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Time as an active Angel: 0 months - Graduation Day

Elena Houghlin had grown up believing that she was destined to spend her working life in a laboratory. And for many years she was happy with that belief; science gave Elena a purpose. It gave her stability and a reason to spend hours pouring over a test tube or analysing analytical data that she genuinely found fascinating. She was used to being in the lab until three in the morning and not once had she ever been close to falling asleep at her desk.

Elena worked in the lab because she loved it. Because she felt like she belonged there, nestled between the chemicals and technology.

Her graduation and acceptance into MIT had been the proudest days of her life; dream come true moments that held so many options for Elena’s future career in science. She couldn’t imagine herself doing anything else. She was born to blend into the background of numbers and equations, to provide the powers that be with the information they needed to find the next big breakthrough.

Science was safe and kept her away from the potential dangers that existed in the big wide world outside of her lab. Or so she had thought. Becoming involved in the Callisto project had been both the best and worst decision of Elena’s life, and yet she secretly thanked the little ball of potential death every time she thought about it.

Because Callisto, despite nearly getting her killed, had given Elena so much more than she could ever have dreamt of.

Which instantly made Elena feel guilty. Callisto had killed Ralph. Elena had killed Ralph… Collateral damage, Jane had called it. But even Jane had looked unsure as they had driven away from Brok Industries, Elena glancing over her shoulder as if expecting Ralph to appear at the door. Callisto had been something Elena was proud to be a part of, even when the potential dangers had become apparent, because she knew that she could fix them. Elena could make it safe, if only she was given the opportunity. She had thought that that is why she was working on the project in the first place…

The project that had unexpectedly brought her to where she was now.

Elena had been convinced that her life was destined to be science; until the Townsend Agency had found her. Until Ingrid had placed a business card in her hand and opened up a whole new world of possibilities.

Which is how Elena now found herself stood in a large conference room, rows and rows of chairs lined up in front of a long stage at one end and with ceilings tall enough for a narrow viewing balcony to run along each wall. Everything seemed to shimmer in Townsend gold and Elena couldn’t help but admire the technology that appeared to link up seamlessly within the room. From security cameras to lighting and sound, and technology that Elena couldn’t wait to get her hands on as an official Angel.

Elena twisted her hands together nervously and looked around at the other girls she had spent the past few months training with, only now realising that this was the last time she would see some of them for months. Tomorrow she would wake up somewhere other than the training centre, with her own team and her own Bosley. Elena would be expected to hack into whatever system the mission needed her to and shoot at whatever bad guys were firing at her, all while keeping her cool. There was no longer the option of a’re-do’. Training had ended; from now on there was no room for error.

“It’s like driving a car,” a dark haired Bosley had told Elena and the other recruits one day as they finished another training session. “You’ll learn a hell of a lot more during your first year as an Angel than you do while training, just like you learn how to drive properly when there’s no one sat beside you. I only hope that your team are around to save you when you mess up. Because everyone makes mistakes; lets just hope you only lose a wing mirror and don’t crash and burn entirely.”

Elena had swallowed hard and tried to work out whether the Bosley’s statement was supposed to be reassuring. She had already been saved by her teammates, on more than one occasion. Before they were even teammates! While Elena was still a client and it was their job to look after her.

Elena smiled at the thought of being back with Jane and Sabina and ran her fingers over a thin gold bangle around he wrist. It was a gift that had been waiting on her bed for her that morning after breakfast, wrapped in a small gift box with a neat pink bow and a note inside.

Graduation present for you. We’re proud of you, our little tech genius. You were meant to fly - go get your wings! Love, your girls xx

Elena had somehow known to wear the bangle to her graduation ceremony. Her Townsend Agency graduation ceremony.

Elena had never felt so nervous and excited at the same time, her hands shaking even if she couldn’t work out why.

She had missed both Jane and Sabina over the past few months, despite their regular catch up video calls. They had even been waiting on the runway the first (and hopefully last) time Elena had ever landed a plane, full of smiles and encouragement and ready to celebrate every little achievement with her. But it wasn’t the same as being with them all day.

There had been nearly a month between leaving Chamonix and Elena beginning her Angel training, and in that time she had spent almost every day with Jane and Sabina while they recovered from the fallout of their latest mission, and while both herself and Jane relocated to California. Sabina seemed to be worried that their team wasn’t going to last, making Bosley promise that Elena would be joining them permanently once her training was complete, and asking Jane repeatedly for confirmation that she wasn’t going to change her mind and travel somewhere else to work alone.

“I will if you keep asking me!” Jane had snapped one evening, but Elena could tell that her words held no heat. Sabina had only smirked and asked Jane again the next day anyway, seemingly just for fun.

Elena had got close to a few other girls on her training course but it was more through necessity than anything else. Unlike the other recruits, Elena had a team waiting for her once she had finished her training. And unlike the other girls, Elena had already been closely involved in an active mission before she had made it anywhere close to the Townsend training centre. She knew how important it was to listen to your Bosley and trust your teammates.

Elena wanted nothing more than to graduate from training and join Jane and Sabina in Los Angeles. She was even looking forward to the beating in the ring that Sabina had promised her, disguised as a sparring session, and the brutal gym routines that had been discussed in length between the new recruits over breakfast each morning. The horror stories involving hundreds of burpees and plank challenges that lasted more than twenty minutes.

Elena had all that to look forward to.

She took a deep breath and glanced back across the long room that was slowly filling up with more and more Bosleys and Angels and so many people Elena had never seen before. The new recruits were all congregating at one side of the stage, a line of chairs waiting for them to sit nervously and wait their turn to cross in front of everyone.

Elena blinked and was sure she saw a flash of familiar blonde hair between the growing crowd, instantly feeling herself smile.

“Boz!” Elena grinned, practically running to Bosley who was waiting to give her a tight hug. “You made it.”

“Of course I did,” Bosley smiled, standing back to look at Elena properly. “Yep, you look like an Angel to me. I’ve seen your test scores too, well done Houghlin.”

“Thanks,” Elena blushed, not knowing what else to say, and tucked her hair behind her ear.

Bosley rolled her eyes and took a hold of Elena’s raised hand, turning it over so she could look at the gold bangle on her wrist.

“Present from Jane and Sabina?” She asked with a raised eyebrow and Elena nodded slowly.

“Yeah, how did you-” Elena paused, looked at the bangle closely and noticed the small Townsend Agency logo inscribed on the metal. “It’s a comms bracelet?”

“Yep,” Bosley smirked.

“But I thought Jane and Sabina were on a mission this week. That’s why they couldn’t make it today.”

Sabina had called Elena earlier that week to complain at length at the fact that they were involved in ‘the most boring mission ever’ and so wouldn’t be able to sneak into the training centre to watch Elena graduate.

“They are,” Bosley agreed. “They should be miles away from here.”

“But they’re not?” Elena questioned.

“Doubt it,” Bosley sighed with a shake of her head. “I’ve kept our comms off until after your graduation because they’re supposed to be working surveillance, but don’t be surprised if they’ve hacked into the system to be able to talk to you through that.”

Bosley nodded to Elena’s wrist.

“And when I say ‘they’, I mean Sabina. Obviously,” Bosley added and Elena couldn’t stop herself from smirking. “She’s a bad influence and now she’s going to have two of you to turn to the annoying side.”

Elena felt a flutter in her chest again at the thought of being part of their permanent team.

“You better go and get ready,” Bosley nodded towards the new recruits who looked just as nervous as Elena felt. It was somewhat reassuring. “I’ll see you soon, Angel.”

Elena grinned wide, gave Bosley another quick hug, and joined the other girls next to the stage.

Elena had always hated the thought of being the centre of attention and avoided it at all costs, unlike some people she knew. And some she would soon be working with. Every time she imagined herself walking across the stage she could feel her heart begin to race and her fingers tremble, and yet this was the easy bit. Or at least it was supposed to be.

Elena had finished her training. She had passed her assignments and her practical tests and her highly advanced driver training. She could shoot a gun and hit the target almost every time, and even her sparring sessions in the ring were getting easier. Depending on her opponent. Yet Elena couldn’t help but think that graduation was just another test. That she was going to get to the middle of the stage and be asked a question she didn’t know the answer to. One wrong response and her chances of becoming an Angel would be gone.

Elena wanted to turn around and run far, far away, and yet the thought of the possibilities that waited for her at the other side of the stage seemed to root her to the spot. Because by the time she had reached the steps at the other end, Elena would be a recognised, qualified Angel. And she wanted that so badly.

She could be brave, just for a little while. Long enough to reach the other end of the stage and become part of Jane and Sabina’s team. She could do it for them. To work with them. To be together again after many long months of training.

It was a few minutes after Elena had sat down that a white haired Bosley appeared on the stage and addressed the room, his voice soothing yet assertive as he spoke about the Agency and the role of the Angels within the ever expanding global organisation. He spoke of the importance of new recruits and of the training they had completed over the past few months. Elena focused on keeping herself calm, despite her rapid heartbeat giving away just how nervous she was. She felt like throwing up and yet Jane’s warning of ‘no puking’ somehow made her relax that little bit more.

She hadn’t thrown up since the day she had found herself in a field in Hamburg, minutes after being pulled out of a sinking car and bundled into another that Sabina seemed to have procured out of nowhere. The day Elena had first met Jane and Sabina, the very people who were now going to become a huge part of her life.

“Hey El, look up,” the voice made Elena jump and she suddenly realised that she had zoned out. What a way to start her new life as an Angel, she thought; it wasn’t even official yet and Elena had managed to lose her concentration. “Look right.”

Elena skimmed the high balcony that ran the perimeter of the room and could just make out two figures crouched behind the barrier on the opposite side to where she was sat, one of them waving manically in Elena’s direction.

“Are you two supposed to be here?” Elena asked under her breath and hoped that no one else would hear her. Jane and Sabina must have activated the comms on her bracelet, just like Bosley had predicted.

Elena knew from Bosley that Jane and Sabina were meant to be far from the training centre and yet there they were, watching and grinning from their vantage point.

“Technically no, but they can’t kick us out,” Sabina stated.

“They can,” Jane added matter of factly.

“But they won’t,” Sabina sounded adamant.

“What makes you so sure?”

Elena couldn’t hide her smile as she listened to her new teammates bicker and wanted nothing more than for the graduation to be over so she could join them.

“So, definitely not supposed to be here?” Elena asked quietly and heard Sabina laugh in response.

“We weren’t going to miss this!” Sabina sounded excited and Elena felt a warmth run through her veins.

“Apart from we nearly did because Sabina got distracted by a dog on the way here,” Jane stated and Elena was sure she was getting strange looks from some of the other girls due to how much she was grinning.

“But he was such a good boy!” Sabina whined. “We had to stop to say hi, you can’t just walk past when they’re that cute.”

“You’re insufferable,” Jane sighed but Elena was sure she could hear a smile in Jane’s voice. “Shut up and listen, Elena’s going to be called soon.”

Was she? Elena suddenly jumped and realised that Jane was right, some of the the other girls had started to move, one by one being called to cross the stage and receive their official graduation certificate. Elena wondered whether they were allowed to take the certificate with them; surely that would count as a security risk, having your name across a Townsend Agency document?

But before Elena could think about it any longer her name was being called and she felt her legs turn to jelly as she pushed herself to her feet and quickly climbed the few steps to the stage. The audience applauded and Elena focused on putting one foot in front of the other until she had made her way to the centre, shaking hands with a senior Bosley and hearing Charlie’s now familiar voice through the intercoms telling her ‘well done and congratulations’.

Elena couldn’t focus, the moment over with in a blur, and yet the ‘Yes, Elena! That’s our girl!’ she heard echo through the room definitely hadn’t come through her comms only. Elena glanced up at the balcony and laughed as Jane pulled Sabina backwards and out of sight before anyone else noticed them. Which Elena thought was probably pointless, given they were in a room full of skilled spies.

“Will you be quiet,” Jane hissed, Sabina muttering something incoherent under her breath.

Elena giggled as she walked around the edge of the room, following the other newly recruited Angels in front of her. She felt like she was back at school being paraded for her achievements, but at least now she could talk a little more freely as the next Angel was applauded.

“I thought you two were working,” Elena tried to sound casual even though she knew they were supposed to be on a mission.

“We are working. We have a live video feed set up outside the target’s suspected location, so we can watch while we’re here,” Jane explained.

“And they’ve so far done a grand total of zero interesting things,” Sabina added. “So you’re all ours. Or we’re all yours. Whichever way it’s supposed to be.”

Elena smiled.

“Does Boz know you’re here?” She asked, again knowing the answer. If the bangle hadn’t already given it away then the cheering from the balcony would have done.

“Which Bosley?” Sabina asked playfully.

“Good point,” Elena shrugged.

Sabina laughed and answered Elena’s question anyway.

“In a word, no,” Sabina drew out the last word, not sounding guilty at all.

“So probably yes,” Jane sighed and Elena imagined her rolling her eyes.

“Most definitely yes,” Sabina laughed again. “Bosley knows everything. But we’re going to celebrate later, ok? I have plenty of bottles for us to work through and Jane is in charge of the music. We’re going to party!”

There was the sound of more ‘shushing’ from Jane and Elena couldn’t help but smile as she listened to Sabina trying (and failing) to suppress her laughter.

“Come on, DJ Kano,” Sabina continued. “We need to celebrate Elena being the smartest Angel we’ve recruited in a very long time. And we get to keep her, on our team!”

“Well, yes,” Jane sighed and Elena had a feeling Jane had given in to Sabina’s excitement again. “We can have a party later, once we’re all back at HQ. For Elena. But I’m not going to pick you up off the bathroom floor after you’ve downed a bottle of wine. Or three.”

“I can hold my drink!” Sabina feigned hurt but Elena could hear the humour in her voice. “I’m not so sure Elena can though.”

Sabina had a point. Elena rolled her eyes, opening her mouth to respond but being interrupted before she had the chance.

“That’s enough, ladies. I’m disconnecting Elena’s bracelet now,” Bosley’s voice sounded over the comms at the same time she reappeared behind Elena, her hands on her hips.

“Told you Boz would know we’re here,” Jane stated, Elena picturing the look on her face without seeing it.

“Of course she does, Boz knows everything,” Sabina laughed loudly. “Bye Poppins!”

“Poppins?” Jane sounded as confused as Elena felt.

“Yeah. Like Mary Poppins. Practically perfect in every way,” Elena was secretly impressed by Sabina’s British accent.

“That’s not sticking,” Jane grumbled.

“What about Poppet?”

“No. Elena’s fine,” Jane sighed again.

“Fine. See you soon Lena!” Sabina practically sang. “We’ll have the drinks waiting when you get home.”

Bosley rolled her eyes, pressed something on her phone, and Elena could tell the connection had been lost.

“I still have them,” Bosley confirmed and Elena nodded once. “No, Sabina. I’m not telling her that. Get back to work.”

Elena couldn’t hide the smirk on her lips.

“I need to catch up with a few Bosleys but I’ll catch you again before I leave,” Bosley squeezed Elena’s shoulder. “Well done again, Angel.”

Bosley gave Elena a quick hug and disappeared into the crowd, leaving Elena stood in the middle of the room. She hadn’t even noticed the ceremony was over; she had completely missed the end of the white-haired Bosley’s speech while she listened to Jane and Sabina instead.

Elena felt suddenly alone as she watched Bosley walk away and turned back to the group of newly recruited girls who all looked as confused and excited as Elena, not quite sure what they were supposed to be doing now that they had officially become part of the Agency. They were to be split up soon, ready to join their respective teams across the country and further afield. There were Angels ready to join the team in Paris, some in Berlin and others in Japan. They were now part of an organisation bigger than Elena had ever dreamt of being part of, working with hundreds of other Angels and Bosleys and even Saint.

But Elena wanted to see two specific people only. She wanted back with Jane and Sabina. It’s why she had worked so hard during training, desperate not to let them down. Not when they had both fought to keep her safe only months ago.

Elena spent the next twenty minutes pretending to join conversations with a few of the new recruits, nodding at the right time before moving on to the next one, not staying long enough to become too involved in their discussion. She smiled at the Bosleys who congratulated her on the way past and tried to stop herself from ruining the corner of her certificate as she ran her fingers over the edge of the card for something to do, wondering how she could disappear from the large conference room without anyone noticing.

She was supposed to be travelling back to HQ with Bosley once they had finished at the ceremony, but Elena didn’t want to wait any longer. She wanted to walk into HQ as an official Angel, ready for her first mission. The last time she had seen Jane and Sabina properly had been at a landing strip weeks ago, after Bosley had left her to land a plane with no warning.

She hadn’t known then that landing the plane wasn’t the only test she was going to face that day. Elena had been elated when she felt the wheels touch down on the runway and saw Jane and Sabina sat in the front of an open-topped Jeep, waiting for Elena to arrive. She had been that relieved that she didn’t think twice when Sabina leapt in her direction and wrapped her legs around Elena’s waist, throwing her hands in the air while Elena tightened her grip to stop Sabina from falling backwards. They had both hugged her and praised her and Elena couldn’t remember when she had last felt so happy.

Elena felt the tension physically leave her muscles as she jumped into the back of the car and Jane put her foot down, the wind catching Elena’s hair as Sabina grinned at her from the front, before leaning over to look at Elena closer, her laugh catching on the breeze.

“You did it!” Sabina smiled wide. “I knew you would!”

It had been a few minutes later that Jane suddenly hit the brakes on the Jeep and Sabina nearly toppled over into the back of the car, Elena reaching out to catch her but Sabina laughing it off instantly.

“We have company,” Jane stated, jumping from the car and striding ahead before Elena could even register what was happening.

Sabina had moved a second later, winking at Elena before leaping over the closed door of the open-topped Jeep to join Jane, her shoulder pressed against Jane’s arm. Elena had moved on autopilot to stand at Jane’s other side, each one of them with their fists raised. Elena could see Sabina’s open shirt catch the breeze from the other side of Jane and suddenly felt a lump form in her throat.

They weren’t wearing their safety vests.

And whoever was in the van that had stopped in front of them was slowly opening the door. What if they had a weapon? What if Elena did something wrong before she’d even become part of their team? She had just landed a plane, and now she was going to mess this bit up! She couldn’t think properly; all she knew was that she had to be brave. She was stood next to two of the most courageous people she had ever met, she couldn’t mess this up. Not now.

Elena glanced up at her soon-to-be teammates and Jane pulled a gun from her back pocket, holding it in front of her with both hands. Elena could feel every one of her senses heighten, the hair on the back of her neck standing on end.

“Be ready, Elena,” Jane warned. “I recognise the number plate, we’ve met this guy before. As soon as they’re out of the car we need to be prepared, so stay on guard.”

Elena nodded quickly, a small ‘ok’ escaping her lips as she forced herself to keep calm. To remember her training.

The door of the van closed and Jane pointed her gun at the open airfield next to them, firing into the distance. The crack of the gun was deafening; Elena blinked hard but didn’t move. She had heard the sound of gunshots a lot over the past few months, she was getting used to it.

The figure in front of them flinched, covering his head with his arms before tentatively lowering them again to look at them all properly.

“Really, Jane?” Saint called out, his arms now above his head.

“She didn’t even flinch,” Jane smiled, glancing at Elena then back to Saint. “Unlike you.”

“What do you expect?” Saint rolled his eyes. “I’m not used to all- this.”

Saint waved his hands in front of him and Jane slid her gun back into her pocket, draping an arm over each of Sabina and Elena’s shoulders. Sabina laughed loud, reaching over to fist bump Elena who raised her other hand instinctively and stared at Sabina in amazement.

“Sorry not sorry,” Sabina shrugged. “Boz told us to. We wanted to test your reactions after landing the plane and Saint was the only one who had time this afternoon to act as the bad guy.”

“Ah ha,” Elena nodded, dazed, glancing between Sabina and Saint as if waiting for one of them to explain exactly what had just happened. “Yeah. A test. Just another test.”

Even if Bosley had told them all that jumping out the plane had been their final challenge…

“Which you passed, obviously,” Sabina stated. “Jane was just having some fun with her gun, she knows Saint hates them.”

“This is the last time I do Bosley a favour,” Saint shook his head and opened the car door again. “I’ll see you back at HQ.”

Elena had stood on the runway, blinking as she watched Saint disappear, until Jane removed her arm from over her shoulder and linked it through Elena’s instead, guiding her back to the Jeep.

“Come on, Bosley said we can take you for lunch before you get back to training.”

Elena hadn’t been able to remove the smile from her lips for the rest of the day and was sure that those memories were part of what got her through the remainder of her training. It had been a reminder of why she had been working so hard; so she could stand shoulder to shoulder with Jane and Sabina, ready to fight for the Agency. As an Angel.

Elena blinked again and realised that she had been sat alone in the large conference room for the past few minutes, staring at the certificate in her hand as if it was going to be taken away from her without warning. She shook her head and glanced around the room for someone else to talk to, noticing Bosley stood on her own close by. Even from where Elena was sat she could see that Bosley didn’t look happy, and found herself heading in her direction before she could stop herself, pausing when she was close enough to hear what Bosley was saying.

“You were supposed to be outside the shop watching for any signs of the mark,” Bosley frowned and crossed her arms over her chest. “I know you did, Sabina. But I gave you an order.”

There was a pause before Bosley rolled her eyes.

“Yes, of course I knew you’d ignore it. But that’s not the point,” she shook her head. “I told you that I’d have agreed to you coming if I could, but we really needed surveillance today. We need to know whether he’s still visiting the shop at the same time each day, we could have missed something at the other door.”

Elena bit her lip, suddenly feeling guilty that Jane and Sabina were getting reprimanded by Bosley. And that she was close enough to hear it happen.

“You’ve done what? You have another camera?” Bosley’s eyes widened. “Yes I’m impressed Sabina, but don’t think this means I’m going to let you off lightly. You still ignored my instructions.”

Bosley looked up and noticed Elena stood nearby, awkwardly dancing on the spot.

“Sorry,” Elena spoke quietly. “I can go-”

She threw a thumb over her shoulder but Bosley shook her head.

“No, it’s fine Elena. I was just telling your new teammates that they’re setting a bad example,” Bosley raised her voice slightly before smiling at Elena. “I’m hoping you’re going to knock some sense into them when you’re on your first official mission together.”

Elena felt her chest flutter again at the idea of spending each day with her new team.

“No, Sabina. That’s a really bad idea,” Bosley rolled her eyes before seeming to realise that Elena hadn’t heard the other end of the conversation. “Sabina thinks that your first mission should involve a midnight stakeout, but that’s just because she wants to sneak a bottle of tequila in her bag and drink it before the morning. Yes, Sabina. Like you said, I know everything.”

It felt weird hearing only Bosley’s responses as Elena tried to work out why Bosley seemed to flick between amused, annoyed and confused within seconds.

“Why?” Bosley asked before checking her watch. “It’s just gone three.”

Whatever Jane or Sabina responded with had Bosley rolling her eyes yet again.

“Fine, you have a point,” Bosley sighed. “But you two are going back tomorrow in case you’ve missed something.”

Bosley paused.

“No, Sabina. I’m not sending Elena with you when it’s supposed to be a punishment.”

“I don’t mind going,” Elena almost whispered but Bosley didn’t seem to notice.

“Get down from wherever you are now and back to HQ. I’ll meet you there later,” Bosley instructed. “No you can’t have a drink before you go. Jane, make sure you don’t lose her on the way back. I’m keeping our comms active so I know when you’re out of range. Get going!”

Bosley turned back to Elena and raised an eyebrow.

“We wanted to know whether the target was still visiting a particular shop at half two every day, suggesting that he’s conducting some dodgy deals out the back with the equally as dodgy owners. If he’s not, it’s likely that he’ll have moved his operations elsewhere. We think we know where that is too, but there’s no point in wasting resources until we know he’s moved on,” Bosley explained. “Given it’s now gone three and there’s been no sign of him, I think we can assume he’s not at the shop. But your teammates are still going back tomorrow in case this was a one off.”

Bosley raised her voice again to emphasise her point and Elena smiled, knowing that Jane and Sabina were likely to be grumbling on the other end of the comms.

“Are you going to introduce me to any of your fellow recruits?” Bosley asked, nodding to a group of girls talking excitedly in the corner.

“Sure,” Elena nodded, not knowing how to admit that she wanted nothing more than to leave and follow Jane and Sabina back to HQ.

She had been waiting for this day for months.

“We had a session on using comms and how our wings work,” Elena stated as they made their way back across the conference room. “We had a few, actually. I know you can communicate with us and can monitor who has access to who…”

Elena trailed off and Bosley smiled warmly.

“Yes, I can choose whether we’re all connected or whether I can hear the conversation only,” Bosley nodded. “Sometimes it makes more sense for certain team members not to hear the other when working a mission. Say for example Sabina was being particularly distracting with a target while you or Jane were trying to concentrate on cracking open a safe, I can mute Sabina for both you and Jane but keep her open on my comms.”

Bosley smirked as if she was trying to hold back a laugh. Elena frowned in confusion.

“Jane wants to mute Sabina in real life,” she explained with a rise of her eyebrow. “They’re both still connected.”

Elena grinned; she could understand where Jane was coming from.

“How do you know when they’re out of range and not just staying quiet?” Elena asked, unable to stop herself. It was one thing learning about their comms in a classroom, but everything made even more sense talking to Bosley.

“Sabina is incapable of staying quiet,” Bosley stated before laughing. “I know you heard that, I wasn’t hiding it. Get back to HQ!”

Bosley pinched the bridge of her nose and turned back to Elena.

“You’ll get used to it,” she shrugged. “Between comms and trackers we’ll know where you are during a mission, even if you do decide to go against orders and move from your intended location.”

Elena nodded and turned back to the group of girls who had congregated at the side of the stage again, scanning the many faces and trying to decide who she should introduce Bosley to first. Elena had made many friends while training and yet she didn’t feel like she had a strong bond with anyone in particular. Some of them were fun, but Elena hadn’t spent that much time with them. She had often found herself sneaking back to her room within the training facility to check the phone she had hidden under her pillow, hoping to find a message from Jane or Sabina within their group chat.

There had always been a message, even if it was just a silly gif left by Sabina or a ‘what weapon did you use today?’ question from Jane.

But Chloe and Aly were nice, Elena had got on well with them both. They had been on Elena’s team the day Bosley had told them all they were to jump from a plane and instead left Elena to land it. Elena turned to ask Bosley whether she remembered the others from her group and realised she had stopped a few steps behind her.

“Shit,” Bosley muttered, her hand to her ear as if to block out the background noise. “Jane?”

There was a pause before Bosley’s eyes widened.

“What, how is that even possible?! Elena, I’ve got to go but I’ll see you back at HQ, ok?” She spoke quickly. “Well done again, we’re all so proud of you. Enjoy the celebrations!”

Bosley was already walking backwards towards the door and Elena could see a frown between her eyes despite the forced smile on her lips. Elena nodded and Bosley turned on her heel, moving quickly towards the exit. And just like that Elena was left standing on her own, looking at the group of new recruits in front of her with her certificate still in her hand.

She was an Angel, but she wasn’t yet part of a team. Not when she had been left behind.

Elena knew it was ridiculous to think that way but she couldn’t help it. Now that training was finished she was desperate to begin working for the Agency, and not just as a civilian caught up within the madness that was the Callisto project.

A murder weapon she had helped to develop; like a bad guy would do…

Elena fell into the same chair she had been sat in less than an hour ago, before she had been handed a piece of paper to confirm that she was an Angel, and waited to be told where to go next. Sure enough, within ten minutes a tall, dark haired Bosley appeared from across the room with instructions of how to find their respective cabs that would take them to where they needed to go. Some of the new recruits were heading directly to the airport, others were to travel to Townsend HQ before flying to their outpost the next morning. Some Angels were to travel across states, some were staying on a few more days until their paperwork had been finalised…

It was only Elena that was staying in California permanently; with Jane and Sabina and the other Angels she had met only briefly before starting her training.

Elena hugged the other girls and said her goodbyes without really noticing who it was she was speaking to, a strange feeling having settled in her stomach. Jane and Sabina had sounded excited to celebrate Elena’s graduation later that night, and yet she was now stood alone, waiting for an unknown Bosley to direct her to a cab back to HQ.

Elena knew that she would need to work with many different Angels and Bosleys over time, it came with the job. And yet she had been expecting their Bosley to be with her to share in her excitement, even if Jane and Sabina couldn’t be. Elena had been picturing this moment for weeks, it was what had got her through the toughest of training sessions and made her feel less alone while she stared at her bedroom ceiling within the training facility.

But Bosley had now gone too, looking worried as she quickly left the room without looking back; worried at something Jane had said on the other end of their comms. And leaving Elena with no idea what was going on. She wasn’t part of their mission.

Elena felt unexpectedly jealous and couldn’t work out why.

Elena’s strange mood continued the entire journey back to HQ, despite sharing a cab with two other Angels who did nothing but giggle the entire drive while they discussed their favourite parts of training. She had followed them into HQ as if on autopilot, the unusual sensation in her chest only reducing when Bosley appeared at the door with a warm smile and another hug.

“Sorry I had to leave you,” Bosley said as she held Elena at arms length and smiled again. “It wasn’t the plan for me to leave early but welcome back to HQ, Angel!”

Elena grinned, her earlier annoyance and worry starting to dissolve at Bosley’s words.

“It’s quiet,” Elena frowned, looking around as the other girls were greeted by a second Bosley and led away to another section of HQ. “Are Jane and Sabina not back yet?”

“They are,” Bosley sighed with a slight shake of her head. “I suppose we should start as we mean to go on. Your teammates can be found in the medical room with Saint.”

“Why?” Elena asked quickly, the uneasy feeling jumping back to her chest in an instant.

“Because one of them is a klutz,” Bosley looked as if she wanted to explain further but couldn’t be bothered. “Come on, follow me.”

Elena did as she was instructed, falling into step behind Bosley who led her to the medial room and held open the door for Elena to enter. Sabina was sat on the medical bed with her ankle in a tight bandage and with Saint stood behind her, dabbing something on to the back of her head. It was as Elena stepped closer that she could see the blood soaking Sabina’s hair, the side of her neck a crimson red where the blood had ran down from her head and across her shoulder. Jane was sat in the chair next to the bed looking both annoyed and a little concerned, even though Elena was sure she was trying to hide the latter.

“I’ll leave you to it, I don’t have the energy to be annoyed at Sabina right now. It can wait until I’ve filled in all the extra paperwork to explain her stupidity. Again,” Bosley sighed and ran a hand through her hair before adding “Have fun” and leaving the medical room.

Elena made her way tentatively across the room, Sabina’s eyes seeming to light up when she spotted that she had arrived.

“Lena!”

“Hold still,” Saint warned, taking a hold of Sabina’s shoulder to keep her steady and focusing on the back of her head. “Ok, that’ll do. Don’t poke it, let it dry.”

“I will,” Sabina whined, turning to Saint with a frown that quickly dissolved into a smile. “Thanks Saint.”

Saint only mumbled in response and moved to pack up the supplies that were laid out at the side of the bed; Elena was sure she could hear him mutter something about Bosley and paperwork.

“You’re to stay here for the next three hours so I can keep an eye on you. No arguments,” Saint instructed before turning to Elena. “Well done, Angel. We all knew you’d be amazing. Get some rest and we can catch up tomorrow morning.”

Saint gave Elena a tight hug, kissed the top of her head and left the medical room, stopping only to turn and point a finger in Sabina’s direction.

“I know, I know,” Sabina sighed. “Three hours.”

No sooner had the door closed behind Saint, Jane turned to Sabina with a deep frown between her eyes.

“You’re such an idiot,” she shook her head.

“Am not,” Sabina’s mouth fell open.

“Yes. You are. Who else would have thought that was a good idea?” Jane looked to Sabina as if expecting an answer but Sabina only crossed her arms over her chest with a pout.

“What happened?” Elena asked quietly and Sabina’s eyes seemed to immediately light up as she looked at her properly.

“Sabina’s an idiot is what happened,” Jane answered before Sabina had the chance but Sabina’s only response was a roll of her eyes. Followed by a frown and a quiet ‘ouch’ as she held the side of her head.

Elena looked from the blood that soaked Sabina’s head to the bandage on her ankle and back again, a lump forming in her throat. They had both been fine at the ceremony, what had happened since then? What had made Bosley leave so quickly?

“This looks far worse than it is,” Sabina spoke as she pointed a finger at the blood, obviously noticing the look of concern in Elena’s eyes.

Elena turned to Jane for confirmation.

“It actually is,” Jane shrugged. “The cut on her head is pretty small. It needed to stop bleeding before Saint could glue it but it made a bit of a mess before then.”

It was Sabina’s turn to shrug.

“Not my fault it bled all over the place.”

“But it was your fault it happened in the first place!” Jane pointed out. Sabina only shrugged again and leant over to loosen the bandage on her ankle, Jane batting her hand away before she could do so.

Elena looked between them both, mouth hanging open slightly, and Jane finally realised she hadn’t answered Elena’s question. She sighed heavily and raised an eyebrow with a sideways glance at Sabina.

“We might have snuck up to the balcony from the outside of the building so no one would see us,” Jane explained. “We obviously weren’t going to miss your graduation. There’s a fire escape on the balcony with stairs right down to the ground, for safety purposes. We hung around for a while after you graduated, before Bosley realised we were still there and ordered us back to HQ. We thought it would be best to leave the same way we got there, so we weren’t spotted by any of the other Bosleys. Even though I’m sure most of them knew we were there by the time you’d walked across the stage.”

Jane glared at Sabina who did nothing but shrug yet again.

“We would have been fine had Sabina stuck to the stairs,” Jane turned back to Elena and tilted her head. “But no, someone thought it would be quicker to use a pole that ran down the side of the fire escape instead. Because, and I quote, ‘Dude, it’ll look so cool’.”

Elena couldn’t help but laugh at Jane’s impression of Sabina, complete with hand movements and an excited tone to her voice.

“It happens in the movies!” Sabina tried to reason. “Like a fireman’s pole, all the way to the bottom.”

“Yes, but this one didn’t reach the bottom, did it?” Jane questioned and Sabina laughed again.

“I didn’t know,” she mumbled, turning to Elena. “It went most of the way and then it- didn’t.”

“And then Sabina fell right off the end and landed on her arse,” Jane carried on, arms now across her chest. “And then her head.”

“I landed on my feet!” Sabina protested, throwing her hands up. “Mostly. That’s why my ankle’s bust. Feet then ass then head. In that order.”

“Which explains the bandage and concussion. She’s lucky not to have broken anything,” Jane held a hand in Sabina’s direction before looking back at Elena, her expression softening. “You may as well pull up a chair and get used to this, Elena. It happens a lot.”

“Really?” Elena asked quietly, sitting on the edge of Sabina’s bed. She didn’t like the thought of having to spend time in the medical room while her teammates were injured. Hearing about their injuries after the explosion in Istanbul had been bad enough.

“Ignore her, it’s been like- twice since we started working together. Three times, max!” Sabina grinned wide but Jane shook her head.

“And the rest,” she mumbled. “And I’ve seen your files.”

“Have you been spying on me?”

“It’s in the job description,” Jane smirked and Elena saw something playing on her lips she couldn’t read, but which Sabina obviously could.

“I’ll be careful next time,” Sabina said seriously and Jane gave her a smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes.

“You’ll try, but it won’t work,” Jane shrugged, leaning back in her chair. “Anyway, this was supposed to be Elena’s day!”

“It is!” Sabina grinned again, opening her arms in Elena’s direction. “Our new little Angel has finished with her training wings. Welcome to the team, Lena!”

Elena couldn’t hide the smile from her lips at the thought of joining both Jane and Sabina on their next mission, as an official Angel.

“We need to celebrate,” Sabina seemed to bounce on the spot, her fingers wiggling in front of her. “Where do you wanna go? Tiki’s has pretty good cocktails but I can get us in to the VIP section of Tango. Ooh, or there’s Fliers, they have a really good dance floor and play the best music.”

“You’re not going anywhere today,” Jane left no room for argument as she stared at Sabina, a crease between her brow. “You heard Saint.”

“Yeah, but what he doesn’t know won’t hurt him,” Sabina pouted, looking to Elena for backup. But Elena only blushed; Jane had a point. Again.

“No,” Jane shook her head and Sabina glared hard, for about two seconds. Then rolled her eyes and fell back against the pillows with a sigh.

“He said I couldn’t drink, not that I couldn’t go out,” Sabina tried again and Elena fought hard not to smile.

“You knocked yourself out!” Jane stated, voice rising.

“Not the point.”

“Kinda is.”

Elena couldn’t hold it any longer; she started laughing, watching Jane’s smile grow in response while Sabina continued to pout.

“It’s not funny,” Sabina mumbled, arms still crossed over her chest, which only made Elena laugh harder.

“No one else I know could knock themselves out, get concussion, and want to recover by dancing in a loud nightclub all night,” said Elena, looking between her two new teammates.

“That’s because no one else is as stubborn and idiotic as our Angel, are they Sabina?” Jane questioned with the raise of an eyebrow.

“You’re all boring,” Sabina’s pout wasn’t for leaving. “This has ruined Elena’s day!”

“No it hasn’t,” Elena said quickly and truthfully. “All I wanted was a night at HQ with you two. We can party later.”

“Really?” Sabina asked with a frown, and Elena was sure she seemed to cheer up instantly. “We can stay here and watch a movie? Or play a card game?”

“No cards, that always leads to drinking games with you,” Jane stated and Sabina glared again.

“You’re such a spoil sport.”

Elena watched Jane and Sabina exchange glares across the bed, neither of them looking serious as they waited for the other to give in first, and Elena smiled to herself. She had enjoyed her Angel training more than she thought she would, and yet Elena couldn’t be happier to be back with her new friends and now official teammates. It had been Jane and Sabina who had saved her life in Hamburg. Who had fought to keep her safe in Istanbul and saved her yet again in Chamonix.

Elena was secretly relieved that they had an excuse not to go out partying; it wasn’t a celebration without the people who had introduced her to the Townsend Agency, and Elena was only too happy to spend the evening at HQ with them both.

“Training was exhausting,” Elena admitted, hoping to distract Jane and Sabina from glaring at each other. “A quiet night in sounds perfect. I think I’m staying here for a few weeks until my apartment is ready anyway, so you could show me around?”

“Great, lets go get snacks and fire up Netflix,” Sabina turned to grin at Elena before throwing her legs over the side of the bed and frowning at her injured ankle as if it had personally hurt her.

“But Saint said you were to stay here for three hours,” Elena stuttered, quickly standing from the bed and looking between them both again.

“Guidelines only,” Sabina smirked.

“He’ll be expecting this, don’t worry,” Jane shrugged. “Saint probably times how long it takes for Sabina to disobey his orders and escape the medical room. But we’re not leaving HQ, she’ll be fine.”

Elena didn’t know whether Jane was being serious about Saint’s predictions but followed her new teammates from the medical room anyway, Jane supporting Sabina by the waist until she was happy that she could put some weight on her ankle.

“Your hair is a mess,” Jane stated, picking at a clump of Sabina’s hair that had stuck together with dried up blood. “I’ll help you wash it before we watch a movie. If the glue holds.”

They had left Elena to snack duty and found her twenty minutes later, both changed and showered (Sabina as best she could given the new bandage on her ankle), falling onto the sofa on either side of Elena before she had a chance to move.

“You sure I haven’t ruined your graduation?” Sabina mumbled and Elena couldn’t help but laugh as she let Sabina snuggle into her side, Jane already flicking through the movies.

“I’d choose to be here any day,” Elena sighed, sinking further into the sofa and letting Jane wrap an arm around her shoulders. “And anyway, I’m an Angel now. You can’t get rid of me that easily.”

“Well we’re celebrating properly tomorrow, regardless of what Saint says,” Sabina yawned. “You need your wings.”

And so they did.

Elena woke up the next morning to find Sabina stood at the bottom of her bed with a wide grin and freshly washed hair, the promise of trouble in her bright green eyes. They spent the day visiting every room at HQ, including the gym and armoury where Jane had excitedly showed Elena their weapons collection, and Bosley had given Elena ‘Angel level access’ to the Townsend Agency’s systems before making her promise not to hack into any of the restricted files.

In the evening Jane and Sabina found Elena in the spare bedroom that she had used the previous night, both dressed in black and looking ready to party at a seconds notice, Sabina holding out her hand to Elena with a wink.

“Time for your wings.”

The evening was lost to shots of tequila and “Ass in the chair lady” and Charlie’s voice echoing through the closet as Saint stood in front of Elena with a tattoo gun in his hand.

It ended with Elena curled up underneath a blanket on a soft armchair within the breakout area of HQ, Jane and Sabina asleep on a sofa right next to her, Sabina’s back against Jane’s chest and Jane’s arm draped over Sabina’s hip. Elena blinked and the various empty bottles that covered the table between them seemed to multiply, making her feel dizzy. She could taste tequila on her tongue and had an urge to brush her teeth but couldn’t be bothered to move. Elena was pretty sure her stomach would object as soon as she stood up and pulled the blanket in tighter instead.

She blinked again, slowly, and smiled when she realised that Jane and Sabina’s fingers are intertwined. It was cute, Elena thought. It made something flutter in her stomach that she was pretty sure had nothing to do with the alcohol, but she couldn’t think clearly enough to work out what that meant. Elena’s eyes suddenly felt heavy and her hand instinctively found the wings on her collarbone as she drifted off to sleep.

Elena was an Angel. And she was ready to fly.

Chapter Text

Time as an active Angel: 1 month

Elena had never got on well with loud people; she was just too different. She didn’t ‘click’ with them. Their brashness and boldness got under her skin no matter how much she tried to deny it, and she’d find herself irritated at their energy when all she wanted to do was focus on the task in front of her.

It’s why she had enjoyed working at Brok Industries. Or thought she had enjoyed it… There weren’t many people she worked with who she would class as loud, not even Langston. He was the right level of friendly and open without being overbearing. Elena definitely preferred to work and socialise (when she could drag herself away from the lab) with people who had a similar energy level to herself.

And then Elena met Sabina Wilson.

The definition of wild child and always, always up for fun, her now-teammate had burst into Elena’s life wearing a very questionable sweater, covered in gravel rash and shouting instructions at a dazed and grieving Jane Kano who seemed to follow Sabina’s commands as if on autopilot.

Elena knew from the very beginning that she shouldn’t like Sabina; she definitely fell directly within the ‘loud’ category that Elena tried to avoid. And yet Elena had been intrigued by Sabina from day one, despite her usual warning signals that told her to stay clear of someone so… different to herself.

