Thanks everybody for your lovely reviews, it has inspired me to write another chapter tonight, despite being really tired. Its nice to know one's work is read and appreaciated. There you go. Let me know what u think please.

LK

Chapter 18: Trust

Hope's scream echoed through the basement, but was quickly drowned in the cheering voices. She used the last bit of her rational mind to use her left hand and tap the floor twice. The Aryan landed her knee one her hand once more and then someone pulled her off. The match ended with a KO and Hope couldn't help but grunt both in pain and in fury. Kris pushed past the sweaty bodies to get to her, while Mike merrily announced the result.

''Hey, who are you-'' Hope mattered when Kris tried to pull her up.

The blond angel leaned in and confident that nobody could listen them over the overwhelming shouting she whispered in her ear. ''I'm with Sabrina.''

Hope searched her eyes for a few seconds then let her help her. When she stood up it almost made Kris laugh, since her five feet one was less than impressive next to Hopes six five. She quickly led her upstairs, while the tournament started. Hailey followed them upstairs as well, much to Kris' disappointment. ''Where are you taking her?'' she asked, when they reached the ground level floor.

''Where do you think? Her hand must be broken, she's not competing.'' Kris stood her ground.

Hailey threw her hands in the air. ''But she represents Harrison's school for girls in the tournament! Who's gonna represent us now?''

A brilliant idea sparked in Kris' mind, a perfect opportunity to get to know the Aryan better arising.

''There is NO freaking way I am letting you compete in a goddamn godforsaken underground bare knuckle fist fighting massacre!'' Sabrina roared in her face.

''You're not exactly my mum, Bri! Cut it out okay?! I can handle myself!'' Kris roared back, but she had taken a step back, physically talking so she sounded more like mewling at the moment.

Sabrina pointed angrily to Hope's bandages up to the wrist hand, cooling in a bucket of ice, to her. ''Didn't you see what she did to Hope?! Oh, and did I forget to mention she's a black belt in kick-boxing and if you haven't noticed she's goddamn six feet five!'' She firmly stabbed her index in Kris' stern. ''Are you completely insane?!'' She turned to Hope. ''Why don't you say anything to her?!''

Hope tilted her head to the right. ''Don't look at me, I'm still not over the fact you took me to a morgue to fix my hand.'' She hadn't realised there were no other doctors in town, so the Angels had had to get her to the medical examiner.

Kris stood her ground once more. ''It's the best opportunity we're gonna get! She's named herself ''The Aryan'' , Bri! She probably has something to do with the whole abducting and burning thing!''

Kelly crossed her arms over her chest. ''She does have a point.''

''Et tu Brutus?!'' Sabrina barely had control over her emotions at the moment. ''You're not doing this Kris.'' She lowered her voice, and without wanting to towered over her younger friend. Kris seemed offended and Sabrina backed up a bit.

The smaller angel narrowed her eyes. ''What else can we do? We need to find someone to replace Hope. It is important we get close to The Aryan, get to know the cult she's probably in. You don't suggest we send Hope back like this, do you?''

Sabrina sighed, and turned around and paced, thinking. Then she sighed again and turned to face her. ''You're right Kris.''

''So what's it gonna be?''

Sabrina lowered her eyebrows. ''I'll do it.''

Kelly stood up from the chair she was sitting. ''No. Way.'' She couldn't tell the others but only a couple of hours ago she had seen Sabrina convulse on the floor. She was no shape to be going into this particular undercover. Sabrina lifted a palm to make her stop talking and turned to Hope.

''I can compete, right? Does it matter that I'm a teacher?''

''No, it doesn't, as long as you're part of the school you can.'' Hope answered quickly. The other two angel's eyes turned to her, furious. ''Hey, don't look at me, she asked!''

''Is it an only women tournament?'' Sabrina asked, ignoring Kelly's shocked reaction.

Hope nodded. ''The men's is separate.''

''I'll do it.''

''Sabrina, what the hell are you thinking?'', were Kelly's first words when the were finally alone.

Sabrina shrugged. ''Couldn't let Kris go, Kell.''

Kelly sat on the bed and looked down. ''You don't trust her.'' She made it a statement.

Sabrina sat next to her and looked at her surprised. ''I do trust her Kelly, what makes you say that?''

''You think of her as a liability Bri, hell you might even think of me the same way. ''

''I'm worried, that's all.''

''Are you sure? Because you are acting like you're on this solo Sabrina. What if you faint during a match or even have a seizure?''

''I'm on anticonvulsants.''

''Scuse me?''

Sabrina rubbed her temples. ''I started them about ten days ago, they seem to work.''

''And what about today?''

''Forgot to take them.''

''Where'd you get them?''

Kelly watched her shift uncomfortably. ''A rehab clinic in LA. Okay?'' She stared on the floor. ''Besides, I've done this before.''

''What do you mean?'' Kelly crossed her legs and looked around the room. The air conditioner wasn't working.

''The MMA fighting.''

''When?''

''Few months back. When money run out. The bets payed well. And it was better than... you know.'' Kelly reached for her shoulder, the words she heard too alien, not quite registering. Sabrina flinched and pulled away from her. She got up and paced around the room.

''Why didn't you ... ask for help? I would be more than glad... to help in any way I could Bri...''

Sabrina snorted and pretended she was picking up a phone receiver. ''Hey Kell, how are you, by the way, I'm sort of a junkie lately so how about we meet for coffee?'' She made a grimace and noticed a similar one in Kelly's face.

''I'm sorry Bri.''

''I wasn't gonna ruin your perfect little worlds, your's and Kris. Thinking everything is so perfect, ah what a surprise though it never is, is it Kell? Things never work out quite the way we want them, do they? For you two everything is so simple and you cannot allow anything ugly in your lives, you just reject it, push it away, pretend it doesn't exist. '' She opened the door. ''I'm not as perfect as you'd like me to be Kelly, and things aren't as easy as they seem to you. Excuse me, I need some air.''

She shut the door behind her, leaving Kelly biting her lip. Feeling every word bite into her skin, as if said with venom. It was her friend there, talking like this, saying things like this, revealing things like this. Her friend with the razor sharp sarcasm that... she had unknowingly abandoned in her darkest our. Who was she to talk about trust when she herself had betrayed everything she stood for?

She had not realised until now what she was asking of Sabrina, thinking of it being done with such ease, but thinking means nothing sometimes. She hadn't seen the addiction as a real addiction simply because the addict was her friend. Simply because she couldn't believe, no, didn't want to believe the gravity of the situation. She had let herself be blinded by her own fear of accepting the facts. How could she do that?!

She let the tears flow.