Chapter 6.

'Marcus!' Cate called from the back door of the veterinary clinic still holding wads of gauze to her arm Julie following after her.

'Cate?' Marcus questioned walking through the clinic to meet her, his golden retriever looking a little older walking by his side.

'Long time no see.' Cate smiled to him. Seeing the blood beginning to seep through the gauze Marcus rushed over to her practically pushing her through to his surgery.

'What happened this time?' He asked forcing her to sit up on his examination table.

'That's what I've been trying to find out.' Julie said taking a seat on his desk chair as he tended to Cate's arm.

'Marcus, meet Julie Rogers an Angel.' Cate smiled towards Julie whose scowl was less than angelic.

'Nice to meet you.' Marcus nodded to her before returning his attention back to Cate. 'So?' Marcus asked of Cate looking at her from under his eyebrows.

'I got into a scuffle and got shot at.'

'You're gonna have to do better than that.' Julie said which Marcus agreed with. 'You said you were going out to talk to Jill not to get shot by her.'

'Well things got a little out of hand. Ow!' Cate cried out as Marcus began to clean her wound.

'Good news is it's just a scratch.' Marcus said of the wound.

'With that amount of blood?' Julie said surprised.

'Cate's a bit of a bleeder.' Marcus joked. 'The bullet may have grazed your arm but it took a chunk out of your arm, not a big chunk but a chunk all the same.'

'Stitches?' Cate asked not phased by Marcus's explanation of her wound.

'No, no stitches we'll just clean it and wrap it. You'll need to change the dressing in the morning; I'll give you enough dressings for it for a week, come and see me after that.' Marcus ordered moving to his cabinet to collect what he needed to treat the wound.

'I'd better call Charlie, he'll be starting to worry soon if we don't call in.' Julie said. 'Do you mind if I use your phone Marcus?'

'Go ahead, say hi to Charlie for me.' Marcus replied as Julie exited the room.

'What don't the Angels know?' Marcus asked as he started to clean the wound again and wrap it.

'What do you mean?' Cate asked trying to avoid the question.

'I know you Cate, you're hiding something from them and it's starting to show.' Marcus said pointing to Cate's arm now bandaged. 'Why would Jill of all people be shooting at you?'

'Jill's not herself right now Marcus that's all.' Cate said a dark look crossing her eyes, Marcus knew he was in dangerous waters but continued on regardless.

'Does that mean she's undercover?'

'It means she's not herself and I'd really like to stop talking about it now.'

'So who else was involved in the fight?' Marcus asked seeing the beginnings of bruising on Cate's cheekbone.

'A couple of her bodyguards.'

'I see, so Jill was protecting herself.' Marcus reasoned without need of confirmation Cate knew he was heading towards the right track of what Jill was really up to.

'Are we done Marcus, I'd really like to get home to bed.' Cate asked sighing.

'We're done, go get some rest looks like you're going to need it. Call me if there are any problems.' Marcus said as Cate got down from the table heading out of the room. 'Cate, any problems.' Marcus stated giving her a look that Cate understood.

'Thanks Marcus, I'll be in touch.' Cate smiled as she left the room meeting Julie who was just finishing on the phone with Charlie.

'All set?' Julie asked as she hung up the phone.

'All set, let's get home.' Cate said making a fuss of the golden retriever.

'Cute dog, what's his name?' Julie asked as the dog trotted off back towards Marcus.

'Hermes.' Cate said with a smile watching the dog until he disappeared.

'Come on, I'm staying with you tonight.' Julie ordered.

'You are?' Cate baffled said as they left the clinic.

'Ordered by Charlie to stay with you tonight, make sure everything's ok.'

'I'm sure it will be.' Cate said not amused about having a babysitter for the night.

'Even so, I'm staying at yours so you'd better have a spare bed.'

'I'm sure I do somewhere.' Cate joked as they got in her car Julie driving off towards Cate's home.

'So did you phone the office?' Cate asked pretty sure she knew the answer.

'I phoned Charlie who then conferenced the call with the others in the office.'

'How did the news go over?'

'Hard to tell without seeing their expressions in person but I'd say not well especially Kris.'

'Well I'm sure we'll find out the rest tomorrow.' Cate said yawning it had been a long day and night leading in to the new day already. After a quiet drive they arrived at Cate's home heading in doors Cate went straight to the kitchen laying the fresh bandages and things Marcus had given her on the kitchen surface and went to the fridge.

