Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Jane’s POV

Jane Kano is sitting in Bosley’s office with her two girlfriends and teammates, Sabina Wilson and Elena Houghlin, officially debriefing their latest mission. This involved stealing blackmail material out from under the nose of one crime boss (Piper Ridley), that he was about to use against a rival crime boss (Yakov Riverson). In the end it had also involved Sabina being (unexpectedly) captured and interrogated by her mark (Ridley) then being rescued by Jane and Elena. In the process Jane had killed Ridley, and Jane is happy about that … even though she knows the ruthless suddenness of that kill was disturbing to both her girlfriends.*

Sabina is seated in the middle of the couch and Jane rests a (possessive?) hand on Sabina’s thigh, as does Elena from the other side. Jane is feeling extra protective towards Sabina since her girlfriend got tortured by her vengeful mark … and Jane suspects it’s the same for Elena. Jane is trying not to be too overbearing about it, yet is keeping a sharp eye on Sabina, all the same. Saint is in Bosley’s office too, smiling at them affectionately from his armchair. Sabina is finally up to this debriefing; several weeks have passed and the aftereffects of her beating are mostly healed. Sabina no longer needs pain meds and is no longer sleeping more often than she’s awake. Jane’s own bruising from the rescue mission has healed up too. Jane is relieved and happy that things are finally getting back to normal. Though for the Angels … what is normal?

Bosley eyes her team thoughtfully from where she sits behind her desk.

“I hate to bring it up, Angels,” says Bosley, a little reluctantly. “But I’ve talked it over with Saint and Charlie, and the consensus is that we need to talk about … what you all saw playing on the monitors.”

Bosley is talking about how Piper Ridley’s tech expert somehow retrieved deleted footage of Sabina going ‘berserk’*, which happened unexpectedly during the Angels’ very first mission at Ridley’s mansion. Elena had wiped the security cameras’ incriminating footage during their (successful) getaway, but Piper Ridley’s tech expert had eventually managed to reinstate it. Ridley had forced a bound and drugged Sabina to watch it while he questioned her under a truth serum, about ‘who she really was’. Jane and Elena had accidentally seen some of the (horrific) footage too (worst luck), during their rescue of Sabina.

Before that, only Bosley (and Saint in passing) had sighted what basically amounted to an out-of-control Sabina, grisily murdering 15-20 highly skilled guards. Bosley had watched this happen live, over the security camera system that Elena had hacked into for that first fateful mission. Not even Sabina had seen it … because she (still) doesn’t remember berserking, during or afterwards: it seems to be a completely unconscious process. The Townsend Agency doesn’t know what prompts Sabina’s rare (terrifying! horrifying!) and seemingly random ability … only that it takes life-and-death situations to activate. That factor alone isn’t enough to trigger it though: there have been plenty of missions where Sabina technically should have gone berserk if that was the sole criteria … but did no such thing. Bosley had been affected by what she’d witnessed (of course): the trauma load was just too high. Jane herself had only glimpsed Berserker Sabina in live action, for one moment in time, attacking one guard (as had Elena) … and that glimpse had been More Than Enough.*

Now, having actually seen berserking in more detail courtesy of Ridley’s recovered footage, Jane is on the same page that Bosley must have been on originally, back when this was an Agency Top Secret. Back then, Jane and Elena weren’t supposed to know about it … yet did, courtesy of Jane’s (ongoing) illicit habit of reading all the personnel files of every Angel and Bosley she works with … which she’s never been caught doing*. That page is that Sabina’s berserking is secret for a reason and is best put out of mind immediately. Pretend it never happened. That’s been Sabina’s personal policy too: Jane’s girlfriend hasn’t even been able to talk about this, with anyone. Jane had originally tried to push Sabina to do so.* Jane was wrong.

Now Sabina groans, a clear protest. Her thigh tenses under Jane’s hand and Jane shoots Sabina an assessing glance. Is her girlfriend about to do a runner? She has before when this topic’s come up! On Sabina’s other side, Jane sees Elena eying Sabina too.

“Chill, Sabina,” says Bosley half-sternly, half-amusedly. “Suck it up, Angel.”

Sabina sucks in a deep breath and Jane can see (and feel) that Sabina is attempting to obey Bosley. Jane relaxes incrementally, but stays alert, keeping a fraction of her attention on her girlfriend. If Sabina does run, Jane will prevent this … for Sabina’s own good. Jane has already decided that it will be the strategically optimum move, for their triad’s sake (Jane’s secret top priority mission*). That’s what’s truly important. It isn’t about talking about berserking per se … Jane doesn’t want to do that, herself (she really really doesn’t want to do that!). It is about facing things as a triad, as a team. Jane has learned – the hard way – that this is the only way to go, if they want to stay together and get stronger.* Which is all Jane wants.

“It was … sickening,” Elena says earnestly, directly to Bosley. “I looked away as soon as I realised what the footage was.”

“Elena helped me look away too,” Jane adds, because Elena did. Jane is grateful that Elena was with her … that was the right move, for sure. Jane had been frozen.

“Good job, Angel,” Bosley tells Elena, sounding proud. “That was the right move.”

Elena nods, looking shyly pleased.

“So we didn’t see … that much,” Elena tells Bosley and Saint. “And the sound wasn’t playing.”

“Small mercies,” says Bosley, with real feeling. “The sound really makes it.”

Jane guesses that this means that the footage of Sabina going berserk is That Much More Horrific when sound is present, as it no doubt was for Bosley, when she witnessed it live.

Sabina is staring from Jane to Elena, face filled with relief. Jane turns to give her girlfriend a reassuring look, and squeezes Sabina’s thigh gently. Sabina’s eyes track to Jane’s and Jane frowns. Sabina looks a little dazed.

“What about you, Sabina?” asks Bosley. “How much did you see?” Beside Bosley, Jane sees that Saint is watching them all closely.

“…Tonnes,” says Sabina slowly, turning towards Bosley. “Probably … the whole reel. On repeat.” She chews on her bottom lip, looking a little nauseous to Jane’s concerned gaze. “No sound though.”

“We found Sabina watching it,” Elena tells Bosley and Saint. “Restrained to a chair.”

“Yeah, Piper left me there,” Sabina agrees. “When he went to his meeting. But he also made me watch some when we first got there. Then later on, when he was interrogating me.” Sabina shudders a little. “He had … questions.”

“Like what?” asks Bosley, sounding a little sick herself.

“About ‘who’ I was,” says Sabina slowly, now sounding a little out of it. Jane tightens her hand on Sabina’s thigh, attempting to ground her girlfriend. Elena has taken Sabina’s hand, Jane sees, and interconnected their fingers. Jane hopes it’s helping. “‘What’ I was,” Sabina adds thickly. “Why I did it. How I was doing it. Shit like that.”

“Take a few deep breaths, Sabina,” Saint advises gently. “Why don’t we all do that?” Jane obeys; she thinks it’s a good idea. Jane’s now had plenty of experience of how helpful (simple!) breathing exercises can be pre/during/post mission, and whenever life gets … breathless. Elena and Bosley are doing the exercise too. Sabina breathes along, running her free hand through her short, bleached hair, agitatedly. After they’ve breathed together (Jane does feel calmer), Bosley asks Sabina:

“What did you answer?”

Sabina frowns.

“Not 100% sure. But I think it was something like … I don’t know. What I am … or why I did it or how! So … the truth. But P-Piper,” Sabina’s voice cracks, “had trouble believing me. Even though he knew I … had to tell him the truth. Because of the serum.”

Piper had drugged Sabina with some kind of truth serum that was also a physical suppressant … no doubt because he feared Sabina’s berserking ability suddenly activating.* He had that much sense. The truth serum really worked: Jane knows because she tested it when Sabina was under the influence. Her girlfriend had seemed to have no ability to resist answering questions that Jane knew Sabina would avoid usually … and answering them easily at that.* The Angels have been examining the drug in their labs, since it would be an invaluable boon if they can manage to replicate it. Intel-collecting could become a cinch! So far they haven’t been successful.

“We got lucky,” Bosley decides, fiddling restlessly with what looks suspiciously like a silver cigarette case. Bosley smokes? Maybe only when she’s stressed … Bosley sure looks stressed now.

“That’s good,” says Saint reassuringly. “And whatever Sabina told Piper Ridley, it doesn’t matter now. Because he’s dead.”

“Unless Ridley told someone else,” Bosley says. “That would be a problem.”

“Yes,” agrees Saint, simply.

“Well Charlie is still going to send the authorities after Ridley’s organisation,” Bosley tells them all. “It doesn’t matter that Ridley is dead, in that respect.” Bosley sighs. “We’ll have to proceed on the assumption that nobody knows about the berserking. If they do … I’m sure that will come to light soon enough. We’ll deal with it then.”

“In the meantime,” says Saint, “we’ll have to do our best with integrating our knowledge of it.”

“Which means?” Jane asks Saint, a tad impatiently, because she is feeling agitated herself and Saint’s therapy-ese isn’t helping.

“Coming to terms with the reality of Sabina’s berserking ability,” says Saint calmly. “Accepting it. Life goes on and we … get on with business.”

Jane frowns to herself. It sounds good … in theory. Yet impossible in reality. It can’t just happen because Saint says it should or because it would be optimum. Jane is of the opinion that there’s nothing that they can really do, so they should all go back to not talking about it, thinking about it, admitting it. Then, if Sabina randomly berserks again, the Angels can face it then and there. Not before. Conserving their (valuable) resources by not wasting them on ‘attempted psychological integration’, seems pragmatically strategic.

“Sounds nice, bro,” says Sabina to Saint bleakly, “but just not possible.” She sighs and rubs at the back of her neck. “Can’t we just go back to … pretending it didn’t happen?”

“Second that,” says Jane.

“Third that,” says Elena, unexpectedly, though Jane isn’t really all that surprised. Elena had hated knowing this truth about Sabina when it happened on mission, and had an uncontrolled fear response to it (which, how could you not?).* It makes sense to Jane that Elena wouldn’t want to go there, either. Even if emotionally intelligent Elena is normally all about Talk Fests and Facing Their Issues.*

“Fourth that,” says Bosley, sounding a little guilty and side-eyeing Saint. “That’s got my vote.”

Saint frowns unhappily at all of them.

“Charlie and I vote the other way,” he tells them, slowly. “But we can’t … force you to … face this demon.”

“The demon is me,” says Sabina baldly, and she is now trembling all over, just the tiniest amount. Jane is alarmed. Sabina’s thigh tremors minutely under Jane’s supportive hand, and Jane presses down a little, trying to calm Sabina by touch alone. Jane exchanges a glance of wide-eyed concern with Elena.

“Yes and no,” says Saint, calmly, dark eyes boring into Sabina’s own. “It is and it isn’t.” He nods encouragingly. “Breathe, Sabina.”

Sabina breathes accommodatingly. Jane takes a deep breath too, because good idea.

Bosley sighs and seems to be speaking to Saint silently now, they are making eyes at each other. Jane can’t read what they are saying, but she knows it’s debriefing-related, and that Bosley and Saint are tag-teaming herself, Elena, and Sabina. This doesn’t overly concern Jane because it’s Bosley’s and Saint’s job, as the Angels’ extended support team and their leads. At the same time, it annoys her a little. Jane doesn’t like to feel … controlled. It’s too close to manipulation.

Jane doesn’t fully trust Bosley or Saint, unlike her two girlfriends who both share trusting and close relationships with them, albeit of different kinds. Jane has become aware that both Sabina and Elena see Bosley and Saint as not just their team, but their family. Sabina and Elena have become aware that this isn’t the case for Jane. For her, Sabina and Elena are her team-and-family. Bosley and Saint are just … her professional team, extended. Nothing more, nothing less.*

“Let’s table it for now,” Bosley finally says. “At least until further intel arises.”

Saint nods slowly though he seems a little upset.

Sabina sighs and relaxes. Sabina’s tremoring has stopped, and Jane relaxes incrementally. Elena sighs on Sabina’s other side - in relief, Jane assesses. Jane is relieved too. Further intel regarding berserking doesn’t seem likely to arise anytime soon. That means this issue is tabled, indefinitely. As it should be. They can all go back to pretending it doesn’t exist and never happened.

Which is exactly how Jane wants it.

Chapter Text

Sabina’s POV

Sabina is in the training room at HQ later that day, preparing to spar with her friend and fellow Angel, Sakura Kobayashi, a double specialist in grifting and tech.*

“You’re sure you’re up to this?” Sakura checks, as she wraps her hands in preparation for their matchup.

Sabina rolls her eyes although it’s probably a good question.

“Saint’s cleared me,” she tells Sakura. “If that’s what you’re asking.”

“It is,” says Sakura cheerfully. “I don’t want to get in trouble with The Man.” She grins. “Or to beat you up if you’re still all … hurting and pathetic.”

“You couldn’t beat me up, dude,” says Sabina with a playful wink. “Even if I was all pathetic.” She grins at Sakura, half a challenge. “I’m ahead.”

Sabina means that she’s won more of their matchups than Sakura has. Sabina’s lost track at this point, but she’s sure of that much. They’re not that evenly matched … which is probably good today, because it’s Sabina’s first match since being laid up resting to recover from the effects of Piper’s interrogation. Sabina had taken quite the beating … not to mention hung around in chains off her feet (very hard on the body for any length of time), and she’s still not feeling at full fighting capacity. So she is just a tad … hurting and pathetic. It’s better if Sakura doesn’t know that, though. Sabina wants to beat her friend’s ass, fair and square!

“Whatever,” grumps Sakura. “Time to rectify that.”

“Rectify this!” Sabina tells Sakura with another grin, punching one fist into the palm of her other hand in clear challenge.

Sakura rolls her eyes and gives Sabina the middle finger. Sabina grins wider.

“Ready?” checks Sakura. She’s finished wrapping her hands. Sabina bounces on the balls of her feet:

“Ready!”

They start circling the ring and each other. On a good day (or an impatient one) Sabina would probably just charge in but this is a … fair day. A new day. A still-a-little-bruised, a-little-stiff, a-little-weak … but totally up for kicking a fellow Angel’s ass day. Sabina will have to play this match smart though and be more cautious than her usual balls-to-the-wall, self.

Out of the corner of her eye Sabina glimpses Jane and Elena. They’ve entered the training room and are watching the matchup, side by side. A couple other Angels are watching too, but Sabina is more interested in her girlfriends’ presences. On one hand she’s glad that they’re here, because Sabina loves to show off, gets off on attention, and is nuts for Jane and Elena. On the other hand, she feels a little annoyed, a little worried. She doesn’t want her girls to see her get her ass handed to her (which totally could happen … any moment now). That’s embarrassing for Sabina … and would probably make her girlfriends all worried and suffocating, which is totes annoying.

Oh, the two-of-them have done a real good job of trying not to be suffocating (which Sabina appreciates and gives due credit for), but Jane in particular is beginning to fail. It’s now been several weeks of intense Jane-attention (which might a bit much, even in Sabina’s attention-loving book). Sabina generally loves to be loved-up and nurtured and babied when she’s sick or ill, as much as the next girl (who isn’t Jane, who loathes it). But not so much when Sabina’s trying to prove how tough and together she is (which is the deal, right now).

Sakura lands a couple punches right past Sabina’s guard onto her torso; Sabina’s too distracted by her girlfriends to block. She gasps for breath and falls back, getting her guard up again. Annoying. Embarrassing! Half-scowling, half-pouting, Sabina sucks in another breath and goes on the attack. It doesn’t really work; Sakura blocks successfully. Sabina is feeling a little breathless: she needs to get fit again, pronto. Too much sleeping and lying about on pain meds. Not enough exercise and sparring and training …

In Sabina’s peripheral vision Jane scowls. It might be disapproving. Elena looks worried, and maybe like she’s holding her breath. Sabina makes the hand signal for timeout to Sakura, who steps back obligingly, eyebrows raised.

“Oi, girlfriends,” Sabina calls down to Jane and Elena. “A little privacy?”

Jane glares. Elena looks confused. The other nearby Angels, Mel and Huiqing, both appear to be smirking. Sabina ignores them in favour of addressing her girlfriends.

“Can you not watch us?” Sabina elaborates. She makes puppy-dog eyes at her girlfriends and pouts. “Pleassse? It’s too distracting.”

“Um…” Elena glances at Jane then back to Sabina. “Really? But you usually … like it.”

“Sure,” says Sabina uncomfortably, because that’s true, but she doesn’t really want to explain why she doesn’t want it now, while Sakura is watching them with a Giant Smirk. Sabina rolls her eyes towards Sakura, accordingly, trying to signal to Elena why Sabina doesn’t want to flesh this out.

Elena follows Sabina’s eye roll and then nods, minutely.

“C’mon Janey,” says Elena mildly, taking Jane’s hand. “Let’s go get a coffee.”

Jane is still glaring. It seems to be equally apportioned between Sabina and Sakura.

“Okay,” says Jane, grumpily. Jane and Elena turn and start heading out, hand in hand, though not without a few parting glare-glances from Jane, and a wink from Elena straight at Sabina.

Sabina is grateful! Her girlfriends are the bee’s knees. She grins after them appreciatively, watching as they leave the training room together.

“You’re a lucky woman,” says Sakura affectionately, once Jane and Elena are gone. “You don’t want them to see your ass get beatdown, am I right? Or am I right?”

The watching Huiqing (who is shamelessly eavesdropping) laughs. Mel at least has the grace to try and hide her snigger behind a fake yawn. Huiqing is mannerless, but Sabina can’t really criticise because she’s Exactly The Same. Sabina rolls her eyes at their audience, then smirks at Sakura:

“You’re right.” Sabina’s pretty sure Sakura is right, and that Sabina is about to get soundly beaten. Judging by how this fight’s felt so far, distracted or not. That’s no reason not to go there though; Sabina has to get back in the ring sometime! Getting beaten is part of getting fighting fit. Nobody can win all the matches (except possibly Jane Kano, Agent BAMF … no, not even her). “It’s not sexy,” Sabina tells her friend. “I’ve got to keep my street cred.”

“You never lost your street cred,” Sakura tells Sabina, still affectionately. “I’m pretty sure getting tortured and having to recover, doesn’t affect cred. Like one iota.”

“Thanks dude,” says Sabina, just as affectionately. “Now shut up and beat my ass.”

“You got it,” says Sakura a little too cheerfully for propriety. “Not a problem.”

They start fighting again.

Chapter Text

Jane’s POV

“Why did Sabina do that?” Jane asks Elena as they have coffee together, out by the coffee cart on HQ’s front lawn.

The two-of-them are sitting on a bench overlooking the pond and marble fountain that Elena and Sabina enjoy so much (sculptures of cherubic angels with swords … and one bearing a gun and cheeky grin). At this point in their longstanding relationship Jane has resigned herself to sitting by this stupid fountain regularly, as much as she (still) thinks it’s an eyesore. Her girlfriends appreciate it too much … and Jane appreciates coffee … and having coffee with her girls. It’s kind of like how Elena watches hit tv show, Game of Thrones with Jane and Sabina (who are both big fans), despite Elena not being into it At All; Elena thinks it’s too dark and depressing. Yes, it’s a lot like that. Jane knows that Elena appreciates how much Jane and Sabina like the show … and Elena likes to be close and cuddle, with them.

Jane doesn’t follow this policy for everything (none of their triad do). Jane won’t watch the puerile drivel that is Star Trek, no matter how often Sabina does (Jane accidentally oversees and overhears quite a lot of it anyway, worst luck). Neither Jane nor Sabina touch Elena’s complicated puzzles (because how deadly boring). Elena doesn’t play Sabina’s favourite console game, Street Fighter on PlayStation with Sabina and Jane. It’s not that the Angels share all their interests (they definitely don’t) or force each other to partake in their hobbies. They’re not enmeshed: they don’t do everything together - they all take space, though they tend to like different amounts.

Yet sometimes they extend themselves beyond their personal leanings because … it’s worth it. Like Jane with this (stupid) fountain. Elena with Game of Thrones. Sabina with so many of their triad’s Whiteboard Meetings, which Sabina good-naturedly attends when it’s utterly plain to both Jane and Elena that Sabina has no idea (or interest in) what is going on and is basically faking it. Badly.*

Now, in answer to Jane’s question about Sabina’s behaviour in the training room, Elena answers:

“She feels embarrassed.”

Jane nods thoughtfully. She has (slowly) come to trust that Elena Houghlin is the relational expert of their throuple (by far), having an especially high EQ … and so being something of a girlfriend-whisperer with Sabina and Jane herself. At first this trait made Jane suspicious of Elena and freaked her out a little (although Jane could always vaguely see and admit, how she and Sabina benefitted from it). Over time, due to repeat experience, Jane’s trust of Elena has grown in leaps and bounds. Jane now understands that her girlfriend won’t use her EQ against them … Elena’s soft-hearted values means that she uses her emotional intelligence for others’ benefit and puts their triad first. Jane is grateful. Still a little freaked out, but willing to put that aside in favour of learning a thing or two. Even willing to rely on Elena, at least sometimes. For Jane Kano, that’s huge. Unprecedented.

“I think Sabina thought she was … going to lose,” Elena adds. “And she was worried about us … seeing, and maybe about us … getting er, smothery.”

“You mean me,” says Jane, with a trace of humour.

“Sure,” says Elena with a grateful smile. “Though I’m a risk factor too, Janey.”

“Granted,” says Jane comfortably. “But you’re better at hiding your … smothering, than I am.”

Elena grins and raises her Angel brand keep-cup to Jane, who clicks hers to it, and grins back.

They drink their coffees in companionable silence.

“I just don’t want Sabina to get hurt,” Jane says finally, gazing at the fountain thoughtfully. “Unnecessarily.” Jane rolls her eyes a little. “I mean, I know she has to get fit again, and that she’ll be … lacking, at the beginning.”

“Right,” agrees Elena. “We’ve all been there.”

They all have, many times over. Though Jane much less than Sabina and Elena because Jane hardly ever seems to get seriously hurt … or even ill, for that matter. As Sabina puts it (and Jane really likes hearing this), Jane is tough as nails. Elena has been there less because both Jane and Sabina protect their team’s baby on missions, as much as possible, while seeming like they are doing no such thing. It helps that Bosley (Jane’s pretty damn sure) does the same … Jane is 99% sure that Elena hasn’t picked up on their protectiveness, despite being ultra-perceptive about most things.

Jane puts that down to Elena’s trusting nature: sometimes it works against Houghlin. As long as it works for their triad, Jane is fine with that. Elena is their rookie, for all that the three-of-them have been an official Angels’ team for quite a while now. Jane and Sabina are much more experienced, as is Bosley. The team should protect her!

Quite besides all that, nobody seems to get hurt as much as Sabina Wilson does … on the entire Angels’ roster. That’s probably something to do with how Sabina dives into everything … like it’s a desperate skid into home base in the final second of the grand final game. While this chaotic trait can make the impossible, possible (especially in risky moments of desperate missions), it’s also hard on Sabina’s girlfriends. How could it not be?

“Right,” says Jane. “But Sabina the most. I wish she’d … take better care of herself.”

“Maybe we should tell her … that it bothers us?” Elena says thoughtfully. “How reckless she can be?”

“Do you think that would do anything?” Jane asks. She rolls her eyes. “It’s practically who she is. Bina’s always been that way, since I met her.”

“I know,” says Elena softly. “But maybe she … doesn’t realise. How it affects us.”

Jane thinks this over, staring at the fountain unseeingly.

“Maybe,” she says, finally. “Could be worth a try.”

Elena smiles and reaches over to take Jane’s hand.

“Let’s try then. When it feels like a good time.”

“Okay,” says Jane, shooting Elena a small smile. “Let’s.” Elena smiles back.

Jane feels satisfied. This is a kind of teamship too, Jane and Elena tag-teaming their girlfriend. The Angels all do this in different ways in their various dyads (Jane has come to realise). Jane and Sabina eye-signal each other to go to Elena’s support when that seems needed. Jane is aware that Elena and Sabina must do similar to Jane herself, though she’s less sure when or why that is … she doesn’t seem to catch them in the moment: she’s usually too compromised. Since it’s for the sake of their triad’s good … their family’s good … Jane’s decided that she doesn’t mind. Their family-team comes first. Jane just has to suck it up, for the good of the three-of-them. Sabina should too! It's a plan: one tag-team coming right up … just as soon as an advantageous moment presents itself.

For their girlfriend’s good.

Chapter Text

Jane’s POV

Jane has just finished up doing sprint drills on the track oval at HQ. It’s a fortnight later, and the Angels all have mandatory therapy appointments scheduled with Saint (individually) so have come into base. Jane likes to take advantage of the state-of-the-art training facilities whenever they’re here. She knows Elena is up to something or other in the lab (also common). Jane doesn’t know what Sabina’s been doing with her time (also common … it could be anything) but right now Sabina is lounging halfway up the bleachers, sprawled out casually as though she isn’t waiting for Jane … when Jane knows that’s exactly what her girlfriend is doing.

“Hi,” says Jane, approaching and standing just below Sabina to towel the sweat off her body.

“Hiiiiii,” drawls Sabina, giving Jane an ultra-suggestive up-and-down onceover.

Jane raises one eyebrow and gives her girlfriend a droll look. What Jane doesn’t say or show (but she suspects Sabina knows) is that Jane likes it a lot when Sabina inappropriately leers at her, flirts with her … or does anything that indicates Sabina’s clear and univocal desire for all-things-Jane. What’s more, Jane has always liked it. Even when she couldn’t yet admit that to herself.

“What’s up?” Jane asks Sabina, allowing her towel to wipe at her body a little too slowly and suggestively to be just about cleaning up sweat. Sabina’s eyes follow Jane’s movements appreciatively … and Jane knows that Sabina knows that Jane is doing her own subtle style of flirting. Sabina grins big and licks her lips. Yeah, Sabina knows: Jane’s girlfriend is totally obvious. The opposite of Jane. It’s kind of their thing.

“Just wanted to hang,” says Sabina. “With you.”

Jane smiles, feeling pleased.

“Let’s do it,” she says, and though her tone is not that expressive compared to the average person, for Jane, it’s practically effusive.

Sabina fist pumps the air. She bounces down the bleachers to Jane’s side, stands up on her tiptoes, and Jane leans down in tandem: they kiss. It’s just a peck but Jane’s heart beats a bit faster. Sabina bumps their shoulders together companiably. Or bumps her shoulder into Jane’s arm due to their height differential, same deal.

“What training were you going to do next?” Sabina wants to know.

“Why do you assume that I was going to train more?” Jane asks, drily yet with a hint of playful undercurrent that Sabina in particular has always seemed to be skilled at picking up on (unlike other people). Because Sabina picks up on it, Jane does it more around her girlfriend than anyone else. It’s just happened that way … it’s part of why Jane Kano liked Sabina Wilson so much and wanted to be friends with her, close from when they first met.

In any case, Jane was going to train more (of course). Jane knows that Sabina knows that too. This interaction is just about ribbing each other playfully because again, it’s kind of their thing.

“Babe,” says Sabina easily, “you’re a machine. Of course you’re gonna train more.”

Jane feels chuffed. She arches a sardonic eyebrow at Sabina, ignoring how her skin is flushing a little with her pleasure, and maybe even with … arousal. But Jane knows Sabina will pick up on Jane’s blush, no matter how sardonically Jane raises her eyebrow. Sabina’s a specialist grifter after all, and according to her personnel file and After Action Reports (all of which Jane reads illicitly and religiously), Sabina’s probably the best grifter on Charlie’s roster.* It’s literally her job to pick up when people are into her.

Back before they got together as an official triad, Sabina was bad at picking up Jane’s and Elena’s romantic-and-sexual interest in her (she’s told them in retrospect) … but that was no doubt the result of being unwittingly in love (for the first time ever). When they’d talked and teased each other about their early days as a team (crushing on each other, hard), Elena speculated that the haze of avidly desiring a certain outcome (to be liked back) made it impossible (for all of them) to read their mutual interest accurately.

Jane had her own experience of this: there were even a few months there where she could do nothing but leer (blatantly) at her teammates, while her brain made (supremely) unhelpful comments and she took zero action towards her goals. Apparently, Sabina and Elena had picked up Jane’s leering loud and clear … as had everyone else (which is mortifying, in retrospect). Yet Jane hadn’t been able to read their responses at the time: she’d just been confused and annoyed and painfully, perpetually aroused.*

“Weights in the gym,” Jane tells Sabina, picking up her sports bag and beginning to walk towards said gym, back inside HQ. Sabina walks alongside.

“Not in the training room?” Sabina wonders. There are free weights and several weights machines located there too.

“Too crowded,” says Jane dismissively. Jane prefers to do weights in the gym, usually. Jane knows Sabina knows this. They are talking for the sake of talking, because it’s fun and companiable. Also, because this kind of small talk sets Sabina up for (flirtatious) banter and jokes … which Jane likes to do for her girlfriend. It’s fulfilling to witness how much Sabina enjoys it. Not to mention, that Jane enjoys their banter too, though she does her level best not to show it (just part of the game. Every comedic double act needs a straight man! Sabina’s the eccentric; Jane’s gives good deadpan*).

“But you’re like, inspirational and shit,” says Sabina, mock-yet-real admiringly. “Angels want to bench-press more when they see what you can press!” Sabina grins at Jane, lasciviously. “And some of us want to … bench-press you.”

“That’s a terrible line,” Jane says frankly, because it is.

“I know,” says Sabina, grinning widely. “I must be off my game.”

“Why’s that?” Jane asks, deliberately copying the coy tone that Elena so excels at. This particular tone usually makes Sabina go all shy-and-bumbling virgin … or get incredibly turned on (or both). Jane wants to see if it will work for her, like it works for Elena Houghlin. Sabina tosses Jane especially wide green eyes, while chewing on her bottom lip. A pause.

“Duuude, so not fair,” Sabina finally complains. “Lost my train of thought.”

“Like you lost your game?” Jane teases, beginning to really enjoy herself. It’s not often that Sabina loses her flirtatious footing. Jane likes to make the most of it.

“Um…” Sabina chews her bottom lip some more. “Yeah.”

They are walking down one of HQ’s hallways, and nobody is around. Jane takes the opportunity to step into Sabina’s personal space, backing Sabina up until her girlfriend is pressed up against the wall and Jane is pressed up against Sabina, chest to chest.

“Hi,” says Jane quietly.

She smiles down at Sabina who is looking disconcerted but thoroughly turned on. Sabina outright sucks her bottom lip, staring up at Jane with dilated pupils. Jane knows it’s unconscious because she is thoroughly aware of the difference between Sabina-in-seductive-mode and Sabina-knocked-for-a-six at this stage in their relationship. Jane likes both modes. But this one is the one she was going for just now which is … supremely satisfying.

“Hiiiiii,” says Sabina, but it’s not suggestive like earlier, it seems dazed.

Jane curves one possessive hand behind the back of Sabina’s neck and bends down to kiss her girlfriend. Sabina’s hands come up to clutch at Jane’s sides, digging in a little too tightly. Jane kisses Sabina hard, without warning, and without build-up. The two-of-them often like to kiss this way: everything up until now has served as foreplay. 

A pair of footsteps walk past and two Angels whistle at them. Jane ignores the interruption: it’s beneath her. Jane continues kissing Sabina, passionately, who doesn’t appear to notice the other Angels at all. The footsteps recede and Jane forgets about them.

She’s too caught up in kissing Sabina.

Chapter Text

Sabina’s POV

Sabina kisses Jane and forgets what her own name is. However long passes before Jane finally releases Sabina from where Jane had pushed her up against the wall, and Sabina comes back to herself. Jane is looking Very Smug, but Sabina doesn’t mind, because smug looks good on Jane Kano. So fucking good.

“Coming to the gym?” Jane asks, casually as if they haven’t just been holding up the hallway’s wall like it desperately needs scaffolding (it doesn’t).

“Ummm,” says Sabina, licking her lips hungrily and staring at Jane’s lips which definitely have that just-kissed look. “The gym?”

“C’mon,” says Jane, all dry amusement. She turns and heads down the hallway, tugging Sabina by the hand. Sabina follows her girlfriend willingly, if thoughtlessly. Her thinking has gone offline.

They are passing one of the labs and as chance would have it, Elena is stepping out the door, wearing a white lab coat, with safety glasses pressed up on her head like sunglasses. Sabina’s eyes widen. It’s sexy! It makes her want to roleplay with Elena, stat!

Elena winks at Sabina, smiling coyly. Sabina knows Elena knows just what Sabina’s thinking; Elena very often does. Elena shares a knowing look with Jane which Sabina knows is about Sabina, even if she doesn’t know exactly what it means.

“What have you two been up to?” asks Elena with a cute little smirk that says Elena suspects that they’ve been up to ‘each other’.

“Working out,” says Jane, as dry as dry.

“For science,” says Sabina even though that doesn’t make sense.

She’s distracted by the currently sciencey look of her genius girlfriend. Sabina is into the Lab Angels and kinky scientific experiments (these don’t actually happen … Sabina just fantasises about it). Saaay, maybe Elena and her could go and do one of those experiments right now (which has happened before … usually in their bedroom). Jane could join them! Sabina feels excited and bounces a little on her toes.

“No-one’s scheduled to use this lab for the next hour,” Elena tells Sabina, as though she knows exactly what Sabina is thinking. “We can lock the door.” Elena twirls one strand of her shoulder length brown hair around her finger and winks at Sabina, ultra-suggestively. Next Elena smiles at Jane, arching an eyebrow in clear invitation.

Jane looks like she’s thinking about it. Seriously. Sabina doesn’t know what there is to think about.

“For science!” Sabina repeats, heading into the lab and tugging Jane along by their still joined hands.

“What about the gym?” Jane wants to know. Jane can get stuck on tasks, they all know that. Jane tends to plan out her time and efficiently check her ‘mission objectives’ off, one by one by one. Sabina thinks that Jane could benefit from being more spontaneous, like Sabina. That way you don’t miss out on sudden (thrilling!) sex opportunities when they arise, right in front of you! You make the most of every opp.

Elena has stepped into the lab and is locking the door.

“The gym will still be there,” says Elena to Jane comfortingly. “After we … carry out our experiment.”

“What experiment?” asks Jane suspiciously … but there is a light flush across her skin that tells Sabina that Jane is down for this, and that Jane knows exactly what they are doing …

At least in broad strokes. Sabina and Elena roleplay in their dyadic sex life much more than Jane does with either of them, but she’s joined in their roleplays often enough as a ‘helper’.* They invite her and Jane (reluctantly?) says yes and ends up enjoying herself thoroughly … while pretending not to (but everyone knows the truth). Sabina’s picked up that Jane just finds it embarrassing … that’s why she pretends to be above it or not so into it. Somehow that makes it accessible for Jane to go there, lovable weirdo that she is (though ostensibly Jane thinks that Sabina is the weird one …).*

The Angels’ smartphones ding in tandem, the distinctive tone that means Bosley is messaging them. Sabina groans. Timing! Bosley has terrible timing! Jane is already pulling out her phone and looking at the screen, as is Elena. Sabina pouts and doesn’t bother. Her girlfriends will tell her what’s up, any moment now. Sure enough …

“Bosley wants us,” says Jane. “Now. In her office.”

“Sucks to be us,” groans Sabina.

“Let’s go,” says Elena, taking off her safety glasses and lab coat, and hanging them up on the designated rack.

Elena sighs a little and Sabina knows that Elena is peeved too. Jane is already unlocking the door and heading out … Jane is always laser-focused when a mission comes up, so Sabina doesn’t take offence. It’s part of her girlfriend’s BAMFhood: Jane was born that way.* Sabina trails after her girlfriends, glancing mournfully back at what could have been the scene of Very Hot Roleplay but is unfortunately, only the scene of Actual Science.

“C’mon, baby,” says Elena comfortingly, grabbing Sabina’s hand and entwining their fingers. Sabina sees that Elena lingered in the hall, waiting for Sabina to catch up; Jane is striding ahead. “There’ll be other sex opps.”

Sabina grins at Elena because it’s cute to hear Elena call them ‘sex opps’, which is Sabina’s name for spontaneously occurring sexual encounters (brilliant, right?).

“There’d better be,” Sabina says, releasing Elena’s hand in favour of sticking her own hand into the back pocket of Elena’s stylish jeans. “Your ass is mine.”

“Totally is,” agrees Elena, wiggling her ass a little as they walk along together.

Elena wraps her arm around Sabina’s waist. They smile at each other, and it’s tender for all that it’s filled with heat. Sabina feels happy!

Sex opp or no sex opp.

Chapter Text

Elena’s POV

It isn’t long before the Angels are all seated in Bosley’s office on her couch. Sabina went to sit on the side today (instead of the centre position, which she tends to trade-off on with Elena*), but Jane came and nudged herself on Sabina’s outer side so that Sabina was shifted into the middle position. Elena watches in amusement as Sabina pouts … then just goes with it. Elena knows that Jane did this because she’s been extra clucky since Sabina got interrogated by Piper Ridley. Elena has too, but she’s been doing a pretty good job of hiding it - at least she’s pretty sure she is. Jane is trying to hide it (Elena can tell) but … failing.

“We’re going to Paris!” Bosley tells the Angels. “Our flight leaves in four hours, so go home, pack, and get yourselves back here, pronto. We’ll probably be stationed there for about a month.”

Elena is surprised, but excited. It’s been a long time since their last international mission, as a team. Oh, here and there, one of them has flown off domestically or internationally for various missions, sometimes joined by other Angels. But as a team, they’ve mostly been focused on the U.S. city this HQ is in (where their home is located nearby) … thanks to two intricate crime syndicates that Charlie’s been bringing down, step by step, mission by mission.*

“What’s the mission?” Jane wants to know.

“I’ll get you up to speed during the flight,” says Bosley. “We’re taking an Angels’ private jet. Saint is coming too.”

Then Bosley says something that’s in … Elena squints, French? Jane answers coolly. Sabina laughs and rattles off something, also in French. Jane arches an eyebrow sardonically and Bosley smirks. Elena stares. Her girlfriends speak French! So does Bosley! Elena doesn’t speak hardly any … just enough to order a coffee (because, priorities) and recognise what language this is, and that’s it.

“Elena?” says Bosley.

“Sorry, Bos,” says Elena meekly. “I didn’t take French at language school.” Elena means the language classes available at Angels’ training school. They were optional electives, and Elena had gone down the extended tech route instead, with heavy doses of lab and specialist getaway driving (assorted vehicles).*

“Neither did I,” says Sabina. “But my lame-ass family had … foreign interests.” Sabina cracks her knuckles which Elena thinks is likely something to do with Sabina’s family, since her girlfriend doesn’t make that gesture a lot (or talk about her family). “It’s come in super handy for grifting.” Sabina’s voice turns sultry. “It’s the language of love.”

“I learned it at school,” Jane tells Elena. “Brushed up on it in Angels’ training.”

“I had a French boyfriend,” says Bosley, rather nostalgically.

The Angels stare at Bosley.

“Sexy,” Sabina teases in a French accent (it’s the same word in French), winking at Bosley suggestively.

Jane arches an eyebrow. Elena grins at Bosley who smirks back.

“Well,” says Bosley calmly, “we’ll get by alright without Elena knowing French.” She blinks. “Probably. It might get a little tricky if the computer systems are in French…”

“They won’t be in the backend,” says Elena confidently. “Code is code.”*

“We’ll translate the frontend for Lena if we have to,” says Sabina quickly, and Elena knows it’s because her girlfriend desperately wants Elena to join them on this mission-adventure. Elena smiles at Sabina who mouths silently back at her:

“I’ve got you, boo!”

“Good enough,” says Bosley. She says something else in French, voice jokey.

Jane smiles ironically and Sabina chortles. Elena pouts. Is the whole trip going to be like this?

Bosley winks at Elena and makes a shooing motion at the Angels. Sabina’s already on her feet, pulling Elena up to hers. Elena forgets about feeling annoyed in favour of feeling excited.

They’re going to Paris!

Chapter Text

Jane’s POV

Jane sits in a roomy seat in one of the Angels’ small private jets. Jane is in the aisle seat and Elena has the window; Sabina sits across from them, lying back over both seats on her side. Bosley and Saint sit on the opposite side of the plane which has single seats spaced out, further up; the Angels are at the back. The pilot and sole steward both work for the Angels exclusively and will fly them to their destination, then return for them on the designated pickup date (which might change, depending on how the mission plays out).

Their team is mid-flight. Bosley briefed them earlier and Jane is still chewing over the mission details, turning them over in her mind from various strategic angles. Jane sips from a flute of white wine; this feels like an appropriate time to drink a little … they’ve just finished dinner. Jane glances at Elena who is happily engaged doing what looks like an incredibly difficult puzzle game on her tablet. Elena is very into puzzles (and very good at them); Jane smiles affectionately. Then she glances over at Sabina who is listening to music on fancy noise-cancelling headphones. Sabina has her eyes closed (in bliss?) and is wiggling along to the music, despite lying on her back with her knees pulled up (so weird). Jane can see Sabina’s head nodding along to the beat despite the awkward angle … this makes Jane smile too.

Jane sips her wine again. Bosley had said that their first mission objective is to infiltrate a pop concert’s after-party, as an opportunity for Sabina to get eyes on her mark (one of the members of a famous pop duo, who are non-identical twins) and hopefully establish contact … or even an initial relationship of some kind. Bosley had admitted that the Agency higher ups knew Sabina was still a little worse for wear on the back of Ridley’s torture and not at full fighting fitness (though getting quite close by this stage) … but that this golden opportunity had meant Charlie’s flagship team needed to engage, anyway.

Jane and Elena are there for backup, just in case that’s needed (it seems unlikely). At the same time, Elena has a side-mission of getting eyes on the mansion’s security tech (where the party is being hosted by the Landry twin’s manager in France, one Sly Trope), with view to infiltrating it during a planned future mission. Jane will help Elena with the language if needed: they will pose as girlfriends. This particular pop duo attracts a progressive fan base so this won’t be a problem … lesbianism will be an asset. Apparently, it is ‘in’.

“You’re thinking about the mission?” Elena asks Jane, and Jane looks over to see that Elena has paused her puzzle game.

“Yes,” says Jane. “Just strategising.”

Elena nods and reaches over to place a gentle hand on Jane’s thigh:

“Are you worried?”

“Nooo,” says Jane hesitantly. Then she adds honestly, “maybe a little.” Jane uses her eyes to gesture towards Sabina without alerting their girlfriend and nods at Elena meaningfully.

“Because Sabina’s not at 100%,” guesses Elena quietly, outright looking at their girlfriend. Jane sighs: the jig is up. However, when she looks at Sabina, Jane sees what Elena has already seen: Sabina is too engrossed in her music to pay any attention to their conversation.

“She’s close though,” Jane tries to reassure herself.

“I’m worried too,” Elena admits readily, hand flexing on Jane’s thigh. “It’s not just about physical injuries or mission fitness. We all went through a … lot, just being at that interrogation. Bina most of all.”

Jane nods morosely.

“But you also, Janey,” says Elena gently. “I think maybe it … was more challenging for you, than me.”

“What do you mean?” asks Jane, surprised.

“Just because you’re so … protective of us.” Elena smiles a little, and her eyes are full of love and maybe even … admiration. Jane feels embarrassed for a second, but it quickly morphs into a kind of shy satisfaction. “That makes it harder on you,” Elena adds, “I suspect. If one of us … gets hurt or is in danger.”

“Maybe,” says Jane, thinking this over. It’s probably true. Jane hasn’t thought of it so overtly before, but Elena is perceptive and often has deep insight. Jane thinks Elena might be … right about this. Interesting.