It had been Sabina who had pulled Elena and Jane from the water and draped her hideous sweater over Elena’s shoulders when she noticed her shivering, a mixture of the water temperature and the shock of the situation making Elena tremble on the spot. And then Sabina had disappeared, returning a few minutes later to guide Elena to a nearby car before driving them all away from the growing crowd of onlookers.

Elena had suspected at the time that the car was stolen and yet she hadn’t cared. All she could focus on was the uneasy feeling in her stomach and the desperate need to throw up. Even now Elena couldn’t remember how far they’d driven before Sabina pulled over at a quiet field and Elena had ran from the car, the taste of vomit stinging the back of her throat only moments later.

The hours that followed had been just as confusing, although looking back there was a lot Elena hadn’t realised at the time. Like how much losing Edgar had hurt Jane, or how quickly Bosley had turned up to step into Edgar’s shoes. Or how Sabina had managed to find a tuna-maybe-cheese sandwich even as they were escaping potential death at the hands of an assassin.

It had been months since that day and it was only now that Elena seemed to realise how different both her teammates were compared to her first impressions of them. Jane meant business, that much was clear. She could fire any weapon and do so with a smirk on her lips, knowing that she was going to hit her target. She was professional and determined, but she was also kind and protective. Jane needed to be in control, but she also had no issues with telling someone exactly what she thought of them, regardless of how her words could be received.

“You. He was shooting at you.”

She had been right, of course. Hodak had been shooting at Elena. And yet it had been Sabina who appeared out of nowhere with a comforting hand on Elena’s shoulder and a hot mug of tea, as if she had known it would be needed.

Sabina was loud and brash and bold, but she was also gentle and caring and sensitive. Elena had learnt that pretty quickly about her new teammate and could tell that Jane had realised the same thing. Sabina’s laugh was infectious, not grating. Her excitement over the smallest of things was endearing and even though Sabina herself could be annoying beyond words, Elena had worked out very early on that she had a heart of gold.

Sabina excited Elena in a way that no one else ever had. She made Elena feel like she could be so much more than what she thought was possible, and during her first month as an official Angel Elena had loved every single second of getting to know both Jane and Sabina as teammates and as friends.

Which is why Elena felt herself grinning when her phone buzzed on her bedside table early one morning and she lazily reached over to answer the call. It was Sabina.

“Elena!” Sabina shouted Elena’s name as soon as the phone connected, Elena pushing herself to sit up and leaning back into her pillows as she blinked herself awake.

“Oh no, what have you done?” Elena groaned. It was early, it was a Sunday, they had no plans to meet up until much later in the day. Elena had been intending to clean her apartment given she had only recently got the keys and the living area was still strewn with empty wine bottles from her moving in party a few days ago. Organised by Sabina, of course.

“Nothing,” Sabina feigned hurt. “Can’t I call you for a chat?”

Elena sighed. Sabina was trying to sound far too casual.

“Sabina?”

“Ok, ok. You’re my one phone call,” Sabina laughed. “I may have spent the night getting very cosy with a group of strangers in a police cell again.”

“Sabina! I’d just assumed you’d gone home,” Elena groaned. They had been out the previous night for a few quiet drinks, but it had only just gone ten when Sabina disappeared and stopped answering her phone when both Jane and Elena tried to contact her. They had given up waiting for her to return and headed back to their apartments instead of trying to track her down, knowing that Sabina had wanted to stay out the whole night. “Why didn’t you call Saint?”

“He was my phone call last week,” Sabina answered simply. “Elena, please. Come get me and bring a doughnut, I’m starving. They serve slop in here and I haven’t even been offered that yet.”

“How do I just come get you, you’ve been arrested? And I don’t even want to know why!”

“Just mention the Agency and they’ll let me go,” Sabina sounded far too laid back for Elena’s liking. “Tell them it was part of a mission or something. Get inventive, I believe in you.”

“Seriously,” Elena rolled her eyes at Sabina’s playful tone. “Won’t this go on your record?”

“Not the Agency one, and that’s all that really matters,” Sabina stated casually. “Elena, please hurry up. There’s someone watching me and I don’t think she wants to talk about who’s currently wearing the best hot pants. Which is me by the way, just in case you haven’t guessed.”

“Why are you wearing-?” Elena started before sighing and pinching the bridge of her nose. “Actually, I don’t want to know that either.”

Sabina definitely hadn’t been wearing hot pants when they had gone out the night before.

“Well come get me and you’ll get to see them in all their glory. Be quick and bring the doughnut,” Sabina said brightly and ended the call.

Elena pulled the phone from her ear and stared at the blank screen as if expecting it to light up again and tell her what to do. But she was clueless. How was she supposed to bail Sabina out when she had no idea what she had done to land herself locked up in the first place? Who was Elena supposed to speak to? Not Bosley, surely. And certainly not Charlie. Elena sighed and found Jane’s number saved within her favourites; Jane answered almost immediately, despite the time.

“Jane, stupid question but-” Elena swallowed. “What do you do when Sabina calls you from a police cell?”

“Not again,” Jane groaned and Elena couldn’t help but smirk. “I’ll pick you up in ten.”

~*~*~*~*~

Jane and Elena sat in the car and watched as Sabina skipped from the front entrance of the local police station, her shiny pink hot pants shimmering in the early morning sun and last night’s mascara smudging the edges of her eyes.

“You told Jane?” Sabina asked with a raise of her eyebrow as she fell into the back seat of the car and tilted her head.

“I had to, I had no idea how to get you out otherwise!” Elena explained, her voice pitched high. “I’m not yet practiced in the art of Sabina escape plans.”

Sabina grinned and shoved Elena’s shoulder playfully.

“I was only joking, I fully expected you to tell her,” Sabina smirked. “Jane likes to say I told you so.”

“You’re so annoying,” Jane muttered with a roll of her eyes. “What did you do this time?”

“You didn’t ask when you bailed me out?”

“No,” Jane stated bluntly, turning in Sabina’s direction. “I just gave them a rambled story about how you were undercover and acting drunk and whatever happened would have been an accident. Yet again.”

“Oh, cool,” Sabina’s grin widened. “Thanks.”

“So-” Jane made it clear that she wasn’t driving anywhere until Sabina told her what had happened.

Sabina shrugged again and fell back onto the soft seats, arms flopped at her sides.

“I punched an officer.”

“You what?!” Elena’s mouth fell open while Jane shook her head and closed her eyes as if a disappointed parent would do.

“He was quite literally asking for it,” Sabina tried to argue, her hands in the air again as she animatedly retold the story of the previous night and how she had been blamed for something that definitely wasn’t her fault.

“Which officer was it?” Jane asked without turning round. “One we know already?”

“Reynolds,” Sabina mumbled and Jane shook her head again, letting out a deep sigh.

Elena watched them both closely. Did that mean that Jane knew who Reynolds was? Was Sabina in the habit of getting arrested for punching a police officer? Was Bosley going to reprimand her when they got back to HQ? Would Bosley even know?!

“I’m surprised they let you out this time,” Jane stated and Elena shook herself back to reality, realising her mouth was still hanging open in surprise and closing it quickly.

“I think I annoyed them enough that they just wanted rid of me,” Sabina yawned.

“That I can believe,” Jane glared. “Don’t you dare fall asleep on the way back, you deserve to be tired. We’re going to HQ, we have a briefing later.”

“No we don’t, it’s Sunday,” Sabina’s eyes widened as she sat up straight. “It’s our day off.”

“We don’t get days off, Sabina,” Jane persisted. “Boz wants us to go through the CCTV footage from last week. You would know if you had access to your phone instead of being locked up again.”

“Well let me see now,” Sabina stretched her hand through from the back seat and rested it on Jane’s knee, watching her expectantly as she wiggled her fingers. “I’m guessing they gave you my phone when they let me go, because I don’t have it.”

“You can get it later,” Jane raised an eyebrow and Elena could see Sabina smile playfully. She still wasn’t used to the strange looks her teammates shared with each other. They looked almost… flirtatious. If Elena was reading the signs right.

Sabina fell backwards onto the seat and crossed her arms over her chest.

“Did you bring my doughnut?”

Elena smirked as Jane held a small paper bag over her shoulder without looking back and Sabina’s eyes lit up immediately.

“Yes! You two are the best.”

“It was Elena’s idea,” Jane mumbled, although Elena distinctly remembered Jane stopping at their favourite cafe on the way to the police station, just to buy Sabina’s favourite doughnut. Not that Elena would admit such a thing, not when Jane’s scowl could curdle milk.

Sabina took a large bite of her doughnut and Elena turned to Jane, frowning slightly.

“We don’t have a briefing today,” she whispered and Jane tried to hide a smile.

“Don’t we?” She asked as she turned on the ignition. “Must have got my days mixed up.”

Elena grinned as Jane put her foot down and they rejoined the highway, Sabina falling asleep across the back seats within five minutes of leaving.

~*~*~*~*~

Jane kept up the pretence of a briefing with Bosley once they were back to HQ, waking Sabina up with a shove to her shoulder after parking in the underground carpark and leading them inside. Elena fell into step behind Jane and was relieved when she realised that Jane was leading them to the kitchen, smiling wide when Saint greeted them with his usual friendliness.

“Mi chicas,” he held out his arms for a hug and Elena gladly walked into them. It had been less than a day since she had last seen Saint and yet she didn’t ever want to turn down one of his hugs.

“Sabina needs food,” Jane grabbed an apple from the fruit bowl and nodded to Sabina who was yawning widely and shuffling in behind them. Her eyes seemed to light up at Jane’s suggestion.

“Food? I’m starving.”

Saint looked Sabina over and gave her a knowing look.

“You’re too sober to have been drinking all night, which means-”

“Yeah, yeah,” Sabina waved her hand in front of her and fell into a chair at the kitchen table, resting her head on her crossed arms. “Jane’s already given me the ‘I told you so’, I don’t need it from you too.”

“Bosley’s going to be pissed off,” Saint almost sang. “You know she gets the paperwork.”

“Mm, hmm,” Sabina mumbled without looking up. “Which is why I’m going to hide here for a few hours. Or until after food, then I’m going to bed before Boz can find me.”

“No you’re not,” Bosley appeared behind Elena with her arms across her chest and Sabina groaned at the table, not lifting her head.

“I just need to sleep,” she whined and Elena thought Sabina might be on the edge of tears. Until she remembered that this is what Sabina did; she was a grifter. She could make herself sound pathetic for effect.

“You can once you’ve explained yourself,” Bosley stated. Jane jumped up to sit on the kitchen worktop as if to get a better view while Elena danced by the door, not sure where to look.

Sabina finally lifted her head, resting her elbow on the table and her chin on her fist, glancing at Bosley through tired eyes.

“What did you do to Reynolds this time?” Bosley raised an eyebrow. “He sounded really pissed off on the phone. And yes I called him, because if I don’t stay on their good side and pretend that I know exactly what you’re up to every night, they’re going to put something on your record.”

Sabina shrugged and Saint placed a large bowl in front of her full of granola and yogurt, topped with strawberries. Sabina gave him a warm smile and Saint squeezed her shoulder quickly before turning to the sink. Even when Sabina was in the bad books Saint looked after her. It made Elena smile. Saint was the best.

“I got into a small disagreement with a bouncer and Reynolds took his side,” Sabina explained through a mouthful of granola.

“Don’t you think he might have been trying to avoid causing trouble?” Bosley suggested. “He knows how much paperwork is involved every time you need bailed out. He’ll make sure this doesn’t go on your record but he’s going to stop helping us if you keep hurting him!”

“Wait, Reynolds knows who we are? About the Agency?” Elena asked, looking between Sabina and Bosley in confusion.

“He’s practically an undercover Bosley,” Sabina shrugged. “Kinda.”

“He’s a Bosley? You punched a Bosley?” Elena’s mouth fell open again.

“No,” Sabina drew out the word. “He has nothing to do with the Agency. Not in that way anyway. He just knows about us, helps us out sometimes. He’s like… like a friend.”

“You punched him in the face,” Jane reminded her.

“He has a very punchable face,” Sabina spoke as if this was the most obvious thing in the world.

“He actually does,” added Bosley and Sabina laughed loud, holding her hand to her mouth to stop her granola from flying across the table.

“Boz!” Jane shook her head, obviously caught between surprise and amusement. “Not the point!”

Bosley shrugged and Elena could see even Saint smirking from where he leant against the worktop.

“Not that you’d think twice about punching a Bosley in the face, it’s happened before,” Jane added but Sabina seemed to ignore her. Until she added ‘ex-Bosley’ under her breath and scooped another spoonful of granola into her mouth.

“It’s too early to think about this,” Bosley waved a hand in front of her and pinched the bridge of her nose. “Just don’t let it happen again, Sabina. No matter how punchable Reynolds might look.”

Sabina gave Bosley a thumbs up and Bosley turned to leave the kitchen, Elena noticing the way Saint quickly busied himself by the fridge as he tried not to laugh.

“So, I’m forgiven?” Sabina asked, fluttering her eyelashes at Jane for effect.

Jane sighed loudly and turned to Elena.

“I dunno. What do you think, Elena? Should we forgive her?” Jane asked, her expression suddenly serious.

Elena was used to these kinds of questions. Where do you think we should go tonight, Elena? What take-out would you prefer? Should I wear the pink or the black? She was asked out of necessity or politeness, but her opinion was rarely listened to. It had happened Elena’s whole life; when she was a kid, a teenager, throughout her studies, even when she had worked at Brok Industries. The decision had already been made long before Elena was consulted, she was only asked so they could make themselves feel better about not involving her in the first place. If Elena agreed then great, they could blame her if things went wrong. And if she disagreed then she was ignored. Elena knew what to expect by now.

And so Elena was surprised when Jane kept eye contact, the seriousness of her question evident in her dark brown eyes. Did she think that Sabina should be forgiven for her latest mishap?

“I-” Elena swallowed. “I think we should forgive Sabina.”

Sabina grinned wide. Jane pouted.

“Fine, you’re forgiven. Again,” Jane rolled her eyes. “But you’re on cleaning duty for a week as punishment.”

“You do know that only Bosley can give out punishment,” Sabina raised an eyebrow. “And I don’t listen to that either. You have no chance, Kano.”

“Won’t stop me trying,” Jane shrugged, sliding from the worktop to fall into a chair beside Sabina and nodding for Elena to do the same.

Saint gave them each a bowl of granola, Sabina her second helping, and left the kitchen with a grin still on his lips.

~*~*~*~*~

Sabina left the kitchen with a yawn after finishing a third bowl of granola, heading towards the bedrooms while rubbing her eyes with her fists. Her shiny pink hot pants caught the light in the hallway and made her legs look longer than Elena ever remembered them looking before, a thought which seemed to catch Elena completely off-guard. Jane complained, loudly, that she was going for a shower after being disrupted earlier that morning when Sabina had called from a police cell.

“You really need to shower too,” Jane raised an eyebrow at Sabina just before she left and Elena was again surprised at the playful look that momentarily flashed across Jane’s features, Sabina giving her a knowing smirk in return.

Elena took the extra time at HQ as an excuse to head back to the lab, her usual go-to whenever she had some free time. She had been working on a new hacking device with Saint for weeks and although it was still in its prototype stage, they had now reached a point where the device worked at least ninety percent of the time. Which was a huge improvement since they had first stated working on it.

It was only once the device was fully operational, every single time, that the Agency would think about using it during a mission. And so Elena would often find herself leaning over a lab table with Saint, tweaking and testing the hacking device to check its accuracy. Being back in a lab made Elena happy; she had graduated top of her class at MIT, she wanted to still use the skills she had learnt during that time.

It was early afternoon by the time Elena felt her stomach grumble and reluctantly packed away the instruments she has been using, heading back to the kitchen to find Saint who had promised her tacos for lunch. She made her way along the corridor, feeling a tiredness in her limbs and reminding herself to thank Sabina for that later, when she passed one of the bedrooms and Sabina came tumbling out in front of her, her hair stuck up in every direction and the buttons of her shirt matched up wrong. She paused for a second before giving Elena a beaming smile that lit up her eyes; she was obviously in a very good mood.

And Elena had a feeling it was because of whoever it was on the other side of the bedroom door. HQ had been busy lately with many different teams back from active missions, creating a buzz throughout every area of the building. It made working out even more interesting than normal; Jane and Sabina had their pick of other Angels to entice into the ring, and Elena loved to watch as they adapted to the different fighting styles.

She hadn’t yet seen Jane or Sabina lose a match, apart from against each other.

“Hey,” Sabina ran a hand through her hair and leant against the wall in an obvious attempt to act causal. “I thought you were in the lab.”

“I was,” Elena smiled. “Now I’m not.”

“No, you’re not,” Sabina fidgeted with her waistband and shoved her shirt inside her denim shorts. “Fancy a coffee?”

“Sure,” Elena nodded. She had been convinced that Sabina would still be asleep given her night spent in a police cell and yet Elena doubted that she had closed her eyes for even a second. Sabina looked wide awake but certainly not rested; Elena bit her lip to stop herself from asking which Angel Sabina had just left within the bedroom. It was none of Elena’s business what Sabina got up to in her free time. “I was going to get some lunch, Saint’s made tacos.”

“Even better,” Sabina nodded, glancing at the closed door and grabbing Elena by the hand.

At the very same time the door to the bedroom reopened and Jane stood at the threshold, her hair pulled back in an immaculate ponytail and not a single crease on her tank top.

“Oh,” Elena hadn’t meant to sound surprised. She didn’t think she was, the sound had just escaped without her knowledge as her eyes locked with Jane’s for a split second. Before she quickly looked to Sabina who blushed pink and pulled Elena down the hallway.

“We’re going for tacos,” Sabina called back to Jane, Elena’s feet stumbling after her. “You’re welcome to join us if you want.”

They were too far away to hear Jane’s response by the time Sabina let go of Elena’s hand.

~*~*~*~*~

Sabina practically inhaled her lunch, hurrying Elena to do the same before giving up and taking Elena’s plate with her remaining taco from the kitchen, grabbing her by the hand again on the way out. They made their way to the back grounds of HQ where a group of Angels were training in the distance and fell onto the grass beside a small pond that was home to some rather large koi fish.

Elena could see Sabina physically relax as she lay back on the grass, eyes closed against the sun and with her arms stretched wide. Elena watched her intently, mesmerised by the way Sabina’s hair caught the slight breeze and stuck up on end. Brown to blonde to wispy ends that danced in the sunlight.

“You and Jane are close,” Elena stated without meaning to, her lunch forgotten on the grass next to her.

Sabina didn’t move, her eyes remaining closed.

“Suppose.”

There was a pause as Elena bit her lip, not sure whether to continue.

“I won’t tell anyone. About what I saw earlier, in the hallway,” Elena spoke quietly but Sabina only shrugged.

“It wouldn’t bother me if you did, I don’t care what people say,” she paused, frowned and brought a hand to her forehead to shield her eyes from the sun, looking over at Elena. “But Jane might not want to be so open about it. So, thanks. Y’know, for keeping it quiet.”

“Sure,” Elena smiled weakly and Sabina closed her eyes again, lowering her hand to her side.

Elena watched as Sabina threaded her fingers through the grass, trapped it between her fingers and raised her hand until it slipped free, not breaking a single blade. It always amazed Elena how gentle her teammates could be given they were so skilled at bringing down a fully grown man with nothing but their fists. She watched Sabina’s elegant fingers play with the ends of the grass, her eyes still closed, and just for a moment Elena imagined how it would feel if they were to trace along her skin instead…

Elena shook her head slightly and snapped out of the thought, swallowing hard. She really had to stop thinking that way, especially now that Sabina had admitted that there was something going on between her and Jane. Even if it was just a bit of fun.

“Elena,” Sabina smiled after a few minutes of silence, not moving to see whether Elena was waiting for a response. “If you ever want to join us, you only need to ask.”

Elena felt her cheeks blush scarlet as she quickly grabbed her taco and took as big a bite as possible so she didn’t need to respond.

~*~*~*~*~

“Do you have a bald patch?” Jane stood over Sabina who perched on the edge of the sofa, her fingers threaded through Sabina’s hair. “Or is that from where you knocked yourself out? Not that that narrows it down any.”

“No, I might have over bleached it, ok,” Sabina batted Jane’s hand away and turned to Elena with a smile. “Where do you think we should go next, El?”

It was now mid-week and they had all slept a lot since Sabina’s early morning phone call from a police cell; something that Elena was very grateful for. Bosley had tasked them with finding a new lead for their latest mission and so any time Jane and Sabina headed to the gym, Elena got out her laptop to look for information that could help them track down a gang of smugglers that were thought to be working nearby.

They needed a new location to investigate, and Elena was pretty sure she had found one.

Jane twisted Sabina’s hair through her fingers and Elena was momentarily distracted by how relaxed her teammates were around each other, until she realised that Sabina was watching her expectantly. Just like Jane, Sabina seemed to be genuinely waiting for an answer.

“The museum,” Elena suggested wearily, despite the fact that she had put in hours of research to know that it was worth checking out. “There’s a disused section at the back of the building where they store old displays, but it isn’t covered by the museum’s regular security systems. It wouldn’t take much for someone to hack into the camera footage for that part of the building and put it on a loop. I’ve checked the museum’s security records, no one has checked that part of the building for months.”

Elena paused, nervously looking between her teammates.

“Great, I’ll go let Boz know,” Sabina sprung to her feet and Jane let her hand slide down Sabina’s back as she moved, pausing just above her bum before Sabina disappeared.

Elena smiled, looking away quickly when Jane glanced in her direction. She had been sure she had seen secret looks between her teammates over the past few weeks but hadn’t wanted to ask any more about it. Sabina had been open about the fact that she had been with Jane behind the closed bedroom door on Sunday, but Elena had asked nothing further. She had no idea how serious their relationship was, if there was anything there to begin with. Maybe Sabina had made it sound like more than what it was… and yet she had looked genuinely happy when she stumbled into the hallway. Elena briefly thought about asking Jane, but when she looked back up Jane was still staring at her and the question quickly dissolved before it could be spoken.

“You got everything we need?” Jane asked and Elena nodded eagerly, Jane’s expression unreadable.

~*~*~*~*~

It was obvious within minutes of arriving at the museum that they were in the right location; the smugglers were definitely using the back of the building to store, package and then transport various goods across the country. The Angels has been given instructions to download the data from the computer systems within the office and then head back to Bosley - job done. Or job progressed, at least. Elena wasn’t naive enough to believe that the mission ended once the bad guys were in handcuffs.

Elena did however let herself believe that the mission was going to be a quiet one; an in and out job with no stories to tell once they were back at HQ. And for the first twenty minutes that’s exactly how it went; until Elena got distracted by a bad taxidermy of a fox and walked straight into a stack of empty crates at the side of the room. She flinched as if to prepare herself for the noise and a second later the crates came crashing down in front of her, scattering in every direction. Elena barely had time to register the sound before Jane grabbed her by the sleeve and dragged her away from the crates, where they crouched behind a heavy wooden table that had been stored on it’s side. Sabina was only a step behind them.

“Sorry,” Elena whispered in a panic but Jane shook her head with a frown. Sabina on the other hand looked elated, a wide grin on her lips as she peered out into the centre of the room. The heavy wooden door at one end opened a second later and six armed men marched through in unison, Elena ducking down further behind the table. Although Elena had researched the premises for days, it still wasn’t clear how big the gang of smugglers was or how many armed guards they had positioned at the museum.

Elena had a horrible feeling that there were more than just the six that had arrived at the sound of the fallen crates.

“Maybe we’ll get to have some fun after all,” Sabina smiled at Jane, nudging her in the shoulder and receiving a glare in return. Sabina turned to Elena and the look she gave her made Elena’s chest flutter, a softness in Sabina’s eyes that seemed to speak to Elena directly. As if to say ‘don’t worry, I’ll look after you’.

Elena shook her head and told herself to stop being so stupid, reaching for her gun after realising that Jane already had hers in her hand.

They stayed silent as the group of men walked past their hiding spot, each with a long rifle slung over their shoulder. Elena breathed out slowly and let herself believe that they had got away with it, that they weren’t going to be found. Until one of the men stopped at the fallen crates and stepped closer, his gun pointed in their direction a second later.

“Who are you?” He shouted in broken English and both Jane and Sabina moved before Elena could work out what was going on, jumping over the table and into the group of men who had all turned in their direction.

Elena took a little longer before she caught up, swallowing the nervousness that had pushed itself to the surface and stepping over the table to stand beside Jane who had her own gun pointed at one of the men. Point blank. Elena stared at the man at the other end of Jane’s gun and froze, noticing the way his hands twitched on the trigger of his weapon. But a second later Sabina’s elbow made contact with the side of his head, knocking him to the ground.

“I had him,” Jane raised an eyebrow at Sabina, seeming to ignore the other men who were still surrounding them.

“I know,” Sabina nodded with a shrug. “I was bored.”

Jane rolled her eyes and looked to Elena, tilting her head slightly.

“Get to their computer system and retrieve the data of their travel routes,” Jane instructed and Elena nodded eagerly. “It’s on the first floor, right?”

“Yeah,” Elena nodded again, her eyes flicking to the men that continued to surround them as she tried to work out how her teammates could remain so calm.

“Good,” Jane continued. “Get everything you can, we’ll keep this lot busy.”

Sabina bounced on her toes, grinning wide, and then they seemed to move in unison. Jane spun an arm out as one of the guards moved towards her, hitting him on the side of the head with the butt of her gun while Sabina launched herself at another who was coming towards them at a run. Elena tried not to focus on the commotion as she quickly scanned her surroundings, spotting a marble staircase at the end of the long room that led to the first floor. She had researched the building enough over the past few days; she knew exactly where their computer systems would be located.

Elena had passed her written Townsend exams with flying colours but there had been room for improvement in other areas of her training, including learning not to flinch during a fight. She was getting better and could definitely hold her own in the ring (most of the time), but there were still times she felt herself cowering away slightly when things got too intense. It’s why she was so grateful to be part of a team who were always there when she needed them, making sure she was safe.

Elena ducked under an outstretched arm that was thrown in her direction and dropped to her knees, driving her elbow into the back of one of the guards’ legs and watching him tumble to the ground. The butt of her gun found his head in the exact spot Jane had taught her and he was out cold a second later. Enough to give him one hell of a headache but not kill him…

“Nice!” Sabina called from across the room and Elena turned to see her watching with genuine pride, Jane smiling at her from the opposite side while she held another guard in a headlock.

Elena pushed herself to her feet and made for the stairs at a run, not noticing a large guard move in her direction until he had collided with the side of her body and knocked her to the ground. Elena groaned, blinked and pushed herself on to her back, realising that her hand was now empty and there was a new ache in her ribs. The guard crouched down and loomed over the top of her, Elena balling her hands into tight fists as she swung a punch up in his direction. But the guard caught her hand before she could make contact with his face and held it tight, grinning down at her with darkened teeth.

“No you don’t,” he growled, letting go of her hand and pushing his own against Elena’s chest to stop her from moving.

‘Be brave, be brave, be brave,’ Elena chanted to herself as she stared at the guard above her. She had to find the information they had been sent for, they couldn’t leave empty handed. Elena had to keep it together long enough to fight her way out of the situation she now found herself in; the sooner she had the data the sooner they could all leave. And then both Jane and Sabina would be away from any potential danger again. Yet the pressure on Elena’s chest made it hard for her to think, the guard sneering at her from above.

He laughed, his breath stale with cigarette smoke, and drew his own fist back while keeping Elena pinned to the ground. Elena couldn’t help it; she flinched, throwing her arms over her face and closing her eyes tight while she waited for the pain that she knew would come with his punch.

And then the weight on her chest was gone, Elena opening her eyes again to see Sabina grappling with the same guard who was now back on his feet, Sabina grabbing his shoulders and jerking her knee upwards into his stomach. Elena blinked hard and caught her breath, pushing herself to her knees and looking around for any signs of her gun. It had to be close by.

She could see Jane in the distance, fighting against two guards at once and definitely with the upper hand. There were weapons discarded across the room and Elena had a feeling it had been her teammates that had managed to unarm the guards before they could use them. The Angels were far better trained than the smugglers when it came to fighting with their fists.

Elena pushed herself to her feet at the same time Sabina drove her elbow into the shoulder of the guard she had been grappling with and he fell at her feet, Sabina watching as he went down. She paused, looked to Elena and grinned.

“Down he goes,” she tilted her head and quickly turned in Jane’s direction at the sound of someone grunting in pain, but it had been another guard who was now motionless in front of Jane. “And another one!”

Elena laughed with relief, her vision blurring slightly as she glanced between Jane and Sabina.

“Where are they all coming from?” Sabina asked rhetorically, shaking her head and looking to Elena. “Keep going, we’ll keep them down here.”

“Ok,” Elena nodded quickly, turning back to the stairs and feeling her head spin as she tried to focus. Everything was loud and confusing and yet her legs kept moving forwards instinctively.

Elena had only taken a few steps when she heard Sabina shout her name and grab her by the arm, pulling her away from the stairs before Elena could work out what was happening. Elena stumbled and realised that she was now stood behind Sabina, who was facing another guard that had appeared out of nowhere. And who was already swinging the end of his rifle at the exact spot Elena had been standing just before Sabina had taken her place.

The weapon made contact with the side of Sabina’s face with an audible thump, instantly knocking her to the ground. Elena seemed to freeze as she waited for Sabina to jump back to her feet, but she didn’t move. She swallowed hard, desperately wanting to check whether Sabina was conscious, but the guard had already turned his attention to Elena with a cruel smile on his lips. Elena raised her fists again, her heart pounding.

‘Be brave, Elena,’ she thought to herself but her hands shook even as she clenched them tight. ‘Be brave!’

The guard took a step closer, looming above Elena just as the first one had done, and she felt her hands shake. He was easily twice her weight, but that didn’t stop Jane or Sabina bringing down someone of his size. Elena had been trained to do the same, to fight smart. All she had to do was keep him moving. She had to be fast and make sure he didn’t make contact.

Elena didn’t know how her teammates made it look so easy.

Elena took a breath and bounced on her toes, trying to imagine being back in the ring. This was just another sparring partner, it was no different than training with Jane and Sabina. Even though she couldn’t see either of her teammates right now, a horrible feeling settling in her stomach at not knowing where they were. She needed to know that they were ok. She needed to know that Sabina was back on her feet and that Jane still had the upper hand.

The guard laughed and shook his head, Elena already trying to calculate the best place to land her elbow for maximum effect. Just as she had been taught. He pulled his arm back and suddenly spun on the spot, taking a step backwards and throwing his arms out in an attempt to steady himself. It took Elena a few seconds to realise that Sabina had grabbed the guard by the legs, pulling him downwards until he hit the ground hard.

“Elena, go!” Sabina shouted and Elena shook her head to focus, glancing between Sabina and the stairs and back again. She had to get moving, she had to get to the computer systems. That was their mission.

Elena did as she was instructed, moving as quickly as she could and reaching the staircase within seconds. But the uneasy feeling in her stomach prevented her from going any further, an instinct in her bones screaming at her to stop despite her need to reach the computer systems as soon as possible. Elena spun back to the room and could see Jane with her arm around a guard’s neck, holding him tight. Just like in training; enough to knock him out but not to cause permanent injury. But the guard that Sabina had pulled to the ground was now straddled over the top of her, his hands around her throat as he squeezed tight.

Sabina gasped for air, punching at his sides as she tried to kick him away, but his weight alone was too much for her to move. Sabina’s eyes were wide, fearful, and Elena moved as if on autopilot, running back towards the guard and grabbing at his arm to pull him away from Sabina. It was only then that Elena realised just how big the guard was; it took him little effort to swing his arm to the side and throw Elena to the ground, her grip loosening instantly. Both the guard’s hands were immediately back on Sabina’s throat and Elena felt the panic grip at her chest when Sabina’s arms fell at her sides, her eyes rolling upwards.

Elena pushed herself to her knees again but Jane was there first, appearing out of nowhere and throwing her whole body weight at the guard from the side on. They both toppled to the ground, Sabina somewhere between them, and Elena could do nothing but watch as Jane’s fist made contact with the guard’s nose, stunning him just long enough for Jane to find the pressure point on his neck. He was out cold a few seconds later, Jane leant on top of him breathing hard.

The look in Jane’s eyes made Elena instantly think of Istanbul; a need for revenge mixed with the knowledge that the Agency frowned upon such a thing. Unlike Hodak who definitely hadn’t walked away from being impaled on an ice sculpture, the heavy guard that lay beneath Jane looked to be stunned only.

Elena was yet to be able to find a thug’s ‘sleepy neck button’ as easily as Jane could.

Jane blinked with a frown and Elena quickly moved to help Jane shove the guard to the side, away from Sabina who still hadn’t stirred. Jane crouched by Sabina and shook her by the shoulders before tracing the back of her fingers across the darkening bruise on her teammate’s throat.

“Sabina, can you hear me?” The look of concern was evident across Jane’s features as her thumb paused on Sabina’s chin, keeping her head steady. “Come on, wake up. We gotta go before more guards arrive and I’m not carrying you.”

Elena hadn’t realised she was holding her breath until Sabina groaned, her eyes opening with a frown as she screwed up her nose in obvious discomfort.

“Slowly,” Jane instructed, sliding a hand behind Sabina’s back to help her sit up. “Take your time.”

Sabina reached for her throat and wiggled her jaw, Elena noticing her breathing was quicker than usual and she seemed to sway slightly. Elena wanted to give Sabina a tight hug and check her over but knew that they had to get moving.

“Ouch,” Sabina mumbled, her voice hoarse. She swallowed with a wince and looked to Jane as she continued to blink her surroundings back into focus. “What a dick.”

Jane cupped Sabina’s cheeks in her hands and stared straight into her eyes.

“How’s your vision?” she asked, tilting her head to inspect Sabina’s already bruising cheekbone. “Did you get knocked out? Can you breathe ok?”

Jane’s fingers traced the side of Sabina’s neck again, lingering on the bruising that continued to darken.

“I’m fine,” Sabina rolled her eyes and squinted, closing the eye that had taken the impact from the butt of the guard’s rifle and groaning again. “I think I’m just dazed, I can remember everything. And I can see you just fine.”

Sabina smirked playfully and Elena suddenly felt the tension in her muscles relax that little bit more. Sabina was nothing if not unpredictable, and yet the smile on her lips despite the fact that her eye socket was quickly growing darker to match the finger marks on her throat was somehow reassuring. It meant Sabina was ok enough to joke about it, even if she shouldn’t. Even if her voice sounded pained and croaky. Elena wanted to wrap her own hands around the neck of the guard that lay unconscious next to Jane but forced herself not to look at him.

Jane shook her head with a smile and placed her forehead against Sabina’s, only briefly, yet Elena’s apprehension and anger were replaced by a strange feeling in her chest that she couldn’t explain.

“Stop doing that to me,” Jane breathed in obvious relief and Elena had a sudden feeling that she was intruding on something private. “Come on.”

Jane slid her arms under Sabina’s and pulled her to her feet, Elena moving to help Sabina steady herself as she frowned, the pain obvious across her features.

“Are you ok?” Sabina asked, reaching up to tuck Elena’s hair behind her ear. Elena felt the nerves on the back of her neck tingle.

“I’m fine,” Elena reassured her quickly, wanting to check Sabina’s bruising that only seemed to darken the longer they stood together. “But you’re hurt.”

“This is nothing,” Sabina smiled weakly, waving a hand in front of her. Yet Elena could see the way Sabina winced every time she swallowed.

A bang in the distance made all three Angels pause, before Jane and Sabina moved in unison to point their gun at the doors on either side of the long room that was now strewn with unconscious guards. There was the very clear sound of more people approaching from both directions and Elena felt her heartbeat begin to quicken again. She wanted out of the museum as soon as possible. She wanted Saint to make her a sweet tea to steady her nerves and to check Sabina over properly. But they had to finish their mission first.

“Up?” Sabina asked and Jane tilted her head back to look at the tall ceiling, the stairs only feet away.

“Yep,” Jane nodded and pushed Elena’s gun back into her hand. Elena had no idea where she had found it but took it gratefully, only then realising that Jane must have found Sabina’s too; she definitely didn’t have it a few minutes ago.

Sabina grabbed Elena by the hand and ran, following Jane up the marble staircase to the balcony that would have overlooked the central attractions when this part of the museum was still in use. Elena was barely able to keep her gun in her hand but she ran anyway, one foot in front of the other as she stumbled behind them both. They were quicker than she was, it was difficult to keep up.

“Don’t mean to hurry you Elena, but if you could do the next bit as quickly as possible then that would be great,” Sabina smiled while they ran along the corridor towards the control room, stopping just long enough to check the room was empty before Elena was ushered inside.

This bit Elena was good at. She knew she was, even under pressure. She could hack into any system, some of them with her eyes closed, and she enjoyed doing it. Elena could see Jane and Sabina both standing guard at the door as pulled the hacking device from her pocket, plugging it into the smuggler’s computer system and pressing the required buttons until it started to download everything she was looking for. This was the easy part of the mission.

The sounds from outside the room seemed to grow louder, both Jane and Sabina glancing inside to check on Elena’s progress on more than one occasion. Elena breathed deeply and tried not to think about how close the other guards could be getting, their footsteps definitely getting louder. Just as she was sure that they were going to be found again the hacking device flashed green; Elena had everything they needed. She grabbed the device from the computer and quickly left the room to find her teammates.

“Got it,” she spoke quickly and Jane nodded once, peering over the balcony as the doors flew open on either side of the room below and at least twenty armed men appeared.

“We really gotta go,” Jane stepped back again. “I’m pretty sure the last group didn’t use their weapons because they were afraid of shooting each other, but I don’t want to take that risk again.”

“They did use them,” Sabina pouted, gingerly poking the bruise on her cheek. Jane rolled her eyes and batted Sabina’s hand away.

“Be quiet and get moving,” Jane instructed and Elena quickly fell in step behind her, Sabina following at the back. “We need to get far away from here before they find us.”

“But we don’t have a getaway car!” Elena heard her voice wobble slightly and hated it.

“Yes you do,” Bosley’s voice sounded over their comms and Elena let out a sigh of relief. She had no idea how long Bosley has been connected to their wings but Elena certainly wasn’t complaining that she was now there; the thought of Bosley waiting outside made Elena instantly feel better about their current situation.

“Typical Bosley, turns up when the work is nearly done,” Sabina laughed but Elena could hear the relief in her voice too. “We’ll be out front in the next few minutes. Look for us by the fire escape.”

“Use the stairs this time,” Bosley instructed, the sarcasm not missed by anyone.

“Yeah yeah,” Sabina rolled her eyes. “Whatever.”

Jane reached the other end of the balcony and pulled open a door that led to the outside fire escape, the rusted metal steps running criss-cross down the side of the building. Elena couldn’t help but wonder why Sabina had even attempted to slide down the outside of the fire escape on her graduation day but thought it better not to ask. She’d put it down to Sabina being Sabina and leave it at that.

The stairs, although worn and rusted, were surprisingly sturdy and all three of them made it to the bottom without incident. Elena had just reached the bottom when she saw Sabina sway on the spot and grabbed her arm to steady her, Sabina turning to give her a smile that made the butterflies in Elena’s stomach flutter.

“Thanks,” Sabina looked genuinely grateful and Elena took the chance to wrap an arm around Sabina’s waist, just to make sure she stayed upright until Bosley found them.

Bosley appeared less than a minute later in a bright red sports car, her window rolled down and wearing a pair of sunglasses that hid most of her face.

“Subtle,” Elena grinned, pointing to the car as they made their way over as quickly as possible, Jane falling into step behind them while she glanced over her shoulder to make sure they hadn’t been followed. “I like it. They won’t see you coming in that, Boz.”

“Would you rather walk?” Bosley asked and Sabina laughed loud, Elena opening the front passenger door to guide Sabina inside before jumping in the back with Jane.

Bosley put her foot down before Elena had found her belt and they were gone, speeding away from the museum across the gravelly path. Elena let herself finally relax, leaning back against the headrest and breathing deep. Even after a month of being an Angel, each mission was still terrifying. She only hoped that no one noticed her nerves.

Not that she would change a second of her time since graduation. The fear was slowly turning into excitement, the apprehension into adrenalin. Or it had been, until Sabina was knocked to the ground in front of her and suddenly she felt sick with worry.

But that was something else Elena had to get used to, as much as she hated the thought. Their line of work wasn’t safe. They were going to end up in difficult, dangerous situations. It was inevitable, but they had each other for support.

Elena had both Jane and Sabina to save her, just like they had been doing since day one.

Bosley glanced to her side and raised an eyebrow.

“Do you have a black eye again?” She asked Sabina but Elena knew that Bosley wasn’t waiting for an answer. Just like her ‘is that a stolen car?’ statement the day she had met them in a field in Hamburg.

“It’s going to bruise bad,” Jane drew out the last word and reached over to Sabina’s face from the back seat, pressing her thumb gently against Sabina’s cheekbone.

“Ouch, leave it alone,” Sabina pouted. “It was a lucky shot.”

“It actually was,” Jane agreed with a shrug and Elena suddenly felt guilty; Sabina had been pulling her out of the way when she got hit. It was her fault Sabina had been injured.

“Why do you sound like you’ve been strangled?” Bosley asked again, glancing to Sabina then back to the road. “Let me see.”

Bosley reached over to pull Sabina’s top aside so she could get a proper look at her neck, Sabina batting her hand away with a frown.

“Hey, eyes on the road,” Sabina grumbled. “I’m fine.”

“I watched Elena help you into the car,” Bosley raised an eyebrow but Sabina only crossed her arms over her chest with another pout. “Saint needs to look at that.”

Sabina didn’t give her a response.

Elena looked at Sabina in concern and Sabina seemed to notice, turning to frown at Elena as she scrunched up her nose.

“Why do you look worried?” She asked and Elena shook her head quickly, biting her bottom lip to stop her eyes from watering. Sabina carried on anyway. “Are you ok? I know that goon had you pinned down, he didn’t hurt you, did he?”

“No,” Elena shook her head quickly, clasping her hands together between her knees. “But- he hurt you.”

Elena hated how small she sounded and wanted to close her eyes and disappear. First she had got Sabina hurt and now she was sounding pathetic. She’d only been an Angel for a month; was there still time for them to kick her out?

“I told you, I’m fine,” Sabina frowned again, looking to Jane as if she needed her confirmation. “Like, totally fine. Why do you look so upset?”

