A Light When Others are Gone
The hour was late and the bunker was quiet. Whether or not that was a good thing depended upon the circumstances surrounding it and given the current state of things it could be called a respite. That much could be said for Angela as she sat in the chair that she had rooted herself in for the long run. She sat there, studying her hands while occasionally glancing over at the bed in the room turned into a makeshift cell.
They had managed to save what was left of the town from the mysterious illness that plagued it. It had been Sam that found the hints of using holy oil to create holy fire. And that was after the painful vision or sign he received though it could have been a sign of the infection taking root. Yet she received the prompting to use her healer abilities to take control of the flame and directed it towards purifying the taint in Sam's blood. The how and why was still baffling even after she managed to do it to the infected ones Sam lured into the chapel in the hospital and then the town.
Being a healer was something that she was born with. Why her, a dhampir, a creature of the night... that was the enigma. But she never hesitated to give as needed. She healed wounds and souls. Even Gadreel was healed by her hand and he was a bastard and killed Kevin while using Sam as a vessel. That bothered Sam still though he hid it well. Now she was focused on helping Castiel.
The angel made it back to the bunker trembling in pain. From the bloodstains on his clothes, it didn't take much for her to guess that he had been tortured. She had been tortured herself and her lip had curled involuntarily in anger at the treatment of her angel. Yes, Castiel was her angel and if he wasn't stubborn about leaving her alone she would have been first on the train to help him when he was in trouble as he had done for her. He was her angel and forget the technicalities of the guardian angel duty crap, he was family to her.
The shuffle on the bed had her look up. Castiel was shaking and he had fever sweats. He had returned to the bunker begging for help. Being ever the healer, she pushed her way in to determine what was wrong. Neither Winchester protested since comparatively she knew more about angel physiology and it helped that Castiel told her what happened but it was in Enochian.
Getting up from her seat, she went to check on the angel. Leaning over, she reached out with her hand and felt his forehead, taking in the sweating, the shaking and not liking that she was sensing the power behind the spell that had been unleashed on him. She was going to kill that witch bitch Rowena and she was going to make her suffer like she made Castiel suffer. It was unlike her but she had enough. She had to force herself to calm down and she sent soothing waves to ease the angel's discomfort before moving to pace around the room.
Looking around, Angela thought about the things that had happen, were happening and the prospects of what was to happen. More than once she had questioned her purpose in being on this earth as long as she had been. By now she should have been a full-fledged crazy bitch and sucking people dry but she wasn't. She was alive and kicking doing what she had trained to do and that was saving people, hunting things… the family business.
You always were one to protect the innocent.
Angela let out an involuntary shudder as she recalled her conversation with Darkness. She rubbed her upper arms as the disquieting chill hit her spine. At the same time, flashes of the memory she had been given moved through her mind. It was painful and felt very real… like it belonged and not just a vision. She hissed quietly as the images of her fighting flashed through.
She had pulled memories before but the consequences were that sometimes it was difficult to separate what was yours from the one you pulled. But this had been different. She was given a memory and one that felt like it was her own too. It had her worried and scared; like she was now getting her fast track into insanity or something worse… like the void the reaper Billy threatened to put Sam in.
It was a courtesy to you that we masked our presence but now… it is up to the reaper nearby.
She hadn't wanted Death to be ganked. It surprised the hell out of her that Dean did that and she thought of the ramifications of that. At the reaper she looked at it and said that she understood the job of reapers but she will fight if she perceived a threat and that was a promise. She would leave the reapers be; live and let live and that seemed to appease that reaper. With the others… that was in the realm of the unknown.
Angela let out the breath she was holding. The chill was still there and it had her shiver. She chewed her lower lip as she remembered that conversation. She could remember every word and every touch and caress Darkness gave her. It had her start to breathe a little heavily like she was going to go into that panic attack mode. Luckily they had been finally able to 'cure' her of her Purgatory problem but she still felt… unsure and off.
You know it should be that I should kill you since you did imprison me but I can't kill you.
Angela shuddered at that. She had done things to imprison certain beings. Yet she had never confronted Darkness before. Yet she was saying that she imprisoned her. Why would she say that? Was it to mess with her? It wouldn't be the first time. She ran a hand through her hair as she tried to rub out the pain from the memories and the words and their chilling effects.
Why me? Why is this happening?
She rarely questioned what was happening to her and just accepted it, agony and all. Mostly it was because she still harbored the notion that everything that happened she deserved in order to receive penance. But this was different. She was being accused of something she wasn't involved with and had no memory in existence of and against something that was very, very old and knew her… and she knew Sam.
Darkness referred to him as her twin. That was in reference to the fact that they were true souls; once one soul that divided creating two separate souls and each carrying a piece of the other inside of them. She thought it a romantic notion until she was literally faced with her other half and Sam met his. They still didn't know much about it and kept it between them and Dean and a few choice others. But Darkness knew about it and seemed to derive a pleasure from it.