“Sabina kind of … shook it off,” Elena adds, and now she’s sounding thoughtful. “Almost like Piper had a … right to t-torture her, or she deserved it, or something like that.” Elena frowns, now looking upset. “I don’t think she sees it the way we do.”

“You’re right,” says Jane, outright scowling at Sabina for all that their girlfriend is oblivious, eyes closed as she nods along to the (loud!) music. Despite the high-quality noise-cancelling headphones Jane can still tell that Sabina has the music turned way up. Probably well past the recommended level, knowing her …

“Maybe that’s a good thing,” says Elena, not sounding very sure about it. “Helps her just … get over it.”

“Maybe not,” Jane challenges. “Means she’s in denial … and doesn’t face up to what happened. Or maybe she just doesn’t value herself.”

“Could be both,” suggests Elena, voice gentle again. “Maybe.”

Jane sighs and gives in, sort of. Because ultimately, Jane doesn’t know:

“Maybe.”

Sabina opens her eyes and turns her head to look at them. She presses the pause button on the side of the headphones and slides them down onto her neck, sits up.

“They’re awesome,” Sabina tells Jane and Elena with enthusiasm. “The Polka Pops.”

“Such a stupid name,” says Jane, rolling her eyes. It’s practically the worst band name she’s ever heard!*

“You were listening to them?” asks Elena. “That’s a good idea.”

“Yeah.” Sabina grins. “I’ve just finished their latest album. It’ll be useful to know their music back-to-front, for grifting Jezabel.”

Jezabel Landry is one member of the pop duo Bosley mentioned, Jaz Landry is the other. They are fraternal twins, sister and brother, half-British and half-French with big audiences in both countries. Jane studies Sabina thoughtfully. For someone who seems to fly by the seat of her pants … Sabina Wilson sure puts a lot more work into her grifting missions than is first apparent. Like this: getting right onto the task of knowing the discography of her latest mark. Jane smiles approvingly at her girlfriend. This makes Jane feel better … about everything. To know that Sabina will be prepared, going into her objective.

Sabina winks at Jane like she knows just what Jane is thinking.

“I’m all over it, babe,” she tells Jane confidently … even though Jane hasn’t said anything. “I’ll be like, their number one fan, before we’ve even landed.” Sabina winks at Elena next. “Lucky that I actually dig their music.”

“You dig a lot of music,” teases Elena affectionately. Then with a hint of innuendo, and mimicking Sabina’s style of speaking: “You dig a lot of things.”

“Come and sit on my lap,” Sabina flirts, “and I’ll show you what I dig.”

Elena grins and is already moving to seat herself on Sabina’s lap. Jane smiles wryly. She’s in for a show.

Having been with her girlfriends as long as she has, Jane can just tell.

Chapter Text

Sabina’s POV

Less than forty-eight hours later the Angels are at the pop concert’s after-party, and Sabina is chatting up a storm with her designated mark, Jezabel Landry. Sabina is well aware that she only has a few days left in ‘open month’ before their triad switches to their first ‘closed month’. Their triad has agreed to a system of one month on and one month off in terms of sexual exclusivity, with a six-month testing period before review.*

Sabina is the only one who wants to be open (her girlfriends are both happy being exclusive), and it’s her loose intention to fill up sexually on the open months to tide her through the closed ones … with as many sexy-hot encounters as she can possibly cram in. However, in retrospect, Sabina shouldn’t have asked for the first month to be open … she’s spent most of it laid up, recovering from Piper’s interrogation. It’s kind of hard to be sexual when you’re covered in bruises and hopped up on pain medication …

Sabina thinks that it’s a crying shame that they’re about to switch back to closed … because Sabina would certainly like to be ‘open’ with this particular mark. Jezabel has platinum blonde hair that is as bleached as Sabina’s own short ‘do … yet as long as Daenerys Targaryen’s hair on hit tv show, Game of Thrones (whoa, baby!). Sabina wants to sleep with this mark just to experience someone with hair-like-Daenerys! (What more reason do you need?) Jezabel’s eyes are an animalistic yellow … thanks to contact lenses, but Sabina’s into shock value. In keeping with the shock value theme (and no doubt the eccentric pop star theme) Jezabel is wearing a catsuit made of tight purple latex: it’s eye-catching, to say the least. Jezabel’s chin is pointed, and she has a way of smiling that is a little too pointed: fierce and catlike. She’s a head taller than Sabina (though not quite as tall as Jane), her body is lithe with pale skin, and they’re about the same age.

It appears that Jezabel might well like to be ‘open’ with her … Sabina can easily pick up the pop star’s queerness which is no doubt one of the reasons why Sabina’s been assigned to this mark (though nobody actually mentioned it). While Sabina has occasionally grifted straight women, she can’t use sex-appeal on them … although that didn’t stop her a time or two when they were obviously up for experimentation, at least with their fantasy sex object (who Sabina portrayed herself to be, in fine conning style)! Grifting isn’t all about sex appeal … but it certainly helps on anyone susceptible, and is the easiest way in, so to speak. Sabina Wilson uses it whenever she can, and enjoys using it, hugely.

“So, you’re a fan?” purrs Jezabel.

“Not yet,” Sabina teases. She has a hunch that playing it cool is the way to go here, and that Sabina should make Jezabel work for it … because Jezabel never has to, usually. Perks of being (semi?) famous.

Jezabel looks taken aback.

“Why are you here then?” she asks abruptly, and Sabina gauges that the pop star isn’t the most socially skilled. So far, Jezabel has revealed herself to be brash, overly direct, and confident. But not socially skilled.

“I like parties,” says Sabina. She grins at Jezabel. “Why are you here?”

Jezabel stares. Then grins back, slowly.

“I have to be. I’m the star.”

“Sucks to be the star,” says Sabina, raising her glass to Jezabel in a toast. “Unless you’re into parties.”

“Which you are,” points out Jezabel, raising her glass back and making heavy eye contact.

“Right,” says Sabina. “Maybe I could become a fan … for other reasons.”

Jezabel looks intrigued:

“Like?”

Sabina steps into Jezabel’s personal space and smiles coyly up at her. Sabina tilts her head so that their lips are quite close together, although they do not touch.

“Maybe you’ll show me,” Sabina purrs suggestively.

Jezabel looks taken aback, but also … excited. Aroused. Into it. Sabina can tell. Courtesy of years of grifting experience and reading what people are into, Sabina can also tell that Jezabel needs to be the one to initiate them going any further. Jezabel will freak otherwise … she needs to think it’s her idea. To feel in control. To be the ‘star’. So Sabina is flirting more passively than she often does. Tempting Jezabel closer. Tempting Jezabel to tempt her. A pause while Sabina waits and bats her lashes. Tries her best to look innocent yet overcome-with-desire …

“Maybe I will,” says Jezabel, and she leans a little closer, eyeing Sabina carefully.

Sabina guesses that Jezabel is not nearly so good at reading sexual interest as Sabina is (despite being an up-and-coming pop star), and that Jezabel is double-checking to see if Sabina is into this. It’s probably insecurity (beneath that bluster of confidence) that makes Jezabel unsure. Or lack of experience? Sabina will have to make this Nice & Obvious.

Sabina allows her eyes to flutter close, as though she’s overcome from Jezabel’s proximity. She sighs out, breathily. She parts her lips just a little. She even moans the tiniest bit (hopefully it’s not too much). After a slight pause Sabina feels the gentle pressure of Jezabel’s lips, meeting hers. The mark has taken the bait! Sabina is the bait! It’s Great To Be Bait! Sabina grins against Jezabel’s lips and constrains herself to kissing back softly and following Jezabel’s lead. Sabina can be self-controlled … when she has to be.

When they part long moments later, Sabina smiles up at Jezabel in satisfaction. Jezabel is blushing lightly and looks a little overcome. She smiles back at Sabina, shyly.

“So … I’m a fan,” Sabina tells Jezabel, reading that she is going to need to bolster this mark’s confidence at every opportunity. Negging won’t work so well as outright affirmation.* “Already.”

Jezabel’s smile widens, and her shoulders straighten. She looks charmed. Sabina almost feels bad. Playing people this way is … totally fun, and Sabina is … sooo damn good at it. Even so, it’s kind of … Morally Ambiguous. Not that it’s ever bothered Sabina before (she never gave it a second thought), at least not until what went down with Piper Ridley. It’s almost like Sabina’s a bad guy inside a team of good guys (Charlie’s Angels), and she gets to play with people’s hearts because it’s ‘for the greater good’. Her marks’ hearts are merely Necessary Casualties along the path of the Angels achieving their various aims. Since these are criminals’ hearts it’s not supposed to matter … but Sabina is an ex-criminal, herself. She’s kind of still a criminal if you drop the BS, just by another name and under Charlie’s protection. Sabina smiles back at Jezabel but underneath her smile, she feels … sort of guilty. Squirmy. Annoyed and weirded-out about the unpleasant guilt-feeling. Confused. It sucks ass.

“Come meet my twin,” Jezabel says with just a hint of propriety.

Sabina shakes her head to clear it and follows willingly. This is a very good sign. Sabina’s already in! Apparently Jezabel fits the stereotype of lesbians who u-haul on the first date. Maybe even literally. Sabina won’t have to work very hard at all.

They are heading across the packed and jamming party, Jezabel tugging Sabina along by the hand. On the way they happen to pass Jane and Elena who are sitting on a crowded couch with three other people, all squashed up against each other with Jane on the end furthest from Sabina. Jane favours Sabina with a sardonic look which Sabina reads as Unimpressed with Sabina-hooking-up-with-someone-else … yet simultaneously Impressed with Sabina-as-grifter. Sabina grins apologetically and winks: an answer to both. Elena pouts then smiles supportively, and Sabina knows this is also Elena Unimpressed and Impressed, for the same reasons as Jane. Sabina smiles tenderly at her other girlfriend. Both her girlfriends are the best.

Now Sabina and Jezabel have reached the other side of the room where Jaz Landry stands, surrounded by sycophants. He is dressed in a white ruffled pirate-style shirt that Sabina would totally wear, and purple latex tights that match Jezabel’s catsuit. They show off his impressive package (maybe it’s augmented?) and Sabina enjoys eyeing it, even though it’s super inappropriate and he’s not her mark. She glances up to find that he’s caught her looking … and looks arrogantly pleased. Not shy then: the opposite of shy. Jaz’s hair is black and curly … Sabina is pretty sure that neither are natural. It’s shoulder-length, which looks good on him. His eyes are purple, courtesy of contact lenses: totes dramatic. He’s much taller than Jezabel (and Jane for that matter) though his body is also lithe. His chin is pointed similarly to his twin’s and the smile he offers Sabina has the same fierce catlike nature.

“What kind of name is ‘Jaz’?” Sabina outright negs him, because she senses that it’s the best approach to take … if Sabina is to get any respect at all.

Most people fawn over Jaz Landry (such as this group of sycophants) … so she’ll need to stand up to him, and maybe even push a little. Sabina will need a modicum of respect from Jaz to complete her mission objectives with Jezabel. It’d be better if they get off on the right foot, which in this case means the wrong foot! The surrounding sycophants all stare nervously or ooh and ahh. Jaz rolls his eyes and doesn’t bother to reply directly. He looks annoyed, but that’s a damn good sign, in Sabina’s grifting playbook.

“This is Lolita,” Jezabel tells Jaz, which is the fake name Sabina’s using this time around the block.

It seemed like it would work to suck both twins in from initial intel: it’s girly, has a lot of sexual, sensual, taboo, and vulnerable connotations thanks to the infamous book (and movies), and nobody seems to be named that anymore (for obvious reasons).* Sabina is going for shock value!

Jaz grins nastily:

“What kind of name is Lolita?”

Sabina grins back. She saw that line coming from a mile away. She set him up for that line! Sabina feels a pleasurable jolt of dopamine go through her system. Oh yeah, grifting is fun.

“Something wrong with it?” she asks Jaz in a fake little-girl voice, that she means to be obviously fake to his ears also. Then in her usual voice: “At least it’s a real name.”

“Jaz is real!” he protests. “I’m standing right here, aren’t I?”

Sabina digs the defensiveness. She goes in for the kill. She eyes him up and down, lingering just a little on his too-prominent package, and licks her lips.

“Yes you are.”

Beside Sabina, Jezabel is glaring jealously, which again is a Very Good Sign. Sabina’s grifting instincts have kicked in and she wonders if perhaps the best way to get what she wants out of Jezabel is to drive a rift between the twins. Again, her conscience twinges unexpectedly. Am I really a good guy? This just … doesn’t seem like what a genuinely ‘good guy’ would think and do. Yet Sabina does this kind of thing all the time … and gets off on it too. Despite the sudden (mega-confusing, totally annoying) crisis of conscience, she’s even getting off on it right now …

“C’mon, Lolita,” Jezabel says in resting-bitch-voice, grabbing Sabina’s arm possessively. Sabina winces a little because Jezabel’s (purple) nails are now digging into her arm. “You’ve met my brother. Let’s go dance.”

“Wait!” says Jaz, stepping forward to stop them. “You’re a bitch, you know that?”

This is addressed at Sabina, aggressively, and his sycophants gasp and twitter. Sabina isn’t offended. This is par for the course with an arrogant prick like Jaz Landry. Besides, Sabina rode him hard. He has to rise to the occasion or risk his fragile ego. What other outcome could there be?

“Takes one to know one,” Sabina says complacently, which she knows will drive Jaz up the wall.

Beside Sabina, Jezabel grins at her brother, nastily. Sabina knows this is because Jezabel feels like she has nothing to be jealous about, if Sabina and Jaz are at loggerheads. Also, it’s probably refreshing for Jezabel to see her brother get stood up to, even if the twins are close (as Townsend Agency intel says that they are) and even if Jezabel is just as much a bitch as Jaz is (intel suggests this strongly).

Unexpectedly (expectedly) Jaz grins, and this time it’s lazy.

“Right,” he says, smile pointed.

“Right,” grins Sabina with a wink.

Now they’re on the same page. It was practically a hazing ritual. Jaz will give respect to Sabina now … as much as he does to anyone. Side-mission objective accomplished. (Unknown) bonus level unlocked!

“Uh-huh,” says Jezabel, dragging Sabina away; this time Jaz lets them go.

Jezabel sounds droll but she looks pleased, and Sabina knows this is because Jezabel can read her brother’s approval (such as it is), and it pleased about it. They head over towards the crowded (as sardines-in-a-tin) dancefloor. On the way Jezabel grabs a shot of some kind off a nearby caterer’s tray and slams it back. She’s a party girl (says intel) … Sabina is a party girl too (for realsies). She grabs two shots herself, and downs them both in quick succession. Jezabel laughs and grabs two more, downs them: One, Two. Sabina does the same. Now she’s tipsy. It’s good. Tipsy is fun! They grin at each other.

They’ve reached the dancefloor. Jezabel wraps her arms around Sabina’s neck. They begin dancing together, though it’s more like gyrating. It practically has to be, given how packed it is.

“So … are you single?” Jezabel husks into Sabina’s ear. Sabina grins.

“Of course,” she lies. She lifts her head up so that her lips graze along Jezabel’s jaw as Sabina asks her next question, an ‘accident’. “Unless you want to be…?”

“Girlfriends?” asks Jezabel, practically ecstatically. “You’re taken.” Jezabel obviously means Sabina’s taken by herself. Jezabel’s taken ‘Lolita’.

“Happily,” says Sabina, remembering that she needs to affirm Jezabel rather than neg her. Then, because she’s totally tipsy and there’s only a few days left of open month Sabina adds: “we should have sex. To celebrate!”

“Wow,” says Jezabel, grinning down at Sabina happily. “Fast mover.”

“Am I?” wonders Sabina, because she thinks that introducing someone to your family as soon as you meet them and calling them your girlfriend is the Real Definition of ‘fast mover’. Not sex, which is just … par for the course. However, Sabina knows that everyone’s different, and clearly Jezabel’s playbook is different to Sabina’s. “You don’t want to?” Sabina checks, just a little muggy-in-her-thoughts due to the four-shots-at-once. And wasn’t there two more, not that long ago? Oh, maybe Sabina’s more than tipsy. Maybe she’s good and drunk …

“I want to!” Jezabel disagrees. “Let’s do it, baby.”

“Here?” checks Sabina. She’s not opposed: she’s into it! Yet it’s in public. On a slammin’ dancefloor. And there’s hardly any elbow room which can make fingering … challenging. You need a little elbowroom. Not much, but still. Some.

“Now!” insists Jezabel, and Sabina realises that Jezabel is drunk too, party girl or no. They slammed too many shots, too fast, evidently. Which isn’t a bad thing. Drunken sex is also par for the course, in Sabina Wilson’s life. As is drunken sex with party girls. With all the party people!

“The wall!” Sabina tells Jezabel, meaning that they should squeeze-push their way through the crowd to claim a portion of the wall, to hold up. That will make drunken public sex on-the-dancefloor, that much easier. Together they attempt to do so, pushing their way through the crowd. It’s difficult but doable.

Tonight, Bosley doesn’t have eyes on the mission since the Angels haven’t yet infiltrated the mansion’s security system: it’s Elena’s objective to assess it for future hacking. Bosley is riding their wings (so she has ears on them), but she has turned Sabina’s comms off for Jane and Elena … unless Sabina says a code-word that they’ve setup (‘collywobbles’) to switch the group comms back on. Bosley decided that this was optimum but Sabina suspects it’s (mostly) to avoid a repeat of Jane’s murderous jealousy-attack on one of Sabina’s marks, as happened recently with Piper Ridley.* If Jane and Elena can’t hear Sabina, than they’re less likely to get upset over what’s happening with her current mark. Nobody protested this change-of-procedure, so maybe Sabina’s girlfriends think it’s a good idea. Sabina will have to ask them. Later. Right now she’s busy!

Sabina and Jezabel have located a wall on the far side of the dancefloor, the corner even. Sabina tucks herself into the corner so that Jezabel brackets her from the outside. This is to once again make Sabina seem vulnerable (she isn’t) and like the shy bottom that she so clearly reads that Toppy Jezabel desires her to be.* Sabina’s a bottom, sure … but she’s everything else too. And she isn’t shy … she’s the opposite. She can roleplay ‘shy’, but that’s about it.

Jezabel smiles down at Sabina, predatorily. Sabina pouts and does her best to look coquettish-yet-overcome. It seems to work. Jezabel leans down to kiss Sabina, possessively. She’s touching Sabina’s breasts through the skimpy club dress that Sabina would describe loosely as a ‘leopard skin negligee’. Jezabel’s touch isn’t that skilled though it’s certainly enthusiastic. Sabina guesses that Jezabel (surprisingly) isn’t that experienced sexually and is maybe a little scared of sex to boot … Sabina will need to keep that in mind.

Sabina sighs and moans and arches her breasts as though she’s totally into it (and oddly enough, she is … Sabina doesn’t need her lovers to be pros. Just to be there). She makes an extra big show of being into Jezabel’s touch, because this mark needs the encouragement. Besides, Sabina’s sooo fucking horny! Missions often amp up her usual horniness to even higher levels …

“More!” she tells Jezabel insistently. Then in her best girly voice, “I want you so bad!”

Jezabel looks overwhelmed, in the good way. Both Jezabel’s hands squeeze Sabina’s breasts and then her nipples harder, almost like Jezabel’s a teenage boy groping breasts for the very first time. It’s weird. Sabina doesn’t know what to make of it …

Then they are kissing again, and Sabina curves her arms around Jezabel’s back and pulls her mark in close. Who the fuck cares!

Sex is sexy.*

Chapter Text

Elena’s POV

Elena sits on the couch squashed up against her teammate and girlfriend Jane … who is also her ‘undercover girlfriend’, on this mission at a concert’s after-party. Elena is also squashed up against some random on her other side: this house-party is as packed as any party Elena’s ever been to! It’s a little hard to breathe. Elena glances at Jane with concern: her girlfriend sometimes (secretly) gets claustrophobic. ‘How’re you doing?’ Elena taps out on Jane’s thigh in morse code, covertly. Elena doesn’t want to ask the question over comms because Bosley will hear them.

Jane glances at Elena and grimaces … which Elena knows is Jane’s (honest) answer, something like ‘not so good’. Jane is not enjoying this. ‘Sucking it up,’ Jane taps back to Elena and Elena smiles empathically at her girlfriend. Jane always does. Bosley, Saint, Charlie, and the rest of the powers-that-be don’t even know that Jane Kano suffers from mild claustrophobia … which is just the way Jane wants it.*

Elena personally doesn’t see what the problem would be with their extended team knowing this intel … after all, Jane doesn’t let it affect her mission performance. Wouldn’t it be helpful for their support team to know? Bosley 342 and their Saint, at the least? But Jane doesn’t see it that way … and Elena figures it’s Jane’s choice whether to disclose. Elena’s just thankful that Sabina and herself know. That’s something. At least then if Jane ever does need support, they can be there for their stoic girlfriend. Or attempt to be … whether Jane will actually let them help her out, is always somewhat up for grabs.

Elena leans towards Jane, indicating that she wants to speak directly into her girlfriend’s ear, given the noisiness of the party. Jane leans down accommodatingly.

“Let’s do a walk-through so I can see the security system,” Elena murmurs to Jane, knowing Bosley will hear her too thanks to the golden angel wings tattoo on her heart.

Their tattoos work via bone conduction and serve as the Angels’ comms system. This means that Bosley can hear each Angel clearly, no matter how much background noise there is. The people the Angels are speaking to are another story. If there’s too much ambient noise, Bosley might not pick up the other side of a conversation.

“Good idea, Angel,” says Bosley over comms. “That party sounds like it’s in full swing now, so nobody should pay attention to you two. But stay in role.”

“Will do,” says Elena.

“How’s Sabina doing?” Jane asks Bosley and even though they’re sitting next to each other on the couch, Elena can barely hear her girlfriend over the party’s din. However, she hears Jane clearly over their group comms.

“Very well,” says Bosley, sounding proud. “Making much more progress than we thought she would.” Bosley pauses. “She’s a fast mover.”

“Isn’t she,” says Jane drily. It’s not a question.

Elena stands up, dusting her party dress off, and looks around to see if she can get eyes on their grifting girlfriend. Elena can’t at this moment, though they briefly saw Sabina and her mark earlier, one of the pop star duo that this after-party is celebrating: Jezabel Landry. Elena immediately felt intimidated (Jezabel looked scary!), annoyed at herself for feeling that way, and just a little jealous (which seems to be par for the course when dating Sabina Wilson, Elena has come to realise … and even mostly accept). Jane stands too and puts a supportive hand on Elena’s shoulder; Elena flushes a little. Caught! Jane knows what she’s doing. Elena glances at Jane who smiles wryly at her then leans down to nuzzle Elena’s cheek, softly. Elena closes her eyes in pleasure.

“You two are lovely,” the oily looking man addressing them is about fifty, with dark hair slicked close to his head and sharp, equally dark eyes. He is an inch shorter than Jane and bulkily built. His suit is very nice, cutting-edge fashion.

Elena recognises him from photos of the relevant targets that Bosley showed them on the plane: this is Sly Trope, the twins’ manager in France. He says something in French and Jane answers smoothly, leaning in a little and raising her voice. Sly laughs and raises one eyebrow. Elena notices that he plucks his eyebrows. At least she thinks he does … they appear that way. Elena smiles politely, trying to seem like she knows what is being said; no point in giving away that she doesn’t, unless necessary.

“So who invited you?” asks Sly, switching back to English. Elena wonders if he’s picked up that she doesn’t speak French or if he’s merely noticed and is accommodating that neither Jane nor herself are locals.

“Quentin Fabron,” says Jane, which is the Angels’ agreed to cover story. Quentin (a bigwig in the music industry) has an association with Townsend Agency that means they can use his name as an in for this party.

“How do you know Quentin?” asks Sly curiously. Jane frowns, evidently put out to be questioned. Elena comes quickly to the rescue:

“How does anyone?” Elena says demurely, smiling up at Sly prettily. “I like your suit. Is it ‘Husbands’?” (This is a fashion label.)

Sly laughs, and trails a finger down his jacket lapel, looking pleased.

“No but you have a good eye. It could be!”

“Good job, Elena,” says Bosley over comms. “Jane, stop scowling.”

“Thank you,” says Elena, casting her eyes down as though she is charmed, when really, she is just impatient to get away, have a better look at the security system.

Jane says something to Sly in French, and he winks at them, then steps back with a small bow, clearly ushering them to go past. Jane takes Elena’s hand and tugs her gently into the throng of partyers. Bosley is laughing a little over comms.

“What did you say?” Elena asks Jane.

“That I simply had to be alone with the most beautiful woman at the party, could he please forgive my rudeness,” says Jane, lips curving in a subtle smirk. Elena gasps and blushes:

“You didn’t!”

“She did,” confirms Bosley. “Kano, you dark horse. Maybe you have hidden grifting potential…”

“I certainly do not,” says Jane, but it’s playful for all that it’s gruff. Elena grins at Jane’s back as she trails after her girlfriend, led by Jane’s hand. Jane is finding their way, weaving through the dense crowd. They are passing a security camera and Elena studies it thoughtfully, trying not to seem too obvious about it. “Let me help,” says Jane, pulling Elena in close and positioning them so that they are both leaning against a wall, side-on.

Elena finds herself able to look up at the security camera over Jane’s shoulder … as her girlfriend kisses her neck. Elena shivers against Jane, enjoying the softly sensuous motions of Jane’s lips moving up her sensitive neck, systematically. Jane’s breath is hot and there’s just a hint of teeth in the mix.

“Concentrate,” Jane murmurs, and Elena sucks in a deep breath.

She’s supposed to be focusing on the security system! Not on what Jane’s … doing to her neck, as cover. Which Elena rather suspects Jane is also doing for pleasure (of course) and because it gets a rise out of Elena (Jane’s been known to have a sadistic streak … a mile wide). Elena does her best to concentrate. She’s mostly successful.

“Okay,” Elena tells Jane finally, and then she gasps because Jane’s teeth have just raked (very gently) over Elena’s jugular, and that always makes her go weak at the knees. “Let’s move on.”

Jane releases Elena, steps back, smiles down at her with heat in her dark eyes. Elena smiles back, blushing lightly. Her panties are wet. That’s Jane’s fault, but Elena forgives her girlfriend. She takes Jane’s hand and tugs Jane towards the back of the loungeroom that they are currently in: Elena knows there is a control room (probably) somewhere in this direction, further inside the mansion. Bosley did manage to bring up the original building plans during their briefing on the plane. The mansion’s features may have changed in subsequent remodellings, but it’s likely to still be pretty similar. If Elena can find the control room and manage a quick look at the mainframe, even without accessing it … that will be very helpful in her future hacking efforts.

“Control room?” Jane asks, leaning down to husk it into Elena’s ear like she’s saying something much dirtier. Elena shivers, just because. She nods without looking back, knowing Jane will catch it.

They are now passing the pumping dancefloor which takes up about a third of this room (which is massive to begin with) and is standing room only. If they weren’t busy on a mission objective Elena would totally ask Jane to dance, though from the looks of it, dancing would be more like playing Twister with assorted strangers, standing up. Elena thinks she recognises the song currently playing as a dance remix of one of The Polka Pops’ latest hits. Elena had done a quick listen-through to the twins’ latest two albums, after Sabina had finished: it seemed prudent. Just a verse and chorus of each song before moving on to the next. The minimum to get somewhat familiar.

The two-of-them have reached the back of the room and Elena starts to climb the stairs, hand in hand with Jane. She hopes that to party-goers they appear to be horny girlfriends looking for somewhere private to curl up together. Several guests have already headed in this direction; this party seems like a bit of a free-for-all … with plenty of drunkenness and a fair amount of various drugs circulating, too. Elena glances over the dance floor and her eyes snag on the leopard print of what is almost certainly … no, definitely is Sabina’s sinfully tight party dress. Elena pauses, and leans on the staircase banister, wanting a better look. She feels Jane step up close beside her, clearly noticing Sabina too.

It's a little hard to see their girlfriend because of how packed the dancefloor is and how Sabina is nestled into the far corner … even with their superior vantage point. But it’s possible. Elena recognises the purple latex of Jezabel Landry’s catsuit and the pop star’s distinctive waist length platinum blonde hair. Jezabel seems to have Sabina pushed up against the wall and her hands pressed up under Sabina’s (short!) skirt. The two of them are kissing, passionately. They are having sex: Elena is almost 100% certain. What else could they be doing?! Beside Elena, Jane tenses and curses.

“Angels?” asks Bosley over comms. Then a little suspiciously, yet reluctantly, “can you see Sabina?”

“Um … yes,” says Elena, staring.

It is So. Strange. to see their girlfriend have sex with someone who isn’t Elena or Jane. Elena’s only seen it once before … when Sabina was (unintentionally) high off her brain on an illicit drug, ‘Werewolf’ and had public sex with her mark, Yolanda Riverson … on the bonnet of Yolanda’s Ferrari … in the middle of a forest clearing at night.* Still, Sabina had been (completely) compromised and doesn’t even remember the encounter … though Jane accidentally filled their girlfriend in that it had happened, not that long ago.*

It had been surreal … the Angels and Bosley had just stumbled out of a car accident. Blood had been running down Jane’s face from a head injury, Bosley had two black eyes, Elena herself was out-of-it. Sabina had been so loud, so wild, so not-Sabina that on one level, it had seemed like it was someone else. Elena has never had a problem not holding that encounter against Sabina. It was just Too Weird To Count. Too many mitigating factors. Besides, Elena had been much more concerned about getting Sabina home safely, not to mention the rest of her team!

Now, staring down at the dancefloor, Elena can tell that Sabina is Sabina. That’s her girlfriend: hers and Jane’s. Having sex with a stranger, as in someone that Sabina (literally) just met tonight. A mark, for a mission. No, probably just because Sabina loves sex … it’s not like it could possibly be mission-critical to have sex with this mark at this point. It couldn’t! However … their triad is still in ‘open’ month, the first month of their six-month experiment with a rotating system of sexual exclusivity: one-month open, next month closed. So, Sabina isn’t doing anything wrong. She’s just doing someone. Most importantly, it’s someone who isn’t Elena or Jane …

Dimly Elena realises that Bosley already knows what Sabina is up to, because the two-of-them are sharing comms. Bosley probably doesn’t want Elena or Jane to know though, given their track record of reacting badly to Sabina’s grifting objectives … or rather, Jane’s recent track record … which has been Very Bad Indeed. That’s if one judges that Jane almost strangling a mark for (merely) kissing her girlfriend is bad (it was!) … Elena’s thoughts have gone haphazard. She gawks at Sabina-with-Jezabel. Then gawks some more.

“It’s not a problem,” Jane tells Bosley tightly, then Jane is taking Elena by the shoulders, and steering Elena up the stairs, away from the (hypnotising) view on the dancefloor. Elena feels a little thrown, but she goes with Jane, willingly enough. As they reach the top of the stairs Jane pauses, turns towards Elena and makes the Angels’ hand signal for, ‘you okay?’

Elena nods but she can feel that it’s a little too slow and her expression is a little too dazed for it to be fully convincing. Accordingly, Jane frowns down at her. Then pulls Elena in close for a hug. Elena hugs back and leans into Jane, sighing out in relief. That … does help. Hugging Jane helps. A lot.

“Angels?” prompts Bosley. Elena is sooo glad that Bosley doesn’t have eyes on this mission! So glad.

“We’re looking for the control room,” lies Jane. It’s a lie because right now Jane and Elena are doing nothing of the sort, even though Elena presumes that they will be soon. “Heading towards where the plans showed it should be located.”

“Good job,” says Bosley, sounding relieved.

Jane steps back from Elena and raises an eyebrow. Elena looks up at Jane and telegraphs her gratitude with her eyes, then leans up on tiptoe to press a thank you kiss to the underside of Jane’s chin. They smile at each other, and if Elena’s smile is a little tremulous, she knows Jane won’t call her on it. They head further into the mansion, hand in hand.

Looking for the control room.

Chapter Text

Jane’s POV

It is later that night, and the Angels are all together in the hotel room that Bosley’s booked for them. Tonight’s after-party mission is over. Saint and Bosley are sharing a room with twin beds, just across the hall, close friends that they are as well as being colleagues.* Though the Townsend Agency has HQs and safehouses in Paris (and elsewhere throughout France) this (relatively fancy) hotel has been judged to be the most convenient base for their current mission-series, at least to start.

“Get some sleep, Angels,” Bosley had told them when they’d arrived back from the after-party. “We’ll debrief tomorrow morning.”

Jane is only a little tired though she could easily go to sleep. This mission was relatively easy for Jane … apart from having to see Sabina having sex with her mark (disgusting). However, Jane knows it was harder on Elena both because of Elena’s obviously upset reaction to witnessing Sabina-with-Jezabel, and because of Elena’s more active role casing security.

Presumably the mission was hardest on Sabina in terms of her challenging grifting role, but Sabina doesn’t seem to take it that way. Jane can tell that their girlfriend is half-manic … which is quite common for successful completion of her mission objectives, especially grifting-gone-right.*  Sabina also appears to be drunk (though holding her alcohol well) which is kind of inexplicable to Jane … even after all this time working and (eventually) girlfriend-ing together. How can Sabina get properly drunk on many of her missions, yet perform up to scratch or even beyond?* It’s so weird.

“That was fun!” Sabina flops back onto the middle of the massive bed that their suite boasts. Jane feels grateful that Bosley somehow got them such a big bed … that can be a challenge in some hotels.

“Went well?” Jane asks Sabina, a little sardonically because Jane already knows exactly how well it went.

Jane fetches a jug of water from the ensuite bathroom which she sets on the bedside table. She pours a glass and leans over, pressing it into Sabina’s hand and nodding at her girlfriend meaningfully.

“Totally, dude,” Sabina enthuses. She drinks the water willingly before handing the glass back to Jane. “Jezabel’s already putty in my hands.”

Sabina sniggers to herself and Jane guesses (from long experience) that Sabina is making sexual innuendos in her head. And cracking herself up, accordingly.

“We saw you,” Elena tells Sabina sulkily, and Jane stares at Elena in surprise.

It’s so rare for Elena Houghlin to be anything but sweetness and light (at least in Jane’s experience) that she’s always thrown when Elena gets angry or as in this case, resentful. It’s strange. A little scary too, just because it is so rare. Jane is never that sure how to deal with it …*

“Ot oh!” Sabina sits up, looking panicked. “Having sex?”

Jane rolls her eyes. If they hadn’t seen Sabina having sex, she’s just given the game away. Due to being drunk. Not a very good grifter. Then again, presumably Sabina isn’t actively trying to hide anything. After all, they are still on their triad’s first ‘open month’. Sabina is perfectly within her rights to have sex with other people. Jane’s well aware.

“Yes,” says Elena, still sulkily. “On the dancefloor.”

“But it was sooo packed,” Sabina complains, staring at Elena mournfully. “How the hell did you seeeeee?”

“Were you trying to hide it?” Jane wants to know, folding her arms over her chest, and sitting down on the foot of the bed. Elena sits on the side opposite Jane and they both stare at Sabina where she has flopped back against the bedhead.

“Nooooo,” says Sabina unconvincingly. Then she musses her hair with both hands and corrects herself, “not exactly. But I don’t want to rub it in your faces either.” Sabina looks between them both, all wide-eyed appeal. “I’m going for … discrete. That spot seemed … private-ish.”

“A dancefloor?” Jane asks ironically. “At a party?”

“A crowded dancefloor,” corrects Sabina. “Which neither of you were meant to be on. In the back corner!”

“Granted,” says Jane after a pause.

It’s Sabina-logic, but Jane can see how it makes sense. Just. Jane gets up and pours another glass of water, handing it to Sabina meaningfully. Sabina should probably drink a bit more water before bed to avoid the mother of all hangovers, tomorrow.* Sabina drinks the water, eyeing Elena forlornly. Jane takes back the empty glass and sits back on the bed. After a pause:

“You haven’t done anything wrong,” Elena tells Sabina, voice still sulky.

“You sound like I have,” Sabina points out, chewing her bottom lip, and Jane can’t help agreeing. Elena totally sounds like Sabina is in the doghouse.

It’s kind of … amusing. For Jane, at least. Jane was concerned earlier, for Elena’s sake. Now she’s more … amused. Plus, curious to see how this will play out between her girlfriends.* Jane’s own jealousy is muted, just simmering coals, nothing like it was with Piper Ridley and before their triad put this issue to bed with their Open-Closed agreement. Jane can mostly ignore it (like she does with so many emotions) and get on with business (Thank God! Losing control was terrible). It seems like it’s different for Elena though. How unexpected …

“Sorry,” says Elena, pouting at Sabina. “I feel … kind of … angry and hurt. Even though you did nothing wrong!” Elena sighs and rubs her eyes. “I know it’s fucked.”

“It’s not fucked,” Sabina hurries to reassure, and Jane finds herself rising to come around the bed and sit next to Elena, close. Obviously, Sabina and Jane are on the same page without even trying: time to comfort their baby! Sabina is moving drunkenly-clumsily down the bed and seating herself on Elena’s other side, wrapping an arm around Elena’s back. Elena leans her head on Sabina’s shoulder and Sabina presses a kiss to the top of Elena’s head. “Aren’t you the one who says we can feel whatever we feel?” says Sabina, punctuating this with another kiss to the top of Elena’s head.

“Exactly,” says Jane, resting a supportive hand on Elena’s thigh and rubbing comfortingly. “So you feel angry and hurt. So what.” It’s rhetorical.

“I’ve trained you both so well,” Elena jokes, tearily. “You know just what to say. I’ve got no good counterarguments to make.”

“Great!” says Sabina cheerfully. “I love you, babygirl. Even when you’re cranky.”

“I’m not cranky,” says Elena, extremely crankily. But she also grins at Sabina, albeit tearily, and Jane grins because it’s Just So Endearing. Jane leans over to press a soft kiss to Elena’s cheek.

“You’re doing great,” Jane tells Elena sincerely. “Much less fucked than me. You didn’t try to strangle Jezabel.” It’s a joke, and Jane rather thinks it’s a pretty good one. Sabina certainly seems to think so; she’s chortling away in high amusement.

Elena smiles tearily at Jane. She looks like she’s feeling better by Jane’s expert assessment. Jane is glad.

“I love you too,” Elena tells Sabina sincerely. Then sulkily: “even when you’re having sex with a ho.”

“Lena!” Sabina gasps in mock shock. “I am a ho, don’tcha know?” It’s not a question … and Sabina doesn’t seem at all offended.

“You so are,” Jane teases Sabina, comfortably. “We all know it.”

“I love that about you,” says Elena to Sabina even more tearfully. “And I hate it too.”

“Aw, cutie pie,” says Sabina, making heartful eyes at Elena. “I wish I could kiss it and make it better.”

Jane guesses that Sabina means the jealousy response that hurts Elena, and that hurts Jane herself too, yet doesn’t affect Sabina (since she doesn’t get jealous, just horny).*

“I wish you could too,” says Elena and she starts to cry.

Sabina pulls her close and Elena turns willingly and cries into Sabina’s chest. Jane feels a pang of empathy in her heart, and she leans over to wrap both her girlfriends up in her own arms, holding them firmly. Elena doesn’t cry for that long before she leans back and wipes her eyes, gazing at them both gratefully. Then Elena flops down onto her back on the bed, obviously tired out.

Jane really likes how open Elena is to receiving their support … it makes it so damn easy to give, and fulfilling besides. It also seems to help Elena move through her angst a lot faster than Jane or Sabina do, come to think of it. Jane glances at Sabina who grins a little and leans over Elena’s body to place a kiss to Jane’s cheek. Jane tilts her head and captures Sabina’s lips with her own, reaching to cradle the back of Sabina’s head with one hand. Their kiss is long and luxurious, a little drunken-sloppy on Sabina’s part, and on Jane’s part, just a little ‘claiming’. Jane wants Sabina to remember who Sabina loves … even if Sabina does have sex with other people. It’s Jane and Elena and That’s. It.*

The two-of-them finally part and their foreheads touch; Jane and Sabina lean against each other, catching their breaths. In her peripheral vision Jane sees that Elena is watching them closely from where she lies beneath, and smiling, small and tender.

“Love you, Janey,” Sabina tells Jane seriously, pushing into Jane a little.

Jane smiles, satisfied. She doesn’t say it back, not just now. As far as Jane is concerned, she has already said it with all of her actions. It’s obvious.* Beneath them Elena’s eyes soften, and her smile widens. Jane and Sabina lean back from each other.

“Let’s get you to bed,” Jane says to Elena, reaching to cup Elena’s cheek gently. Elena smiles and nods.

“Snuggle time!” says Sabina happily, bouncing in place.

“Are you going to be able to sleep?” Jane asks Sabina.

“Why do you ask?” asks Sabina, still bouncing.

“You’re manic and trashed,” says Jane frankly. Elena giggles. Sabina laughs too.

“Good call, babe,” she tells Jane. “But I’m pretty sure it’ll be lights out in SabinaVille once we all get our cuddle on.”

Sabina yawns hugely as though proving her point and then bounces to her feet and starts pulling at her party dress. She doesn’t make that much headway, which Jane puts down to Sabina’s drunken reflexes which are much clumsier than usual.

“Let me,” says Jane wryly, rising to help Sabina. “Stop pawing at yourself.”

Elena giggles some more and rises to help Jane. They grin at each other because drunken Sabina is often pretty funny.

“You wanna paw at me?” flirts Sabina, holding her arms up and grinning unashamedly at her girlfriends.

Jane sighs long-sufferingly but then winks at Sabina, which kind of undoes the impact of her sigh. Jane and Elena peel the dress off Sabina (close to literally, it’s that tight), up and over her head. Underneath Sabina is wearing lingerie: an intricately lacy skin-coloured bra and G-string, both made of hardly-any-material.

“You planned to have sex,” Jane tells Sabina drily, because who wears lingerie like that without foreseeing sex in their near future and trying to tempt someone else into it? Then as an afterthought, “is this new?”

Jane hasn’t seen this set before. Sabina owns a lot of lingerie (of varied styles, including what gay males wear, though more of the stereotypical female kind), as in a lot more than Jane or Elena, and it always seems to be increasing … a bit like Sabina’s leather jacket collection.

“It’s French!” Sabina tells them enthusiastically, tugging at the material that cups her breasts as though to show it off. Or her breasts off. Jane can’t quite tell, and a stab of arousal is making it harder for Jane to concentrate. This new lingerie set really is … erotic.

“When did you have time to buy it?” asks Elena sounding amused and endeared all at once. “We only just got here.” Elena’s staring at Sabina’s breasts in a way that suggests that Elena might also be feeling aroused …

“I have my secrets,” says Sabina. Then she shrugs and tells them anyway. “On my coffee run the other day. There was a lingerie store right across the street.” Sabina had ducked out of the hotel to pick them up quality coffee while Jane and Elena spooned in bed. She had taken rather a long time: now Jane knows why. “You need to be prepared,” Sabina tells Jane and Elena seriously, if drunkenly. “It’s the first rule of grifting.”

“You were only getting ‘eyes on the mark’ tonight,” Jane tells Sabina. “Or ‘making contact’, at most.”

“Oh, we made contact,” says Sabina enthusiastically. Her voice turns into a filthy purr. “Sexy sexy contact.”

“Stop it!” says Elena, half-jokey half-serious. “You’re incorrigible.”

“Sorry, baby,” says Sabina and she does sound apologetic. “I keep forgetting.”

Jane takes this to mean that Sabina keeps forgetting that Elena (and Jane by extension) are bothered by her sexapades. It makes sense, because 1) Sabina is drunk, 2) Sabina is easily distractible (even more so when drunk), and 3) Sabina is incorrigible (all the time).