“Elena thinks its her fault,” Jane interjected before Elena could squeak out another response. “Because you threw yourself at the guard that had sat on top of her. Which wasn’t Elena’s fault, obviously. You’ll throw yourself at literally anyone and even I would have struggled to move from under the other guard’s grip. He was massive.”

Jane thought for a second before looking at Sabina again.

“I’m pretty sure he was aiming at you with his gun too, you’re the one that pissed him off.”

“True,” Sabina nodded slowly. “And I’m the one that grabbed him by the legs. Kinda asked for him to fight back, even if I wasn’t expecting this.”

Sabina pointed to her neck and rolled her eyes. But neither of them were making Elena feel any better. Elena could still hear the raspiness of Sabina’s voice and knew that her throat would be aching.

“You still think this is your fault,” Sabina asked and Elena nodded slowly, unable to stop herself.

The wobble of her lip was even more embarrassing. Sabina’s eyes seemed to widen when she noticed how close Elena was to tears and she suddenly unbuckled her belt, moving to kneel on her seat.

“Oh El, baby. Don’t be silly,” she drew out her words, reaching through into the back of the car and opening her arms for a hug. “Come here.”

“Not while I’m driving, Sabina,” Bosley sighed but didn’t slow her speed any. “You’re a pain in the ass.”

Sabina laughed and Jane reached over to pull Sabina into the back of the car where she landed on Elena and wrapped her arms around her shoulders.

“I’ve been doing this shit for years,” Sabina stated, sitting back so she could see Elena properly. “This is nothing and definitely not your fault. This is like, one line of paperwork for Bosley. All it needs is an ice pack from Saint and that’s only because he’ll insist it needs one. It doesn’t even hurt that much. I told you, I don’t feel pain.”

“It’s true, this really is nothing in comparison,” Jane nodded, letting Sabina move to fall against her chest and draping her arms over the top of Sabina’s shoulders so they were both still looking at Elena, Jane with her back leant up against the door.

“I’d call that mission a success,” Sabina grinned and Elena finally let herself relax.

~*~*~*~*~

The Angels returned to HQ within the hour, Sabina trying to sneak off to one of the bedrooms and Saint catching her before she made it that far. He had taken one look at the bruising on her neck and sent her straight to the medical room, despite her protesting, with the threat of no food until she had been checked over. As predicted, Saint had insisted that Sabina hold an ice pack to her swollen cheek after he’d inspected the area for any signs of a fracture, but had also decided that he wanted to monitor her for an hour given she was still obviously unsteady on her feet.

Elena hadn’t left the medical room other than to return her weapon to the closet, placing herself in one of the chairs by Sabina’s bed while Saint checked her over.

“You don’t have to stay here too,” Sabina said, a sadness suddenly in her eyes when she looked to Elena. “I know how boring it can be in here, you can go freshen up with Jane if you want.”

“It’s ok, I’ll wait,” Elena smiled back.

“Is this because you still feel guilty?” Sabina asked.

“No, it’s because I want to stay,” Elena admitted and Sabina grinned wide, before wincing again and closing her eye next to her bruised cheekbone.

Saint finished checking Sabina over and, after concluding that she had sustained nothing more than bad bruising, agreed that Sabina could leave the medical room after an hour of rest. Not before warning her that he would be waiting right outside so she couldn’t sneak off sooner.

“But I’m fine,” Sabina complained loudly, throwing her hands up in protest.

“You blacked out. More than once,” Saint crossed his arms and Sabina pouted in Elena’s direction. “Don’t blame Elena, it was Jane that told me. Even though I could have guessed as much by your injuries. You probably have whiplash from the blunt force to your face and the finger marks around your neck are going to be there for weeks. I can hear in your voice that you’re lucky he didn’t cause any more damage.”

Sabina looked to Elena as if hoping for some sort of backup but Elena only shrugged.

“He’s right,” she said quietly, hating the look in Sabina’s eyes. “I was really worried about you. I thought he was going to strangle you, you couldn’t breathe.”

Elena felt her lip wobble and swallowed hard, determined not to cry. Sabina’s eyes softened and she looked away quickly, a frown appearing on her brow as Saint busied himself by her heart rate monitor.

“An hour,” Saint stated, placing a hand on Sabina’s shoulder then heading to the door. “Stay where you are until I come back for you and keep the ice pack on your bruises. It’ll help with the swelling.”

Saint left before Sabina could complain any further, leaving her sat cross legged on the medical bed looking anything but relaxed. Sabina removed the clip from her finger as soon as Saint had gone and threw it on top of the sheets, sighing in frustration and wincing as the monitor started emitting various sounds now that it was no longer reading Sabina’s heart rate.

Elena moved to switch off the machine and the room fell silent. She sat on the end of Sabina’s bed and looked at her properly, the bruising around her neck making Elena feel sick.

“Thanks for today,” Elena spoke quietly. “I was pretty rubbish.”

“You were anything but,” Sabina looked up with a frown. “You did your job perfectly, we have all the information we need.”

“And I froze,” Elena added, feeling her eyes water again. “I didn’t notice either of those guards until it was too late. I don’t know what I would have done if you weren’t there.”

“But that’s exactly why I’m there,” Sabina frowned, her voice still strained. “That’s why we’re a team, because we all have our strengths. I’m the distraction, you know that.”

Sabina shrugged and Elena felt her muscles tense. She had heard Sabina call herself that before; the distraction, the decoy. The one to throw herself at danger to keep everyone else safe that little while longer. Sabina had put herself between Elena and the guard without thinking, more than once, and Elena hated it. She hated that Sabina seemed to believe it was her job to do so even more.

Elena was just about to tell Sabina the same when the door reopened and Jane appeared with three glasses between her hands, handing Sabina and Elena one each.

“Saint won’t let us have coffee until he knows Sabina’s throat is going to be ok, but apparently a smoothie will help to reduce the swelling,” Jane shrugged. “I didn’t ask how, I just took them.”

Sabina took a sip, scrunched her eyes closed as she swallowed and took another sip right after. Elena tried to convince herself that this was a sign that Sabina was going to be ok, but she had a feeling that Sabina was only drinking it so willingly in the hope that Saint would let her leave quicker.

Saint was true to his word and returned to the medical room after an hour, reluctantly agreeing to let Sabina go once he had given her another lecture about being careful and no sudden movements for the rest of the day. Bosley agreed with Saint and told Sabina that she was to rest for forty eight hours before resuming normal duties, which didn’t go down well with the increasingly impatient Angel.

By the next afternoon Sabina was still moping around HQ complaining that she was bored, although Elena didn’t miss the fact that Sabina seemed to selectively ignore Bosley’s suggestions of catching up on her written reports. Elena couldn’t help but smile every time Sabina complained about being ‘told off’ yet again by both Saint and Bosley, pointing out that they never seemed to give anyone else the same lectures. Jane reminded Sabina that no other Angel gave Bosley and Saint a reason to, which didn’t help matters.

It was early evening when they found each other in the breakout area, none of them seeming to want to go home to their apartments despite the darkening skies. Elena was just about to suggest that they head to the gym when Sabina handed her a tall glass with a bright pink liquid inside.

“What is it?” Elena asked, peering at the glass. She was sure the contents were sparkling slightly.

“It’s a Houghlin,” Sabina smiled, her voice better than the previous day although Elena could still hear the undertone of discomfort when she spoke. “My own invention. It’s sweet, like you.”

Elena felt her cheeks blush and hoped that Sabina wouldn’t have noticed. She took a sip as Sabina handed a glass to Jane and could understand what Sabina meant instantly; it was definitely sweet. Elena was pretty sure that Sabina had just mixed whatever spirits she could find in the kitchen together with Saint’s leftover fruit smoothie. But it was good.

Sabina fell into the sofa next to Elena and took a gulp of her own cocktail, her shoulders slumped as she sighed through her nose. Elena had a feeling that Saint would be annoyed if he found out that Sabina was drinking during her two day enforced rest period, but she certainly wasn’t going to tell him.

“We should go out for a few more drinks,” Jane suddenly suggested and Sabina’s mouth fell open in surprise as she looked between Jane and Elena.

“Did you just suggest going out on a week day?” Sabina grinned and Jane rolled her eyes.

“We haven’t had many down days since Elena joined,” Jane shrugged. “And when we have had them you’re usually recovering from your latest injury. A black eye and bruising is as good as we’re going to get. And we can make sure you don’t end up behind bars again.”

“Yes!” Sabina jumped to her feet, bouncing on the spot and seeming oblivious to Jane’s playful dig. “I’m going to get ready before you change your mind.”

Elena laughed at the look on Jane’s face and watched her closely while Sabina skipped to her bedroom.

“You’re trying to cheer her up,” Elena stated and Jane glared, although it held no heat.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

~*~*~*~*~

Elena had learnt a lot in her first month as an Angel, the majority of which hadn’t been mentioned during her training. Some of it the easy way and some the hard. Which included learning that Elena was, without a shadow of a doubt, a lightweight when it came to drinking.

Jane and Elena followed Sabina to one of her favourite bars and slid into a free booth in the corner, Sabina passing around the cocktail menus and ordering a round of shots. She had somehow managed to conceal the finger marks on her neck but her swollen cheekbone was a little more difficult to mask. The barman winced at Sabina’s darkening bruise but Sabina shrugged her shoulders and made up a story on the spot about being involved in a horse riding incident. The barman seemed to believe the story with little effort.

Three cocktails and many shots later, Jane slid along the leather bench to lean her shoulder against Sabina’s and twist her straw between her fingers, Elena sitting cross legged on Sabina’s other side as she watched them closely.

“Promise you’ll stop making me worry about you,” Jane said seriously, looking straight at Sabina.

“No can do. You know that,” Sabina smiled, a knowing look in her eyes.

Jane sighed, nodding slowly.

“You’re right. I do,” Jane still sounded serious and Elena was sure she could see a sadness on Jane’s expression. “Just promise me you’ll try to be more careful.”

“Yeah, because I asked for this. Didn’t I?” Sabina raised an eyebrow and pointed to her bruised cheekbone. “I promise I’ll try to stay away from the bad guy’s battering ram from now on.”

“I’m just relieved it wasn’t more serious,” Jane reached up to run her fingers along the bruising underneath Sabina’s chin before sliding her hand around Sabina’s neck and pulling her closer, gently placing her lips against Sabina’s.

Sabina closed her eyes in response, willingly leaning in to the kiss until Jane pulled away and rested her forehead against Sabina’s again.

“Be careful,” she whispered and Sabina nodded without saying anything in return.

Elena swallowed and looked away, her chest aching with a feeling she couldn’t explain. The butterflies in her stomach felt like they were swarming, making her head dizzy and her palms sweaty. Elena had always believed herself to be good at reading her emotions, and other people’s for that matter, but right now she had no idea what she was feeling or what that meant.

Jane turned in Elena’s direction and Elena quickly picked up a cocktail menu, hoping that Jane wouldn’t realise she had been watching.

“Sorry,” Jane mumbled. “I didn’t mean to make things awkward.”

“You didn’t,” Elena shook her head quickly. “Really, you didn’t.”

Jane bit her lip and suddenly looked embarrassed.

“I know that you already know,” Jane shrugged quickly. “That Sabina and I have been- well. Y’know.”

Elena opened her mouth to respond, looking to Sabina to gauge her reaction and realising that she was completely lost for words.

“It’s ok, Sabina didn’t blab,” Jane laughed. “I know you worked it out on Sunday, we weren’t exactly subtle about it. You probably knew before then too.”

Jane raised an eyebrow and Elena nodded sheepishly.

“I’d guessed as much.”

“And?” Jane asked, a nervous wobble to her voice. “Does this change anything? Does this affect our team?”

Elena quickly looked to Sabina again, her bright green eyes watching Elena intently.

“Not at all,” Elena shook her head. “I’m happy for you both. I don’t want our team to change, not ever.”

Jane smiled, Sabina grinned and Elena was sure that all three of them seemed to relax slightly. It wasn’t a lie; Elena really was happy for both Jane and Sabina. And yet the feeling in her chest every time she though of them together, without her, only seemed to get worse.

“Don’t tell Bosley,” Jane added quickly and Sabina laughed loud.

“Boz knows,” Sabina grinned, rolling her eyes. “You know she does. Boz knows everything.”

Jane glared at Sabina before sighing again and leaning back against the soft booth. It was obvious that Jane agreed with Sabina even if she didn’t say as much. Elena picked up the cocktail menu in an attempt to distract herself at the same time a tray of shots was placed on the table in front of them.

“What-?” Jane frowned before turning to Sabina. “You ordered these on your way back from the loo, didn’t you?”

“Yep!” Sabina grinned, reaching over to choose one of the twelve shot glasses on the tray and tipping the contents into her mouth. “Come on, keep up!”

Elena giggled and followed Sabina’s lead, feeling the sticky substance warm her throat. It wasn’t terrible… although Elena had a feeling her previous cocktails probably helped to mask the taste. Sabina reached for another and nodded at Jane and Elena to do the same, Jane rolling her eyes but doing so anyway.

After the third shot in a row Elena could feel a heat flush her skin and a fuzziness in her head, and yet she didn’t hate it. Their mission at the museum had been stressful and scary and had Elena worrying about Sabina until well after they had returned to HQ, but now Elena felt none of that. She felt good. She felt as if she could stay out all night.

Elena picked up the cocktail menu again with the purpose of using it as a fan to cool herself down, but Sabina had other ideas.

“You want another?” Sabina asked. “They’re doing table service now, you can choose the next one.”

Elena turned the menu over and instantly wanted another drink, her happiness growing at the thought of staying out even longer with both her teammates. No, not just teammates. Both her friends.

She ran a finger down the list in front of her and stopped at the bottom.

“Espresso martinis,” Elena announced. “To keep us awake.”

Sabina leant forward and raised her hand as one of the bar staff walked by; she stopped to take their order before looking back to Sabina and smiling.

“Oh, hi,” she grinned. “I haven’t seen you in ages. Sabrina, right?”

Sabina opened her mouth to answer but Elena got there first, shuffling even closer to her teammates before she did so.

“Sa-bee-na,” Elena spelt out her name one syllable at a time, complete with hand signals for each one. “Like a bee. A bumble bee. Oh, our little bumble bee! Bumble-bina!“

Elena had never been so pleased with a nickname in her life, her mouth falling open as she turned to Sabina for her reaction.

“Oh God,” Sabina smirked, letting her head fall into her hands. “What have I created? Don’t give Lena any more alcohol.”

“No,” Elena drew out the word with a pout before turning back to the server and letting out an excited squeal. “Oh, hang on! Cancel the martinis, we need these ones instead.”

Elena grabbed the menu and scanned the list in front of her which was proving more difficult now that the letters were beginning to blur together slightly. How many drinks had she had already?

“There, these ones,” Elena pointed to the menu and grinned wide. “Three Bee’s Knees please.”

Elena drew out each word with a wide grin before she slid down the bench and rested her head on Sabina’s shoulder so she was mirroring Jane on Sabina’s other side. Elena sighed contently, feeling warm from the inside out. The server disappeared to make their drinks and Sabina laughed.

“You two are both total lightweights, you know that, don’t you?” She asked with a smile and Elena nodded.

She definitely knew that much but right now she didn’t care. She was having too much fun.

The server returned a few minutes later and Elena sat up again, dancing on the spot as she took one of the glasses and had a sip, pursing her lips at the sweetness.

“This one’s even sweeter than the one you made,” Elena stated, taking another sip.

“You catch more flies with honey…” Sabina shrugged, winking at Elena and tasting her own drink.

“Are you calling us flies?” Jane asked and Elena could hear something hidden in her words that she didn’t understand.

“No,” Elena responded without thinking, her head beginning to spin. “Not flies. Bees. She’s our honey trap.”

“Haven’t done that in a while,” Sabina muttered and Jane glared, hard. Sabina shrugged. “What, needs must and all that. Don’t worry, I haven’t gone past flirting for ages. Not with a target anyway…”

Jane seemed to contemplate Sabina’s response before shrugging and taking a drink, her nose wrinkling at the sweetness. Elena was too drunk to try to work out what Sabina had meant by ‘not with a target’.

“Good choice by the way, these are good,” Sabina held up her drink in Elena’s direction and Elena smiled. She liked making them happy. It almost made her forget about the bruise that painted Sabina’s beautiful features.

Had Elena just thought of Sabina as beautiful? Because she was, Elena wasn’t going to argue with that. Argue with herself? She didn’t know what she was supposed to think right now. The strange feeling in her stomach that had appeared when she had watched Jane kiss Sabina had gone, although her head still felt fuzzy. In a good way. In a way that made Elena feel happy and relaxed and made her forget about what had happened at the museum. She was sat next to both of her beautiful teammates… friends. Best friends. And that’s where she wanted to stay.

Elena smiled and tried to focus on the cocktail in front of her. What was in it? Gin and lemon and honey…

“Because bees like honey,” Elena spoke out loud and suddenly realised she hadn’t meant to. That was supposed to stay in her head. Sabina looked at her with a warm smile and Elena couldn’t help but continue. “Honey for bees. You’re our Bumble-bina.”

“And you’re drunk,” Sabina laughed loud, lifting her arm and waiting for Elena to move closer so she was leant up against her side, head back on Sabina’s shoulder as Sabina pulled her close.

Elena definitely wasn’t going to argue with that either.

Chapter Text

Time as an active Angel: 3 months

Elena had learnt a lot during her short time as an Angel, and more than just how unable she was to keep up with Sabina on a night out.

She had learnt that Bosley couldn’t function without a steady supply of wine and cheese.

Saint secretly loved reading comics, mainly about obscure superheroes that no one had heard of, and would deny it adamantly if questioned about it.

Jane could get strangely possessive over her weapons and classified a deep clean of said weaponry as ‘fun’. It wasn’t fun.

And despite how Sabina was often perceived by fellow Angels and Bosleys and their targets and anyone else who met her, she knew things that you wouldn’t expect her to know. No doubt picked up from her days before she joined the Agency. And which included a surprising level of knowledge of how to hack into a computer system for someone who wasn’t a techie.

“I know enough to be dangerous,” Sabina had shrugged with a smirk when Elena questioned her about it one evening. “When you’ve been working for the Agency as long as I have, you pick things up from the people you work with.”

Elena could understand exactly what Sabina meant; she had only been an Angel for three months and yet she had already learnt a lot from both of her teammates. Especially in the ring, where Jane insisted they train nearly every day. Not that Elena minded; she loved having the chance to watch Jane and Sabina sparring together, neither one wanting to give up first.

Working as part of a team meant sharing skills and knowledge and research. And so Elena was not at all surprised when she walked into her HQ bedroom one morning to find Sabina sat in front of Elena’s laptop, frowning at the screen in concentration.

“Bee, what are you doing?” The nickname seemed to have stuck since their drunken night out but Sabina didn’t appear to mind. And Elena couldn’t stop herself from using it.

“Just looking,” Sabina’s focus remained on the screen. Elena leant over her shoulder to take a closer look.

“Have you hacked into the target’s mainframe?” Elena definitely sounded more intrigued than shocked and was glad that Jane wasn’t around to glare at her for encouraging Sabina’s disregard for the rules.

“Maybe.”

“What have you found?” Elena squeezed onto the same chair as Sabina until she was practically sat on Sabina’s lap, leaning her head close. She could feel Sabina’s unbrushed hair tickle the side of her head.

“I think they might be using an office block near the factory as a base,” Sabina frowned, pointing to the screen. “That doesn’t look like the factory. If I’ve done this right?”

Elena tilted her head and had a closer look. Their current target was a gang of local thugs who were known for selling counterfeit passports to anyone who had the money to buy one. And the passports were very good replicas. Good enough to be dangerous when California was full of individuals who could do a lot of damage with a new identity.

The Angels had been watching a nearby printing factory for a little over a week where it was thought the gang supposedly worked, and had even managed to gain access to the building one night when they were convinced that no one was around. And yet they had found no evidence of the counterfeit documents, despite there clearly being the equipment required to make them. Without the evidence there was no way to prove what the gang were up to, but it was becoming clear that the passports must be stored and distributed from another location.

The Agency just didn’t know where that was yet.

The Angels had been scheduled to return to the factory later that day but Sabina had obviously got fed up of just standing around, waiting for something to happen. Elena was secretly glad that Sabina had taken the step to investigate before she had a chance to do so herself.

Elena leant over the laptop, her shoulder nudging against Sabina’s given how close they were sitting, and clicked on another window Sabina had opened. She smiled instantly as an intricate map of the area filled the screen, looking much more like a set of blueprints than a street map. Elena was used to reading this sort of data but she was impressed that Sabina had been able to decipher the information.

“I think that’s the factory,” Sabina pointed to the screen, sounding a little unsure. “But the activity is coming from over here, which looks like the office block. I think.”

Elena followed Sabina’s hand across the screen and nodded.

“Yeah, you’ve done it perfectly,” Elena sounded as proud as she felt. Sabina turned to give her a bright smile. “That’s definitely the office block and the same computer system is linked to the factory. That office building has recently had the top five floors changed into luxury apartments.”

Elena looked back to Sabina and smiled.

“That’s probably where they’re based!” Elena suddenly felt excited. “There’s a lot of money in counterfeit documents after all, it’s likely they could afford somewhere like that as a base. The data you’ve found suggests that there’s a lot of activity coming from the seventh floor. Not very smart on their part.”

Sabina frowned, the question on her features without her having to voice it.

“We can pin-point their most likely location,” Elena shrugged. “The amount of activity from the seventh floor of the building would suggest it’s a regular base, which I think is the first apartment above the remaining offices. Which means-”

“We have a way in,” Sabina smiled again and Elena nodded. “We know they’re on the seventh floor.”

“All we need next is a distraction. Do you know where we’d find one of those?” Elena smirked, leaning in closer to Sabina who smiled back.

“I know someone who knows someone,” Sabina responded playfully. “She’s a pain in the ass but knows how to keep a mark distracted.”

Elena giggled, her forehead inches from Sabina’s. She could feel Sabina’s breath warm on her cheek and the sudden confusion flash across her teammate’s eyes when she glanced up and looked at her directly. Just for a second.

Elena moved before she could think about it, closing the gap between them and placing a quick kiss on Sabina’s soft lips, pulling away instantly. They both froze, eyes connected, before Sabina smiled and Elena felt her cheeks burn scarlet. She had no idea where that had come from; she hadn’t been able to stop herself!

“Sorry,” Elena moved quickly, stepping out from behind the desk and clasping her hands together to stop them from shaking. “I shouldn’t have- I gotta go. I’ll let Jane and Bosley know about the seventh floor. The apartments. The- yeah. I’ll go speak to them.”

“Ok,” Sabina’s voice was quiet, a look in her eyes that Elena couldn’t describe. The confusion had gone and a sadness seemed to have taken its place, but Elena had no idea why.

Was it because Elena had just overstepped the line? Broke the boundaries that were meant to be kept between them. Elena knew how close Jane and Sabina were, she should never have kissed Sabina! And yet it had felt so right in the moment… It was a natural reaction, beyond Elena’s control.

What would Jane say if she found out? Sabina had every right to tell her, but what if Jane was angry? What if Elena was kicked out of the team? Sabina had often teased Elena that she was welcome to join her as she snuck into Jane’s bedroom late at night, but Elena still hadn’t worked out whether Sabina was being serious or just- Sabina. Deflecting any awkwardness with a coy smile and an inappropriate comment.

And even if Sabina had been serious, Jane hadn’t said the same. Not once had Jane ever mentioned her time spent alone with Sabina and there was no way Elena was going to ask. It was personal and Elena wasn’t a part of that. No matter how much she wanted to be.

Elena left the room quickly before she could make the situation any worse.

~*~*~*~*~

Within ten minutes of Sabina and Elena talking Jane and Bosley through the information they had found on their target gang, Bosley agreed that the Angels should find a way into the seventh floor of the office block in order to search what they had now confirmed was the bottom apartment within the building.

“How do you know the apartment has a safe?” Elena asked with a frown, trying not to sound like she was being difficult.

“They’re bad guys,” Sabina shrugged, trying to hide a grin while she leant against the back of the sofa, her arms draped in front of her and over the cushions. “All bad guys have a safe. It’s usually in the wall hidden behind a painting.”

“Because we’ve seen blueprints of the apartments that were made available online when the developers were trying to sell them,” Jane raised an eyebrow and nodded to Elena’s laptop that now sat in front of them. “Luxury comes with a steep price tag and apparently, a safe.”

“Which is hidden behind a paining,” Sabina added with a smile.

“Your life isn’t a movie y’know,” Jane rolled her eyes. “I know you’re an international spy but our lives aren’t that cliche.”

Sabina only shrugged and stepped over the back of the sofa, quickly sliding into the soft cushions next to Jane so close that Jane had to wiggle out from underneath Sabina’s leg. Elena could see Bosley smirk from her position propped on the side of the armchair that Elena had tucked herself into. After earlier, Elena didn’t want to risk overstepping the mark again by sitting too close to her teammates.

“I can get into the apartment,” Sabina shrugged while she played with a loose thread on the bottom of her jumper. “Let me know who to flirt with and I’ll make sure they take me back to finish the conversation. Or not finish it, whichever they prefer.”

Elena hated how casual Sabina sounded at being able to get that close to a likely dangerous target, but quickly shrugged it off. It was part of Sabina’s job. She was good at it.

Too good.

“What if you need backup?” Elena asked instead. “Shouldn’t we wait until it’s empty and go together?”

“We don’t have time,” Bosley shook her head. “We’ve spent too long watching the factory which has given us no leads. We don’t know how long it’ll take before we’re confident there’s no one in the apartment for us to search it together. Plus there’s likely to be security of some kind on the ground floor before you can access the elevators, and then we’d need to get into the apartment without a key… Sabina’s right, this is the easiest way to get inside.”

“And there’s an adjacent building on the other side of the road,” Jane added as she leant over and pointed to the map that was currently on the laptop screen. “It only has six floors but the roof is directly in line with the apartment we think the gang is using. Elena and I can observe from there; we’ll have a good view and will be close by if needed as backup.”

“These guys are terrible with their security,” Sabina laughed through her nose and Elena tried to smile, but it quickly fell from her lips. Elena still didn’t like the idea of Sabina going by herself, even though she knew her teammate was more than capable of doing so.

“Good for us though,” Jane shrugged. “We often lose visual of our grifter when on a mission and have to wait for a verbal signal that the rest of the team is needed. Which, depending on the Angel, isn’t always obvious.”

Jane paused when Sabina’s mouth fell open in mock surprise.

“Not you,” Jane sighed. “You always make it very clear when you’re ready for backup to arrive. Even if you’re often having too much fun to remember that we’re standing on the other side of the door, waiting for said signal.”

Sabina shrugged but seemed to nod her head in agreement.

“If we have visual from the opposite rooftop then we’ll be able to keep an eye on the situation,” Jane continued, her focus back on Elena. “If it looks like Sabina needs help then we can join her fairly quickly.”

“That sounds more fun,” Sabina raised an eyebrow. “Like Rio all over again.”

Jane smirked before rolling her eyes.

“Wait for it,” she tilted her head.

“Where you pushed me off a roof,” Sabina said casually and Jane held a hand out in her direction.

“There it is.”

“I’d hate to disappoint,” Sabina added and this time it was Bosley who rolled her eyes.

“You two are so predictable,” she sighed. “But I agree with Jane. Sabina, encourage the target to take you back to the apartment, but only if it’s safe. Intel suggests that the head of the gang is due to be in Arizona for the next week, but we don’t know how many others could be in the apartment. Distract the target long enough to find the safe and try to get any evidence we can use. If you can’t without being seen then report back the location and Jane and Elena will join you. They’ll be keeping lookout from the opposite rooftop. I’d rather we keep the violence to a minimum on this one, but I suppose it would be a good time to try out Saint’s latest taser guns if we do need to go in.”

“Do I get one too?” Sabina asked, eyes wide with excitement.

“No,” Bosley answered bluntly. “You go in unarmed or the target will start to ask questions.”

“Who says they’re going to see under my dress to know if there’s a weapon there?” Sabina’s eyebrows twitched. “Well, you know what I mean.”

Sabina smiled wide but Bosley ignored her remark. Elena could feel the strange sensation return to her chest but was still unable to work out what it meant.

“Go find Saint in the closet,” Bosley directed at Sabina with a wave of her hand, clearly fed up. “And make sure he gives you a backup tracker. I want one in your dress and another in your shoes. Jane and Elena, we’ll go through the entry points for the roof of the adjacent building before Saint shows you the new tasers. Don’t let Sabina near them, I can’t be bothered with the paperwork.”

Sabina rolled her eyes again, pushed herself from the sofa where she had been pressed against Jane’s side and headed for the closet, pausing as she passed Elena to lean over and place a quick kiss on her cheek, catching Elena completely by surprise.

“Don’t listen to their stories, they make most of them up,” Sabina winked at Elena before disappearing from the breakout area.

Elena could feel her mouth fall open slightly as well as the warm patch on her cheek where Sabina’s lips had made contact, but it was the small smile on Jane’s lips that had Elena frozen.

Jane looked… Elena didn’t know how Jane looked. But it wasn’t angry. Definitely not angry. Sabina had just kissed Elena right in front of Jane and Jane didn’t seem to care. Ok, it was just a peck on the cheek, but still. It was a complete surprise and Jane hadn’t reacted to it. Was it because Jane was used to Sabina doing that sort of thing? Did Sabina often kiss people, apparently at random? Just for fun.

Elena felt more confused than ever and startled slightly when she heard Bosley call her name from her position sat on the arm of Elena’s chair. Elena had a feeling it wasn’t the first time Bosley had called it.

Bosley nodded to the map and Elena moved forward for a closer look.

She had to stay focused.

~*~*~*~*~

Bosley, Jane and Elena spent the next hour going over the information they had collated from their recent observation of the factory and decided that it was far too dangerous to target anyone who was close to the head of the gang, a man known only to the Agency as Tiny. Elena could take a good guess at where the ironic nickname had come from; Tiny was huge. He wasn’t exceptionally muscular, but he certainly wasn’t small.

Instead they agreed that Tiny’s nephew, Jonah, was the ideal target. He was young, close enough to Tiny to have access to the apartment and was known to frequent a local nightclub most evenings. Yet from their observations, he wasn’t as trusted by his uncle as some of the other men within the gang which they hoped would work in their favour. Even Elena could see that flirting with Jonah was their best chance at getting close to the evidence they needed.

Bosley fed this information back to Sabina once she had finished getting ready, who seemed only too happy to be heading to a nightclub for the evening. Even after three months as an Angel, and three months working with both Jane and Sabina, Elena was still surprised at how easy her teammates made it all look. Sabina didn’t seem at all nervous when they headed for the door, Jane and Elena having met with Saint and prepped for their part of the mission.

True to her word, Sabina had Jonah eating out the palm of her hand within five minutes of entering the nightclub, her long, blonde ponytail swinging down her back as she twisted a section between her fingers and leant on the bar right next to Jonah.

It only took another fifteen minutes before Jonah had an arm wrapped around Sabina’s waist, his chin on her shoulder as he whispered in her ear and Sabina giggled at everything he said. Elena could hear it all through Sabina’s comms, despite the fact that she was sat in a booth across the room with Jane, the bar only just visible. Elena could feel the tension in her muscles tighten every time Jonah whispered something else and knew that had she been in Sabina’s situation, she’d have ran from the nightclub long ago. But Sabina didn’t seem at all bothered by Jonah’s awful pick-up lines, instead placing a hand on his thigh or leaning into his touch whenever it was needed.

Elena was sure she could see Jane frown as she watched Sabina, not once looking away. She looked protective, or… jealous? Did Jane look angry? Elena couldn’t tell, but she did know that she hated the feeling in her own stomach and wished that Jonah would stop resting his hand that low on Sabina’s back!

But Sabina only smiled wider and continued to giggle, ordering another round of shots every ten minutes and pushing one into Jonah’s hand. Elena watched as Jonah tipped back his head to take the shot and clumsily leant over again, his hand back on Sabina’s waist.

“We should get out of here and go to my special place,” he slurred into Sabina’s neck. Elena shuddered.

“Oh yeah?” Sabina tilted her head. “Why? Do you have a better selection of drinks?”

“Yes!” Jonah grinned. “We have vodka and beer and… other stuff. We can have our own party!”

“We?” Sabina asked with a pout. “You mean there’ll be others there?”

“Not tonight,” Jonah shook his head. “They’re all working. Not due back until tomorrow. They have a big client that they want to impress tonight but I wasn’t invited. Can’t be trusted, apparently. Which is fine, because I don’t want to work with them anyway. I’d rather be here, with you, having fun. Another martini?”

“Sure,” Sabina grinned. “And a round of tequila shots.”

“Don’t drink too much,” Jane warned and Elena could see Sabina frown, quickly glancing in their direction and tilting her head in a very obvious sign for Jane to be quiet.

“Distractions,” Sabina muttered under her breath and Jane looked to Elena as if she could understand what Sabina was talking about. Which she couldn’t.

It wasn’t until a few minutes later that Elena realised what ‘distractions’ meant. Elena watched as Sabina was handed another two shots of tequila and passed one to Jonah, reaching up to tilt the content directly into his mouth before he could stop to think about it. Just as she had done with a bottle of tequila the day Elena had got her wings.

But instead of tipping her own shot into her mouth Sabina quickly poured it into the beer mat on the bar, holding up the empty glass when Jonah brought his head forward again.

Distractions.

Sabina was an expert. She must have had three shots all night, maximum. And that was by no means enough to make her even the slightest bit tipsy.

“You want to go to your special place now?” Sabina asked, her hand on Jonah’s shoulders and his on her lower back again as she stood between his knees while he slumped on a bar stool. Elena doubted he’d be able to stand and stay on his feet. “Where is it? Nearby?”

“Somewhere special,” Jonah slurred, leaning in closer. “It won’t take long to get there. I’ll keep you warm on the way.”

Jonah stumbled forwards off his stool as he wrapped his arms around Sabina’s shoulders in an attempt at a hug; Elena couldn’t help but cringe at how clumsy he looked. He was the kind of guy that Elena usually tried to avoid on a night out and yet Sabina didn’t seem to flinch at the constant contact, even if she was now staggering slightly under his weight. Elena had the sudden urge to cross the nightclub and drag Jonah away so Sabina didn’t have to be near him, but instead she clenched her hands into fists under the table and tried to stay focused.

It was clear from the tension in Jane’s jaw that she thought the same. Elena was a little surprised that Jane hadn’t moved, and yet Elena knew that the mission came first. Whether they liked it or not. Sabina wasn’t in any danger, they had full visual of the situation. Everything was going to plan, so far.

Elena watched as Sabina seemed to push Jonah back to his feet and glance over in their direction again, nodding once. They were good to go.

Jane took a hold of Elena’s hand and pulled her from their booth, not letting go until they were back outside and crossing the street. Elena quickly fell into step behind Jane while she tried to keep up; it took only a few minutes before they reached the building that sat opposite the office block they now knew was being used by the gang. Jane and Elena would soon be in position with a perfect view of the apartment that Sabina and Jonah were now heading to, and before anyone could notice they were there.

Although Elena was pretty sure Jonah wouldn’t have noticed even if they had dragged him from the nightclub with them and made him watch as they scaled the outside of the building.

“Why are there always fire escape stairs?” Jane sighed when they stopped right next to them, her head tilting back to look up the wall and towards the roof. “At least we’re going up this time.”

“It would be a lot harder getting up there without them,” Elena reasoned. Jane nodded in agreement and started to climb the stairs.

It didn’t take long to reach the top of the building despite it being seven stories high. Once there, both Jane and Elena crouched down behind the low wall that ran the perimeter of the flat roof where they could just make out the adjacent window. Their view into the seventh floor of the opposite building wasn’t great but it was good enough to be able to tell when there were people inside the living area of the apartment.

Elena was relieved to notice that the bedrooms were completely hidden from view around the other side of the building. She didn’t want to think of Jonah trying to lead Sabina in that direction, although she doubted Sabina would let it get that far, even for the mission. Not this one at least.

“Blinds are open, we have visual,” Jane confirmed.

“Good, stay where you are,” Bosley answered. “Sabina’s a few minutes away, she should be in the apartment very soon. Don’t move unless you really have to, I’d like to keep this one clean.”

Elena had a feeling that Bosley’s words had been directed at Jane, who frowned in response.

“Noted,” Jane answered, reluctantly.

Elena knelt on the ground and sat back on her heels, glancing at Jane to see that she had done so too. She wanted to say something to let Jane know that she was feeling the same apprehension that she could see in Jane’s eyes, but she knew that Sabina would be able to hear everything through their comms. And so she stayed quiet.

But that also meant that Elena definitely couldn’t bring up the fact that she had kissed Sabina, even though all she wanted to do was tell Jane. To come clean… she hated having a secret from her teammate. Elena took a deep breath and tried to stay focused; this wasn’t the time or the place to start that conversation. Sabina couldn’t be distracted and Bosley still had full access to their comms too. Bringing up something personal now, when Elena knew that Jane and Sabina had got up to a lot more than just a quick kiss while sat behind a laptop, wasn’t a good idea.

Worried Jane, Elena had slowly learnt how to handle. She was getting good at knowing when to offer some form of comfort and when to leave Jane be. But angry Jane still scared Elena, and Elena definitely didn’t want to be the cause of Jane’s anger right now. Any conversation relating to the kiss could wait until they weren’t sat on a rooftop. Preferably when Elena had a clear escape route planned out should Jane get too angry.

And so they both stayed silent, Elena occasionally glancing over at Jane to give her a reassuring smile and receiving one in return.

The only person they could hear over their comms was Sabina, as she made her way into the lobby of the building they were watching. Elena could tell by Sabina’s tone that she more than likely had Jonah’s arm slumped over her shoulders, holding some of his weight as he stumbled through the building.

“What’s the passcode for the elevator?” Sabina asked, sounding direct yet somehow still flirtatious. Elena couldn’t understand how she did it. There was a pause before Sabina repeated the number. “Two, six, four, three, five?”

Sabina asked Jonah as a question but Jane and Elena both understood, Jane instantly grabbing a pen from her combat pants and scribbling the number on the back of her hand.

“Thanks Bina, we got it,” Jane added, nodding once at Elena and looking back to the opposite window.

There was more background noise through Sabina’s comms as she helped Jonah into the elevator and finally the door into the living area of the opposite apartment opened, both Jane and Elena kneeling a little higher to see over the low wall.

“Oh, so this is your special place,” there was a giggle in Sabina’s voice that wasn’t usually there. Elena couldn’t work out how Sabina could make herself sound so ditsy when she most definitely wasn’t. “You didn’t tell me it was this fancy!”

Jonah laughed and fell heavily onto the sofa, pulling Sabina with him she landed mainly on his lap. She giggled again, sliding onto the cushion beside him and placing a hand on his shoulder.

“You promised me a drink when we got back,” Sabina stated. “Can you make me a cocktail? I like just about anything.”

There was a playfulness in Sabina’s voice that made Elena feel uneasy but she couldn’t work out why. She quickly glanced over at Jane who had a deep crease on her brow; she looked just as uncomfortable as Elena felt.

“Get him drunk and let him fall asleep on the sofa, Sabina,” Bosley instructed over their comms. “Then you can search the apartment.”

Elena watched as Jonah stood up from the sofa and staggered slightly before catching his balance.

“I’ll make you the best cocktail you’ve ever had,” he slurred and Sabina giggled again.

“Can I use the bathroom while you’re making it?” She asked.

“Yeah, just down the hall,” Jonah threw out an arm and swayed. “Can’t miss it.”

“Thanks.”

Sabina stayed where she was until Jonah had made his way to the kitchen before quickly standing and heading down the corridor.

“Sabina?” Bosley asked.

“I’m going to have a quick look now while he’s distracted,” she answered. “This place is bigger than I thought.”

“Fine. But be careful.”

Elena stared at the now empty room through the window and was suddenly aware of how fast her heart was beating. She was sure she held her breath until Sabina’s hushed voice could be heard over the comms again.

“I’ve found the safe,” Sabina whispered. “But I’m going to have to wait until Jonah’s passed out before I can get in. Hey Jane, guess where is it?”

Elena could hear the smirk in Sabina’s voice and glanced over at Jane to see her reaction. Jane rolled her eyes but Elena could see the small smile on her lips too.

“If you say it’s behind a painting on the wall…”

“It is!” Sabina laughed. “Now I’d hate to say I told you so, Jane. But I definitely told you so.”

“You’re such a pain in the ass,” Jane mumbled and Elena couldn’t help but laugh to herself.

“It’s in the bedroom with the hideous orange rug by the way,” Sabina added. “Just in case you need to know at some point.”

“I’m still surprised you managed to find it that quickly, ” Jane admitted, sounding genuinely impressed.

“I told you, everything about this lot is cliche,” Sabina answered. “Where else would it be?”

Elena smiled; Sabina had a point.

“Do you need backup?” Bosley asked and Elena instantly placed her hands to the ground, ready to move.

“Not yet, give me a little while longer. I should be able to get in once Jonah’s asleep,” Sabina said and Elena could hear the sound of the tap running in the background. “I gotta go act drunk until he’s out.”

“That shouldn’t be hard,” Jane added and Elena smiled again.

Elena opened her mouth to add something herself but froze when she saw the door to the apartment open and a number of men file into the living area.

“Shit,” Jane muttered. “Sabina, you have company. Looks like the others weren’t gone the whole night after all.”

“They must have got in through a back entrance, there’s been no movement out the front!” Bosley added, sounding alarmed.

“Shame, I was promised a good night,” Sabina laughed but Elena could hear the sudden nerves in her voice. “This just got a little more interesting.”

“Don’t move until I say so, ladies,” Bosley added and Elena clenched her hands into fists. Jane had already moved as if she was ready to head back down the ladder. “Sabina, please be careful.”

“I always am,” Sabina stated brightly and Elena could hear her take a deep breath. “I’ll be fine.”

Elena watched the window closely until she could see Sabina reappear from the corridor, stopping when she got to the living area as if surprised that she was no longer alone.

“Oh, hi,” she raised a hand to wave at the room. “Jonah didn’t tell me he was expecting company, he’s gone to make drinks.”

One of the men crossed the room to stand in front of Sabina and Elena suddenly realised how small Sabina looked in comparison. She felt her hands shake and wanted desperately to be stood at Sabina’s side. Despite how intimidating the group of men looked, even from a distance.

“And who are you?” He asked, folding his arms over his large chest. The fact that he was close enough to Sabina for Elena to hear his voice through their comms made her shudder.

