, Rixon, because I wouldn't screw my own sister." Patch pulled a face and began heading towards the door. I looked at Rixon, he had a look of utter shock.

"Yeah that's right, I know about the two of you!" Was the last thing Patch said before leaving.

"So, you're saying he already knows?"

"Well, we kind of had a wee bit of an argument and one thing led to another and...It just popped out." I gave a nervous smile, hunching my shoulders.

"Kat, have ye any idea of what he's going to do to me!" Rixon exclaimed.

"Well he's already chained you in Hell, not a lot worse he can do." I tried to laugh but I was too worried about his temper, like Patch, he was violent and uncontrollable but he was also a bit more underhanded.

He stood from the sofa, wincing, limped over to me and put his hands around my waist. "I'm glad he knows, just as long as he doesn't try and keep me from you." He said, his voice very low and with a hint of darkness. I lifted up to kiss him; he tried to return it with a bit of force but had to pull away, clearly in pain. So now I took my chance, "Let's fix you up, shall we?"

I took his hand and led him to the bathroom.