“You move fast,” says Jane to Sabina and it’s not an insult; Jane is impressed. Sabina has more than achieved her mission objective, on this occasion. That will probably make the Angels’ entire mission-series that much easier, and shorter besides.

“It was easy,” Sabina tells Jane, clumsily peeling off her bra and flicking it across the room. “Jezabel’s a u-hauler.” Sabina rubs at her breasts where they are covered in faint red lacy marks from the bra digging in and sighs out in evident relief. “We’re already ‘girlfriends’.”

“What?!” Elena sounds outraged. “You only just met!”

“I know!” Sabina laughs. “Jezabel’s desperate. I don’t know why. She seems … a lot more inexperienced, than we were led to believe.”

“What makes you say that?” Jane asks, curious but also distracted.

Sabina is hopping out of her G-string and flicking it to the opposite side of the room. Can’t she even dump her clothing in one place? Jane thinks critically. Then she stares at Naked Sabina instead, because that’s even more interesting than Sabina’s messy habits …

“The way she groped my tits,” says Sabina, bluntly. “Like a teenage boy.” She flops down onto the bed, buck naked, clearly planning on sleeping this way.

Jane isn’t complaining. Jane efficiently removes her own clothing, deciding to sleep naked too. This may or may not be about Sabina already being naked … Jane isn’t sure. Jane is aroused but just now it’s more about being close … the connectivity of skin to naked skin. Jane hops in on one side of Sabina and watches indulgently as Elena also shucks off her partywear and lays it neatly over a chair.

“Are you okay?” Elena asks Sabina, sounding a little concerned.

Jane realises that Elena is asking if Sabina is okay after having her breasts groped, teenage-boy style. Jane feels tender. Elena Houghlin is such a sweetheart, so protective of both her girlfriends after her own soft-hearted fashion. Jane wouldn’t have thought to ask that question! Especially not of Sabina Wilson who seems to be (more than) okay with things that Jane has never even heard of.

“Totally, boo,” answers Sabina. “The girls don’t mind some heavy groping.” Sabina gropes her own breasts in a way that Jane finds amusing and cringe-worthy all at once.

“Stop that,” Jane tells Sabina irritably. “Give them a rest.”

Sabina smirks but stops accommodatingly. Then she pops up to her feet and bounces-staggers over to the adjoining bathroom, no doubt to use the toilet before sleeping. Once she returns Elena pours another glass of water from the jug on the bedside table, and hands it over with an encouraging look. Sabina drinks it happily, then hands back the glass, pecking Elena on the cheek. Elena grins at Jane, then turns out the light and slides in on Sabina’s other side. One bedside lamp is still on, dimly lighting the hotel room.

Jane is too tired to pursue sex but if she was less tired, she’d definitely think about it. Jane is aroused but not unpleasantly so … she’ll still be able to sleep. She wraps a possessive arm around Sabina’s waist and lies on Sabina’s shoulder which is not a position that Jane started out enjoying. It used to feel too … vulnerable. Or weak or namby-pamby, something like that. Jane liked her girlfriends to lie on her shoulder (and still does), but she didn’t like to be the one being held. Or she had ... Very Mixed Feelings about it. She’s mellowed over time though; her girlfriends seem to be changing her, just by mere exposure. For the longest time, Jane couldn’t decide if that was a good or bad thing. Lately though, she’s feeling resigned to it, even subtly happy. It is what it is. Jane has decided she’s committed to this triad, come hell or highwater. That makes everything (so much) easier. Including even … ‘being weak’. All of Jane’s (formidable) energies are now directed one-way, instead of warring internally, fighting with herself.

Elena mirrors Jane’s position on Sabina’s other side, and wraps her arm around Jane’s arm, over Sabina’s midriff. Elena grips Jane’s forearm quite tightly and Jane suspects that this is for comfort and grounding. It’s an unusual way of touching, coming from Elena. It probably indicates that she’s … still a little upset.

“You okay?” Jane asks Elena, consciously gentling her voice.

“I will be,” Elena says softly. “Just a little … spun out.”

“Sorry, Lena,” says Sabina softly, from in-between them. “My fault.”

“What have I said about saying sorry?” says Elena to Sabina, just this side of crotchety.

Jane knows this is because Elena is insistent that they (mostly meaning Sabina) should only say sorry when they really mean it and want to change their behaviour.* Sabina has had a bad habit of saying sorry on a dime, because of an avid fear of conflict with her girlfriends (rising out of her deep-seated fear of abandonment). Jane doesn’t have the same challenge: Jane struggles to apologise … but always forces herself to do so if she believes that it’s warranted.

Elena conversely seems to find apologising easy and granting forgiveness equally easy. Elena is suggesting that Sabina isn’t really sorry right now … because Sabina hasn’t done anything wrong (she is playing within their triad’s agreement). Sabina just wants to soothe Elena’s hurt feelings so that things are good between them. For Sabina’s (unconscious) sake … so that Sabina doesn’t feel anxious. It’s not really about Elena. It’s not even about ‘sorry’.

“Sorry!” says Sabina. Then a second later: “not sorry!” Sabina wiggles a little so that she has an arm wrapped around both her girlfriends. “I’m drunk,” she mumbles, sounding hopeful that this excuse will work, by Jane’s estimate. “Ignore me.”

“It’s fine,” says Elena, pressing a soft kiss to Sabina’s shoulder. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t give you a hard time about your mark.”

“‘sfine,” says Sabina happily and Jane knows this is because all that Sabina cares about (at the end of the day, every day) is things being good between the three-of-them.

Sabina doesn’t seem to keep track of fault and blame and grudges so much as, ‘are we good’? Jane really appreciates that; Jane simultaneously thinks that’s stupid. Jane also benefits from it, which is why she appreciates it. Jane isn’t like Sabina or Elena: Jane most certainly keeps track of fault and blame and has difficulty not carrying a grudge … and carrying it for a lifetime.

“Thanks for your support tonight,” Elena says to Jane, heartfully. “It really helped.”

“No problem.” Jane’s voice is deeper than usual because she’s charmed. “You make it easy.”

Jane means that Elena’s receptivity and unashamed receiving of support make it easy to give. Jane is Elena’s opposite in this respect: it’s damn hard for her to receive support without having some kind of shame-meltdown. She’s getting better though. Much better! Elena in particular makes it easy to be supported (Elena is so warmly and naturally supportive) and even Sabina’s ribbing around Jane’s reluctance to receive help, has proved oddly helpful …

Sabina’s breathing has evened out and Jane realises that Sabina’s fallen asleep, suddenly and deeply, the way she often does. If she’s true to form, Sabina will sleep like the dead (even when drunk) and won’t wake no matter if Jane and Elena were to have noisy sex practically on top of her. Which they aren’t. Jane is way too sleepy at this point.

She closes her eyes.

Chapter Text

Bosley’s POV

Bosley affectionately eyes her three Angels who are sitting in the hotel’s dining room with herself and Saint, enjoying the excellent buffet breakfast. It’s mid-morning after their team’s first mission in Paris and this breakfast doubles as a makeshift debriefing session, plus briefing for their next mission. The table is round and positioned over by the wide-set windows, overlooking a postcard-worthy view of Parisian cityscape. The Angels sit together with Jane in the middle … probably so Jane can avoid sitting next to Bosley or Saint, is Bosley’s guess. Sabina is next to Saint who is beside Bosley. On Bosley’s other side sits Elena.

“Sleep well, Angels?” Saint asks.

“Like the dead!” says Sabina cheerfully. Probably also literally; Bosley knows Sabina has never had any problem sleeping.* Bosley has experienced Sabina falling asleep on a dime (when exhausted) in all sorts of weird places and positions, on the back of some of their more taxing missions. Then being (annoyingly!) impossible to wake up …

“Yes, thank you,” says Elena, taking a sip of orange juice. “This is really good!”

“Fine,” says Jane shortly but Jane’s expression is clear, and her eyes seem calm. Bosley reads this to mean that Kano is in a good mood. For once.*

“It’s very good juice,” Saint agrees to Elena. “They make it fresh.” He sips his own glass which is a mixture of orange and pineapple. Bosley tried it earlier and decided it was too damn sweet.

“Not as good as yours,” says Sabina to Saint loyally.

Bosley knows Sabina is just saying this out of her affection for Saint*; Sabina complains about virtually every beverage Saint makes for her, and cracks bad jokes about the same. He deserves it though (in Bosley’s book) because some of his ‘healing’ concoctions really do taste like Satan’s Asshole (one of Sabina’s many brilliant names).* Besides, it’s funny, and Bosley loves to laugh at her team!* Er, ‘with’ her team? No … ‘at’ them …

“Thank you,” Saint says cheerfully. He winks playfully at Sabina. “You’re right.”

Sabina chortles. Elena grins big. Jane makes no expression … but Bosley catches the subtle surge of warmth in Jane’s dark eyes as she looks at her girlfriends. Bosley smiles to herself. Those three are so endearing. They’ll be the death of Bosley yet …*

“You’re not hungover?” Bosley checks with Sabina. “From what I heard over comms, you really should be.”

“Not at all,” says Sabina, grinning widely. “Lucky me.” Sabina starts eating the enormous breakfast she’s gathered from the buffet which seems to consist of some of … everything that was available.*

“We made Sabina drink a lot of water,” Elena tells Bosley. “Plus, she probably…” Elena grimaces a little (adorably, in Bosley’s opinion), “fucked it out of her system.”

It sounds a little strange to hear innocent Elena Houghlin swear. Bosley isn’t surprised though because she’s observed that both Houghlin and Kano get jealous around Sabina’s grifting. If Bosley’s not mistaken, Sabina had very public sex with her mark on the dancefloor (What else could those noises be?! Besides Sabina and Jezabel outright talked about having sex … followed by said noises). Then Elena and Jane caught sight of the same, judging by what happened over comms.

A jealous response from Elena, Bosley can certainly understand. Most people would … probably get jealous, if partnered up with Sabina Wilson: she who is annoyingly-yet-charmingly flirtatious with All & Sundry. Who even fucks some of the sundry. It stands to reason! Bosley doesn’t envy Elena and Jane that particular challenge: it’s a doozy. More power to them.

Sabina is mid drinking coffee, and she inhales it in surprise. Then starts choking a little. Saint who is sitting next to Sabina pats her on the back comfortingly. Sabina starts coughing but Bosley can tell it’s not serious. Just went down the wrong hole.

Jane is grinning sardonically at Sabina but at the same time, has placed a reassuring hand on Elena’s knee, beneath the table but clearly visible to Bosley where she sits on Elena’s other side.

Bosley gives Elena a mock stern look. But all Bosley says, and mildly at that, is:

“Sabina probably did.” Bosley winks at Sabina who has stopped coughing. “Great job last night, Master Grifter.” Bosley’s smirk widens. “Congrats on your,” Bosley uses sotto voce: “‘new girlfriend’”.

“Thanks Bos!” Sabina winks back, evidently fully recovered from her coughing fit. She goes back to eating her giant breakfast, practically inhaling it.

“How did casing the security system go?” Bosley asks Elena who is frowning a little at Sabina, but Bosley gauges it has no real heat behind it and only a shade of hurt. Probably nothing to worry about.

Still, Bosley should keep an eye on Elena for the foreseeable future. Make sure her agent stays on track, keeps her head in the mission. Perhaps offer Elena a little extra guidance, a little nurturing support.* Apparently, Jane Kano isn’t the only one who goes a bit wonky from jealousy. Bosley side-eyes Jane who seems perfectly fine just now and is eating her (reasonably-sized) breakfast, efficiently. Bosley doesn’t know how or why Kano is no longer having a meltdown over Sabina grifting, since Jane plays her cards close to the chest … but Bosley is grateful. She’ll take it! One Angel needing extra attention, at a time. Preferably none.

“Good,” says Elena, turning her attention to Bosley. “I recognise the tech they’re using and I’m pretty sure I’ll be able to hack into it, just fine.”

“Remotely?” Saint asks Elena. He sips his juice. “We brought the Angels’ tech remote hacking gear with us.”*

“Yes,” says Elena. “At least I’ll give it a try. If that doesn’t work, I’ll have to do it from within the mansion’s control room instead.”

“First things first,” says Bosley thoughtfully. “You try to hack in after breakfast, Elena. We’ll take it from there.”

Elena nods. Jane smiles at Elena supportively who smiles back shyly. Bosley smiles at them both then clears her face hurriedly before Jane sees. Bosley doesn’t want to dissuade the Angels from supporting each other: it’s one of their team’s most valuable assets! If only Kano wasn’t so distrusting of Bosley, even after all this time. Bosley sighs a little and glances over at Saint, sees that as his usual ultra-perceptive self, he seems to pick up on Bosley’s train of thought. He gives Bosley a small nod, unspoken encouragement she knows.

They are in this together, Bosley and Saint. Jane doesn’t trust either of them: they’re fully aware. It hasn’t really been a problem, up until now … though it’s certainly not optimum. There’s nothing they can do about it, presumably, other than the steps they’ve already taken. Jane’s just … not a Truster. Maybe that’s okay. It doesn’t seem to compromise Jane’s (truly) phenomenal performance as a brawler and teammate with Elena and Sabina. That’s the main thing. These three are Charlie’s flagship team, and by extension, Bosley and Saint are an essential part of said team.

What more can a Bosley (or a Saint) do? You can’t make somebody trust you! With a sip of (quality) French coffee, Bosley decides with cheerful resignation that she’s going to give up. It is what it is. Bosley has better things to do with her time than try to woo Jane Kano into the ‘let’s be close’ fold. It’s a waste of energy. It’s enough that Bosley is close with Sabina and Elena and can mentor and support both her Angels (albeit in different ways) … Bosley can influence Jane by proxy, if not directly. Good enough.

Bosley winks at Saint who is giving her a slightly suspicious look. She’ll fill him in on her resolution later. After breakfast, and away from their Angels. 

“This is sooo good,” Sabina tells Bosley, chewing with her mouth open while still shovelling food inside. “Best buffet ever.”

“It’s why I picked this hotel,” Bosley lies. It’s not … although it is one of the (many) reasons. However, it’s good to take credit whenever you can, whether or not you deserve it … at least in Bosley’s playbook. However, Sabina knows Bosley way too well:

“Load of crock,” says Sabina cheerfully. “You old crook.”

“I’m not old!” protests Bosley huffily. “Merely … older than you.”

“And you look good, considering,” Saint teases Bosley. “You’re holding up so well.”

Bosley mock glares at him. He grins back and sips his juice. Elena giggles. Jane looks mildly amused. Sabina chortles with her mouth full.

Bosley rolls her eyes at her (disrespectful!) agents.

Happily.

Chapter Text

Sabina’s POV

Sabina stands behind her girlfriend, watching Elena work. Elena is operating the Angels’ tech remote hacking gear that’s set up in Bosley’s and Saint’s hotel room. Jane stands next to Sabina, also watching Elena’s progress. Casually, Sabina leans against her taller girlfriend’s shoulder.

“I’m in!” Elena announces excitedly. “We have eyes on Trope’s mansion.”

“Great work,” says Jane. She sounds impressed.

“You’re so OP,” Sabina tells Elena who looks up at her questioningly. “Overpowered,” Sabina explains accommodatingly. “Gaming slang. It means you’re so awesome that it gives our team an unfair advantage.”

“I wouldn’t call it ‘unfair’,” says Jane consideringly. “More … the way it should be.”

“That’s because you’re on the winning team,” Sabina teases Jane. “Of course you see it that way.”

“It’s a compliment,” says Elena, rising to her feet, and turning to hug them both at the same time. Sabina and Jane willingly hug Elena back: group hug time! “That’s what matters.”

“Totally, boo,” says Sabina, grinning and pressing a kiss to Elena’s nearby cheek.

Elena knows what to focus on, courtesy of her high EQ. Jane is forever getting distracted by subsidiary points … as is Sabina. All their personal styles are good though, from where Sabina’s standing. She greatly enjoys her interactions with both Elena and Jane … just in different ways. That’s why she has two girlfriends. Sabina is so lucky!

Next, Sabina presses a kiss to Jane’s nearby neck. She feels Jane kiss the top of her head which makes Sabina melt, just a little. They step back from each other.

“What next?” Elena asks Sabina and Jane.

“I’ve got a dinner date with Jezabel,” Sabina tells her girlfriends. “And ‘His Cockiness’, Jaz Landry. Back at Trope’s mansion … Twinsies live with their manager while they’re in France. Which is kind of…” Sabina wrinkles her nose. “Weeeird. Like it’s got Incest-ory Uncle vibes, or something like that. Not that Trope’s their uncle.” Sabina scratches her now-itchy nose. “I think.”

“Bosley will be your eyes in the sky,” says Jane thoughtfully, “now that Elena’s hacked in.”

“Yup,” says Sabina. “Bos can keep an eye on Uncle Trope.”

There’s a knock at the door and Bosley pokes her head around it.

“Success?” Bosley asks Elena.

“Yes,” Elena smiles proudly. “We’re in.”

“Great job, Angel.” Bosley steps inside and gestures the Angels to have a seat on the bed. Bosley pulls up an armchair to face them. “So tonight, Sabina’s got a dinner date with the twins.”

“She was just saying.” Elena says this a little grumpily from her position sitting in the middle.

Sabina reaches over and pats her grumpy girlfriend’s shoulder comfortingly. Elena leans into Sabina and rests her head on Sabina’s shoulder; Sabina slips her arm around Elena’s back. She knows Elena isn’t really mad at her … just feeling a little out of sorts due to jealousy. That’s … not good, but it’s also, not bad. They’ll be okay. Sabina’s been with Elena Houghlin long enough to realise that Elena being upset isn’t the same thing as Elena not-loving-her. It’s more like … a passing raincloud of emotion. Less like, something to panic over (which is how Sabina reacted in the beginning, close to helplessly).

“I’ll be your eyes in the sky,” Bosley tells Sabina and Sabina exchanges an amused glance with Jane. Point one to Kano. “In the meantime,” says Bosley, “Jane and Elena, you’ll use this excellent opportunity to sneak in the back and get your eyes on Sly Trope’s basement.”

“Sounds like a D-grade porn movie,” says Sabina, raising an eyebrow at Bosley. “What’s in his basement?”

“Weapons, Charlie suspects,” says Bosley. “Intel suggests that Trope is a big-time weapons dealer, and his music management gig is just a cover. We need eyes on what kind of weapons, and intel about the big deal that’s supposedly about to go down.”

“Why are we sneaking in while Sabina’s having dinner?” Jane wants to know. “Why not when nobody’s home?”

“A couple reasons,” says Bosley. “Firstly, Trope’s mansion is a fortress. You’re not likely to get in easily, without a helping hand from Sabina.” Bosley turns to Sabina. “Your first priority during dinner is to make a likely excuse and let your teammates in the back door.”

“Sounds fun,” says Sabina. It does!

“Reason two,” says Bosley to Jane and Elena, “we need Sabina’s eyes on the twins at the same time as you two go for the weapons. They’re involved in this somehow … Charlie wagers, and Charlie’s almost always right. But we’re not sure yet, exactly how. Trust me on this, Angels.”

“…Right,” says Jane, and while her tone is professional Sabina’s girlfriendly ears catch the slightest shade of distrust, just beneath.

“Where will Trope be?” Elena wants to know. “How many security guards?”

“We don’t know … yet,” says Bosley, “about Trope. Now that you’ve hacked into the security system, Elena, I’ll survey today’s camera footage and gather intel, map out patrol patterns.”

“Where’s Saintly?” Sabina wants to know. It’s not exactly relevant, but Sabina’s curious. Call it a sudden hunch.

“Finding an outfit for your dinner date,” Bosley says, grinning at Sabina. “We don’t have easy access to an Angels’ dressing room just now. We’re making do with what we’ve brought, plus a little extra shopping on the side.”

“Bos!” Sabina complains. “I’d do a better job than Saint!” She rolls her eyes at Bosley then makes beseeching eyes at Jane who just smirks back.

“No you wouldn’t,” says Bosley calmly. “We’re on a budget.”

Sabina sulks. Elena sits up from leaning on Sabina’s shoulder and pats her thigh comfortingly.

“Saint’s good at fashion,” Elena tells Sabina. “He’ll get you something good.”

“Uh-huh,” says Jane drily, evidently not backing Elena up on this one. “Maybe in cheesecloth.”*

“What the fuck?” Sabina’s eyes widen at Jane and then at Bosley. “Noooooo!”

“Don’t worry, Angel,” comforts Bosley, but her grin is amused. “Saint keeps his guru-wear to himself. He’ll get you something … fitting.”

Sabina sighs and folds her arms over her chest. Saint had better. Sabina doesn’t know what to expect from him! This situation has never happened before. What if it’s a fashion disaster? It’ll be next to impossible to seduce Jezabel in cheesecloth … it better not be cheesecloth!

“Why don’t you spend the rest of the day resting or training?” Bosley suggests to the Angels. “Sabina, I know you’re still getting fighting fit after our last mission-series.” Bosley eyes all three-of-them. “And you’re all probably still undergoing some … fallout,” Bosley coughs a little uncomfortably, “psychologically.” She looks away. “Make sure you talk to Saint if you need to. That’s what he’s here for.”*

“Yes, Bos,” says Elena willingly.

Jane makes a nondescript noise in the back of her throat which could be agreement but to Sabina’s trained ears sounds more like Jane ticking the box to get Bosley off her back.

“I’m almost there,” Sabina tells Bosley, frankly. “Not nearly so stiff as I was.” She bounces to her feet and starts stretching. “Maybe I’ll go for a run.”

“Don’t push it too hard,” Bosley warns Sabina. “We want to be fit … but not overtired for our active missions.”

“I know, I know,” says Sabina. “Good job, Bosley-ing.”

Bosley mock glares. Sabina winks. Bosley grins.

“I’ll go with you,” says Jane to Sabina, rising and starting to stretch too, warming up for their run.

“Me three,” says Elena doing the same.

Sabina grins at her girlfriends. She knows what they’re up to! This is more of that clucky protective shit they’ve been pushing ever since Piper interrogated Sabina in his ‘secret surprise dungeon’. Still, it’ll be nice to go for a run together. In Paris, no less!

Sabina’s not complaining.

Chapter Text

Elena’s POV

It’s evening, and Elena and Jane are hiding in the bushes near the backdoor of Sly Trope’s mansion. They are avoiding tripping the alarm sensors that Elena found out about by remote-hacking into the security control room. This feels dodgy. It’s almost like the Angels are criminals, about to commit a burglary … or do something bad. Or rather, super spies about to do a mission. The latter, Elena comforts herself. What they’re actually doing is waiting for Sabina to get an opportunity to leave her dinner date and sneak them in through the back door. Still, lurking in the bushes feels just so … creepy.

“Patience, Angels,” says Bosley over comms. “Sabina’s just made an excuse to go to the bathroom. She should be with you soon.”

Bosley is riding Elena’s and Jane’s wings again without connecting them to Sabina’s wings (which Bosley is also riding). Elena suspects that this is to avoid either Elena or Jane going off-mission out of jealousy over Sabina’s grifting objectives. In the past, Bosley usually connected with all three-of-them over comms (and they could all hear each other) … but that was before Jane actively attacked a mark on one occasion, not too long ago … and tried to kill him. Since then, Bosley seems to be a bit more … judicious in how she sets up comms. Elena doesn’t blame Bosley. Regardless, it’s currently agitating not to hear what’s going on with Sabina, directly. Elena fidgets. Beside her, Jane reaches out a comforting hand and rubs Elena’s lower back. Elena leans into it gratefully.

The back door cracks open and light streams out.

“Yo!” hisses Sabina from between-the-crack, and then her hand sticks out the door, waving Elena and Jane over. The two-of-them duck out from the bushes and head inside, quickly. Apparently, Sabina opening the back door from the inside, turns off the alarm sensors temporarily. It’s one of the many weird quirks of this (overkill?) security system …

Sabina presses the door closed, quietly, and tosses a grin their way. She is wearing the outfit Saint found for this dinner, a little white dress, gauzy yet chic, a bit lacey, some fashion label. Elena thinks that Sabina looks far more demure than usual (which fits for her current mark, who Sabina theorises needs to be the flamboyant one). Also thoroughly appetising: Elena could eat Sabina right up! Jane is giving Sabina the kind of once-over that Elena knows means Jane is thinking something similar. Jane’s dark eyes are filled with heat.

Sabina smirks at them both like she knows just what they are thinking, and winks flirtily. Then she gestures down the hall, and makes a few subsequent hand signals, guiding them where they need to go. Elena wonders how Sabina knows this intel: has her girlfriend looked around the mansion on her own? Jane nods acknowledgement, then unexpectedly grabs Sabina by the back of the head and swoops in for a quick kiss. It’s hard and pointed, and Elena sees that it leaves Sabina breathless as she stares after Jane, pupils (predictably) dilated. Jane looks smug (also usual) and starts moving down the hallway.

Elena steps in close to Sabina, cups her girlfriend’s cheeks and kisses her girlfriend softly, lingeringly. Sabina kisses back, enthusiastically. Then Sabina is waving goodbye to Elena and Elena hurries after Jane. Elena glances back over her shoulder and sees that Sabina is already moving in the opposite direction, back towards her dinner date.

“Was that really necessary?” Bosley asks Elena and Jane over comms, but her tone is clearly playful. Elena blushes a little.

“Yes,” Elena mutters. Jane doesn’t deign to reply.

“Eight security guards currently patrolling the property,” Bosley goes on, voice still amused. “Two on each of the three floors, two in the basement. There’re two more guards in the security control room, overseeing the cameras. Elena’s patched their footage for the next hour with a fake overlay … so they won’t see you on the live cameras. Unless this mission takes … longer.”

“It won’t,” says Jane confidently. “In and out.”

Earlier Elena had discovered a limitation with the security hardware that meant that if she patched the footage with fake overlay for longer than an hour, it would be too obviously fake. However, Bosley had thought an hour should be fine for the Angels’ purposes ... a little tight, but certainly doable. Bosley has eyes on the true footage streaming live from the cameras. She’s setup in a modified van down a side street near the mansion.

Earlier Saint had visited the Parisian Angels’ HQ, borrowed the van from its host of getaway vehicles, and driven it back to their hotel. Saint was currently waiting at the hotel, their team’s makeshift base for this mission-series. Bosley had told the Angels that they could visit the HQ soon with their team-of-five … but not yet: their current mission objectives were too pressed for time.

“You’re clear, Angels. The two guards on your level are now headed the other way.” Bosley sounds pleased. “Perfect timing. Take two rights, a left, then the third right. That’s the door down to the basement. Let’s hustle!”

Jane and Elena move down the hallway at a fast walk. Elena glances around as they go, making sure to stay situationally aware. This spy skill doesn’t come naturally to her, though she’s worked hard on it in Angels’ training and refresher courses. It comes naturally to Jane though, Elena is well aware. Jane Kano has excellent situational awareness, usually second to none. That doesn’t take away from Elena needing to remain situationally aware: that’s better for their team.

The mansion is glamorous, more so than Elena remembers from the after-party. However, Elena was distracted then by the crowd and trying to get eyes on the security system (and later by getting eyes on Sabina), so probably that’s why she didn’t notice. Sly Trope is clearly loaded. Elena gawks. Then she remembers situational awareness … and tries to look less at the signifiers of wealth and more at possible signifiers of mission-relevance …

Minutes later the Angels have reached the door leading down to the basement.

“Locked?” Jane asks Bosley.

“Unknown,” says Bosley. “Give it a try.”

Jane does. The door is locked.

“Damn,” says Jane, but her voice is cool, and she’s already removed a lockpick from her Angels’ tech utility vest.

Both Jane and Elena wear utility vests tonight with shirts and bulletproof tank tops beneath, over dark military-esque trousers and combat boots. If security guards do happen to see the Angels, they’re made, immediately. By the same token, they’ll steal-and-fight better in this spy-functional clothing. Much better! It’s well worth the risk: there’s no need to wear skimpy costumery when it isn’t directly called for by a mission’s parameters. They don’t have a good cover story for being in the mansion, in any case.

Elena stays alert, keeping an eye out for potential company - for all that Bosley has said that the security guards on this floor are nowhere nearby. Better safe than sorry. Jane works on the door’s lock studiously. It isn’t that long before it clicks open.

“That seemed way too easy,” Elena tells Bosley. “Didn’t you say this place was a fortress?”

“Agreed,” says Bosley. “But we shouldn’t look a gift horse in the mouth. Proceed, Angels. With caution.”

They proceed.

Chapter Text

Jane’s POV

The Angels have made it down two flights of stairs to what must be the mansion’s basement level. Now they are faced with what looks like a stereotypical security door to some kind of top-secret lab. Or prison, maybe? Room-sized safe? Superman’s ‘fortress of solitude’? To be more exact, whatever kind of room an (alleged) international weapons dealer (allegedly) hides his deadly weapons in. The door is massive, made out of some kind of metal. It is locked by what looks like a high-tech security device … that probably needs retina plus fingerprint recognition to be unlocked, or something complicated along those lines. That’s Jane’s first impression.

She looks over to Elena with a nod: this is her tech specialist girlfriend’s field of expertise. Jane’s just here to look intimidating … and that won’t do diddly squat to this security door.

“Are you seeing this?” Elena asks Bosley.

Jane glances back at the single security camera in the room, located just behind the Angels, up against the roof. Bosley must be looking through that view, right now. Probably zooming in, to get a better look at the high-tech lock or whatever that security device is …

“Wow,” says Bosley. “What technology is that, Angel?”

Elena moves in closer to the door, and Jane watches her girlfriend squint at the device.

“Hmm,” says Elena, already sounding fascinated. “I’ve never seen anything like this….” She begins to tinker and Jane glances away, scanning the small entry-way room that they are in, glancing back up the stairway.

Out of nowhere, a blinding flash! Then …

… Nothing.

Chapter Text

Sabina’s POV

“Sabina!” Bosley’s voice over comms is urgent. It’s all Sabina can do not to spit out the large sip of wine she’s just taken. As it is, Sabina can’t prevent her eyes from widening appreciably. She swallows hurriedly.

“What’s wrong, Lolita?” Jezabel Landry asks from where she sits next to Sabina in the mansion’s dining room. Jezabel puts a hand on Sabina’s thigh under the table. Across from them, Jaz stares at Sabina suspiciously.

“Jane and Elena just disappeared!” Bosley says, sounding close to frantic. “You need to provide backup. Make a plausible excuse….” Sabina swallows hurriedly.

“Diarrhoea,” she tells her hosts, placing a hand to her stomach and leaning over a little with a groan. “Sorry! God, this is embarrassing…” Sabina stands up quickly and backs away from the table. “Please go on without me….”

She strides out of the room seemingly enroute for the bathroom, not looking back. Once clear:

“Bos?” Sabina mutters, half under her breath. Bosley reels off a list of directions for Sabina to follow, then adds:

“They were at the basement door, where we suspect the weapons stash is. Elena was taking a closer look at the security device - some kind of high-tech lock. Technology we’d both never seen! Then there was a flash and…” Bosley gulps audibly, “nothing.”

“Nothing?!” says Sabina disbelievingly. She is outright running now, following the directions Bosley gave her.

“Two guards around that next corner!” Bosley warns. “Hide!”

Sabina is passing a room. She ducks inside, pressing her body up against the wall just inside the open door.

“Here they come,” Bosley warns.

Sabina can hear them. Two sets of footsteps pacing towards the door, in sync. She holds her breath despite longing to gulp air in because of all the sprinting. She can’t let them hear her …

A shadow passes the door - it’s the security guards. Sabina can only just glimpse their dark clothing as they pass. Then their footsteps are receding. Sabina wonders if she should attack; her body tenses. She has no weapons on her. Probable sex with Jezabel made packing heat seem like a bad idea. Besides, the active part of this mission belonged to Jane and Elena … who have disappeared! Sabina glances around the shadowy room, hunting for some kind of makeshift weapon … she can improvise …

“Stay put, Angel,” says Bosley as though she knows what Sabina is thinking. Bosley probably does: the two-of-them have worked together that long. “Top priority is investigating what happened to our team.”

Sabina nods, once. Then she realises that Bosley can’t see her in this darkened room … Sabina doesn’t see a camera and the little light is spilling in from the hallway.

“Clear?” she mutters, voice barely audible.

“Wait…” Bosley tells her. “Almost….” A pause during which Sabina draws in a long breath of desperately craved-for oxygen. The guards are now far enough away that they won’t hear her breathing. Sabina slips her high heels off her aching feet and abandons them on the floor. They’re getting in the way of running as fast as she can without them (though she can run pretty fast in them, thanks to Angels’ training). Another (thankful) breath. Then Bosley’s voice: “now!”

Sabina ducks back out into the hallway and goes back to sprinting, following Bosley’s earlier directions towards her girlfriends’ last known location.

“The camera is out, near the mystery door,” Bosley tells Sabina, speaking at a rapid pace. “My view disappeared at the same time as that flash. Maybe it got blown…” Bosley sounds worried. “I won’t have eyes on you, once you get down to the basement level. Two flights of stairs.”

“Got it,” gasps Sabina, between pants, using her parkour skills to bounce off an ornate armchair resting at the end of the hallway, then off the nearby wall and around the bend.*

In parkour, obstacles are overcome in the most efficient manner possible … without breaking Zen-like flow. Everything in the environment is used, and perpetual movement is maintained: Sabina is one with the mansion’s obstacle course, as much as possible. Or … trying to be. She’s still a bit stiff from her recent interrogation’s injury load, though otherwise that’s healed up. Sabina’s probably at about 90% fitness … she wishes it was 100%. She could really stand to be 100% Spy Fit right now …

Even at only 90%, Sabina has arrived at the door leading down to the basement in record time. Anxiety on behalf of her girlfriends’ fates is motivating. Supremely so! She turns the handle; it’s open.

“Jane picked the lock,” Bosley tells her. “Good luck, Angel. Be careful!”

“‘Careful’ is my middle name,” says Sabina, already pounding down the stairs.

“You have a lot of those,” jokes Bosley, voice thick with worry. The two-of-them commonly deal with worry by joke-banter: it’s their thing.

“Danger, Fun, Party,” Sabina jokes, flying down the stairs.

“Reckless, Trouble, Crazy,” Bosley tosses back.

Sabina chortles appreciatively. She opens her mouth to toss out a few more good ‘middle name’ candidates (or bad ones, depending how you look at it). Sabina has just taken the final three stairs at a leap and what looks like Hell’s Security Door is right in front of her. She reaches out unthinkingly to touch its impressive Mystery Lock Device.

“Stupid,” she tells Bosley, almost reflectively - Sabina is thinking better of this move a second too late.

A blinding flash!

Chapter Text

Elena’s POV

Elena groans. What on earth is going on?! Her head is pounding, and she feels vaguely nauseous. She blinks her eyes open and tries to make sense of what she’s seeing. It doesn’t make sense … maybe it’s a dream. It takes her several deep breaths and forcing herself to focus to determine that she’s sitting on what looks like the … deck … of a boat. She is staring out across a wide expanse of deck at a white metal rail, quite similar to that of a balcony, and beyond that … ocean. A lot of ocean. No land on the horizon. The dark ocean is pulsing, the boat is rocking. Elena doesn’t know how big the boat is … the deck is about four yards in width … which seems to indicate it’s pretty damn big. But she doesn’t know much about boats. Maybe it’s a ship. That’s what you call a big boat, right? It’s floating in the middle of the ocean so presumably it’s a ship. Huh?!

Elena groans again and glances to the right. The deck leads for several yards towards a metal door: it’s closed. She glances to the left. Jane! Her unconscious? girlfriend is sitting half slumped over, about a yard to Elena’s left. Jane’s head rests on her chest, long ponytail draped over one shoulder. Elena can only see the side of Jane’s face: her girlfriend’s eyes are closed. The deck stretches beyond Jane for roughly another ten yards before disappearing around the curve of the boat. Jane’s back is leaning against some kind of metal piping. It rises out of the boat’s deck and forms a kind of rail that runs along the wall … Elena has no idea what it is. Only that Jane is chained to it; Elena can just make out thick chains affixing both of Jane’s wrists behind her back, to different sections of the pipe. These hold Jane in place, keep her in a sitting position.

Suddenly Elena becomes aware that she’s in the Very Same Predicament. She’s chained up too! She glances behind herself with some difficulty, (finally) registering the sections of heavy chain clamped around each wrist, and how they’re wrapped around points where the piping is fixed to the wall, meaning that Elena is prevented from sliding up or down the rail. The metal pipe presses into her back mega-uncomfortably. Elena shuffles around as much as she can given her limited leverage and the way she’s sitting, and the chains squeezing her wrists unpleasantly - straining to obtain a more tolerable position. She doesn’t have much luck. Her headache is getting worse; her stomach rolls. Elena looks at the ocean, wonders if she’s seasick. Does she get seasick? Elena doesn’t know … she doesn’t have enough experience with boats. Let alone the ocean (ferries don’t count).*

Oh, there was some riding-and-driving of boats during Angels’ training. Elena hadn’t liked it that much, though she’d done fine. She’s actually the best getaway driver (of assorted vehicles) out of their team, after Bosley who’s something of an expert. As Elena’s mentor, Bosley 342 nudged Elena in that direction - Elena followed willingly. However, training was a long while back now. Elena hasn’t been on any missions involving boats in the intervening period (has she?). Until now. Unfortunately.

“Jane!” Elena calls, belatedly realising she should try to wake her unconscious girlfriend up. “Please wake up. Janey…”

Elena swallows down the distracting sick feeling, and keeps trying, calling her girlfriend’s name repeatedly. Jane stirs just a little; her eyelashes flutter. Elena thinks it’s working. She hopes it’s working! She keeps calling, not bothering to keep her fear and worry out of her voice. Elena knows that her vulnerability will speak louder to Jane than her words will. Jane is protective of her loved ones as a matter of nature.* Just now, that trait will help Elena rouse Jane to wakefulness. She’s not against using every advantage, especially when it’s to help their triad …

“Bosley!” Elena thinks to try, while she waits (and hopes and prays) for Jane to wake up. “Can you hear me? Bos!”

So far there has been nothing over comms, not the slightest hint of Bosley. Elena turns her attention back to Jane, focuses on rousing her girlfriend. Jane has started blinking now (thank God!), slow dazed blinks that indicate she’s somewhat out of it, although clearly coming around.

“Janey!” cries Elena in sheer relief. It’s working! “Are you alright? Speak to me, baby…”

“Lena?” Jane slurs, blinking a few more times.

“Janey!” Elena repeats, relief roaring through her.

Slowly, Jane lifts her head and glances around herself. Then her head snaps Elena’s way and Elena actually sees Jane’s dark eyes focus, go assessing. Jane looks Elena up and down, her eyes lingering on Elena’s bonds. Then Jane is scanning the deck and yanking a little against her own chains. Elena realises that Jane has gone mission-ready on a dime, as she is wont to do … and is already summing up their situation, strategically. Jane did this much faster than Elena knows that she herself managed to (Elena still hasn’t fully managed it). It’s taking Elena a lot longer to orient …

“I don’t know what happened,” Elena tells Jane. “I was examining the device … then there was a flash…”

“I remember,” says Jane calmly, no longer slurring. “Then nothing.”

“Woke up like this,” Elena agrees. “We’re on a … ship?” She swallows down the sick feeling, again. “Janey, are you okay?”

“Yes,” Jane reassures. Jane shakes her head a little, as though clearing it. “Just a bit of a headache. We must have been knocked out.” Jane looks at Elena with piercing eyes. “What about you?”

“My headache’s getting worse,” Elena admits. “I feel nauseous too. Maybe I’m … seasick?”

“Maybe,” says Jane, frowning with what Elena reads as concern. “Or it’s from the device. It might affect us differently.”

“You don’t feel ill?” Elena checks.

“No,” says Jane. She doesn’t appear to be lying to Elena’s girlfriendly eyes, the way Jane Kano often does when she’s hurt or ill (or at the very least, minimises the truth). Elena’s pretty sure Jane is being upfront with her, which is relieving.* Jane must really be (at least mostly) okay. Elena watches as Jane tugs testingly at her chains (again), a disconsolate expression on her beautiful face.

“We’ve got lockpicks in these vests,” Jane mutters, looking down at her own chest. Elena (suddenly) remembers that they’re both wearing Angels’ tech utility vests. These contain lockpicks and other spy goodies in their various pockets and hidden compartments. “If we haven’t been frisked,” Jane adds. The Angels are still wearing the dark military-esque clothing that they went into this mission with, seemingly in full, combat boots and all.

“That would be stupid of our captors,” says Elena consideringly. She looks down at her own vest. She can’t tell if it still has her lockpicks in it or not. It’s impossible to check without the use of her hands …

“They’ve left our vests on,” Jane points out, tone thoughtful. “That was stupid in and of itself.” Jane wriggles a little. “We’re still wearing our bulletproof tanks.”

“Really?” Elena wonders how Jane can tell.

Instinctively she copies Jane’s wriggling movement, and realises how, a moment later. Jane is using body awareness and the sense of proprioception,* to tune into what she’s wearing: by the texture against her skin, constriction, weight, etc. Elena doesn’t normally use this sense consciously (most people don’t) … and didn’t really realise that it could be used that way. She’s impressed! As per usual, Jane Kano is impressive. Angels’ training should add a class on that …. For all that Elena’s learned in official Angels’ training (and she’s learned a lot), she’s somehow learned the most from Jane and Sabina, out on the field (and is still learning). It must be something to do with experience … which trumps schooling …

“I’m pretty sure that I’ve still got my knife,” Jane says, still wriggling her body assessingly. “And my gun.”

“Wow…” says Elena.

Presumably Elena must have her weapons too, just like Jane. She tries to tune into the intersection of her body-and-clothing to find out, yet doesn’t seem able to - the attempt just makes her brain feel thick and her head ache even more than it already is. Elena stops trying. Using this sense in this way must take practice … Jane must already be at a much higher skill level. Elena will have to take her girlfriend’s word for it (which she’s happy to do). Now if only the Angels could get ahold of their weapons … and gadgets …

“Don’t think it matters,” says Jane, now sounding frustrated. “These chains, this angle, this bloody position … I can’t get to my lockpick.” Jane glances at Elena. “Or yours.”

Elena sighs, also frustrated. It’s almost worse than not having their tech gadgets and weapons on them at all. Almost. So close but yet so far! Elena swallows down another wave of nausea. Wriggles around again, this time trying to get more comfortable. It seems impossible. Elena stops trying and leans back in the awkward position, focusing on the discomfort of the pipe digging into one shoulder blade.

She’s learned this meditative technique for dealing with pain in Angels’ training and practiced it with Saint in therapy. If you can’t get rid of pain, you can mindfully focus on it instead … give it all your attention. That makes it more bearable, though it seems paradoxical. Elena sighs again. She’s getting a back cramp. It hurts. She focuses on the cramp. Rates its pain-level out of ten. Tries to notice everything about it: size, temperature, movement, sensation. Begins to breathe into it.*

Jane is shifting around beside her, and Elena assesses that Jane is still trying to better their situation, weighing up all the factors. That’s good. Elena is so glad that Jane is here, with her. So damn relieved! In an emergency situation, Agent Jane Kano is their team’s best asset. Better than Sabina (as much as Elena loves her chaotic girlfriend, it’s just the truth) and waaay better than Elena herself (no joke). Elena can admit that, and admit it happily.

“Bosley!” says Jane. “Can you hear us? Come in.”

“I tried that,” Elena tells Jane mournfully. “No reply.”

“We should keep trying,” says Jane. “Every now and then.”

“Okay,” agrees Elena. They should.