“I’m Lara,” Sabina held out her hand and Elena could imagine the fake smile she offered with it.

Jane looked to Elena and slowly shook her head, rolling her eyes. But Elena had no idea why.

The man in front of Sabina didn’t take her hand, instead turning his back on her and walking away again. Jonah reappeared seconds later with two strangely coloured cocktails, freezing momentarily when he realised they were no longer alone. He crossed the room, gave Sabina a drink and took her free hand, pulling her back to the sofa.

“Jonah, what are you doing?” Asked one of the men.

“Having a drink, what does it look like?” Jonah answered, voice still slurred. “What are you doing, you were supposed to be gone all evening?”

“Change of plans,” someone else answered.

Elena glanced over at Jane again who was now gripping the edge of the wall, her knuckles white. She looked back to the opposite apartment and watched as Sabina placed her cocktail on the floor and tucked her knees up next to Jonah, draping an arm over his chest. Even from a distance Elena could see Sabina’s long blonde hair fall in front of her face as she leant in close to Jonah’s ear.

“You said this was a special place,” Sabina almost purred, sending a shiver down Elena’s spine. She knew Jonah would have felt the same. “It’s not very special if we don’t have some alone time, is it?”

Elena could see Sabina’s hands move and didn’t want to think where they were roaming. She looked back at Jane but her expression was blank, her features set as she watched the opposite building.

Jonah made a sound at the back of his throat and Elena felt sick, imagining the thoughts that would be running through his head.

“Let me get rid of these guys,” he spoke into Sabina’s neck and she giggled again, moving position to sit beside him on the sofa. At the same time the door reopened and a tall man with large shoulders appeared, Elena feeling every muscle in her body tense immediately.

Elena had seen the files with the numerous pictures of the suspected gang members inside. She had watched the factory with both Jane and Sabina for just over a week, as the men that were now in the same room as Sabina huddled outside the factory at strange hours of the day. Elena recognised some of them even from a distance and was pretty sure that the man who had just arrived was the one in charge.

He crossed the room slowly; Elena could see everyone else watch him until he stopped at the chair opposite Sabina and Jonah and sat down, placing his elbow on his knees and staring at them both. Elena wished that she had a clearer view, or better yet that she and Jane were in the room with Sabina, and could feel a strange sense of uncertainty creep up the back of her neck. But she held her position.

“I didn’t know this was going to be a party,” Sabina laughed but Elena could hear a nervousness in her voice, a slight wobble that wasn’t usually there. “I thought this was going to be just you and me, Jonah. Are you going to introduce us if we’re all going to be having a drink together?”

Sabina turned back to Jonah, staring at him as if waiting for an answer.

“Sabina, is that Tiny?” Jane asked, yet Elena could read Jane’s expression even in the limited light. They both knew exactly who he was and just how dangerous he could be.

“Sabina?” Bosley asked before Sabina had a chance to answer. Elena startled; she had forgotten Bosley was listening in from her position outside the building. “He wasn’t supposed to be there tonight, we thought he was going to be miles away.”

Sabina cleared her throat, just the once, and Elena saw Jane tense before looking over the wall a little higher in an attempt to see more of what was going on. Elena had picked up the response too. Clear your throat once for yes and twice for no; Sabina had just confirmed that the man sat opposite her was the gang leader, who had a reputation for being dangerous.

“Get out of there,” Bosley instructed. “We can find a way in later, we don’t want to risk anything if he’s around. Not yet.”

Elena moved to her feet, still crouched behind the wall, and shuffled a little closer to Jane.

“What’s the matter, uncle?” Jonah asked, confirmation alone that the man sat in front of him was Tiny. “You look disappointed to see me.”

Elena was sure she could feel the intensity of Tiny’s stare without being in the same room as him, yet he didn’t say a word. Which somehow made him even more intimidating.

“You weren’t due back until tomorrow,” Jonah continued, his voice still slurred. “Thought I’d make the most of the empty apartment given you clearly don’t trust me enough to go with you. Lara and I intend to have a good time. So either grab a drink, or get out.”

Jonah threw an arm over Sabina’s shoulder, a heavy silence falling within the room and over their comms. Elena held her breath and was very aware of her rapid heartbeat that seemed to pulse behind her ears. She wanted to move. She needed to move. She needed Sabina to get out of there so they could find Bosley and get far away from Tiny.

“Fine. If we’re not going to be alone then I’m leaving,” Sabina sounded like a spoilt child ready to throw a tantrum. She stood from the sofa and crossed her arms. “I’ll see you around, Jonah. I’m not staying if there’s no party and no alone time.”

Jonah reached for her hand as if to ask her to stay, staggering clumsily to his feet and falling into the side of Sabina.

“Sit down, Jonah,” Tiny demanded, his voice low and clear over Sabina’s comms despite the distance between them. Elena could hear Tiny as if she were standing in the same room.

At the same time, two of the men who had first entered the apartment moved to stand between Sabina and the door, making it very clear that they didn’t intend for anyone to leave. Elena could feel her hands shake and clenched them into fists, trying not to focus on how small Sabina looked in comparison to the men who were stood around her.

“Woah,” Sabina laughed nervously. “What’s going on? I was promised a special night by your friend, not whatever this is.”

Sabina waved her hands animatedly but Elena could tell even from a distance that she was looking for an escape route. Elena’s muscles tensed and she could see Jane position herself on the balls of her feet, ready to move.

“Hold your position, ladies,” Bosley’s voice sounded over their comms and both Jane and Elena crouched down further so as not to be seen. “Sabina, can you get out of there or do you need backup?”

There was a pause before Sabina could be heard again.

“Emm,” Sabina laughed nervously. “I don’t know what you want, but I’m bored. You can finish being pissed off with him once I’ve left.”

Sabina motioned in Jonah’s direction but Elena caught what she meant. Sabina didn’t know whether she needed backup yet, she was still trying to get out without causing any problems.

“Boz?” Jane asked, one hand on the wall as she twisted in the direction of the stairs, her focus not leaving the opposite window.

“Hold,” Bosley answered and Elena could feel an uneasiness return to her stomach. Bosley couldn’t see what they could, how did she know that Sabina didn’t need backup.

“But you haven’t finished your drink,” Tiny spoke. Elena jumped again, still surprised at how clear she could hear his deep voice over their comms. “Mike, why don’t you get the bottle of whisky from the cabinet. We can all have a drink with Jonah and his new friend before she leaves.”

“Look, I’m obviously interrupting something so I’ll just-” Sabina tried to sound cheerful but was cut off by Tiny.

“You can finish your drink first, Sabina.”

Elena felt herself freeze, a cold shiver running down her spine as her heart thumped in her chest. She heard an audible gasp from Jane but seemed unable to turn towards her, Elena’s focus glued to the opposite apartment.

This definitely hadn’t been in their plans…

“My name’s Lara,” Sabina answered. “Lara Myers.”

“No, it’s not,” Tiny spoke slowly. “Don’t lie to me, Angel. I hate it when people lie to me.”

“Shit,” Bosley muttered. “Sabina, get out of there!”

Elena watched as Sabina stared at Tiny from across the room, wishing more than anything that she could blink and suddenly be by her side. Sabina was outnumbered and the gang knew who she was. They knew about the Agency.

Sabina needed backup, fast. And yet the next few seconds seemed to happen in slow motion, as if Elena was there just to watch.

Sabina spun towards the door and ducked under the arm of the gang member that was stood closest, reaching the handle at the same time as one of the other men returned with the bottle of whiskey Tiny has sent him for. The first thug made to grab Sabina who managed to dodge his grasp but the second had already swung his arm, the bottle of whiskey making contact with the side of Sabina’s head and sending her staggering backwards.

There was a blur of movement and their view was suddenly obscured as the men within the apartment moved towards the door and Elena felt herself react as if on autopilot, both her and Jane pushing themselves from the wall at the same time and running for the stairs that led down from the roof.

“Sabina!” Jane’s voice was urgent, despite the focus in her eyes. “Sabina talk to us, let us know you’re ok.”

There was the sound of another thud, the air leaving Sabina’s lungs evident even over the comms. She groaned, coughed, and Elena knew from the sound alone that there was blood involved.

“Boz that’s enough, we need to get her out of there,” Jane was much quicker on the fire escape stairs than Elena who struggled to keep up. “We’re heading to the apartment now.”

“Agreed,” said Bosley and Elena couldn’t stop herself from feeling angry at the sound of her voice. They should have moved sooner. Why had Bosley not sent them in as backup sooner?!

“You’re a shit host,” Sabina chuckled over their comms, her words slurred but Elena’s chest easing slightly at hearing Sabina speak. “And that’s a waste of good whisky.”

Sabina laughed weakly before groaning again and there was the sound of another thud. Elena knew instinctively that the gasp that followed had been caused by Sabina being pushed against a wall, the air forced from her lungs on impact. Elena had been an Angel long enough to have heard the same thing on many missions before this one, and she knew first hand how painful it could be. Having to listen to Sabina trying to catch her breath made Elena want to cry, but instead she focused on putting one foot in front of the other to follow Jane down the fire escape stairs.

“Where are your friends tonight?” Elena heard Tiny ask and could tell that he had moved closer, his voice now even clearer over the comms.

“They’re not here,” Sabina mumbled. “I met Jonah on my own. I’m the decoy.”

“What do you mean?” Tiny growled. “How did you find us?”

“It wasn’t hard,” Sabina laughed. “Your security is pretty shit.”

Elena winced at the sound Sabina made next, blinking back more tears as she continued to follow Jane. Jane frowned but didn’t slow for a second, a determination fixed between her eyes.

“Pick her up,” Tiny instructed and Sabina coughed again, her breathing now sounding pained and uneven. Elena dreaded to think where the last punch had landed.

“What do you mean, you’re the decoy?” Tiny demanded. “My nephew is an idiot, I’ll give him that, but why did you target him?”

“So my team can break into your factory,” Sabina laughed through her nose, her words sounding even more slurred than Jonah’s had. “So I can distract you all while they give the police a guided tour of your office. We have a tech genius, you see. She can hack into everything.”

Elena smirked; it was a clever story. It was believable too, given the gang knew about the Agency.

“You’re lying to me again,” Tiny spoke slowly, his voice that clear that Elena was sure he must have leant down to whisper in Sabina’s ear. “I told you I don’t like being lied to.”

“How sure are you?” Sabina asked and Elena could imagine the smirk on her lips. “Confident enough not to send any of your little followers over to check up on the factory? You could have sent Jonah if he wasn’t about seventy percent proof at this point. It was so easy to convince him to bring me back here, you know. All it took was a little attention that he’s clearly desperate to get from you.”

Elena knew that Sabina was stalling for time. She knew that this is what Sabina did best; she was an expert grifter. And yet she hated how willingly Sabina could put herself in danger for the sake of the mission.

Jane and Elena reached the bottom of the stairs and ran the short distance to the entrance to the office block, crossing the long reception area at speed. They reached the elevators before they could be stopped by the security guard who was on night duty and Jane hit the elevator call button on repeat, dancing on her toes while she watched the numbers slowly count down. Before it stopped and began to go up to level nine.

“We don’t have time to wait, we’re taking the stairs,” Jane instructed, checking the back of her hand for the number she had scribbled earlier and keying in the passcode to the door that led to the stairs.

“Be careful ladies, don’t take any unnecessary risks,” Bosley instructed and it was only then that Elena realised they must have ran right past Bosley without noticing. She was still outside in their get-away car.

Jane didn’t answer, grabbing Elena by the wrist and pulling her through the door.

“Bina, we’re on our way,” Jane spoke, glancing quickly at Elena to give her her best attempt at a reassuring smile. “We’ll be there in a few minutes. How many?”

“Six,” Sabina answered, no longer trying to hide her responses.

There were six of them in the apartment which Elena assumed included Jonah, who would be easy to immobilise given how much alcohol he had drank recently. Elena could feel Saint’s new taser gun in her back pocket, the weight of the weapon strangely reassuring, and noticed her heart rate increasing again at the thought of what was waiting for them on the seventh floor.

“Six what?” Tiny asked, evidently angry.

“Six minutes until your factory is swarming with cops and our Angels give them all the evidence they need to link you to the counterfeit passports,” Sabina stated, laughing yet again. “You might look the part but you really do make a pretty shit gang leader. This was too easy.”

Jane seemed to wince even before the sound of Sabina shouting out in pain came over their comms. But Sabina wasn’t giving up easily, the noise of a struggle causing Elena to bite her lip in worry to the point it began to bleed, Jane’s knuckles turning white as she clenched her hands into fists. They somehow climbed the stairs even quicker than they had descended the fire escape from the roof; Elena couldn’t feel the burn in her legs of the tightness in her lungs, adrenaline and the need to be close to Sabina enough to keep her going.

They had just reached the fourth floor when there was a sickening crack over their comms and Elena somehow knew it had been caused by Sabina’s head hitting the cold marble floor of the apartment.

“Sabina?” Elena asked immediately, unable to hide the wobble from her voice. “Bee?”

But there was no answer, Jane quickening her step in an attempt to reach her sooner. It felt both a split second and hours later that they reached the seventh floor, Jane skidding to a stop in front of a heavy glass door that led into the apartment. She closed her eyes, just for a second, before looking at Elena and taking a deep breath.

“You ready?” She asked and Elena nodded quickly.

She wasn’t ready. Not at all. But Sabina needed her and there was no way she was going to leave her in there any longer. Elena had to be brave for Sabina. She’d been an Angel for three months now, she could handle whatever and whoever was waiting for them on the other side of the door.

Jane reached up and to Elena’s amazement, knocked on the door. There was a sudden silence on the other side; Elena tried not to focus on the ache in her head that pulsed in time with her heartbeat, only now realising that she was out of breath after running up the stairs.

She could hear a muttered conversation from inside the apartment before the sound of footsteps getting closer, one of the men pulling open the door a few inches to peer out. Elena was sure she could see the beginning of a bruise underneath his left eye and tried not to smirk.

“What do you want?” He growled and Jane looked to Elena, nodding once.

“She’s right, you really are bad at this,” Jane raised an eyebrow, stepping forwards at the same time as Elena as they both pushed their right shoulder into the door, the sudden force enough for the door to fly open and give them access.

The thug on the other side staggered backwards, clearly surprised at their arrival.

“You get Sabina, I’ll take out the goons,” Jane instructed and Elena didn’t stop to argue, ducking under an outstretched arm as the gang member in front of her finally seemed to realise that they weren’t supposed to be there.

He stumbled forwards and Jane’s elbow made contact with the side of his head, sending him to the ground.

“Go!” Jane shouted, Elena turning back to the apartment as she frantically searched for Sabina. The apartment looked different now that she was there; it took Elena a few seconds to work out what she was looking at.

Elena felt a sudden wave of relief when she spotted Sabina across the room, lying in front of the sofa she had previously been tucked up on with Jonah. Her strange coloured cocktail had been spilled across the tiles but it was the sight of the crimson red blood that made Elena feel sick. A stark contrast to the white marble, bright red coating the back of Sabina’s head and smudged across the floor.

Elena crossed the room at a run and fell to her knees beside Sabina, even more relieved to see that she was still conscious, if only just. Sabina’s face was also streaked with blood, a dark bruise forming on the same cheekbone that had barely healed since their last mission bust-up.

“Hey, we’ve got you,” Elena took hold of Sabina’s shoulder and squeezed it tight, Sabina’s head lolling to the side. Elena tilted Sabina’s chin so she was facing her. “Look at me. Sabina, look at me, please.”

Sabina blinked, her eyes finally focusing on Elena and a grin appearing on her lips despite the fact that her teeth were coated in blood.

“Elena!” Sabina raised her arms but they quickly fell back to the ground. “You came to the party. There’s drink somewhere but be careful, it packs a punch.”

Sabina paused for a second before laughing at her own joke, her head rolling to the side again as her laughter turned into a cough and more blood bubbled from between her lips. Elena could feel herself begin to panic as she reached over to wipe a tear from Sabina’s cheek, wanting nothing more than to be tucked up on the sofa at HQ with both her teammates.

They hadn’t planned for this to happen. Tiny and his men were supposed to be far away, not somewhere within the same apartment as them.

Elena was aware of someone behind her and turned just in time to duck away from another punch, spinning on her knees and grabbing the taser gun from her back pocket. She raised her arms and fired straight into a large thug’s chest; he froze in mid-air, his muscles contracting as the electricity pulsed through his body, before he slumped to the ground in front of them.

Saint’s new compact taser gun really did work well. Elena was impressed.

She quickly turned back to Sabina but her eyes were still closed, Elena leaning over to tap Sabina on the cheek as she felt her own heart rate begin to quicken again. Elena had to keep it together, she couldn’t panic now. She had to be brave.

“Sabina? Bee open your eyes for me, come on. You can nap later but I need you to stay alert until we’re out of here,” Elena shook Sabina by the shoulders but got nothing more than a quiet whimper as a response.

Jane was suddenly at their side, dropping to her knees and giving Elena a look of concern.

“They’re all out cold,” Jane glanced around the room and sure enough, all six men were now slumped across various items of furniture, each of them stunned by Jane’s own taser gun. Other than the one Elena had tasered. “As is this one by the looks of it.”

Jane reached over to push Sabina’s blood soaked hair from her face and sighed, Elena watching numbly. She hadn’t noticed how loud it had been in the apartment until quietness took its place, a stillness now falling over the room. It was then that Elena realised she hadn’t once checked if Jane needed backup; she had left her to bring down each gang member on her own without even questioning Jane’s safety.

Elena had been in the same briefing as Jane and Sabina; she knew of Tiny’s dangerous reputation and yet she had left Jane to handle everything on her own. Elena’s focus had been entirely on her injured teammate, just as Jane had instructed, but she still felt guilty for not focusing on what else was going on in the apartment.

“Are you ok?” Elena asked, looking at Jane properly and noticing a small cut on her hairline. “You’re hurt too.”

Elena reached up to gently touch the skin next to Jane’s injury and Jane smiled, taking Elena’s hand in her own and lowering it again.

“I’m fine, Lena. I promise. But we need to get Sabina to Saint.”

Elena nodded slowly, hating the fact that Sabina still hadn’t moved.

“I have the car at the front door, get what you need and get out of there,” Bosley instructed, Elena only just realising how quiet Bosley had been over their comms and feeling suddenly guilty.

Bosley wouldn’t have known what was going on or whether they were safe until right now. She had full access to their comms but no visual of the apartment. Elena somehow didn’t care that she had been angry at Bosley’s decisions less than half an hour ago; right now, she was just relieved that they had someone waiting for them outside.

Elena noticed that Jane’s hand was still holding her own and swallowed hard, trying to push away the strange feeling in her stomach

“Where’s Tiny?” Elena asked in an attempt to distract herself, scanning the room for any signs of movement.

“Sabina was right, this lot were useless,” Jane shrugged, letting go of Elena’s hand so she could lean over and check on Sabina again. “Jonah was pretty much out of it already and the other three didn’t know who was supposed to move first; they pretty much ran into each other before I could taser them. I think Sabina must have got a few good punches in before we got here, two of them were definitely dazed already. Then you got the fifth and Tiny sat back and watched until it was his turn.”

Elena could see Tiny slumped in the same chair he had been sat in earlier, clearly unconscious and with his face covered in blood. Elena raised an eyebrow.

“What?” Jane shrugged. “He’s a big guy, I had to make sure he was definitely out.”

“And you couldn’t sleepy neck him?” Elena asked, smiling slightly when she realised she had used Sabina’s nickname for Jane’s favourite move.

Jane shrugged again.

“An elbow to the face is the least he deserves. Maybe a broken nose will remind him not to mess with an Angel,” she sighed, running a thumb along Sabina’s cheek before threading her fingers behind Sabina’s neck.

Elena could see a softness in Jane’s eyes and suddenly felt that she was intruding on something private.

“Go get the documents,” Jane turned to Elena and tilted her head towards the corridor. “In the bedroom, right? In the safe that’s behind the picture on the wall. Just like in the movies.”

“Just like in the movies,” Elena repeated, pushing herself to her feet and ignoring the numbness in her legs. She moved without looking back, not wanting to focus on the blood that ran down the side of Sabina’s mouth, her body seeming to move as if on autopilot.

Elena had a job to do. She was trained for this and yet she was struggling not to throw up. Jane would be so pissed off if Elena threw up now…

The bedroom with the hideous orange rug that Sabina had mentioned was easy to find, as was the large painting that hung on the wall opposite the bed. Elena pulled the frame of the paining outwards and it moved on a hidden hinge, revealing a small safe built into the wall. Sabina really had been right; everything felt so cliche.

Unlocking the safe was easy, especially for Elena, and she bundled the documents from inside the safe into her backpack without stopping to look at what information they contained. She didn’t care at this point; Elena just wanted out of the apartment.

Technically, the mission was a success. Even Sabina would see it that way. But that’s what annoyed Elena the most; getting beat up appeared to be normal for Sabina. Just another part of the job, something to be expected. As long as she got a few good punches in she was happy to take one for the team.

By the time Elena made it back to the main room Jane had scooped Sabina into her arms in a bridal carry, her head supported against Jane’s shoulder. Elena could see Jane’s tank top had already been stained red by the blood that ran down the side of Sabina’s face. She swallowed hard, pushing aside the feeling of wanting to throw up that has settled in her stomach.

“Got it?” Jane asked and Elena nodded, not able to say anything. “Good work, lets go.”

Even while carrying Sabina, Jane moved quickly through the apartment and along the corridor. They chose to take the elevator to the ground level instead of the stairs and Elena took the short time they had between floors to check on Sabina, relieved to see the steady rise and fall of her chest despite the fact she hadn’t yet reopened her eyes. She tried to catch Jane’s attention but Jane remained focused on the elevator doors, waiting for them to open.

The security guard they had passed on the way in barely had time to look up before the Angels were out of the building, Bosley stepping out of their Jeep to open the back door for Jane to lie Sabina down across the seats.

“I’ll go in the back,” Jane stated, moving quickly behind the car to get in the other side. Elena automatically got in the front passenger seat and sat on her hands to stop them from shaking.

When Elena next looked in the back Jane had positioned herself so that Sabina’s head was resting on Jane’s knee, her fingers threading through Sabina’s hair soothingly.

“She’ll be fine,” Jane’s eyes finally found Elena’s, her words sounding like a statement.

Elena couldn’t help but believe them.

~*~*~*~*~

Jane carried Sabina directly to the medical room when they arrived back at HQ where Saint was already waiting for them, his hands on his hips as he shook his head.

“Why does this not surprise me any more?” He sighed, placing his hand to Sabina’s forehead while Jane lay her on a bed, before quickly shooing everyone from the room. “Go, I’ll let you know when you can come back in. You still have work to do.”

Saint was right; the mission didn’t stop once they were back at HQ.

Bosley ushered Jane and Elena to one of the breakout areas and gave them a tablet each, perching on the end of the sofa with a frown between her eyes.

“Take a look through the information from the safe,” Bosley nodded to the rucksack that Elena had shrugged from her shoulders. “I want you to have first eyes on the documents before they’re handed over.”

Bosley had called Reynolds, her usual contact at the police station, on their way back to HQ and told him about the six semi-conscious criminals on the seventh floor of the office block that would now be easy to detain, if they wanted to send some officers round to the apartment. The Agency had a good relationship with the police department but there were still some areas where they disagreed. Which is why Bosley liked to speak to someone she trusted before handing over any important information.

Making a copy of the evidence didn’t hurt either…

Elena could tell that Bosley was doing her best to keep them all distracted but couldn’t help notice the way she kept glancing back to the medical room; Bosley clearly wanted to be with Sabina as much as Jane and Elena did.

“I need to call Reynolds again but I’ll be back soon. Come find me if you find anything important in the documents. I’ll be in my office,” Bosley stated, pushing herself from the arm of the sofa and pulling her phone from her pocket. “Let me know if Saint needs anything too.”

Jane and Elena both nodded and Elena took the chance to properly look at Jane, who had previously been staring at the pile of files Elena had pulled from her rucksack.

“She’s fine,” Jane didn’t wait for Elena to speak. “She’ll be annoying Saint already.”

Jane reached out, quickly squeezed Elena’s knee and picked up one of the files.

“May as well start with the first one,” Jane sighed, turning on her tablet so she could document anything of importance.

Elena had no idea why her heart was still racing from Jane’s touch.

It was less than two hours later that Saint found them all, Bosley having joined them back in the breakout area after not being able to distract herself any further in her office. Saint had a tired look in his eyes as he leant against the doorframe and spoke before anyone had the chance to ask the question.

“She’s fine,” he nodded slowly and Jane gave Elena an I-told-you-so look that bordered on relief. “You can go see her if you want before she decides to leave anyway, I can never keep her in the medical room for more than a few hours.”

Jane immediately stood to leave but Elena felt rooted to the spot, her hands trembling.

“What’s wrong, Angel?” Saint asked, obviously noticing her uncertainty.

“The blood,” Elena spoke and was surprised at how small her voice sounded. She felt ridiculous even mentioning it, but Elena could distinctly remember the blood that dripped down the side of Sabina’s mouth and how it had made her stomach churn. How could Sabina now be fine? “Are you sure she’s ok?”

“I’ve checked her over, I promise,” Saint placed a hand on Elena’s shoulder. “She has a few cracked ribs, her recently healed black eye is back and there’s a hell of a lot of bruising, but nothing she can’t handle. Oh, and definite concussion again. Nothing new.”

Elena could feel an anger bubbling just under the surface but swallowed hard to push it aside. Sabina shouldn’t have to handle bruising and broken ribs, they should have been there sooner. But instead they had watched from the rooftop until things got bad enough to step in. Elena could see Bosley out of the corner of her eye but didn’t want to look at her.

“It looks worse than it is,” Saint tried to sound reassuring but Elena didn’t feel any better for it. “The bruising will go down in a few days and the blood was mostly from a cut on the inside of her mouth. She must have bit her lip when-”

Saint trailed off and Elena was thankful for it. She didn’t want to think about whose fist had made contact to cause the bust lip in the first place. Elena knew that had Sabina not been caught off guard with a bottle to the side of the head, she would have been able to fight back long enough for Jane and Elena to arrive as backup.

“She needs rest and monitored for a few days,” Saint smiled. “And away from whatever bar she was planning on visiting this evening.”

“Good luck with that,” Jane mumbled but Elena caught the playful smirk on her lips. “Come on, lets make sure she hasn’t escaped while Saint’s been gone. You coming, Boz?”

“I’ll be there in a few minutes,” Bosley answered and Elena could hear the crack in her voice, a new wave of guilt washing over her.

It wasn’t Bosley’s fault that this had happened. She did what she thought was right in the moment, things had just escalated quicker than they’d expected. If Sabina hadn’t been stunned by the hit to the head then she probably would have made it out of the apartment without needing backup. Why would Bosley willingly put three Angels in potential danger when there was the possibility of Sabina walking away from the situation with no injuries?

Being an Angel was difficult; Elena could only imagine the challenges involved when you were the Bosley having to make the decisions.

Jane held out her hand and Elena swallowed hard, taking hold and following Jane towards the medical room.

Sabina was obviously waiting for them when they arrived, her cheekbone swollen and eyes puffy. Elena could tell that Sabina had been crying which somehow made the situation a million times worse. She had learnt early on that her wild child teammate had a sensitive side, but Elena didn’t yet know how willing Sabina was to show her vulnerability. She didn’t know whether Sabina’s tears were meant only for Saint, or herself, but no one else. Elena decided not to mention anything.

“Back in the land of the conscious then?” Jane asked as she sat on the edge of Sabina’s bed and reached up to tuck a loose strand of hair behind Sabina’s ear, wiping away a stray tear from Sabina’s cheek with her thumb. “I thought I told you to stop doing this to me.”

“You know me, Jane,” Sabina smirked. “Never know when to stop.”

Jane rolled her eyes and leant forward to kiss Sabina’s forehead, a smile finding Elena’s lips before she could hide it. This was the first time she had seen Jane be so openly affectionate towards Sabina, instead of just brushing their hands together when she thought no one was looking. It was cute. There was a softness in Jane’s eyes that she had never seen before and Sabina looked as if she was going to melt into the bedsheets.

“You’re hurt,” Sabina’s eyes grew wide as she reached up to gently place her fingers to the cut on Jane’s hairline.

“It’s tiny,” Jane shook her head. “It’s barely more than a paper cut.”

“Tiny,” Sabina raised an eyebrow with a smirk and Jane laughed.

“Pretty sure he’s feeling worse than me right now. I might have punched him in the face before I tasered him. His mugshot is going to look lovely.”

“Damn, I’m sad I missed it,” Sabina smiled, Jane leaning over to tuck a stray hair behind Sabina’s ear.

The strange feeling fluttered in Elena’s chest again and she breathed deeply, moving to stand on Sabina’s other side.

“There she is, our little tech genius,” Sabina smiled, letting Elena sit on the bed and move in close.

“All I did was open a safe,” Elena shrugged. “Any one of us could have done that.”

“You’re still our tech genius,” Sabina smiled. “That hasn’t changed. Please never change.”

Sabina’s voice seemed to turn serious as she moved to look at Elena properly, her lips parting just slightly before closing again. Elena wanted to close the gap between them, badly, but was very aware of Jane sat on the other side of the bed.

“I won’t,” Elena stammered instead and received a beaming smile from Sabina.

“Good,” Sabina nodded. “Because we’re good together, aren’t we? The three of us.”

“How hard did you hit your head?” Jane laughed, standing up to run her hand over the side of Sabina’s head. “Less of the sentimental stuff, it’s making me nauseous. Jeez Bina, that’s a big lump. You’re lucky that didn’t break the skin.”

“I know, leave it alone,” Sabina swatted Jane’s hand away. “It was a cheap shot. I’d of had him otherwise.”

“I don’t doubt it, going by the state of your knuckles,” Jane raised an eyebrow and took a hold of Sabina’s hand, this time running her thumb along the bruised skin on the back of Sabina’s fist.

Sabina shrugged.

“I’m guessing you two finished them off?”

Jane and Elena were spared an explanation when Bosley appeared at the door, her usual bright smile and professionalism now returned. Saint was right behind her and Elena had a feeling that he had something to do with the colour that had returned to Bosley’s cheeks. He looked after all of them, and that included Bosley.

“Good job today, ladies,” she spoke, sounding genuinely happy with them. “Despite the obvious setback, all six members of the gang have now been picked up by the police department. We’ll hand over the documents tomorrow once we’ve had a proper look through, but Reynolds said they have enough to hold them until then.”

“I remember nothing from about five minutes in, but you’re welcome,” Sabina smiled, on the verge of a laugh, but Elena didn’t find it funny. She couldn’t, not when she had watched Jane carry Sabina’s limp body back to their waiting escape car.

“You mouthed off, got smacked in the face and we turned up to save your ass,” Jane shrugged. “Or something similar. Right Elena?”

Jane was trying to keep the mood light, Elena could tell, and so she nodded once and forced a smile to her lips that slipped off within seconds.

Sabina shrugged with a nod.

“Sounds about right,” she agreed. “It wasn’t my fault I didn’t have any weapons though.”

“Since when have you chosen a gun over you fists?” Bosley questioned.

“Fair,” Sabina shrugged again. “Not that I got to do much of that either. I wanted to go to that new bar that just opened up across the road from Jane’s apartment tonight, but I’m guessing that’s a no. Right?”

“What do you think?” Bosley raised an eyebrow. “It’s a definite no. Stay here until Saint says you can leave, I need to go fill in even more paperwork thanks to you getting yourself beat up. Again.”

Sabina didn’t seem bothered by Bosley’s remark, but Elena noticed the way Sabina smiled when Bosley moved to kiss her on the forehead and look her directly in the eyes.

“One day you’re going to have some sense knocked into you,” Bosley sighed. “Behave while I’m gone. I’ll know if you don’t.”

Bosley looked around the room, gave them all a reassuring smile, and left again. Saint raised an eyebrow, opened his mouth as if to say something, before closing it again and following Bosley from the room.

“Bosley worries too much,” Sabina stated. “We’ll be fine to go out tonight, it’s just a little bump.”

“A bump?” Jane gave Sabina a disapproving look. “Remember a few months ago when you knocked yourself out at Elena’s graduation? Even that was more than a bump, and this is worse. A lot worse. You were out for nearly an hour, that’s more than a bump Sabina! There’s no way we’re going out tonight. Actually, you’re not going anywhere for a few weeks.”

“But Saint says I’m fine,” Sabina whined and Elena suddenly wished that Saint had stayed behind as backup. He was used to arguing about these things with his frequent flier of a patient. “And anyway, Elena’s graduation was ages ago and I don’t have a swollen ankle this time. Which means we can get out of here.”

“Really?” Elena asked, her voice pitched high. But Sabina had already pushed herself away from the pillows behind her back, wincing at the movement and scrunching up her nose.

“There’s no point in arguing with her,” Jane shrugged. “I promise you Saint will be expecting her to leave, he won’t even bother checking here later. If he really wanted Sabina to stay then he wouldn’t have left us alone.”

Elena wanted to say something but felt lost for words, and so settled on nodding her head instead. Jane helped Sabina move her legs to the edge of the bed and gently pulled her to her feet, holding Sabina’s upper arms to steady her when she hissed in pain and clutched at her ribs. Jane seemed to wince with her.

Elena felt like she was back at her graduation day all over again.

“You really are a walking disaster,” Jane rolled her eyes, gently sliding an arm around Sabina’s waist to help support her weight.

“Not so sure about the walking bit,” Sabina grumbled, scrunching her eyes closed. She took a deep breath before opening them again and giving Elena a bright smile. “Stop looking so worried, Elena. I’m fine.”

Elena nodded again and headed out the door, unable to return the smile.

After a slow shuffle to the bedroom that Sabina had claimed as her own when at HQ, and with both Jane and Elena helping Sabina into bed, plumping up the pillows so she could lean against the headboard, Jane announced that she was going to speak to Saint about food and headed back towards the kitchen.

A heavy silence instantly fell over the room and Elena suddenly wished that she had gone to find Saint instead. She didn’t know what to say to Sabina now that they were alone.

“What’s up El, you look sad?” Sabina asked, breaking the silence and causing a lump to form in Elena’s throat.

“I am sad,” Elena answered truthfully, moving to sit on the edge of the bed so she was facing away from Sabina.

“Why?”

There was a concern in Sabina’s voice that made Elena feel even worse.

“Because I was scared today, Bee,” Elena felt her eyes water and blinked hard. “I don’t want to be scared any more, I’m an Angel. But I was really, really scared when you got hurt.”

“But I’m fine,” Sabina tried to reason, pushing herself further up the pillows and wincing again. “Well, I will be. This is nothing, it’s just some bruising.”

“And concussion and broken ribs and potential internal injuries that no one seems to be admitting to,” Elena turned to Sabina, her hands shaking with anger, and felt herself instantly calm down at the look in Sabina’s eyes.

The vivid green seemed brighter than usual; Elena found herself unable to look away.

“Why do you let this happen?” Elena asked before she could stop herself.

“It’s part of the job,” Sabina shrugged, seeming to understand exactly what Elena meant by her question. “Sometimes you get to flirt and drink all night, sometimes you get a bottle to the side of the head. If I thought about it too much then I’d start to second-guess myself, and that can be dangerous in our line of work.”

“But you could be seriously hurt,” Elena’s voice was higher than usual but she didn’t care. “It looked really bad when we found you.”

“But it’s not that bad,” Sabina emphasised. “This happens, El. It’s not nice and I don’t want it to happen, but I enjoy what I do. I enjoy being the decoy and becoming someone else and punching the bad guys in the face. When they haven’t stunned me first with a cheap blow.”

Sabina laughed but Elena looked away quickly, the tears refusing to stop. There was a pause before Sabina spoke again.

“I’m sorry,” she said sincerely. “Let me make it up to you.”

“How?” Elena asked and heard her voice tremble.

Sabina lifted the bedsheets as high as she could, given Elena was sat on the edge of the bed, and Elena instantly knew what the gesture meant. She stood from the side of the bed and slid under the duvet so she could sit next to Sabina, feeling Sabina shuffle closer until their shoulders were touching. Elena let herself lean in to the warmth, turning in Sabina’s direction at the same time she looked at Elena, their eyelashes practically touching they were that close.

Elena again wanted to say something but found herself lost for words, her mind on overdrive at the thought of what Jane would say when she returned from the kitchen. But everything disappeared when Sabina closed the remaining space between them, her lips finding Elena’s and pressing hard, sending a jolt down Elena’s spine that she couldn’t explain. Elena felt her body relax as she returned the kiss, Sabina’s hand finding the back of Elena’s neck and her fingers threading through her hair.

Before Sabina smiled and pulled away slightly, kissing Elena softly on the bridge of her nose and biting her own lip as she looked Elena directly in the eyes.

“I’ll make it up to you like that,” Sabina smiled, the playfulness back on her features.

“But-” Elena swallowed hard, unsure of whether to continue. “But won’t Jane be angry?”

It felt a stupid question to ask after what had just happened, but Elena had to know. She didn’t want that kiss to be the last time she ever kissed Sabina and yet she also didn’t want to get in the way of what Jane and Sabina had. Elena valued their friendship far too much for that. She would take the pain of having to watch her teammates together as more than just friends, knowing she could never be a part of what they had, if it meant they could continue working together.

“Angry?” Sabina frowned, looking genuinely confused.

“Yeah,” Elena stammered. “I know you two are- y’know- you have something going on.”

Sabina nodded and shrugged, waiting for Elena to continue.

“Well, won’t Jane be angry that we just… kissed?” Elena asked, a squeak in her voice.

“No. She’ll be jealous,” Sabina responded, her expression unreadable.

“That’s the same thing!” Elena couldn’t work out what part Sabina didn’t understand. Or how she could remain so calm when Elena was internally freaking out.

Jane was brilliant in so many ways but she was also intimidating. Partly because she was so brilliant but also because she could be… scary. Elena wasn’t ashamed to admit that, even now, she had to look away when Jane’s anger reached its peak and an unsuspecting thug was on the receiving end. She was surprised that Jane hadn’t snapped Tiny’s neck in two after what he had done to Sabina.

Elena couldn’t imagine being on a team with anyone other than Jane and Sabina, but the first day she had met them Jane had quickly turned from an innocent waitress into someone who could fire a very large gun out the top of a moving car. You didn’t forget those kind of things. And Elena was reminded regularly of what Jane was capable of; even her signature glare was enough to have Elena holding her breath.

But despite it all, Elena wanted to know everything there was about Jane Kano. She wanted to get close to her and let her open up, wanted to know exactly what kind of person she was. Because even with everything that made her intimidating and a ninja-level Angel, Elena had seen just how gentle she could be when caring for Sabina. She had seen the fear in Jane’s eyes as she cradled Sabina to her chest in the elevator and remembered the feel of Jane’s hand around her own, squeezing tight. An instant comfort in the middle of a bad situation.

“She’ll be jealous that I got to kiss you and she didn’t,” Sabina elaborated and Elena felt her mouth instantly fall open.

That wasn’t the response she had been expecting. Elena had no idea what to say and so settled on a single “Oh.”

What was that supposed to mean? Jane and Sabina were obviously together, even if Elena didn’t know in what way. She could see the way they looked at each other. The way they flirted and joked and and stayed physically close to each other. Even if it was all just for fun, they cared about one another. That much was obvious.

Elena was the jealous one. She wanted it to be her lips that pressed against Sabina’s and her arm that draped over Sabina’s shoulder as she leant in to her touch.

But the more Elena thought about it, the more she realised that she also wanted to be the one cuddled into Jane’s chest while they tucked up on the sofa. She wanted to be a part of what Jane and Sabina had… and she didn’t know what that meant. Nothing was making sense.

Elena was saved from having to think about it any further when Jane reappeared at the door with Saint behind her.

“Sorry I took so long, someone made a big deal out of nothing and insisted on cleaning up the minuscule cut on my head,” Jane pointed to her hairline and Elena could see the dried blood had been wiped away.

“Sabina, you should stay here the night so I can monitor you,” said Saint, ignoring Jane’s comment and leaning on the doorframe while Jane sat on the end of the bed. “I’d prefer you in the medical room, obviously, but I know that won’t happen. So you can stay here.”

“Jane and Elena can stay too, right?” Sabina asked hopefully and Saint shrugged.

“Sure,” Elena could see the side of Saint’s lip twitch and was sure he was trying to hide a smile. “It’s a good idea given your resent knock to the head. Jane and Elena know the signs to look out for with concussion.”

“You’re starting to sound like Bosley,” Sabina pointed out but Saint only shrugged again.

“You know the drill,” Saint continued. “If you feel nauseous or if your headache gets any worse, you let me know right away. You black out, feel dizzy or struggle to breath, you tell the girls and I’ll come check you over.”

Sabina gave Saint the thumbs up and got a roll of his eyes in response.

“I give up, I really do,” he muttered as he pushed himself from the doorframe. “Oh, and no sudden movements or anything strenuous for at least a week, your ribs need time to heal. Which you also know can take a while. You got hit hard this time, Angel.”

“Got it,” Sabina nodded. “Stay still and no funny business for a week.”

Sabina winked at Saint and Elena felt her cheeks flush pink, even though she couldn’t work out why. Saint shook his head again and disappeared, leaving them together within the bedroom.

“You heard Saint,” Sabina glanced between them with a smile. “I need monitoring tonight so-”

Sabina drew out the last word and looked to Jane before nodding to the empty space beside her.

“Can we snuggle tonight? I’ll feel better by the morning, I promise.”

Jane blinked, sighed and moved to sit on the other side of Sabina’s bed, lifting the sheets to slide her legs underneath and wrapping an arm behind Sabina’s back.

“Fine, Lara,” Jane emphasised Sabina’s cover name with a raise of her eyebrow.

“What?” Sabina grinned. “Don’t you like it.”

“I know why you used it,” Jane mumbled, looking to Elena with a roll of her eyes. Just like she had done when they were stood on the rooftop and first heard Sabina use the alias.

But Elena had no idea what Jane was talking about.

“Lara Croft,” Jane explained, obviously noticing Elena’s blank expression. “We were playing the video game a few days ago while you were busy with Saint in the lab. Sabina’s convinced Lara Croft is a secret Angel.”

“Well she obviously is,” Sabina tilted her head. “And Jane’s really bad at the game.”

Jane glared, hard.

“No I’m not, you were cheating!”