'Can I get you a drink or anything?' Cate asked Julie who dropped herself down onto the couch in Cate's living room.

'Coffee would be great, thanks.' Cate made them drinks handing a coffee to Julie she headed toward the back of the house opening the door to her spare room.

'Hey, what do ya know!' Cate called out.

'What?' Julie called back putting her cup on the table in front of her as Cate reappeared in the lounge.

'I do have a spare bed and it's all made up.' She happily said sitting herself down in the armchair next to the couch. 'Kelly must have made it up whilst I was away.' Cate smiled to herself shaking her head as she did.

'Good, I'll be comfortable sleeping tonight. Speaking of I think I'll turn in. You be ok?' Julie asked concerned as she got to her feet.

'I'm fine; I'll be heading to bed myself soon as I finish this.' Cate said holding up her drink.

'Ok, night.' Julie smiled heading into the spare room.

After a few hours the house was quiet with both Angels sleeping soundly until a surprise wakeup call disturbed them both.

'Are you trying to get yourself killed?!' Kris yelled as she slammed open the door to Cate's bedroom storming in. Cate shocked awake turned to Kris.

'I was trying to get some sleep!' Cate said back her voice rising towards the end of the sentence. Kris stopped herself before she yelled back again rubbing her forehead with the tips of her fingers she walked to the side of Cate's bed sitting down on it.

'Are you all right?' Kris sighed with concern calming herself as she spoke.

'I'm fine all patched up and ok.' Cate said sitting up bed placing pillows behind her.

'Marcus?' Kris asked knowing Cate would have gone to him to avoid the hospital and their questions.

'Marcus, he sends his regards.' Cate said.

'That's nice. Is Julie here?' Kris asked suddenly realising she may have woken others during her storm raid.

'Morning Kris.' Julie muttered as she entered into the room climbing up on the bed next to Cate.

'Morning. Sorry to wake you.' Kris apologised.

'That's all right; we had to be up in the next hour anyway.' Julie said with a yawn pulling the blanket from the foot of Cate's bed over her.

'She shot you?' Kris questioned in disbelief looking out to the hallway as she said it.

'Afraid so yeah.'

'But Jill would never do that, she loves you, you're family to her, Jill just wouldn't do that.' Kris tried to reason.

'But she did.' Julie said flatly.

'But I don't understand why. What was going on at the time when it happened?' Kris asked bringing her legs up under her on the bed.

'I'd just finished fighting with her bodyguards having knocked them unconscious to the floor, I heard the back door open more men coming through, I took my eyes off of Jill for a moment which was all it took for her to fire her gun. That was it, I ran before the men could see or catch me.' Cate explained leaving out certain pieces of information.

'But why shoot you! I'm sorry Cate but I just can't believe she would have shot you, she must have been...'

'Protecting you.' Julie said resting her head on her hand propped up on a pillow Cate passed to her.

'You know what, I need to change this dressing and we need to get to the office so we'd better get moving.' Cate said throwing her covers off of her and getting out of bed heading for the bathroom a quick getaway. Kris and Julie stayed in her room looking at one another with the same expression of confusion and sudden realisation.

Cate stood in her kitchen washed and almost completely dressed. She stood wearing a clean pair of jeans, socks and bra on and was trying to put the new dressing on her arm which with only the use of one hand being able to reach was becoming infuriating.

'Damn it!' She complained as the bandaging slipped again as she was about to tape it down.

'Need a hand?' Kris asked coming in from the back yard where she'd been getting some air waiting for Cate and Julie.

'Please, thanks.' Cate replied holding out her bandaged arm which Kris gently tightened the wrapping again, taking the tape from Cate's finger tips she fastened it down.

'All done.' Kris smiled gently smoothing her hands around the bandaging.

'Thanks.' Cate smiled turning to pick up her thin v-neck sweater from the counter top by the side of her and putting it on being careful not disrupt her wound too much.

'Is Julie nearly ready?' Kris asked

'I guess so.' Cate replied shrugging her shoulders.

'Isn't she here?'

'No, didn't you hear her call out to you? She took my car to go back to her place to get showered and fresh clothes on, she's meeting us at the office.' Cate explained.

