Chapter 10.

Cate sat on the floor of the hospital waiting room her back against the wall, her arms resting limp across her knees. Julie stood not too far from her side staring out the window as Tiffany and Bosley sat on the couch all waiting as calmly as they could for news on Kris's condition Cate hadn't spoken since the rest of the team arrived at the hospital over three hours ago, half an hour after Kris was rushed through to theatre. Twenty minutes before that Cate was trying to wake Kris whilst getting attention for help after Kris had been shot.

'Someone help us!' Cate shouted again and again, Kris's car was too far away for Cate to want to leave Kris alone looking around again Cate looked in front of her. A dry cleaners stood in front of them with large glass windows, Cate turned to look behind her seeing the metal trash can, quickly getting to her feet Cate dashed to the trash can grabbing it and swinging it with all the strength she could muster throwing it through the dry cleaners window. The glass shattered instantly upon impact Cate ran through the store straight to the phone dialling 911. Within ten minutes, which felt like an eternity to Cate, the ambulance arrived; moving Cate out of the way the paramedics got straight to work, the next thing she knew Cate was at the hospital waiting for the rest of the team to arrive.

'Cate?' Tiffany's voice broke through, Cate looked up to her. 'Coffee?' Finding her voice Cate refused the offer.

'No thanks Tiff.' She smiled as Tiffany nodded and went on to find the coffee machine or cafeteria whichever came first.

'How long has it been Bos?' Julie asked turning to sit down next to him.

'Just coming up to four hours.' Bosley said as Julie sat back propping her head on her hand resting her elbow on the arm of the couch.

'When are they going to tell us something?' Julie asked raising and dropping her spare hand.

'When they have something new to tell us.' Bosley simply replied.

'Has Charlie contacted Jill yet?' Julie continued to question trying to keep her mind occupied.

'As far as I'm aware in fact I think I'll go and call him and see if he has any updates on that.' Bosley excused himself walking off to find the phone again. The room fell silent as the last two Angels in the room sat without saying a word.

'How you doing over there?' Julie asked not moving from her seated position but looking over at Cate who was still wearing the blood covered clothes she had on when she came in. 'Cate?' Julie pressed as Cate was not responding.

'I didn't even hear the shot.'

'Whoever it was used a silencer Cate no one heard the shot.' Julie softly replied leaning forward slightly.

'We were only going out for breakfast, you know?' Cate said looking to Julie for answers she just didn't have. Bosley entered back into the room retaking his seat next to Julie.

'Jill's on her away.' He said as he sat down.

'She got away from Roth ok?' Julie asked concerned how that could affect things.

'It would seem so. I'm sure she'll explain when she gets here.' Bosley reassured squeezing Julie's knee as he did.

'I think I might just take a walk.' Cate said as she slowly picked herself up off the floor.

'You want me to come with you?' Julie asked looking up at Cate with wide eyes concerned. Cate smiled at Julie and shook her head.

'No thanks Julie, you guys stay here, wait for Jill to arrive. I won't be too far away I just need to walk around a little while.' Cate walked out of the room as Julie sat forward holding her head in her hands tears beginning to fall, Bosley gently rubbed her back comforting her as they waited.

Cate walked through as many corridors as she could when a voice stopped her.

'What happened to you?' A young girl asked. Turning Cate looked down to see a young girl of no more than seven sat in a wheel chair her left arm in a fresh cast.

'My friend got hurt and I helped her get to the hospital.' Cate simplified for the young girl so not to scare her.

'Did your friend break their arm too?' The little girl asked glumly.

'Is that what you did?' Cate asked sitting down next to the girl keeping the conversation on her.

'Yeah. I was playing with my older brother and I fell and this happened. My mom is mad at me though.'

'Your mom is mad at you? I don't believe that I'm sure she's just worried about you. Sometimes when adults worry it comes through like anger or like we're cross.'

'Jasmine! There you are sweetie,' A woman not much older than Cate rushed towards the little girl wrapping her in a hug. 'I was so worried when I couldn't find you, you mustn't wonder off like that.' The little girl looked to Cate.