Jane continued to glare until Sabina’s grin seemed too contagious to resist and she laughed, pulling Sabina in closer. Elena couldn’t help but watch them, her chest fluttering with emotions she couldn’t control or understand, and she suddenly felt like she was intruding again.

Elena slid her legs from under the sheets and stood from the bed; she was pretty sure that neither of her teammates would notice if she headed back to the bedroom she had been using the past few days. Maybe she could catch up on some research until her mind switched off long enough to sleep.

“Elena?”

Elena had never heard Jane speak her name so softly, the butterflies in her stomach only intensifying at the sound of Jane’s voice. Elena looked in Jane’s direction to see her dark eyes holding the same kind of softness.

“You’re staying with us, aren’t you?” Jane asked, Elena unable to find the words to respond. “Please?”

Sabina raised a hand and held it in Elena’s direction, opening and closing her fingers as she beckoned Elena closer. Elena swallowed hard and felt herself smile.

“Where are you going, come back and snuggle,” Sabina pouted and Elena laughed nervously, taking Sabina’s hand and sliding back under the duvet.

Sabina instantly linked her arm around Elena’s and sunk further under the sheets.

“Saint’s going to bring us some food later,” Jane stated, tucking a stray hair behind Sabina’s ear. “Get some rest before then, you look exhausted.”

Jane was right; Elena could see the tiredness in Sabina’s eyes and tried to work out how long it had been since she had sat in front of her laptop with Sabina, checking out the apartment’s security. It felt like weeks ago already.

“I’m not tired,” Sabina yawned, her eyes heavy, and Jane smirked.

It took only minutes for Sabina to fall asleep and for Jane to gently guide her further under the sheets, stroking her cheek and placing a soft kiss to her forehead. Jane didn’t seem at all embarrassed to show her affection in front of Elena and Elena couldn’t help but watch, a new sensation fluttering in her stomach. It was hard to believe that anyone could ever be scared of Jane, not when she was capable of being so gentle.

Elena had a sudden urge to be held by Jane, tight, and with the promise of never letting go. To feel safe and protected and loved. She startled at the thought and swallowed hard, hoping that Jane hadn’t noticed her staring while she tried to understand the clash of feelings that were swirling in her stomach, making her chest tight.

Elena admired Jane beyond measure; she had done so since the day they met. And yet Jane always seemed so… out of bounds, somehow. Too removed from Elena to ever be allowed to get close. They were teammates but Elena wasn’t in the same league as Jane. She wasn’t strong or fearless or brave. The best Elena could hope for was being trusted enough to become Jane’s friend…

And yet Sabina’s words seemed to have unlocked something within Elena that she hadn’t been expecting. Jane would be jealous… of Sabina kissing Elena. What did that mean?!

Jane slid further down the bed too and lay on one of the soft pillows, draping an arm over Sabina’s waist and watching Elena until she mirrored her, keeping her arms close to her chest. She didn’t want to intrude, even now. Everything was still new and unfamiliar, the last thing Elena wanted to do was overstep.

But Jane reached over to take Elena by the hand, pulling her arm over Sabina’s stomach to rest just next to Jane’s, close enough that their skin was touching. Jane smiled and Elena was sure her heart was going to burst from her chest with how hard it was hammering.

“Are you ok?” Jane asked quietly and Elena nodded, a smile finding her lips a second later.

“Yeah,” she answered truthfully.

“Good,” Jane smiled, reaching up to tuck Elena’s hair behind her ear before replacing her arm next to Elena’s. “Get some sleep. We’ll all feel better in the morning.”

And so Elena did.

Chapter Text

Time as an active Angel: 7 months

Sabina’s birthday was on a Thursday and, despite the fact that she was known for wanting to party at any given opportunity, she had kept unusually quiet about turning a year older. It was only because Elena had remembered the date from when she had tried on the Agency spy-glasses in the closet of the Berlin outpost, long before she had become an Angel, that Elena knew it was coming up.

October twenty ninth. Elena still hadn’t worked out whether remembering Sabina’s birthday was weird given her teammate had never offered the information directly, but she dismissed it without much thought. They were friends. They was supposed to know that sort of information about each other.

Threat level, criminal record, date of birth… it was standard information when you were an Angel.

Elena had mentioned the same to Jane and together they had planned a small celebration at HQ with Bosley, Saint and a few other Angels who were due to be around that evening. Nothing big or loud, even though that’s exactly how Sabina had planned both Jane and Elena’s birthday celebrations earlier in the year. It was to be low key and quiet; everything Sabina wasn’t.

Elena found Sabina first thing on the morning of her birthday, stood by the coffee machine in Jane’s apartment as she watched the milk froth form at the top of her mug. Sabina had been first awake, which wasn’t unusual, but she had already climbed from their shared bed before either Jane or Elena had woke up. Elena had been hoping for morning cuddles before they went to work.

“Morning,” Sabina yawned when she noticed Elena watching her, before her expression changed into a frown. “Why do you look so happy?”

Elena grinned wide and bounced on her toes, holding her hands behind her back until she couldn’t hold in her excitement any longer. She threw her arms over Sabina’s shoulders and squeezed tight, singing a chorus of ‘Happy Birthday!’ into Sabina’s ear.

“Oh, how do you know?” Sabina groaned, sinking slightly under Elena’s arms. “Did Boz tell you? Because she knows she’s supposed to keep it quiet.”

“No, I remembered. From ages ago,” Elena smiled proudly, letting Sabina go and holding out her hand. A small box sat on her palm, wrapped in bright pink wrapping paper. “This is for you.”

“Why?” Sabina questioned as she wrinkled up her nose, looking to Elena with genuine confusion.

“For your birthday,” Elena stated. “What’s wrong, you like presents?”

It was true. Jane had brought Sabina back a knuckleduster she had found when on a mission only weeks ago and Sabina had practically jumped around Elena’s apartment with excitement. The hole Sabina left in the wall of the changing room at the HQ gym when her punch ‘missed the air’ wasn’t so great, but nobody seemed to have noticed it yet.

“I do,” Sabina nodded quickly and cautiously reached for the box, staring at it until Elena gave her a nudge.

“You don’t have to open it now if you don’t want to,” Elena spoke quietly but Sabina seemed to snap out of her trance as quick as she’d fallen into it, forcing a smile to her lips and ripping off the paper.

The small box inside was perfectly square, Sabina’s name written across the top in sweeping gold letters to stand out against the black background. Elena had liked the fact that she could personalise it; it felt special somehow. Sabina deserved special.

Sabina opened the box and Elena saw the softness in her eyes immediately, her lip trembling as she pulled out a delicate gold chain with a miniature bumblebee pendent.

“For my bumble-Bina,” Elena smiled and Sabina instantly moved closer, practically folding herself into Elena’s arms for a hug.

“You’re fucking adorable,” Sabina sniffed. “I love it. It’s perfect.”

“Come here,” Elena let go of Sabina and took the chain from her hand, waiting for Sabina to turn around so she could fasten it behind her neck. “There.”

“Thank you,” Sabina said sincerely, turning back to look at Elena before leaning in for a kiss. “You’re the best.”

“No, you are,” Elena grinned, reaching up to tuck Sabina’s hair behind her ear.

“You both are,” Elena hadn’t heard Jane arrive but soon felt her strong arms wrap around them both and a kiss on the top of her head before Sabina received one too. “Happy birthday, Bina. Saint says he’ll make you pancakes for breakfast if we head to HQ by eight.”

“Why does he always remember too?” Sabina groaned but Elena could see she was not so secretly happy at the prospect of pancakes for breakfast.

“Because he’s Saint,” Jane and Elena said in unison and they laughed, Jane letting them go and heading for the coffee machine.

“Coffee then pancakes,” Jane nodded, leaning against the counter to look at Sabina. “I’ll give you your present later.”

Jane winked and Elena was sure that Sabina flushed pink, just slightly.

~*~*~*~*~

They had grown close over the past few months: Jane, Sabina and Elena. Elena hadn’t meant for it to happen. She couldn’t even pinpoint when it did happen, but it did. She had started to lean in to Jane’s touch or Sabina’s flirtatious antics. She would let herself be the one to close the gap between her teammates, even though she was unsure of how they would react. Kissing Jane had felt as natural as kissing Sabina, and it hadn’t taken long before a quiet night in at Jane’s apartment had ended with Sabina taking Elena’s hand and guiding her to Jane’s bedroom.

Elena hadn’t hesitated, not even for a second, and knew that she wouldn’t ever be able to put into words just how happy she had felt waking up snuggled between both Jane and Sabina the next morning.

Finding each other at Jane or Elena’s apartments each night (not yet Sabina’s) had become second nature, not one of them questioning the fact that they could fall so easily into bed with each other, their limbs tangling together beneath the sheets. It wasn’t even the physical side of things that Elena longed for each night; the sex was amazing, she couldn’t deny that. Sabina was more adventurous in the bedroom than anyone Elena had ever been with, and Elena definitely felt that Jane and herself benefited from Sabina’s expertise.

Even though she tried not to overthink where Sabina’s experience came from…

More importantly to Elena, she woke up every morning feeling safe and wanted. Cuddled within Jane’s arms or with Sabina’s hand resting on her naked stomach. It felt… right, somehow, to start each day with both of her teammates. Her friends. Her best friends with certain benefits that they kept secret from everyone else.

Elena didn’t know how serious it was, but she didn’t care. She enjoyed her time with Jane and Sabina too much to ruin it by asking those kind of questions.

And so Elena didn’t ask.

Like almost every other morning, Elena waited by the door of Jane’s apartment for Sabina to finally decide on which ‘borrowed’ leather jacket to wear and for Jane to finish tying back her perfectly straight hair, wanting to pinch herself that this had become her morning routine. Once they were finally ready, she let her hands slide into Jane and Sabina’s as they made the short walk from Jane’s apartment to HQ, letting them go again just before they rounded the last corner.

It didn’t bother Elena that she had to keep it a secret, even though she wanted to tell anyone and everyone she came into contact with that she was lucky enough to spend her days, and nights, with two of the most beautiful people she had ever met. Some people wouldn’t understand, and that was ok. Elena wasn’t sure she understood it herself, just yet. She just knew that she didn’t want whatever it was they had to ever end.

They were greeted by the smell of pancakes when they reached HQ and followed the scent directly to the kitchen where Saint had already set three places.

“Morning,” he grinned wide, nodding to the table for them all to sit down. “Coffee or orange juice?”

“Coffee,” they all responded despite having only finished a mug each before leaving Jane’s apartment, and Saint nodded once.

Saint placed a large plate of pancakes in the middle of the table and leant over Sabina’s shoulder, placing a kiss on her cheek and wrapping an arm across her chest in a half-hug.

“Happy birthday, mi chica,” he smiled, stepping back again and placing a large bottle of strawberry syrup in front of Sabina. “Don’t tell Bosley, you know she disagrees with too much sugar for breakfast.”

“I disagree with giving that one any more sugar than is strictly necessary,” said Bosley, stepping into the kitchen and smiling. “But given it’s today I’ll let it slide.”

Elena knew there was a reason she loved Bosley so much, and it wasn’t because she occasionally agreed to pancakes so early in the morning. Their Bosley seemed to know them better than any other Bosley at the Agency without even trying. Elena knew that Sabina and Bosley had a history, and that Bosley was probably the only one to really understand why Sabina didn’t like celebrating her birthday, yet she hadn’t made a big deal about it.

It was a day for putting strawberry syrup on your pancakes. That was it.

“I need you all to work today,” Bosley continued. “We’ve had a tip off that I need you to follow up on.”

“New mission?” Sabina asked hopefully and Bosley nodded with a smile.

“Just for you on your lets-not-talk-about-it day,” Bosley tilted her head and was met by a raised eyebrow from Sabina. “What, you make all of us celebrate on our day. You don’t get off that lightly, Wilson. Anyway, I know that Jane and Elena already know what day it is.”

Elena grinned at the look on Sabina face before she shrugged and turned back to her pancakes.

“Whatever. I’m not complaining at a new mission, whatever your reasoning is,” Sabina pouted.

“Fine, it’s just a coincidence,” Bosley rolled her eyes. “And actually this one’s more up Elena’s street. I need you at the fancy new lab that opened up a few months ago.”

“The one with the insane amount of security on the doors?” Elena asked. She’d noticed when they’d driven past the lab just last week that the doors were reinforced with a crazy amount of security to restrict any unwanted access.

“That’s the one,” Bosley nodded. “I’ve got you all a visitor’s pass which will get you in the main building but I’m sure Elena can do her magic and increase your access before we get there.”

“Sure,” Elena grinned. Of course she could.

“Good,” Bosley nodded. “Remember Mike Woods, the scientist that was getting a little too friendly with our banking friends a few months ago?”

“By ‘banking friends’ you mean the gang that have been targeting various branches across the country? The ones that are literally raiding banks with machine guns and forcing people to empty the safe?” Jane asked and Bosley tilted her head in agreement.

“I didn’t think people actually did that any more,” Sabina added. “It’s proper movie shit, right? I thought you could just hack into a banking system now and transfer all the money to an unknown account somewhere. No need to get your hands dirty.”

“Well, these guys like old school. I have a source that’s confirmed Woods is still working with the gang and is now developing a new chemical weapon that can be dispersed through a gas,” Bosley explained, crossing her arms over her chest. “We don’t know how strong it is yet, but apparently the last batch they made killed one of their technicians so it must be pretty strong. We think their intention is for it to kill people slower, but we’re not sure yet. Woods has now got himself a job at the new lab and is developing the chemical there instead, so we need to know what’s in it.”

“You mean they want to use it as a torture device?” Jane asked. “They know it’s going to kill whoever comes into contact with it, so they want time to question people before giving them the antidote. And if they don’t like the answers…”

Jane shrugged and Bosley nodded.

“If there even is an antidote,” Bosley agreed. “And if the chemical can be administered as a gas then this could affect rooms of people at a time. This could be very dangerous in the wrong hands, we don’t want the risk of a chemical warfare.”

“Sounds like our banking guys are looking to branch out,” Sabina sighed before smirking to herself. Elena ignored Sabina’s unintentional pun and instead turned to Bosley.

“But how did Woods get a job in the lab?” She thought aloud before sighing. “His boss in on the board of directors for the company.”

“Too right he is,” Bosley nodded. “Mr Singh is a majority shareholder of Graxton Corporation, the company that owns the laboratory. Mr Singh also happens to be the gang leader making millions on the side through bank robberies, embezzlement and money laundering. He would be a very powerful man if he got his hands on an invisible weapon like Woods is developing. You can imagine the damage he could do.”

“He sounds delightful,” Sabina muttered, taking another large bite of her breakfast.

“Which is why I need you three to retrieve samples of the chemical now, so we can work out what’s in there and formulate an antidote in case they manage to mass produce the gas before we can stop them,” Bosley explained. “We just need a few vials to give to our lab; once we have evidence of what it is, we can take this higher up and get the lab shut down.”

“How are we supposed to collect gas?” Sabina asked, looking confused.

“It’s still a liquid at this stage,” Bosley explained. “From our source, it’s apparently a dark red colour and the vials shouldn’t be opened unless within a controlled laboratory environment. So once you have the vials you’ll need to be careful not to break or open any of them.”

“Got it,” Sabina nodded, putting a large forkful of pancakes in her mouth. “Get the vials, give them to Elena to look after and get back out. Easy.”

Elena really hoped that Sabina hadn’t just jinxed the whole mission. Nothing about it sounded easy to her.

~*~*~*~*~

It was agreed that the Angels would split up once inside the laboratory. Elena had now reconfigured their visitor passes to allow them access to the majority of the building, and had found a floor plan of the lab within their computer systems. She hoped that they would blend in with the other scientists once inside the building; from experience of working at Brok, Elena was pretty sure she had ignored anyone that had a lanyard around their neck. Especially when she was busy working on a complex project. Elena probably wouldn’t have noticed anyone new within the lab, especially on a busy day.

Although she was pretty sure she would have noticed Jane and Sabina…

They entered through the front doors of the Graxton laboratory with a swipe of their access card and with no questions from security, much to Elena’s relief. According to the systems, Jane, Elena and Sabina were experienced chemists who worked on the first floor, having started with the company only last week. They had their cover stories ready should anyone ask why they hadn’t seen them around before - a simple yet hopefully effective excuse of ‘training’. But the security guards didn’t even blink as Jane, Elena and Sabina walked through the scanners, meeting each other on the other side.

Elena felt a little uneasy at not having a weapon concealed within her belt and wondered whether it meant she was starting to think like an Angel. Even if she didn’t like using it, having a blade to hand made her feel more at ease. But that wasn’t possible this time, not with the level of security at the door.

“Nice work Elena, looks like you have full access to the lab as we’d hoped,” Bosley spoke over their comms and Elena smiled. She knew for a fact that Bosley hadn’t doubted her ability to change their access.

Jane quickly guided them to the nearest store room (which they had located earlier that morning when looking over the floor plan) and they ducked inside without being seen. The store room contained shelves of spare beakers and test tubes, as well as a stack of clean lab coats and various text books.

“It’s like being back at Brok,” Sabina joked as she slipped on a lab coat and handed one to Elena, nudging her playfully on the shoulder. “No bowl cuts this time though. Poor Susan…”

Elena tried to smile but could feel her heart beating hard beneath her ribs. She still wasn’t used to getting involved in active missions, even though she had been an Angel for quite some time now. The reminders of her time before she joined the Agency, when she had pretended to still be loyal to a company that was trying to have her killed, only made Elena’s feeling of uneasiness grow.

Elena loved being involved in projects within the Townsend lab, but this didn’t feel right. Being surrounded by chemicals and cleanliness and technology used to feel like home; now she couldn’t wait to leave. And so far, they’d only got as far as the store room.

“I’ll meet you at the front door unless we arrange otherwise,” Jane stated as she popped the top of her lab coat closed and reached over to fix Elena’s. “Be careful and see you soon.”

Elena nodded quickly and swallowed hard, taking a hold of Jane’s hand before she could pull it away, just for a second. Jane smiled, nodded once, and headed for the door. Somehow understanding all the things Elena was suddenly unable to say.

“You two stick together, remember,” Bosley sounded over their comms and Sabina rolled her eyes at Elena animatedly.

“She doesn’t trust me,” Sabina smirked, Elena hearing the laugh hidden within her voice.

“Not with chemicals I don’t, no,” Bosley responded. “Don’t blow anything up.”

“Spoilsport.”

Bosley had instructed that Sabina and Elena stay together for the entirety of the mission, unless it was essential that they split up. They all knew that out of the three of them, Sabina felt the least comfortable being in a laboratory and Elena felt the most at home. Even if Jane did have a favourite chemical (“I like the ones that go bang,” Jane had pouted when Sabina had brought it up one evening).

Jane had found it funny that Elena had been told to stick with Sabina for the entire mission, but Elena didn’t mind at all; she liked the company and it settled her nerves somewhat. She’d much rather have someone beside her should things go wrong, even if Sabina did get more annoying than usual when she was bored.

“Come on,” Elena nodded to the door. “Jane took the first floor so we’ll take the ground. We need to find an empty room and check the cabinets.”

The building was quieter than Elena had expected, and those they did pass within the corridors didn’t seem to notice Elena or Sabina at all. Elena wondered again whether she would have been so oblivious had Jane and Sabina infiltrated Brok Industries without her help. Would she have noticed two new faces as being out of place, or would she have passed by them without a second glance.

Elena was pretty sure that anyone other than Jane and Sabina could have walked by entirely unseen, but she had stared at the faces of her two beautiful teammates so often over the past few months that she couldn’t imagine ever being in a situation where she wouldn’t notice them.

They weren’t the kind of people you’d miss in a crowd. Unless they wanted you to…

“This corridor is empty,” Sabina whispered into Elena’s ear and Elena blinked, focusing on the direction Sabina had tilted her head. “We could check this way? Green corridors, right?”

Elena nodded and followed Sabina towards the nearest door, their security passes letting them inside seamlessly. Elena had managed to access Mike Wood’s security pass as well as their own while at HQ, and had found a full list of the locations within the building he visited on a regular basis.

The Graxton Corporation laboratory was split into distinct sections, each area having been allocated a specific colour and marked with coordinating coloured arrows. Mike Woods had access to the entire building and yet he appeared to spend the majority of his time within the green sections of the lab, on each of the floors. Elena had made sure to give them all full access to these rooms in particular.

The lab room they had just entered was fairly small but was lined with low glass cabinets, each filled with various vials and bottles and with charts on each wall. But there were no lab technicians in sight; they had the room entirely to themselves.

A large, square, metal table sat in the middle of the room; the kind of table that Elena remembered from her days studying at MIT. The kind that would withstand the majority of chemical spills and was easily wiped down.

“Side each?” Sabina asked and Elena nodded again, both moving to either side of the table to check the cabinets.

Elena peered inside the first one she came to and could see rows and rows of tall test tubes, each with a murky green substance inside. The ones next to that were an odd shade of orange, and the ones at the end crystal clear.

“Hey El, what are we actually looking for?” Sabina asked, turning in her direction with a frown. “There’s a whole rainbow of colours over here but I have less than no idea what this stuff is supposed to look like.”

“Bosley said it was dark,” Elena answered and Sabina nodded, turning back to the cabinet.

“Helpful,” she muttered, more to herself than Elena.

“Elena’s right, our source says its a deep red colour that could also look purple under certain light,” Bosley confirmed over their comms and Elena could see Sabina rolling her eyes.

“That’s not entirely helpful when there’s like, fifty shades of red in here,” Sabina muttered before pausing and laughing to herself. “I’d much prefer fifty shades of grey.”

“Get your mind out of the gutter, Sabina,” Bosley sighed and Elena couldn’t hide the smile that flashed across her lips.

“Even now?” The mock surprise in Jane’s voice was evident. “Seriously Bina, is that all you think about?”

“It is when you’ve promised me a present later,” Sabina answered, twitching an eyebrow at Elena.

Elena suddenly realised that Bosley would have heard Sabina’s comment too and could feel her cheeks flush pink. They hadn’t mentioned what happened between the three of them when behind closed doors to anyone, not even Bosley and Saint. Elena felt her mouth drop open slightly despite Sabina’s shrug as she mouthed the word ‘what?’ in Elena’s direction.

“Focus, Wilson,” Bosley warned and Elena smirked. It wasn’t uncommon for Bosley to use Sabina’s surname when she was being particularly… distracting.

Elena and Sabina continued to peer within the cabinets that edged the room until Elena spotted a row of test tubes at the back of one and frowned. The contents looked dark but it was hard to tell what colour they were.

“Can we open the doors?” Sabina asked, turning in Elena’s direction as she pointed to one of the cabinets. “I think there might be something in this one.”

Elena glanced round quickly and waved her hand in Sabina’s direction, turning back to the test tubes in front of her.

“Yeah, just be careful,” Elena spoke quickly, not paying much attention. She wanted to have a proper look at the other cabinet, the dark substance swirling within the test tubes.

Elena heard the cabinet click open behind her and reached up to open the one in front of her too, pausing when the stark laboratory lights caught the test tubes and the colour seemed to lighten.

“I think this is more brown than red,” Elena frowned with a sigh. “I don’t think this is what we’re looking for. Jane, any luck?”

“Not yet,” Jane answered. “I’ve found a few cabinets that look promising though and it’s quiet up here too. We have time to keep looking.”

“Great.”

Elena moved to the next cabinet and peered inside, frowning at the new line of vials. These too contained a red-tinted liquid that looked just as Bosley had described during their mission briefing, and yet Elena was very aware of just how alike different chemicals could look under these conditions. She wanted to make sure they collected the correct sample; it might not be so easy to get back into the lab if they needed to. This could be their best shot at stopping the gang before they became even more dangerous than they already were.

They bad guys clearly meant business if they now had a state-of-the-art laboratory at their disposal…

“Oh, there’s definitely something in here,” Sabina spoke at the same time the light caught the vials in front of Elena and they shimmered purple. Just like Bosley had described.

“Mm hmm,” Elena agreed, her focus unwavering. She had got used to multitasking when Sabina was around. She just needed a few minutes to decide whether the vials were worth taking and then she’s give Sabina her full attention.

“It’s definitely red,” Sabina continued. “I think this might be what we- what we’re looking for.”

Elena could hear something within Sabina’s voice that made her turn around again.

“Bee, you ok?”

“Yeah,” Sabina nodded slowly. “I’ve got a headache, that’s all. All of a sudden. A little- dizzy. ‘M fine.”

Elena was torn between wanting to study the vials in her cabinet further or check on Sabina’s, knowing they only had a limited time before they should head back to Bosley. They didn’t want to push their luck after getting past security so easily.

“Don’t touch anything just yet,” Elena instructed. “Can you see anything else in there?”

Sabina leant over closer and Elena instantly saw the expression on her face change as Sabina stepped back and blinked slowly, her hand finding her chest as she swayed on the spot.

“Nothing,” Sabina mumbled, the word barely recognisable as she blinked again, her eyes unfocused. “Whatdid youneed?”

“Sabina?”

“Got it!” Jane’s voice came through their comms. “There’s a whole batch of the stuff up here, I’ve taken five vials. Is that enough?”

Elena barely registered Jane’s question but nodded slowly, then realised that Jane couldn’t see her.

“Yeah,” she spoke. “Five is plenty. Be careful with it.”

“It’s in my rucksack,” Jane explained. “I’ll meet you both back outside.”

“Yeah,” Elena mumbled again, her focus entirely on Sabina who now had her hand against the metal table that separated them in the small lab room. “Bee?”

Elena took a step towards her teammate and paused, the faint but distinct smell of bitter almond catching her attention. She immediately dropped to her knees and at the very same second Sabina fell to the floor, eyes closed and arms trembling as she gasped for air. Elena quickly covered her nose and mouth with the sleeve of her lab coat and crawled under the table towards Sabina, reaching up to push the cabinet door closed. But not before noticing a vial inside had been tipped over, the stopper missing and the majority of the contents spilled over the bottom shelf.

Elena felt her hands shake as she gently tapped Sabina on the cheeks and pushed her hair from her forehead. But she got no response.

“Sabina?” Elena’s voice trembled as much as her hands. “Damn it.”

Elena focused on keeping her breathing steady as she tried not to panic. She was an Angel and a scientist, she was trained to know what to do in this situation. They needed air… that was the most important thing right now. They needed away from the lab and any other potential risks of breathing in the substance. They still didn’t know what was in it, but clearly it was dangerous.

Elena quickly grabbed Sabina under the arms and pulled her towards the exit, holding her breath and trying to ignore the hammering in her chest. She had to stay calm. She had to. Sabina needed her to be brave and not freak out.

“Jane! We have a problem,” Elena stammered as she pushed open the door with her elbow and pulled Sabina into the hallway, taking Sabina’s wrist to check her pulse and swallowing hard as the cool air filled her lungs.

Sabina’s pulse was fast. Too fast. Despite her shallow breathing.

“What’s she played with this time?” Jane half laughed and Elena could tell that she was still making her way through the building from the floor above. “If she’s burnt a hole in something-”

“No, Jane!”

There was a split second of silence before:

“I’m on my way.”

“Bee, can you hear me?” Elena gingerly shook Sabina’s shoulders but got no response. “Sabina, wake up!”

“Elena, what’s going on?” Bosley sounded concerned, Elena could hear it. “Give me an update.”

“Sabina’s been exposed to- something,” Elena stammered as she pulled Sabina further from the door and glanced down the hallway. Thankfully there was no one else around. “One of the vials had been knocked over and spilt inside the cabinet, right at the back where it was difficult to see. I think it was the chemical we’re looking for but I’m pretty sure it contains cyanide,” Elena swallowed again. “It smelt like cyanide.”

“Bitter almond?” Bosley asked.

“Yeah,” Elena heard her voice wobble again and took a breath, forcing herself to focus. “I- I didn’t know. I said she could open the cabinet. We don’t know what else could be in this stuff, or what she’s breathed in!”

“You weren’t to know,” Jane answered before Bosley could. “I’m just glad you could smell it, I know some people can’t. Where are you, I’m on the ground floor?”

“I don’t know,” Elena felt herself on the edge of tears. “We didn’t walk far from the storage room we found the lab coats in. Maybe the end of the same corridor. Still in the green section.”

“I’ll find you,” it sounded like a promise and Elena sniffed, pushing Sabina’s hair from her face again and feeling the clamminess of her skin.

Elena blinked away her tears and pushed her shoulders back, trying not to focus on the steady shaking of Sabina’s arms or the wheezing sound she made as she tried and failed to take a proper breath. It was less than a minute before Jane found them, running down the corridor without a glance over her shoulder.

“She’s struggling to breathe and her pulse is rapid,” Elena stammered as Jane fell to her knees beside them, taking Sabina’s wrist in her hand to check for herself.

“We need Saint,” Jane nodded once. “We need to get out of here. Boz, are you still at the front door?”

“Sure am, get out now,” Bosley instructed. “It doesn’t matter who sees you, you have the vials.”

Jane lifted Sabina into a bridal carry and Elena helped her stand, ignoring how Sabina’s arm fell limply at her side. Elena was getting fed up of helping Jane cradle their unconscious teammate in her arms, the panic in her chest only rising when Sabina didn’t cuddle in close like she would do while they were tucked up on the sofa.

The lab remained quiet as they made their way back along the corridor towards the exit, pausing when they got near the security station they had passed on the way in. How were they supposed to get past the guards without them questioning what had happened? Elena looked to Jane for support but she seemed to be thinking the same thing.

“Boz, it’s too risky to just walk out. We’re going to get too many questions and if we get searched, we’ll lose the evidence. We need a distraction,” Jane glanced down the corridor again. “Which doesn’t help when our expert is out cold. We need something, fast!”

The hint of panic in Jane’s voice only increased the worrying feeling in the pit of Elena’s stomach; she quickly reached over to check on Sabina again, just to make sure she hadn’t gotten any worse over the past few minutes.

“Be ready to move,” Bosley’s voice came back over their comms and Elena frowned, looking to Jane for confirmation. But Jane only shrugged, repositioning Sabina slightly while she leant against the wall.

The main doors to the laboratory opened a few seconds later and Elena was surprised to see Bosley enter, her heels clicking on the hard flooring and her purse hanging over her shoulder. She grinned wide, making her way to the nearest security guard and holding out her hand.

“Hi boys,” Bosley grinned, eyes bright as she flicked her hair from over her shoulder. “Don’t suppose I could see Mr Nichols, could I? I don’t have an appointment but he should be expecting me.”

Elena smirked. They had done their research before leaving HQ and knew that Nichols worked for Singh, just like Woods did. He was their numbers guy and also a director of Graxton Corporation; some other deluded individual out to make a quick fortune.

“He’s not expecting anyone,” the guard answered and Elena could hear a harshness in his voice.

Elena dared another glance at Sabina and wished she hadn’t, her pale skin somehow looking even paler under the harsh lighting.

“He’s expecting me,” Bosley continued. “Go ask him. Tell him Rebekah’s here, he’ll know who it is.”

The guard glared at Bosley before glancing at the other guard and back again.

“Well, go on!” Bosley shooed, pointing to the nearby office. “Ask him!”

The guard paused for a second longer before turning on his heels and disappearing to the office. Bosley immediately moved to the second guard and held out her purse with the same bright smile.

“You want to check this while he’s busy?” Bosley asked.

The guard reached forward and Bosley let go a second before he could take it, the purse falling to the floor and the contents spilling out.

“Oh,” Bosley held both hands to her mouth in what Elena thought was a very convincing surprised expression. “Be a doll and help will you, I can’t bend down in this skirt.”

The guard rolled his eyes but did as Bosley said, crouching down to retrieve Bosley’s lipstick that had rolled towards the security scanner.

Bosley glanced up and Elena caught her eye from across the corridor, Bosley’s head twitching to the side. That was their cue. Elena moved towards the exit and Jane followed close behind with Sabina, Bosley stepping closer to the guard to block his view as they passed behind Bosley and out the main doors.

The cold air felt welcoming on Elena’s hot skin, her cheeks stinging as they quickly made their way across the parking lot to the Jeep Bosley had just been waiting in. The doors had been left unlocked, as expected, and Elena pulled one open with a brief glance over her shoulder. Thankfully, they hadn’t been followed.

Jane lay Sabina on the back seat and slid in beside her, instantly checking her pulse again and frowning at the way Sabina’s chest moved quicker than normal as she still tried to take a proper breath.

“We need to get out of here,” Jane stammered and Elena nodded in agreement, stepping into the passenger seat of the Jeep and instantly leaning through into the back to help position Sabina so her head was on Jane’s knee. “Where’s Boz?”

“Y’know what, I’ll catch Nichols later,” Bosley said brightly over their comms. “Thanks for clearing that up, I’m such a klutz. Tell him I said hi and I’ll call to rearrange.”

Elena could hear someone shouting after Bosley but she’d obviously ignored them, appearing from the front of the lab shortly after and sliding into the drivers seat of the Jeep.

“Call Saint and give him an update,” Bosley spoke immediately, handing Elena her phone and glancing over her shoulder. “How is she?”

“She needs Saint,” Jane answered and Elena could tell that she didn’t want to say anything further. They could all see the way Sabina’s muscles tensed and twitched, her breathing rapid and uneven as she struggled to fill her lungs.

Bosley pulled the door shut and started the engine while Elena called Saint; he answered on the first ring, his voice dripping with concern.

“Bosley?”

“It’s Elena,” she swallowed hard. “Sabina’s been exposed to something. We need a cyanide antidote but I don’t know what else was mixed within the substance or how bad this could be. ETA seven minutes.”

“On it,” Saint responded and was gone again, leaving Elena staring at the phone screen and trying to block out what was going on around her.

~*~*~*~*~

The seven minutes back to HQ felt like they dragged on for hours, Elena refusing to glance to the back of the Jeep more than once. She couldn’t bear it, seeing Sabina’s pale complexion and the worry in Jane’s eyes. Jane kept one hand on Sabina’s chest and the other on her wrist, as if to reassure herself that Sabina was still breathing; it reassured Elena too.

Once back at HQ Elena watched numbly as Jane scooped Sabina back into her arms and carried her towards the front door, Saint meeting them on the doorstep.

“What exposure to the chemical has she had?” He asked, his hand already around Sabina’s wrist as they moved towards the medical room. Jane turned to Elena for answers.

“Gas,” Elena responded automatically, shaking her head to focus clearer. “The vial had been knocked over and the stopper was missing, the cabinet must have been full of gas when she opened it. Exposure time only a few minutes, maybe two or three. I don’t know how strong the sample was but I don’t think she touched anything other than the cabinet to open the door, so no exposure to the actual liquid. It was obviously strong enough to knock her out and she’s struggling to breathe, but I don’t think she got any worse on the way here.”

“Did you bring back a sample of the chemical?” Saint questioned and Elena nodded, reaching into Jane’s rucksack as they walked and carefully pulling out the vials.

Elena immediately wanted to throw them as far as she could and had to remind herself that the contents were why they were in the situation to begin with. An Angel Elena recognised as working primarily in the Townsend laboratory seemed to appear out of nowhere and Elena handed over the vials without question.

“We’ll get the substance analysed as soon as possible. Has Sabina been twitching the whole way back?” Saint asked and Jane nodded.

“Yeah,” Jane swallowed hard. “She hasn’t had a seizure - well, I don’t think she has - but the trembling started before we left the lab.”

Saint nodded with a frown and paused as they reached the medical room.

“Elena, you need checked over too,” Bosley stated and Elena quickly shook her head, feeling guilty that she had only now realised Bosley had followed them through HQ, having seemingly abandoned the Jeep at the front door.

“I’m fine,” Elena mumbled but Saint obviously agreed with Bosley and wasn’t going to take no for an answer.

“You were exposed to the chemical too,” he frowned again. “Actually, all of you in the medical room. Now.”

Elena was pretty sure they would have followed him even if they were told not to.

Saint pushed open the door and Jane lay Sabina on the closest medical bed, her fingers gently brushing across Sabina’s cheek before she stepped away. Saint instantly moved to check her over and Bosley ushered Jane and Elena to the other side of the room, towards a separate medical bed while nodding for Elena to sit down.

Elena did so numbly and Bosley passed her an oxygen mask.

“I don’t need it,” Elena held up her hand but Bosley glared until Elena took the mask.

“Just for a few minutes,” she ordered. “Otherwise Saint will keep you in here longer than you need to be.”

“Fine,” Elena rolled her eyes and took a few deep breaths, feeling her lungs expand as she did so, the trembling in her hands reducing with each inhale. Maybe Bosley had been right. “How is she?”

Elena tried to look past Bosley but she stepped in the way, pulling a curtain closed around Elena’s bed and receiving a glare from Jane as she did so.

“She’ll be fine,” Bosley stated, but even Elena could hear an uncertainty in her voice. “You two need to think about yourselves.”

“We are, but we need to be with Sabina,” Jane held out a hand but the look from Bosley made her drop it to her side.

“Saint has an antidote ready, she’ll come round soon,” Bosley placed her hands on her hips. “Elena said it smelt like cyanide so that’s what we’re treating her for.”

“But what if it wasn’t?” Elena asked, her voice trembling. Bosley only shook her head.

“We trust you, our little science nerd,” she smiled warmly and Elena felt herself do the same. “You know what you smelt and you know the symptoms. That’s what we’re treating. And if there’s something worse within this new chemical-”

Bosley shrugged.

“We’ll deal with that too, if we need to.”

Elena nodded slowly and removed the oxygen mask, Bosley raising an eyebrow which Elena ignored. Bosley rolled her eyes and peered between the curtains she had pulled around the bed, quickly returning to the newly formed cubicle.

“Saint’s looking after her. She has oxygen and an IV drip with the cyanide antidote,” Bosley smiled weakly. “We need to wait for it to work but she wasn’t exposed for too long, the signs were good.”

“Good?!” Jane asked, eyes wide as she gave Bosley an incredulous look. “That was good?”

“It could have been worse,” Bosley nodded, remaining calm. “There were no seizures, her heart rate was high but she didn’t deteriorate on the way here. She mustn’t have been exposed for too long.”

Elena knew that Bosley had a point but she still hated the fact that they were in this situation to begin with. Saint obviously agreed that Sabina’s symptoms were bad enough to need the antidote… why had Elena let Sabina open the cabinet?!

Jane opened her mouth as if to argue some more but was interrupted by the sound of Saint’s gentle voice from the other side of the curtains. They all seemed to freeze as if to listen better, until there was the sound of something metal hitting the floor and clattering across the medical room.

“Sabina, stop! Stay still until I can check you over properly,” Saint’s voice came from the other side of the curtain and both Jane and Elena smiled at each other.

Bosley rolled her eyes again.

“See, sounds like the disaster child is back with us already,” she sighed, but Elena could see the relief evident within her smile. “I better go save Saint, you two stay here. No arguments. There’s a change of clothes under the bed; change out of the ones you’re wearing and we’ll properly dispose of them later.”

Jane and Elena both nodded reluctantly and Jane retrieved the duffle bag from under the bed that contained two pairs of joggers (in both Jane and Elena’s size), hoodies, and two zip-seal plastic bags for their potentially contaminated clothing. Elena was no longer surprised at how organised Saint was when he needed to be. He’d had less than ten minutes between Elena calling him and meeting them at the front door of HQ, and yet he managed to get everything they needed ready before they arrived.

Jane and Elena changed quickly, bagging up the clothes they had been wearing along with the Graxton Corporation lab coats. Only then did Jane slide onto the bed beside Elena, wrapping an arm around her waist and leaning her head on top of Elena’s. Her sigh of relief made Elena feel suddenly exhausted and it was only then that she realised how tense her muscles had been since they left the lab.

“We’re ok,” Jane breathed. “I really want to kiss you right now but it’s probably not a good idea. Right?”

“Not until we’ve showered,” Elena agreed. “Just to be on the safe side.”

Elena leant her head back so she could meet Jane’s eyes.

“I want to kiss you, too. So badly.”

“Be patient,” Jane teased, then smiled at the sound of something else rattling across the floor from the other side of the curtain. “Unlike our crazy-ass teammate who sounds like she’s about to give either Saint or Bosley heart palpitations.”

“Or a black eye,” Elena smirked.

The fact that Sabina was causing trouble within minutes of regaining consciousness was a good sign, Elena thought. It was only to be expected. Even though Elena could hear Sabina coughing and knew that Saint would be watching her closely while trying to keep her calm. To make sure her breathing improved and the trembling stopped. Elena could feel her own heart rate increase at the thought of the damage that could be caused by the chemicals in the lab and reminded herself that they were lucky - they had Saint. Saint would look after Sabina and make sure she was given what she needed.

If only Sabina hadn’t opened the cabinet… Elena wanted to see her, badly, but Bosley had told them to stay where they were. And so they stayed.

“Are you feeling ok?” Jane asked, expression suddenly serious. Elena nodded.

“I’m fine. I was barely exposed. Not directly at least.”

Jane frowned, reaching up to move Elena’s hair from in front of her eye.

“You still had to deal with that on your own,” said Jane, her lips tantalisingly close to Elena’s. “You got Sabina out of there before things got really bad. If we had split up, or if you two weren’t together-”

Jane trailed off and turned away quickly, swallowing hard.

“But we were together,” Elena smiled, placing her hand on Jane’s cheek until she looked back at her. “We’re all fine. Or we will be after a little looking after. This could have been really bad, but it wasn’t. So stop worrying, ok?”

“But you said it yourself, Elena,” Jane blinked and Elena was sure she could see tears in Jane’s eyes. “We don’t know what else was in that chemical, what if she gets worse and we don’t know how to treat it?”

“As Bosley said, we’ll deal with that if we need to. But there’s no point in worrying about it right now. Cyanide poisoning is bad enough, but Saint had the treatment waiting for Sabina as soon as we got here,” Elena was surprised at how much easier it was to reassure Jane than it was herself. “We just need to wait and make sure Sabina listens to Saint.”

Jane nodded slowly and pulled Elena in for another hug, wiping her eyes roughly with the back of her sleeve. Elena heard Sabina cough again and could imagine Saint’s comforting expression.

“It’s ok, take a deep breath for me,” Saint soothed, even his voice calming. “That’s it, long steady breaths. In and out, in and- Sabina no. Stay where you are.”

Jane laughed into the top of Elena’s head before sighing loudly and stepping back to raise an eyebrow.

“It sounds like Saint’s fighting a losing battle out there,” Elena smiled.

Jane laughed through her nose and tilted her head in agreement.

“Come on,” Jane held her hand out in front of her for Elena to take. “I think we’re needed.”