'I was out in the back yard lost in my own thoughts I guess, I didn't hear her even call out.' Kris smiled shaking her head. Cate pulled on her boots whilst she listened to Kris.

'Well we'd better start making our way to the office then.' Cate said as she got up picking up her handbag, keys and jacket. Collecting her bag and keys Kris followed after Cate out of the house to her Cobra driving them both to the office.

Jill stood on the balcony of the condominium leaning on the railing looking out to the sea lost in her thoughts thinking back on the night's happenings, seeing Cate then shooting Cate. How had everything become such a mess?

'Darling?' Damien tenderly called as he approached her from the lounge that led onto the balcony; Jill didn't turn to look at him as he stood by the side of her placing a hand on her back rubbing it gently. 'Are you all right?' He asked genuinely concerned.

'I'm fine, just thinking about last night is all.'

'Yes, last night, I'm so pleased you have that gun and can protect yourself. I'd dread to think what would have happened should you have been hurt.' Damien said as he brushed Jill's hair away from her face.

'I'm all right Damien it's the men Mike and Frankie who took the beating not me. Are they all right?' Jill asked trying to get his attention away from her.

'They are fine my love, they're big boys, they can take care of themselves. She must have been an impressive fighter though to have taken both of them down.' Damien reasoned as he turned leaning against the railing as Jill was looking out to the sea.

'She certainly was, worth considering Damien.' Jill said planting the seed in Damien's mind.

'Hmmm, you may be right my darling, you may be right. We shall have to find her.' Damien decided turned and headed back in to the lounge. Jill kept her eyes on the horizon knowing now that the plan was beginning to fall into place.

'Damien I'm going to go out for my run.' Jill called out as she walked through the lounge to go to her room to get changed.

'All right my darling I have calls to make and business to take care of, you carry on. I may be out when you get back.' Damien answered back from his office. Once changed Jill left the condominium and began her run once down on street level taking her usual route that would take her towards a secluded spot where she could use a pay phone.

'Good morning Angels.' Charlie's bright voice sailed through the speaker box.

'Good morning Charlie.' The Angels chorused back.

'Cate how's your arm?'

'It's fine Charlie, Marcus patched me up with no problems and no stitches.'

'That was a dangerous thing to do last night Cate.' Charlie scolded.

'Well I didn't exactly expect it to end the way it did Charlie.' Cate shot back.

'I can't believe Jill shot you.' Tiffany expressed.

'Neither can we.' Julie agreed speaking for her and Kris who sat quietly beside Cate on one of the two sofas.

'Charlie, what's going on?' Kris asked straight to the point.

'What do you mean Kris?' Charlie asked sounding confused.

'Charlie.' Cate warned.

'What's going on?' Tiffany repeated looking around the room at Cate, Kris and Julie.

'I know my sister Charlie, she would never raise a gun on Cate or any of us and she most certainly wouldn't fire it. What's going on?' Kris asked again her tone becoming more forceful.

'She could have been forced to shoot.' Bosley reasoned from his usual seat behind his desk.

'There was no one else there to force her Bos.' Kris came back with.

'Kris I don't know why Jill would have fired upon Cate, I am as surprised as..'

'Damn it Charlie!' Cate yelled out cutting Charlie off. 'It's time Charlie, tell them the truth because if you don't I swear I will as I walk out of the door.' Cate threatened.

'I don't like being threatened or yelled at for that matter Caitlin.'

'And I can't keep doing this Charlie.' Cate said back.

'Please will someone just tell us what the hell is going on?' Julie spoke up stopping the arguments.

'Jill has been working undercover these last few weeks, since Kelly's death.' Charlie explained.

'She's wha..' Kris couldn't finish her sentence feeling as though the air had just been sucked out of her. Jill and Charlie had done it to her again, making her fear the very worse of her sister at her time when she so desperately needed her.

'Charlie how could you hide this from us again.' Tiffany asked as shocked as the rest of the team was.

'I'm sorry Tiffany, all of you, but it had to be done this way for the same reasons as last time, even more so this time.'

'But why Charlie?' Bosley asked himself feeling betrayed.

'Because Bosley after Kelly's death I started to get information through about the explosion and the connections it had going back to Roth.'

'You mean Roth is the one behind the bombing that killed Kelly and nearly me?' Julie asked calmly, Cate looked over to her as she spoke to Charlie.

'It's all speculation right now Julie but from what my sources have told me Roth played a large part in it yes, we just needed to find out how and why.'