'You're mom is right kiddo, no wondering off.' Cate smiled to the little girl then to her mother who smiled back before seeing the blood all over Cate's clothes.

'Come on Jasmine, let's get back to your brother and daddy.' The mother held out a hand to Jasmine who took it as she got down out of the chair, waving back to Cate as she walked away with her mother. Cate waved back watching the pair until they turned a corner and disappeared. Cate took a moment before she rose back to her feet and started heading back towards the waiting room.

Cate walked back into the room to find Jill stood in the centre of the room with the others stood by her as the doctor explained what was going on, saying nothing Cate sat on the arm of the couch and listened.

'We've managed to stop all of the internal bleeding, the bullet passed through the left lung and caused serious damage around that area, we've repaired the damage and if everything goes well and Kris gets through the next 48 hours without any complications unseen or otherwise then I believe she will fully recover. We're now moving her through to the recovery room you'll be able to see your sister in a while I'll send a nurse down for you once Kris is settled.' The doctor finished as the others thanked him for all his hard work he left the room. The room stayed silent as they all took in the news, Bosley, Tiffany and Julie sat down in the couches around them Jill stayed standing.

'How did this happen?' Jill asked her eyes red from the amount of tears she had cried and was still crying. Jill spun round looking straight at Cate who raised her eyes and met Jill's. 'How?' Jill asked again, Cate didn't reply but kept her eyes locked with Jill. Without saying a word Jill rushed for Cate, who stood preparing herself for Jill who grabbed her slamming her into the wall. 'How could you have allowed this to happen, you were supposed to look after her, make sure this didn't happen, how could you let this happen?!' Jill yelled through tears, still Cate said nothing but continued to keep her eyes locked with Jill's. 'Talk to me Cate, how could you let this happen?!' Julie, Tiffany and Bosley rushed up to pull Jill away from Cate who, once released fell to the floor. With Tiffany and Bosley handling Jill, Julie went to help Cate back up to her feet.

'Are you all right?' Julie asked as Cate steadied herself.

'What time is it?' Cate asked still looking at Jill.

'What? It's a little before six, why?' Julie asked confused.

'I have to go.' Cate answered turning to leave the room.

'Go, go where? Cate you can't leave right now.' Julie said taking hold of Cate's arm.

'I have a long day tomorrow and a case to finish.' Cate said determined.

'I'm coming with you.'

'I need you to stay here right now Julie.'

'No way, I started this with you and I'm finishing it with you. Someone has to watch your back.' Julie said standing her ground with Cate.

'Why is it all of us Angels are so damned stubborn.' Cate wondered aloud. 'Fine, come with me but same rules apply, nothing changes, you stay out of the fighting no matter what Julie, I mean it.' Julie didn't like the sound of that but agreed anyway just as two men walked into the room almost colliding with Julie and Cate.

'Can we help you gentlemen?' Tiffany asked.

'Detectives, Peters and Drake.' The detective said pointing to himself first as Peters and his partner Drake.

'You're all here with Kris Munroe?' Detective Drake asked.

'We are yes, how can we help you?' Tiffany asked standing between Jill and the men.

'We've been asked by our captain to come down here and see what we can do to help you with the shooting.' Detective Peters explained.

'And why would your captain want to help us? Other than the fact it's a shooting.' Tiffany continued.

'He's an old friend of your boss Mr. Townsend.' Drake explained. Peters turned around to Cate and Julie.

'We're going to need your clothes.' Peters said talking to Cate.

'Excuse me?' Cate said.

'Evidence, we need to take them for evidence, any trace evidence that may be on them, it could help us.' Peters explained realising to himself that asking a woman flat out for her clothes with no explanation wasn't the best move.

'Fine, I'll ask a nurse to get me some scrubs and you can have them.' Cate said walking out of the room. A nurse gave Cate some scrubs and pointed her in the direction of an empty room that she could change in. Cate peeled off the clothes she had been wearing since arriving at the hospital not much of them were free of bloodstains, Kris's blood. Folding them as best she could Cate placed the clothes into a large brown evidence bag for the detectives to take away. Looking down at herself Cate had stains on her skin where blood had seeped through her clothes then looking at her side where she was bandaged herself noticed blood had come through that as well.