“It’s probably the ocean,” says Jane musingly. “We’re almost certainly out of range.”

“Yeah,” Elena agrees, and she feels a stab of fear. “By like … a lot.”

“Yes,” says Jane, calmly. “Or else our comms were damaged in the … flash.”

“That’s worse,” says Elena. “I hope we’re just out of range.”

Jane nods soberly.

Suddenly the metal door to their right swings open. Elena gasps and stares. Two men emerge, dressed in some kind of uniform that Elena doesn’t recognise but that looks vaguely nautical. They are thug-types, thickset and scowling. More importantly, they are dragging Sabina between them: she is completely limp and seems to be unconscious.

“Who are you?” snaps Jane.

The thugs ignore Jane. Elena stares at Sabina who is facedown, head lolling forward, one arm held in each of the thug’s meaty grips. Her legs are dragging on the deck. The thugs drop Sabina opposite Elena and Jane; Elena winces. Then the thugs sit Sabina’s body up, leaning her back against the metal rail on the ocean-side of the deck. They drag her arms behind the rails and chain her in position.

Sabina slumps forward bonelessly, held in a seated position only by the chains at her wrists. Elena sees that the thugs have used two chains-lengths, one for each wrist, just like with herself and Jane. Sabina is still wearing the little white dress Saint chose for her dinner date, sans heels. She is facing her girlfriends across the four yards of deck, although her head hangs down so much that Elena can’t make out Sabina’s expression, only that she’s unconscious.

“Who do you work for?” Elena asks the men, keeping her tone polite and demure.

Jane’s demand didn’t work. Maybe Elena’s tactic will. The thugs ignore her too. Without looking at Elena or Jane they are already leaving, without so much as a backward glance. The metal door swings shut behind them. The Angels are alone, together.

“Sabina!” calls Jane. “Wake up!”

Hearteningly, Sabina immediately groans and begins to stir. Jane keeps calling; Elena joins in. It takes a while, but eventually Sabina opens her eyes, lifts her head and stares at them, blinking in obvious confusion. Then she grins, lopsidedly.

“Girlfriends,” Sabina greets them. She glances around muzzily. “Where the fuck are we?!”

“Bina!” says Elena with relief.

Their girlfriend is alright (Elena hopes). Sabina must have been knocked out by the same flash that incapacitated Elena and Jane … that seems like the likeliest scenario. Presumably Bosley sent Sabina to Elena’s and Jane’s rescue, and Sabina … didn’t quite manage it. Although getting brought to the same location as her girlfriends is certainly a step in the right direction … Elena can’t bring herself to feel upset about that. Elena is glad that the three-of-them are together. Even if it is like this.

Together, they will figure it out.

Chapter Text

Jane’s POV

Jane’s back is killing her. It’s the damn uncomfortable position of the metal pipe that’s currently digging into her back, as she leans (unwillingly) against it. Is that deliberate by the Angels’ (mystery) captors? It probably is, the sadistic fucks. Jane can see that it’s the same deal for Elena, who she notices is doing mindfulness-based exercises to try and manage the pain load. Jane’s done those too; now she’s over it.

The Angels have been chained up captive for about two hours, by Jane’s estimation … and she’s good at keeping track of time. At least that’s how long it’s been since Jane woke up next to Elena … Jane doesn’t know how long they might have been unconscious for between the mysterious flash and waking up on a boat in the middle of the bloody ocean.

The Angels have talked it over and decided that the flash must have been some kind of protective security measure. In response to the basement’s lock being tinkered with, some kind of stun grenade knocks out the interlopers … or something along those lines. Jane frowns with reluctant admiration. Brilliant. Sabina informed them that Bosley had lost the camera view of that room simultaneously with the flash going off … that must be part of the security measure. It’s certainly proven effective. One to the Bad Guys; Zero to the Angels.

The sun is beginning to set behind Sabina. It’s actually very pretty, not that Jane can enjoy the sunset in their current predicament. The air is getting chilly, no doubt a result of the sun going down. The ocean is getting rougher … Jane thinks that might be a result of the dark storm clouds she sees looming on one side of the orangey sky. These clouds seem to be moving in the Angels’ direction, worst luck.

Ocean spray has started to come up through the rail that Sabina is chained against, splashing the edge of the deck. It’s enough to splatter Sabina who jerks and curses every time it happens. Jane empathises with the response and does not envy her girlfriend. The ocean must be freezing! Randomly being splashed by it looks seriously unpleasant! Jane and Elena are far enough back that they remain safe and dry … for now.

Elena however isn’t faring much better than Sabina, though for a different reason. Jane knows Elena has been feeling nauseous from when they first woke up, and it appears to be getting worse. Which makes sense, given that the ocean is significantly rougher. Up until now Elena has merely looked a little pale and swallowed every now and then … in a way that suggests to Jane’s experienced eye, that Elena’s controlling her nausea. Now Elena looks faintly green and is slumping over to the side away from Jane.

“Lena,” says Jane, half-comfortingly, half-warningly. Is Elena about to…? Yes, she is! Jane wrinkles her nose and leans back in the opposite direction as Elena leans over and throws up.* Across from them, Sabina pouts.

“Poor baby,” she tells Elena, sincerely. “Seasickness sucks ass.” Elena just groans, sits up a little. Then leans over again and throws up some more.

“Deep breaths,” Jane tells Elena, trying to inject comfort into her voice, and to avoid sounding disgusted (although she is grossed out). “That can help.” Elena just groans some more, sounding thoroughly miserable. From this angle, Jane can’t tell if her girlfriend is following her advice or not.

Across the deck from them, Sabina jerks and hisses. Jane sees that another wave has just splashed their girlfriend, this one a doozy. It drips down Sabina’s face in the aftermath, and her short hair is now slicked against her head.

“You’re getting pretty wet there,” Jane tells Sabina, assessingly. If it keeps going this way, soon Sabina will be drenched. Sabina’s teeth are starting to chatter. Jane looks at her girlfriend’s little white dress and all Sabina’s bared skin, and the cold metal rail Sabina is chained up against. Jane feels the chill of the impending night, against her own skin. Jane shivers too, a moment of empathic reflex. Then an icy breeze shudders past and Jane shivers for real.

“I’m always pretty w-wet,” Sabina jokes, blinking seawater out of her eyes.

She’s squinting and grimacing, probably from the sting of the salt. Jane knows Sabina’s line is a euphemism, but it’s pretty weak as jokes go. Jane smiles anyway, as a nod to keeping Sabina’s spirits up. Being wet and cold in tandem is Absolutely No Fun. In fact, Jane knows it’s a very bad combination. If it keeps going this way their girlfriend might be in real trouble …

Elena is sitting up straight, with a little moan. She leans back against the piping, face still slightly green.

“How’re you doing?” Jane asks Elena.

“Want to die,” says Elena pitifully. Jane knows Elena doesn’t mean this literally … she means she feels terrible, and she isn’t bothering to hide it.* Still, Jane hates that Elena put it like that. Just now the Angels’ situation is too desperate for a joke about dying. Jane scowls disapprovingly, unable to stop herself.

“Totally, c-cutie,” says Sabina to Elena, voice warm with sympathy. “It’s the p-pits.”

Elena nods and pouts and looks a little better. Jane feels temporarily grateful to Sabina. That was the right move: to give Elena empathy for her experience. Jane can see that. But she couldn’t do it, and she still feels annoyed at Elena for what her girlfriend just said. Jane’s become aware that her character trait of easy irritation often gets worse under pressure. That doesn’t stop it though. If anything, it makes her feel guilty which in turn … makes her feel even more irritated.* At everyone!

“What about you?” Elena asks Sabina, shaking her head a little as she studies Sabina’s damp state.

“Could be w-wetter,” jokes Sabina, through teeth chatters. She winks at them both, “er, ‘b-better’.” Then she laughs at her own joke.

Right on cue another wave splashes over the side of the deck, coming in further this time, about a yard. Sabina’s properly drenched.

“F-fuck me!” she splutters, coughing a little and twisting in her chains.

“You shouldn’t have said that,” jokes Jane drily. Beside her Elena winces:

“Ooh honey!” she says softly to Sabina. “That was a big one.”

Sabina glares at Jane but it’s without heat, and Jane can tell that Sabina is enjoying their banter. She almost always does. Jane arches a humourous eyebrow but inside she feels a slowly ratcheting sense of unease. It’s almost … dread. She drops her eyebrow and speaks seriously to Sabina.

“You might get hypothermia if this keeps going.”

“N-no way, J-José,” says Sabina, teeth chattering harder. She shakes her head a little to shake water away. It doesn’t seem to help much. Water keeps dripping out of her hair and into her eyes. “Y-you’ve got t-to be l-lost in a snowstorm, r-right? Or immersed in the f-fucking s-sea? Like that s-scene in T-titanic.”*

“When Jack hangs onto the door?” asks Elena, a little dazedly.

Then she leans over and retches. Jane winces. Elena has probably vomited up the contents of her stomach by now. Just retching left. Jane is worried about the risk of dehydration. Who knows how long their captors might leave them chained up for … exposed to the elements …

“Y-yeah,” says Sabina, pouting sympathetically at Elena. “R-rose was fine, r-riding on top of that d-door like a s-surfboard. I’m R-rose.”

“No you’re not,” Jane says drily. Then she pauses, thinks about it. Presumably Rose was getting splashed by the tumultuous ocean … like Sabina (although was it tumultuous?). Yet Rose was safe from outright-immersion which would have been what killed Jack right smart (as he hung onto the door’s side). So maybe Sabina is Rose. “Maybe,” Jane corrects herself. “But I still think hypothermia’s a possible risk factor.”

“What do we do?” asks Elena, still listing over to the side, sounding miserable.

“I don’t know,” says Jane, voice a monotone.

This is a nightmare! Jane hates Nothing More than being helpless … especially if she’s helpless to help her loved ones, when they need her to. That’s exactly what’s happening here, regardless. Jane’s helpless. They all are.

“I’m s-so not into th-this,” says Sabina, and though her voice is jokey there is a serious undercurrent that Jane knows means Sabina is telling the truth. Sabina glances over her shoulder, then up at the sky. “Th-think it’s gonna r-rain?”

“Yes,” says Jane morosely. “That’s a storm rolling in.”

The sun is now halfway sunken into the ocean: brilliant and orange. The temperature has dropped several more notches. A chill wind is blowing, almost constantly, and Sabina is shivering non-stop. Jane shivers too, but only every now and then. Her clothing is protective: the bulletproof tank plus shirt plus utility vest are actually quite warm, serving to insulate her torso. Her military-esque trousers are long, her boots and socks protect her feet. Her exposed arms and head are cold, but that’s it. Jane is thankful, and glad on Elena’s behalf: they are dressed the same.

Sabina, conversely, is dripping wet, shoeless for whatever reason (not that the heels she started out in would have been much better) and has plenty of exposed skin. The skin that’s covered only has her little white dress which is leaning towards gauzy … in no way protective against the cold. She’s probably wearing lingerie beneath, which is just as useless.

Lightning flashes. A short pause, then thunder rumbles.

“Storm’s getting closer,” Jane assesses.

That thunder sounded pretty close behind the lightning: Jane knows that the time between the two indicates the storm’s closeness to them. The boat is beginning to rock in the waves. The ocean’s growing restless with the incoming storm. Another wave splashes, seemingly quite hard. It comes up and over the deck about two yards this time. Jane and Elena are still safe since they are sitting about four yards back. Sabina is thoroughly drenched.

“I t-tap out!” huffs Sabina though Jane doesn’t know who she’s saying it to. “You w-win!” Sabina tugs against her chains a little, leaning forward, gasping for breath. She must have lost it because of the cold shock of the wave hitting.

“Who are you talking to?” Jane asks. Distracting Sabina with banter and keeping her girlfriend’s spirits up is all that Jane can really offer, right now. It sucks, big time. She’d swap spots with Sabina in a heartbeat …

“The o-ocean,” says Sabina, coughing a little. “Whiny little b-bitch.” She shivers violently.

To Jane’s side, Elena is groaning and retching again, obviously too out of it to contribute. There’s nothing Jane can do, for either of her girlfriends. It’s a special kind of torture. Jane is in hell!

“The ocean is a bitch?” Jane checks.

It’s not really banter but she’s now more concerned that Sabina isn’t making that much sense. Is that a sign of hypothermia? Jane racks her brains trying to remember what the first stage symptoms are. She’s pretty sure that they’re constant shivering (check) and … mental confusion? Pretty sure.

“I w-wanna go h-home,” Sabina says, shivering harder. She groans and leans back against the rail. “Let’s g-go.”

Jane frowns.

“We can’t,” she says slowly, still not sure if Sabina is confused or … Just Being Sabina. Jane decides to ask outright, which is often a good policy with her girlfriend. “Are you feeling confused?”

“Stop d-dissing me,” Sabina says, half-jokey, half-complaining. “Just t-take me h-home.”

It doesn’t make sense, Jane’s pretty sure. She decides Sabina’s probably confused. It’s hypothermia, the beginning stage. Jane’s almost sure.

“Sweetheart,” says Elena to Sabina, sitting up with a groan. “That’s such a good idea. But we can’t go home.” Elena shivers as the wind gusts around them, particularly strongly. “Because we’re captured.”

“H-hot ch-chocolate,” Sabina says dreamily, through teeth chatters, “I w-want to b-burn my t-tongue on it.” She snorts a little, half a laugh. “In i-it.” Jane can’t tell if Sabina is talking to Elena or Jane or herself. Sabina’s chains are clanking with how hard and constantly she is shivering, constant background noise. Jane winces in sympathy. This is hell.

“Don’t talk about food!” protests Elena, leaning over to retch some more.

Sabina mumbles something unintelligible, maybe in answer. Jane frowns at Sabina. Elena is still retching. Jane frowns at Elena.

This is bad.

Chapter Text

Sabina’s POV

Sabina shivers violently. She is so fucking cold; she can’t stop shaking! Yet another wave slams over her and she whines in protest and coughs out saltwater. The waves seem to be getting bigger. More constant too. They are random though … she is caught by surprise each time they crash atop of her. It’s a special kind of hell …

“A c-cold d-day in h-hell,” she mumbles to herself, and laugh-coughs. That’s a good one. That’s exactly what this is.

Jane says something to Elena who is listing to the side away from Jane, retching helplessly, but Sabina can’t make out the words. There’s water in her ears. She tries to shake the offending water out, without hands. Her lips are stinging from the saltwater, her mouth is dry. What she’d give for a glass of water! Non Ocean Variety …

Lightning flashes and hot on its heels, thunder rumbles. The sky is dark now … the sun has just gone down. Sabina can barely see her girlfriends where they are chained up about four yards opposite. Only when there’s lightning. Mostly they’re just familiar silhouettes. She’s totally glad that they’re here with her though, although it’s the pits that they’re all captured. This hell would suck ass Sooo Much More, if Sabina was alone … of that much, she’s certain. Another flash of lightning; instant thunder. It begins to rain.

“M-motherf-fucker!” says Sabina.

From bad to fucking worse! Her heavy shivering is involuntarily; she couldn’t stop it if she tried. Her muscles are starting to cramp up with the intensity: it hurts. Her chains are clanking like Marley’s ghost. It’s like a scene in a horror video game! Sabina doesn’t want to find out what happens next …

She is sitting on the edge of the deck, chained to the rail. Her ass is mostly numb, though she’s certainly tried to keep shifting around in her bonds’ limited constraints, to maintain circulation. The latest shitty development: a chill wind is blowing the rain towards Sabina, and she is getting wet (and stung), constantly. The combination of wind plus wet is brutal. It’s going right through her body like a knife.

The deck’s roofing will provide some protection for her girlfriends since they are seated further in, but what with this wind, Sabina doesn’t know how much. Maybe Jane and Elena will be wet soon too. Everyone can be in hell, together. Or is it Helheim? That’s the cold hell, isn’t it? Not the hot one? Sabina knows stuff …

“Honey,” says Jane to Elena, “you’ll be okay.” Sabina’s ears are unblocked enough that she can make out Jane’s words now, even over the rising din of the storm. “Keep breathing, Lena.”

Jane’s voice is comforting, if rough with worry, and Sabina is glad that Jane is supporting Elena who clearly has some kind of seasickness. Elena’s been throwing up, then retching when she ran out of vomit, almost non-stop. Sabina knows that dehydration is probably not far away for her poor girlfriend … if not here already. That sucks. It’s dangerous and potentially life-threatening, at least eventually …

When are their captors going to come and interrogate them or shoot them or monologue at them, or whatever? Shouldn’t that have happened by now?! Unless this is the torture portion of the captivity. Sabina could well believe it! This is a perfect torture scenario. It’s totally softening the Angels up. The bad guys don’t have to move a muscle while the Angels take a beating. Somebody’s clever! Sabina’s ready to sign whatever she has to in order to get off this fucking boat. She didn’t sign up for this shit …

Yet another motherfucking wave. Fuuuck! It wacks Sabina pretty damn hard and she snorts out saltwater in the aftermath, unhappily. What did she do to deserve this?! Well, what didn’t she do … no, no, not even Sabina Wilson deserves this! She moans and shakes, in utter misery. The rain is getting harder. Another flash of lightning. Over the thunder, Sabina just makes out Jane’s voice, directed at her:

“Hold on, Bina. You’ve got this.”

“G-got w-what?” Sabina wonders aloud. Is that banter? She looks around in confusion. Where is Jane? Sabina just heard her girlfriend. She’s pretty sure.

“Look at me,” says Elena. “You’ve got this, baby.”

Elena sounds ill, Sabina thinks muzzily. Her girlfriend’s voice is oddly thick. It’s her vomit-voice; Sabina recognises it. She just makes out Elena in the shadows, sitting across from herself about four yards away. Sabina jerks a little in startlement; her chains rattle. Whoa! Jane is seated about a yard away from Elena. Whooooooa! Were they there this whole time? Freaky-deaky … Sabina can barely see her girlfriends in the gloom of the storm and … night. It’s night-time. She looks up into the driving rain. Then licks her lips. Hey, the rain tastes good. Sabina is very thirsty, and her lips are stinging from salt. She opens her mouth and sticks out her tongue. Thank God! She tries to drink the rainwater. It’s difficult. It won’t go in properly.

“That’s a good idea,” says Jane. “You should do that too, Lena. If the rain comes in far enough.”

“Okay,” says Elena weakly. She groans pitifully. “Sooo thirsty.” A pause and she adds even more weakly, “starting to feel dizzy.”

“Not good,” says Jane, voice a register deeper than usual. “Dehydration.”

“Yeah,” says Elena. “But Sabina’s worse.”

“Then wh-who?” Sabina wants to know.

She’s stopped trying to drink the rain; it doesn’t work that well without hands. Sabina’s looking for her hands now … they seem to have gone AWOL. She tries to get up so that she can look for them better. Something prevents her. Sabina doesn’t know what it is, and she tugs against it futilely. Then harder, putting all her strength into it.

“Stop it!” Jane orders. “You’re going to hurt yourself.”

Sabina ignores Jane’s voice because she can’t see Jane and her girlfriend might not even be talking to her. Besides, what Jane says doesn’t make sense. Nothing is making sense. Sabina manages to get up on her knees, with difficulty. She is wearing some kind of little white dress … it’s sexy, but next to useless for her current mission objective. Annoyingly in the way. The skirt tears a little, by accident.

“S-sorry about th-that,” Sabina tells the skirt. “Sh-should have a-asked you f-first.”

She laughs to herself, though she’s not sure why she’s laughing. Up on her knees, Sabina has more leverage than before and now she realises that her hands are actually behind her, attached at the wrists to something. Sabina tugs harder, thanks to her new leverage. She is shaking fit to burst and moving awkwardly but she doesn’t let it stop her.

“Stop it!” Elena sounds scared. “Sabina! Jane, how do we stop her?!”

“Sabina!” Jane’s voice cracks like a whip. Sabina pauses mid pull, somehow caught and held. She shivers in place. Lightning flashes, thunder roars. In the flash Sabina sees that Jane is across from her, staring at her with dark commanding eyes. Sabina starts. Wow! Jane Kano is Fucking Intense. “Stop tugging,” Jane orders, another whip crack. “Sit down.”

Sabina stops tugging but she doesn’t sit down. Is this a bdsm game? She glances around the deck confusedly. Kind of a strange place for it. Her teeth chatter.

“She seems so out of it,” Elena says, then there are retching sounds. Elena’s silhouette seems to be listing to the side.

“Hypothermia,” says Jane. “Mental confusion’s a symptom. She’s getting worse.”

“W-wherearewe?” Sabina asks her girlfriends, and her voice comes out slurring. Then she starts tugging again, ignoring the (irritating) shaking, trying to find her erstwhile hands.

“Stop that!” Jane orders again. Jane Kano is so bossy. It’s one of Jane’s most defining features … Sabina digs it … and is annoyed by it … one or the other … or both at the same time …

Another wave slams over the deck. Sabina splutters but keeps tugging persistently. She wants to get out of this hellhole! Escape from Helheim! Now! She’s fucking desperate! Suddenly, her right hand slips free. Sabina holds it up in front of her face and stares at it. Her wrist is red and raw and scraped. It might also be … bruised and bleeding. It’s hard to tell in the gloom, not to mention because her hand is shaking so damn hard. Sabina is totally surprised. She had no idea her hand was hurt. When did that happen?

“Whoa!” says Elena. “Jane!”

“I see it,” says Jane, sounding stunned.

Sabina is turning her shaking body towards the rail now that she can do so … and examining her left hand. It’s fixed to the rail by some kind of chain. Total Bondage Shit. Maybe this horror video game has porn undertones. Sabina reaches down with her freed hand and begins tugging at and around the bound one, trying to free it, pulling and wiggling with the bound one at the same time. Her girlfriends are talking to her (at her?) urgently, but Sabina isn’t interested in what they’re saying. She’s interested in escaping, ASAP. It takes up all her attention …

Another wave crashes over the boat, and Sabina takes a slap of ice-cold water to the face. She gasps and coughs and retches. That went down the wrong way! But she keeps tugging and pulling and twisting, as hard as she can. Just like that, her left hand slips free. Sabina laughs, and staggers to her feet, using the rail to pull herself up. She’s aced this test! Fucking ace! Then the boat rocks violently and Sabina goes staggering back across the deck, crashing into the opposite wall. She’s down on her hands and knees (whoops!), and suddenly she realises that Jane is like, Right There. In front of Sabina’s face. Staring at Sabina, fiercely.

“My vest!” Jane tells Sabina urgently. “There’s a lockpick in the top right pocket. Get it out and pick my chains.”

Sabina blinks at Jane and tries to understand these so-mysterious instructions. She can’t understand them, but she can understand that Jane is ultra-serious right now. And that Jane wants Sabina to … Do Something. Very much indeed.

“You can do it, baby,” says Elena, from somewhere nearby. “Please, Bina, concentrate.”

Elena sounds urgent, ill, hopeful, all at once. Sabina feels worried, wants to help, is not sure what’s going on. She blinks some more. Shivers violently, without ceasing.

“My vest,” Jane repeats, still urgent. “My vest, Sabina.”

Sabina looks at Jane’s vest. Yes, she sees it. What about it?

“Right pocket,” Jane says, slowly and firmly. “Top right pocket.”

Sabina arches an eyebrow. Is Jane coming onto her? Is that what this is? With Kano it can sometimes be hard to tell. Oh well, Sabina should just go with it. She totally wants Jane, however she can get her girlfriend. If Jane wants Sabina to … touch her vest, Sabina can do that …

Slowly she climbs up on her knees and fumbles with trembling hands over Jane’s vest, searching for the indicated pocket. It’s difficult, more difficult than it should be. Sabina vaguely realises that this has got something to do with her hands, both of which are aching fiercely. Also, something to do with the non-stop (so annoying!) shaking. Lightning flashes and Sabina sees that there’s some blood on Jane’s vest now, and it’s coming from Sabina’s right wrist and the heel of that palm. There’s a nasty looking scrape, and it’s bleeding sluggishly. Sabina is moving sluggishly, one might even say, clumsily. She’s not sure why. Her hands go still – apart from their constant tremors – and she looks down at the blood, consideringly.

“Top right pocket,” Jane repeats as though those words should be Very Meaningful. They aren’t. Sabina looks at Jane. Jane looks back, dark eyes fierce. “Sabina. Focus.” Jane is speaking slowly, firmly, meaningfully. Sabina gathers that this is important, whatever the hell this is. Her teeth chatter so hard that her head is aching. Jane looks down as though directing Sabina to do so too. Sabina does, following Jane’s gaze to a point on her girlfriend’s vest. “Top right pocket,” Jane repeats, speaking slowly, with great emphasis.

Sabina wonders why her girlfriend sounds so serious about a pocket. It’s just a pocket. Like, everyone has them, yo. Or almost everyone. Still, Sabina wants to please Jane, so …. Her hands go to the indicated pocket, and she fumbles around inside it for what seems like forever. Until … aha! A lockpick! That seems totally useful. At least they are in video games. That Sabina likes playing.

“Great job, sweetheart,” says Elena from nearby, voice bursting with relief. “Oh thank God.”

“Don’t thank God yet,” says Jane drily. “That was just stage one.” She looks into Sabina’s eyes and tells her, “pick my chains.”

Again, Sabina is less than sure what her girlfriend is on about. What chains? Is that some kind … euphemism? Or kinky line? Doesn’t Jane hate subbing? Why would Jane be tied up? That’s more Sabina’s speed: Jane Dommes her. Jane is tugging at something that rattles, maybe trying to make it rattle even more. Lightning flashes. Sabina looks down and her eyes widen. Jane is chained up; Sabina can just make out that her girlfriend’s hands are pulled behind her back and fixed to some kind of pipe. It is a bdsm scene! Sabina had no idea!

“My chains,” Jane repeats slowly, firmly. “Use the lockpick.”

Sabina looks down at the lockpick in her shaking hands. Then back at Jane’s chains. Sabina has picked a lot of locks in her time … her criminal history was filled with the same and her Angels’ career has continued it, without a break. She’s usually pretty damn good at this criminal-cum-spy skill. Still, it doesn’t make sense because they haven’t finished their bdsm scene yet, and you don’t unlock the sub until afterwards. Sabina squints at Jane, confusedly. Besides, Jane won’t sub, Sabina has asked. Jane was like, a hard no.

“Y-youd-don’t liketo s-sub,” Sabina tells Jane, slurring through teeth chatters.

Jane rolls her eyes:

“Sex on the brain,” she mutters, but it’s affectionate.* Then Jane adds with emphasis, speaking extra slowly, “pick the lock … on my chains.”

“Hold on!” cries Elena, and the boat tilts.

Another wave is crashing over the deck. Sabina reflexively grabs onto Jane, who is the closest thing to grab. Sabina closes her eyes tightly and grimaces, waiting to be drenched with ocean. It doesn’t happen: the wave didn’t come in far enough. She suddenly notices that she’s not being rained on constantly anymore … only the odd gust of rain makes it in this far. How wonderful!

Sabina grins big and nuzzles in closer to Jane, burying her wet face in her girlfriend’s neck. Jane’s skin is hot against Sabina’s icy nose and cheek. Jane smells sooo good, like Jane. Sabina is up on her knees, with her hands wrapped around Jane’s biceps and her trembling body pressed up close against her girlfriend’s. Jane is dry and warm. Sabina digs it: she just wants to be close. Elena is giggling, weakly.

“That’s so cute,” Elena says, and she sounds both serious and teasing.

“Sabina,” says Jane firmly, slowly, meaningfully, “unlock my chains.” A pause. “Then I can hold you.”

Sabina grins bigger, despite the chattering teeth.

Now they’re getting somewhere!

Chapter Text

Elena’s POV

Elena watches anxiously as Sabina leans back from nuzzling into Jane’s neck and starts to fumble in the general direction of Jane’s chained wrists. Sabina’s hands are shaking violently, as is her entire body: it’s hard to watch. Jane’s eyes are soft as they follow Sabina’s (painstakingly slow) progress, Elena can just make them out in the gloom. Elena knows that Sabina’s hug-attack melted Jane as much as it did Elena. Sabina is clearly completely out of it, confused and slow and clumsy, but she is Always So Sabina. Even when she’s seriously hurt. Elena loves that about their girlfriend. She knows Jane does too, just as much.

Jane is being very patient just now, especially for (impatient) Jane Kano, which is heart-warming for Elena. On one hand, Jane has to be, because Sabina seems to keep forgetting what is said to her and takes several tries to understand it in the first place. On the other hand, Jane has been surprisingly (yet unsurprisingly) soft this whole captivity. Both towards Sabina and towards Elena herself. Elena’s head aches and reels with dizziness, and she leans back against the metal piping, trying to ignore the painful cramping of her back muscles. Weirdly enough, the cramping is a welcome distraction from the nausea. Thank God. The nausea is worse! Elena can’t remember the last time she felt this sick and pitiful …

Sabina Wilson is actually highly skilled at lock picking, by far the best of their threesome. Yet you would never know it to watch her attempt the same now. Elena keeps holding her breath because from the little she can make out in the gloom, it looks like Sabina might drop the lockpick Any. Moment. That would be the last thing the Angels need! Elena can easily imagine the pick being lost in the darkness … or swept over the deck into the sea … she bites her bottom lip in agitation.

“Focus,” says Jane to Sabina, yet again, speaking slowly and emphatically. “Pick my chains.”

Thunder rumbles. The storm is in full swing: it’s scary. Elena is used to being safe and warm inside when a storm breaks. Being chained to a ship’s deck in the middle of the ocean, with a full-blown storm happening All Around Them … this is something else entirely! Next level! Elena shivers in the chilly wind and feels grateful that the driving rain is mostly kept out by the deck’s roofing. Mostly. Poor Sabina is dripping wet, thanks to being chained to the deck’s rail where she was exposed to the rain and being smacked about by sporadic waves. It was terrible to watch: thank God she’s over here now with Elena and Jane, by some miracle …

The boat lurches in the ocean’s roughness and Elena’s stomach lurches with it. She closes her eyes and groans. She wishes she could lie down in the foetal position and curl into herself; that would feel so much better. She opens her eyes, hunting for a distraction, any distraction. She watches her girlfriends instead, what she can make out of them. Elena sees that Sabina is bent almost double over one of Jane’s chained wrists now - so far, so good. A flash of lightning. Sabina’s eyes are squinted; she’s clearly focused. That’s good. The lightning is gone but Elena can hear Sabina fiddling with the lock and see her girlfriend’s silhouette.

“C-c’mon,c’m-mon,” mumbles Sabina, seemingly to the lock. “C’mon,b-baby, g-giveitup forD-Daddy…”

Elena exchanges an amused look with Jane, about Sabina. Sex on the brain, indeed. Elena can barely see Jane, but that doesn’t seem to matter. She sees the white flash of Jane’s teeth in the shadows: Jane is grinning. Elena knows that the two-of-them are on the same wavelength. They don’t need words, very often these days. Apparently, this extends to sight …

A clicking noise. Sabina crows with triumph. Elena realises that one of Jane’s wrists is now free, the right one … which is Jane’s dominant hand, though she’s trained herself to be ambidextrous.* Elena’s overjoyed! Relief surges through her.

“Great job, Bina,” Jane tells their girlfriend sincerely, and Elena can just make out Jane’s silhouette in the gloom, shaking life back into her freed hand. “Now give it to me.”

Jane reaches out and Elena sees what looks like Sabina handing the lockpick over. Now Jane is turning as best she can and attempting to pick her other chain’s lock. Jane mustn’t trust Sabina to do that and frankly … Elena thinks that’s a good call. Sabina is far from her most reliable right now. It’s quite possible that Sabina would have lost focus or the lockpick itself, before this next stage of escaping was completed. Jane might take longer due to less skill and the awkward positioning, but she can certainly get the job done. No doubt.

“Come hug me,” Elena pleads with Sabina. She thinks it’s a good idea to distract Sabina in the meantime and keep her girlfriend safe and occupied. Besides, Elena is dying for affectionate touch with (both) her girlfriends! She is craving comfort.

“Lena!” says Sabina happily, shuffling forward on her knees to wrap both arms around Elena.

Elena squeals, unable to stop herself. Sabina’s body is freezing. Dripping wet! Elena shivers in Sabina’s arms and turns to press a kiss to her girlfriend’s icy cheek. Sabina makes a familiar purring noise in the back of her throat: the kind she often makes when she’s half asleep, curled up in Elena’s arms. Elena immediately starts to feel better, even with the Angels’ stress-inducing predicament, and her own illness and discomfort.

Strangely enough, Sabina seems to have stopped shivering. Regardless, Elena wishes she could wrap her arms around her girlfriend’s back and pull Sabina in closer, hold her tightly. Sabina’s so cold. Yet Elena’s still chained up; all she can do is be held. The boat rocks, the storm blows around them frantically. The deck pitches and rolls: destabilisation!

“Hold onto me!” Elena orders Sabina, scared that her girlfriend will fall off the boat now that Sabina’s not chained on. Sabina grunts and tightens her hold around Elena’s shoulders. Elena is thoroughly relieved that Sabina registered her warning: she sighs out. The boat straightens up again (sort of). The danger has passed … temporarily …

“Good idea, Lena.” It’s Jane, finally freed from her chains. Jane kneels beside Elena: they smile at each other over Sabina’s shoulder, both with obvious relief. Jane goes on: “I’ll unlock your chains. You two keep hugging.”

Jane bends down and starts to work on Elena’s chains with her lockpick. Sabina murmurs something unintelligible, seeming fully occupied with nuzzling into Elena’s cheek. Elena is beginning to shiver herself, thanks to Sabina’s freezing wetness which is dampening her own clothing. Yet Sabina doesn’t shiver, at all. Her teeth aren’t chattering either: before this Elena could often hear them click-clacking they were chattering that hard, and Sabina kept stuttering her words as a result.

“Sabina’s stopped shivering,” Elena tells Jane, over Sabina’s shoulder. Jane sucks in a breath and pauses her task for a long moment.  

“Not good,” Jane says finally, voice a register deeper than usual. “Pretty sure that’s the next stage of hypothermia.”

Elena frowns at Jane in the darkness. That’s … so bad. Worry thrums through her, blotting out the lingering sense of relief. Jane has gone back to working on Elena’s chains. Sabina hugs Elena tightly, seemingly paying no attention to her girlfriends’ conversation about her. Sabina seems to be missing a lot of what is said … or else not understanding it. Elena hopes that the one-way hug is helping Sabina warm up some. It’s helping Elena, emotionally: she feels comforted. It’s also a good distraction from the (terrible) seasickness. Besides, it’s 100 times better than before, when the Angels couldn’t touch each other …

One of Elena’s chains clicks free. With a sigh of sheer relief, she shakes out her arm: it’s awkward and achy! Then she lifts it to clutch the small of Sabina’s back who wriggles happily in response. After long moments more, Jane makes a satisfied noise, and Elena’s other chain clicks open.

Lightning flashes; thunder roars. The deck is pitching violently: a wave is coming close to them, though it doesn’t reach all the way. Jane yells out in alarm, grabs the pipe, holds on tightly. Desperately, Elena reaches her newly freed hand around the nearby pipe, clamps on. She ignores how her arm zings with pins and needles, half numb, half on fire. She clings on tightly: one hand on the pipe, the other around her freezing girlfriend; Sabina clings to Elena. The boat straightens up. Elena catches her breath, half-relieved, half-belatedly-terrified …

“Wait here!” Jane tells Elena. “Let me scout what’s through the door.”

“Roger that,” says Elena automatically.

She knows that their team will need every advantage they can get, what with her own weakened condition and Sabina’s hypothermic state: Jane needs to do this. Still, Elena releases Sabina to reach out and grab Jane’s nearby arm, pulling her girlfriend down close. Jane comes willingly. Elena kisses Jane on the lips, with all her heart behind it. Jane kisses Elena back, just the same way. Vomit-breath doesn’t matter … the only thing that matters is being reunited, finally able to touch each other again …

Jane pulls back, curves one hand behind Elena’s head and presses a firm kiss to the top.

“Love you,” says Jane softly, but Elena hears her girlfriend clearly, storm or no storm. Then Jane wraps an arm around Sabina’s back and Elena’s side, holding them both at once. Jane presses a kiss to Sabina’s nearby cheek. “You’re freezing!” Jane tells Sabina and her tone is somehow disapproving yet loving, all at once. It makes Elena smile at Jane because it’s just so very Jane & Sabina.

“You’rehot,” Sabina tells Jane, turning her head to kiss Jane on the lips.

Jane kisses Sabina back, fiercely. Then she’s rising, though to Elena’s knowing eyes, Jane’s reluctance to leave the two-of-them is clear. Elena watches as Jane strides over to the deck’s metal door and tries it, gingerly. It opens easily enough, and Jane ducks through into the ship. She closes the door behind her, leaving Elena and Sabina to wait. Sabina has turned her head to peer after Jane, and now she leans back and looks at Elena. Sabina seems … confused. Elena wonders how much Sabina is keeping up with the proceedings.  

“Sit next to me,” Elena tells Sabina, patting the ground by her side. “Hold onto the pipe, so you don’t fall in.”

They both need to be careful not to slide across the deck whenever a fierce wave crashes over and the boat rolls wildly. The chains served as some kind of involuntary seatbelt: they’re gone now. Sabina looks at Elena blankly. Elena realises that her compromised girlfriend hasn’t been able to follow what she said; she’ll need to make it easier.

“Sit,” Elena tells Sabina again, reaching out and attempting to tug her girlfriend into position.

Sabina follows easily enough, not resisting Elena’s guidance. They sit pressed up against each other, and Elena wraps one arm around Sabina’s waist so that she can hold onto her girlfriend. Better safe than sorry. Elena uses her other arm to hold onto the pipe.

“Wherearewe?” Sabina slurs, leaning back and staring at the ocean. “Thisisweird.” Elena laughs a little. That’s so accurate. That sums it up exactly! Then Elena moans as a sudden wave of dizziness makes her see double. “What’swrong?” Sabina asks Elena, turning towards her with obvious worry.

“Dizzy,” Elena explains, releasing the pipe to rub her temple. “Headache.”

“Poorbaby,” pouts Sabina. She starts to get up.

“No!” yelps Elena, trying to drag Sabina back down. It doesn’t really work; her girlfriend is already mostly up.

“Wegottago,” Sabina tells Elena. “Saveyou.”

Sabina gestures vaguely towards the stormy ocean. She is lurching in place, and Elena can’t tell if her girlfriend is unsteady because the deck is pitching (and anybody would be) or if Sabina’s clumsy due to hypothermia. Then Sabina is reaching down and pulling Elena onto her feet. Elena is that surprised, she merely allows herself to be pulled up. It happens before she fully realises what’s happening. Once standing, Elena grabs onto the pipe and grabs onto Sabina: she’s not letting her girlfriend out of her grasp!

“C’mon,” insists Sabina, beginning to stagger towards the deck’s door, dragging Elena by one hand.

“Wait for Jane!” Elena insists, holding onto the pipe and trying to drag Sabina back.

“Janey!” Sabina calls, looking all around as though she’s looking for Jane.

“She’s not…” Elena trails off because the deck’s door has just opened (timing!), and Jane’s familiar head is poking through. Jane stares at them, then shakes her head at Sabina, disapprovingly. Yet all Jane says is:

“C’mon you two.” She gestures them over, and Elena allows Sabina to happily drag her over to join Jane. 

Sabina and Elena step through the door into the ship’s body, and Jane closes it behind them. The Angels are standing in a dimly lit hallway: they can see each other properly now, unlike the gloom of the deck. Elena sags against the wall, feeling relieved. It is so good to be out of the stinging wind and chaos of the storm. Inside the ship it is significantly quieter, though they can still hear the storm’s din, distantly. It’s not as cold either, small mercies. The floor pitches a little, but even that seems muted compared to what it was like on the deck. Elena puts a hand to her stomach, and swallows.

“Keep quiet,” Jane warns, just above a whisper. “Follow me.”

Sabina opens her mouth as though to answer but Jane claps one hand over it. Sabina stares at Jane. Then she absently scratches her head. Jane releases Sabina’s mouth to grab their girlfriend’s arm instead, and pulls it close, studying it. Elena sees what Jane’s noticed … Sabina’s right hand and wrist are raw and scraped, mottled with bruising. Elena picks up Sabina’s left hand gently; it’s in a similar condition … though not quite as bad.

Elena makes meaningful eye contact with Jane: these injuries are obviously from when Sabina yanked herself free from her chains (somehow; a goddamn miracle). Sabina was out-of-her-mind enough not to notice the pain or what she was doing to herself. That’s a sign of hypothermia too, Elena remembers vaguely. But isn’t it a more advanced stage? Elena isn’t sure. Either way it’s concerning.

Jane is studying a faintly bleeding wound running down Sabina’s wrist and the heel of her palm - it looks quite nasty. Sabina has followed Jane’s eyes but looks unfazed. Jane exchanges another meaningful look with Elena, that Elena reads as a reminder to them both, to make sure this gets cleaned and wrapped - soon. The last thing the Angels need is for this to get infected and for Sabina to get blood poisoning. It certainly looks like a risk factor. Elena nods seriously: agreed. Then she feels another wave of dizziness and her vision goes hazy. She sways in place. Suddenly Jane is there, holding Elena up against the wall.

“I’m going to carry you,” Jane husks, only just audible. Jane’s dark eyes are sharp yet soft. “Hang on.” Before Elena can protest, Jane has swept her up into a bridal carry and she is nestled against Jane’s chest. It’s perfect: Elena forgets about protesting … why would she protest? “Follow me,” Jane practically orders Sabina, still whisper-quiet.

All wide eyes, Sabina obeys without protest. Elena is grateful. Thank God that Sabina is listening to them, right now! Thank God that Jane is carrying Elena, because she feels very bad all of a sudden. She rests her throbbing head against Jane’s chest, sighing out in sheer relief.

Her eyes slip closed.

Chapter Text

Jane’s POV

Jane slips inside the empty cabin she pre-discovered on her short scouting mission. It’s a place to hide, regroup, and give her girlfriends the medical attention they both need urgently. Jane is aware that the Angels will have to move on as soon as they can … find some way to escape this godforsaken ship. However, she’s taking things one step at a time (by sheer necessity), and the top priority is to get both her girlfriends out of critical medical status and into mission-doable status. Starting now.

Jane has already run this scenario, strategically. She’s decided that if the Angels were to immediately take a lifeboat (if they could even find one), the chances of them dying would go way up. Especially Sabina, given what Jane is pretty sure has become (at least) medium-level hypothermia. If not Elena, who seems to be suffering the effects of dehydration on the back of seasickness. Jane’s not going to let that happen, for the life of her! So, damage control first.

There is one double bed in this cabin: it’ll be a very tight fit for the three-of-them … but considering Sabina’s freezing state Jane considers that a benefit. Jane bridal carries Elena over to the bed and gently sets her girlfriend down. Elena has her eyes closed but Jane can tell that Elena’s just resting, not unconscious (thank goodness). Next Jane crosses back to the cabin’s door and locks it. Sabina is standing in the centre of the room, dripping everywhere, looking at nothing in particular. She is rubbing her bruised right wrist, absently. Jane frowns.

“Sabina,” Jane says, crossing to Sabina and trying to get her girlfriend’s attention. Sabina looks at Jane and grins, which seems like a good sign. Maybe. It’s so hard to know. “Let’s get your wet clothes off,” tries Jane. Sabina’s grin broadens and Jane rolls her eyes good-naturedly. “That’s not a come on.” She doesn’t know if Sabina can understand her properly given her girlfriend’s bouts of confusion, but it seems like a good idea to talk to Sabina like she can. “Arms up,” Jane instructs.

