Chapter 8.

Kate didn't know what had hit her. Standing conversing with Claire and Libby having seen Ana-Lucia's disappearance after Sawyer and needing a way to work out some of her nervous energy, hoping that 'Girl-talk' would take her mind off what she had just put into motion.

She had been unaware that the raven haired woman would come gunning for her so soon. Striding into the caves, eyes blazing, teeth clenched, firsts hard and white-knuckled.

It had been the widened eyes of Claire, both startled and startling, the collective gasps and shouts of the other survivors, that had first warned her of Ana-Lucia's furious presence.

She pivoted to face her, preparing herself for another argument. She hadn't, however, been ready for the right hook that flew her way, luckily glancing off her jaw without breaking anything, though it made her teeth ache and sent her sprawling into the dirt.

It seemed Ana's anger, her blind rage and her run through the jungle had made her aim less than accurate. She was already breathing hard giving Kate the advantage, but she didn't care, drawing her fist back to strike again as Kate staggered to her feet.

The blow hit home that time, though Kate managed to keep her footing by back-pedalling frantically, hand flying up to protect the eye that Ana had just hit, splitting her eyebrow open and tainting her vision red.

Claire's panicked scream went ignored by the two women, but alerted others to the brawl taking place. Jack was there in a moment, ducking out of the cave designated for medical uses with Michael in tow. They yelled at them both, tried to grab hold of Ana-Lucia's arms and drag her back and away but she managed to slip through their grasps and sent another blow at her chestnut-haired opponent.

Kate was quick on her feet, however, twisting her lithe body away so that the punch lost any, if not all, of it's entire force and instead she used the momentum that Ana had gained in her charge to lay her own swift strike upon her assailant.

Anger was not a problem for Kate, though ire had begun to tingle within her chest. Her aim was dead on. Direct, landing square in Ana's furious face and despite the distinct lack of power behind it, despite that she was a hell of a lot lighter built than Ana was, a sickening crack of bone breaking resounded through the air, bouncing from cave floor to ceiling.

Blood splattered the ground, spraying out in a wide arc as Ana's head snapped to the side. She didn't acknowledge the pain though. It was consumed, only serving to fuel her, to keep the adrenalin coursing through her veins.

Michael took his chance at Ana's pause to restrain her but she shirked his arms away, regaining her breath and touching her nose tentatively before turning to face Kate, head high at a proud angle.

"What the hell was that for!" Kate demanded, gasping in air incredulously, though deep down in the pit of her churning stomach she knew and was unsurprised when her query went by ignored.

Ana had cooled her fiery temper enough by then to satisfy Michael that she wasn't going to try anything else.

"Calm down, Girl." he gasped, wiping away the sweat on his brow exerted by trying to hold her back. "Jack, I think her nose is broken!"

The sharp blow that had indeed broken Ana's nose, sending hot, bitter, metallic-tasting fluid pouring forth down her lips and chin, staining her bronze skin crimson with it's flow, had served as a wake up call. Chased away the fogginess that fury had blinded her with.

She, like Michael had before, took her chance when his back was turned, seeking medical attention for her as Jack dashed for his first aid kit. She lunged for Kate once more, catching them all off guard and Kate wasn't fast enough to dodge the blow that time. Ana collided with her producing a deep, thick thud, fist knocking the air from Kate's lungs and making them ache fiercely. She doubled over, arms clutched to her aching torso but the blow that Ana jabbed down onto her back with her elbow was the one that sent her finally careering face fist into the dusty ground.

"Ana!"

The yell drew everyone's glance around but unlike the spectators and her opponent, Kate was willing to take full advantage of the distraction, rolling onto her back and kicking out as hard as she could with her heel, catching the other woman in her chest and sending her staggering backwards.

"Ana!" Sawyer yelled again and Kate gave into the pain finally, curling onto her side and fighting against the sick, winded feeling consuming her innards. She winced, watching through bleary eyes as Ana regained her footing and started towards her once more, spitting curses in Spanish that made Hurley cover his ears.

Michael grabbed hold of Ana's arm a second time though, halting her movements and holding on tight enough so that she couldn't shake him off, couldn't rip her arm free even as she tried to with all her might.

"Ana!" Sawyer growled breathlessly, shoving the man holding her back and away before forcing himself before her, preventing her from going after the brunette on the floor who Jack was suddenly beside and tending to.

She glared up at him, into his face, shoving him so hard in the chest that he himself took a step backwards, though he refused to back away, catching her dark eyes with his, piercing blue.

"Leave it, Girl-fight. Easy now."

"What's the matter, Sawyer?" Jack called suddenly, drowning out any incensed response Ana had been about to hurl at him. The taller man stood from his crouch and stepped over Kate as Sawyer turned to face him, arms spread wide to keep the Latino woman behind him from slipping around. "One fight in the ring at any one time, didn't you say to me once? Or do the rules not apply what it's a fight that concerns you!" Jack's glare was challenging, a fury that had been boiling within him ever since they had first met, finally showing, finally spilling over the brim and disrupting his quiet, controlled manner.

"You sure know how to pick your moments, Doc." Sawyer sneered with a false laugh. "What? You want me to let, Chica go? Let 'em go at it? 'Cause you know I ain't lyin' when I say they'll tear each other to pieces if I do. And you know I ain't lyin' when I say that Freckles there ain't gonna be the conquering hero!"

Jack's jaw clenched, teeth grinding together visibly behind thin, pursed lips but Sawyer only continued, turning and moving Ana-Lucia backwards by forcing his body into hers and pushing her powerfully.

"You really chose the wrong time to pick me up on my questionable morals, Jackass. Now I suggest you drop it and do your damn job!" he growled, jerking his thumb in Kate's direction and reluctantly, grudgingly, Jack nodded his assent to the blonde man's request.

"What about Ana's nose? It's broken." Jack queried, voice flat, devoid of any emotion whatsoever. "I'm gonna need to take a look at it."

"I will goddamn look at it!" Sawyer hissed, not even bothering to look back at the other man, his competitor, his rival in so many areas. "I'll bring her to you in the morning."

Ana ripped herself away from him suddenly, ducking beneath his arm and drawing a yell from his throat as he tried to grab her arm and she drew her foot back. Kate wheezed, closing her eyes tight and awaiting the kick to her face that would end it all in seconds but it never came. Ana scuffed the dirt, sending a shower into Kate's scrunched up face and spat a great gob of blood and saliva onto the ground before her fallen adversary.

"Puta!" she snarled in thick Spanish before Sawyer jerked her away by the crook of her arm roughly, steering her from the caves.

-oOo-