'So are you my bloodstain or Kris's?' Cate asked the stain aloud as if it was going to answer. Cate began to un-wrap the bandages to check and see if it was in fact her blood. 'Damn it.' Cate sighed seeing that she had split her stitches. Covering the wound again Cate threw on the scrubs she had been given picked up the bag with her clothes in and headed back out towards the waiting room where the team and the detectives were. Seeing the same nurse at the nurse's station that had given her the scrubs Cate decided to stop and ask for a little help.

'Excuse me.' Cate said interrupting the nurse from her paperwork.

'Hi, you found everything ok then?' The nurse asked smiling.

'Yeah thanks, look I have a wound on my side here which has been stitched but with what happened this morning I've managed to rip some stitches.'

'Well we'd better take a look then.' The nurse smiled putting her pen in her breast pocket and walking round from behind the station. 'Just come over to this room here and we'll get you fixed up.' The nurse opened the door to the room and pointed to the bed for Cate to sit up on. The nurse turned to the cabinets in the room taking out the supplies she would need including new gauze and wrappings. Cate removed the scrubs shirt so that the nurse could see everything clearly; removing the bandages the nurse began to study the wound. 'Nasty cut you got yourself here.' She commented.

'Yeah, tell me about it.'

'Ok, well I'll just clean the wound again; I'll have to remove the stitches and do them again. But before all of that I have to get a doctor just to check everything before I can fix you up. Won't take me long to find one so just sit tight here for a little while. Would you like me to take this through to the detectives?' The nurse asked indicating to the brown bag marked evidence.

'If you wouldn't mind that would be great. Should my short brunette friend start to panic when you walk in with that instead of me please just point her in my direction.' Cate smiled to the nurse who was nodding in response as she left the room. Within five minutes Julie was bursting through the door into Cate's room who was still sat on the bed waiting patiently for the doctor and nurse to come in.

'What's going on?' Julie asked as she walked up to Cate.

'Just getting myself re-stitched is all, managed to pull a few earlier when I was with Kris.'

'But you're ok?' Julie asked sitting up next to Cate.

'I'm fine, I just want this done and then I can get out of here and finish what we started.'

'This wasn't Roth's doing was it?' Julie asked all ready knowing the answer.

'No, this was all Diane, she's hell bent on revenge it would seem. How's Jill doing?'

'She's calming down; she just wants to get in to see Kris. She's scared Cate.' Julie explained looking out towards the room where Jill and the others were.

'Kris is strong she'll be ok.' Cate hoped aloud just as the nurse and a doctor walked into the room.

'Tell me what's happening Charlie.' Kelly demanded down the phone to her boss worried and scared.

'Kris is out of surgery Kelly, she's in recovery and the doctor tells me that as long as she makes it through the next two days without any complications she'll recover, he has complete faith in that.' Charlie explained in his calming tone.

'And Cate, what about Cate is she all right?'

'She's fine Kelly, she smashed a dry cleaners window to call for the ambulance but the owner understood, I'll pay the damages. How are you holding up Angel?' Charlie asked switching the subject to Kelly now.

'Not great Charlie, I want to be with my family, I need to be with them.'

'You will Kelly, in time. Soon this will be over and we can get back to normal again.'

'I wonder if they will forgive me Charlie, for putting them all trough this, the thought of me being dead. How do we get passed that?'

'We'll find a way Angel, we always do. The others will understand trust me.'

'I have done Charlie but from where I've been sitting it feels like the team is unravelling from all of the deception.'

'The team Angel or just Caitlin?' Charlie knew Kelly too well.

'I hit her Charlie. We were arguing, really arguing on a level we've never been so angry at before and I snapped.'

'We put Cate in a very awkward situation Kelly. People were hurting or getting hurt and Cate wasn't able to tell the others things that would soothe their pain. She has a right to be angry with us, perhaps I made the mistake in approaching the case in this manner.'