Her girlfriend suddenly walks right past her and sits down on the bed, beside Elena. Jane is so surprised that she just lets it happen. Sabina reaches out a hand and runs it through Elena’s hair. Jane can’t help smiling; it’s endearing. Jane changes course, crossing to the tiny adjoining bathroom. It only has a toilet and wash hand basin, but the main thing is that it has access to drinking water. They all need water at this point, but Elena especially.

Jane casts about for something to transport water in. There is a vase on the side of the basin, bearing plastic flowers. Jane squints. What kind of boat is this, anyway? So far, Jane hasn’t been able to clock it: she needs more intel! With a mental shrug she empties the vase onto the floor, rinses it out, fills it with water. Drains it dry with a sense of relief. Jane experiments with the hot tap: it seems to only heat to lukewarm level. That’s bad, because hot water would have been useful for warming Sabina up. Yet it’s better than nothing, because it’ll be preferable to either of her girlfriends drinking cold water in their current vulnerable states. Jane refills the vase with lukewarm water. Returns to her girlfriends.

Sabina is now lying behind Elena on the bed, big-spooning her which is … sweet. Sabina’s eyes are closed and her face is very pale, and faintly blue besides. Elena’s face is pale too, but no longer tinged with green.

“C’mon, love,” says Jane to Elena, sitting beside her girlfriend, and stroking Elena’s cheek. “Drink this water.” Elena’s eyes blink open, and she eagerly sits up, with Jane’s help. Sabina lets Elena go easily enough, opening her eyes and watching them. She looks sleepy.

“Thank God,” Elena mumbles.

“Slowly,” Jane warns, resting a supportive hand behind Elena’s back and helping her girlfriend hold the vase. “You don’t want to throw it back up. Just drink a bit for now.”

Elena nods and drinks a bit. Jane sets the vase on the bedside table.

“Wait a little,” Jane suggests, and Elena nods. “Can you help me with Sabina?” Jane asks, checking whether Elena is up to it. “Tell the truth.”

Elena frowns a little, then leans her forehead against Jane’s nearby shoulder … as though for comfort. It melts Jane … which is quite usual with most things Elena. Jane runs a comforting hand over the back of Elena’s head.

“I can help,” says Elena.

Jane studies her girlfriend. Elena’s voice is weak, but she looks better than she did when she was chained up on the deck, retching helplessly at regular intervals. Besides, Elena tends to tell the truth about how she’s feeling and to show vulnerability openly. It’s probably okay for Elena to help. For now.

“Thanks,” Jane tells Elena; she knows the next tasks will be much easier with Elena’s help. “Let’s get Sabina’s clothes off.” Elena nods and turns towards Sabina.

“C’mon, baby,” Elena says to their girlfriend, “sit up for us.”

Sabina watches them but doesn’t move. Jane comes around the other side of the bed and half-encourages, half-outright-lifts their girlfriend into a sitting position, then a standing one, with Elena’s assistance. Sabina blinks slowly at them but doesn’t resist and moves into position, sluggishly. Together Jane and Elena unzip and pull Sabina’s sopping wet dress up and over her head. Underneath Sabina is wearing lingerie, just as Jane guessed earlier. It’s just as wet: Jane unclips Sabina’s bra while Elena removes their girlfriend’s panties.

“Is there a towel?” Elena asks Jane, glancing around the cabin.

“No,” says Jane. “But we should definitely dry her with something.”

They both look around. There’s nothing; no towel.

“Let’s take off our clothes too,” Jane tells Elena. “We’ll hang them up to dry … they’re damp, especially yours. We’ll use my shirt to dry Sabina.” Jane nods to herself; that will work. “Then we’ll all get into bed and cuddle naked to help warm her up.” It’s not a perfect plan – far from it – but it’s the best option Jane can see. They’ll have to take it.

“Okay,” says Elena compliantly. Jane rather thinks that Elena is a little too ill to assess whether Jane’s plan is worth its salt …

“Sip some more water,” Jane tells Elena who reaches over and does so, also compliantly. Elena is generally accommodating, but not quite like this. Jane knows her girlfriend very well by this point … she can tell the difference. This is Elena, a bit out of it …

“Water,” Sabina says, staring at Elena and the vase.

Elena hands it over and Sabina drinks thirstily. She’s drunk the remainder before Jane can caution her to go slow. Jane sighs. At least it wasn’t cold. A hot drink would be excellent right now, for helping Sabina regain body heat. It’s a crying shame that the Angels don’t have access to the same …

“I’ll get more,” says Elena, picking up the vase and heading for the bathroom.

Jane stands up and starts removing her own clothes, efficiently. Sabina lies back down on the bed, but it’s more like she fell down, it happens so suddenly. Jane frowns at her girlfriend with concern. Sabina grins back, not appearing worried at all. Jane is grateful that Sabina’s confusion hasn’t extended to not recognising her girlfriends. So far Sabina seems completely aware of who they are, and has continued to be responsive towards them, even if she plainly hasn’t understood a lot of what’s happening. That’s … reassuring. Not to mention, bloody helpful.

Jane hangs her slightly damp trousers and utility vest over a chairback, and sets her shirt on the bed, glad to see that it’s dry. Her bulletproof tank top (doubling as a bra) is dry too; Jane sets it on the chair’s seat, along with her underwear. She removes her boots but leaves her socks on to help maintain warmth; they are thankfully dry. Elena has returned and is removing her clothing too, hanging it over the second chair (there are only two). Jane assesses that Elena’s clothes are quite a bit damper than her own, no doubt thanks to longer hugs with Sabina. Elena leaves her socks on too.

“Stand up,” Jane tells Sabina who stares at her but makes no move to obey. “Stand up,” Jane tries again, saying it slowly and with emphasis.

Sabina squints a little, then starts getting up. Jane finds that encouraging: Sabina understood her this time. Jane helps her girlfriend sit, then stand; Elena moves closer, and helps Sabina too. Jane and Sabina use Jane’s shirt to towel Sabina off thoroughly, patting her naked body dry as gently as possible. Frighteningly, Sabina’s skin is like ice to the touch. She’s so pale that her light skin seems translucent in places. Jane really doesn’t like the blue cast to Sabina’s lips. Jane indicates to Elena to leave their girlfriend’s hair until last. Otherwise, the shirt won’t stay dry enough to do its job. Elena follows Jane’s direction placidly. Eventually Sabina is dry, except for her hair which is damp … but a lot drier than it was. Jane’s shirt is sopping wet.

“Get into bed,” Jane tells Sabina who is gazing vacantly off to the side; Sabina doesn’t seem to hear.

“C’mon, honey,” says Elena, leading Sabina over to the bed, and helping her slip beneath the covers.

Sabina follows Elena. The top of the bed is damp from where Sabina lay on it originally, but Jane doesn’t think that will be a problem. It’ll be dry and warm inside: there are sheets and several blankets as well as a comforter on top. The Angels got lucky, in that respect. Even if they are unlucky in other respects, like the towel that would have been so much better for drying purposes, or the hot shower or bath that Jane was praying she’d find. Or the means to make hot beverages …

“More water,” Jane suggests to Elena, who sips some then encourages Sabina to drink too, successfully.

Meanwhile Jane squeezes out her dripping shirt in the bathroom’s basin, then hangs it over the top of the bathroom door to dry. That’s the only other surface in this cabin that could work for such a purpose.

“Sabina’s wrists,” Elena reminds Jane.

Jane nods gratefully. She almost forgot; she can feel her system beginning to crash. Which isn’t that surprising, at this point. Tiredly, Jane scouts around the cabin for something that could serve as makeshift bandages. There’s nothing … except the bedsheets. Jane sighs and retrieves her specialised multitool from her utility vest. She uses this to slice several sections of top sheet cleanly off one edge. Then Jane mentally cycles through the entire contents of their Angels’ tech utility vests: they have nothing useful for preventing infection. The Angels haven’t brought medical supplies on this mission: maybe Jane is going to have to talk that policy over with Saint and Bosley. Despite the extra weight, it might be worth carrying some kind of basic medical kit. There is usually a fully equipped medical kit in most of their getaway vehicles … but what good is that in a situation like this?

“Sleepy,” says Sabina out of nowhere. She hasn’t spoken much in this last period; Jane can’t help fearing that it might be a bad sign. “Let’ssleep.” Sabina snuggles under the covers and closes her eyes.

“Not yet,” Jane tells Sabina reluctantly. “Almost.” Jane sighs; she’s tired too. Very tired. “Let’s go to the bathroom,” Jane tells her girlfriends, even though she’s aware that it’s probably only Elena who will understand her. “Get those wounds under running water.”

“C’mon, Bina,” Elena insists, tugging the covers off Sabina and trying to get her to sit up. “Just a little longer.” This time Sabina resists. She rolls over clumsily and sticks her head under the pillow.

“None of that,” says Jane sternly, although she doesn’t feel stern … she feels worried. “Come on, baby.” Jane hands her newly made sheet-bandages to Elena. She pulls Sabina’s body towards herself, getting her arms around Sabina’s back and thighs in a bridal carry. Sabina’s skin is freezing; it makes Jane bite back a shiver just to touch her girlfriend. Sabina whines in the back of her throat – a clear protest – but Jane ignores this in favour of carrying her girlfriend to the bathroom. “Bring the vase,” Jane calls back to Elena who does so, following them meekly.

Once inside the tiny bathroom, Jane sets Sabina down on her feet, and leans her up against the wall, right beside the basin. Jane gestures Elena to stand close to Sabina, make sure she stays put. Meanwhile Jane refills the water vase with Elena in mind, and rests it on the basin. Then Jane turns on the hot tap and runs the lukewarm water. It’ll be far superior to the icy water from the cold tap for this next operation. Jane gently-firmly manoeuvres Sabina’s right hand and wrist under the water stream.

“At least five minutes, each arm,” Jane tells her girlfriends.

This is to clean out the wound given that the Angels don’t currently have other means, out here on the field.* Jane can’t see anything embedded in it, thank God. She hopes those chains weren’t rusty. This measure-against-infection will just have to be good enough: Jane prays it’s good enough. Elena nods and wraps her arms around Sabina’s waist, then leans her cheek against Sabina’s chest, facing towards Jane. This seems to be effective for keeping Sabina in place: Jane approves. Their hypothermic girlfriend leans back against the wall peaceably enough, watching the running water with a vague gaze. Elena shivers, and Jane frowns. It’s from Elena hugging Sabina’s ice-cold body, Jane judges (all the Angels are now naked, apart from Jane and Elena wearing socks). Yet Sabina needs the body-heat, so Jane doesn’t tell Elena to stop.

“Sip some more water,” Jane advises Elena who does so, while still holding Sabina.

“How do you think Bina got free?” Elena asks Jane, with another shiver, blinking sleepily. “I was so surprised.”

“Me too,” admits Jane. She’s already reflected on the shocking event. “It must have been because those bloody chains were wet and slippery. And because she was too out of it to notice the pain.” Jane sighs, a little annoyed. “Like how people high on drugs can sometimes break out of handcuffs. But break their arms in the process.”*

“So lucky,” murmurs Elena sleepily. “That she didn’t break anything.”

“Yes,” Jane agrees morosely. “We really need to have that chat with her. Soon.”

Jane means the chat that the two-of-them discussed by the cherub fountain back at HQ: Sabina needs to be more careful on missions. However, Jane is realistic enough to realise (if stubborn enough to not want to admit) that it wouldn’t have made one jot of difference on this mission: Sabina can’t help the effects of hypothermia. Besides, Sabina’s stupidly risky move – combined with unaccountable luck – is the only reason that the Angels are free! Once again, the infamous Wilson ‘chaos factor’ has worked in their team’s favour. Jane sighs with chagrin. Maybe it’s pointless to try and change their girlfriend. She seems Pretty Damn Sabina, no matter what Jane tries …

Elena hums in agreement. A slight pause. Unexpectedly Sabina speaks up:

“Whatchat?”

“We want you to be more careful,” Elena tells Sabina, without moving her cheek from Sabina’s chest. “You keep hurting yourself.”

“Because you take foolish risks,” Jane adds, ignoring the fact that Sabina probably isn’t going to be able to follow what they’re saying to her. Jane is simply too tired, to be logical. She gives Sabina back her right arm, and gently takes her girlfriend’s left one instead, positions it under the tap. “Dry her wrist and bandage it,” Jane instructs Elena. “We need to keep it clean.”

Elena steps back from Sabina and begins doing said task carefully, using one strip of sheeting to pat Sabina’s right arm dry, then dropping this on the floor. Elena begins to wrap Sabina’s wound with another strip: a makeshift bandage.

“‘Hurting’ismymiddlename,” slurs Sabina, watching Elena’s movements as though they are fascinating. It seems like a weird thing for Sabina to say: Jane grimaces. She doesn’t like it! Yet Elena giggles.

“No it isn’t,” Elena says to Sabina, voice lightly teasing. “It’s ‘sexy’.”

Sabina laughs; Elena giggles along with her. Jane realises that Elena has interpreted Sabina’s banter correctly and is responding to it. Jane belatedly recognises that Sabina is joking … connected to Elena’s comment about how Sabina keeps hurting herself. It’s even a familiar (and not very good) joke. This kind of interaction is (still) semi-common for the three-of-them, despite their long history together. At times Jane relies on Elena to translate Sabina-isms, especially when Jane is stressed … or when Sabina is.* Elena Houghlin seems to be mostly fluent in both Sabina-ese and Jane-ese, courtesy of her high EQ. Yet there are rare occasions when Jane-and-Sabina are incomprehensible to Elena, Jane knows … courtesy of Jane and Sabina being oddly similar: the other side of them being incredibly different. It’s mysterious. Jane doesn’t pretend to understand. She’s just glad that Elena comprehends Sabina right now.

“It’s hard on us,” Elena tells Sabina as though their girlfriend will now be able to understand them (Jane doubts it). “That you get hurt so much … because of all the risks you take. Very hard.”

“Oh,” says Sabina, chewing her bottom lip. A slight pause. Then Sabina squints at Elena. “What’shard?”

Elena has finished wrapping Sabina’s wrist and ties off the bandage securely. Jane observes that Elena is no longer shivering; a good sign.

“Don’t worry,” says Elena, standing on tiptoe to press a soft kiss to Sabina’s forehead. “We’ll tell you later.”

“Alligator,” says Sabina, smiling at Elena tenderly. Then she looks over at Jane. “Sleepy,” she tells Jane and tugs her left arm back towards herself. Jane gasps and holds it more firmly, keeping it in place under the tap.

“Stay put,” Jane tells Sabina. “Please.”

Sabina frowns with what looks like confusion. Elena wraps her arms back around Sabina’s waist and leans her bodyweight against their girlfriend, effectively pinning Sabina to the wall. Unsurprisingly the body-to-body contact means that Elena starts shivering again, on and off.

“Stay,” Elena tells Sabina, softly. “Stay.”

Sabina sighs and stops pulling. Jane sighs in relief. It’s almost been five minutes on this side. Thank God that Elena is here as part of this operation. It’s a two-person job, that’s for sure.

“More water,” Jane reminds Elena who sips some, smiling at her gratefully. “How’s your thirst going?” Jane checks.

“Much better,” says Elena. “Not dizzy anymore, and my headache’s mostly gone.” She yawns widely. “I could definitely sleep though.”

“Me too,” says Jane, unable to stop herself from yawning, now that Elena’s started.

“Is it safe to?” Elena asks.

“Probably not,” Jane says. She sighs heavily. “But we’ll have to risk it. Because it’s our only way to heat Sabina up.”

“Right,” says Elena. They both look at Sabina who is yawning too, hugely, seemingly in slow motion.

“How’s her temperature?” Jane asks Elena.

“Like an ice block,” says Elena frankly, shivering some more. “She hasn’t warmed up at all, from what I can tell. She’s just making me cold.”

Elena says this jokily and grins affectionately at them both. Jane smiles back though she feels worry pang through her. What if they can’t get Sabina to warm up? Their girlfriend is evidently not able to warm her own body through the automated mechanism of shivering. That’s Very Bad.

“I’ll wrap this arm too,” Jane decides, turning off the tap and beginning to dry Sabina’s left arm in preparation for bandaging it. There’s no bleeding. Yet the raw scraped skin combined with bruising looks bad enough that Jane still thinks bandaging is a good idea. Micro abrasions and all. Better to keep this clean and protected from the elements …

Elena sips more water and offers the vase to Sabina who takes a drink, seemingly by rote. She is staring at nothing, eyes half closed.

“You too, Janey,” Elena suggests. Jane nods gratefully, refills the vase and drinks some more. Then refills it to take back into the bedroom.

“Okay, bedtime,” Jane says with relief. Finally. Jane could sleep forever! However, she crosses to her utility vest while Elena helps Sabina to the bed, and locates her Angels’ tech spy watch. She fits it onto her wrist, sets the alarm.

The Angels will have to start moving again … much sooner than Jane wants to.

Chapter Text

Sabina’s POV

Sabina is massively relieved when she (somehow) finds herself in bed with her girlfriends. She’s been wanting to lie down for what feels like ages now. Finally, it’s happened. They are snuggled together under multiple blankets, very snug indeed. Elena is wrapped around Sabina on one side and Jane is on the other. The bed seems kind of small, but they are managing to fit. Her girlfriends are both naked; Sabina is naked too. Elena is practically lying on top of Sabina, which feels amazing. Jane is practically lying on top of whatever is left of Sabina. Elena and Jane are both shivering, which seems weird.

“Areyoucold?” Sabina asks her girlfriends.

“Yes!” says Jane, all bark no bite. “So are you.”

“NoI’mnot,” says Sabina and it’s true. She doesn’t feel cold. She feels sleepy, sluggish, out of it … maybe kind of mellow. Happy. Being here with her girls is fun. Wherever here is.  

“You should give me a turn lying on top,” Jane tells someone. Elena probably, since she’s the one lying on top of Sabina right now. Maybe Jane wants Elena to stop hogging? Although generally Jane is happy for Elena to hog …. “I don’t want you to get too cold,” Jane tells Elena in what Sabina recognises as Jane’s Serious Voice. “You’ve just been ill.”

“Okay,” says Elena sleepily. “Thank you, Janey.” She slides off to the side and Jane repositions so that she’s mostly on top of Sabina. Elena snuggles into the remaining spot and wraps her arms and legs around them both.

Sabina sighs contentedly against the side of Jane’s shivering neck, then presses a kiss there. Jane smells good, like Jane. Sabina closes her eyes …

… She opens her eyes and she’s inside their bedroom at home. Whoa! It seemed instantaneous, like some kind of portal. Jane and Elena are having sex on the Angels’ massive bed and Sabina is lying to the side, propped up against some pillows, watching her girlfriends. There’s the strongest sense of déjà vu … this scene already happened, right?* Like, not too long ago …. Sabina grins big; she totally enjoyed herself watching! She was too hurt at the time from … something, to be able to join in. Something something. Back to what’s important here: her girlfriends are having sex …

Jane and Elena kiss, long and leisurely. They are lying side on to each other, and now Jane is rolling on top of Elena, holding herself up on her forearms but still resting quite a bit of her bodyweight against Elena. Sabina smirks and feels a surge of lust. She knows what that feels like, when it’s her underneath Jane! She knows what that feels like, when it’s Elena underneath Sabina. She loves what it looks like, on Elena underneath Jane! This is hot. Elena makes an eager needy noise in the back of her throat: she’s very vocal in bed. Demanding too, much of the time.* Sabina is into it, and she knows Jane is too. Jane leans down and kisses Elena thoroughly and maybe a tad … possessively. Jane gets possessive.* That’s hot too.

Elena reaches up and wraps both hands through Jane’s hair at the back of her head and pulls her in closer. Elena’s legs come up to wrap around Jane’s waist … Sabina’s totally into this. Elena’s fuzzy pink robe has come undone, fallen open, and she appears to be naked underneath. Sabina is getting an eyeful, even with Jane pressed against Elena. Jane, most annoyingly, is still fully dressed. Sabina feels like that should change, and fast.

“Takeyourclothesoff,” Sabina suggests to Jane who keeps kissing Elena like she can’t even hear Sabina and doesn’t care that she’s being offered Excellent Advice.

“C’mon,” says Jane insistently, “it’s time to get up.” Only, Jane is still kissing Elena who is moaning like crazy now, so Sabina doesn’t understand how she can hear Jane talking (to her?) over the sounds of Jane-and-Elena kissing. There is some kind of (fucking annoying) constant beeping noise in the background. Like very bad music, possibly the worst music Sabina’s ever heard. What a crap song! It’s not #SexMood, at all …

“Sabina!” says Elena’s voice, and Sabina’s whole body shakes (or is shaken?). She doesn’t understand what’s the go. She grumbles. Sabina looks over at Elena-kissing-Jane to check if that’s the Elena who’s calling Sabina’s name. It isn’t. That Elena calls:

“Jane!” in a passionate voice filled with yearning. This Elena, who is saying:

“Sabina!” (again) doesn’t sound yearning. This Elena sounds … urgent. There’s a difference. Sabina opens her eyes … which she didn’t realise were closed. They are heavy. It’s hard to manage: opening her eyes feels like a semi-miraculous feat … but isn’t it easy, normally?

“Thank God.” That’s Jane. “She’s so bloody hard to wake.”

“C’mon, honey, we have to get up now.” That’s Elena.

Jane-and-Elena kissing have vanished, as though they never were. This Jane stops the Very Bad Music by pressing a button on her spy watch.

“Th-thankfuck,” Sabina tells Jane. “S-sobad.” Sabina’s shivering. Hard. She can’t stop the shaking for the life of her! She’s fucking freezing.

Jane says something which Sabina doesn’t understand. Elena says something back. They keep talking, unintelligibly. Somehow Sabina is sitting on the side of the bed instead of watching her girlfriends have sex, right in front of her. Also, instead of being snuggled underneath the covers with her girlfriends’ sexy naked bodies lying on top of her (which happened before the sexing, right?). Sabina glances longingly at the centre of the bed: she wants to go back! That reality was better! This reality sucks ass. Her teeth are chattering, violently.

Jane is dressing Sabina in a shirt that isn’t Sabina’s (weird). Maybe it’s Elena’s? The shirt is about the right size for Sabina, so it’s probably Elena’s. Next Jane is putting some kind of utility vest over the shirt and doing this up. It’s too big for Sabina: it must belong to Jane. Sabina watches in mild curiosity as Jane starts to remove assorted spy gadgets from the vest, pocketing them in her own trousers’ various pockets. This includes a concealed carry pistol which Jane tucks into the back of her pants and a juicy-looking combat knife. Sabina is impressed! Those weapons were hiding in that innocent-looking vest? Niiiiiice …

“B-b-badass,” she tells Jane approvingly, though she can barely get the word out through the teeth chatters. Jane smirks a little. Then she runs a gentle hand down Sabina’s cheek and says something. This time Sabina makes it out:

“Can you understand me?”

Sabina nods, and wraps her arms around herself, holds on tightly. She can’t stop shaking.

“I-ice!” she tells Jane. Sabina is So. Cold.

“The shivering is good,” Jane tells Sabina, speaking oddly slowly. “It means you’re warming up.”

“F-fuckme,” slurs Sabina, surprised to hear this. It’s a good thing? Really?! Her muscles are starting to ache as though she’s cramping; it’s the force of the uncontrollable shivering.

“Here, wrap this around yourself,” says Elena, wrapping a blanket around Sabina’s shoulders and kissing her atop the head. Elena goes back to putting on her own utility vest over her bulletproof tank top. Sabina realises that Elena’s missing her shirt because Sabina’s wearing it. Jane meanwhile appears to be wearing her bulletproof tank, sans utility vest, for the same reason - Sabina’s wearing Jane’s vest. Jane isn’t wearing her shirt and Sabina doesn’t know why that is … Sabina isn’t wearing that.

“Sh-shirt?” she asks Jane, clutching the blanket tightly with shaking hands.

“It’s too wet,” says Jane. “We used it to dry you.” Jane shrugs. “I’ll just wear this.”

“S-s-sexy,” Sabina tells Jane, half-jokey, half-serious. It is a sexy look. Especially on Jane Kano. Jane gives Sabina a tiny smirk. She looks stressed to Sabina’s girlfriendly eye. Tired.

“Wear my trousers and boots,” Elena tells Sabina, bringing them over. Jane is frowning at Elena. “They’re the right size … roughly,” Elena tells Jane as though that’s the winning argument, and it seems like it is because Jane is not contesting. Instead, she’s ripping the bedsheets, making some kind of sarong for Elena who wraps it around her panties.

“S-sexyw-weird,” Sabina tells Elena because that’s what that look is. Elena nods with a tiny smirk. She looks stressed too. Exhausted.

“No underwear for you,” Jane tells Sabina. “Your old clothes are still wet.”

“I’malw-ways w-wet,” jokes Sabina because that setup was too good to resist.

Jane grunts what might be acknowledgement; it’s hard to tell. Jane seems occupied with putting Elena’s military-esque trousers onto Sabina who just sits there shivering uncontrollably, trying to piece her hazy thoughts together. She understands what’s happening, kind of. She’s pretty sure. The Angels are on a mission; they’ve been captured; they’re escaping. Those are the cliff notes.

Her girlfriends are dressing her, presumably because Sabina’s shaking too hard to dress herself. Or maybe it’s to do with how heavy and clunky her body feels: something’s wrong with her. They are loaning her their clothes … it must be because she’s sooo fucking cold, and Jane just said Sabina’s old clothes are wet. Jane is putting Elena’s socks and boots on Sabina’s feet now: they don’t quite fit.   

Jane passes around a vase filled with water (which Sabina finds strange, but whatever) and they all take turns drinking. The water is lukewarm, which is also odd. Jane, then Elena, take turns using the tiny bathroom that forms part of this … cabin? Sabina squints around the room, hugging the blanket to herself. Oh yeah, it’s a boat. They’re on a boat! Isn’t there a really sick pop/rap song about that?* If her teeth weren’t rattling out of her skull, she’d try whistling it. As it is, lyrics pop into her head: ‘I'm on a boat motherfucker take a look at me’. Sabina grins muzzily. What art!

“Do you need the bathroom?” Jane asks, suddenly back beside Sabina. Sabina isn’t sure, but she stands up anyway, swaying a little. “Do you need help?” Jane asks, stepping closer.

Sabina rolls her eyes at Jane. However she is barely standing … let alone walking straight, what with this shivering and weakness?, so … help would be helpful. No shame in that. Jane knows practically everything about her, and then some.* What is there to hide?

“Y-yeah,” Sabina admits, feeling a little embarrassed despite herself.

She’d prefer to be tough like Jane ‘tough as nails’ Kano. Buuuuuut Sabina’s pretty damn sure she’ll fall over on her face if she attempts this operation alone … and then she’d have to be rescued by her girlfriends. Which would be even more embarrassing. So. Needs must and all. Elena emerges from the bathroom and Jane helps Sabina to enter it, pull down her pants, sit down on the toilet.

“U-unromantic,” Sabina jokes.

“This is what romance really is,” Jane says seriously, even as she looks away to give Sabina a modicum of privacy. “Not flowers on Valentine’s Day.”

“P-point,” Sabina admits, through teeth chatters. “You’rea s-softie.”

“Only for you,” says Jane, just as seriously. “And Lena.”

Sabina smiles tenderly even though Jane isn’t looking at her. That’s even softer. Like, So Fucking Soft and So Fucking Sweet. Does Jane think that it doesn’t count, if she only reveals her soft underbelly to two people? It totally counts. It maybe counts more.

“I l-loveyou,” Sabina tells the back of Jane’s head which is all she can see just now. “‘mcrazy f-foryou.”

“I know,” says Jane wryly. “You’re so obvious.”

Sabina chortles. It’s funny. It’s true! It’s also just like Jane to say something a little standoffish to try and maintain face in such a tender moment. Jane gets like that when she’s feeling super vulnerable, Sabina knows. She’s noticed. She’s noticed everything about Jane Kano, and then some.

“Soareyou, d-dude,” Sabina tells Jane, still chortling, through the teeth chattering. “Don’tchaknow?”

“Elena told me,” says Jane, a little stiffly, yet not without a hint of irony.* Sabina laughs harder. Really? That’s gold. Good on Elena! She’s their Genius Girlfriend TM, for sure. What Sabina would have given to be a fly on the wall during that conversation …

“Are you finished?” Jane asks, now sounding annoyed but Sabina catches the undercurrent of amusement.

“Yeah,” says Sabina, and Jane turns back to help. The two-of-them emerge from the bathroom with Jane supporting Sabina, one arm wrapped around her waist.

Elena is waiting for them, her Glock 19 drawn. Sabina wonders how Elena hid that baby in her utility vest. Maybe Elena’s wearing some kind of Angels’ tech concealed carry clothing, beneath.

“Do you want my combat knife?” Elena asks Sabina.

“I’ll c-cutmyself,” Sabina says, holding out her shaking right hand to demonstrate. No way can she aim a knife right now without stabbing somebody accidentally. Probably herself! Sabina notices that her wrists and the heels of both her hands are bandaged with what looks like strips of … bedsheet? “What’sthis?” she asks her girlfriends.

“You scraped yourself,” Jane explains. “Squeezing out of your chains.”

“W-whoa!” says Sabina, impressed all over again. That sounds pretty badass. She’s a badass! Some kind of Houdini badass …*

“Don’t you remember?” Elena asks, placing her knife back into a compartment in her utility vest. Elena hands Sabina the blanket from earlier, and both her girlfriends help Sabina wrap it around her shoulders. She holds it closed with one hand.

“M-maybe,” says Sabina, squinting, shivering hard. “M-maybenot.” Sabina isn’t sure. Right now, recent events are a blur. This blanket is nice though. Comforting.

“Do you feel confused?” Jane asks as the Angels start to move towards the cabin door.

“Don’tthinkso,” says Sabina. Then she jokes, “d-don’t diss me.” She has the feeling it’s a very bad joke. Totally sub-par.

“You said that last time,” says Jane, voice very dry.

“You do seem much less confused,” says Elena happily, coming close to take up Sabina’s free hand, and press a kiss to her cheek. Elena’s hand feels sooo warm, almost hot; Sabina’s hand feels icy. “You’ll warm up more soon,” Elena reassures, as though she knows what Sabina is noticing. “Being on the move will help.” Sabina squeezes Elena’s hand back as best she can, while shaking up a storm.

“A st-storm,” Sabina muses. There was a storm, right? Like a fucking nightmarish storm … and Sabina was trapped right in the middle of it. They all were. She was getting rained on …

“That’s right,” says Elena encouragingly. “It’s over now. We’ve been asleep.”

“For two hours,” Jane reveals. “That was all we could risk.” Jane’s voice is dark, measured. “We have to get out of here.”

Sabina agrees, in principle. In actuality she’d really like to go back to bed. Sleep for two days rather than two hours. Warm up, because she’s fucking freezing and she wants the comforting solace of being wrapped up with her girlfriends, buck naked. Oh well, at least she’s wrapped under Jane’s strong arm right now, with Elena’s fingers wrapped through hers.

It’s the next best thing.

Chapter Text

Elena’s POV

Elena feels much better than when she was seasick during the storm. Still, that’s just comparative. A couple hours of sleep on the back of being chained up for even longer has her feeling stiff and lousy, to say the least. Regardless, the Angels’ desperate situation is rallying her: adrenaline thrums through her system. Elena’s nerves are on alert. High alert.

She’s currently dressed in a very strange outfit: no shoes and a sheet-sarong paired with a utility vest, over the top of her Angels’ tech bulletproof tank top. This is because Elena’s donated half her military-esque outfit to the cause of her hypothermic girlfriend. Jane has done the same with her utility vest - and has lost her shirt to becoming a towel. Warming up Sabina is the clear priority: their freezing-cold girlfriend needs the protection of their clothing. Upon waking, Elena and Jane debated whether to give Sabina one of their bulletproof tank tops … but decided not to since it’s much more likely that they will the ones doing any fighting, given their girlfriend’s condition. Sabina didn’t contribute to the conversation besides some dazed staring, and Elena is pretty sure that Sabina didn’t even hear it.

However, Sabina seems to be much more aware now, which is heartening. Sabina’s uncontrollable shivering would be worrying under normal circumstances. Yet it’s actually encouraging, given that it seems to indicate Sabina can feel the cold again, as opposed to her body shutting down. Elena is tentatively relieved. She just wants the three-of-them to get out of this hellhole (please, oh please) and back to Bosley and Saint, as fast as humanly possible. To be safe and home and not on some scary ship, captured by who knows who, for who knows what reason! That’s all. Elena’s determined to do her part to make this happen: her team needs her. Sabina needs her. Jane needs Elena too; Jane can’t do it alone. Even if Jane is BAMF (and she is) …

Both Elena and Jane have their weapons drawn. Jane carries a concealed carry Glock 27. Elena has her usual trusty Glock 19 - it’s her favourite pistol and she tends to stick with it, unlike her girlfriends’ who vary up their weapons.* Jane is taking point; Elena and Sabina are hanging back. Elena has one arm wrapped around Sabina’s waist supportively, beneath the blanket wrapped around Sabina’s shoulders. Her girlfriend is very cold beneath Elena’s bared arm … but nothing like the ice block she was when the three-of-them first got into bed. Sabina can walk on her own, though not without staggering, which mostly seems to be about the involuntarily shivering. Elena isn’t convinced that Sabina isn’t still a little confused on top of that, and she seems weak and clumsy. Jane and Elena have decided that this configuration works best for their team, for now. At least until the situation develops, as it no doubt will (it always does).

Elena’s bare feet are cold and growing dusty quickly, but it can’t be helped. Sabina needed Elena’s boots, more. It feels strange to be dressed in a sarong made out of half a sheet … but it would feel stranger to be without Sabina. Elena just hopes the makeshift outfit doesn’t compromise her movement too much if the Angels have to fight … she thinks it will be fine. She hopes.

The Angels are back where they started: at the metal door leading out onto the deck where they were chained. Jane thinks a lifeboat is probably their best bet for escape, provided they can find one. Preferably with a radio. Their comms haven’t kicked back in, though Elena’s heard Jane testing them repeatedly at points throughout their captivity. A lifeboat seems like a risky move to Elena: the Angels could easily die in the middle of the ocean. However … what’s the alternative? Be killed by their captors? (Or possibly, worse?) Overpower a whole shipload of bad guys … especially given their much less than 100% capacities? Hide in the limited (and therefore easily searched) space of the ship until they are found and … recaptured, killed, worse? Elena knows that a lifeboat – or some other getaway vehicle – is their best bet. Even though it’s slim. A slim chance is better than no chance …

Jane sticks her head around the door, then makes the hand signal that indicates Elena and Sabina should follow. The Angels slip out onto the deck. Elena stares. It’s very strange to see this place again which represents hours of helpless pain, fear, and steadily increasing desperation. Not even that long ago! It’s still night-time, though Elena has no idea what the time actually is. The sky is dark, covered in clouds. The storm is over; there’s a medium breeze, nowhere near as cold or strong as the storm’s wind was. Elena can barely see Jane’s silhouette several yards ahead. The deck is wet and slippery: Elena walks carefully, wraps her arm more tightly around Sabina’s waist beneath her girlfriend’s blanket. She can hear Sabina’s teeth chattering: their heads are close together. Elena can just make out the gleam of abandoned chains wrapped around the pipe that hosted Jane and herself, as well as the rail that held Sabina.

“D-don’tlike this s-scene,” Sabina says fretfully, glancing around them.

“Me either,” says Elena, keeping her voice low. “You remember?”

“Yeah,” says Sabina, staring at the chains as the Angels pass them. “Colddayin h-hell.”

“Exactly,” says Elena with feeling. “Especially for you.”

Jane makes a hand signal at them, but Elena can’t make it out in the gloom.

“Can’t see you,” she says to Jane, as quietly as she can. Elena doesn’t whisper because the sibilant sounds made by whispering carry through the air better than talking quietly, thus are more easily overheard.*

“Stay quiet,” Jane says, just as quietly. It’s a command.

Elena winces. Of course. It’s essential that they don’t get caught! Her bad. The Angels are moving towards the corner where the deck turns, presumably looping the ship. This entire span of deck is about twenty yards long from door to turn. Jane is hesitating, peering around the far corner now. Elena stops, pulling Sabina to a stop too.

The door opens, behind them; an overhead light turns on. It happens suddenly: Elena wasn’t expecting it! Multiple male voices yell aggressively in an (unrecognisable) foreign language. Jane is already mid turn, gun raised to fire on their enemies. Something slams into Elena’s back: a sledgehammer. She is knocked off her feet, the breath knocked from her lungs. Somehow, Elena is face down on the deck, wheezing with agony. She doesn’t know how she got there …

“Elena!” yells Sabina.

She’s been shot. Elena realises it all at once … what else could this be?! Her entire back throbs with agony. She feels dazed and stupid. She’s run out of breath so she can’t answer her girlfriend.

Just now, Elena can’t do anything but lie here.

Chapter Text

Jane’s POV

Jane has just squeezed off her first bullet when Elena gets shot, right in front of her. Jane stares in horror as her girlfriend is knocked right off her feet and onto her face; an enemy’s bullet appears to have caught her squarely in the back.

Elena’s wearing her bulletproof tank, Jane remembers, even as she starts to sprint towards the Angels’ enemies: three thug types dressed in the same vaguely nautical uniform as those that dragged Sabina onto the deck earlier. Elena will be okay: she better bloody be okay! The three men all have pistols out and are firing at the Angels. Jane’s weapons expert brain automatically categorises their enemies’ guns as Glock 17s. There is no cover available. Jane charges, simply because it’s the best chance the Angels have, at this point. The Only Chance. It is much harder to shoot a moving target, especially one who’s running straight at you …

Sabina has dropped her blanket and is also charging their enemies, yelling wildly. Sabina’s staggering even though she’s running … Jane is horrified. Never mind that she herself is charging, and that it’s the Angels’ only good move. Sabina has no weapon. Sabina is hypothermic … so far from fighting fitness it isn’t even funny. Sabina has no bulletproof tank. She’ll get herself killed!

“Sabina!” yells Jane.

She doesn’t know why she’s yelling her girlfriend’s name; what good will it do?! Jane keeps shooting, strains to run faster. One of the thugs spins to the side, goes down. Jane somehow hit him! It feels like a miracle. It’s yet another miracle that Jane is bullet-free, although … give it time. She’s well aware it’s only been seconds since their enemies confronted them. This battle is still mid-development; anything could happen. It’s even more of a miracle that Sabina hasn’t been shot yet, since she’s still in front of Jane about halfway down the deck. Maybe it’s because Sabina’s staggering means that she’s weaving rather than running in a straight line. Only about ten yards separate Sabina from their enemies. Jane is sure she is about to watch her girlfriend get shot point blank and bleed out right in front of her …

Jane can’t let that happen! She does the only thing she can. Out of sheer desperation Jane dives for Sabina’s calves, in a running tackle. It works. Sabina is down, falling hard, not able to roll since Jane lands half on top of her girlfriend. Jane immediately raises her head and gun hand, keeps squeezing off shots. One of the two remaining thugs has been running towards them too: he is only a stride away. Jane’s bullet meets his kneecap. He goes down, screaming bloody murder.

Then Jane’s luck runs out. She is screaming, body arching in helpless agony, compact pistol dropping from suddenly nerveless fingers. Every muscle spasms … involuntarily. Electric charge courses through Jane’s body. She can’t move, think, resist. But she’s dimly aware of what’s happened, all the same … and is still happening.

She’s being tasered.

Chapter Text

Sabina’s POV

Jane screams. Sabina looks around confusedly; Jane needs her! She tries to push herself up from her current position lying on the deck, unsure about how she got there. Jane is somehow half on top on her, jerking spasmodically. Sabina rolls free with difficulty, manages to sit up. Her girlfriend is facedown, spasming involuntarily … Sabina realises that Jane is being tasered. The thug responsible is still holding down the trigger, grinning savagely. Sabina yells in outrage, and grabs the wires tethered to the two-pronged barb stuck in Jane’s neck, jerks it free. Jane gasps for breath and twitches.

“A-asshole!” Sabina says to the thug who is now pointing his taser her way.

He growls something in an unknown foreign language and while Sabina doesn’t recognise the content, she easily recognises the tone.

“You’re thebitch!” she returns, staggering up onto her feet.

He points his other gun at her too, a fully lethal Glock 17. Sabina arches an eyebrow. A taser and a pistol? Make up your mind! Still, she puts her hands up in the universal sign for surrender, just to be safe, while she tries to come up with a winning plan.

Nearby a thug is rolling on the ground, holding his bloody leg, screaming bloody murder. Sabina sees the white of bone: nasty! So much for his kneecap. A third thug lies by the metal door, looking kind of dead. Okay, very dead. Sabina shivers hard and wonders what to do next. She has no weapons. She is feeling less than brilliant. She recognises the familiar sensation of adrenaline pumping through her system, yet still feels thick and gluggy. Like (disgusting) lumpy powdered custard that hasn’t been stirred properly. That’s Sabina’s brain right now. You wouldn’t eat this meal unless you absolutely had to …

Sabina glances down worriedly at her gasping girlfriend; how long will Jane be incapacitated for? Jane seems to be twitching less: that’s a good sign, yeah? With a sudden surge of inspiration, Sabina realises that Jane probably has a gun. Sabina looks for it, sees it near Jane’s twitching fingers. Jane’s dropped it on the deck. No doubt due to being tasered. Sabina looks back up to see that the thug who was pointing two weapons at her from a few paces back is now right next to her. His Glock’s butt digs into the side of Sabina’s head: she winces. Okey-dokey then! She won’t try for Jane’s gun …

The thug makes a motion that seems to want Sabina to get down on the ground, on her knees. His gun digs into her temple harshly. He shouts something; a command. He sounds serious.

“O-ow,” says Sabina, even as she goes down onto her knees accommodatingly. Her teeth chatter. She hopes he doesn’t shoot her just because she’s shivering, and he confuses that with moving. She doesn’t mean to be moving! This so isn’t good …

Then Sabina yells in protest. The thug is tasering Jane again, in the back of her neck! Jane screams and her body locks and arches helplessly. Sabina’s body locks up in now-mute empathy, but she doesn’t dare to move more than her involuntarily shivering. One wrong move and a bullet’s in her brain … or Jane’s … and that helps no one. Even Sabina Wilson, the wildest wild child on the Angels’ roster isn’t that … wild. Stupid. Whatever.

The man is shouting something, presumably to his wounded comrade because that particular thug has stopped rolling around on the ground (mostly). He’s (somehow) removed his radio and is speaking into it, rapid fire, in between his grunts and cries of pain.

“Stop t-tasering her!” Sabina tells Two-Weapons Thug. He ignores Sabina apart from digging the muzzle of his gun into her temple, harder. Sabina winces. It’s half for Jane and half for herself. Tasering is agony, Sabina knows from experience. Especially when it doesn’t let up, like now. Especially two doses back-to-back. Besides, it can result in complications … Sabina is fucking worried for Jane …

Now, two new thugs are stepping through the metal door. They got here faaast. Sabina doesn’t understand how it was so fast. Unless they were already enroute? She wants to look around for Elena, but she doesn’t dare to move her head. Elena was shot! Sabina remembers this like the shock of being drenched by a sudden ocean wave, while chained up to the deck. Sabina saw Elena get shot! Right in front of her … no, virtually in her arms. Elena has her bulletproof tank on, right? Sabina searches her fuzzy mind desperately for the answer. She thinks it’s ‘yes’. However, she’s not 100% sure …

The two new thugs have reached them. One is leaning down behind Sabina, pulling her hands behind her back and handcuffing them, then muscling her up onto her feet. She yelps with discomfort. The metal cuffs dig cruelly into her scrapes despite the makeshift bandages: it hurts! Two-Weapons Thug stops tasering Jane, f.i.n.a.l.l.y. Thank fuck! Sabina huffs in relief as she watches another thug handcuff Jane, then removes the taser’s cartridge from her girlfriend’s neck and roughly pull her upright. Jane staggers in his grasp, gasping, body still twitching, blinking tears from her eyes.