'Well I think the why is pretty obvious Charlie.' Tiffany spoke up. 'Revenge.'

'But why would he take Jill back and not try to harm her or any more of us?' Julie asked.

'Because as twisted as it is Roth loves Jill.' Cate answered.

'That's right.' Charlie confirmed. 'If Jill could get back on the inside with Roth, we could hopefully get the evidence we need to put him away for good.'

'Then why aren't we just working that then? Getting evidence together to take to a judge?' Julie asked.

'Because ever since he left jail, he's not put a foot wrong and we're having trouble finding the evidence, we know he did it we just can't find a way to prove it. Roth is now it would seem moving into underground fighting which is very lucrative if you have the best fighters on your team.' Charlie explained. 'This is why I had you check his farm and slaughterhouse.'

'So your confrontation with Jill Cate was that a setup as well?' Tiffany asked.

'Not exactly.' Cate replied switching her glance from Julie to Tiffany. 'I was surprised to see Jill at the club last night but used it to our advantage.'

'Our advantage?' Julie said confused.

'We need another person on the inside Julie, a little deeper than Jill is.' Charlie explained.

'You mean we need someone in the ring.' Tiffany said.

'Cate, you can't be that person.' Julie said straightaway catching on.

'It's all ready in motion Julie.' Cate simply said 'The extra muscle turning up was a bit of surprise which would have taken more than just me to handle and Jill couldn't help.'

'You had Jill pull the trigger.' Tiffany said.

'It was the only way I could see of making sure she kept her cover, she hated it believe me, but it was a way to resolve a problem.'

'A stupid one.' Julie said shaking her head.

'Maybe.' Cate agreed.

'Excuse me.' Kris quietly said as she got up from the sofa and headed out of the office, they all watched her leave the room.

'I'll go.' Cate said getting up to follow after her. Cate found Kris sat out side the office on a bench without saying a word she sat beside her friend. 'I'm sorry Kris.'

'Why didn't you tell me?' Kris asked calmly but Cate could see the silent tears rolling down her cheeks, each tear fall causing a painful pang in Cate's heart.

'I wanted to Kris; I wanted to be able to tell all of you but Charlie…'

'But Charlie and Jill made it clear we couldn't know because of Roth being so untrustworthy.' Kris finished for her shaking her head as she finished saying it. 'Are they trying to hurt us, to hurt me when we're all already hurting so much?' Kris asked facing Cate.

'No of course they're not; they knew this would be hard on all of you, especially you, but believed it had to be done. With me coming back home after Kelly's, well, they thought it was an opportunity to use to get into Roth's inner circle again.' Cate explained.

'God, what a tangled web.' Kris gave out a small laugh in disbelief.

'Well we didn't see you, Tiff or Bos going into the fights and Julie just wasn't fit enough, she had only just awoken from the coma she was in, I was the obvious choice.'

'When did y'all decide all of this?' Kris asked.

'They decided on my flight home, the conversations with Charlie on the flight back also included Jill, everything was planned out and ready to be put into action, they were just waiting for me to land.'

'I'm sorry to have been so hard on you these last few days.' Kris apologised.

'Nothing more than I deserved really, I'm just sorry I couldn't have told you.'

'How do we get Jill out?'

'We play the plan through, we need to get Roth and we need to do it with hard evidence. Jill knows how much she's hurting you Kris; she's eating herself up about it.' Kris didn't turn to look at Cate upon hearing this of her sister; she wasn't ready to hear of how Jill was feeling about it, not yet. 'Come on let's go back inside, see how things are coming along in there.' Cate stood and began walking back to the office.

'Cate.' Kris called after her, stopping Cate turned facing Kris who walked up to her took a moment then hugged Cate tight. Surprised Cate took a moment before she raised her arms around Kris.

'What's that for?' Cate asked as Kris broke away walking towards the office door.

'Just because, we argue like there's no tomorrow and shout the rooms down at one another but you're family to me Cate and I love you and right now I just needed to remind us both of that.' Kris explained as they crossed the threshold of the office. 'Tiff was right.' Kris smiled.

'About what?' Cate asked as they walked through the entrance room.

'We really do need each other now more than ever.' Kris said. Cate smiled as she responded.

'I think we all do. Let's get Roth and bring Jill home.' She smiled as they entered back in to the office with the rest of the Angels.