'I think the mistake was just not being honest with the rest of the team Charlie.' Kelly sighed resting her head on her hand as she spoke.

'Once we have Roth and these fights ended Kelly we can all reveal you and what has been going on.'

'Then we find Diane Matisse.' Kelly replied a dark look crossing her eyes.

'Marcus! You still here?' Cate called out as she and Julie walked into her home.

'Cate, Julie?' Marcus said as he popped up from behind the counter in the kitchen.

'What are you doing?' Cate asked as she walked into the kitchen where food was laid out being prepared for cooking.

'I'm cooking you two a proper meal; you both look as though you could use it. Are the others likely to be joining us?' Marcus asked as he placed a casserole dish on the side.

'I don't think so Marcus.' Julie answered as Cate looked over what Marcus was doing.

'I'm not really that hungry Marcus.' Cate said as she walked over to the kitchen stools and sat on one of them facing into the kitchen and Marcus.

'You're eating some of this Cate you have to. How's Kris doing?' Cate looked away from the question.

'No change from when we called you Marcus.' Julie answered looking from Cate to Marcus.

'Well that can be seen as a good thing.' Marcus said trying to reassure his friends in this time. 'How's Jill coping?' Cate got up and left the kitchen heading towards her room closing the door after her.

'Jill's coping the best way she can, she's just so scared right now.'

'I should think she would be but Kris is young, fit and strong, I have faith she'll pull through and be ok.' Marcus said as he continued to prepare dinner, Julie smiled at him before turning to look towards Cate's room. 'Leave her be for a while, she needs a little time.'

'Jill took it out on her, blamed Cate for what had happened. What's happening to us Marcus, the team seems to be splitting especially these core members.' Julie sat down on one of the kitchen stools as she spoke.

'They'll find their way back to one another Julie, trust me. How are you holding up anyway?'

'Me? I'm fine but then I'm not the one fighting in the ring or lying in a hospital bed or grave.' Julie lowered her head as she thought of Kelly again.

'You're still recovering yourself Julie make sure you take care of yourself as well as everyone else.' Marcus said as he placed the casserole into the stove to cook. Julie looked up to him eyes glistening smiling her appreciation for his words and support, Marcus took one look at her and moved over to her wrapping her in a tight embrace which Julie fell into allowing herself to break even if just for a few moments.

Time rolled on and the smell of the meal Marcus had prepared drew Cate from her room now washed up and in clothing a little more Cate and a lot less hospital. Walking out into her lounge she found Julie setting up the dining room table she turned and smiled when she saw Cate enter into the room.

'Smells good right?' Julie smiled as she spoke of Marcus's cooking. Cate walked into the kitchen where Marcus was serving up the food.

'Certainly does smell good, how does it taste?' Cate smiled as she helped take plates through to the table.

'It tastes great.' Marcus enthused.

'You would say that.' Julie said as they all took their seats at the table.

'You found your appetite then.' Marcus smirked to Cate.

'Yeah.' Cate simply said as they all began to eat. After a few quiet moments Julie spoke up after thinking about what the following day would bring.

'Cate about tomorrow night...'

'Still going ahead Julie.' Cate answered without looking up from her plate.

'But is that wise after everything that's happened I mean can you really put yourself in that situation right now? You've all ready had your side re-stitched once.' Julie pointed out to Cate's ribcage.

'We want to end the fighting and put Roth back behind bars right? We have to finish this.'

'Cate I'm with Julie on this one it's not safe for you to be doing this.' Marcus joined in. Cate dropped her fork to her plate looking up at her friends.

'I understand what the pair of you are saying but we don't have much choice and we are so close to ending this, just one more night and then it's all over.'

'That's what scares us.' Marcus said picking up his water glass taking a drink from it.

'Look, I'm scared too, I'm scared that Kris won't make it through the next two days and I'm scared that I'll fail tomorrow night but it won't stop me from going ahead.'

'She's right.' A familiar voice said from behind them. 'We have to continue with tomorrow nights fight if we don't we lose Roth and any chance of finding Diane Matisse.' Kelly said as she entered into the light of the lounge from the back of the house. Julie and Marcus turned to see a ghost, shocked Julie rose to her feet backing away from her.