“Janey,” says Sabina, knowing better than to outright comfort Jane in front of their enemies … even if those enemies (probably) don’t speak English. Or even to ask her badass girlfriend if she’s alright - thus forcing Jane to reveal weakness: Jane would hate that. Sabina does the next best thing instead. “Hoo b-boy, that lookednasty.”

Jane huffs out what might be agreement. Sabina frowns with concern and shivers. Obviously, Jane is having a bit of trouble finding her words. Probably too fried, just now. The third thug is crossing towards where Elena fell. Sabina glances over her shoulder, trying desperately to see what’s going on. Her captor turns her accommodatingly and Sabina momentarily feels grateful, then annoyed at herself for feeling grateful to the enemy, for anything. Goddamn Stockholm Syndrome!

The third thug has handcuffed Elena and is midway pulling her upright. Elena looks … terrible. She is gasping for breath and appears dazed. Like someone just hit her in the back with a sledgehammer, which is probably what being shot felt like. Sabina can see that Elena is definitely wearing her bulletproof tank (thank God, thank God!) just peeking out from under her utility vest. Elena is sans shirt because Sabina is wearing her girlfriend’s shirt. Sabina remembers now.

Sabina sighs in complete and utter relief; her knees buckle for a moment. The thug holding Sabina’s arm yells something and yanks her back upright. Sabina ignores him. Their team’s baby is alright! Probably just bruised. Sabina’s been shot in the Angels’ tech bulletproof tank top a number of times over the years … so has Jane. Sabina and Jane were okay. Sabina even (unbelievably) survived a fucking explosion thanks to its protection!* Elena will be okay. She’ll probably have the motherfucker of all bruises, and if she’s been unlucky, cracked ribs. Hopefully not more than that. Hopefully …

“Lena,” calls Jane, sounding just as relieved as Sabina feels. “Howdo youfeel?” Jane’s voice comes out breathy and scratchy, slightly slurring; Sabina knows it’s the aftereffects of Jane being tasered for so long.

“What hit me?” asks Elena with a slight moan, as the thug walk-drags her over to join the two-of-them. Elena is staggering and breathing heavily, face very pale. She is never one to hide her pain whether it’s physical or emotional … unlike Jane Kano, and to a lesser extent, Sabina herself.* Sabina is glad for the trait right now, because she doesn’t have to play mind reader trying to work out how badly her girlfriend is injured. Elena will just show them, tell them, upfront. That’s preferable. Especially when Sabina’s head is lumpy custard, the way it is now: suckful at mind reading.

“A b-bullet,” Sabina tells Elena, in case her girlfriend isn’t clear. “In the b-back.”

“Feels like it,” says Elena, swaying in the thug’s meaty grip. “Owww.” She shakes her head a little.

“Thank Godfor yourtank,” says Jane to Elena, with real feeling. “You’ll beokay.”

The thugs are talking to each other in their mysterious language. So far Sabina hasn’t heard them use any English. Or French, for that matter. One of the thugs says something to the injured one who’s rolling on the ground, then laughs cruelly. Dissing him, is Sabina’s grifting guess, reading the tone and body language. It’s pack mentality: attack the weaker or injured members. Lovely. Maybe the Angels can use that …. Another voice crackles over one of the thug’s radios. A conversation ensues, back and forth. It sounds like a higher up ordering these lower downs to Do Something. Maybe the higher up is even going mad at them. For Something They Did Wrong. The thugs are grimacing and looking kind of hangdog, so maybe. That’s Sabina’s (educated) guess.

“Bina?” Jane asks Sabina. “Didyou gethurt?” Sabina turns her attention from the thugs, back to her girlfriends.

“Not even a scr-scratch,” Sabina tells them, through teeth chatters. “But I l-lost my trusty blanket.”

“You’re slurringless,” says Jane. “That’s agood sign.”

“You’re slurring m-more,” Sabina teases Jane. “You sound tr-trashed.” It’s a result of the long tasering. Temporary. But still, a good opportunity for banter. Which should never be wasted.

Jane rolls her eyes affectionately:

“Saysthe Angel who’sspent practicallythis wholedamn mission offherhead.”

“Yeah, w-well,” Sabina grins back, just as affectionately. “That’s nothing n-new.” She winks at both her girlfriends. Then at the thug who is holding Jane’s arm and watching them suspiciously-if-blankly, obviously not able to understand English. He looks startled, then looks away hurriedly. Sabina bites back a chortle. She’s got to get her kicks in, somehow.

The thugs stop talking on the radio and start to muscle the Angels over towards the metal door. They’re clearly enroute to … wherever their next Surprise Holiday Destination will be. Sabina is kind of amused. She wasn’t planning to take a cruise. Certainly not a fucking freezing one. She’d far prefer to go somewhere sunny and fruity. Say, fruity cocktails in the tropics. But when in Rome … or on a boat, as the case may be …

“We’ll be okay,” says Elena to Sabina and Jane, and it sounds a little scared, a little reassuring. A little like Elena is trying to convince herself.

“You know it, b-baby,” Sabina tells Elena, going for reassurance through humour. “‘Okay Despite What You’d Expect’ is my m-middle name.” Elena smiles back weakly.

“Nothingabout this bloodymission, hasbeen expected,” grumps Jane. She is looking rather the worse for wear. Sabina wants Jane to lie down, rest a little. Of course, that’s not possible. The shit has hit the fan. Again. How much shit is there?!

“On point, b-boo,” Sabina tells Jane as the thugs begin to force the Angels down the ship’s inner hallway.

Truer words …

Chapter Text

Elena’s POV

Elena is confused about what is going on, exactly. The last half an hour has been … Supremely Weird. She is locked up alone in some kind of room or possibly, a cell? Somewhere in the depths of this ship. The room appears to be a cross between a hospital and a dungeon. A hospital because Elena is lying on what she is pretty sure is a (cheap, badly made) hospital bed, hooked up to an IV. She doesn’t know where her girlfriends were taken; she’s freaking out quietly about that.

Some kind of nurse? had come in and examined Elena, removing her utility vest and bulletproof tank to do so. Elena had just let the woman, because that seemed like the wisest course of action. Occasionally she’d tried to talk with the nurse who’d replied gruffly in an unrecognisable foreign language. Elena had been almost certain it was the same language she’d heard the thugs talking in (besides, that just stood to reason). The nurse had poked Elena’s back all around the area where she’d been shot (which hurt!) and checked her ribs. Elena still doesn’t know what the outcome had been because, language barrier. The nurse had put Elena’s utility vest back on but taken away her bulletproof tank, encouraged her to lie down on her front, and had hooked her up to an IV. Then left the room, locking and barring the door, judging by the sounds.

Elena feels like she got hit by a sledgehammer on the back of being seriously dehydrated on the back of being seasick on the back of being chained up for hours … on a ship. So, she drowses. What else is there to do? Lie here and worry? Elena is too tired to do more than give into the urgent need for sleep that her body is demanding. Or maybe there’s something in the IV that’s making her sleepy? Could there be something in the IV?! Elena starts to freak out (again) but the need to sleep is Pressing Down So Hard …

Before she knows it, she’s asleep.

Chapter Text

Jane’s POV

Jane can’t quite tell what is going on. She is gathering mission intel, biding her time, trying to work out the best plan of attack going forward. Jane is locked up in some kind of cell, alone. There is a pile of blankets on the floor which she has ignored, so far. Jane is sitting beside them and leaning against the wall. This is mostly because one of her ankles is (annoyingly) chained to said wall. She’s been given several yards of chain to play with but it’s only enough to get her halfway across the cell; nowhere near the locked door. Jane’s tested. Repeatedly.

Now the door swings open and a middle-aged woman dressed in a uniform that is vaguely like-a-nurse’s enters, cautiously. She bears a jug of water and a plate of food. Both are made of plastic. The woman puts these down in the middle of the floor and slides them a little in Jane’s direction. The ‘nurse’ says something in an unknown foreign language - the same one the thugs all speak, to Jane’s well-trained ear. Her tone is encouraging.

Jane stares. The woman stares back. She says something else. Jane says nothing. The woman shrugs. Backs up slowly. Leaves, locking and barring the door behind her, from the sounds of it. Jane gets up slowly, achily. Her body still hurts from being tasered for what felt like a bloody long time. Twice. Not to mention the rigours of this unexpected captivity which Jane is So. Damn. Over.

Jane approaches the food and water, ankle chain clanking behind her. It looks … unsuspicious. Like a meal and nothing more. A bland meal, but a meal all the same. She is famished. She picks up the plate, sniffs at the food. It’s some kind of meat with vegetables and rice, nothing fancy. It smells alright. Jane picks up the jug, smells it. Water. Not laced with anything, she’s pretty sure … but who can know without actual testing. Jane weighs her options, decides to risk it. She needs fuel if she’s going to break out of here and rescue her girlfriends or seize whatever opportunity presents itself, towards the same end.

Jane won’t allow herself to consider any other possibility. So, she sits down calmly.

Begins to eat.

Chapter Text

Sabina’s POV

Sabina is having an amazing dream. In it, she is finally warm, toasty warm to be exact. She is sleeping in her bed at home, between her toasty warm girlfriends. Their body heat is soaking into her naked skin, and they are pleasingly naked too. It’s like, everything she could’ve ever wanted, and then some. Heaven. This is what heaven is like! It’s in direct contrast to the cold hell Sabina can vaguely remember being in, not that long ago. She won’t ask for anything else, ever again. She’s already been given, everything.

She sighs out with pleasure, rolls over, hugs a girlfriend more tightly. She doesn’t know which one it is, but that doesn’t really matter. The other one is warm against her opposite side. Toasty warm. Fucking ace!

Suddenly, out of nowhere, someone is yelling at her. In a foreign language. It’s loud and rough and weird and motherfucking annoying. Incomprehensible! Sabina is trying to sleep here: she blocks the yells out. Yet they continue, incredibly annoyingly, fading in and out of her awareness …

“Tell them to shut up.” That’s Jane, sounding annoyed. Classic Jane.

“Shut up!” Sabina tells ‘them’, whoever ‘them’ is.

‘Them’ keeps yelling. Multiple male voices, and a female one too. Rude!

“Trying to sleep,” whines Elena, and Sabina totally empathises. So is she. So is she!

More incomprehensible yelling. Then Sabina is being muscled out of bed … she thinks, she’s not totally sure. She’s still half asleep, and her body is heavy, eyes heavier. Then her cheek stings like crazy. More yelling.

“They must have slapped you,” Jane tells Sabina from where Jane still lies in their toasty warm bed. “Because you’re bloody hard to wake up.”

“Ow!” says Sabina, pouting.

“You are very hard to wake up,” says Elena, seemingly apologetically. She scoots over to be next to Jane, wrapping both arms around Jane tightly. “Come back to bed.”

“I’m trying!” says Sabina, pouting harder.

Then she falls over on her face. It hurts. Sabina groans and opens her eyes. Who dropped her? What the fuck is going on?!

The foreign voices yell in what sounds like triumph. Now two thug types are pulling Sabina to her feet and basically holding her upright. She sways. She looks around uncertainly, blinking sleepily. No more home or bed or deliciously naked girlfriends. Sabina’s in … some kind of cell? Surrounded by Nautical Thugs and a Nurse?! Is this a … kinky roleplay?

“Sabina!” It’s Elena’s familiar voice.

Sabina looks over to the cell door, which is open. She can just make out Elena and Jane standing outside, each with their own personal guard. They are both chained, hands-in-front and at their ankles, each chain-length about two feet long. Elena looks worried. Jane looks a mix between worried and sardonically amused.

“What’s happening?” Sabina asks her girlfriends. They’ll know. Probably.

Sabina glances back towards the two Nautical Thugs plus Nurse who are talking among themselves in an unknown foreign language, standing beside what appears to be a hospital bed plus mountain of blankets, with an IV stand next to it. Okay. She’s in a hospital. A dodgy one. Maybe a … hospital dungeon? On a boat? Is that an actual thing, yo? It is now …

“They were trying to wake you up,” Jane tells Sabina, voice the slightest hint of wry. “You know how hard that is.”

“Sure,” says Sabina, pouting, though she’s far from upset (just a little confused). Her girlfriends rib her about this trait like, All The Time. “I was having the best dream.” She sighs happily, in memory. “I was finally warm…”

“They must have warmed you up,” says Elena in a thoughtful tone “Those are heating packs on the bed.”

“In my dream that was you-two,” Sabina tells her girlfriends. “Naked. Sooo much better.”

Elena grins and blows Sabina a kiss. Elena’s looking much better, Sabina notes gratefully. Jane seems better too. No more twitching, sans slurring.

“You seem much better,” Jane tells Sabina, and she sounds approving. Sabina grins back. More ‘Classic Jane’. Sabina’s here for that!

“So we’ve been all doctored up and shit?” she doublechecks with her girlfriends. “What’s that all about?”

“No idea,” says Jane, voice the kind of robotic that suggests she’s Highly Concerned to Sabina’s girlfriendly ear. “They fed me.” Jane says this as though their enemies poisoned Jane.

“Unfair!” says Sabina, back to pouting. “I could eat anything. And everything!” She glances at Elena. “Did you get to eat?”

“Yes,” says Elena. “After I slept and got hooked up to an IV.”

“No IV for me,” says Jane grumpily. “No bed either.” She rolls her eyes. “Just blankets on the ground. And an ankle chain.”

“Whoa, they must think you’re dangerous, dude,” Sabina tells Jane, half-admiringly. Sabina gets it. Jane is. Their captors had the right idea, believe it or not. Sabina would have chained Jane up too, in their position.

“And possibly … not injured enough to warrant a bed,” says Elena thoughtfully. “Or,” she shrugs, “maybe they don’t have enough beds?”

“It doesn’t exactly look like a high-quality establishment,” Sabina jokes, glancing around the room she’s apparently been asleep in, this whole time. However long that’s been …

A thug is chaining Sabina’s wrists and ankles now, same style as her girlfriends’. She doesn’t resist. Sabina’s hopeful that she’s being taken to The Food. That could happen right? She is fucking hopeful! She winces a little as the chains meet her scraped wrists; these ache. The thug is chaining Sabina over clean bandages … they’re real bandages as opposed to the makeshift bedsheet ones she remembers from earlier. Her arms must have been doctored too. It’s full service!

“You’ve been asleep this whole time?” Jane checks.

“Pretty sure,” says Sabina. “I’m not cold anymore.”

One of the thugs is starting to frogmarch Sabina towards the cell door. Turns out that it’s fucking hard to walk with only two-feet worth of chain. Sabina’s pretty sure she looks like an idiot, as she stumbles-waddles forward the best she can. The one saving grace is that her girlfriends are in the exact same boat. On a slightly rolling boat! So, nobody can make fun of anybody. They are in this Clown Fiesta together.

“You look like an idiot,” says Jane drily.

“Just you wait,” says Sabina cheerfully. “My fellow idiot.”

Sure enough, the three-of-them are being muscled down the hallway, together. The Angels all stumble-waddle in their short chain-lengths. Now Jane looks like an idiot too! Sabina knew her girlfriend would. She glances over her shoulder straight at Jane, with a giant smirk.

“Oh shut it,” says Jane affectionately. Then wryly: “I’ll kill someone for this. That’ll make me feel better.”

Elena giggles; Sabina chortles too. It’s a great joke! A perfect Jane-joke. Her girlfriend sure has gotten a lot funnier in the time they’ve been together. A lot more openly too. Sabina credits herself. But she doesn’t tell Jane that.

She has a sense of self-preservation!

Chapter Text

Elena’s POV

Elena can’t believe her eyes. The Angels have just stepped into a dining room and the table is covered in food. Delicious, assorted dishes, something of a banquet.

“Fuck me!” says Sabina happily. “We’ve died and gone to food heaven.”

Elena knows just how Sabina feels … well probably not exactly. Elena has eaten recently; Sabina hasn’t. Elena’s still hungry though, and this food looks waaay better than the basic fare that was brought to her cell. Her mouth waters.

The three-of-them are being shuffled over to the table and seated next to each other along one side. Elena watches as Jane’s thug crouches down and fixes her girlfriend’s ankle chain to a metal ring set in the floor, beneath her chair. Elena’s thug and Sabina’s thug step back to guard the door, not bothering with this extra step.

“Whoa, dude,” Sabina tells Jane. “Somebody knows your BAMF secret identity.”

Jane glowers. Elena is surprised and disturbed. Their captors are … wise, to take extra measures restraining Jane. But how do they know to do so? They must know who the Angels are … she glances at Jane who is sitting in the middle and sees her girlfriend arch a knowing eyebrow back at her. Elena knows that Jane has come to the same conclusion. They give each other a small nod, acknowledgement regarding the assumed intel.

Sabina meanwhile has already started eating, using her chained hands clumsily but effectively.

“Hold up!” Jane tells Sabina who pauses with a heavily loaded fork halfway to her mouth. Sabina whines in the back of her throat.

“Let’s assess the situation a bit more first,” says Elena, keeping her voice just under her breath.

She knows Sabina will be able to hear her anyway. Elena doesn’t want the thugs to overhear; she’s not fully convinced that they don’t speak English. Better safe than sorry. The third thug has now moved away from Jane and has taken up post on the opposite side of the table, leaning against the wall.

“Hungry!” Sabina protests, practically eye-fucking the forkful of food.

“It’s not poisoned.” The male voice is familiar, amused and has a French accent.

Elena’s eyes widen. Sly Trope has just stepped into the dining room. The identity of their captor stands revealed! The Landry twins’ music manager seats himself on the opposite side of the table and smiles benevolently. He looks similar to when Elena (and Jane) met him at the concert after-party, when this mission-series started. Still oily looking, about fifty, dark hair slicked close to his head and sharp dark eyes. An inch shorter than Jane, bulkily built. Still wearing a Very Nice Suit.

“You must be … ravenous.” Sly Trope smirks at Sabina, tellingly. “After all, you never did finish your dinner date with my … business associates.”

Sabina rolls her eyes and stares at Jane impatiently. She seems to be waiting for Jane’s go ahead, rather than Sly’s. Elena looks at Jane too: she trusts their girlfriend’s (excellent) mission instincts. Jane stares at Sly, assessingly. Then she nods at Sabina, short and sharp. Sabina grins big. Starts to wolf food down. Like there’s no tomorrow.

“Go slow,” Jane tells Sabina, shortly.

It doesn’t seem to do much good. Sabina is eating furiously if clumsily, not seeming to be all that interested in their captor. Elena is guessing Sabina is starving by now, not just because of the time that’s passed (which Elena has no idea how long it’s actually been, given unconsciousness, sleeping, and being on a ship) so it certainly makes sense. It’s also due to the demands of hypothermia-recovery on the human body. Quite besides all that, Sabina loves food in general: it’s an ongoing love affair.

“Where are your business associates?” Elena asks Sly, beginning to gather food onto her own plate.

It seems like the right spy move, to gather as much intel as possible. Watching Jane on the field has taught Elena the importance of this move, much more so than Angels’ training school … though they taught it too. Accurate and adequate intel will help inform the Angels’ next best move. The three-of-them will likely have to think on the fly: everything about this mission has been unexpected. It’s probably good that Sabina is chowing down. Calories will help her think clearly. It’s imperative that they think clearly.

“Just a little late to dinner, that’s all,” says Sly with a sly grin, and Elena can tell that he’s enjoying himself hugely. He says something in French and laughs. Jane looks unamused. Elena takes a leaf out of Jane’s book and looks unamused too, since she has no idea what Sly said. Sabina snort-laughs into her food, keeps eating.

Then Jezabel and Jaz Landry, the semi-famous ‘Polka Pops’ are entering, taking up seats on either side of Sly Trope. Elena stares at the twins: she is thrown. They are in on this too? (Whatever ‘this’ is.) She somehow didn’t expect these two to be Sly’s criminal ‘business associates’. Even though they’re overtly his musical ones.

“‘Girlfriend’,” Sabina greets Jezabel ironically, while chewing with her mouth open. Sabina smirks and winks at the pop star. Then speaks in a twangy American accent, the country music kind: “you done me wrong.”

Jezabel glares:

“Bitch!” she snaps, but Sly puts a restraining hand on Jezabel’s shoulder and she subsides into frosty silence. Jaz is grinning at the Angels, looking haughty and sadistic. It suits him and makes Elena’s blood run cold. She doesn’t like the twins. She doesn’t trust them! She hasn’t from the start … but now it turns out that they are even more unlikable and untrustable than she could have ever imagined!

“I have to apologise for my … employees,” says Sly charmingly to the Angels. He nods over at the thugs guarding the door and Elena realises that he means the nautical types who man this boat-thing. “I didn’t realise until … recently, what pretty little fishies our net had dragged in.” Sly laughs with a hint of menace. Jaz grins sardonically. Jezabel rolls her eyes and takes a sip of red wine. She looks impatient.

“What do you mean by ‘net’?” Jane asks.

“You already know that,” Sly replies, a little admonishingly. “But fine, I’ll wax poetic. The security device you tried to disarm. So that you could break into my … basement. Presumably.” He waves a finger at them. “Ah ah ah, that was naughty.”

“We’re naughty girls,” Sabina returns unabashedly, mouth still full. “You’re a naughty boy.”

Sly smirks a little:

“Well said. I can see we’re going to get along just fine.” Sly gestures for the thug standing against the wall behind him to approach. “Wine?” he asks the Angels. “I’d like to propose a toast … after I tell you a little more about my business proposal.”

“Business proposal?” asks Jane suspiciously. Elena sees that her girlfriend hasn’t touched a bite of food. Jane ignores the offer of wine.

“Yes,” says Elena to the wine-serving thug, then thinks better of it. Drinking on a mission that is this high-stakes is probably a Very Bad Idea. Even if Elena is … extremely stressed. “No!” she corrects herself. Jane nods approvingly.

“Gimme,” says Sabina to the wine-serving thug, waving him over, chains and all.

“No!” Jane tells Sabina harshly. “Alcohol pairs very badly with hypothermia.”

“I’m better now,” says Sabina in what Elena recognises as Sabina’s ‘this is totally reasonable’ tone (usually used about things that are unreasonable, in Elena’s girlfriendly opinion). Elena thinks it’s a very poor argument. She glares at Sabina.

“Over my dead body,” Jane growls and she sounds like she’ll accept no argument from Sabina. Elena approves, given the health risk. Sabina glares and pouts glancing between them. Then she visibly deflates.

“Fine,” Sabina mutters sulkily. She waves the wine-bearing thug away and goes back to Snorting Food.

Elena sees that Sly Trope is watching the Angels’ exchange with avid interest. Jezabel looks … jealous. Also, intrigued. Jaz looks bored.

“We’ll toast with water,” says Sly, gesturing to the thug to fill the Angels’ glasses with water. He laughs a little. “Well, you three will. I prefer wine.”

Jaz says something in French, and Elena picks up that his tone is rude. Sabina says something back, just as rudely. Jane rolls her eyes. Elena tries not to look too blank. Jezabel smirks at Jaz; Sly shakes his head in mock disapproval. Everyone goes back to eating, except Jane who hasn’t started yet.

“The business proposal,” Sly tells Jane, “is for you three ‘Angels’ to come and work for me.”

Elena spits out the bite she’s eating. Sabina chokes on her mouthful, spluttering for air. Jane reaches over, chained hands and all, and pounds Sabina on the back. Food flies free and Sabina looks relieved, and not embarrassed at all. She goes right back to eating, but is staring at Sly, wide-eyed.

“You know who we are,” says Jane measuredly.

“I do now,” reveals Sly. “It took a little while to get the intel.”

Sly glares at Jaz briefly as though Jaz has something to do with this. Elena doesn’t fully understand. Oh, evidently the Landry twins work for Sly in some kind of … criminal capacity. Elena doesn’t know what that is though, or how it relates to Sly getting intel on the Angels. The whole ‘pop stars under a manager’ deal must be the Landrys’ cover story. Or, real and a cover? Elena is unsure …

“Why are we on a boat?” Sabina asks Sly. She’s beginning to eat what looks like some kind of fancy dessert, with evident relish. Elena can’t quite tell what the dessert is. She would guess … fruit-covered cheesecake? Heavy on the fruit? Maybe?

“I own a lot of ‘boats’,” says Sly, which doesn’t really answer Sabina’s question. “Once you triggered the alarm, my security threw you on the next one leaving port. I usually let my crews … play with intruders. As an incentive for … working for me. Makes the job more fulfilling, you comprehend? More … rewarding.”

“Sure, I get it,” says Sabina, licking cream off the side of her lips. “Your crew are sadistic fucks. Who torture randoms to get their jollies.”

“Exactly,” says Sly, not seeming in the least put out by this description. “That’s one employee profile that I look for.” He studies the Angels carefully. “Another one is…” Sly smiles, and it’s not a nice smile, “multi-talented spy types.”

“Like us,” says Sabina, and Jane glares at her. Elena watches wide-eyed. Presumably Sly already knew this about the Angels. Still, Elena kind of agrees with Jane’s glare. Sabina shouldn’t volunteer any intel! Or confirm it either.

“Like you,” Sly agrees. He raises his wine glass and takes a sip. “The best of the best. A star grifter,” he raises his glass to Sabina, “brawler,” he salutes Jane, “and how do you say … ‘techie’.” He winks at Elena. Takes another sip of his wine, slowly, looking supremely satisfied. “A crack team.”

“Who told you that?” says Sabina through a mouthful of cake. “Sounds like a movie.” She sniggers. “Not a very good one.”*

“Oh, don’t try to con me, my dear,” says Sly. “Even if it is your stock in trade. This intel is already confirmed.” He grins toothily. He looks like a shark, in Elena’s professional opinion. She feels more than a little creeped out. Sly seems to be expanding on his Big Reveal (as villains are wont to do): he keeps going … smarmily. “Once I realised exactly who had infiltrated my operation, I called my dogs off. My apologies for any … ill treatment. You know how dogs are.” He gestures dismissively. “Uncouth brutes.”

“That’s why you fixed us up,” Elena says slowly.

“Exactly,” says Sly with a sly smile. “I want you in good shape, after all.” He raises his wine glass to the Angels again, and his smile turns suggestive. “Come and work for me, as double agents.” He winks. “I’ll make it worth your while.” A pause during which Sly studies them all, carefully. “You don’t even have to stop working for…” his lips twist wryly, “‘Charlie’”.

Elena looks sidelong at her girlfriends. This is … such a mindfuck! She never saw this coming, and she doesn’t know what it means exactly … or how to get out of this dilemma with their skin intact.

What are they going to do?!

Chapter Text

Jane’s POV

Jane keeps her face blank with some difficulty. Her jaw wants to drop but she won’t give this greasy slimebag, the satisfaction. Beside Jane, Sabina has no such problem. Her jaw has dropped. A piece of food falls out of it, half-chewed. Jane sighs internally. Isn’t Sabina Wilson supposed to be a grifter extraordinaire?! On Jane’s other side she catches Elena’s sidelong look in her trained peripheral vision. Elena looks anxiously uncertain, plainly telegraphing ‘what should we do?!’ vibes at her girlfriends. Unfortunately, that means Elena is telegraphing the same to their enemies. Jane sighs internally. Must Elena Houghlin always wear her feelings on her sleeves?

“You can’t be serious!” Sabina says to Sly, not even looking at her girlfriends. “What would we get out of it?”

Jane pauses. That’s kind of a strange thing for Sabina to say. Suddenly Jane wonders if she’s misjudged her girlfriend. Maybe Sabina is grifting Sly Trope after all! Maybe Sabina’s Just That Good. Jane hangs back, waits to see what will happen next. Let Sabina take point on this one … it calls for her speciality after all. Under the table Jane nudges Elena’s knee with her own, in reassurance. Jane can only just reach, but it seems to work. Elena’s shoulders come down; she relaxes a little. Elena looks back across the table at their enemies.

“What do you get now?” asks Sly, sounding quite a bit like an oily second-hand car dealer.

Jane’s guessing he’s slipped into negotiation mode, and he’s asking about Townsend Agency’s remuneration. Being a slimebag himself, he doesn’t question Sabina’s line of questioning. Sly would (obviously) betray his nearest and dearest in a heartbeat, for the right remuneration. So … why wouldn’t the Angels? To his worldview, anyone would.

“A very large salary,” says Sabina calmly. She’s stopped eating and appears to be giving Sly her full attention. Sabina names an outlandish figure that causes Jane’s eyes to widen a little despite her best efforts … what they really want to do is bug out of her head. Jane doesn’t dare to look at Elena to see her expression. Sabina goes on, glibly. “Plus bonuses for jobs well done. Perks like all the weapons, fashion, cars, food, alcohol, etc, that we want. Paid accommodation, five stars, wherever we go.”

“You’re lying,” says Sly calmly.

“That’s what you’ll give us,” says Sabina, just as calmly. “If you really want us.”

Elena makes a shocked noise in the back of her throat. Jane nudges Elena again under the table with her knee, trying to do it hard this time … which is difficult given the positioning and chains. Please just trust Sabina! Let their grifting girlfriend handle this one, and don’t give the game away. That’s what Jane would say to Elena, if she had the power of telepathy …

Sly steeples his fingers together, and studies the Angels. Jane keeps her expression bland. Out of the corner of her eye she sees that Elena has (finally!) schooled her expression, though she still looks anxious. Probably that’s okay though. Looking anxious should be fine. Jezabel is watching wide-eyed, wineglass dangling in one hand. Jaz looks significantly less bored.

“Why would you jump the fence?” Sly asks Sabina suddenly. “Have you no … ‘loyalty’?”

“Why not?” says Sabina glibly. She winks at Sly. “You must know my record. I work for Charlie because he gave me what I wanted, what I needed. ‘A better deal’, shall we say. Everything I enjoyed about being a … criminal,” Sabina pauses on the word almost lovingly, giving Sly a suggestive look. He looks back, assessingly. Sabina continues: “the action, the thrill, the challenge, the … ego boost.” She shrugs, casually. “Without the risks, and with more rewards.”

Jane frowns inwardly though outwardly her face is immobile. She doesn’t like hearing Sabina say this. Oh, presumably her girlfriend is saying it to grift Sly, but still, it sounds … too plausible. It hits too close to home. It reminds Jane that Sabina had what could well be considered a criminal career … which is something that Jane usually forgets, probably half because she wants to, and half because Sabina never reminds them. Understandably! Jane is an Angel and before that she was MI6. She’s one of the good guys, has always been one of the good guys. She hates bad guys; she chases criminals. Catches them. Puts them away or even … kills them. Jane doesn’t … date them.

Except she sort of does. If you count Sabina.

“What I’m offering you is … significantly riskier,” says Sly to Sabina, wryly. Jane’s guessing that he knows that Sabina knows this already. It’s obvious.

“I’ve been getting bored lately,” says Sabina, this time with a suggestive look Jezabel’s way, which Jane doesn’t understand and doesn’t much like. “I could stand to up my risks.” Sabina spreads her hands, even though the short chain-length aborts her ‘why not’ gesture. It still works. “Provided the reward is high enough.” A pause, a wink. “And the challenges are sexy.”

“By ‘sexy’ you mean, fun?” Sly grins ironically. “Oh, believe me, every task is fun when you’re a double agent.” Then switching to French: “there’s never any lying down on the job.”

Sabina laughs a little. She answers in English.

“But that’s my favourite part.” Sabina winks at Jezabel, flirtatiously.

Jane rolls her eyes.

“What about you?” Sly asks Jane. She scowls at him.

“My girlfriends will do whatever I tell them,” says Sabina, before Jane can answer. “I’m sure you know about our … personal relationship.” She smirks a little.

Jane keeps her face still with superhuman effort. Elena glances anxiously at Jane, then Sabina, obviously unable to prevent herself. Both of them ignore her.

“Of course,” says Sly, staring between them all. “You don’t hide it, within Townsend Agency.” He smirks a little as though he thinks they’re stupid. “Besides, you own a home together.”

Jane suddenly realises … with dread … that there must be a mole already, on the inside of Charlie’s Angels. Otherwise, how on earth can Sly Trope know this level of detail? Can that be true?! No! Jane is outraged. She fights to hide her outrage. She’ll think about this insight later and its (terrible) ramifications. Not now, not at this pressing juncture when all that matters is not giving the game away … whatever the hell game it is, that Sabina’s playing on their team’s behalf …

“Well, perhaps you’ve heard the famous saying,” purrs Sabina and her voice turns crass, “‘who wears the pants in the relationship?’” She smirks big and points her thumb back at her own chest. “Moi.*”

Sly snickers. So does Jaz. Jezabel swigs the rest of her wine, kind of hurriedly. Jane stops breathing, because it helps her maintain her facial mask. She can kill Sabina later. Right now, Jane needs to be a statue. It’s the closest approximation she can do to a girlfriend who doesn’t wear the pants. Elena gapes at Sabina, turns red, then turns back towards their enemies, blinking. Jane isn’t concerned. That reaction seems exactly like what a girlfriend who ‘doesn’t wear the pants’ might do …

“Is that true?” Sly asks Elena who makes an aborted noise in the back of her throat. Whatever it is, it’s supremely nervous.

“Yes,” squeaks Elena, before glancing to Sabina, seemingly for approval.

Jane is thrown. Suddenly she wonders if Elena Houghlin is also gaming their enemies. Elena has been known to do a pretty good job grifting, when absolutely necessary. She’s picked up a thing or two off Sabina in their time teaming up together. Sabina’s also intentionally taught Elena odds and ends, with great relish: Jane’s caught them. Elena doesn’t like grifting, but she seems able to do it okay … like when she flirted successfully with crime boss, Piper Ridley, when the three-of-them were on a dinner date with him.* Jane, conversely, hadn’t even managed a convincing smile …

Sabina nods approvingly at Elena and gives her a wink. Sly looks satisfied. He turns to Jane:

“How about you?”

Jane just grunts and looks down. She hopes it looks deferential. Jane doesn’t feel deferential! She feels like wrapping her arms around Sly’s meaty neck and squeezing hard …

“She’s the silent type,” Sabina tells Sly, as though she’s sharing about chicks with her bros, over beer. “You know brawlers.” Sabina pauses meaningfully and her voice turns to steel. “But just like your ‘dogs’, Monsieur Trope, she’ll come when she’s called.”

Jane forces herself to nod confirmation, still looking at her lap. She doesn’t dare to look up. She can’t hide the murderous glint in her eyes. Jane doesn’t know who she wants to direct it towards more just now, Sabina or Sly. She won’t risk either.

“Good,” says Sly, sounding satisfied. “It’s good to know who to negotiate with.” His voice sounds like he’s smiling (smarmily) but Jane doesn’t look up to check. “There’s always a ringleader.” A pause. “I thought it was you.” Jane realises that he’s talking to her, about her. Jane still doesn’t dare to look up or answer … let Sabina handle this one.

“That’s what we want people to think,” Sabina says smoothly. “So that’s how we play it.” A pause. “Once I could see that you were the real deal, no more need for us to posture.”

Jane finally manages to look up; her expression is successfully blank again. Sly is looking mildly smug, which is probably the effect Sabina was going for, what with her flattery. Then Sly names a figure. It’s not as high as Sabina’s outlandish figure, but it’s in the same ballpark. Sabina names a slightly higher figure. Sly grins with seeming triumph. Sabina grins back, equally triumphant.

“You have yourselves a deal,” says Sly, raising his wineglass. He glances at Jezabel and Jaz who both raise their glasses, Jezabel eye-fucking Sabina and Jaz looking sulky. Sabina glances at Jane, then Elena. Her green eyes are serious and just a little pleading, for all that her mouth is quirked in the same triumphant grin. Elena quickly raises her wine glass. Jane does the same, more slowly. Sabina looks back towards Sly Trope and co, raising hers high.

“To doubling the fuck out of Charlie,” says Sabina, toasting their enemies.

“What she said,” says Sly, with the greatest of satisfaction.

Sabina clinks her glass with Jane’s, then with some difficulty due to distance, with Elena’s, for all that they’re chained and drinking water. Jane allows this, keeps her face blank. Thank God she has so much practice looking blank: Jane is really relying on that right now …

“Unchain them,” Sly orders his thugs who cross towards the Angels accordingly.

Jane realises that they’ve succeeded. Sabina bloody did it! The three-of-them are finally safe. The Angels are out of hot water, even though they’re still in the middle of the ocean, God knows where, surrounded by enemies.

Because now they’re double agents.

Chapter Text

Sabina’s POV

The Angels are (finally!) back on dry land. They’re enroute from the port to Paris, driving a sportscar that their new ‘secret boss’, Sly Trope arranged for them. It’s a silver Venturi Atlantique 300 Biturbo, and while it’s kind of weird looking, Sabina’s into it. She’s less into the dirty look that Jane Kano is lasering into the side of her face from the passenger seat. Elena is very quiet in the back seat. Sabina knows that both her girlfriends want to grill her about what went down at sea … no doubt desperately. Yet they can’t. This car might be bugged … is almost certainly bugged. They all know that much. The Angels need a safe location before they can talk freely. They should really check over their clothes and bodies too, for bugs and trackers …

Sabina focuses on driving fast instead, enjoying the sense of being alive and out-of-danger … and being in a whole new level of danger. Sabina gets off on danger!* It’s not a secret; she gets off on a lot of things. Maybe even on Jane’s glare, full disclosure. Not on Elena’s fear though: that’s just sad and guilt-inducing. Sabina wants to comfort their team’s baby right smart. Followed up (hopefully!) by having angry sex with Jane, to fuck all that glaring out of her girlfriend’s system. Or Sabina could let Jane dominate her, if that would make Jane feel better (it probably would). It would make Sabina feel better too … though she rather thinks she’d like to keep chains out of their bedroom play for the next little while. Too close to their latest trauma load …

“We should stop at a hotel,” says Jane, out of the blue. “We need to regroup before we face Bosley and Saint.” Jane glares extra meaningfully at the side of Sabina’s face.

Sabina knows that this means that Jane wants full disclosure from Sabina at said hotel. After the Angels triple-check themselves for bugs and trackers. The two-of-them don’t really need to talk much these days, in order to understand each other. Although of course they still do, because banter is Just That Fun. Case in point: Jane has glaring down to a fine art. Sabina has being glared at down to an even finer art. It’s kind of their thing.

“Great idea, baby,” Sabina agrees. She’s down.

“I’ll have a look at nearby possibilities,” Elena volunteers, taking out her smartphone and tapping away.

“Thanks, Lena,” says Jane and her voice is gentle which is impressive considering that she continues to glare at Sabina, simultaneously. “How’s your pain going?” Jane asks Elena.

Sabina glances in the rear-view mirror enquiringly: she wants to know too. Jane is talking about the pain from the significant bruising that’s spread over Elena’s back, centring at the spot between her shoulder blades where the bullet impacted her bulletproof tank.

After making their deal with Sly Trope, the Angels were given updates on their medical statuses: Elena has been lucky. No ribs were cracked, she just got seriously bruised. Yet that still means ongoing pain and fatigue; she’ll need recovery time. Apparently the nurse had given Elena pain medication in her IV … but that’s worn off by now.

Sabina’s out of her hypothermic state and back to normal: that’s confirmed. However, her body took a toll from the ordeal (of course) and ongoing rest is strictly recommended.

Jane’s (luckily) had no lasting ill effects from being tasered. Still, Sabina is keeping an eye on her Tough Ass Girlfriend TM. Jane isn’t necessarily as tough as she seems. Somebody’s got to look out for Jane … and that means Sabina (with Elena’s help once Sabina clues their girlfriend in - Elena wasn’t present for Jane’s medical update). On the down low of course, so Jane doesn’t freak out about seeming ‘weak’. Sabina knows the drill. She’s like some kind of expert by now, in being Jane’s kickass girlfriend: one of two!

“Not so good,” says Elena, shifting uncomfortably in place. “But bearable.”

Sabina makes empathic eyes at Elena in the rear-view, and Jane winces in sympathy. Sabina has noticed that Jane has waaay more sympathy for Elena’s pain (both physical and emotional) than she ever does for her own. Apparently, Jane has two sets of rules, and the set that applies to herself doesn’t apply to her girlfriends. It’s hypocritical. Sabina gets it though, because she does the same sort of shit and for even more random things. Sabina doesn’t know why. They’re all the way that they are, and that’s that. Apparently, people are hypocritical, yo. It’s a thing.

“We’ll have to pick you up some pain meds,” Jane decides, strategic voice engaged. “Somewhere enroute. If we can.”

“Or maybe … ask Jezabel?” Sabina suggests. Her voice is unsure because Sabina doesn’t know if that’s a good idea.

Apparently Jezabel Landry is the Angels-as-double-agents’ handler. Kind of like their ‘Evil Bosley’. Jezabel will be their point of contact with Sly Trope and his evil organisation of crime (which they’ve discovered is egotistically – if unsurprisingly – named ‘Trope Empire’). Jezabel will simultaneously keep up her usual cover as a bitchy pop star (who their team is presumably still investigating for Charlie and Townsend Agency).

The Angels have discovered that Jezabel is also her twin’s handler … and that Jaz isn’t actually her twin. He’s a high calibre assassin, masquerading as an equally bitchy pop star. Will wonders never cease? Sabina is totally surprised! Maybe even turned on, though she’s not sure whether that’s by Jezabel, Jaz, their combined grifting game (so much better than Sabina ever imagined) or being a double-cum-triple agent (which seems like high octane fun!).

“We don’t need her,” says Jane dismissively.

Sabina rolls her eyes and glances out the driver’s side window. Okay then. Jane isn’t down. Presumably Jezabel already knows that the Angels want pain medication for Elena … if Trope Empire really is listening in to this car ride. So maybe the pain meds will arrive, anyway? It is a handler’s job to keep their agents happy and healthy. Presumably Jane just doesn’t like Jezabel because Sabina had sex with her on a public dancefloor. The sex wasn’t very good though, and Sabina was doing it (partly) for her job … Jane has nothing to be worried about. As per usual. Jane should really know that by now …

“What about this place?” Elena eventually asks Jane, passing her smartphone over.

It’s not Elena’s original smartphone: the Angels’ smartphones were left back in Bosley’s getaway car, on the (failed) mission to investigate Sly’s basement. This phone is a gift from Sly Trope and is their new number one communication device with him: all the Angels received one. Presumably Elena just looked up nearby hotels and chose one. If the phones have tracking software, Trope will know exactly where they are. Elena has given the phones a careful look over, but even Tech Genius Elena is fallible, and more so when stressed and injured. Oh well, whatever. ‘Que será, será’*, and all that shit. Sabina stops thinking, goes back to enjoying driving fast.

“Perfect,” says Jane after a quick scroll. Jane keys the hotel’s address into the car’s GPS. Then to Elena: “book us in?” Jane passes the smartphone back over.

“Get us the penthouse,” Sabina suggests. “We’re wealthy motherfuckers now!” She chortles to herself. “We already have our advance.”

“Whatever you say, ‘boss’,” says Jane, voice deeply sarcastic.

Sabina tosses Jane a wink. Oh yeah, she could get used to that! Even with Jane’s nuclear level sarcasm. Besides, sarcasm tends to roll off Sabina, as a rule. It’s one of the reasons she gets on so well with Jane Kano who is often like, Sarcasm Embodied. People who get offended by sarcasm are automatically repelled by Jane just entering the room. Sabina, conversely, seems to be magnetically attracted closer …

“Okay,” says Elena, weakly.