'Everything ok?' Bosley asked as Cate and Kris took their seats again on the sofa opposite Julie and Tiffany.

'Everything's fine Bos.' Kris said with a sweet smile. 'Just needed some air.'

'So, what's next?' Cate said moving on the conversation to start the action.

'Well now you've made yourself known to Roth's people I should think he'll be looking for you so we'd better be careful to keep our distance from you when possible.' Tiff said.

'Surely Roth would have found out who Cate is though, he must know you're Kelly's sister?' Kris thought aloud.

'Well if he does he's hiding it well but we've not met yet so we'll see.' Cate said raising her eyebrows as she did.

'I can stick with you though. I may have been with Kelly at the time of the explosion but it was never publicised or released information right?' Julie said.

'Right, Charlie made sure of that. It was publicised that there was an explosion and a person was killed but no names or other information was released.' Bosley explained.

'Then I'll be sticking with you.' Julie decided.

'But men saw you go in with Kelly.' Tiffany pointed out.

'But they didn't know who I was.' Julie reasoned.

'Could be more dangerous than you think Julie; sticking with Cate.' Kris warned. 'Not being funny or anything Cate.' Kris said almost apologising.

'No I agree, it is going to be dangerous and the fewer of us in that situation the better there's all ready me and Jill in the thick of it.'

'I'm not letting you go into the lion's den alone without back up. Jill might be there but she might not be able to help you when you need it as much as she may want to.' Julie reasoned.

'I'm not going to win this one am I?' Cate said to Kris looking at Julie.

'No.' Tiffany, Kris and Julie all said in unison.

'Ok Julie, you're with me but don't get involved with the fighting just say on the sidelines. I guess we can say you're my manager or something like that, we'd better get Marcus too.' Cate thought out loud thinking of her medic friend.

'Marcus? Who is he and why would you need him?' Tiffany asked.

'Marcus is Cate's friend who's a doctor, well a vet now, but he was an ER doctor before that. Be good for Cate to have a doctor on site, so to speak.' Kris agreed not really liking the idea of Cate being in such a situation that she would need a doctor by her side.

'I'll speak to him and then have Charlie speak to him.' Cate said sitting back in the sofa resting her head on her hand propped on the arm of the sofa.

'Why have Charlie speak to him after you have?' Tiffany asked.

'Because when I ask him to help, he won't want to and will do his best to talk me out of it so I'll have Charlie talk him round.' Cate explained.

'Why speak to him at all then if Charlie is going to be the one who'll talk him round?' Julie asked.

'It's just the game Marcus and I play. I ask him he says no, Charlie asks him and he says yes.'

'I think Charlie points out to Marcus how important it is he's there and really spells out the danger.' Kris added to Cate's explanation for Charlie's reasons to call.

'Well, what's next?' Tiffany asked moving on the discussions.

'I suppose I ought to be out there in view for Roth to find, what fun.' Cate sarcastically said.

'I'm coming with you then but we need to stop by my place first.' Julie stated.

'We do?' Cate asked looking confused at Julie then to Kris who shrugged her shoulders with a smirk.

'I'm staying with you until this is over Cate so we need to go back to my place and get some of my things.' Julie said getting up from the sofa.

'I guess we're leaving now then.' Cate said smirking as she got up to follow after Julie who was already opening the office door.

'Hey.' Kris called out to Cate. 'Be careful ok.' Cate smiled winking at Kris before turning back and chasing after Julie.

'Do you think she'll be alright?' Tiffany asked aloud her eyes still locked on the office door. Kris took a deep breath before answering.

'Cate knows what she's doing Tiff, she'll be fine.'

'But fighting in these underground illegal fights, I'm worried about how hurt she could get from this, should we really let her fight at all?' Tiffany asked full of concern leaning forward towards Kris resting her elbows on her knees.

'Cate can handle herself Tiff, she's grown up with her fists raised more times than even I know of, she'll be ok and we'll keep close tabs on her.' Kris reassured.

'But we can't be there present at these fights.' Tiffany countered.

'No but Julie will be and Marcus and even Jill. She'll be ok.' Kris said reassuringly, trying to make herself believe her own words.

'I just have a bad feeling is all Kris, I feel like something very bad is going to happen.'

'I think a lot of it already has Tiff.' Bosley chipped in from behind his desk.