'What are you doing here?' Cate asked barely looking at her sister as she came closer to the table.

'I had to come and see you, I couldn't go to the hospital but Cate I had to come to you make sure you're ok.' Kelly explained placing her hand on Cate's shoulder.

'Make sure I'm ok!' Cate snapped smacking Kelly's hand away from her shoulder and standing up to face her sister. 'How could you possibly imagine that I'd be ok Kelly?'

'Cate please let's not do this now.' Kelly pleaded looking around at Marcus and then Julie who still looked to be in shock.

'Do what you like Kelly; you've been doing that pretty well so far.' Cate snapped as she walked out of the room and out to the back yard. Kelly watched her leave hanging her head shaking it when Cate walked outside.

'You're alive.' Julie managed to get out eventually after finding her voice again. Kelly walked towards Julie hands outstretched.

'Oh Julie, I'm so sorry.' She said taking Julie's hand who took a moment before snatching it back again.

'I thought you were dead Kelly, we all thought you were dead! How could you do this to us, how could you allow me to think…' Julie broke off not being able to finish her sentence and just stood staring at Kelly, angry and yet thankful tears rolling down her cheeks.

'Charlie and I saw an opportunity and took it Jill as well.' Kelly explained.

'Charlie.' Julie said as though the air had been sucked out of her. 'But how, I don't understand how you managed to pull it off Kelly, I was with you in that shop, the explosion.'

'I know Julie and I'm so sorry I really am to have left you feeling the way you have been. After you passed out at the shop I managed to work my way out from under the debris that covered me, I was very lucky as were you that we weren't crushed under what fell on us, the struts and walls of the changing rooms fell in tact shielding us from getting really hurt.'

'Says you.' Julie retorted. 'I ended up in a coma.'

'I know Julie, due to a head injury. I sat with you in your hospital room whenever I could before going under cover.' Kelly continued to explain.

'Is that supposed to make me feel better?' Julie coldly asked crossing her arms across her chest.

'No but I hoped it would help you understand.' Kelly said defeated walking over to the sofa sitting down. Julie stood and thought for a moment before sitting in the armchair by the side of the sofa.

'Are you going to tell the others you're alive?' Marcus asked finally breaking his own silence.

'Not yet but as soon as we have Roth I will and take with it whatever comes.' Kelly replied meeting Julie's eyes.

'There's going to be a lot of anger Kelly, feelings of betrayal.' Marcus pointed out leaning against the kitchen bar that looked over the lounge and dining area.

'I know.' Kelly simply replied getting up heading for the kitchen door, Marcus grabbed her arm stopping her.

'Don't. Leave her be, she's been through enough today all ready.' Marcus sternly said as Kelly looked down at his hand that held her arm after which he released.

'She's my sister Marcus, not yours.'

'Then act like it.' Marcus said standing his ground. Kelly stood for a moment not knowing where to turn.

In the back yard Cate stood looking up at the nights sky trying to make sense of everything and planning her strategy for the following night, turning she saw where Kelly got into the house through the back window, smiling and shaking her head Cate walked to it and shut it. She turned when she heard footsteps coming from the side of the house.

'I'm leaving.' Kelly said stopping but not turning to look at her sister. 'I have to get back before my bodyguards notice I'm gone for too long.'

'How many of them are cops?' Cate asked also not looking at her sister.

'All of them, they just wouldn't be happy to know I'm here, neither would Charlie.'

'I'm sure he'll get over it.' Cate said still not moving to turn to her sister. She heard Kelly take a deep breath and sigh as she began to walk on. 'Kelly. Be careful.' Cate said still not turning.

'You too.' Kelly replied smiling slightly as she left, that from her little sister was better than nothing at all.

Cate walked back into the house to find Marcus clearing away the dinner things as Julie stayed sat on the sofa. Nodding to Marcus as she came in Cate went straight through to the lounge sitting down in the armchair by the side of Julie on the couch. They sat in silence for a few moments when Julie finally spoke up first.