She starts tapping away on her smartphone. Sabina frowns at her girlfriend in the rear-view mirror. Fuck it. Elena is feeling upset; Sabina hates that. She glances over at Jane to find her girlfriend now looking serious and concerned. They make eyes about Elena. Yeah, they are on the same page. Yeah, they’ll pop into Reassure Mode. As soon as they can, which isn’t now, given the probable car-is-bugged situation. The Angels drive in silence for a while.

“All booked,” Elena finally tells them. “The penthouse was available.”

“Magnifique*,” says Sabina, already envisioning the lap of luxury she is about to wallow in. Oh yeah. Sabina’s into wallowing. That’s a definite upside of this strange situation.

“I can’t wait to get there,” says Jane and she sounds deadly earnest. “I want a bath.”

“There’s a hot tub,” says Elena. “We can all fit.”

Elena sounds longing, and Sabina knows this is probably because of the pain and stiffness she must be feeling from the gunshot. Not to mention how they’re all longing to be close after their recent ordeal including its scary period of imprisoned separation … that’s just obvious to Sabina. Even Jane is wanting to be close. Sabina can tell.

“Sexy,” says Sabina. It is. She winks at Jane who rolls her eyes but gives Sabina a small lip twitch that Sabina is going to count as a smile. Sabina makes eye contact with Elena in the rear-view, going for comforting. She throws in a wink for good measure.

Elena nods at Sabina, with a small smile. Her soft brown eyes are sad, but Sabina can tell that Elena isn’t upset with her. That’s good enough for now. Besides …

… soon they’ll be together in a hot tub!

Chapter Text

Elena’s POV

The Angels are lounging in a hot tub filled to the brim with bubbles. It’s inside the penthouse of the ritzy hotel Elena’s booked them into, far ritzier than the one that Bosley chose back in Paris. Presumably Bosley was on a budget. Elena doesn’t think that the three-of-them are on a budget, anymore. Or for the foreseeable future! Sly Trope’s advance payment was insane. Elena feels wealthy (for the first time ever). Also, confused. Upset. Agitated. Scared. Slightly ill with stress. Excited. Tired. In a bothersome level of pain from the gunshot bruising on her back. All the things! Yet more than anything, she wants to know what’s going on! To get on the same page, with her girlfriends.

The Angels have triple-checked their clothes and each other’s naked bodies for bugs and trackers, as well as their limited possessions. Elena gave their three new smartphones a careful comb over on the car ride here: no suspicious spyware tech, though they certainly have all manner of encryption for contacting their ‘new boss’. She’s rechecked them since, just to be sure. The Angels have come up clean, though the sportscar is still a possible risk factor. To be extra safe, they’ve left their new smartphones in the car … Elena wants to recheck them when she has access to an Angels’ lab. Finally, the three-of-them are free to talk things over; Jane has just made their all-clear hand signal.

“What’s going on?” Elena asks her girlfriends plaintively, mostly addressing this towards Sabina.

Her girlfriend is sitting up on the edge of the tub, buck naked, just finishing unwrapping the bandages on her wrists. Presumably Sabina wants to check out how her injuries are going, or maybe just doesn’t want to get the bandages wet. Sabina slips into the tub and leans back against one corner with a sigh and wriggle of bliss. Then she lounges there looking supremely unconcerned.

“We’re triple agents, yo,” Sabina says calmly, as though it should be obvious. It isn’t.

“For real?” says Jane, voice sharp. “That’s your brilliant plan?” Then Jane leans over and takes up Sabina’s wrists and examines them carefully. The caring action is in juxtaposition with Jane’s verbal reprimand. Elena thinks that this is just like Jane/Sabina. It makes her relax a little, despite Jane’s sharp tone.

“It is brilliant,” says Sabina, a tad defensively. Despite her tone she watches Jane examine her wrists and doesn’t pull away. “We pretend to be double agents for Trope, while telling the Townsend higher ups exactly what Trope set us up for. Then we spy on Trope, for Charlie. We gather the intel we need, until Charlie can take Trope down for realsies. Body slam, thank you ma’am, no more double agents, bam!”

Elena sighs with relief, sagging partway beneath the bubbles. Oh good. Elena can get behind that plan. It sounds fine. Difficult, but fine. Elena’s biggest fear was that Sabina might have actually … turned or want her girlfriends to turn with her. It seemed … inconceivable … Sabina Wilson is as fiercely loyal as they come! Still, hearing Sabina’s pitch to Sly Trope had been … disturbing. She’d made such a good case. Elena had never looked at her girlfriend’s history or motivations in quite that light. Sabina seemed to be … drawing on some true material …

Elena wants to talk her concerns over with her girlfriends, in depth. Peer into Sabina’s eyes, at length. Get a feel for where Jane is at. Understand Sabina better so that Elena can be a good girlfriend and the three-of-them can be the best team, the most supportive family. Not to mention, get out of this mess safely with none of them getting killed horribly. Trope is dangerous. The three-of-them are incredibly lucky to have gotten out of their captivity, intact! Emotionally, Elena is still reeling. Her body doesn’t feel much better.

“They’re healing up okay,” Jane tells Sabina, releasing their girlfriend’s hands and moving back to sit across from her. The Angels are each sitting in one of the tricornered tub’s corners. “I’ll rewrap them for you after our bath.” Sabina looks charmed but Jane is already continuing, voice turning critical on a dime. “The giant hole in your ‘brilliant plan’ … is that there’s already a mole inside the Agency.”

“What the fuck?!” Sabina sits up straight. “Who the fuck?!”

Elena sits up straight too. She isn’t feeling relieved anymore. Then she yelps a little because of how the sudden movement pulls at her back’s bruising. She changes her angle, hurriedly. Sabina pouts at Elena sympathetically and Jane makes soft eyes at her … even while Jane continues her diatribe (impressive multitasking).

“How do you think Trope got such a high level of detail about us, including our personal lives?” Jane looks at the two-of-them, face very serious. “It’s highly probable that there’s a mole passing on that intel.”

“For real?” Sabina is practically whining. “Oh that sucks ass.”

“Sometimes I don’t get you,” says Jane, now staring at Sabina in disbelief. “How can you be so smart and so dumb, at the same time?”

“Don’t ride me,” says Sabina sulkily. “I bat for both teams; live with it.”

It’s oddly direct for Sabina. Elena takes it to mean that Sabina is really upset about this development. It takes Elena a moment to clue in why. Oh. It’s because the Angels won’t be able to be triple agents with any kind of ease. Who can they trust to tell the truth about Sly Trope to?!

“We can trust Charlie,” says Sabina, as though she can hear what Elena is thinking. “We’ll only tell him. And Bos and Saint of course … they’re our Ride Or Dies.*”

“Wait up,” says Jane firmly. “Let’s think this over properly.”

“I hate this,” Elena tells her girlfriends. She feels like crying. They both stop talking and stare at her. Sabina is wide-eyed. Jane is frowning. They make eyes at each other, and Elena knows it’s about her, for sure: it’s obvious.

“Cuddle?” Sabina asks, meaning does Elena want to be held. Elena does, very much indeed! She nods and Sabina is already slicked to her side, wrapping both arms around her. Sabina carefully places her arms around Elena’s waist, obviously aiming to not aggravate her gunshot bruising.

“It sucks, I know,” says Jane, arriving on Elena’s other side to hold her too, Jane’s arms over Sabina’s. Elena immediately feels Much Better. She sighs out hugely and relaxes into her girlfriends’ strong arms. “We’re in a tight spot,” Jane adds, morosely.

“We’ll work it out,” says Sabina, sounding kind of desperate. “We always do.”

“We will,” says Elena firmly, because now that she’s held snug in her girlfriends’ arms, her natural optimism tips back into balance, reasserts itself.* That’s all she needed. “Together.” Elena turns her head one way to press a kiss to Jane’s nearby cheek, then the other way to kiss Sabina’s.

She feels both her girlfriends’ bodies relax: Jane’s incrementally, and Sabina’s quite a lot. Elena leans back against the tub and rests her hands on their thighs underneath the water. She’s ready to talk things out now. Seeming to sense this, Jane and Sabina sit back too. Jane takes Elena’s hand under the water. Sabina runs both her hands through her short hair, above water. Then she starts to examine the healing injuries on her wrists and the heels of her palms.

“Don’t pick at those,” Jane warns.* Sabina makes a noncommittal noise in the back of her throat. Elena smiles at them both. After a slight pause:

“I had to say all that shit to Trope,” Sabina tells Elena. “To get us out of there.”

Elena wonders how Sabina knows that this is what Elena’s been fretting about, in particular. Sabina can be intuitive, for sure … but it’s usually about weird things or at unexpected times. Elena never knows what direction it will come from. At the same time Sabina can be dense, also for sure, and also unexpectedly.*

“You did a great job, honey,” Elena comforts Sabina, because that much is true. “Your grifting was … impressive.”

“Too impressive, right?” Sabina sounds morose. “And now you don’t fucking trust me.”

Elena gasps. She doesn’t mean to. It’s just that Sabina has hit the core of the issue right on the head, somehow. It’s painful to hear, put so bluntly. Blunt force trauma, but to the emotional heart. Jane speaks up:

“I knew you were grifting Trope,” she tells Sabina. “That you were our best chance to get out of there, alive. Maybe our … only chance. That’s why I let you take point.”

“Right,” says Sabina, not contesting any of this. She still sounds morose.

“But it was still … disturbing to hear,” says Jane bluntly (as she is wont to do).

Then Jane is moving through the bubbly water to sit on Sabina’s other side, and now Sabina is in the middle. Jane puts a companionable arm around Sabina’s shoulder and presses a kiss to her cheek. It’s so damn soft … coming from Jane … that Elena automatically gets on board, senses with her EQ what Jane is up to. Elena wraps her own arm around Sabina’s waist, below the water, squeezes tight. Presses a kiss to Sabina’s other cheek.

“Because some of what you said is … true,” adds Jane, looking at Sabina seriously. “Isn’t it?”

“…Yes?” Sabina sounds sulky and comforted all at the same time. “Lies go down better if you include the truth.” She shrugs offhandedly. “I almost always add myself into a con. As much as I can. Cos that’s what sells it.”

Elena blinks. She’s never heard Sabina talk so openly about what makes grifting work. Now that Sabina says this, Elena sees it’s true, immediately. Sabina does do this. Elena’s caught her girlfriend doing it with her marks, many times. It’s actually what’s so disturbing about the process, not that Elena has clued into that before now. It’s like … Elena gets jealous of Sabina flirting with (some of) her marks because … it’s really Sabina flirting. Aspects of her, moderated for the mark’s enjoyment but real aspects, all the same.

“I didn’t know that,” says Jane.

Jane presses another kiss to Sabina’s face, this one to her temple. The kiss is soft for all that Jane’s voice is gruff. She appears to be thinking the intel over, seriously. Sabina watches Jane anxiously; Elena realises that Sabina fears their rejection. Elena’s heart pangs. When will Sabina trust the two-of-them? They aren’t going to reject her. Well, Elena can’t speak for Jane … as well as she’s come to know her girlfriend: Jane’s her own person. But Elena isn’t going to reject Sabina. Elena’s sure.

“Which parts are true?” Elena wants to know. She makes sure she’s holding Sabina securely; she doesn’t want her girlfriend to freak out. She tries to make it as easy as possible for Sabina to open up to them: Elena reveals her own hand transparently. “I’m asking so I can get to know you better. I want to understand you, even if something comes up that I … don’t like.” Elena studies her girlfriend, glad when Sabina turns her head so that their eyes meet, hold. “I trust you, Bina. Even if we’re … not on the same page, I trust you. But please…” Elena sighs, because she really wants this, and it’s hurting her with how much she wants it, “let’s get on the same page.”

“Okay, Lena,” says Sabina, sighing out too. She leans her head on Elena’s shoulder suddenly and her body slumps a little. “Thanks for … r-reassuring me. You’re so damn good at knowing what to say.”

“Sometimes,” says Elena, because that’s true. Sometimes she isn’t.

“Most of the time,” corrects Jane, which is probably truer. Jane winks playfully at Elena, and Elena smiles back, flushing a little. Jane looks pleased and Elena knows that it’s partly because Jane enjoys either of her girlfriends blushing, and it’s partly because Jane is glad for Elena’s Sabina-whispering. Originally Jane seemed to be envious of the ability, or to have a mixed response. These days Jane is mostly happy about it, and grateful when Elena does it. That’s … wonderful, for Elena. Being appreciated feels … So Good.

Sabina is grinning at them both. She also appears to be enjoying Elena’s flush.

“So?” Jane prompts Sabina, who sits up a little and appears to be thinking hard. Jane hasn’t taken her arm away from Sabina’s shoulders, and Elena can see that the affectionate touch from the two-of-them is helping Sabina. She’s so supported by touch, especially when she’s stressed. Sabina seems to find it grounding.

“Letmesee,” mutters Sabina, appearing to be thinking hard. “Well, it’s true, that I dig all that fancy shit I asked for. The money and cars and five-star accom … if it’s on the table.” Sabina grins lopsidedly.

Elena remembers that Sabina is an heiress: presumably she grew up surrounded by luxury. Elena easily forgets this about Sabina, because her girlfriend almost never talks about it (for some unknown reason … that Elena guesses has to do with a traumatic family background). Sabina goes on:

“I mean, I’m fine living without it, but since Trope was offering a payday … and would obvs believe in Good Old Greed as motivation…” she runs a wet hand through her now damp hair. “It’s true Charlie gave me what I wanted and needed. But the part that mattered was … a purpose worth a damn. A chance to be one of the good guys.” Sabina huffs out a breath. “Finally.”

Elena isn’t sure what Sabina means exactly by ‘finally’, but she nods anyway, feeling encouraged. Overall … she’s glad to hear what her girlfriend’s saying. On Sabina’s other side Jane is nodding too.

“But…” Sabina adds, seemingly reluctantly, “it’s also true that I…” she pauses, throws them both a supremely guilty look, “e-enjoyed being a criminal. And that being an A-Angel … isn’t really all that different.”

“Keep going,” says Jane, tone indecipherable … which Elena agrees is probably a good idea. They shouldn’t stop Sabina now. It’ll be too difficult to get her going again. Elena and Jane can share their responses, afterwards. Sabina looks between them both, looking a little stressed. Then she sighs, shrugs, firms her jaw. Keeps going.

“I haven’t been getting bored lately,” says Sabina, “because so fucking much is going on! But I do … get bored. A lot.” Sabina waves her hand in some strange gesture that Elena doesn’t recognise. Droplets fly everywhere. “In general. And I certainly have … in my time at Townsend.” She looks straight ahead. “And I have absolutely no problem upping my risks. That just makes life … spicy.” Sabina grins, seemingly to herself.

Elena winces. Here’s Sabina’s chaos factor, again. Her flagrant risk taking. The trait that Jane and Elena want to talk her into keeping an eye on and damping down. From the sounds of it, Sabina isn’t likely to want to damp it down. She seems … Way Too Into It. Sabina continues:

“I’m totally into being a triple agent!” Then she tosses them both a wry look and a wink, “but I sure as hell don’t wear the pants in this triad.” Sabina chortles a little. “In fact, girlfriends, I’d say that for me, the two-of-you wear one leg each.” She outright laughs.

“That last part is accurate,” says Jane, half-wry, half-smug. Then she frowns a little. “Although … for me, maybe it’s more like Elena wears the pants.” Jane looks upset at this revelation but also oddly resigned. Sabina laughs harder. Elena stares at her girlfriends in shock. Do they really think that?! What do they mean?!

“Uh-oh,” says Sabina to Jane, jokily. “I think we broke our boss.” Jane smirks at Elena, looking past Sabina to do so.

“Don’t look like that,” Jane tells Elena, sardonically. “You’re the one with all the emotional intelligence.” She raises her hands as though she’s fending off a weapon, though it’s clearly humourous. “We’re defenceless.”

“We’re whipped,” Sabina fills in bluntly. “Because you pull your sweet-ass girlfriend whispering act, and then we’re putty in your hands.” She rubs the back of her neck thoughtfully and adds: “plus you’re just waaay too cute to say no to. Like some kind of epitome of cuteness.” Sabina nods mock wisely and mutters seemingly to herself, “see, I know big words…”

Elena gasps. Her self-awareness is such that she can’t contest what her girlfriends are saying. Yet it’s still hard to hear it put so plainly. Elena feels embarrassed. Pleased. Guilty. A little confused, a little upset. Flattered. Most disturbingly of all … powerful!

“You’re doing it now,” Sabina tells her frankly. “You look all adorably flustered and I just want to roll over for you.” Sabina winks. “I can’t help it, babygirl.”

“What she said,” says Jane, ultra-gruffly. Then as an afterthought, grudgingly, “it’s a superpower.”

Elena doesn’t know what to say. She hides her face in her hands. She’s turned bright red; she can feel it. Maybe she should slip under the bubbles and hide …

“Definitely broke the boss,” says Sabina, humourously.

“Stop it!” Elena manages to squeak from beneath her hands. “Don’t call me that!”

“Whatever you say, boss,” says Jane. Her voice is clearly teasing.

“Let’s get back to Sabina,” says Elena desperately, still hiding. Then a muttered rejoinder: “I don’t mean to wear the pants.”

“That’s what makes you so damn effective,” says Jane wryly. “You know, that’s what I didn’t get about you, Lena, for the longest time.” Elena is so surprised to hear this that she unhides, stares at Jane, who smiles back at her, small and extra wry. “I thought you were doing it deliberately,” Jane goes on, “using your EQ against us.” She gestures between Sabina and herself. Elena is horrified. Jane frowns, and hurries to reassure her:

“Don’t look like that! I get it now. You use it to…” Jane appears to be thinking hard, searching for the words. “Help us. Help our triad. Not … against us.” Jane shrugs a little uncomfortably. “With … ethics. You use it ethically.”

“Out of love,” Elena corrects, unable to stop herself. “Not out of morality, Janey. I love you two. So I want good things for you! And for all of us.”

“That’s what I mean,” says Jane grumpily, folding her arms over her chest a little defensively. “You’re just saying it better.” Sabina is grinning at them both, looking amused.

“Lena does do it deliberately,” Sabina cuts in suddenly, addressing this to Jane. “Sometimes. I’ve seen her game the shit out of us! But most of the time it’s just who she is.” Sabina grins at Elena. “Second nature.”

Elena knows that this is true but it’s … uncomfortably confronting to hear it said, out loud. Just how well do her girlfriends know her?! She glances anxiously at Jane, a little scared, a little unsure about what her girlfriend’s reaction will be to Sabina’s insights. Jane hates to be manipulated. Like, hates it. Will she see this as manipulation?

“I know that too,” growls Jane to Sabina. “You’re just saying it better.”

Elena breathes out, with relief. Both her girlfriends are staring at her now. Sabina looks amused. Jane looks wry. Jane unfolds her arms; a good sign.

“Are you embarrassed?” Jane wants to know, cocking her head to the side.

“You’re as red as a tomato,” Sabina tells Elena helpfully. “And even sweeter.” She winks.

“I can’t remember the last time I was this embarrassed,” Elena tells her girlfriends, truthfully. “This is … hard to hear.” She swallows. “Even though it’s true.”

They both smile at her, looking endeared.

“You’re doing it again,” Jane tells her, dark eyes soft for all that her voice is a little grumpy. “Whatever it is you do, that makes you the boss.”

“What she said,” says Sabina, with a huge grin at Jane, wrapping a companionable arm around Jane’s shoulder, then turning her huge grin on Elena. “Stop girlfriend whispering us.” She laughs. “We’re helpless!”

Elena blushes even harder. Sinks beneath the water because it’s the only place to escape to. Almost immediately someone is fishing her out, then wrapping their arms around her; she realises it’s Sabina.

“Aw, cutie,” says Sabina, pouting into Elena’s face sympathetically. Elena can feel the shape of Sabina’s pout pressed against her cheek. “Sorry, babygirl. My bad.”

“Don’t apologise to her!” says Jane, arriving on Elena’s other side, taking one of her arms supportively, but addressing Sabina. “You didn’t do anything wrong!”

“That’s her line,” jokes Sabina to Jane, clearly meaning that Elena is usually the one to tell Sabina not to apologise if she hasn’t done anything wrong and has some other motivation for apologising. It is!

“I’m the one who’s sorry,” Elena mumbles.

“For what?” Jane wants to know, sounding suspicious. Sabina draws back from nuzzling into Elena’s cheek, and studies her too.

“I don’t know,” mumbles Elena, thoroughly embarrassed, refusing to meet her girlfriends’ eyes. “I just am.”

“We definitely broke her,” says Sabina, sounding amused and guilty all at once.

“She deserves it,” says Jane, not sounding guilty at all. “I’m usually the one getting broken. ‘Babygirl’ could do with a dose of her own medicine.”

“You’re so cold, Kano,” says Sabina to Jane, not sounding put out in the least. Sabina sounds humourous, perhaps even approving.

“You fucking know it,” says Jane, also humourous, and maybe even a little smug.

“We should all have sex,” says Sabina, sounding very happy about the idea, and extremely into it. “Fuck this weirdness out. Fix our boss.”

“Agreed,” says Jane, smoothly. Then she is slipping her arms around Elena from the opposite side to Sabina, who is already holding Elena. Jane leans past Elena’s blushing face towards Sabina’s eagerly waiting one. Jane and Sabina kiss, and it’s pornographic.

Elena starts blushing for a whole other reason. She feels immediately better. Fucking it out was the right move! Is the right move. She whines in the back of her throat, watching the beautiful hotness of her girlfriends explode right in front of her. They pull away from each other, and smile at her. Then Jane kisses Elena’s lips, possessively, demandingly. Elena loses her breath, and it’s everything she could have asked for, from Jane. Sabina begins to nibble on Elena’s ear, skilfully, just the way Elena likes it best.

Okay … so maybe she is the boss. Or in Sabina’s case, the co-boss (with Jane). It’s good to wear the pants!

Somebody has to.

Chapter Text

Jane’s POV

Jane is lazing on the hotel penthouse’s massive bed, awake yet sleepy … but not sleepy enough to fall asleep. The Angels have just had sex-as-a-three, in a hot tub. Jane feels satisfied, relaxed, maybe slightly smug. Elena is in the middle, lightly dozing to Jane’s knowing eye. Sabina is fast asleep on Elena’s other side, in her famous (and weird!) Dracula-asleep-in-a-coffin pose. It’s something Sabina does semi-regularly, when asleep. She’s on her back with her arms folded over her chest like a stereotypical vampire. It kind of makes sense because Sabina tends to sleep like the dead. It kind of makes no sense at all, because who the hell sleeps like that?! Sabina tends to fall asleep after sex or kinky play, most of the time.

Conversely, Elena falls asleep about 50% of the time; Jane rarely does.* It’s just another of their many differences. Jane has grown to enjoy her girlfriends’ differences to herself, even if she sometimes pretends to be annoyed by them … especially Sabina’s. That’s just for fun. For kicks. For the sake of banter and frission and building sexual tension. Sabina gets it: she’s always gotten it. Sabina does her own version of this, usually in the shape of humourous banter. Elena accepts their differences: she always has. Elena seems to be all about acceptance. Jane’s ‘annoyance’ is practically a part of the three-of-them, these days. Just par for the course.

What isn’t par for the course, is what Sabina was saying in the hot tub about how she sees being an Angel. Jane feels a little thrown, truth be told. She’s lying here now, mostly happy, but a little unsettled as she turns the latest intel over in her strategic mind. They need to have a talk. ‘Fucking it out’ worked for helping Elena overcome her embarrassment over being confronted for ‘wearing the pants in the relationship’. But Jane keeps her focus on the main mission objective, her eyes on the prize … and right now, that’s a cross between whatever-Sabina-meant and how the Angels are going to handle their new (unwanted!) jobs as bloody double agents. No, triple agents.

Elena starts to stir. Jane stretches up onto her elbow and turns towards Elena, watching as her girlfriend sleepily blinks her eyes open.

“Janey,” husks Elena, a small smile curving her lips. They look swollen and just-kissed, and Jane eyes them for a long moment, thinking about kissing Elena again.

“Boss,” Jane teases after a lengthy pause. She doesn’t kiss Elena right now, because anticipation can be Just So Sweet. Jane enjoys teasing her girlfriends. It’s half-sadistic, and half plain hot.

“Oh stop,” says Elena, a tad sulkily. She curls her body towards Jane’s and puts her hand under her head so that their postures are matching bookends. “How long are you going to tease me for?”

“How long are you going to wear the pants for?” Jane asks wryly.

Elena blushes; Jane grins. Then she takes mercy and ducks forward to press a soft-yet-hard kiss to Elena’s lips. Elena kisses back in kind, then nips the bottom of Jane’s lip, a little warningly. Jane feels surprised … but turned on just the same. Elena can be toppy when she wants to be. Not to mention, demanding as a bottom. In their occasional bdsm play Elena is a switch (like Sabina), but Jane has never let either of her girlfriends Domme her, not that Elena (unlike Sabina) has tried. Jane doesn’t let anyone Domme her. But if she ever was going to go there … it would probably be with Elena Houghlin. Jane isn’t ready to though, and maybe she never will be. She’s not even ready to tell Elena her secret (new!) thought: it’s way too embarrassing. Jane puts it out of her mind.

They lean back and smile at each other, tenderly.

“Oh, stop you,” says Elena and her voice is gentle. It’s practically a declaration of love.

Jane smirks a little, but resists saying anything more about Elena being the boss. For now.

On Elena’s other side, Sabina is stirring. Jane feels glad because she wants to get on with their talk fest, as started in the hot tub. Jane sits up, cross-legged on the bed. Elena does too, propping up the pillows and leaning back. Elena reaches down and starts stroking Sabina’s hair. Jane smiles at the cuteness factor. Sabina blinks her eyes open and yawns hugely, stretches even more hugely. She looks like a starfish … that is stretching. This seems to take forever (so annoying) and involves even more sleepy, lip-smacking, and yawning noises, that are loud and strange, and that Jane had once told Sabina sounded like some kind of zoo creature. Sabina had gotten very happy (inexplicably) and had told Jane and Elena that she was a ‘Bina-saurus’.*

“Bina-saurus,” Elena says affectionately, obviously remembering that very same exchange.

“That’s me,” agrees Sabina cheerfully. “Fuuuck, are we porn stars, or what?”

She chortles in a manner that can only be described as self-satisfied. Jane takes that to mean that Sabina was totally into their group sex (but what else is new), into the hot tub location (Sabina is into most things) and pleased with her own performance. To be fair, Sabina is an amazing lover. Jane is totally into how skilled, considerate, passionate, wild, unashamed, playful, up-for-anything, and (between the two-of-them during their regular D/s dynamic) submissive in bed, Sabina can be. Not that Jane ever tells her girlfriend this. It wouldn’t do for Sabina’s head to explode.

“We were fantastic,” Elena agrees, giggling.

Sabina pops up to sit cross-legged, facing Jane and Elena. They are seated roughly equidistant.

“We need to finish our talk,” Jane tells her girlfriends seriously. “Let’s get it done.”

Sabina groans and scuffs both hands through her hair. It stands up even more wildly: it was already sleep-tousled.

“But I want room service,” Sabina says pleadingly. “I’ve used up all my calories.” She winks saucily at Jane. “Servicing you.”

“Fine,” says Jane, not batting an eyelash. “Order room service. We’ll talk and eat.”

“Always so mission fucking minded,” mutters Sabina, sounding a little sulky … but a moment later she’s on the room’s phone ordering what sounds like a lot of food in fluent French, so Jane knows that Sabina isn’t really upset. Just hungry. This is normal, and probably even a good sign given Sabina’s recent injury load. “What do you two want?” Sabina asks them, still on the phone. Jane and Elena tell her and Sabina orders.

Then Jane grabs the phone off Sabina and gruffly enquires in French about the possibility of getting bandages and painkillers delivered to the penthouse too. The answer is yes. For the guests of the ultra-expensive penthouse level, apparently anything can be ordered. Or close to.

About half an hour later the Angels are set up on the luxury circular couch in the penthouse’s lounge, overlooking an impressive view of distant Parisian skyline. The sun is beginning to set: the sky is multi-coloured. What is practically a buffet of assorted room service dishes is pulled up on catering trolleys in front of them. Sabina tried to order alcohol too (naturally), but Jane put her foot down due to her girlfriend’s recent bout of hypothermia. Elena looked approving; Sabina caved. All is right in the world. Jane is feeling hungry … even so, she stays focused. First things first.

“Hold up,” she tells Sabina, “let me rebandage your wrists.”

“Hurry!” Sabina tells Jane, holding out her arms while eye-fucking the food with passion. Jane rolls her eyes, and doesn’t hurry, wrapping Sabina’s healing injuries carefully. At the same time Jane looks over at Elena meaningfully and eyes the painkillers resting on the nearby coffee table. “Not as good as Saint’s pain meds,” Jane tells Elena. “But they should help some.”

“Thanks, Janey.” Elena smiles warmly.

She takes a couple painkillers and washes them down with water. Then she leans back against the couch gingerly, arranging cushions so as to get a less painful position for the bruising on her back. The Angels were extra careful during their group sex to position Elena in ways that didn’t aggravate it unduly: Jane made sure.

“How’re you doing?” Sabina asks Jane. “After your tasering?”

“Tasering?” Elena asks them, eyes widening.

Jane realises Elena doesn’t know about her getting tasered. Elena was too out of it at the time, from just having been shot in the back. Elena also wasn’t present for Jane’s medical update on Trope’s ship: she’d gone to the bathroom. Obviously, Elena hadn’t realised that Jane had been hurt or she would have stayed for sure … Jane hadn’t seen fit to fill her girlfriend in. Absolutely no need. The double-tasering was over; Jane was fine. She didn’t need Elena’s worry or compassion (which could feel oddly hard to take) … it was difficult enough having Sabina hanging all over Jane, listening in on the nurse’s update. It’s annoying that Sabina has given the game away to Elena now … which is even more pointless. It’s after the fact and achieves nothing.

“Some thug tasered our boo for like a fucking long time,” Sabina tells Elena. “When you were down for the count. Twice!” Sabina looks angry and Jane feels warmed despite herself. “I yanked out the wires. But he put a gun to my head then tasered her some more.” Sabina’s teeth bare for a moment. “Sadistic prick.”

Jane watches Sabina, cataloguing this newly revealed intel into her own experience of the tasering. Jane had been facedown, suffering the (incredibly unpleasant) aftereffects at the time: it feels useful to know what actually went down, mission-wise …

“Are you okay?” Elena asks Jane, soft brown eyes filled with empathic pain. “That sounds bad.”

“It was … pretty bad,” Jane manages to admit, though it’s hard for her to just up and say this.

She’d much rather brush over it, because that’s just her style. The way Jane Kano copes and does best. Yet Elena’s relational modelling over time has taught Jane that admitting pain can be more … efficient. Better for their team, their triad, their one-to-one relationships. In the long run. So Jane is … trying that out. On a trial basis (and on the down low, without telling anyone about it). Tentatively. Awkwardly. It’s bloody hard.

“Have you ever been tasered?” Sabina asks Elena.

Jane has just finished rebandaging Sabina’s wrists and with a squeal of joy Sabina begins chowing down on the food. Jane grins affectionately. She doesn’t even have it in her to tell Sabina to slow down. Instead, Jane begins to eat dinner, calmly. Elena starts eating too.

“Only once, during Angels’ training … just to get a handle on what it’s like,” says Elena. “For a few seconds.” Elena winces at the memory. “It hurt.”

“Oh yeah,” says Sabina, in between mouthfuls. “Well, the pain gets insane. When you can’t make it go away and it just keeps fucking going.” Sabina’s tone is casual, but her eyes seem darker than usual. “Your central nervous system cuts out so you’re like helpless and shit.” She looks meaningfully at Elena. “Jane was screaming.”

Jane opens her mouth to deny this. Then closes it with a snap. She can’t deny it … all of that is true. Elena’s eyes are huge, and she looks at Jane with real concern:

“Janey!”

Jane feels supremely uncomfortable. It feels as though her entire skin is itching-prickling-aching, from the inside out. She’d dearly like to run out of the room, to do anything else, talk about anything else. Elena’s warmth and obvious concern backed up by Sabina’s darkened gaze are just … Too Much. This is why Jane doesn’t admit to pain – when she can help it – and doesn’t like or want sympathy. This internal response … akin to torture …

“Sorry,” says Elena, glancing away as though she (disturbingly) knows what Jane is experiencing. “Let’s change the subject.”

Jane is grateful. Jane is freaked out that Elena (as per usual) reads her so easily. Jane is in a serious level of emotional pain right now that all but matches the bloody tasering, and she feels just as helpless too. She loathes feeling helpless.

“This food is great,” says Sabina agreeably. She isn’t looking at Jane either, which is obviously deliberate. “Like sooo great. It must be because they want to keep the wealthy motherfuckers in the penthouse happy.”

“All our food will be great from now on,” Elena tells Sabina jokily. “Only the best for double agents.”

“Why are criminals always such wealthy bastards?” Sabina rambles, and Jane knows her girlfriends are talking just to talk, to create a distraction For Jane’s Sake.

She’s grateful, very grateful, but she doesn’t look at them, and she goes back to eating. Jane can feel her system starting to unclench, inch by painful inch. The internal pressure is wicking its way back down. Her (agonising) emotional pain is decreasing. Thank God! It was that bad … it ramped up that fast …

“From crime,” says Elena mock wisely. “Crime pays.”

“Right,” says Sabina with a mild chortle. “And now we will be paid. In spades.”

The two-of-them keep bantering back and forth, while eating. Eventually Sabina pops up to put on music. About two thirds of the plentiful food on the trolleys has been demolished … and Sabina ate more than her share, for sure. She’s still eating; half a slice of pizza is currently hanging out her mouth as she fiddles with the high-end sound system.

“Something good for talking,” Elena tells Sabina. “Nothing too up-tempo.”

“I’d like to up your tempo,” flirts Sabina, winking back over her shoulder at Elena. “It’s such a sexy tempo.”

“I don’t know what that means,” mock complains Elena.

“Something dirty,” says Sabina. She settles back down; atmospheric music conductive to discussion is now playing. “It’s always something dirty.” She grins lopsidedly. “Pretty much whatever I’m saying.”

“The dirtiest,” Elena agrees coyly.

Sabina and Elena start making particularly heavy eye contact and Jane realises that if she doesn’t get the three-of-them back onto the discussion track, she’ll probably lose her two girlfriends to the sex track. They are both more highly sexed than Jane, and she wouldn’t be at all surprised if they wanted to go for round two, so soon. Despite having eaten a big meal too! Jane herself feels fully satisfied … she doesn’t think she’ll want sex again, for quite a while. She clears her throat.

“Thanks,” Jane tells her girlfriends, a little uncomfortably, “for…” Jane trails off. She doesn’t know how to say what she’s thanking them for, and she doesn’t want the stress (and embarrassment) of trying to articulate it. Besides, they both know what she’s talking about. Jane is sure. Her girlfriends are smiling at her, both of them affectionately. “Let’s finish our talk,” Jane tells them, keeping her own face blank.

Her face is blank because it feels regulating. It’s much easier, and simultaneously, much less vulnerable. Jane is mostly downregulated again, mostly calm: the emotional pain has mostly dissipated. Yet not quite all the way. She knows they’ll understand. Elena reads Jane like a book, most of the time. Sabina seems to have a pretty good knack these days herself. No doubt from long exposure.

“Okay,” says Elena. “Back to you, Bina.”

Jane and Elena look to Sabina expectantly.

Chapter Text

Sabina’s POV

Sabina sighs and finishes the slice of pizza in her mouth, a tad sulkily. Yippee. It’s her fucking turn again. Sabina isn’t really into this talk fest … or talk fests in general … she’d much rather be having round two with Elena on the penthouse bed …

“What do you want to know?” she asks her girlfriends, trying not to sound as sulky as she feels. She probably fails.

Jane is regarding Sabina ultra-seriously (which is kind of scary).

“When you said that you … enjoyed being a criminal,” Jane squints, “and that being an Angel is … not that different … what did you mean?”

“Yes, that,” Elena agrees, nodding. “Please help us understand.”

Sabina looks at her girlfriends unsurely. Isn’t it obvious? She pretty much said exactly what she meant. Which part don’t they get? She feels worried … Sabina did have a hunch that they wouldn’t like hearing this intel. But she doesn’t really understand why, herself. Just that she shouldn’t tell them, so that shit doesn’t get weird …

Sabina’s been thinking – a lot more than usual – since Jane offed her recent mark, Piper Ridley … on the back of him chaining Sabina up in his secret basement and interrogating her via truth serum. Piper had been so fucking hurt by finding out about Sabina’s con. All betrayed and teary and (surprisingly) vulnerable. Sabina had liked Piper … he was a cool dude. So his heartbroken reaction to discovering her ‘love’ for him was faked, had her feeling … guilty.

For maybe the first time ever, she had faced up to what it was like to be the mark rather than the grifter … and she hadn’t liked the view. Since then, Sabina’s found herself thinking Deep Thoughts, on and off. About being an Angel. What it all means. Whether it’s the higher noble purpose that she thought it was, back when Charlie recruited her. Who she really is. Intense shit like that. It’s So Much Harder to articulate to her girlfriends though then it is to think half-formed thoughts in spite of herself …

“Ever since Piper,” Sabina tells her girlfriends, fighting to keep her voice casual, and avoiding Jane’s probing eyes in particular, “I’ve been … thinking about shit.” Sabina rolls her eyes: that was incredibly inarticulate. Even for her. Surely she can do better! “Uh… like, what he said to me.”

“Forget what he said,” Jane tells Sabina, and it’s practically an order. Jane sounds dismissive, and her dark eyes are suddenly heated.

“Janey…” says Elena, and her tone’s a little warning. Jane rolls her eyes and crosses her arms over her chest. But she subsides, even so. Sabina glances at Elena who nods back encouragingly.

“Ummm…” Sabina tries to get back on track. “Piper was … just so fucking hurt.” Sabina twitches her shoulders uncomfortably, not liking the memory. “Betrayed, y’know?” She sighs. “It made me … r-realise. That maybe … being an Angel … ain’t all that different. To being bad.”

“Bad?” repeats Jane, arching an eyebrow.

“Ohhh…” says Elena simultaneously. Her soft brown eyes are huge with empathy. “That must have been so hard, Bina. To face that possibility.”

“Yeah,” says Sabina, nodding adamantly at Elena and ignoring Jane for now. “I mean … I’m still thinking it over.” She shrugs restlessly. “‘m not sure what it means.”

“Fuck Ridley!” Jane bites out. “It doesn’t matter what he said to you.”

Sabina rolls her eyes, not looking at either of her girlfriends. Of course Jane would say that. Jane killed the shit out of Ridley! As soon as she had the opportunity! Which on one level, seems pretty damn bad, come to think of it, and not just badass …

“What about the other thing you said?” Elena asks Sabina gently, and it seems like Elena is also ignoring Jane for now. Sabina studiously avoids looking at Jane although she sees their girlfriend glaring daggers at both of them, out of the corner of her eye. Instead, Sabina looks at Elena and tries to answer.

“Criminal shit is fun,” she says offhandedly, though she doesn’t feel offhanded, inside. Sabina glances between her girlfriends. Jane’s glare has downgraded to a frown. Elena’s forehead is scrunched, and she looks like she’s trying very hard to understand. “You already know I have a record.”

“Because of the glasses,” says Elena earnestly.

Sabina knows that Elena means the Angels’ tech sunglasses that show a host of useful intel about the person being looked at, including in Sabina’s case, assorted criminal convictions.* These represent a heap of jail time: there was a period there where the slammer was practically her second home. Sabina has also done a shitload of crimes that she didn’t get convicted for. Not that she ever talks about any of this with her girlfriends or most of the folks at Townsend Agency. They’re ‘the good guys’ after all. They don’t go in for fond reminiscing about ‘being a bad guy’. Sabina knows stuff!

Oh, she’s talked her dark and twisty past over with Saint occasionally, because she knows he won’t judge her no matter what she reveals. Even then, it’s only been because Sabina desperately needed to talk. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have gone there. She’s also made some off-colour jokes in response to Bosley’s probing digs, over the years. A little intel’s gotten passed along but not that much: Sabina would (vastly) prefer to keep it that way. She doesn’t want to risk her Angels’ membership in good standing. Belonging is important; Sabina wants to belong!

“You’ve done more than what’s on your record,” says Jane insightfully and Sabina has No Fucking Idea how her girlfriend can tell, except that Jane seems to have some kind of miraculous talent for calling Sabina’s BS … which apparently can extend to reading between Sabina’s lines.* It’s uncanny. Annoying too! Sabina glares at Jane who smirks back.

“Dude, how do you know that?” Sabina complains, before she can think better of it.

Jane gives her a knowing look which Sabina decides is ‘snotty’. That’s because she’s fully annoyed at Jane for inferring this intel, and fully annoyed at herself for (accidentally) confirming it.

“You have?!” Elena looks shocked. “Like what?”

“Not so relevant,” Sabina mutters, feeling increasingly embarrassed and worried and scared and looking for something sweet on the coffee table to hide her inner turmoil in.

“I won’t judge you,” says Elena earnestly, like she knows that this is one of Sabina’s biggest fears.

Elena’s right. It is (that either of her girlfriends will judge her). Followed closely by the assumption that they will abandon her, shortly afterwards. Sabina spots an interesting looking dessert that she doesn’t even recognise, so it’s amazing that she somehow ordered it. She grabs it and the nearest spoon and starts eating it. Quickly.

“I might,” says Jane, but she says it wryly and sounds oddly sympathetic, for Jane. “Just tell us, baby. Before you make yourself ill, stuffing yourself silly.”

“‘m not stuffing myself,” protests Sabina through giant mouthfuls, which is obviously a lie. Even she knows it! Jane arches an eyebrow; Elena frowns but it’s tender. Elena looks worried. Sabina doesn’t like that, so she puts down her spoon; the dessert has been inhaled in any case. Sabina didn’t even taste it.

“Look,” she tells her girlfriends, a little desperately, “I don’t really wanna tell you that. Can we just say that … I’ve done a lot of shit. I was good at it; I had fun.” She shrugs. “But it was leading to … nowhere good. Fast! I’d probably be dead by now if Charlie hadn’t stepped in.” Sabina corrects herself. “Make that definitely.”

Jane is frowning. Elena looks confused. Sabina can’t read her girlfriends’ expressions (or their reactions) beyond the obvious.

“So … you didn’t exactly ‘repent’…” says Jane slowly, still sounding kind of dry. “You just … got in a tight spot. And needed Charlie rescuing you?”

“That’s half of it,” says Sabina, avoiding Jane’s probing eyes as best she can. Jane disapproves. It’s obvious; Sabina feared her (highly principled) girlfriend would. She pushes on with some difficulty. “The other half is I wanted to try out … being a good guy.” She shrugs awkwardly, looks at her lap. “It was my first ever opp. My whole life, I’ve been painted as the bad guy.” Sabina chews her bottom lip. “I sorta … assumed it was true. That I was … no good. D-defective, y’know?” She chews some more. “But Charlie said different.”

“Charlie was right,” says Jane and now her voice is firm, brooks no arguments. “You are good.”

Sabina looks at Jane a little disbelievingly. Talk about your 180-degree turns on a dime! Kano is like, impossible for Sabina to read right now. Jane seems all over the shop what with her obvious disapproval and now … what is this meant to be? Approval? Reassurance? Wanting something to be true, desperately? Jane frowns back at Sabina, eyes just this side of stormy. They hold eye contact, but it doesn’t help Sabina. She still can’t read Jane. Not one bit.