Elena took it gladly and slid off the medical bed behind Jane, following her from behind the curtain. Elena could see Bosley across the room, running her hand along Sabina’s back who was now sat up, coughing into her hands with her eyes squeezed shut. Before she clasped a hand to her mouth and leant over the side of the bed away from Bosley and Saint.

“Aim for the sick bowl!” Saint shouted but it was too late. He pinched the bridge of his nose, took a long breath and made his way to the other side of the bed to clean up the floor.

“Sorry,” Sabina sniffed, leaning back onto the pillows and swallowing hard while she wiped her mouth with the back of her hand.

“Don’t be,” Saint shook his head. “That’ll be the cyanide and whatever else was in the chemical you breathed in, it sounds like it’s gone straight to your chest. Better out than in, just give me a bit more warning next time.”

Sabina blinked sleepily, until she seemed to focus on Jane and Elena and sank further into the sheets, her eyes brimming with tears. Bosley tenderly brushed Sabina’s hair from her clammy forehead.

“Told you, they’re both fine,” Saint sighed, running a hand across his stubbly chin and nodding to Jane and Elena. “Now will you please stay still so I can make sure you haven’t pulled your IV out before I clean this up.”

Elena felt herself physically relax the very second Sabina’s eyes connected with her own, noticing the way Sabina’s bottom lip wobbled. She hated seeing her teammate so upset; it was rare for Jane or Sabina to show their tears, which only made it so much worse when they did. Bosley seemed to feel the same as she quickly looked away, busying herself with her phone while Jane and Elena took her place at Sabina’s side.

“You’re ok?” Sabina asked immediately, Jane taking her hand and Sabina squeezing it tight.

“We’re good,” Elena nodded, smiling as best she could. “No harm done. So calm down and let Saint look after you.”

Jane gave Sabina a look that clearly told her the same thing and she nodded sleepily, Jane reaching over to replace the oxygen mask that Sabina and previously pulled off.

“Is your chest still tight?” Saint asked and Elena noticed Sabina’s free hand was resting on her chest. “And don’t lie to me, you sound a little wheezy.”

“It’s just from the coughing,” Sabina shook her head. “I’ll be fine.”

“Hmm, and what do you think caused that? You need to wait until your IV has finished before you can leave so I want to monitor you until then,” Saint instructed after re-checking the needle in Sabina’s arm. “Don’t move too quickly or you could disrupt it again. And keep your oxygen mask on unless you feel sick. You need the whole course of the antidote, that should relieve any tightness in your chest too.”

Saint checked Sabina’s heart rate monitor and frowned, before adjusting something on the wall and checking the screen again.

“I think she should stay here longer than that!” Bosley’s eyes widened, her focus away from her phone and back on Sabina. “It wasn’t just a bump on the head this time, it was chemical poisoning. We don’t know what else was in there!”

“I know,” Saint nodded quickly, looking suddenly exhausted. “But have you tried to make Sabina stay in one spot longer than ten minutes, because I’ve given up. Every time I turn my back she’s gone again, so apart from handcuffing her to the bed frame I don’t know what else to try.”

Sabina pulled the mask from her face and frowned.

“I’m right here you know,” she quipped, then smirked. “And I’ve tried that before. The whole handcuffs to the bed frame thing. It’s actually more fun than you’d think.”

Saint shot her a look that screamed ‘not now, Sabina’ and she responded with a silent ‘what?’. Elena had no idea how they managed to have so many conversations without uttering a single word.

“You’re recovering better than I expected, considering,” Saint shook his head with a frown, reaching over to again replace Sabina’s mask. “Keep the oxygen on for another half hour at least and give the cyanide antidote time to properly kick in. You need to stay still until your IV has finished and then you’ll need decontaminated. I don’t want you leaving HQ until we’ve heard back from the lab, we don’t know what else was in the substance you were exposed to.”

Sabina frowned, took off her mask yet again and lifted the sheet that covered her body from the chest down before looking back to Saint. Elena noticed that Sabina was wearing a cropped tank top only, her outer clothing and additional lab coat now gone. Saint must have removed the clothing that could have potentially been exposed to the chemicals, leaving Sabina in her underwear.

“Is that why my clothes are gone?” Sabina asked with a playful look in her eyes. “Or do I not remember getting lucky.”

“You’re a nightmare,” Saint shook his head. “I need a break. Don’t let her leave until I’m back. Although I’m pretty sure she’ll be asleep within the next few minutes.”

Saint turned to Jane and Elena at his warning and they both nodded obediently. He looked serious this time.

“I’m still right here,” Sabina frowned, but Saint ignored her.

“I’m with Saint, I’ll be back after a coffee and a shower,” Bosley sighed, following Saint from the medical room. But not before turning back with a look that warned them not to leave.

Jane reached over to place the oxygen mask back over Sabina’s mouth and tucked a loose hair behind her ear.

“Behave or Saint won’t let you out of here for a week,” she smiled and Elena felt like her heart was going to explode at the tenderness in Jane’s eyes. “Have a nap and then we’ll go get cleaned up before going for food, ok?”

“But I’m not tired,” Sabina yawned, closing her eyes and asleep within seconds.

~*~*~*~*~

True to his word, Saint returned half an hour later to find Jane and Elena tucked up together on the bed that Elena had previously been assigned to, the curtains now open so they could see Sabina from across the medical room. Elena noticed how gently Saint removed Sabina’s IV drip and oxygen mask as she slept, and wondered how many times he had been in similar situations over the years.

“How is she?” Elena asked, unable to help herself, but Saint smiled warmly. His break must have done him good, he looked much more like his usual cheerful self now.

“She’s fine,” Saint nodded, crossing the room to check on Jane and Elena too. “We’ve had the results back from the lab and, luckily for us, it looks like they haven’t quite perfected their formula yet. The cyanide was the worst of it, although I want to give Sabina some other preventative medication to make sure her chest doesn’t get any worse. There were still some nasty chemicals mixed together. She’ll need monitored for a few days and is likely to be tired from all the antidotes, but she’s been lucky. This could have been a lot worse.”

Elena let out a sigh of relief and leant in closer to Jane, who hugged her back.

“So there’s no risk of brain damage?” Elena asked, again before she could stop herself. It was a worry that had been playing on her mind since they had first returned to HQ, and one which she had been too scared to mention to Jane.

“No,” Saint shook his head. “Like I said, she’s been very lucky. Neurological damage seems unlikely, especially after speaking to her. She was confused when she first woke up, understandably, but I think now she’s just tired.”

“Would we have noticed any difference?” Jane asked with a smirk, but Elena could tell she was just as relieved.

Saint bit his lip in an attempt to stop himself smiling.

“We were all lucky that Elena knew what to do and got Sabina, and herself, out of the lab as soon as possible,” Saint added and Jane tightened her arm around Elena as if to show her agreement. “If you hadn’t, we might have been having a very different conversation.”

Elena felt her eyes brim with tears at the thought and quickly blinked them away.

“Right, you three really need to shower,” Saint clasped his hands together, changing the topic before any of them got too emotional. “You were both in contact with Sabina at the lab, and Elena was in the same room as the contaminant. Bosley and I have gone through the same precautions and we have a team due in the next hour to deep clean the car as well as the medical room, once we’ve finished in here.”

Elena felt her eyes widen and Saint gave her a reassuring smile.

“Don’t worry, you were exposed to the gas only so you won’t need a thorough decontamination. Thankfully!” Saint shook his head slightly. “We’ll dispose of your clothing and you all need a long shower. Wash your hair twice just to be on the safe side. But otherwise, there should be no lasting effects. I know I keep saying it, but you were all lucky. Any longer and this could have ended very different. I don’t want to think of the possibilities-”

Saint trailed off and Elena wanted to reach for his hand to comfort him. Saint looked after them in every way, but Elena knew that he felt things hard. He cared about them all, and that made his job difficult. Especially when they were good at getting themselves into stupid situations.

“We’re all fine, Saint,” Elena spoke slowly and Saint shook his head, seemingly ridding himself of the thoughts that had crept up on him.

“You are,” he smiled wide. “And although I’d much rather keep Sabina in here for the rest of the day as a minimum, I know that’s not possible. So please make sure she goes straight for a shower. Her IV has finished and I’m happy with her blood oxygen levels, so she’s free to leave. Against my better judgment. But keep her at HQ for the rest of the day so I can check on her again later, I want to make sure her chest pain has gone before she goes home.”

“Thanks Saint,” Elena smiled. “I’ll give you a hug after decontamination.”

Saint laughed and nodded once, leaving the medical room after checking on Sabina one last time.

“I’ll go grab some things for after we shower, you can have the joys of waking Sabina up,” Jane pushed herself from the bed and leant over to kiss Elena’s forehead, stopping herself just in time and grinning. “I keep forgetting. I’ll make up for it later.”

Jane left and Elena made her way back to Sabina, smiling when she noticed Sabina’s small bee pendant resting on her collarbone.

“Come on sleepy head, time for a shower,” Elena shook Sabina’s shoulder and she woke up with a groan, resting an arm across her eyes. “You can have another nap later but we need to make sure you’re not radioactive.”

“Do I have superpowers now?” Sabina asked and Elena laughed.

“You have the power to make us worry about you. All the time,” Elena sighed. “Now come on, Jane’s gone to find the extra soapy shampoo so we can make sure we’re properly clean.”

Sabina removed her arm and blinked, squinting at Elena until she seemed to focus. Elena reached over and guided Sabina to a sitting position, pulling back the sheets and letting Sabina move her legs to the side of the bed.

“Are you ok?” Sabina asked suddenly and Elena frowned, looking at her in confusion. “I’m sorry for being an idiot and making you worry. Thanks for looking after me.”

Elena nodded, unable to speak, and could feel the tears brimming her eyes.

“What’s wrong?” Sabina asked and Elena suddenly felt an anger bubble in her chest.

“What’s wrong?” She repeated. “You were literally poisoned, Sabina! You nearly died!”

“Stop being so dramatic,” Sabina shrugged. “I’m fine.”

“It’s a chemical weapon! We don’t know whether anything other than the cyanide is going to cause you any harm!” Elena realised she had raised her voice and swallowed hard. “Saint wants to give you preventative medication to make sure you can still breathe properly, Jane and I need to make sure you don’t get any worse tonight. Don’t you get it? You. Nearly. Died.”

“But I didn’t,” Sabina responded quickly, legs dangling over the edge of the medical bed as she stared at Elena intently. “You were there, I was safe.”

“You weren’t safe, I let you open the cabinet,” Elena could feel the tears reappearing. What wasn’t Sabina understanding?

“Let me?” Sabina laughed. “Do you think I hadn’t made up my mind to open it no matter what you said?”

Elena opened her mouth, thought for a second and closed it again.

“Elena, this was just bad luck. I happened to be stood too close to probably the only cabinet in the whole lab that had a broken vial inside of it,” Sabina shrugged. “It happens. I was just lucky you were there to prevent it from being any worse. Yes, it could have been bad, but it wasn’t. I’ve been much closer to death than that before.”

“You’re not helping. And you should really be resting right now,” Elena stated, unable to think of anything else to say. But Sabina only laughed in response.

“So I’ve been told. But I’ve also been told we need to shower, and we’d use a hell of a lot of water if we were to shower separately so-”

Sabina drew out the last word and winked at Elena, making Elena’s knees go momentarily weak. Sabina often had that effect on her.

“Let’s go find Jane,” Sabina pushed herself from the bed and Elena offered Sabina her arm to steady herself against.

“You don’t want to cover up instead of walking through HQ in your underwear?” Elena asked but Sabina shrugged.

“Pretty sure most people have seen this before.”

Elena couldn’t help but roll her eyes as she slipped her arm around Sabina’s waist and headed from the medical room.

~*~*~*~*~

Jane had obviously had the same idea as Sabina, meeting them both in the shared bathroom closest to the bedroom they seemed to naturally gravitate towards, and smiling playfully when Sabina locked the door with all three of them inside.

“Seriously?” Elena asked, mouth falling open slightly. “You nearly died, Sabina. You’re supposed to be resting, not- doing other stuff.”

“Stop saying that. I can’t kiss you until we’ve showered,” Sabina shrugged. “I need to thank you properly for saving me.”

Elena wanted to respond but couldn’t find the words. Why was Jane going along with this?!

“And it’s my birthday so you have to say yes,” Sabina added with a quick nod of her head, looking to Jane who did the same.

“Now you play the ‘but it’s my birthday’ card?!” Elena frowned. “And you’re agreeing with this?”

“What?” Jane shrugged when Elena turned in her direction, shock still painted across her features. “You’ve been part of the team long enough to know there’s no point in arguing. She’ll pass out later once she stops for more than two seconds.”

Elena was always amazed that Sabina let Jane talk about her as if she wasn’t there, when anyone else would get glared at. Sabina had already moved to turn on the shower, the hot steam appearing almost instantly and making Elena feel dizzy. She had a feeling it was the events of earlier that day that made her lightheaded so quickly.

Sabina stepped in front of Elena, still dressed in only her underwear, and pulled the bottom of Elena’s hoody upwards without saying a word. Elena let her, shrugging off her joggers a few seconds later and helping Sabina out of her tank top, before following Jane and Sabina into the shower.

The shower in this particular bathroom was probably the best within HQ, with numerous streams of water that made it easy for more than one person to wash at the same time. Although Elena doubted that’s what it had been installed for. It was designed to turn the majority of the room into one large cleaning area, with built in seating at one end and a glass partition to keep the rest of the area dry. It’s why Elena, and she suspected Jane and Sabina, liked that part of HQ the most; they could have a lot of fun without anyone knowing.

The warm water on her skin helped Elena instantly relax as she rolled her head back and let it run over her face, cleaning away her thoughts of the mission. It was seconds later that Elena felt Jane’s arms wrap around her stomach, Jane’s bare chest against Elena’s back and her chin resting on top of Elena’s head.

“Thank you,” Jane whispered, holding her tight. “For looking after us both. Like you always do.”

“But I didn’t,” Elena frowned, turning to look at Jane. “I was just doing my job, I didn’t do anything special.”

“You got Sabina out of there,” Jane looked suddenly serious. “And you didn’t put yourself in danger. You didn’t go back for another look at the cabinet, you acted fast. I know I sound selfish but thank you for looking after both of you. I don’t know what I’d do if either of you were seriously hurt.”

“Like Sabina on literally every mission?” Elena joked, although the undertone of truth made her stomach jolt.

“We’re leaving Sabina at home next time,” Jane smiled, glancing at Sabina who was washing her hair. “I know how Bosley feels now. How has she not gone crazy after working with you for so long?”

“She has,” Sabina shrugged. “She not so secretly drinks a bottle of wine every night. I can’t help but feel partially responsible.”

Elena laughed and Jane rolled her eyes.

“You usually join her and drink the other bottle,” Jane added, Sabina tilting her head in agreement.

“Crazy attracts crazy, what can I say?”

Jane laughed, the sound infectious as Sabina and Elena joined in, before Sabina doubled over and held her chest as she started coughing again. Jane ran a hand down Sabina’s back in small, circular motions, until Sabina took a deep breath and straightened up. Elena could see how tired she looked.

“You ok?” Jane asked and Sabina nodded slowly, looking up at Jane.

Elena couldn’t help but watch as Jane reached up and pushed Sabina’s wet hair from her face, the water rolling off her shoulder as she did so and the steam making Elena light headed again. The light from the bathroom made the white tiles of the walk-in shower glow, and only seemed to brighten the green in Sabina’s eyes.

Her eyes that were watching Jane with a softness she’d never seen Sabina give anyone else.

“You’re both beautiful,” Elena breathed, suddenly realising that the words had left her lips and throwing a hand over her mouth with a small squeak.

That was definitely supposed to stay in her head.

Jane smiled, a dimple forming on her cheek that didn’t help to settle the butterflies that were swarming in Elena’s chest.

“You’re fucking adorable,” Sabina smiled wide and Elena was caught by the genuine happiness she could see on her features.

“Hey, less of the adorable,” Elena pouted, suddenly realising what Sabina had said.

“More of the fucking?” Sabina’s eyes twinkled and Jane laughed loud, her arms snaking around Sabina’s waist as the water ran down her back.

“Yes please,” Jane breathed into Sabina’s neck and Sabina leant her head back, eyes closed and her hand not leaving Elena’s.

Sabina pulled Elena closer until they were pressed together under the water and suddenly Sabina’s lips were on Elena’s, the kiss full of heat that had nothing to do with the temperature of the water. The feeing of Jane’s hand tracing up her spine and Sabina’s tongue in her mouth were the only things Elena could focus on.

~*~*~*~*~

Elena hadn’t intended to end up tucked under the bedsheets within the bedroom that Sabina had claimed as her own within HQ, hair still damp and dressed only in a loose oversized t-shirt, and yet that’s exactly where she was. With both Jane and Sabina cuddled in close on either side.

Elena was that tired that she didn’t care when Bosley stopped at the doorway and raised an eyebrow. After the day they’d had, Bosley could think what she liked. Elena was pretty sure their mentor knew exactly what her Angels got up to behind closed doors, anyway.

“No longer potentially lethal then?” Bosley asked with a smirk.

“We’re always lethal,” Sabina responded, her eyes barely open. “It’s part of the job description.”

Bosley gave Sabina a look she only ever saved for her most reckless Angel and shook her head.

“There’s so much of the job description you don’t listen to, Sabina,” Bosley sighed. “I think after today you all deserve a break. The vials you collected are with our lab Angels, as you know. It’ll take them a few days to properly analyse them, even if we did need to speed up the process to make sure there was nothing too dangerous in there. Other than the obvious. I think you all deserve a week off, not just the one who managed to poison herself.”

“Thanks Boz,” Sabina yawned, tucking in closer to Elena and ignoring Bosley’s offhand insult. “By the way, as birthday presents go, this one was shit.”

“You’re the one who wanted a new mission!” Bosley frowned. “And who doesn’t like birthdays other than you? So shut up and stop complaining, you literally asked for something exciting to do today.”

Sabina looked down at the bedsheets and back to Bosley.

“This isn’t how I was intending to spend my time in bed today,” she joked, raising an eyebrow playfully. Bosley only shook her head slowly in response. “Are we still doing birthday traditions later?”

“No chance,” Bosley laughed. “Not after you managed to find even more trouble than you usually do. Seriously Sabina, you’re not going to see many more birthdays if you carry on like this.”

The thought alone made Elena feel sick. She had been wanting to say something similar, although probably not as bluntly as Bosley had, but didn’t know how. She hated seeing Sabina put herself in danger so willingly, the success of the mission coming before her own safety. To Elena’s amazement, Sabina only laughed at Bosley’s statement.

“Live hard,” Sabina shrugged and Bosley tilted her head as if to agree.

“That obviously wasn’t your gift,” Bosley stepped into the room and placed a small paper bag on the bedside table nearest Sabina. “You were supposed to get it later but you managed to spoil your surprise. I would have bet on another head injury over chemical poisoning but you like to keep us on our toes.”

“It wasn’t my fault this time!” Sabina pouted, barely moving from her tucked up position at Elena’s side.

“No, you’re just a danger magnet,” Bosley sighed.

Sabina shrugged, before frowning. “What surprise?”

“Doesn’t matter, we’ll show you another night,” Bosley spoke quickly. “I’m going to update Charlie so I’ll see you all later.”

Bosley disappeared before they had the chance to say goodbye.

“What’s your birthday tradition with Bosley?” Elena asked as soon as she had left, hoping to deflect Sabina’s attention from the surprise mini-party they had planned that was now going to have to wait a few weeks.

“We buy two chocolate muffins, stick a candle in one for whoever’s birthday it is, and wash it down with a bottle of red. Then rose. Then white,” Sabina counted off the bottle of wine on her fingers. “But she’s going to be boring this year and bail on me.”

“You were literally poisoned,” Jane stated, glaring at Sabina. “Most people would still be in a hospital bed.”

“Jane’s right,” Saint suddenly appeared where Bosley had previously been stood and leant against the doorframe. “You should stay here the night so I can monitor you. I’d prefer you in the medical room, obviously. But here is just as good.”

Saint shuddered.

“I just got a really strong sense of Deja vu.”

“It’s fine, Jane and Elena will make sure I don’t die in the night,” Sabina shrugged and Saint raised an eyebrow. He was obviously used to Sabina’s dark humour but Elena felt the bile sting her throat.

That wasn’t funny.

“How are you feeling?” Saint asked, suddenly sounding serious.

“Fine,” Sabina smiled before seeming to realise that none of them were going to believe her that easily. “Tired,” she added with a weak smile. “Like I could sleep for a week. And my chest hurts because of this damn cough. But otherwise, I feel ok. Promise. I’ll tell you if I feel any worse.”

Saint nodded slowly, seeming happy enough with Sabina’s answer.

“Will you please stay here tonight,” Saint practically pleaded but Sabina only groaned in response.

“But Boz has just given us some time off,” she whined. “If we stay here you’re going to want to prod me tomorrow morning, even though I’m totally fine.”

“They can both stay at mine tonight,” Jane suggested quickly before seeming to realise what she had said. “We can keep an eye on Sabina from there. I can make up the sofa.”

“Huh?” Sabina frowned, scrunching her nose up as she looked at Jane and then Elena. Elena nudged and Sabina’s shoulder and she seemed to realise what was going on. “Oooh, yeah. Sounds good. I’ll take the sofa and Elena can sleep- on the other sofa.”

They all nodded quickly and Saint appeared to think over their proposition.

“For professional spies you three are really bad at keeping secrets sometimes,” Saint smirked, a smile growing on his lips. “I’ve known for ages by the way. It’s so obvious that you’ve been sharing an apartment for months.”

“How is it obvious?” Jane asked and Elena couldn’t help but shake her head slightly.

Saint was right; they were terrible at this. Jane more so than anyone, she hadn’t even tried to deny it.

“It’s as obvious as the fact that you three can’t keep your hands off each other,” Saint shrugged. “Everyone can see it.”

“They can?” Elena asked, looking between Jane and Sabina.

Jane looked mildly concerned but Elena could tell that she was freaking out while trying not to show it. Sabina looked as if she couldn’t care less, and Elena doubted very much that it had anything to do with nearly dying only hours beforehand. Sabina genuinely didn’t care who knew.

“When I say ‘everyone’, I mean myself and Bosley,” Saint shrugged. “But I’d bet that some of the other Angels have worked it out too. You three are hardly subtle.”

Elena was mildly shocked by Saint’s words; she had thought they’d managed to keep things pretty quiet recently. They were careful not to make anything too obvious while at work and waited until much later in the night, usually at Jane or Elena’s apartment, before they let themselves get close in the way they wanted.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Sabina shrugged, pushing herself up enough to lean over and press her lips to Elena’s again, Elena letting out a squeal of surprise.

Jane laughed loudly and Elena felt her shift, her pillow making contact with Sabina a second later who broke their kiss and rested her full weight on top of Elena as she joined in with Jane’s laughter.

“That’s my cue to go,” Saint could be heard from the doorway. “Look after each other and I’ll see you at some point tomorrow for a check up. Give me an update in the morning!”

“Will do!” Sabina raised a hand and rolled onto her back, still pressed close to Elena. “He’s so easy to embarrass.”

“You’re such a pain in the ass,” Jane sighed, sliding down the bed again and resting her elbow back on her pillow. “We should probably get going though, we need an early night.”

“Not too early,” Sabina’s eyes widened.

“You nearly passed out in the shower after kissing Elena, you need to rebuild your stamina,” Jane raised an eyebrow and Sabina pouted again. Jane was right, of course. Elena had wanted nothing more than to let her hands trace Jane’s bare skin as Sabina pressed her against the shower wall, but when Sabina’s knees had buckled and Jane only just managed to catch her, they’d decided on waiting until Sabina was feeling stronger before they gave her that particular birthday present.

Looking back, Elena thought it was a stupid idea to have given in to Sabina’s suggestion in the first place, but she had been that relieved to know Sabina was ok that Elena had let herself get carried away in the heat of the moment. As had Jane.

“I’m full of anti-venom, I’m invincible,” Sabina raised her hands over her head and yawned, her arms falling at her sides again. She suddenly looking exhausted.

“If you say so,” Jane leant over to kiss Sabina on the forehead. “We can carry this on later. Maybe. After you’ve had a nap.”

“Elena and I can carry this on, you’ve demoted us to the sofas,” Sabina smirked and Jane shook her head.

“Shut up. Or I’ll lock you in the medical room and you can be Saint’s problem.”

Jane slid from the bed and stretched her arms above her head, her long legs catching Elena’s attention like they so often did.

“Do you want to open your present from Boz?” Jane asked Sabina, nodding to the paper bag that Bosley had left behind.

“I know what it is, we can have them later,” Sabina yawned and Elena noticed the questioning look from Jane. “It’ll be chocolate muffins. And I’d bet you anything there’s three in there this time. But minus the wine.”

“I’m sure you can celebrate with Boz when you’re feeling better,” Elena smiled, tucking Sabina’s hair behind her ear and noticing how Jane was now eying up the bag, as if wanting to check that Sabina was right in her prediction.

“I’m going to get dressed, I’m not leaving HQ in only a shirt,” Jane shrugged and turned back to look at them both. “Sabina, you’re not either. Clothes on.”

Sabina cuddled in close to Elena and wrapped an arm around her waist, stopping her from moving. Jane shook her head and left, Sabina chuckling to herself.

“Bee?” Elena asked gently, running a hand up Sabina’s back and into the back of her hair. “Do you think Saint and Bosley knowing that we’re- well, whatever we are. Do you think that’s a bad thing? That they’ll split us up?”

“I’d like to see them try,” Sabina shrugged before seeming to realise that Elena was looking for a proper answer.

She sighed, tilting her head so she could see Elena properly.

“No,” Sabina answered bluntly. “It’s not going to change anything. We’re good together, Boz knows that. She’s not going to split us up, we’re the best.”

Sabina grinned wide and pushed herself higher, her nose an inch from Elena’s.

“So stop thinking and kiss me again before Jane comes back to spoil our fun,” Sabina moved closer, her warm breath on Elena’s lips making them tingle in anticipation.

Elena gladly did as Sabina instructed.

Chapter Text

Time as an active Angel: 10 months

Elena overused emojis. It was a bad habit but she couldn’t stop herself. Sometimes they said more than her words ever could. Sometimes they would express the tone of her message. She would add in a small winking face to reassure the reader that her sarcastic comment had been made with good intentions, or a smile to make sure someone knew that she hadn’t taken their attempt at humour as a dig at her expense. Even though sometimes Elena wasn’t so sure that was the case.

There had only been so many jokes from her friends in Hamburg she could take before the ‘you spend all your time in the lab, you obviously like work more than us’ comments began to hit home. No matter how light Elena tried to keep her reply. It had made the decision to move to California with Townsend even easier; she wasn’t leaving anyone behind in Germany that she’d miss, apart from maybe the cat that liked to sit outside her apartment block.

Elena would add in a laughing face to deflect from the fact that she was completely serious about the statement she had just typed, or a thumbs up to hide her excitement at a spontaneous outing with her teammates that had nothing to do with a mission. It usually worked, too.

Elena was sat at her desk typing up a report when her phone began pinging next to her, message after message lighting up the screen in quick succession. Which meant they could only have been sent from Sabina Wilson; Jane much preferred to send a message in one solid block. Like any rational person would, in Elena’s opinion.

El I need backup

J isnt playing fair

Says im losing

But im definitely not

Come tell her shes lying

And cheating

Now

Please

Life or death situation

I mean it

Elena was sure that Sabina had a thing against punctuation. She wasn’t even sure how she managed to send so many messages without it when most modern smartphones now added it in automatically, which Elena knew to be the only reason each of Sabina’s messages started with a capital letter. It was endearing in a way. So very Sabina - quick and to the point. No need for anything fancy like an apostrophe, that was just wasting time.

Elena’s phone continued to vibrate across her desk and she rolled her eyes.

El

Seriously

Shes dangerous

Have you seen her when shes hungry

We only had coffee for breakfast

Code red

Code Jane

Same thing

Help

Have you abandoned me in my hour of need

Help

Lena

Where are you

Elena knew full well that Jane and Sabina were in the gym and, more specifically, in the ring. Sabina always hated it when Jane got the upper hand (which was often) and Elena was pretty certain that Sabina would be messaging between rounds looking for a distraction. If Elena turned up when Jane wasn’t expecting her to, Sabina would be given a split second to sweep Jane off her feet and to the ground. Elena knew how Sabina worked by now.

But she wasn’t giving in to her this time, she was too busy with her report.

El

Lena

Elena

For a split second Elena wondered how long she could keep Sabina waiting for a response before she gave up and stopped messaging her. But then she remembered that this was Sabina Wilson, and she would never give up. She was far too stubborn for that.

Elenaaaaaa

I feel abandoned

Youre ignoring me arent you

Dont you care

Elena rolled her eyes. Ever the grifter, Sabina always had a way of making Elena feel bad for doing any sort of work when Sabina obviously wanted attention. She typed a quick reply in the hopes she’d then be left alone to finish her report:

Shut up Sabina, you know I love you 😂🤣😂

Complete with a laughing emoji - or three - just for good measure. To deflect from Elena’s statement and keep the conversation light-hearted, despite Sabina’s claims that Jane was trying to hurt her.

And yet Sabina’s response had Elena totally floored:

I love you too.

Complete with a full stop. Sabina never used punctuation. And somehow, that one tiny dot on her phone screen sent Elena’s head spiralling.

They hadn’t ever labelled their relationship. Not once. They had spent almost every night together for months now, mostly at Elena’s apartment but occasionally at Jane’s, and even when they were staying at HQ or another outpost they would gravitate towards each other as the skies darkened, waking up intertwined as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

Which it was.

Elena couldn’t imagine being away from either of her teammates for more than a few hours, making solo missions particularly difficult. Those were the assignments that worried Elena the most and had her on edge until they were all safely back together. She would rather face certain danger with both Jane and Sabina by her side than be on her own in apparent safety.

Because they were good together and the Agency seemed to agree. Despite the hiccups they’d had over the past ten months, including more visits to the hospital wing at HQ than Elena would have liked, they had quickly gained the reputation of being a ‘specialists’ team within Townsend. Elena was pretty sure that having Jane, the ultimate weapons expert and Sabina, the live-wire who could run the ground game like it was child’s play, helped to build that reputation.

And yet with every mission they only seemed to grow stronger, both professionally and personally. Elena trusted both Jane and Sabina in every way possible, and now trusted herself to open up entirely (even if neither of her teammates were as willing to do so). She had told them of her family and how she often missed them, her worries that she would make a mistake while on a mission, her hopes for her future at Townsend... everything she could think of.

Elena had even told them of her desires within the bedroom and the fantasies that she had never dared to tell anyone else, any nervousness disappearing at the smirk on Jane’s lips and the way Sabina’s eyes lit up as Elena spoke. They had both taken great delight in turning Elena’s fantasies into reality.

Elena would never tire of pressing her lips together with Jane and Sabina’s or of having their hands expertly roam her body. The hot, sweaty nights that left her exhausted and happier than she had ever felt before. That made her feel alive.

And yet they hadn’t ever talked about what any of that meant. Hadn’t put a label on it. Hadn’t used the word love.

Not once.

Until now.

Even if it was written on a phone screen.

I love you too.

Complete with a full stop.

Elena shoved her phone in her pocket and turned back to her report.

~*~*~*~*~

“New mission,” Bosley stated the next morning, dropping a tablet onto the kitchen table as Elena, Jane and Sabina were finishing their breakfast. “Well, extension of old mission. Remember the drug dealers with the motor business?”

“The ones that were smuggling drugs across the country inside old cars?” Elena asked. She remembered the files clearly; she had been tasked with rifling through thousands of pictures of car parts from different models to work out which were big enough to hide potential packages. It wasn’t just inside the cars, it was within the very structure; in door panels and the lining of the roof… anywhere they would fit while remaining hidden should someone do a quick sweep of the car.

Bosley pointed a finger in Elena’s direction and nodded.

“They’ve scaled up,” said Bosley, nodding to the tablet on the table. “Another team of Angels have been working on this for months and have managed to tie at least nine guys to a warehouse just out of town.”

“And that’s where we’re going?” Sabina took a large bite of her toast and looked to Bosley for confirmation.

Bosley nodded again.

“Why do you need us now if the other team have been working on it for so long?” Sabina asked and Elena was sure she could see her smirk. It was a loaded question.

Bosley rolled her eyes and crossed her arms over her chest.

“Are you going to make me say it?” She raised an eyebrow but Sabina didn’t look away, clearly waiting for an answer. “Fine, because this could get messy and I need our best team working on this mission. Bosley 211’s team is still pretty inexperienced but we need an expert hacker and a sharp shooter. Sabina, you can go along for the ride too.”

Sabina pulled a face that made Elena giggle and Jane smirk. Bosley and Sabina’s relationship never failed to amaze Elena and confuse her at the same time.

“Anyway, as I was saying. The warehouse has had many uses over the years and was previously used as an auction hall. The ground level is now full of cars but there’s a balcony that runs along the top that overlooks this section,” Bosley tapped the tablet awake and a photo flashed on the screen of the outside of a warehouse. She flicked through a few more photos of the inside of the building and stopped on an image that looked just as she had been describing. “Security is tight, they’ve reinforced the whole building. The main door in and out is a heavy shutter at the front which looks incredibly difficult to break through if they were to lock it. Their systems are controlled remotely from a different building, so if they know we’re there they could shut the whole place down before we get inside. Or worse, could lock us inside with them. I don’t want to take that risk.”

“It kinda looks like the quarry in Istanbul,” Sabina stated, reaching over to take the tablet before seeming to realise that Bosley wouldn’t know the similarity between the two. Because Bosley hadn’t seen the inside of the quarry, she’d left them there with no backup or escape plan. She hadn’t been around to see Jane chase after Hodak or Sabina nearly get crushed to death or Elena tranq herself (Elena wasn’t upset about the last part). It was no wonder Sabina had started to doubt Bosley, despite how close they were.

Elena could see Sabina pause mid chew and could feel the sudden awkwardness between them.

“So, drug money pays well then,” Sabina continued, passing the tablet to Elena. “I mean, if they have the funds to reinforce the building then they’ve obviously got the cash to secure whatever is stored within the warehouse. Right?”

“Right,” Bosley nodded and all tension was gone. “Which is why Bosley 211 and one of his Angels, Rhiannon, will be working with us on this one. With any luck this will be the last stage of the mission.”

All three Angels nodded and Bosley stepped back to lean against the worktop while they flicked through the file.

“Jane, you’ll be working with Rhiannon to create a distraction outside the warehouse. Think explosives and a broken down pickup truck. Hopefully that will entice some of the dealers from the warehouse where you’ll both be waiting to immobilise them,” Bosley explained and Jane nodded once, apparently happy at the thought of blowing something up. “This will give Sabina and Elena time to get into the warehouse while Bosley 211 and I keep an eye on the security building to make sure no one goes near it. We’ll also be around to help load the first of the dealers into the vans, once Jane and Rhiannon have knocked them out. Jane, I want you controlling everything on the outside. Keep Rhiannon on track, make sure none of the dealers are injured too badly while you’re disarming them, watch for anyone else who leaves the warehouse and make sure Bosley 211 and I are kept up to date.”

Elena felt her heartbeat quicken at the thought of being split up from Jane but pushed the feeling aside. She had been trained for this. She knew what she was doing by now.

“Sabina, I need you to scout the ground floor and report back if you find a dark green Chevy,” Bosley instructed. “We think it belongs to the guy that’s running this whole operation. We managed to get a tracker behind the license plate while it was parked up outside a local restaurant last week, and with any luck it’s been tracking every location he’s been to since.”

Sabina nodded without looking up from her breakfast.

“We don’t want to go in all guns blazing on this one, we need to collect our intel first otherwise they could wipe their systems and we miss our chance to put them behind bars,” Bosley continued. “Which is also why I want to have our hands on that tracker before we send everyone else in. Their security is good, I don’t want the risk of them shutting everything down and we lose all access to their data. We need concrete proof to make sure they’re not back on the streets by the weekend.”

“I thought he’d drive something a little more impressive given what they’re doing in there,” Sabina frowned and Jane nodded in agreement.

“We’re pretty sure the vehicle is due to cross the border in a few days time, which means it’s probably packed full of illegal substances,” Bosley shrugged. “We think he also uses this one to transport large quantities to other dealers in the area, which is why we want the tracker. Maybe he’s left his Bentley at home.”

Sabina laughed and Jane smirked.

“You think they could remotely wipe the tracker?” Elena asked, much more curious about their tech than the cars they drove.

“I don’t know,” Bosley admitted. “All I do know is their security is tight. If they’ve dedicated a separate building to keeping it secure then who knows what else they could do. Which is why I need you on the balcony, Elena.”

Elena swallowed hard and nodded.

“Their data room is on the first floor with the majority of their computer software,” Bosley nodded to the tablet. “We need you to retrieve as much information as you can without them noticing, or they could put the whole system into lockdown. We’re pretty sure their files contain details of every other gang and organisation that they’ve been in contact, as well as the composition of the drugs that they’ve been distributing. If that kind of information gets into the wrong hands it could turn nasty.”

Elena nodded again and hoped that Bosley couldn’t see her nerves. This was sounding more and more like the quarry, where Elena had had to fight off a thug before she’d had any training other than a few classes of Krav Maga.

“Why do you need both Elena and I in the warehouse?” Sabina asked. “I could get the files while I’m in and that way Elena can go straight to the security building.”

“Because I don’t want any one of you in there on your own,” Bosley explained. “This way you can be our eyes and ears within the warehouse. Keep them away from Elena so she has time to retrieve the information we need. If they get even a sniff that something is going on they could hit the kill-switch and lock down the whole warehouse. Which is far from ideal.”

“Gotcha,” Sabina nodded, her attention still mainly on her breakfast. Elena could see Jane flicking toast crumbs at Sabina across the table and wondered how they could both seem so relaxed when Elena was silently freaking out at how much this mission reminded her of Istanbul.

Things hadn’t exactly gone to plan at the quarry, even if Elena had been able to control the majority of their security systems between fighting off someone twice her size and with very little background training. Before Elena had managed to tranq herself…

“Elena, once you’re done in the control room you’ll meet up with Sabina and head to the secondary security building out the back,” Bosley explained. “From there you’ll be able to access their entire security procedures and override the systems to keep every door locked open. We’ll then be free to get in the warehouse and bring the remaining dealers down.”

“And we definitely can’t do that from inside the warehouse?” Jane asked.

“Not from the balcony, no,” Bosley shook her head. “There’s probably something within the office on the ground floor but it’s too risky to try getting in there while the dealers are still in the building. We need to be able to collect the information we need and then hack into he security systems without them knowing. The first they should know we’re there is when everything is locked open and we’re at the shutter doors, ready to shoot first.”

“What happened to ‘don’t kill them’?” Sabina smirked and Bosley rolled her eyes.

“I’m hoping we won’t have to actually shoot them,” Bosley stated. “But you know what I mean. We’ll have the upper hand because they won’t be expecting us. I don’t want to act until we have everything we need and we’re fully prepared to bring them in without serious injury. You can punch them in the face if you like, just no bullet holes please.”

Jane and Sabina smirked again at Bosley’s statement.

“Ok,” Elena spoke quietly before clearing her throat and nodding. “Sounds good.”

“Great,” Bosley smiled, pushing herself from the worktop. “Finish your breakfast and meet Saint in the closet to gear up. We’ll leave around noon.”

~*~*~*~*~

Elena sat in the back of the minivan opposite Jane and Sabina who were both flicking through photos on Sabina’s phone and laughing at the content, their heads close together and looking just as relaxed as they always did before a mission. Elena on the other hand was trying hard not to let them see the trembling of her hands which she had balled into fists and hidden inside her pockets.

Both Sabina and Elena had opted for a casual look for this mission, just in case they were spotted by any one of the men within the warehouse. They needed a plausible reason to be in the area, but apparently Sabina had all that sorted. It was Sabina who had instructed Elena to wear a comfy jacket and a pair of jeans, her bullet proof tank top discretely hidden underneath a loose t-shirt. Sabina herself had changed into a bomber jacket over a loose shirt and a tank top, which she had tucked into a pair of cropped, ripped jeans and paired with her usual sneakers. Elena thought they both looked completely unsuspecting.

Jane on the other hand wore a pair of black sports legging, a black fitted top with capped sleeves and a belt which held many different weapons. None of which were obscured like Sabina and Elena’s. Jane didn’t need to worry about hiding her firearm, not when she would only be entering the warehouse once the security systems had been successfully overridden. Elena couldn’t help but notice how very similar Jane’s outfit was to Istanbul and swallowed hard at another reminder.

Even now, ten months after graduating as an Angel, these kinds of missions had her on edge. Elena knew she’d be fine once inside the control room, no matter what kind of tech she’d be faced with, but it was the other stuff that had her worried. It was the thought of having to use the gun that was secured to her belt or becoming involved in a punch up with the guys they were hoping to avoid that made her heart race that little bit quicker.

She wished that she could be more like Jane and Sabina, or even like the other Angels that had been involved in this mission over the past few months. Although Rhiannon was travelling with Bosley 211 in a separate van (so they’d have enough room to escort all the drug dealers to the police station once they had been restrained), Elena couldn’t help but picture her as being as calm and unfazed as her teammates.

Elena felt as if she was the only one even remotely freaking out right now.

“Do you remember that night?” Sabina turned her phone around to show Elena a photo of Saint wearing a very large sombrero that they had somehow managed to bring back from a mission after convincing Bosley it was evidence. “He hated that thing, but he looked cute.”

“I wonder why he hated it,” Jane raised a sarcastic eyebrow but Sabina only shrugged and flicked to a new photo.

Elena gave them a quick smile, trying hard to hide her apprehension. But Jane seemed to notice.

“You ok?” She asked and Elena nodded quickly.

“Yeah,” she smiled. “I’m fine. Just thinking through the next steps.”

“Don’t overthink it,” Sabina looked up and frowned. “Missions rarely go the way they’re planned, you know that. But it’s ok, we’re trained to think on our feet and have each others backs. That’s all that matters, right?”

Sabina looked from Elena to Jane and back again.

“Even if some people do like to leave it until the last second before rescuing you,” Sabina added with a smirk in Jane’s direction and Elena knew for a fact that she was referring to the stone crusher at the quarry in Istanbul.

“Were you crushed?” Jane asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Not the point.”

“Well it is,” Jane frowned playfully. “I was perfectly on time, you were just being dramatic.”