'Kelly's alive and you knew it.'

'Yeah.' Cate simply said waiting for the follow on.

'You couldn't tell us?'

'No.' Julie sat back in her seat looking up at the ceiling. 'I wanted to Julie believe me so many times than you can imagine but I just couldn't.'

'It took all of this to happen and Kris getting shot for her to come out of the shadows.' Julie said her tone getting angrier with each word.

'You know when Charlie called me, back when I was in Europe, to tell me that Kelly had been involved in an explosion my legs gave out from under me, I literally fell to the floor. I don't think I even started breathing again until he said she was ok. The following day I was on a plane back to L.A. and on a conference call with Kelly, Charlie and Jill. In the time it took me to get onto the plane for the flight and them calling me they had everything laid out my part included.'

'How could they ask so much of you?' Marcus asked shaking his head.

'Because we all knew there was no one else who could do it.' Cate said looking across at Marcus from under her eyebrows.

Jill sat next to her sister in the recovery room, Bosley and Tiffany had left hours ago, only family were allowed in the recovery room. Kris looked so small laid in the bed with so many wires and tubes hooked up to her. Jill had her hand placed upon Kris's covering it, she looked around all of the room listening to the heart monitor tears began to roll down her cheeks again.

'You have to pull through this Kris, I can't carry on without you I need you here with me so you have to be ok. I'm so sorry Kris and I need you to wake up so I can tell you this properly, I'm so sorry that I deceived you again with Roth, so much happened Kris has happened and you just need to wake up and hear what I have to tell you.'

'Jill.' Kelly placed her hand tenderly on Jill's shoulder. Jill startled turned to face Kelly, getting to her feet Jill threw her arms around her best friend sobbing. After a few moments Jill broke away taking her seat again by the side of Kris as Kelly walked round to the other side of Kris taking hold of her other hand and brushing strands of hair away from her face before tenderly kissing Kris's forehead.

'Kelly, what are you doing here? You know how dangerous it is for you to be here in the open what if someone sees you?' Jill questioned worried for her friend.

'I had to come Jill, Kris is just too important, you're both my family I needed to be here for you.'

'But Kelly after tomorrow...'

'Jill after tomorrow who knows what will happen. Cate's barely talking to me and if Julie's reaction to seeing me is anything to go by the rest of the team won't take it well either.'

'You've seen Julie? What were you doing at Cate's Kelly are you trying to get yourself killed this time?' Jill questioned her worry turning to anger.

'I'm all ready dead Jill.' Kelly quipped.

'No Kelly you're not and don't even try to joke about this, you're crazy to be out in the open like this!' Jill whispered in an angry tone trying not to raise her voice to arouse suspicion of the nurses outside the room.

'I had to see my sister Jill, I know you understand that.' Kelly explained looking down at Kris again.

'I was too hard on Cate when I got here. I blamed her, I didn't even mean it, it just all poured out of me before I could stop myself. I took it all out on Cate, Kelly I blamed her for my own guilt.' Jill said looking at Kelly then to her little sister.

'I hit her.' Kelly whispered her voice shaking. 'We argued the night she was cut in the fighting ring. We argued so violently and I snapped, I hit my own sister Jill. I put her through all of this and I hit her. What's happening to us all Jill?' Jill reached her free hand out across Kris to Kelly who took her hand squeezing it.

'Well Kreeg, you do good work.' Diane Matisse said sat behind a large black glass desk.

'I aim to please.' Kreeg said with an appreciative smile.

'You're aim is very pleasing' keep up the good work and I'll find you a position better suited to your talents within my organisation.' Diane smiled to Kreeg who sat down in one of the leather chairs in front of the desk. 'I want you to take a message to the opposing fighter at D24 tomorrow night before the fight.' Diane wrote down the message on a piece of paper handing it to Kreeg. 'I want to make sure Fox gets the message loud and clear in the fight tomorrow night.' She finished smiling as she leaned back in her desk chair swivelling it around to look out of the large window behind her as Kreeg walked out of her office.