“Charlie was right,” Elena agrees softly, after a longish pause during which Sabina and Jane stare each other down. “Believe us, Bina.”

Sabina glances back towards Elena. Her girlfriend’s eyes are tender, filled with tears. Sabina can easily tell that Elena means what she’s saying. Elena reaches over and puts a gentle hand on Sabina’s thigh, palm up. Sabina automatically takes Elena’s hand, entwines their fingers.

“You are good,” says Elena, voice firm. “I’m sure about that, sweetheart. But what I’m not sure about is…” Elena blinks, looks nervous, “are you saying that … you don’t regret your crimes?”

“Uhhh…” Sabina seriously thinks about lying.

She knows honesty is the best policy with her girlfriends … or at least Elena always says it is … and Elena seems to have been proven right, many times. Sabina isn’t so sure that honesty is always the best policy (or even mostly?) … but at the same time, she doesn’t want to break the hard-won trust she has with her girls. That’s broken down before and the fallout was hell.* Sabina’s determined to do whatever the fuck it takes to keep things good between them! Even if it’s – personally-speaking – hellish. Jane and Elena are watching her closely, waiting for her to answer. After a lengthy pause, Sabina finally comes up with:

“…Yessssss.” She wipes her free hand over her suddenly sweaty forehead. “Not so much? I mean,” Sabina chews on her bottom lip, “I’m sorry about … hurting people. Who didn’t deserve that. But not about … hurting other criminals.”

“What exactly have you done?” Jane asks (again), dark eyes at maximum probe.

“I’m not going to tell you that!” says Sabina, half-angry, half-sulky. “Leave off, babe.”

“It’s your right to tell us or not,” says Elena, but she looks and sounds upset. “But you get why we want to know, right?”

“No,” says Sabina, but it’s half a lie and more sulky than angry. Then she huffs and pulls her hand away from Elena’s because she needs it so that she can fold her arms over her chest, defensively. She corrects herself. “So you can judge me and shit. Decide whether you approve. Whether you want to be with me.”

“No!” says Elena, sounding horrified. Her hand turns over to rest on Sabina’s thigh and grips, a little convulsively. “I won’t judge you, Bina, I promise. I might not … approve, that’s true. But this has got nothing to do with me wanting to be with you.”

Elena slides even closer so that she’s sitting pressed up against Sabina’s side and starts to stroke Sabina’s thigh, tentatively. Sabina just lets her girlfriend. Sabina is surprised to notice that her own thigh is now shaking slightly … her whole body is. She’s scared. Sabina realises dimly that she’s feeling frightened.

“I have a right to know,” says Jane slowly, watching them both closely. “People have a right to know relevant details about their partners.”

Sabina scoffs, arms still folded over her chest protectively.

“Like how I know next to nothing about your past?” She rolls her eyes at Jane. “For all I know you could be an alien. From Krypton!*” Her eyes widen a little. “Actually, that makes a hell of a lot of sense…”

“We all don’t know that much about each other, from before we met,” says Elena thoughtfully, and her hand that’s soothingly stroking Sabina’s thigh has become rhythmic: it’s no longer tentative. Sabina finds herself relaxing incrementally, almost against her will. Apparently ‘Boss’ Elena is Just That Good …

Jane folds her own arms, looking annoyed. Then she uncrosses them again and says slowly, kind of grudgingly:

“That’s true enough.”

“Why is that?” Elena wonders aloud, and she sounds curious. Jane sighs. She shifts along the couch so that she is sitting about a foot away from Sabina. Not touching, but close.

“Growing up was … painful. I don’t like to talk about it.” Jane isn’t looking at them. “Or think about it.”

“Right,” says Sabina, uncrossing her own arms and looking at the side of Jane’s face. “And like, I already know that about you, boo. You don’t even have to say it.”

“Right,” says Jane, still not looking at them. “Just like I know that you had a similar deal.”

“Family life was fucked,” jokes Sabina, but it comes out a little sad. “Summary complete.”

“I know that too,” Elena tells them, softly. “Because of all the things you both don’t say. Or occasionally … accidentally let slip.”

“What about your family?” Jane asks, and now she is looking at Elena curiously. “Why don’t you talk about them?” Jane has a strange look on her face. “Because I don’t think your family life was … bad, the way I … just know, about Sabina.”

Sabina determines that Jane’s strange look is about Jane wondering how she knows this about Elena. Jane isn’t all that introspective … though she’s certainly become more so with constant exposure to deeply introspective Elena. Sabina’s in the same boat, only more so, because of her exploratory interactions with Saint in-and-outside of therapy, and maybe even the aftereffects of experimental drug, ‘Werewolf’. Sabina’s noticed that after coming down off that trip-of-a-fucking-lifetime, things were … more spacious in her head. More … interconnected. It’s weird, yo, so she normally doesn’t think about it. But she’s … noticed; she can’t help noticing.* Also, this whole having an existential crisis deal or whatever these fucking intrusive guilty thoughts about Piper Ridley are … is fucking with her introspectiveness. It’s ripping Sabina’s mind open almost against her will: Total Mindfuck.

Sabina looks at Elena curiously too.

“I’ve felt weird talking about them,” Elena reveals. “Because of how you two have had … such a hard time with your families.” She looks sad. “I didn’t know if you’d want to … hear my happy stuff.”

“Aw, babygirl!” Sabina doesn’t like hearing this, at all. She puts her hand on top of Elena’s on her thigh, intertwines their fingers. “I so want to hear.” Sabina leans over and kisses Elena’s cheek, gently. “Because it’s you.”

“What she said,” says Jane gruffly, to Elena. Jane’s voice turns faintly disapproving. “I would have thought you’d know better.”

Elena blushes. Sabina glares at Jane: what a thing to say! Jane looks embarrassed, then unexpectedly reaches out to intertwine her own fingers with Sabina’s free hand. Jane moves a little closer. Now there is half a foot between them. Jane looks at Elena:

“Sorry, Lena.”

Sabina’s eyes widen. It’s rare for Jane to apologise.* She stops glaring at Jane, and squeezes Jane’s fingers back.

“No, that was a fair call,” says Elena to Jane. “I should really have known better.”

Jane frowns; Sabina frowns. Elena grins at both of them. She looks happy now, which Sabina doesn’t fully understand, but she’s happy their baby is happy. That makes Sabina feel happy too.

“Growing up was both happy and sad for me,” Elena tells them. “Mostly happy. I lived with my Pita - my Dad, and Dadi - my grandma, Dad’s mother.* I loved them both … so much.”

“Loved them?” asks Sabina tentatively. She feels scared and upset. Elena’s parental figures are dead? How did Sabina not know this before now! She’s a Very Bad Girlfriend, it’s confirmed. Sabina glances to Jane who meets her eyes with evident shock. Jane obviously had no idea either. Sabina turns back to Elena who has a soft look in her warm brown eyes, as she watches them both.

“They’re dead,” Elena confirms. “A car accident. Before I met you.”

Sabina doesn’t know what to say. She wraps her arms around Elena instead and hides her face in her girlfriend’s neck. Elena doesn’t seem sad right now, at least more than a little. Maybe she’s processed her grief, come to acceptance … oh, of course she has. It’s Elena Houghlin, that they’re talking about. She of the high EQ and facing up to issues. Still, they’re talking about the sudden death of Elena’s nearest and dearest, of her family. Sabina can’t believe she’s only just finding out about this …

“Lena…” mumbles Jane, then says nothing more.

“It’ll be nice to talk about them with you, sometimes,” Elena tells them both, her arms coming up to cuddle Sabina close. “Now that you know.”

“Of course,” says Jane.

“Whenever you want,” says Sabina, pressing a soft kiss to Elena’s neck before withdrawing from her girlfriend’s neck cave. “Sorry for,” Sabina rolls her eyes aggressively trying to come up with what she wants to say. It’s hard to put into words. “Not knowing this shit. It’s important shit!” She nods several times, adamantly, trying to show Elena how important it is.

“What she said,” says Jane seriously. “I’m sorry too.”

“Thank you,” says Elena, and now she looks teary. “I love you two.”

“We love you!” says Sabina, clutching Elena’s hand tightly in her free one.

“Yes,” says Jane, short but just as adamant.

Elena smiles at them both for a long heartful moment. Then she adds slowly, seemingly reluctantly:

“The sad part is also … my mother.” She pauses and looks uncomfortable. “We’re … estranged.” Elena sighs deeply. “We have been for a long time. Since I was a kid.”

“Estranged?” Sabina wants to know what that means, exactly.

“She doesn’t want anything to do with me,” says Elena, now sounding and looking very sad indeed. “That’s why Dadi raised me, with Pita.” She uses her free hand to wipe tears from her eyes, though she doesn’t start outright crying. “So I don’t want anything to do with her either.”

“I don’t blame you,” says Jane. She looks angry.

“What about after your folks died?” Sabina asks without thinking, and then wants to kick herself.

“Nothing changed,” Elena tells Sabina, not seeming upset to be asked this. “She didn’t even come to the funeral.”

“Nice lady,” says Jane, supremely sarcastic.

Sabina lays her head on Elena’s shoulder, trying to communicate comfort. Mothers who reject their children suck-ass. Sabina knows that too, intimately.* Elena lays her head on top of Sabina’s.

The Angels sit together in silence. It’s comfortable, it’s comforting. Sabina feels sad about and for Elena, but she feels glad to be close with both her girlfriends.

It’s the way it should be, for facing Life’s hard stuff.

Chapter Text

Elena’s POV

Eventually Elena lifts her head from Sabina’s shoulder and wraps her arm around her girlfriend’s shoulder.

“What did you mean about being an Angel…” Elena trails off, thinking hard about how to put it.

…“not being all that different … to being a criminal?” Sabina fills in the blanks. She sounds half-humourous, half-sulky.

Elena knows that the sulkiness is just the outward manifestation of Sabina fearing her girlfriends’ rejection. That’s obvious to Elena’s high emotional intelligence, at least in this moment. It’s why she’s got her arm around Sabina, to get it through her girlfriend’s thick skull that they are in-it-‘til-the-end. As far as Elena is concerned, she’s fully committed to both her girlfriends. She doesn’t want anybody else or anything else, then what they already have, together. She’s all in.

Elena has been all in for a long time now! She doesn’t even know when it happened.* The inner commitment was organic: it came once their relationship reached a certain depth, after a certain time together. It came suddenly, just the way falling in love had happened suddenly, just the way that realising she was in love (which had taken longer) had happened suddenly.* Sometime after Elena knew her girls well (in the ways that truly count) and knew that they knew her. Sometime after the love had been proven and reproven and planted and tended through daily acts-and-words (including not acting, and not speaking), communicating love.

This ‘communication’ came and re-came from all three directions … all three Angels are clearly invested in each other. Elena can easily tell that Jane and Sabina are internally committed to their triad too, after their own unique styles. It seems obvious: at least to her.

“Yes,” says Elena gently, squeezing Sabina’s shoulder a little. “Being an Angel and being a criminal seem … very different, to me.”

“Well, you’ve never been a criminal,” says Sabina, now sounding humourous. She turns her head, and pokes Elena’s cheek with her nose, playfully. Then nuzzles Elena’s cheek with her nose, instead. “So how would you know?”

“Fair point,” says Jane, sounding annoyed.

Elena knows that Jane is irritated that she has to admit to this. Jane’s fair-mindedness and rationality mean that she usually does give points to her girlfriends’ arguments when required, whether or not they match Jane’s personal belief system. It’s an admirable trait … at least to Elena. She’s fair-minded too, so she appreciates the quality in Jane. The difference between them is that Elena tends to be much more heart-based, whereas Jane leads from the head. When all goes well between them (which is most of the time), they meet in the middle and complement each other. Elena has the hunch that the two-of-them have the potential to go-to-war over their key difference though … she prays to God it never happens.*

Sabina, by contrast, isn’t so much fair-minded as … only caring about being on good terms with her girlfriends. Sabina doesn’t seem to care what either Elena or Jane believe, or to place much value on it (or on her own beliefs, or morality in general). Elena doesn’t understand this: she is highly principled. Jane is too, and even when their principles don’t match (such as Jane’s habit of illicitly reading personnel files and After Action Reports), Elena understands where Jane is coming from: they just have different priorities. Sabina seems to be … lowly principled. Or to throw principles to the wind! Something weird like that, something that Elena is just beginning to realise consciously has always unconsciously attracted her to her chaotic girlfriend (since opposites attract) and charmed the pants off her (sometimes literally), yet right now, scares her.

“I feel scared,” Elena tells Sabina, because she knows that when she loses her emotional footing, it’s often the best strategy just to admit it. “I don’t know what to say.”

Sabina pouts unhappily. Jane scowls at both of them, but it’s more unhappy than angry.

“I feel confused,” Jane tells Sabina, seeming to take a leaf out of Elena’s playbook. “We’re the good guys.” Jane says this like it should be obvious.

“Suuure,” says Sabina, tossing Jane a sidelong glance that seems nervous, to Elena. “Not saying we’re not.” Sabina shrugs, and fidgets in place. “Just sayin’ that … we have a lot in common with the bad guys!” Sabina’s fidgeting grows worse. She’s clearly nervous and her nerves are growing.

“Like what?” Elena asks, scrunching up her nose. The very idea!

“We beat up people,” says Sabina baldly, tossing Elena a sidelong glance. “Rob them. Lie to them. Hack them. Kill them.” She points her thumb back towards her own chest. “Seduce them, con them, fuck them over good and proper.” She shrugs. “So what’s the fucking difference … at the end of the day?”

“The reasons we do it,” says Jane, sitting up straighter and folding her arms over her chest. “It’s not for personal gain … it’s to bring the bad guys down.”

“Realllly?” Sabina sounds sarcastic as she turns her head to stare Jane down. “Look me in the eye and tell me that you don’t get personal gain out of it, Action Babe. In spades.”

Jane stares at Sabina, gaze heated. Then just like that, the heat goes out. Jane looks confused.

“Okay then,” says Elena, and she’s embarrassed that her voice comes out weak. What Sabina is saying is fully confronting. Elena’s whole worldview is being challenged! She is doing her best to not get defensive, but it’s mega challenging …. “So us three all get personal gain out of being Angels, I can see that.” Elena chews her bottom lip. “And you’re saying that the actions Angels do in our line of work are similar … or even the same, to the actions criminals do.”

Sabina nods.

“But,” Elena goes on, “like Jane said, we do it to bring the bad guys down!” She pauses, and adds uncertainly, “the ends justify the means…”

“Maybe,” says Sabina, but she in no way seems convinced. “I mean,” Sabina glances between them both. “Maybe you two do it to bring the bad guys down.” Sabina fidgets. “And maybe the ends justify the means … maybe they don’t.” She shrugs. “Tell that to the dead thugs.” She tosses a nervous glance Jane’s way: “or to Piper Ridley.” Sabina winces. “I fucking broke his heart.”

“He was a mark,” says Jane ultra-dismissively. Sabina frowns at Jane.

“Still a person, yo.”

Elena realises with a sudden shock of surprise that Sabina’s stance on this is actually more moral than Jane’s … even though Sabina seems to be closer to amoral, overall. Maybe Elena’s misjudged her girlfriend … maybe Sabina does have principles. Ones that Elena hasn’t perceived or fully understood. She steps in to try and moderate her girlfriends and avoid their (quite) possible escalation. Escalating right now would be a Very Bad Idea … Elena can just tell …

“Leaving that aside … for now…” Elena looks at Sabina, “why are you an Angel?”

That’s the main point here; that’s what Elena wants desperately to understand … needs to understand …. Sabina stares at Elena, and by Elena’s estimation she looks anxious.

“I wanted to be a good guy,” Sabina tells them slowly, uncertainly. “I thought that’s who the Angels are.” She shrugs and her anxiety seems to be ramping up into something closer to fear. “Now I’m not so sure.” She chews her bottom lip, restlessly. “Maybe there’s no such fucking thing.”

Elena outright stares. It’s a dreadful thought. Elena doesn’t know what to think. Jane is staring at Sabina too, looking similarly poleaxed.

“So, for nooow…” Sabina glances between them both with obvious agitation. She squares her shoulders, sucks in a deep breath, and then says very fast: “Idoitbecauseit’sfun.” She shrugs. “I’mgoodatthisshitandIlikeit!” She runs a restless hand through her short hair. “PlusIoweCharlie.”

“You like it…” repeats Elena, a little dazedly, trying to wrap her head around this.

Sabina is an Angel because … she likes it. She’s good at it and has fun. Sabina isn’t sure she even believes in The Good Guys, let alone that the Angels are them. No deeper reason than ‘fun’. No noble or heroic motivation, no particular allegiance to ‘the side of the angels’ as the old euphemism for ‘the good guys’ puts it. Sabina may as well be a ‘demon’… if not for it getting too life-threateningly risky to continue on her criminal career track. If not for Charlie stepping in and saving the day, so to speak. Telling Sabina that she could be good, that she wasn’t bad, like everyone had always told her. Now Sabina has some continuing obligation to Charlie, but that’s it. Not (blind?) faith in Angels.

Elena blinks. Stares past Sabina at Jane who looks dazed too. They exchange disbelieving looks. Elena kind of can’t believe it. Sabina’s a hero, to Elena! Sabina’s actions-under-danger have proven this time and time again:
Sabina has courage and spunk (or maybe it’s just compulsive risk taking?).
She is a grifter unparalleled (although … maybe that’s just being skilled at deception?).
She has fierce tenacity (or maybe it’s just pigheadedness?).
She is loyal to a fault (even criminals can be loyal).

How to look at this?! The problem, Elena quickly sees, is that it can be looked at from either angle … and both views make sense … depending on where you look from. Elena’s head is spinning! She doesn’t know what to say. How to feel. After a long tense silence, Jane speaks up.

“You like it.” Jane sounds resigned. Elena wonders if Jane realises that she’s repeating what Elena said before the silence. Sabina is back to trembling minutely, arms crossed over her chest protectively. Elena realises that their reactions are scaring Sabina … and Elena doesn’t want that.

“I’m just shocked, honey,” she fills Sabina in, hurriedly. “Just … trying to process.”

Sabina scowls. Then pops up to her feet, suddenly.

“I’m going for a run,” she announces, and makes as though to leave the loungeroom.

“Don’t,” says Jane to Sabina, and it’s less a command and more pleading. “You should take it easy for a while.” Jane meets Sabina’s eyes seriously. “Hypothermia.”

Elena knows that Jane means that hypothermia was hard on Sabina’s body (especially on the back of recovering from Piper’s interrogation), and that their girlfriend needs to rest and recover … at least until she gets checked out fully by Saint and hears his health and wellbeing recommendations.

Sabina scowls at Jane. But sits back down, just as suddenly.

“Stressed,” she tells Jane and boy does Sabina look it. Elena feels for their girlfriend; this talk fest should probably be tabled, for now. Sabina’s clearly reached her limit, just like Jane did earlier with the sympathy.

“Let’s have sex,” Elena tells Sabina bluntly.

Sex will be effective: the most effective action they could take. Elena knows that having sex will defuse the situation, release Sabina’s building chaos valve before it erupts, and serve to reassure her girlfriend of Elena’s love for her. Likewise, Elena would like to have sex for similar reasons: to reconnect with Sabina, and to rebalance after this tough conversation. To dissipate the stress. To stop thinking … because thinking right now is Painful & Confusing. To that end, Elena’s voice turns coy, and she winks at Sabina:

“Let me make you feel better.”

Sabina’s eyes widen. Then she grins just as wide and pops up to her feet. Elena smiles at her girlfriend, her heart filling with love. She kind of adores how Sabina doesn’t even question this proposition, just goes along with it eagerly. It’s endearing. Very Sabina. These days, Elena and Jane are fully aware that Sabina’s preferred methods for dealing with stress have sex at the top of the list. With almost anyone … but that’s not relevant right now: this sexual encounter will also be about connectivity. About Elena-and-Sabina’s mutual love.

Jane is watching the two-of-them wryly, not seeming at all surprised.

“We’ll talk more later,” Jane tells them.

Elena nods seriously: yes, they should talk more later. Sabina groans theatrically and pouts. Yet she doesn’t protest … which is as good as a yes, at this juncture. Elena takes Sabina’s hand in hers and blows Jane a kiss. One side of Jane’s lips curves up in a smile.

“Wanna watch?” Sabina asks Jane, and it’s more than a little hopeful.

Elena suspects that Sabina can pick up on Jane’s ‘not feeling like sex again so soon’ vibes, as easily as Elena can. Yet hopes that Jane might still be up for some less intense voyeuring of Elena-and-Sabina. Elena’s guess is that Sabina wants to reconnect with Jane too; Sabina finds sex with her girlfriends supremely connecting: that includes being watched while she has it. Elena also doubts Jane will feel like watching … Jane probably is feeling like taking space right now, from what Elena knows of their girlfriend.

“I love you,” Jane tells Sabina seriously, and Elena’s jaw drops.

She’s shocked! It’s not like Jane Kano at all to say this off the cuff … even though Jane clearly loves them both, Very Much Indeed. Jane is obviously saying it to reassure Sabina, which is something that Jane would have refused to do on principle alone, back when the Angels first got together - from what Elena’s picked up by careful observation of all things Jane.

On top of that, it’s the very reassurance Sabina is actually (unconsciously) asking for indirectly, via checking if Jane wants to watch her girlfriends have sex. In their earlier relationship, Jane never said ‘I love you’ if she felt coerced into it (in any way) … and she probably would have considered Sabina’s indirect bid for reconnection to be a kind of manipulation. Jane hates manipulation (they all know it; this is still true). Jane wouldn’t have been able to pick up on what Elena’s always been able to (without even trying): Sabina isn’t intentionally manipulating them … this is how she communicates. Often passively (then flipping to suddenly overt), between the lines, under the covers. Through the veils of banter, bickering, humour, flirting. It’s how she’s been conditioned to relate; how she’s survived her circumstances. It’s her normal.

Similarly, the reason Jane sees manipulation everywhere .... including places where it isn’t, is how Jane’s been conditioned to relate. Jane must have actually been manipulated within an inch of her life … by someone or someones, from her past. Elena suspects it was Jane’s family, the same one that Jane hasn’t said one word about. There’s a reason why Jane hates and fears weakness (someone taught her that … or treated her like she was bad for being ‘weak’). Jane isn’t intentionally over-suspicious and prickly, or shaming of vulnerability (her own and others’) … this is how she survives. Even, thrives. Often aggressively (though Jane sees it as direct and honest), to the point, in your face. No BS, no holds barred, no prisoners taken. It’s her normal.

Sabina’s jaw has dropped, just like Elena’s. Sabina’s green eyes are huge. Then she drops Elena’s hand, and all but jumps on the couch to kneel over Jane’s lap, and kiss Jane passionately. Jane winds both hands through Sabina’s hair, and kisses her back, just as passionately. Elena’s jaw closes, slowly. Her lips turn upwards as far as they can go. She’s smiling so big that her cheeks are aching.  

So cute! They’ve all come sooo far, as a team, as girlfriends, as dyads and as a triad. Their communication skills are like, so impressive, compared to when they first met, let alone when they first (eventually, after ages of miscommunications!) got together officially.* Their acceptance of each other, based on actually knowing each other deeply (as opposed to first impressions or crush-driven projections), has been just as growthful. Elena is Very Happy! Elena is into what is happening right in front of her, on the couch. On multiple levels.

Several minutes pass, before Elena’s girlfriends manage to stop making out. She isn’t fazed; she sits back down on the couch and watches them. It’s basically foreplay. It’s warming Elena up for more play, with Sabina.

“Okay, take me to the sex!” Sabina tells Elena, with a huge shit-eating grin. Sabina grins down at Jane whose lap she’s still kneeling on and drops a soft kiss on Jane’s nose. “Janey doesn’t want to watch.”

“Correct,” says Jane drily, but she’s smiling up at Sabina like Sabina is the sun and Jane is the moon. Elena feels like she’s the stars she’s pretty sure would be sparkling in her eyes if she was a (cute!) lovestruck anime character ogling her (two!) loved up girlfriends. Elena giggles and grabs Sabina’s hand, helping her (excited) girlfriend up off their other (smirking) girlfriend.

The two-of-them head for the bedroom, fast!

Chapter Text

Jane’s POV

The Angels stand outside the hotel room that Bosley booked for herself and Saint, when their team first arrived in Paris. Once the three-of-them had worked out their cover story and how to best proceed, they’d called Bosley up on their team’s emergency number and let her know they were A-okay and enroute ‘home’.* They’d told Bosley that they’d share all the details in person since they didn’t have access to their secure Angels’ smartphones. Their comms system (via their golden wings tattoos) while securely encrypted, only works within a certain range … hence the phone call.

Jane looks at her girlfriends enquiringly. Are they ready? Elena nods, while chewing her bottom lip. She looks nervous. Sabina is shifting her weight restlessly from foot to foot. Sabina looks almost … scared. Jane reaches out and grabs Sabina’s hand in hers to help ground her girlfriend; Elena does the same from the other side. Sabina settles down and throws them both a tiny smile.

Then Sabina sets her shoulders, and something happens to her face, some kind of ripple, and her anxious expression smooths out, then goes jaunty. Jane gawks. She feels a little shocked, a little off-centre. Jane realises that she just saw Sabina assume a grifting persona … in real time … over the top of her authentic self-and-feelings. Like putting on a mask. As easily as putting on a mask! This ‘mask’ is to con Bosley and Saint, as per the Angels’ joint decision. That is, if Sabina can get away with it, considering that Bosley was something of a grifter in her Angels’ heyday … and there’s nobody as insightful as Saint (they all agree: Sabina proudly, Elena admiringly, and Jane with distaste).

Jane knew Sabina was going to do this ahead of time: the Angels talked it out and decided together. Even so, Jane feels disturbed. She can’t help herself! It’s one thing to grift a mark who’s a criminal, quite another to con fellow members of Charlie’s Angels … who are their official team members, besides. Jane glances at Elena who is staring at Sabina, wide-eyed. Elena looks at Jane, and it’s obvious that she’s disturbed too. Sabina doesn’t look at either of them, what seems like studiously … and Jane guesses that this is deliberate: to help Sabina stay in role.

“Ready?” asks Sabina.

Elena squares her shoulders:

“Yes.”

Jane sighs and nods at her girlfriends. Then reaches up and knocks at the door. It swings open mere seconds later.

“Angels!” Bosley looks incredibly relieved. She outright throws her arms around Sabina who hugs her back happily.

“Bos!”

“What happened?!” It’s Saint. He’s gesturing them all to come inside and directing them to sit in armchairs. He starts fussing over the Angels. “Are you hurt?”

Bosley is hugging Elena now, one hand on the back of Elena’s head, holding her almost like a mother would a child that they are overjoyed to be reunited with. It makes Jane feel supremely uncomfortable yet also … happy for her girlfriend’s sake. Jane now realises a little something more about why Bosley and Elena seem so close. It is some kind of (unspoken) mother-daughter bond. Jane has always suspected this, but she gets it much more, on the back of the intel about Elena’s estrangement from her biological mother. Not to mention the death of Elena’s parental figures, aka her father and grandmother …

Sabina is smiling tenderly at Bosley and Elena from where she now lounges in one of the room’s three armchairs, and it certainly looks real to Jane’s probing gaze. Hell, it probably is. Jane remembers what Sabina told them about including as much ‘truth as possible’ in a con, so that the lies will go down easier. It creeps Jane out. She’s officially creeped out! Grifting suddenly seems … reprehensible.

Jane Kano hates manipulation: grifting is manipulation, personified. Jane can’t believe she never saw it that way before. She’s always admired Sabina’s unparalleled grifter skills … that she’s never really understood. Now that Jane’s starting to understand better, her admiration is turning to distrust. It’s distressing. Jane started to trust Sabina Wilson long before Elena Houghlin because Sabina let it all hang out - had no filter, spilled out all over the place, was off the cuff … and seemed more trustable as a result. But what if that particular Sabina-trait was all a con?! The long game, just to get into Jane’s pants? Or … something worse? (What could be worse?!) No! That can’t be. That’s inconceivable, silly, unthinkable. Still the suspicion has wiggled into Jane’s strategy-brain, where it worms around. What if …

“It’s good to see you,” Bosley tells Jane warmly, not even attempting to hug her.

For a moment, Jane feels disappointed. Then she feels annoyed at herself for feeling disappointed. It’s not like she wanted Bosley to hug her … or maybe she did? Bosley has hugged Jane a handful of times over their teamship; usually moments when Jane was unexpectedly vulnerable and couldn’t resist it (in shocky grief over her original Bosley dying, drunk out of her brain on the back of punching Sabina out cold to save her girlfriend from worse injury, etc).*

“I can hug you if you want,” Bosley tells Jane with high good humour and Jane is Very Embarrassed.

Did she telegraph what she was thinking, that obviously? Elena smiles encouragingly which Jane reads as her girlfriend telling her silently to ‘go for it’. Jane flushes. Sabina winks at Jane and looks like she’s holding back her laughter … by a thread. Jane glares at Sabina. Then she turns and opens her arms to Bosley, rather stiffly. Bosley grins at Jane, and it’s just a little shit-eating, quite a lot like Sabina’s version of the same. They hug, and it’s short and awkward, but a hug just the same. Jane is relieved when it’s over. Yet glad that it happened, even so.

She sinks down into an armchair, hurriedly. Elena is already sitting in the chair on Jane’s other side. Somehow, Jane is in the middle, but it's not so bad, because these are single armchairs with space between them. Jane can deal. Bosley sits on the side of the closest twin bed since there is nowhere else to sit in this hotel room. Saint has finished fussing over Sabina and Elena; in the back of her awareness Jane had catalogued her girlfriends reporting to Saint regarding their respective injury loads during the hug-with-Bosley.

“What about you?” Saint asks Jane, approaching her. She sits still while he checks her over, trying to be as patient as possible.

“I’m good,” Jane tells him. “Getting captured was stressful, but it’s over now. No injuries. I got tasered for a long time, twice. I feel fine though.”

“We should run some tests, just to double check,” Saint says, stepping back and joining Bosley on the bed, sitting down an arm’s length away. “At the Paris HQ, in one of their med rooms.”

“That can wait for this debriefing,” says Bosley impatiently. “Where the hell have you been, Angels?! Dish! We’ve been so worried. One of the local Angels’ teams has been sniffing around Trope’s mansion trying to find and rescue you - we’ve called them off now.”

“Look, Bos,” says Sabina, taking lead, just like the Angels discussed in secret. “The long and the short of it is … that we got captured by a bunch of yobbos* on a goddamn boat.” Sabina rolls her eyes expressively. “Like, we woke up chained to the deck in the middle of the fucking ocean, I kid you not.” She grins proudly. “We fought our way free, escaped in a lifeboat, and here we are.”

“‘Yobbos’?” Bosley asks drily.

“That’s what Australian Jonny calls them,” claims Sabina. She puts on a smarmy voice with an ocker* Aussie accent, one that’s much broader than Jonny Smith’s, in Jane’s opinion. “It means ‘uncouth and thuggish’.” Sabina winks at Bosley. “Just your type.”

Bosley mock glares back.

“They spoke a foreign language,” Elena adds. “None of us recognised it.”

The Angels have pre-decided that they should all participate in the debriefing, just like they normally would. Sabina is taking lead though, because she’s (far and away) the best at grifting. Also, because Bosley and Saint will never suspect Sabina of grifting them … or so Elena says. Jane tends to trust Elena on such matters: her high EQ means she’s stellar at reading other people and their likely reactions … especially people she knows well. Between Sabina’s specialty and Elena’s people skills, the Angels should be able to pull this objective off. Even with Bosley’s grifting background and Saint’s perceptivity. Emphasis on ‘should’. There’s no guarantee …

“Hmm,” says Bosley thoughtfully. “And you all woke up unconscious?”

“We think it was the effect of the ‘flash’,” Jane puts in. “Maybe some kind of stun grenade, but different again, as security tech on that basement door.”

“Probable,” agrees Bosley. “So that means the ‘yobbos’ presumably worked for … Sly Trope.”

“Right,” says Sabina. “I mean, that intel’s unconfirmed, but it just makes sense.” She winks at Bosley. “What with it being his basement and all.”

Bosley nods. Saint nods too, thoughtfully.

“How did you escape?” asks Bosley.

“Sabina got free,” Jane tells Bosley, scowling at her girlfriend without even trying. “She was out of her mind with hypothermia, and she literally dragged her hands out of her chains.” Jane rolls her eyes. “In the middle of a bloody storm.”

Sabina holds up her bandaged wrists and puffs out her chest, seemingly in pride. So far Jane can’t tell the difference between Grifting Sabina and Authentic Sabina. It’s supremely disturbing. The con seems to be working, a charm. Bosley looks appropriately impressed. Saint looks concerned.

“Then I lock-picked one of Jane’s chains,” Sabina adds, winking at Jane.

“Because I told her to … and kept telling her every five seconds; she kept forgetting what she was doing,” Jane fills in, for Bosley and Saint.

“Then Jane picked her other chain, and my chains too,” Elena adds.

This next section is the trickiest part. It’s the outright lie, and the Angels have all agreed that Sabina should handle this part, alone. Elena is the worst liar Jane has ever known, no exaggeration. Their transparent girlfriend will give the game away in a second, if she attempts to say anything that’s a lie. Jane isn’t much better, though at least she has the resort of going blank-faced. Regardless, this is a job for Sabina Wilson. The Angels need to sell it!

“I don’t remember the next bit too well,” Sabina says absently, and she starts to rub at the bandages on her right wrist, with what seems like agitation. Jane opens her mouth to tell her girlfriend off, then closes it with a snap. Maybe that’s part of the con. Maybe …

“Don’t do that, honey,” Bosley says to Sabina, and Jane sees that Bosley isn’t paying any attention to anyone else. Saint’s attention is focused on Sabina too. Jane realises that the gesture is deliberate. Sabina is gaming their support officers, pretending to be caught up in the hazy memories and her injuries. A chill goes down Jane’s spine. Sabina ignores Bosley and Saint, not appearing to hear them. She stares off into the middle distance.

“We got attacked by more yobbos,” Sabina says distantly. “Elena got shot in the back! Thank fuck she was wearing her bulletproof tank.” Sabina sighs hugely, in evident relief. She squeezes her injured wrist, seemingly a reflex, grimaces. “Jane got fucking tasered! But I yanked out the wires and she killed those losers.” Sabina looks over at Jane, nods approvingly. Jane just stares at Sabina, keeping her own face blank; it takes serious effort. Sabina looks forward again, stares off into the distance.

“We found a lifeboat,” Sabina looks down, shudders a little, “and somehow made it back to shore.” She shrugs as though she can’t believe it. “In a goddamn storm!” Jane watches as Sabina catches Bosley’s worried eyes, then Saint’s tender ones. Looks away again, stares vaguely, picks at the bandages on her wrist restlessly. “Don’t know how we survived…”

“It’s okay, Angel,” says Bosley, voice soothing. “You did. That’s all that matters.”

“We were wrecked,” Sabina goes on, not seeming to register Bosley’s contribution. “So we holed up in some hotel for … however long it’s been. Then eventually,” she looks up, chews her bottom lip, “we clued in that we needed to get in touch.”

 “You need to stop touching your arm,” Saint says, and his voice is gentle and firm at the same time. “Here, Bina, show it to me.”

He gestures Sabina over and she willingly crosses the room to sit beside him on the bed. Jane watches half-guilty, half-impressed, as Saint unwraps her girlfriend’s bandage and examines her right hand and wrist. Then Jane scowls darkly. Sabina has actually reopened the nasty scrape and it’s bleeding sluggishly. Did she mean to do that?! Jane’s own worry breaks out cleanly … and is clearly written all over her face because Bosley is throwing her a concerned look. Elena looks worried too, glancing between Sabina, Jane, and Bosley in quick succession.

Jane looks away, fighting to hide her expression. This reaction from Bosley confirms for Jane, that Sabina did mean to reopen the wound. What better way to get a realistic seeming response out of Jane and Elena, to game Bosley accordingly, and to distract Saint … who will always put their medical wellbeing ahead of any other consideration?! It makes Jane angry. Even though Sabina is – for the Angels’ double agents’ purpose – doing an Excellent Job. It’s just that it’s one thing to see Sabina grift her marks. It’s quite another thing to be the one being gamed by Sabina, even when Jane knows exactly what her girlfriend is doing and why. To fall for it like a sucker ...

Saint tut tuts and gets up to grab a first aid kit. He starts doctoring Sabina’s wrist and hand, cleaning them, applying antibiotic ointment, and rewrapping with fresh bandages. Then he checks the left arm and doctors it too.

“Well, Angels,” says Bosley, tapping her chin thoughtfully. “I must say … you got incredibly lucky.” She sighs, then smiles at them, a little tearily. “I’ve never been more grateful!”

Jane feels touched and uncomfortable, simultaneously. Elena nods at Bosley looking teary too. It doesn’t take much to make Elena teary, so Jane isn’t surprised. Jane is guessing that her own discomforted look is perfectly in character, so won’t raise any alarm bells. It’s disturbing how easy this con is. It shouldn’t be this easy …

“We’ll continue investigating Trope,” Bosley decides. “And the Landry twins of course. Though … very carefully, because we still have to work out if you’ve been made with Trope.” She sighs. “Maybe it’s only his ‘yobbos’ who know about you. Maybe not.” Bosley nods to herself. “Either way, they most likely don’t know who you work for.” She looks at each of them, seriously. “But first you need to rest up and recover. Plus each get full medical and therapeutic examinations from Saint and find out whether you’re all at mission-ready status. We should relocate to the local HQ.”

“Agreed,” says Jane shortly.

Elena sighs and sags in her armchair. Jane knows this is because Elena is utterly relieved that Bosley and Saint haven’t seen through the Angels’ ruse. Hopefully Elena’s reaction will be read as exhausted agreement. Bosley is giving Elena an empathic look, so Jane is sure it has been.

“‘kay,” Sabina agrees. Then she straightens up and grins at Bosley. “Will there be French food?”

“Of course,” says Bosley wryly. She smirks a little at Jane. “Coffee too. Of the French variety.”

Jane smiles back sardonically. She does like coffee. A lot. Apparently, everyone knows this, even Bosley, even Saint. It’s such a shame that the Angels have to game their support team …. Jane might not feel half as close to them as her girlfriends do, but that doesn’t mean she wants to lie to them. Jane couldn’t want anything less! She’s all about doing the right thing, performing each mission to exacting parameters … while excelling and going beyond, aka being a spy extraordinaire.

Now, Jane is a double agent, which is something she never wanted. In actuality she’s a triple agent, because Jane would never betray the Angels. However, their triad hasn’t decided who they can trust (Sabina and Elena vote in favour of telling Bosley, Saint, and Charlie … but out of those three, Jane trusts Charlie-alone, and even that’s with reservations), and this hotel certainly isn’t a safe location to reveal the truth. It’s extremely likely that Sly Trope is checking up on them and has bugged the hell out of the hotel, to be sure that the Angels have truly turned and work for him now. The three-of-them decided that they would have to fool Bosley and Saint for now, out of sheer necessity.

It's been unexpectedly easy, thanks to Sabina as grifter. Apparently, Jane’s girlfriend can deceive her nearest and dearest as easily as she can the bad guys! Sabina Wilson can pull the wool over their eyes without a sweat, making it look easy. The worst of it was that Jane Couldn’t Tell The Difference between this Sabina and the one she goes home to on a regular basis. If Jane hadn’t already known exactly what parts of the story were doctored, she Never Would Have Known.

Up until now, Jane has liked to think that she has an inner radar for Sabina’s BS. Said radar ensured Jane would be able to tell if-and-when her girlfriend lied to her.* Jane has certainly caught Sabina in quite a few lies over their time together … and Sabina has acted requisitely guilty and sulky. But what if that was all just part of a con?

It couldn’t have been! It can’t be. Jane’s worldview is rolling like a boat in a stormy ocean: demons are in the boat, and they are milling around voraciously.* Jane looks at Sabina disbelievingly, cynically, assessingly. Who is Sabina Wilson? Really?!

Sabina meets Jane’s eyes from across the room, and her vivid green eyes are wide and searching. Jane stares at her girlfriend. Sabina stares back. Then Sabina looks away hurriedly, looking more than a little freaked out.

“Janey,” says Elena from Jane’s side. Jane looks up. Elena has risen out of her armchair and is now sitting on the arm of Jane’s chair. “Let’s get ready to go,” Elena tells Jane, putting a supportive hand on Jane’s shoulder. Elena means for going to Paris’ HQ, Jane knows.

She realises vaguely that Elena is running interference between herself and Sabina, as Elena semi-often does. In this case it’s because Bosley and Saint are still in the hotel room, and the Angels are trying to pull a successful con: to be the double agents Trope is forcing them to be. Jane might have been just about to tank their secret mission … if Elena hadn’t arrived on the scene. Jane feels that upset and suspicious, that she wasn’t thinking about anything but who-Sabina-really-is. It’s embarrassing. Thank God for Elena!

“Fine,” says Jane abruptly, standing up, careful not to look at Sabina.

There will be time for Jane to deal with her internal demons, later. Right now, it’s mission time. The (secret) active mission is fooling Bosley and Saint successfully, at least until the Angels decide whether to tell their leads the truth … the vote is two-yes to one-uncertain, and Jane is the one. Regardless, any such revelation needs to be made in a secure location where they can’t be made to Trope: he needs to keep believing that they are double agents, working for him. For the time being the Angels are double agents – for all intents and purposes – until such time as they can safely transition to triple agents’ status.

Jane bites back the groan she’d dearly love to let out and steps out of Bosley’s and Saint’s hotel room; Elena follows hot on Jane’s heels, one hand nestled at the small of her back.

“It’ll be okay, sweetheart,” Elena tells Jane soothingly.

Jane doesn’t know what will be okay exactly, but she appreciates the sentiment. She drinks up the sense of commitment that she always feels from Elena, coming through their bond loud and strong. Unexpectedly and fiercely, Jane (for perhaps the first time) appreciates Elena’s complete lack-of-BS. Jane has grown to appreciate Elena’s measured and diplomatic transparency over time … because of the relational benefits it gives their triad-and-team. But Jane has never before appreciated Elena’s … utter inability to lie. What you see is what you get… and what you get is the truth. Jane craves the truth just now. Like Oxygen.

The two-of-them move across the hall to the hotel room that Bosley booked for the three-of-them. It’s probably bugged by Trope, but at least Bosley and Saint can’t hear them now. A moment later, Sabina steps inside too, closes the door behind her. Locks it. The Angels stare at each other. They have to watch their words. They have to watch their words. Jane desperately reminds herself that she has to watch her words!

“Great job, Bina,” says Elena, crossing to wrap her arms around Sabina and hold her close. Sabina holds Elena back but looks directly at Jane, over Elena’s shoulder. Searchingly. After a pause:

“You don’t trust me,” Sabina all but accuses Jane.

“Talk later,” says Jane stiffly, because They Have To Watch Their Words.

Sabina makes an unhappy noise in the back of her throat, but nods, once. Then closes her eyes tightly, holds Elena tighter. Elena’s arms tighten around Sabina accordingly; Jane can see that Elena is hugging Sabina as tightly as she is capable of. Maybe as though Elena fears that Sabina might slip out of her arms and vanish into the illusion-of-Sabina. That’s how Jane is feeling just now … who is Sabina?!

Maybe Jane Kano has never really known Sabina Wilson, at all.