The two women spun at the sound of the strange voice. It sounded raspy, but almost as if it were meant to sound so. As if whoever was speaking had spent the last two days with no water, his throat caked with dust, so that his voice would scare any newcomers who managed to make it past his crew.

"Mr. Smith? You're the chief?"

Kel glanced at Jana. For all that she didn't know her well, she didn't exactly seem like the type to know mafia leaders who lived in bad parts of the city.

The man squinted. For the first time, Kel studied him. There was a bloodstain on his grayish t-shirt, just beneath the collarbone. But the blood was brown, and the stain old. She frowned. His hair was brownish—dirty looking. He had a smattering of freckles over his more-than-once-broken nose, wide forehead, and pointed chin. He almost resembled Neal, but for his pointed ears and pure blue eyes.

Mr. Smith, she guessed his name was. How sad that such a formidable man didn't even have a slightly scary name to go along with it.

Before she could wonder why she was dwelling on that while her husband was close to bleeding to death, the man whistled. Three of his cronies, the ones Kel and Jana had seen outside, emerged from the window.

The first one ran at Kel until she pulled out the gun she had thought to strap to her waistband. The three men didn't seem intimidated. One pulled out another gun that matched hers in size.

The fight didn't last long. Jana stood in front of Joren to keep the men away while Kel took care of the other four. Tossing one over her shoulder on top of the wounded and unable to move Mr. Smith, she banged the other two's heads together and they slumped to the floor. Jana just watched, impressed. She could protect herself if she had to, but she would never be as good as Kel.

With a sigh, Kel knelt to her husband. Stripping a stained curtain off the rusting rod, she blotted Joren's leg with it. Then, with Jana's help, she lifted him down the stairs, and into the back seat of the squad car. Then, turning on the siren, she went thirty miles per hour over the speed limit and ran four stop signs and three red lights. Finally she reached the ER. Calling a friend of Neal's that she only half knew, she had a stretcher brought out, which they placed him on. Following him into the hospital room, she gave Jana the keys, telling her to go him, and promptly fell asleep in the chair.

When Kel woke up, the first thing she saw was the IV hooked up to her husband's arm. The second thing she saw were her oily bangs, hanging in her eyes. Not quite awake and extremely groggy, she stumbled to his bed. His blue eyes instantly opened.

His eyebrows knit. "What happened?"

Kel brushed her hair behind her ears. "You were knocked out at the Goddess Bless store. Jana and I saw it on TV. We went to the Lower West Side, where we expected they would be. We found a building that people warned us not to go into, went upstairs, and there you were, wounded on the floor. I," she fought off another yawn-"knocked the cronies out, and brought you to the hospital. Then, I must've fallen asleep. I told her to go home, gave her the keys…"

"What about Raoul? Did you call the station?"

Kel glanced at the clock. "Relax. It's five thirty in the morning," The overly bright fluorescent lights were deceiving. In an hour, she'd call the station and then Neal. She yawned again. But now, that overstuffed chair was looking attractive…

Just as she was about to fall asleep again, his voice woke her. "What's she like?"

She almost asked who he meant before she realized how obvious it was and nearly smacked herself on the forehead. She glanced at him. His eyes were calm and inquisitive, but nervous. What if his sister had turned into a ridiculous ditz? What if she was hideously crippled?

Or worse. What if she was killed in the fight the night before, and he hadn't met her?

Kel's yawns were beginning to get annoying. "She's pretty, I guess. Her eyes look just like yours, and her hair is raven black. She's bony, but not underfed." She knew he wanted her to tell him about how she was as a person, but she could barely think straight. "She wants to meet you when you're not, well, unconscious. She's kind, not easily fazed." Kel grinned. "Tolerant of insanity, remembers you a little. I didn't have time to get her full story. Anyway-" Yawn, "You'll like her."

She lay her head against the gaudy red covering on the chair. "Can I sleep now?" she pleaded.

He nodded, a small smile on his lips. "The interrogation's over." But she was already asleep.

A/N: Hey, people who reviewed last time, this one's for you! I've been working on it all week, so I think it should be okay. Anyway, tell me what you think! Thanks to:

Freja Lercke-Falkenborg

Ama

Anonymous

Crazy Lady Knight

SarahE7191 for your awesome reviews.