“You do remember what happened to the guy two seconds after you saved me?” Sabina asked animatedly. “The one that was turned into mince meat.”

“You’re disgusting,” Jane groaned.

Elena looked away and tried not to think about that part of Istanbul. It had been Elena’s name that Sabina had called out over their comms, even though they had only met a few days previously and Elena wasn’t yet an Angel. It had been Elena she had pleaded with for help while Sabina was hanging inches from certain death. And all Elena had been able to do was shout for Jane and hope that she’d get there in time.

Elena couldn’t help but wonder if she’d do the same thing now; wait for Jane to save the day.

Bosley pulled the van to the side of the road and Elena glanced out the darkened windows. She could just see the edge of the large field on the opposite side of the warehouse, barely visible behind the tall hedges that separate the road from the buildings on the other side. This wasn’t the kind of place you’d come across by accident, the warehouse itself was fairly far from any other major buildings.

This is where they were to split up; Elena and Sabina were to wait near the warehouse, out of sight, until they received the signal that Jane and Rhiannon had created a suitable distraction. The Bosleys would stay by the vans, ready to retrieve those who fell for said distraction, and would help Jane and Rhiannon to secure the thugs in the back of each vehicle.

There was a single, narrow road that snaked off the main road, past the warehouse and towards the other end of the field where there was an old, disused factory that had clearly been left to ruin. And half way between the warehouse and factory was the pick-up truck, waiting for Jane and Rhiannon to set it alight.

Everything was in place. The truck had been positioned earlier that morning while the warehouse was locked up and empty (to the best of their knowledge), and the risk of anyone driving past while the Bosleys waited by the minivans was minimal. It wasn’t a well used road and even if someone did pass by, nothing would look out of the ordinary given the warehouse was supposedly now used as a garage.

Everyone had their own task. Everyone knew the end goal. It was a simple enough plan and yet Elena couldn’t help but feel uneasy about it all. The mission relied upon so many variables, but what if none of the dealers fell for the distraction or Elena couldn’t get into the systems quick enough or there were more people than they were expecting within the warehouse or…

The door to the van suddenly slid open and Bosley gave them a reassuring smile, Elena trying to ignore her nerves.

“Ready?” She asked, Sabina already jumping out in front of her.

Elena could see the determination in Jane’s eyes that always seemed to appear the second before a mission started; of course Jane was ready. Elena nodded quickly.

“Jane, the truck is positioned in that direction,” Bosley pointed over her shoulder. “Stay out of sight and make sure you take cover before the explosive goes off. It’ll be big enough to do serious damage to the vehicle so I don’t want you or Rhiannon anywhere near it at that point. Please try not to kill anyone, we want them detained only. The police can deal with them after that.”

Jane frowned at the not-so-hidden accusation but nodded anyway.

“Sabina, Elena: try not to be seen, obviously. But if you are then leave the talking to Sabina, she’s more likely to be able to flirt her way out of the situation,” Bosley sounded serious despite the smile on her lips and Sabina again shrugged in agreement. “We need every bit of information you can get from their computer systems but then I need you both out of there. I don’t want you being near these people for longer than you need to be. Not until we know that everything has been shut down. So get what you need then head to the security building, just round the right hand side of the warehouse.”

Elena tried to look towards the security building but couldn’t quite see it from where she was standing.

“Don’t worry Elena,” Bosley seemed to notice. “Bosley 211 and I will be keeping an eye on the other building to make sure no one sneaks past us. But we won’t have eyes on the back door of the warehouse, so both of you be careful in there. You spot something, tell each other.”

“Noted,” Sabina tilted her head. “Wait for the bang, sneak inside, check for the Chevy, get the info we need, move to the other building then let Elena do her magic with security before we storm the place together and bring in the bad guys.”

“Do you have to give a summary every time? You make it sound so simple, as always,” Bosley rolled her eyes. “The important thing is to stay out of sight until we have the warehouse locked open. We know there’s at least nine guys involved, we don’t want to alert any of them to your presence.”

“Stealth mode,” Sabina turned to Elena and winked, which didn’t help the uneasy feeling that had settled in Elena’s stomach.

“Everyone in positions,” Bosley 211’s voice came over their comms and Jane nodded once, giving both Sabina and Elena a tight hug.

Elena could feel Jane’s hand linger on her cheek for a second longer than it usually did.

“Be careful,” she said softly and Elena leant into her touch, feeling her heart rate steady.

“Always,” Sabina answered, slipping her hand in Elena’s and pulling her towards their lookout point at the side of the warehouse, pausing to turn back to Jane. “We need more spicy Doritos for film night tonight, by the way.”

“We got a new bag yesterday!” Jane frowned but Sabina shrugged.

“They disappeared,” she grinned. “Maybe we have mice.”

Jane rolled her eyes and Elena heard her mutter something under her breath while Sabina laughed. And then Jane was sprinting along the edge of the field to join Rhiannon as they headed to the seemingly abandoned truck, Elena wanting nothing more than to follow behind. For them to stay together.

But they were professionals, they were used to splitting up and working with other Angels while on a mission. And Elena still had Sabina at her side, holding her hand tight.

“Why do you look so nervous?” Sabina asked Elena once they’d reached the spot where they were to wait. “I was right earlier, this is just like the quarry in Istanbul. They have a shutter door and everything.”

“Exactly!” Elena squeaked. “And you remember how well that went, don’t you? Hodak took Calisto, you were nearly crushed, I tranqued myself… not exactly the plan we had in mind!”

“That part of the mission actually went smoother than the rest of the evening. Y’know, when English Bosley tried to blow us up,” Sabina shrugged as if that should be enough to finish the conversation. “It wasn’t that bad, we did’t die.”

“Fleming was shot in the head! He died!” Elena couldn’t work out how Sabina sounded so calm.

“Yeah, but he was in way over his head,” Sabina stated with another shrug. “He definitely wasn’t built for this sort of thing. Although it did make me feel a little guilty at sticking his toothbrush down the toilet.”

Elena frowned, ready to ask Sabina what she was talking about, when Bosley sounded over their comms.

“Concentrate ladies. Comms check,” Bosley ran through a list of names, each of them confirming that they could hear her, and Elena noticed Sabina instantly refocus. Their wings were working perfectly and they were all in position.

Elena could feel her fingers tingle with anticipation, her focus entirely on the door of the warehouse as she listened to Jane and Rhiannon discussing where best to place the explosives. Sabina danced at her side, practically jumping on the spot, and Elena knew that she was wanting to move. Patience wasn’t Sabina’s strong point. Or Jane’s, for that matter.

“Ready to go. Cover your ears,” Jane’s voice came over their comms and Elena could imagine the smirk on her lips.

“Jane gets all the fun jobs,” Sabina pouted playfully and a second later they could hear the explosion coming from the pickup truck. Or what was now left of it.

Elena was sure she held her breath for a few seconds, until there was movement within the warehouse and four men appeared at the door. They paused, glanced back within the warehouse, and then all four men headed towards the flames at a run.

“They took the bait, four are headed your way,” Bosley instructed before Elena had the chance.

“We see them,” Jane sounded as composed as she always did on a mission. “We’ll keep them distracted.”

Sabina motioned pressing her hand to the back of her neck and tilted her head to the side as if she’d been knocked out, opening her eyes again to wink at Elena. Elena agreed; Jane would very likely sleepy-neck whichever thug reached her first. He’d be bundled into the back of the van not long after. Elena felt the slightest bit guilty that she wasn’t worried for Jane’s safety.

Jane was more than capable of bringing down a few unsuspecting goons, especially with another Angel by her side.

Elena watched the men from the warehouse as they approached the flames and tried to spot Jane by the truck, but they were too far away and Jane would be staying hidden until the thugs were closer. Jane and Rhiannon had clear instructions to wait until they could bring the men down without making the others suspicious; the last thing they wanted was for the shutter to come down before they’d got near the warehouse.

Rhiannon had been chosen to join this mission because she was the best brawler on her team and well placed to work with Jane. But Elena would still have preferred to be the one at Jane’s side; she really did hate splitting up, even if it was necessary for the mission.

“Come on, we have an opening,” Sabina slipped her hand back in Elena’s and pulled her towards the warehouse, Elena only then noticing that she hadn’t been watching the building. She frowned; she couldn’t let herself get distracted again.

Sabina and Elena covered the short distance to the main opening of the warehouse in seconds, ducking inside with ease and instantly crouching behind a car that had been stripped down to bare metal. The warehouse appeared empty but Elena knew that that was unlikely to be true. There were still five men unaccounted for and they could be anywhere within the large building. She only hoped that none of them were watching from the balcony or they would have seen Elena and Sabina enter.

Going by the lack of noise, Elena was pretty sure no one had noticed their arrival.

Sabina caught Elena’s eye and nodded upwards; they were right next to the stairs that led to the top balcony. This is where they split up again.

Elena gave Sabina’s hand a tight squeeze and turned on her heel, glancing over her shoulder before heading upwards as quietly and quickly as possible. She could still hear voices over their comms and both Bosleys giving instructions, but Elena blocked it out and crouched as low as she could get, moving until she had a good view of the bottom of the warehouse while still being hidden from view.

“Four detained this side,” Jane breathed heavily. “That leaves five unaccounted for, right?”

“Right,” Rhiannon confirmed over their comms. “We’ve seen nine men within the warehouse over the past few weeks.”

“No sign of anyone this side, or by the security building,” Bosley confirmed. “They must still be in the warehouse.”

Elena could see Sabina creep around the cars below but neither of them said anything. Elena couldn’t help but glance over her shoulder every few minutes, convinced that there was someone behind her, but there was nowhere for someone to hide on the balcony; she’d be able to hear them approach if they were near by. Or so she hoped.

There was a movement from the other end of the warehouse and Elena sat up slightly to get a better view. There were two men within the office opposite the shutter door, both of them seemingly distracted by something on one of the computer screens. Elena hoped that it wasn’t something to do with the security cameras that could have picked up their arrival, but judging by the fact that neither of them were searching the warehouse Elena took it as a good sign that they were looking at something unrelated.

Regardless of what was on the screen no one had moved near Sabina, and that’s all that mattered. Elena could keep watch of both her teammate and the men within office from her position on the balcony. She’s find the computer systems once she knew Sabina was safe.

“Can you see anything in there?” Jane’s voice sounded over their comms and Elena jumped slightly. She hadn’t realised how focused she had been on watching Sabina search the ground floor for the Chevy.

It felt strange knowing that Jane was outside; so close to them both but feeling so far away. Elena would much rather be able to see Jane too right now but she knew that her teammate’s skills were better placed outside the warehouse. No one could fight quite like Jane Kano. Her job was to lead the team inside and kick the dealers’ asses once Elena and Sabina had finished with their first part of the mission.

Elena knew for a fact that Jane would have enjoyed beating up the thugs that had been distracted by the exploding truck. It was her favourite part of any mission; Elena had learnt that about Jane very early on.

“Eyes on two,” Elena spoke as quietly as possible, scanning the warehouse below. “Make that three, there’s another by the door.”

Another of the dealers had appeared from a room near the front of the building and leant lazily against the side of the large open door, yawning as he stretched out his arms.

“Hey boss, d’you want me to go check that out too?” He pointed his thumb through the door. “The others aren’t back yet.”

“No, Frankie,” the larger of the two guys stepped out of the office with a scowl between his eyes. “Stay where you are. I need at least one of you doing some proper work today, leave the others. They’re wasting time with kids mucking around.”

“Fine,” the younger guy sighed and Elena was sure she could see him roll his eyes as he muttered under his breath and headed towards one of the cars.

Sabina spotted him before Elena could warn her, moving around the side of another car and staying out of sight. But it was clear that Frankie was trying to make himself look busy, not once glancing in Sabina’s direction.

Elena scanned the warehouse again looking for any vehicle that could match Bosley’s description, when Sabina’s voice sounded over their comms.

“I see the car,” Sabina whispered yet Elena heard it clearly. “Boz, what’s the plate?”

Bosley confirmed the same number they had discussed earlier that day and Elena could see Sabina move closer to a dark green Chevy.

“It matches, give me a minute,” Sabina reached the back of the car and Elena watched as she moved her hand under the license plate. It was a few seconds before she spoke again. “Ok, I have the tracker. I’ll keep watch down here to make sure no one heads to the balcony.”

“Great! Elena, you’re up,” Bosley sounded relieved. “How’s it looking from where you are? Have you found the control room.”

“There’s one guy near the shutter and two in the office, but none of them seem concerned that the others haven’t returned yet,” Elena explained, glancing from one side of the room to the other to make sure she could still see everyone. “The control room is open, I should be able to get what we need as long as they don’t shut me out the systems. The last thing I want is to alert them that we’re here.”

“The security building still looks empty but that’s only an observation,” Bosley 211 stated. “There might be someone inside but I can’t confirm from this distance. There’s been no movement so all looks good from out here, but that means there’s potentially two others unaccounted for.”

“Jane, go check the security building,” Bosley instructed. “I want to make sure it’s empty before we continue. If there’s someone inside they could shut us in, or out, in seconds.”

“Got it,” Jane responded and Elena took a breath. It wasn’t that she didn’t trust Bosley 211’s judgement but Jane would make sure the building was clear. It was another of Jane’s strong points; she wouldn’t leave until she was certain there was no threat.

“Elena, you focus on the computer systems and Sabina, keep a look out without being seen,” Bosley continued and Elena refocused, moving quickly along the corridor until she reached the control room.

She stepped inside and instantly froze, before slowly backing out the room as quietly as possible and pressing her back to the wall in the corridor, her heart thumping in her chest.

“Eh, guys,” she whispered. “I found another of the dealers. He’s in the control room.”

“Do you need backup?” Sabina asked immediately and Elena swallowed, peering round the side of the door to get another look. The thug was sat in a chair in front of the computer screen, one elbow resting on the table in front of him and with his head propped on top.

“Not yet,” Elena answered as she tried to remember as much of her training as she could, quietly stepping back inside. She was an Angel, she could be brave. She didn’t need help, not yet at least.

Elena focused hard, her eyes darting round the room in search of something that could help without the need to take out her gun, when she suddenly realised the thug’s head rested heavily on his hand. She paused and the sound of steady, rhythmic breathing seemed to fill the room.

“He’s asleep,” Elena smirked and sighed in relief. She was sure she could hear Sabina stifle a laugh.

“Sleepy neck time then!” Jane sounded excited and Elena could tell that she was currently running towards the security building by the way her voice sounded.

Elena took a breath to compose herself and moved to stand behind the computer chair, her hand on the thugs neck within seconds. She pushed hard as his eyes flew open, just for a moment, then he slumped over in his chair. He was out cold. Elena managed to catch him before he could fall, shoving him backwards so he was slumped in the chair and there was no risk he was going to fall and make a noise. She smiled as she realised how steady her hands were. Jane would be proud; she had been the one to teach Elena how to successfully perform that move after all.

“Night night,” Elena smirked and could hear Jane laugh.

“Well done, Elena,” Jane did sound genuinely proud and Elena couldn’t help but smile.

Elena turned to the fancy computer on the desk and pulled out her Townsend issued USB drive, bypassing the many passwords within seconds and watching as the folders began to download. The number of files remaining seemed to decrease slower than they ever had done before, Elena’s heart racing at the thought of Sabina within the warehouse and Jane preoccupied outside, but she forced herself to remain calm. Not freaking out was something she had been working on over the past ten months; she had to trust herself.

“Elena?” Bosley asked at the same time the file transfer finished and Elena grabbed the USB, pushing it into her pocket.

“Done,” she answered quickly.

“Good,” Bosley sighed in relief. “Can you get out without being seen?”

Elena left the control room without a backwards glance at the thug slumped in his chair and instantly ducked down again, peering into the warehouse below. She could see Sabina crouching behind a truck, her attention on the stairs that led up to the balcony. Clearly she had been watching to make sure Elena wasn’t found.

“Not yet,” Elena confirmed. “We’ll need to wait for the younger guy to move. Maybe I can create a distraction from up here?”

“Like what?” Sabina whispered. “Do you need ideas?”

“We’ve had enough of your ideas, Sabina. Stay where you are,” Bosley warned.

“You’re so boring,” muttered Sabina and Elena couldn’t help but smirk.

Bosley seemed to ignore Sabina and address Elena only.

“What were you thinking, Elena?”

Elena paused as she thought about it properly before quickly admitting defeat.

“I don’t know,” she sighed. “I could make a noise from up here, enough to draw them away.”

“Bad idea,” Sabina added quickly. “If they go up the stairs from both sides then you’re stuck. You need a guaranteed escape route first.”

Sabina was right and Elena hated it. She had a sudden urge to get out of there, and fast.

“Just sit it out for a few minutes. Get ready to move when the door is clear,” Bosley instructed.

“The security building is definitely empty,” Jane sounded over their comms. “The building is locked up but there’s no one inside. We could cause another distraction out here, maybe draw a few more out?”

“Also a bad idea,” Sabina stated. “They could suspect something was going on and close the shutters. Then you’re all locked out.”

“And you’re locked in,” Jane sighed and Elena felt her heartbeat rise. “Plus we now know that there’s one missing, he could be anywhere.”

Elena hadn’t thought of that. What if the dealers closed the shutters before they could escape? Would they be able to over-ride the security systems to get them back open before they were found?

“Stay quiet and move towards the exit,” Bosley sounded calm and yet Elena knew she would be worried about the very same thing. “Stay together. You’ll know when to move.”

Elena nodded despite the fact that no one could see her and stayed crouched low, moving as quickly as she could towards the stairs. Not being able to see Sabina made Elena’s hands tremble and so she stopped at the top of the stairs to glance over the balcony to make sure she was still ok. It was as she was moving back towards Sabina that Frankie, the younger guy who had been hanging around by the shutter door, suddenly looked upwards and Elena quickly ducked down, obscuring herself from anyone on the bottom level.

“Hey, did you see that?” Frankie asked loudly and Elena squeezed her eyes shut in frustration.

This wasn’t part of the plan.

“See what?” Someone asked from the office.

“On the balcony. Is Tony up there?”

“Probably,” the second voice didn’t seem overly bothered that there could be someone else within the building. “Go check if you’re that concerned.”

“It’s probably Tony,” Frankie repeated but Elena could hear footsteps from below and knew that he was moving closer.

Elena could feel her heart racing and forced herself to take a breath. She was trained for this. She could hold her position. She just needed to get out of the building so she could disarm their security systems before they shut everything down. But even if the Angels got out without being seen, if Frankie found the thug who was currently out cold at his computer desk he’d raise the alarm and the whole building would be locked up in no time. The Agency now had the information they needed (between Sabina’s tracker and Elena’s USB), but they still had to detain the dealers left within the warehouse.

If they were shut in, they’d have far too much time to prepare before the doors were reopened. And Elena doubted very much that the dealers would be unarmed; the last thing they wanted was a potential gunfight within the warehouse.

Elena closed her eyes again and prepared for the footsteps to find her, and then shot them back open again at the sound of metal clanging across the hard ground from below. She quickly moved to peer through the small space in the balcony and could see Sabina move around the other side of the car she had been hiding behind. It looked like she had thrown a spanner across the room, creating the distraction that Elena had been trying to think of.

“What’s going on?” The voice from the office asked and Elena felt herself hold her breath. Even Bosley was remaining silent.

“I don’t know, do I?” Frankie responded, Elena noticing that he was no longer heading towards the stairs. “Where the hell have the others got to, I don’t want to be loading all this stuff on my own.”

“You’re just pissed that you didn’t go with them,” one of the men stepped out of the office to speak to Frankie properly.

Frankie shrugged.

“The boss knows it’s me that’s the grafter, I’ve loaded at least eighty percent of these cars.”

“Sure you have,” the other guy laughed. “Hey boss, Frankie here thinks he runs the show!”

“That’s not what I said!” Frankie protested loudly.

Elena took the opportunity to move to the very top of the stairs while they argued and could see Sabina move closer to the bottom of them, waiting for Elena.

“Shut up, both of you,” the other large thug appeared from within the office and Elena could tell instantly that he was the one they had referred to as ‘boss’. The deep frown line across his forehead only seemed to be accentuated by the sharp strobe lights that lined the edges of the warehouse.

The large thug looked at both the men in front of him and slowly scanned the room before moving to press a button on the wall outside the office. The heavy shutter door began to close, only stopping when there was just enough room for the largest of the dealers to duck under.

“We should go in now, Boz! Before they close it completely,” Jane’s voice sounded over their comms.

“No,” Bosley stated. “We don’t want anyone else in there until the systems have been overridden and locked open. Rhiannon, leave Jane to check how Bosley 211 is doing with the others and get into the security building, now. Don’t let them lock the warehouse down.”

“But-” Jane began to protest.

“Hold your positions!”

Elena took a deep breath and inched a little closer to the stairs; she was pretty sure she could make her way back down without being seen, given the angle of the stairs in comparison to the office. But before Elena could move any further the first guy to leave the office headed towards the shutters, ducking down to peer underneath.

“The lazy sods haven’t come back yet,” he stood back up and shook his head. “The truck’s still on fire, who knows what they’re doing over there. Frankie, go give one of them a call. Tell them to stop messing around and get back to work.”

Frankie nodded and headed back towards the stairs at the other end of the balcony to where Elena was crouched. Elena watched him move closer and then as Sabina noticed the same thing, feeling her heartbeat triple in speed when Sabina stepped out just slightly from behind one of the cars.

The thug by the shutter noticed almost immediately, holding out a hand in Sabina’s direction.

“Hey, what are you doing in here?!”

Shit.

Shit, shit, shit.

This wasn’t supposed to be happening. They had known there was a possibility of being caught before they’d even arrived at the warehouse but had hoped it wouldn’t happen. Although Elena was pretty sure that Sabina had just done so on purpose to stop Frankie from moving to the balcony!

“Oh, hey,” Sabina grinned wide, turning to greet the man in front of her. Elena couldn’t help but notice how small she looked in comparison and wanted to run down from the top of the balcony to stand between them both. Not that she was any taller.

“Stay where you are, Elena,” Bosley warned, as if she had read her mind.

“I was sent here by a friend of mine,” Sabina continued, voice holding no sign of fear as she kept eye contact with the target. “I need a new car after mine had a very close encounter with a tree, and apparently you guys have some cheap ones for sale.”

“We don’t.”

“Oh,” Sabina nodded with a twitch of her head. “Well, would you be able to take a look at mine for me and let me know whether it’s repairable? It wasn’t a big tree, maybe you’d be able to straighten out it’s front end or something. Don’t worry, it isn’t the one on fire out there, that one looks like a write off.”

Sabina laughed, pointing towards the exit, but the guy in front of her didn’t move.

“You shouldn’t be here,” he spoke instead and Elena could see the older thug move closer, Frankie just behind him. There were now three of them stood between Sabina and the exit.

“Look, I didn’t mean to intrude on- whatever this is,” Sabina waved her hands in front of her, moving just slightly so that she drew everyone’s attention away from the door and giving Elena enough time to escape without being caught. “My friend said you were a garage and I just assumed- what with all the cars-”

“We’re not,” Frankie spoke and received a glare from both the other two men.

Elena felt her heart hammering within her chest but didn’t know what to do. She could probably get to the bottom of the stairs without being seen, and even if they did see her she’d definitely be able to get out the warehouse. If Elena stayed then there was a very real risk that the dealers would fully close the doors and they’d both be stuck inside until Jane or Rhiannon or one of the Bosleys managed to override the systems. Unless Elena could do so from the inside the warehouse while Sabina kept the thugs distracted. The office was right there…

But if Elena got out now she could head straight for the security building; she would undoubtedly be the quickest at hacking into their systems. Although that would mean leaving Sabina behind. And there was no way she was going to do that.

Sabina held up her hands and slowly stepped to the side, edging even further away from the shutter door. All three men seemed to turn with her without even realising. Elena watched her closely and could see her eyes flick up in her direction, only briefly, before she looked towards the door and back to the men in front of her.

It was subtle. So subtle that without training Elena was pretty sure she would have missed it. But Sabina had definitely moved to give Elena a better chance of being able to escape without being seen. Or at least to get outside before they noticed there had been someone else in the building.

“Bee, no. Not without you,” Elena whispered, suddenly realising that both Jane and Bosley were likely to have understood what she meant too.

“I’ve obviously got the wrong end of the stick,” Sabina laughed again, the nervousness now evident in her voice. “I’ll just go and leave you to it.”

Sabina nodded towards the door, a quick glance back at Elena, and Elena was suddenly rooted to the spot. She didn’t know what to do! She couldn’t leave without Sabina and yet if they let Sabina go then Elena would be left behind and she was needed outside.

“Ladies, what’s happening?” Bosley asked but Elena was unable to answer for fear of being overheard.

“Do you need backup?” Jane added quickly. “We’re by the vans, we can be there in less than thirty seconds.”

“Hold your position, Jane,” Bosley warned. “We don’t want to cause a scene if there’s a chance we can walk away from this without confrontation.”

Elena opened her mouth to say yes, they did need backup, but was unable to speak before the large thug stood in front of Sabina laughed loudly.

“Do you think we’re stupid?” The ‘boss’ asked and Elena could see Sabina frown. “Do you think we haven’t seen your lot hanging around here for days?”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” Sabina shrugged. “I was only looking to get my car fixed, but I’ve obviously gone to the wrong garage.”

“And why would we trust an Angel like you?” The boss asked, emphasising the word ‘Angel’, and Elena felt her legs go numb. How did he know?!

“Shit,” Elena could hear Bosley mutter over their comms. “Get out of there, now!”

“Sabina?” Jane spoke at the same time as Elena, Elena’s hands now shaking so violently she had to ball them into fists.

Everything seemed to happen at once and before Elena had time to react. It was as if she was sat on the balcony just to watch, unable to move as the events played out in front of her. Sabina moved a fraction of a second faster than the men in front of her but it didn’t seem to make any difference.

Three gunshots rang out through the warehouse in quick succession, the sound reverberating off the corrugated steel that lined the roof and sending a piercing shriek through Elena’s eardrums.

Three shots. Each of them hitting their target.

But they hadn’t come from Sabina’s gun which she had managed to grab from her back pocket, they were from the fifth guy’s weapon. The thug they had been unable to find until right now as he seemed to appear from the shadows at the bottom of the staircase. Each of his bullets had been aimed at Sabina and every single one of them had made contact, knocking her back a step with each impact before she fell heavy to the ground.

But Sabina had her vest on, Elena thought. She would be ok. She had to be. She was probably just winded, it wouldn’t be the first time Sabina had received a bruise from a stray bullet. They hurt, a lot, but bruises would heal.

Elena was still trying to process what had happened when she heard the new sound echo through the warehouse and watched as the shutter doors hit the ground with a loud thud. The dealers were gone. Every one of them.

Which meant that Elena and Sabina were now locked inside until someone could override the security systems within the other building.

The noise that erupted over their Townsend comms was deafening, Bosley shouting orders as the men that had just escaped the warehouse were jumped on by Jane, Rhiannon and both Bosleys, their shouts audible through the walls of the building. But Elena wasn’t focused on any of that. All she could hear over her comms was the unmistakable sound of someone gasping for air, their chest shaking as they held back a scream.

Sabina.

Elena took the stairs down to the bottom floor at a run, her feet almost tripping her up as she went, and fell clumsily to the ground next to Sabina who was staring at the ceiling as she tried to take a proper breath, each one seeming to get stuck in her chest. Her muscles were tense, jaw set and teeth clenched as she tried not to cry out. Or maybe she wasn’t able to.

Elena wanted to cry. She wanted to shout for help and run to find Jane, but all the could do was take Sabina’s hand and push her hair from in front of her eyes, tilting Sabina’s head in a desperate attempt to get her teammate to look at her.

“Sabina, focus on me,” Elena spoke quickly, resting her hand on Sabina’s chest which seemed to judder as Sabina gasped, her eyes wide. “Come on baby, look at me. Please.”

Sabina blinked and seemed to hold her breath before gasping again, clearly in pain.

“Breathe with me, Bina,” Elena cupped Sabina’s cheek and leant over to look into her eyes as best she could. “In and out, nice and steady. In… and out. That’s it.”

Sabina followed Elena’s instructions until her eyes finally came into focus, fixing on Elena’s with an intensity she hadn’t ever seen before.

“That’s it. You’re going to be ok, Bee,” Elena heard her voice wobble and swallowed hard. “Let me check what’s going on.”

Sabina was shaking, hard, her expression unreadable even though she nodded slowly and let Elena unzip her jacket.

All three bullets had made contact, Elena had watched it happen, one of them landing directly on Sabina’s chest. Elena replaced her hand over the mark on Sabina’s shirt that indicated exactly where the bullet had made contact and tried not to think of the considerable bruising that would already be growing underneath. Sabina was winded, badly, which is why she was struggling to fill her lungs, but the only thing Elena could do to make it any better was try to keep Sabina calm.

Elena had been winded before; during a mission only a few months ago when she hadn’t moved quick enough to avoid a kick to the stomach from an annoyed thug. It ‘hurt like a bitch’ as Sabina put it, especially soon after it had happened when the ache felt like being hit by a truck, but even then Elena hadn’t felt how Sabina looked right now. Something else was going on to cause the fear in Sabina’s eyes.

“Ssh, you’re ok,” Elena continued to sooth her teammate as she tried to block out the noise from outside the warehouse. She didn’t want to think about what was going on; it was currently two Angels and two Bosleys against five potentially armed thugs. And at least one of them had a gun, less three bullets! Not to mention the other four men that had already been detained within the vans that were likely to be kicking off by now.

Elena swallowed hard and pushed the thought from her mind, before a sudden realisation made he shiver. There weren’t five dealers outside, there were only four. The fifth thug was still upstairs, slumped at his computer desk. And there was a very real possibility that he could wake up before backup arrived if Elena hadn’t sleepy-necked him properly.

But Elena would have to deal with that if it happened, there was no point in worrying about him right now. She had far more important things to think about.

Elena removed her hand from Sabina’s chest and only then noticed that the bottom of her loose shirt had turned red, the dark stain seeming to creep upwards. Elena felt the urge to throw up settle in her stomach almost immediately and forced herself to take a deep breath, clearing her head as best she could. She had to be brave, for Sabina. She had to keep it together. But Elena could feel her lip wobble nearly as much as her hands when she realised that the ground by Sabina’s hip was also turning a deep red.

Without thinking any further, Elena bit her lip to stop her tears and ripped at Sabina’s shirt, letting out a sigh of relief at the sight of the white bulletproof vest underneath. Elena had known that Sabina was wearing it - the fact that she was still alive was evidence enough that there had been something to stop the bullet to her chest from doing too much damage - but it was reassuring to see the vest doing its job all the same.

There was still far too much blood for Elena’s liking, but the first bullet wasn’t going to kill Sabina. Whatever had caused the damage would likely be survivable if backup arrived quick enough, or so she hoped. They had a little more time than Elena had first thought.

“You’re ok,” Elena tried to sound as convincing as possible, glancing back at Sabina before trying to work out where the blood was coming from. She could see the bottom of Sabina’s vest growing darker and ran her hand down Sabina’s stomach, pulling away her tank top and wincing slightly.

The second bullet had missed Sabina’s vest by only a few inches, an ugly entry point on her abdomen the obvious cause of the blood that continued to run down the side of Sabina’s body and on to the hard ground. Elena pressed the heel of her hand to the wound without pausing and could hear Sabina whimper, the sound making Elena’s lip wobble as she held back her own tears.

“I’m sorry,” Elena caught her breath and reached up with her other hand to run her thumb along Sabina’s cheek. “We need to slow the bleeding, I’m sorry.”

Sabina nodded again but still didn’t say anything, which only worried Elena further. Sabina wasn’t known for ever staying quiet. It was then that Elena realised there was blood beginning to pool on Sabina’s collarbone and run down the back of her neck, Elena pulling aside Sabina’s jacket further and to see exactly where the third bullet had landed, the entry wound visible just below Sabina’s collarbone.

Elena bit her lip again and pressed her other hand to the second wound, pushing as hard as she dared and trying not to focus on the audible cry that left Sabina’s lips as she breathed through her nose, brow furrowed in an obvious attempt not to sob.

“Ladies, what’s going on? I heard gunshots,” Bosley sounded almost frantic and Elena was sure that she herself would sound the same if was able could speak.

Elena swallowed hard and focused on steadying her rapid heartbeat, glancing at Sabina again in the hopes that she’d give Bosley an answer instead. But Sabina remained silent, her jaw tense and her arms trembling as she stared upwards. Elena was going to have to speak, there was no one else to take charge right now.

“Yeah,” Elena managed eventually. “Yeah, three shots. Boz, we need backup in here. Now.”

“We’re working on it,” Bosley stated and Elena glanced at the separate door to the side of the building as if hoping it would suddenly open instead, but she knew without trying that it would be just as securely locked as the shutter doors. The warehouse was fully locked down until someone could override the security systems, and that person was supposed to have been Elena.

“Elena, talk to me,” Bosley ordered, her voice measured but holding a hint of worry.

“Sabina’s been hit,” Elena forced the words from her mouth at the same time she pressed her hand harder to Sabina’s abdomen, the blood beginning to run through her fingers.

This time Sabina let out a sob of pain and turned her head away, her arms continuing to tremble at her sides.

“I’m sorry,” Elena stuttered again, wanting to reach over to sooth Sabina but not daring to move her hands. “I’m really, really sorry.”

Sabina shook her head and breathed out slow.

“S’fine,” Sabina winced as she tried to move and Elena shoved her down again. “It’s not as bad as it looks.”

“It looks pretty fucking bad, Sabina,” Elena answered with a frown, watching for any sign that Sabina was going to try to move again.

To Elena’s amazement, Sabina laughed.

“Elena said a bad word,” Sabina tried to give Elena a smile but it quickly fell from her lips as her eyes squeezed shut and she held her breath, her muscles tightening as she tried not to cry out in pain.

“I’ll cuss when the time is right, and this seems more than appropriate,” Elena glanced from one hand to the other and noticed that there was much more blood coming from Sabina’s abdomen than her shoulder.

“How many bullets made contact?” Bosley’s voice was strained.

“All of them,” Elena answered, hating her response.

“Shit,” Bosley hissed. “How bad, Elena?”

“M’fine,” Sabina mumbled but Elena ignored her, noticing the way Sabina’s jaw trembled and her eyebrows furrowed against the pain. Elena was pretty sure that Sabina’s breathing had quickened in the last few minutes but tried not to think about what that could mean. Her priority right now was to slow the bleeding and keep Sabina awake until they could get the doors open.

“Two missed her vest,” Elena explained as she rolled up Sabina’s top further so she could press both her hands to the wound on her abdomen. Her collarbone was going to have to wait, there was far too much blood pooling by Sabina’s hip to worry about both entry points. “One hit her collarbone and the other her abdomen. Just below the vest.”

“I’m going to make you wear a bulletproof bodysuit soon, Sabina!” Bosley spoke over their comms but Sabina only gave a weak smile in response. No witty comeback. Elena suddenly felt her heart rate rise even further.

“Boz, how are we going to get the doors open?” Elena asked, glancing around the warehouse as if expecting one of the doors to magically unlock.

She was supposed to be in the other building, shutting the security systems down so the doors stayed open! Not stuck on the wrong side of the shutters, watching her teammate bleed out in front of her.

“The targets are currently being secured in the vans but Rhiannon is working on overriding the systems,” Bosley explained. “It took a little longer than expected to get into the security building but we’ll get to you soon.”

Elena felt her lip wobble and wanted to disappear. To curl up in a ball and wake up when everything was over.

“But we need out now!” She cried, feeling instantly guilty and swallowing back a sob. “Boz, we don’t have much time.”

Elena dropped her voice to a whisper but didn’t know why; Sabina looked too out of it to register what the words meant, if she had heard them at all, and everyone else would have heard clearly over their comms. Including Jane, who Elena knew would be following orders on the other side of the door and hating every minute of it. She’d want to be in the warehouse with her teammates. Elena wanted that too.

“I know,” Bosley agreed and Elena was sure that she heard a wobble to her voice. “You’re doing great, Elena. We’ll be there as soon as we can.”

“How much experience does Rhiannon have in hacking into a system like this?” Elena couldn’t help but ask, knowing Rhiannon would have heard the question too. Elena didn’t care.

“She’s had the same Angel training as you three,” Bosley tried to sound positive. “If Sabina can work out the combination to Saint’s safe then I’m sure Rhiannon will be able to get to you soon.”

“Saint’s predictable,” Sabina smiled, her eyes growing heavy, and Elena pressed a little harder on her abdomen, Sabina frowning as she did so.

“That he is, Angel,” Bosley agreed before sighing. Elena was pretty sure Bosley would also have heard the slur in Sabina’s voice. “Elena, there’ll be an override somewhere in the warehouse too, probably in the office. In case there was ever a situation where someone was locked inside and no one was at the separate security building.”

“I could check,” Elena glanced over her shoulder. She knew exactly where the office was. “The office is empty now, obviously. Would it be quicker?”

“I don’t know,” Bosley admitted. “It depends on how clear the override is and if you can hack into it without any Agency devices. It’s likely to be heavily encrypted.”

Elena knew she could do it, but manually would take time they didn’t have. She bit her lip and looked down at Sabina, at her own hands pressed to the wound on Sabina’s stomach and the way Sabina’s eyes kept drifting closed before she forced them open again. Elena couldn’t leave her, and yet it could be their only chance of getting out before it was too late.

“Bee, I’ll be two minutes, ok? I’ll be right back,” Elena tried to sound soothing but knew that Sabina didn’t need to be a master grifter to be able to tell that Elena was terrified.

“No,” Sabina shook her head, grabbing Elena’s wrist. “Stay. Please. Don’t leave me.”

“I’ll be minutes, that’s all,” Elena tried to reason. She lifted her hands from Sabina’s stomach, only slightly, before pushing them back down harder as the blood instantly began to run down Sabina’s torso and onto the hard ground that continued to grow darker.

That was too much blood to leave Sabina on her own. She couldn’t risk it.

“Please,” Sabina whispered, her bottom lip trembling, and Elena nodded quickly.

“It’s ok, I’m not going anywhere. I promise,” Elena looked back to Sabina and moved a hand long enough to squeeze Sabina’s, before replacing it again. “Boz, it’s a no-go. The door’s going to have to be opened from out there. If I move my hands she’ll bleed out before I’m back.”

“Elena? How bad is it, what can we do to help?” Jane’s voice came fast over the comms and Elena again wanted to cry; she needed Jane next to her, not on the other side of the door.

“I don’t know,” Elena trembled, not sure what question she was answering. “Jane- I’m sorry. This wasn’t meant to happen.”

“Hey, stop,” Jane sounded her usual to-the-point self. “This wasn’t your fault. You’re doing great, right Sabina?”

“Right,” Sabina answered, turning her head slightly to look at Elena properly. “Our girlfriend is the best.”

There was a beat of silence, Elena completely lost for words, before Jane responded.

“She definitely is,” Jane agreed. “She’s the best. So listen to her while you’re in there, ok? Because I think Boz is ready to kick your ass for making her worry about you again.”

“Too right I am!” Bosley added. Sabina smiled weakly, eyes still heavy, before they squeezed shut and her muscles tensed, her chest shaking as well as her arms as Sabina’s whole body fought against the pain.

“Sabina!” Elena didn’t mean to raise her voice but she couldn’t help it. She needed Sabina to keep her eyes open. It was a few seconds later that Sabina’s jaw stopped shaking and her head rolled to the side, her breathing heavy but her eyes fluttering open again.

Elena glanced down at her hands and the blood that was still seeping through her fingers. She needed something to slow down the bleeding but there was nothing available! Not close enough for Elena to reach anyway, and she wasn’t leaving Sabina’s side.

“What do I do, what do I do?” Elena stuttered, trying to think back over her training and the instructions given by the many Bosleys. All Angels were medically trained, but it was just the basics. How to splint a broken wrist and apply a tourniquet. Basics for Agency standards; there was no lesson on how to stop your teammate from bleeding out in front of you.

Elena felt her heart rate quicken and tried to calm down. Sabina needed her to be calm. Her teammate was counting on her… or had Sabina been right? Were they still just teammates? Because Sabina had definitely used the word girlfriend. Had she meant it in that way or was it just the blood-loss making her confused?

Elena shook her head; she couldn’t think about that right now. Not when there was so much blood…

“Elena?” Sabina frowned, her name escaping Sabina’s lips as a mumble..

“Ssh, don’t speak. You’re going to be ok, just stay still,” Elena wanted to take Sabina’s hand but still didn’t dare to move her own.

“Elena!” Sabina sounded adamant. Elena looked up, trying to block out the sound of Jane and Bosley’s voices from over their comms. She needed them in the warehouse, she needed backup!

Elena paused long enough for Sabina to notice her lip tremble, reaching up to place a hand on Elena’s cheek and leaving behind a smudge of blood when it then fell back to the ground. Elena swallowed a lump in her throat and pressed her hands harder to Sabina’s abdomen.

The fact that Sabina barely registered worried Elena more than anything else.

“You need to breathe,” Sabina blinked. “It’s going to be ok.”

“How can you say that right now?!” Elena asked incredulously, her voice pitched higher than usual.

“Because you’re here,” Sabina smiled, her eyes locking with Elena’s. “And you always make things better. Just by being there.”

Elena wanted to argue but didn’t have the energy to do so. She was exhausted and yet the adrenaline running through her veins seemed to make her hyper-alert. Nothing quite made sense; her mind was on overdrive while desperate for sleep.

“You need to take the tracker,” Sabina frowned, evidently trying to stay focused while her muscles tensed and her limps trembled. “From my pocket.”

Sabina made to move but Elena stopped her with a quick “no!”

“Boz needs it,” Sabina gasped at her attempt to move again and groaned. Elena only pushed her hands to Sabina’s abdomen harder.

“That can wait, you can give it to Boz yourself.”

“Elena, please,” Sabina spoke quietly, her eyes finding Elena’s with a pleading look. One that told Elena to stop for a minute and think like an Angel. Elena hated that fact that Sabina was right; they needed the tracker as evidence to make sure none of the guys now detained outside would walk free.

Sabina was wild and unconventional but she was also a bloody good Angel, even when she was clearly compromised.

“Right jacket pocket,” Sabina spoke, leaving Elena no room to argue.

Elena nodded slowly, taking a breath before daring to remove a hand and reaching into Sabina’s pocket. She found the tracker immediately and tucked it into the back pocket of her jeans before replacing her hand to Sabina’s skin.

“That’s my girl,” Sabina smiled, her voice so quiet that Elena was sure she was the only one to hear her. There was no way their comms would have picked it up.

Sabina blinked slowly, her head rolling to the side again, and Elena couldn’t help but focus on Sabina’s long lashes and intense green eyes with every blink. Sabina was predictably unpredictable, often doing or saying something so outrageous that Elena was left speechless. And yet she had never heard her sound so gentle, so tender…

Was it just because of the blood loss? But then there was Sabina’s message from the previous day, the one with the tiny full stop at the end…

“Elena, can you still hear us?”

“Yeah,” Elena answered Bosley, suddenly realising that she’d zoned out. “Yeah, we’re still here. Both of us. Even though my company isn’t very engaging right now.”

Elena kept her left hand pressed to Sabina’s abdomen and reached up to check the wound near her collarbone, wincing when she realised how much that was still bleeding too.

“Come on Sabina, you’re usually mouthing off about something,” Bosley added, a fake enthusiasm to her voice that Elena picked up on immediately. “What have you been complaining about today.”

There was a moments pause while Sabina frowned slightly, as if thinking, before Jane filled the silence.

“The lack of Doritos,” she stated. “Even though we have three packets in the cupboard.”

“Spicy,” Sabina mumbled, a small smile twitching on her lips and her eyes threatening to stay closed.

“We had spicy ones yesterday, but apparently they were eaten overnight by mice,” Jane laughed, the sound strained and forced.

“Really?” asked Bosley. “Because I’m pretty sure my bag of spicy ones disappeared the last time Sabina was round for a movie night.”

“Wine night,” Sabina corrected and Bosley laughed.

“Fine, it was wine night. We never get as far as choosing a movie.”

“What were we going to watch this weekend?” Jane asked and Elena could tell she was looking for something else to distract them all until the door opened. “Sabina, didn’t you want to watch the one about the dinosaur? The animated one?”

Sabina smiled again, opening her mouth to respond before squeezing her eyes closed and coughing, her breath catching as she did and Elena instantly moving her hand that had been at Sabina’s collarbone to help her lean to the side. Elena was relieved when Sabina took a deep breath and rolled on to her back again, Elena supporting the top of her shoulders then returning both hands to Sabina’s abdomen.

It was then that Elena spotted the thin trail of blood run from the corner of Sabina’s mouth and across her cheek.

“Sabina?” Elena hated the panic in her voice.

Sabina blinked, eyes barely open, but didn’t respond.

“Jane!”

“Rhiannon’s through the first level of security, we’re nearly in,” Jane responded and Elena could hear her whispering under her breath with Bosley, but she was too preoccupied to work out what they were saying. Elena was pretty sure Bosley had turned off the link between Rhiannon’s comms and Elena’s, because the only voices she could hear now were from her own team. Jane all but confirmed Elena’s suspicions when she added “She’s got to the main system now. We’re nearly there, hold on!”

Hold on? How were they supposed to hold on when the ground under Elena’s knees was growing darker, the blood warm and sickening. Elena would have had the door open by now. She’d have had every door in the whole damn building wide open.

Sabina’s eyes seemed to have glazed over, staring at the ceiling of the warehouse and threatening to remain closed with every slow blink.

“We need fucking evac, now!” Elena could hear how frantic her voice sounded but couldn’t stop it. She was fed up of waiting, this wasn’t part of the plan. She couldn’t lose one of the most important people in her life, not when Sabina had just used the word ‘girlfriend’ as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

She needed time to work out what that meant. She needed more time with both Jane and Sabina, because she knew for a fact that if she lost one she would lose both of them. If Sabina died then Jane would leave, and Elena would be alone. They worked together, the three of them. Their own perfect little team, in and out of the Agency.

Elena hated herself for even thinking about the possibility of Sabina dying, and yet the blood that continued to seep out from under her hands made her feel sick, Sabina’s clammy skin paler than Elena had ever seen it before.

“El,” Sabina’s voice was barely audible, her eyes blinking slowly as she tried to keep them open. “Ssh, it’s ok.”

“It’s not ok, Sabina,” Elena shook her head, her voice wobbling. “This is so far from ok.”

“But it will be,” Sabina frowned slightly and Elena tried to push away the slur that she heard in Sabina’s voice between her rapid breathing. “Because you’re here.”

“Stop saying that! I can’t make this better!” Elena shook her head again, blinking away tears. “Not this time. I don’t know what to do.”

“Just breathe, Elena,” Sabina spoke slowly and Elena couldn’t help the strained laugh that left her lips. That should have been her line. Sabina shouldn’t be the one telling Elena to calm down. Not now.

Elena forced herself to look back at Sabina, the warm blood still spilling over her fingers as she pressed her palm to Sabina’s abdomen. Her collarbone was going to have to wait, even though Elena felt her stomach churn every time she let her eyes fall on the messy wound on Sabina’s skin, knowing the bullet would still be embedded inside. Dark red on once-was-white, her tank top soaked in blood.

And a delicate gold chain around Sabina’s neck, a dainty bee pendent lying within the red. Sickeningly out of place and making Elena sway on the spot. She blinked hard and turned away, trying not to focus on anything but the way Sabina’s chest continued to rise and fall. Not as evenly as it should, but moving nonetheless. It was much easier to concentrate on than the constant shake of Sabina’s arms or the way her jaw trembled.

She was cold. That would be the blood loss. And yet there was no way for Elena to warm her up. Not while Elena’s hand against the wound on Sabina’s stomach was the only thing stopping her from bleeding out on the spot.

“Boz, we need out of here! How much longer?” Elena didn’t even try to hide the panic from her voice now, she was pretty sure Sabina wouldn’t notice anyway. She looked too dazed, her eyes barely staying open.

“She’s working on it, I promise,” Bosley sounded close to tears despite trying to hide it. “Their security is stronger than we thought but we’ll be there soon. I’ve called it in so we’ll have an ambulance waiting, the paramedics and doctor are on their way as we speak. We’re trying to get to you.”

“What about the other doors, have you tried them to check they’re locked?” Jane’s voice was frantic which only made the tears sting the back of Elena’s eyes further.

“Yes, Jane. We’ve tried. Please go and wait in the van with the other Bosley,” Bosley was trying to sound in control but her usual tone wasn’t working.

“No,” Jane responded quickly. “I need to be here.”

“We need someone to take the other van back, there’s now eight of them secured but Bosley 211 can’t take them all back on his own,” Elena could imagine the look on Bosley’s features.

“I’m not going, Rhiannon can take that one back once we get the doors open.”

“Jane!” Bosley’s voice was loud, even over their comms, and Elena jumped slightly. Sabina smirked but didn’t move.

“I’m fine, Jane,” Sabina’s voice was barely audible, the words just about recognisable. “Go to the van. Please.”

There was silence, Elena listening carefully, before Jane let out a shout of frustration.

“I’ll help Rhiannon with security,” she sounded adamant.

“Fine,” Bosley agreed. “But don’t give her a hard time, she’s doing her best. It was supposed to be Elena at security.”

Elena couldn’t help but feel guilty as she listened to Bosley relay the same information over their comms to the other team, Bosley 211 being instructed to watch over both vans that were now full of handcuffed drug dealers until Rhiannon was ready to leave.

But none of that seemed to matter to Elena right now. All that she could focus on was the blood that continued to pour through her fingers and the way Sabina’s eyes seemed to stay closed that little bit longer with each blink.

“Stay awake,” Elena demanded and Sabina smiled weakly. “I mean it, don’t close your eyes.”

“I need a cuddle,” Sabina’s sentence came out as one long word but Elena understood it just fine.

“I know,” she sniffed, trying her hardest not to cry. “I do too, but we can’t right now. Not until we get out of here.”

“We could,” Sabina looked up and her eyes met Elena’s, Elena swallowing a sob with a judder of her chest. She knew that look, even though she’d never seen it before. She knew exactly what Sabina was trying to say.

“If I move my hand then you bleed out,” Elena shook her head quickly. “If I give you a cuddle then you could die.”

“I know,” Sabina was that quiet that Elena wasn’t sure if she had imagined her responding, and yet the tear that ran down the side of Sabina’s face was enough to convince Elena that she had heard her perfectly.

“That’s not happening, Sabina,” Elena frowned, a new determination filling her veins. “Stop being stupid, we’re going to be fine. We’re going to get out of here.”

Sabina sighed, her eyes nearly closed and her breathing sounding more like intermittent gasping. Elena wanted to cry or scream or plead with anyone that would listen for them to make things better and yet all she could do was sit and wait.

All she could do was kneel by her dying girlfriend and hope for a miracle.

Elena had done it again: girlfriend? Was Sabina her girlfriend? Elena knew that she would grieve as if Sabina were her partner if she were to die, and not just as her teammate. Elena was pretty sure that she would never, ever be the same again if they weren’t able to save Sabina. Their lives were now so intertwined that she couldn’t imagine ever being without her. Or Jane. Elena needed them both. She needed them just as much as she needed air to breathe, and she didn’t care how melodramatic that sounded.

Elena wouldn’t feel that way about just a teammate, would she? Did that mean they were more than that; Jane, Sabina and herself? Teammates didn’t share a bed every night. Friends didn’t let their hands roam across each others bodies in the dark of the night and kiss away their fears when no one was looking.

Elena had never had a relationship like she had with Jane and Sabina, and she didn’t ever want it to change. She wouldn’t let it. She had to save Sabina.

“Eyes open!” Elena shouted and felt a little guilty when Sabina startled, her eyes shooting open and instantly drifting shut again as she fought to stay conscious. “Stay awake and tell me about your wine nights with Bosley.”

“No can do,” Sabina tried to smile. “Secret. Ssh.”

“Oh, I see how it is,” Elena tried to keep her voice light to hide the fear that threatened to seep through. “I always knew you two liked to gossip over a couple of bottles of wine when not on a mission.”

“Angels,” Sabina smirked and Elena caught the double meaning.

“I know you two were Angels together, back in the day,” Elena nodded. “But neither of you are angelic with a glass of red in your hand. I can imagine the conversations you two have.”

Sabina smiled then squeezed her eyes closed as she let out a whimper, her tears running into her hair and the thin line of blood growing darker as it ran from the edge of her mouth. Elena could hear the effort it was taking for Sabina to fill her lungs and felt her own jaw tremble as she bit back the tears.

“Sabina, hold on. Please,” Elena pleaded. “Just a little longer.”

“We’re in!” Jane’s voice came from over their comms and Elena was sure she was going to cry with relief. “The shutter should start to open any second.”

Sure enough, it was only a few moments later that the door began to slide upwards with a sound that echoed through the warehouse and Elena blinked against the natural light that flooded in with it. And then everything around her seemed to move and blur and erupt in a noise she couldn’t understand. It wasn’t until a pair of hands grasped her shoulders and gently guided her to the side of the room that she realised the paramedics had ducked under the shutter doors as soon as they had opened, one of them pulling Elena to her feet and away from Sabina to look at the blood that covered her hands.

But Elena couldn’t work out what was happening. Didn’t they know that the blood that coated her skin wasn’t hers? Couldn’t they understand what was happening in front of them? Elena wasn’t sure she could. She blinked again, looked down at her hands, and suddenly realised that they were no longer pressed to Sabina’s abdomen. They were trembling so hard that they didn’t look like they belonged to her any more, and yet Elena’s hands were no longer keeping Sabina alive.

Sabina was no longer in front of her, it was a paramedic instead. With friendly eyes and a warm smile, speaking words that Elena couldn’t hear through the rushing in her head. It was as if she had zoned out, nothing quite making sense and the voices over her comms blending in with those now within the warehouse.

Until her name seemed to break through the vacuum and Elena instantly turned in the direction of the person who had shouted it.

“Elena!” Sabina’s eyes were wide, her hand outstretched in front of her as more people in green uniform stepped between them, blocking Elena’s view. She needed to see Sabina right now, not just hear her. “No, please. Lena!”

Elena could hear more voices, over their comms and from the people around her and yet they were still somehow drowned out by Sabina’s frantic, terrified voice that continued to shout Elena’s name, her words scratchy and the syllables slurred. But Elena was held back by the paramedic in front of her and she didn’t know how to speak the words she needed to say to get closer to Sabina. Nothing made sense. Nothing seemed to work properly. Elena had frozen to the spot, her legs unable to move and her throat aching with unshed tears.

It was when one of the paramedics who was on his knees next to Sabina stumbled to the side, his hand to his cheek, that he shook his head and turned to where Elena was standing.

“We need you over here,” he stated, the reluctance in his voice clear, and Elena moved closer as if on autopilot, her legs moving of their own accord.

“Did you punch him?” Elena’s mouth fell open slightly as she dropped to her knees beside Sabina and took her blood stained hand in her own, squeezing tight and trying not to focus on how cold her skin felt. “Sabina, he’s trying to help you.”

“Got in the way,” Sabina blinked, trying to smile but failing miserably, her breathing still laboured as she tried and failed to fill her lungs. “I needed you. I need you. Always.”

Elena slid her fingers to Sabina’s wrist and could feel her rapid heartbeat, but couldn’t work out if it was comforting or concerning. It couldn’t keep beating at that speed for long.

“Same,” Elena stated, frowning at Sabina. “I need you too. So you’re not allowed to go anywhere, ok. Just behave and let them look after you. I told you, we’re going to be ok. They’re going to look after you.”

Sabina nodded, eyelids heavy, and Elena took a second to glance at the medics that surrounded them. One with his hand over Sabina’s abdomen, one at her collarbone on the other side to where Elena was sitting. There was a third tapping at the inside of Sabina’s elbow, trying to find a vein and frowning when he had no luck.

“She’s hypovolemic,” the medic that Elena assumed to the the doctor muttered. “She’s shutting down, I can’t get a line in. We need to get her out of here.”

The ground grew darker by the second as more and more blood poured from Sabina’s wounds and Elena could do nothing but watch on helplessly, trying to block out the words of the doctor as she watched him continue to tap on Sabina’s inside arm, needle in his hand.

“I love you, Elena,” Sabina breathed, her words carrying on a whisper.

Elena looked back quickly as Sabina blinked once and then her eyes remained closed, her hand falling limp in Elena’s.

“No,” Elena shook her head, leaning over to tap Sabina on the cheeks. “Come on, open your eyes. Sabina, don’t be so bloody stubborn, open them!”

“She’s out,” the paramedic nearest Elena moved again and pushed her aside once more, obviously no longer concerned that he was going to get a fist to the jaw from Sabina. Elena felt her hand slip free from Sabina’s and tried to move back towards her, but a different pair of hands had taken hold of her arms and pulled her to her feet again, Elena letting them move her away from the sea of green uniforms that had surrounded Sabina and blocked her view entirely.

It was only when she was turned around and found herself with her head on Jane’s chest as she held her tight that she realised who it was that had moved her. And it was then that the tears escaped in loud, uncontrollable sobs while Elena gripped Jane’s shirt and poured her heart out within her tears. It was seconds later that her knees gave way entirely and Jane lowered them both to the ground, Elena unable to stop the harsh cries that left her lungs and made it difficult to breathe.

“GCS is three. She needs a TXA infusion and stand by to intubate,” Elena heard the doctor behind her. “Her BP’s in her boots. We don’t have much time to- hold that, we’ve lost output. Start chest compressions and try to get a line in!”

Elena could hear a flurry of movement and felt her chest constricting further as she gasped, the sobs no longer able to escape. She knew that Jane would be hurting too and yet, in that moment, Elena didn’t care. She couldn’t. She couldn’t think about anything other than the last words Sabina had spoken which she hadn’t been able to respond to. She hadn’t got the chance to tell Sabina just how much she loved her, and now it was too late. She’d missed her chance. Elena was supposed to save Sabina and now she had lost them both. There was no way Jane would want to be near her now, not when she had let Sabina die right in front of them.

Elena tried to pull herself away but Jane gripped her tighter, resting her chin on Elena’s head.

“Don’t look,” Jane whispered, running her hand up and down Elena’s back. “Don’t look.”

Jane was looking. Jane was watching as the doctor and the paramedics did all they could to save their girlfriend and Elena didn’t care whether that’s what they were or not, it didn’t matter. Girlfriend, friend, teammate… she didn’t care. Because Elena would never hear Sabina laugh again or feel her hands caress her skin in the darkness of their bedroom. Sabina would never again kiss her, or steal her pizza or pull her into the shower in the morning when they definitely didn’t have time to spend under the hot water.

Sabina was her beautiful, selfless girlfriend who made sure Elena was safe on every mission even if that meant putting herself in danger in the process. And Elena didn’t know what to do now that Sabina was being taken away from them.

Elena took a breath and let herself focus on her surroundings for just a few seconds, the words of the paramedics filling the air but making no sense. She lost all track of time, letting Jane hold her close as they sat on the ground, Elena gripping hold of Jane tight. They stayed there until Elena’s sobbing subsided and she sunk further into Jane’s arms, every muscle aching with the tension in her body.

Elena closed her eyes and tried to focus on Jane’s steady heartbeat as if waiting for it to break, just like her own. Because Elena was pretty sure that her heart had stopped beating along with Sabina’s, leaving behind an agony that would never go away. And yet Jane’s carried on beating, the rhythm oddly soothing as Elena tried to breathe in time with Jane. In and out. In and out.

“Ok, go!” One of the paramedics suddenly shouted and Elena blinked her eyes open, only then realising that they had stayed closed. Had she fallen asleep or just zoned out?! How could she close her eyes now when she had just watched Sabina… Elena didn’t even want to think it.

“I’m coming with you,” Bosley’s voice sounded from behind them and Elena felt Jane nod.

“It’s fine, go,” Jane spoke calmly, her arms not letting go of Elena.

“I’ll send a car for you,” Bosley stated, her voice already quieter and Jane nodded again. Elena still didn’t want to move. She wanted to stay where she was forever so she didn’t have to face the painful reality of a life without her girls. At least here she had Jane, and she could pretend that Sabina was right behind her, messing around and looking for trouble.

It was almost believable, if Elena didn’t look at the blood that covered her hands.

“I’ll take them, we’ll meet you at the hospital,” another voice sounded from behind Elena and she finally pushed herself away from Jane’s chest, a confusion washing over her in the quiet of the warehouse.

Jane guided Elena to a proper sitting position and made her lean over so her head was between her knees, the cool air within the warehouse filing her lungs and suddenly making Elena feel dizzy.

“The doctor followed us in one of the medic cars,” the paramedic that had taken a punch from Sabina knelt down in front of them and Elena slowly looked up to see him properly. “He’s gone with your teammate in the ambulance while my colleague drives, so we’ll take his car back to the hospital when you’re ready. I think you need a quick check up too, you’ve had quite a shock.”

Understatement of the century, Elena couldn’t help but think.

She’d happily take any other mission-gone-wrong over what had just happened. Elena hated sitting by Sabina’s bedside while she argued with Saint, even as he glued her head wound or strapped up a sprained ankle, but the thought of that no longer being possible…

“Sabina,” Elena whispered, a sob following her name and her head dropping to her knees again.

Jane ran a hand down Elena’s back but didn’t say a word. It was as if she was working on autopilot but Elena could tell that Jane was ready to break at any moment.

“Hey, she’s in the best possible hands,” the paramedic smiled and Elena looked up quickly, glancing to Jane then back again.

“You mean-?”

“We got her back,” the paramedic explained and Elena nodded without really understanding what he was saying. “She’s intubated and stable enough to get moving, it should be enough to get her to the hospital. That’s why they sent the doctor right behind us. Your Bosley knows what she’s talking about.”

“Yeah,” Jane agreed, nodding numbly and looking at Elena. Her expression was unreadable. “She’s going to be ok. She has to be.”

Elena only nodded back, unable to believe anything that was being said to her as she looked down at the blood that had dried on her hands.

“She has a chance. Now come on, you two need checked over too,” she paramedic instructed and Elena was again pulled to her feet before she realised, Jane’s hand enclosing her own a second later.

~*~*~*~*~

Elena wasn’t sure what happened between leaving the warehouse and arriving at the hospital, but she soon found herself sat on a hard chair in a long, cold corridor that smelt far too much of cleaning products, staring at the blank wall in front of her. Jane sat beside her, hand on Elena’s knee, neither of them saying a word. Bosley and Saint were somewhere close by, she knew that much. Elena remembered Saint standing in front of her for just a few seconds, telling her to meet them in the relatives room, before he was gone.

Saint had wanted to speak to someone, Elena thought. Or maybe that was Bosley. They had both looked worried as they disappeared… somewhere. Down the hospital corridor in search of answers to questions that none of them wanted to voice. But Elena couldn’t move. She wanted to wait exactly where she was until someone could confirm that Sabina was still alive. She needed to wait. To hear it from a professional.

And so Jane stayed with her, her hand not leaving Elena’s knee and her eyes fixed on the same white wall that Elena was staring at. After what felt like hours a young nurse appeared through the double doors at the end of the corridor and stopped in front of Jane and Elena.

“She’s going into surgery,” he stated with an understanding smile, holding out his clenched fist in front of Elena and waiting for her to place her hand underneath. He released his fingers and Sabina’s gold bee pendant fell onto Elena’s palm, the chain snaking between her fingers. “I cleaned it up for you. Thought you’d want to look after it until she’s in recovery.”

Elena stared at her hand then looked up at the nurse, opening her mouth before closing it again and swallowing back a sob.

“I heard you ask about Bee when you came in,” he shrugged. “You’re the only one who’s called her that so I figured you might want to be the one who gives her that back when she wakes up.”

“Thanks,” Elena whispered, closing her fingers and holding her hand to her chest, her throat now aching with unshed tears. She wanted to thank him for cleaning off the blood, and for noticing the use of Sabina’s somewhat new nickname, and for not using ‘if’ instead of ‘when’ she wakes up. Yet she was unable to form anything other than a single word.

The nurse nodded, smiled, and made his way back down the corridor as if he understood all that Elena wanted to say anyway.

“Come on,” Jane linked her arm through Elena’s and tucked a stray hair behind Elena’s ear. “We need to get you cleaned up properly, Bosley will send Saint to look for us soon if we don’t get to the relatives room.”

Elena nodded in agreement and rested her hand on her knee so she could look at the golden bee on her palm. It was only then that she realised her hands had been partially cleaned, although there was a still a red tint to her skin and dried blood beneath her fingernails. Her sleeves were no longer covered in blood either, her jacket having been swapped for a hoody that was far too big and smelt slightly musty. Elena couldn’t remember where it had come from or when she had changed into it, but she didn’t care either.

All she could focus on was the delicate chain on her hand. Delicate but strong. Made up of many different links that kept it held together. And yet all it would take is for one to break…

“I love you,” Elena spoke without thinking, turning to Jane as her bottom lip trembled and she clutched her hand to her chest, feeling the gold chain wrap around her fingers even tighter. “I know I haven’t said it before, but I do. I love you and I love Sabina and I’m scared I’m going to lose you both.”

Elena took a breath as she tried hard not to cry but couldn’t hold it back any longer, the tears now running down her cheeks just as they had done in the warehouse.

“Oh Elena, we’re not going anywhere,” Jane shook her head, wrapping her arms around Elena’s shoulders and pulling her in tight. “You’re not going to lose us. I promise. I won’t let that happen.”

~*~*~*~*~

The next three days passed in a blur for Elena, spent between the hospital and HQ with very little sleep and a constant worry in the pit of her stomach. Elena seemed to jolt awake each morning with a sudden realisation that there was someone missing beside her, despite falling asleep in Jane’s arms the night before, and couldn’t help the tears that reappeared each time. Jane wiped them away silently, placing a kiss on the bridge of Elena’s nose and letting her cuddle in closer until she was ready to face the day again.

It was on the third day, late in the afternoon while Jane and Elena were practically being force-fed a bowl of pasta each by Saint (who insisted they needed to eat, even though he had appeared only a few hours ago with a tray of fresh muffins and homemade kombucha), when his phone began to ring. Saint glanced at the screen and stepped out the kitchen without saying a word.

Jane and Elena looked to each other before simultaneously turning to watch the doorway, waiting for Saint to return and trying hard to listen to his side of his conversation. Elena was pretty sure that it was Bosley who had called, which is why Saint had left the room, but she couldn’t tell whether the feeling in her stomach was due to anticipation or dread.

Bosley hadn’t left the hospital once over the past three days, despite Saint’s encouragement to do so. He had given up arguing with Bosley pretty quickly, making sure to bring her a fresh change of clothes and a batch of homemade snacks with each morning hospital visit instead. Bosley in return had been keeping them updated on how Sabina was doing by messaging the group every few hours, even though there hadn’t been any noticeable change during that time.

‘I think Sabina might have just smiled at one of my jokes’ Bosley had messaged the previous day, after Saint had made Jane and Elena return to HQ to shower and sleep.

‘No one smiles at your jokes’ Saint had responded, which had made Jane and Elena laugh for far longer than it should have. Elena was pretty sure that that would have been Sabina’s line under normal circumstances, so the fact that it had come from Saint only seemed to make it even funnier. Elena had a feeling that sleep deprivation also played a factor, but she was glad of the excuse to laugh nonetheless.

Elena had got used to feeling her phone buzz in her pocked with frequent updates from Bosley when they weren’t at the hospital, but she hadn’t once called them over the past three days…

What if she was calling now with bad news? What if it was something so bad that she couldn’t write it in a message? Sabina had been stable when they left the hospital earlier that morning, but anything could have happened since then. The doctors had told them that there was nothing more they could do but monitor Sabina and wait for her body to recover. Elena hated it as much as Jane, but the doctors couldn’t answer their daily questions of ‘when will she wake up?’ and ‘will there be any lasting damage?’ and ‘will she remember what happened?’

There was no rule book for Elena to follow or manual for Jane to read cover to cover. All they could do was wait, be as patient as possible and speak to Sabina in the hopes that she could hear them. Even though Jane was clearly already fed up of doing any of those things; she had done nothing but pout during their morning visit to the hospital, scolding Sabina for making her worry and refusing to hold her hand.

Elena knew for a fact that Jane was terrified, but she also wasn’t as good at expressing her feeling as Elena or Saint, or even Sabina to an extent. And so Jane sat at the side of Sabina’s hospital room for the full visit, looking angry and only speaking if it was to add an underhand dig in Sabina’s direction.

Elena was convinced that Jane was hoping for a response. Jane and Sabina normally insulted each other for fun, which had always confused Elena. There was no holding back when they were in a certain mood, and usually when the insults got really bad Elena could tell the only way it would end was when one of them pulled the other into the bedroom, practically undressing each other as they went. Elena didn’t think she’d ever understand it…

But the silence from Sabina within the hospital room only seemed to upset Jane further.

Despite the glare that hadn’t left Jane’s brow the whole visit, Elena couldn’t help but smile when Jane placed a tender kiss on Sabina’s forehead before they left, pushing her hair from in front of her eyes and whispering something in Sabina’s ear.

Elena could read Jane better than most, and she could tell without a doubt that Jane was just as worried as the rest of them. Jane’s heart would be hammering in her chest just as hard as Elena’s while they sat in the kitchen, watching the doorway for Saint to return. Elena felt the tears sting the back of her eyes when Saint did reappear, looking on the verge of crying himself.

“She’s awake,” he grinned, a strange sense of relief seeming to instantly wash over Elena. “And she’s fine, she’s already annoying Bosley. Finish your pasta and we’ll go see her.”

Elena shoved down her meal so quick she was sure she was going to choke and met Saint at the garage ten minutes later, Jane only a minute behind. Jane instantly slipped her hand in Elena’s and squeezed it tight, pulling her into a one armed hug before climbing into the back seat of the car and pulling Elena in with her.

They drove to the hospital in silence other than Saint’s humming from the front seat, something Elena had noticed he did often when trying to keep himself distracted, and soon found themselves stood outside the door to Sabina’s hospital room for the second time that day. Elena was confused by the sudden apprehension that made her skin tingle, her heartbeat increasing yet again despite the tight squeeze of Jane’s hand.

Saint pushed open the door before they had time to think any further and Elena couldn’t stop the tears that rolled down her cheeks as soon as she saw Sabina sat up in bed, propped up by numerous pillows and paler than her normal complexion, but with a colour in her cheeks that definitely hadn’t been there in the warehouse.

“You’re here!” Sabina beamed instantly and Saint stepped across the room to gather her in a gentle hug, Sabina wrapping her right arm over his shoulder and squeezing tight.

Elena could see the bandages that still covered Sabina’s left collarbone and shuddered at the images that flashed across her mind, the thought of the bullet hidden beneath Sabina’s skin making her feel sick. It was hard to remind herself that the bullet was no longer there.

Saint cupped Sabina’s cheek in his hand before leaning over to whisper something in her ear. Elena could recognise Saint’s words as being in Spanish but didn’t understand what they meant, although Sabina clearly did by the way her eyes watered and she smiled up at Saint.

Sabina was practically fluent in Spanish but liked to pretend otherwise, just to annoy Saint. ‘Very bien’ seemed to have become her standard response whenever Saint asked how she was, even though Elena had heard Sabina hold a whole conversation with Saint in his native language on many occasions.

“It’s similar to Portuguese,” Sabina had shrugged when Elena asked her about it one day, as if that explained it all. Elena hadn’t asked again but had a feeling Sabina had learnt Spanish mostly for Saint’s benefit. Which somehow made Elena’s heart flutter whenever she thought about it.

Saint was now stood at Sabina’s side, hands on his hips.

“You have got to stop with this,” he waved his hands in Sabina’s direction. “This is giving me grey hairs and salons in California are very expensive. I don’t get paid enough to get my hair dyed every other week.”

“I’ll try,” Sabina nodded, looking serious until she could no longer hide her smirk.

“That’s all I can ask for from you, Angel,” Saint sighed, sinking into one of the chairs at the edge of the room. He suddenly looked exhausted, as if only now that they were all together could he finally relax.

Jane pulled Elena further into the room, only letting go when they reached Sabina’s bedside.

“Your emotions are showing again,” Sabina smiled weakly as Jane took a hold of Sabina’s hand and brought it to her lips. “People are going to think you have feelings if you’re not careful. It’ll ruin your reputation.”

“Shut up,” Jane laughed through the tears that were running down her cheeks, leaning over to take Sabina’s chin and kiss her tenderly. “You’re so annoying.”

Sabina grinned as she looked directly into Jane’s eyes, a whole conversation happening between them without speaking another word, and Elena couldn’t help the tears that sprung to the back of her eyes as she watched her teammates. She couldn’t explain the feelings that were bubbling in her chest, but seeing the tenderness between them made her feel weak in the best possible way.

Jane stepped away and quickly rubbed the dampness from her cheeks, clearly inviting Elena closer.

“Why are you crying too?” Sabina asked as she turned to Elena, her eyes wide with worry. “Are Jane’s feelings catching?”

“I’m just happy you’re ok,” Elena sniffed, letting herself lean into Sabina’s outstretched arm and kissing her on the cheek. “I thought I’d lost you.”

“Nope, it takes more than that,” Sabina smiled, reaching up to wipe away Elena’s tears and suddenly looking serious. “Not exactly what we had planned for movie night, huh?”

Elena shook her head, a nervous laugh escaping her chest while she wiped away the rest of her tears with the back of her sleeve. Sabina smiled, repositioned herself against the pillows and winced, a crease between her eyebrows. Bosley reached over to help her get comfortable again and Elena felt Jane’s hand on her shoulder.

“I don’t know why you two are crying so much, it’s not like we haven’t been here before, is it?” Sabina huffed in obvious exhaustion and Bosley gave her a look that she saved only for her most testing Angel. “What, it’s not like anyone died.”

“You did,” Saint spoke bluntly and Elena quickly turned in his direction, as if to check that it was definitely Saint that had spoken. “You died and both Elena and Jane had to watch it happen.”

“Oh,” Sabina fell quiet, her expression unreadable as she looked at the nothingness between Jane and Elena, clearly trying to process what she had just heard.

“So much for your usual softly softly approach, Saint,” Bosley scoffed. “Say it how it is why don’t you.”

Saint shrugged at Bosley with a silent ‘what?’ while Bosley frowned back, but Sabina didn’t seem to notice.

“But you’re ok now,” Jane interjected as she moved to perch on the edge of Sabina’s bed, Elena only then realising that her own mouth was hanging open after Saint’s unusual bluntness. “We’re all fine and now that you’re awake, you can start focusing on getting better.”

Sabina smiled, Jane running her hand along Sabina’s arm before she reached up to adjust the bandage on Sabina’s shoulder that had been nudged from all the hugging. Elena could just about see the dressing on Sabina’s collarbone and the images from the warehouse once again flashed across her memory. Of Sabina’s blood pouring between her fingers with no intention of stopping.

“How much does it hurt?” Elena asked and immediately felt stupid for doing so.

Sabina looked up, her eyes catching Elena’s and a smile growing on her lips.

“More than a piercing, less than a- oh,” Sabina paused, just briefly, and then she laughed, clutching at her stomach with her good arm and ignoring the concerned looks from Saint.

Elena felt annoyed, just for a second, before realising that this was Sabina. It’s what she did. It was part of her charm, how she coped. It was part of the reason Elena loved her so much.

And Elena really did love her. She loved Sabina Wilson just as much as she did Jane Kano.

“You’re such a pain in the ass,” Bosley rolled her eyes, her words holding no heat, and suddenly she was smirking too, all tension in the room gone within an instant.

~*~*~*~*~

Two days later Elena found herself sat cross legged at the bottom of Sabina’s hospital bed, a row of playing cards in front of her while Jane slouched in a leather armchair by the window, her headphones playing loudly and a weapons magazine open on her knee.

Bosley had finally agreed to leave the hospital once Sabina had woken up but had made it very obvious that she didn’t trust Sabina not to discharge herself if she was left on her own for more than an hour. And so Jane and Elena had spent as much time as possible at the hospital over the past two days, watching movies until Sabina fell asleep or discussing the latest rumours that were circulating around HQ (like which Bosleys had been caught getting very close to one another within one of the training rooms).

Jane quizzed Sabina on their latest mission reports, Elena tried (and failed) to beat her at a game of cards, and other than being confined to a hospital room with nurses checking on Sabina every few hours things were starting to feel normal again. They had even managed to have a mini picnic earlier that afternoon with snacks that Jane and Elena had picked up on their way in; all of Sabina’s favourites plus a bag of grapes that Jane had insisted were a requirement.

Sabina’s gun shot wounds would heal and there didn’t appear to be any lasting damage. Elena didn’t know how they had managed to get so lucky, considering the circumstances…

Elena collected the cards from on top of the bedsheets and shuffled them as best she could, Sabina watching her intently.

“One more game and I’m definitely beating you this time,” Elena stated and Sabina laughed.

“You said that about the last five games.”

Elena smiled and started dealing the cards into two rough piles between them before she suddenly paused, her eyes wide and her mouth falling open.

“What?” Sabina laughed at the shocked look on Elena’s face.

“Computer guy,” Elena spoke quickly. “I forgot about computer guy. The one I sleepy necked in the office of the warehouse. What happened to computer guy?”

“I dunno,” Sabina shrugged. “I was too busy being dead to be any help.”

Elena glared at Sabina but didn’t scold her any further. Sabina knew that Elena hated her dark humour sometimes, but it was how Sabina coped. And so Elena let it slide, just this once.

“There’s definitely nine of them behind bars, right? That’s what Bosley said?” Elena asked.

“Dude, even if I hadn’t been used as target practice you know I wouldn’t have listed to what Bosley was saying,” Sabina laughed once. “But he’ll have been arrested with the others. You sleepy necked him expertly.”

Sabina grinned proudly and Elena let herself relax slightly. Sabina was right, Bosley would have said something if they had somehow forgot about one of the thugs and let him get away. They were professionals, they’d have done a sweep of the warehouse before leaving. Elena went back to dealing the cards.

“Thank you,” Sabina said quietly and Elena looked up in confusion until she continued. “Thanks for making sure I didn’t actually die. Not permanently. I know that couldn’t have been easy.”

Sabina smiled weakly, as if not sure what to say next, and quickly looked away while her fingers laced around her gold chain. Elena had made sure to fasten Sabina’s bee necklace back in place the first time they had been allowed in to see her after her surgery. There had been something comforting seeing the dainty pee pendant back where it belonged.

“I thought you had died,” Elena admitted. “There was so much blood and then you weren’t breathing and you’d just said-”

Elena paused, swallowing hard and looking at Sabina. Did Sabina remember what she had said? Had she meant to say it or was it purely the blood loss that had made her delirious? Elena took a breath and suddenly realised that she didn’t care; Sabina deserved the truth.

“I love you too,” Elena spoke quickly and before she could change her mind. “I really do… But- I also love Jane.”

“Oh, phew,” Sabina pretended to wipe her brow with the back of her hand and grinned. “Because I thought for a second this was going to get complicated.”

Elena opened her mouth before closing it again quickly, totally lost for words.

“I remember what I said to you that day,” Sabina smiled. “I’d been wanting to say it for ages. I should have said it so much sooner.”

Elena smiled too but found herself unable to say anything in return. Sabina seemed to notice Elena’s hesitation and repositioned herself against her pillows, a serious expression suddenly on her features.

“You love both Jane and I?” Sabina asked and Elena nodded slowly. “I love you and Jane. And Jane loves both of us…”

“She does?” Elena asked, her eyes wide.

“Yes!” Sabina laughed before frowning at her injured shoulder that had clearly just protested against the movement. “You’re so oblivious for a smart person, you know that, right?”

“But she’s never said-” Elena glanced over at Jane who seemed not to have heard any of their conversation, her head nodding slightly in time with her music.

“If you’re going to wait for Jane to actually say the words before you realise they’re true, you’re going to be waiting a long time,” Sabina shrugged. “It’s not her style.”

Elena couldn’t understand how Sabina could speak about something so important while sounding so casual. She wanted to ask so many questions but the words seemed impossible to find.

“But-” Elena managed before pausing again, unable to form anything further.

Sabina rolled her eyes and shook her head with a grin.

“Jane,” Sabina cupped her hand to shout across the room but Jane didn’t react. “Jane!”

Sabina sighed, took a grape from the bag next to her bed and threw it at Jane. It hit her cheek perfectly on target and Jane turned to glare at them both.

“What?” Jane removed her headphones and rested them on top of her magazine. “I didn’t bring you grapes to use as ammo.”

“Elena wants to know if you love us?” Sabina asked simply, glancing between them. “Both of us?”

“Obviously,” Jane frowned, looking to Elena as if to ask why she was being questioned on something so simple.

“But-” Elena stammered again before swallowing hard and taking a breath. “But do you love us in that way? I mean, what are we? Teammates, friends with benefits, girlfriends…”

Elena spoke the last word cautiously, watching Jane for any sign of a reaction.

“All of the above,” Jane tilted her head and shrugged. “I thought that was obvious too.”

“Told you,” Sabina smirked.

Jane turned back to her magazine but Sabina wasn’t finished.

“One more thing,” she grinned, looking to Elena and back to Jane. “Computer guy that Elena sleepy necked. We got him, right?”

“Of course,” Jane continued to frown. “Rhiannon and the other Bosley dragged him down the stairs while the paramedics were… well, y’know. He’s locked up with the rest of them.”

“Double told you,” Sabina raised an eyebrow at Elena with a tilt of her head.

Jane replaced her headphones and picked up her magazine, sinking lower into the soft armchair and seeming to block out their conversation again. Elena had a feeling that Jane wanted to stay well clear of any discussions that involved what happened in the warehouse after the shutters had come down.

“Now do you believe me?” Sabina asked and Elena nodded slowly. Sabina laughed. “This is why I love you, you’re so very- Elena.”

“I have no idea what that means but I don’t care,” Elena pushed aside the playing cards and crawled across the bed to sit next to Sabina, turning to look at her properly.

“It feels good being your girlfriend,” Elena smiled and Sabina leant her head on Elena’s shoulder.

“Good,” Sabina breathed. “Because I’m not letting anyone else have you. Apart from Jane. She can share, if she’s good.”

Elena couldn’t help but laugh.

~*~*~*~*~

It was another two days after Sabina was released from hospital that Jane spoke the words. While they were all together, snuggled up beneath Jane’s bedsheets, one either side or Sabina who had fallen asleep after a shower with her hair still damp against the pillows.

“I love you,” Jane announced out of the blue as she reached across Sabina’s abdomen to rest her hand on Elena’s hip. “Thank you. I don’t think I’ve said that properly, but thank you for saving Sabina. I don’t know what I would have done if you weren’t there with her.”

“I didn’t do anything,” Elena answered quietly, her voice barely audible.

“But you did,” Jane looked serious. “We wouldn’t be here right now, the three of us, if you hadn’t been so brave. I’m proud of you. And I love you.”

Elena couldn’t explain the tears that rolled down her cheeks, blinking quickly in the semi-darkness of the room and hoping Jane wouldn’t notice. But she did, reaching up to wipe them from Elena’s cheeks with her thumb.

“I love you too,” Elena smiled, lost in Jane’s dark brown eyes. “More than you know.”

“And I love you both even more than that,” Sabina mumbled, eyes still closed. “But what’s for dinner?”

“I thought you were asleep, you never miss a thing!” Jane laughed, rolling her eyes and turning to switch on the bedside lamp. “Way to spoil the moment, do you only ever think of your stomach?”

“No,” Sabina drew out the word, blinking at Elena as if waiting for an answer.

“Pizza,” Elena smiled and Sabina happy-danced on the spot. Or tried to, her shoulders wiggling before she winced and pouted. “You’re supposed to be keeping still for a while yet, stop moving.”

“But I’m fine,” Sabina groaned, bottom lip still stuck out as she tried to make herself look as sad as possible.

“You had major surgery only a few weeks ago, you’re to take it easy until Saint lets you back,” Jane shook her head, leant over to kiss Elena on the forehead and slid from the bed. “You can have pizza in here tonight but only because I can’t be bothered to help you waddle through to the kitchen.”

“Fine by me,” Sabina yawned, tucking herself in closer to Elena. Elena wrapped her arms around her girlfriend’s shoulders and watched Jane leave.

“Jane’s right you know,” Sabina smiled, her breath warm against Elena’s skin. “We wouldn’t be here without you. You complete our team. You complete- us.”

Elena felt the tears sting the back of her eyes again and let them roll down her cheeks, not caring anymore who saw them.

“Love you, Bee,” Elena sighed, pulling Sabina in closer and feeling her weight against her chest, knowing that Sabina had fallen asleep again.

Elena ran her hand through Sabina’s hair and sunk further into the pillows.

She wasn’t planning on going anywhere.