Sounds like poetic justice considering I did kill your twin… And I look forward to meeting your twin in his incarnation.
It was referenced to the past but Angela was astute enough to recognize it as a threat too. It sounded ridiculous that she should be scared of a memory but the truth was her greatest fear was losing Sam and her fear of being alone. She had shown bravado and did what she could to deny she knew about her connection with Sam but inside she was scared and didn't know what to do. And what did she do? She said nothing about it. Oh she did tell the brothers that she had met Darkness and that they had a conversation that was more posturing but she didn't give details. Partly she didn't want to have Sam in fear or worry about watching his back every time he stepped out of the bunker. The other part was that she was unsure and afraid and she didn't know what to do.
She knew that the Winchesters didn't mean to drop things on her like she had all the answers. Usually she had something for them because she lived a long time and if she didn't, she suggested research, a task she and Sam enjoyed and she got a few laughs when Sherlock became involved. Sam especially tried hard to not take her for granted; it was a life mission from who knows when and he was constantly working to 'make it up to her' for whatever it was he perceived he did. They knew she didn't know everything and she would be the first to say it. This though… They had enough problems and her current one was the angel.
Turning her attention to Castiel, she saw he was in a fairly good sleep. It was an oddity since angels really don't sleep but it was necessary and the room was warded in a certain way to prevent mishaps. Neither Winchester liked it that she willingly was staying there alone but they accepted it. At least one thing was being worked on.
She sat back down in her chair, rubbing her forehead. She adjusted her position and just watched the angel. It was a little creepy but she didn't want to sleep. She would rather sleep when she couldn't keep her eyes open anymore. She sat and stared until she found herself opening her eyes.
She hadn't meant to fall asleep and cursed herself for that. She got up and made sure that things were okay and they were but something was off. She sensed it and looked around but it wasn't in the room. She heard whispers. And they were coming from outside the room. She stood in front of the door and stared at it as the whispers called to her.
Glancing back at the sleeping angel, she looked forward and put her hand on the door to open it. She found Shadow, a new puppy sleeping by the door. He didn't even stir when she stepped through and that was alarming to her. But her attention was drawn to the whispers that were calling to her. Common sense told her not too but she followed the whispers and it felt like she should. So she walked through the bunker, her step silent from the years of practice.
She walked through the bunker and down towards the dungeon. As she got closer, the whispers grew louder. When she was at the door, they were the loudest and practically screaming at her to enter. She did and slowly walked in until she was standing in the middle of the room. She didn't even flinch when the door to the dungeon shut behind her with a decisive clang. She did look around and took a breath before saying, "Is this your way of torturing me? I don't know you."
The whispers still circulated but other than that there was no response. Angela looked around trying to figure out what was going on. She demanded, "What do you want from me? Who are you?"
The whispers kept going on. They grew louder and started talking in tongues. They were different languages with some considered dead and others… Angela put her hands on her temples. It was like hearing more than one angel talk to her in their true voices. She had never heard so many languages at once and her head was aching worse than remembering her conversation with Darkness.
Daughter…
Created…
Fight…
Protect…
You always protect the innocent…
It was a jumble of voices from memories of people she had met and from her recent encounter. It was cut and pasted together to make complete sentences. She had shut her eyes to block it out but she kept hearing it and she was seeing the people who were associated with those phrases. It was painful since some weren't even speaking in the language she had heard it in and it started going faster and faster.
Gritting her teeth and crying out in pain she forced her eyes open and it seemed that time stood still. It was like she was back in that field but she was in the bunker. In front of her was Darkness looking at her and smirking at her as she said, "He protects you as you protect him… He created you… always one to protect the innocent…"
Angela stared at Darkness as she stood there. Everything was moving in slow motion as the wind swirled around them in the bunker. Then it froze. Darkness was standing still, not moving. Angela stared back until it felt like she was launched forward and she relieved the memory again but it was coupled with another. She was looking as Darkness was running from battle and she called, "You come after them and I will come after you."
She didn't hear the reply since a bright light had started to grow. It had Angela thinking that she was dreaming or something since this was way too weird and felt more like a movie. And yet it felt very real as she felt determination and anger that Darkness was getting away again. What was going on?
She was so busy paying attention to that scene that she didn't see the light until it was upon her. It was too bright and she put up an arm to shield her eyes as it grew brighter. It became too bright and it was hurting her eyes. She shut them to protect them but became enveloped in darkness and she heard a voice. It called to her and it was telling her something. It was something important… about darkness and light.
Angela sat up with a gasp and looked around wildly while struggling with something that was wrapped around her arms. She growled slightly as she struggled to free herself. She had to get free.
"Angie, it's me."
That gentle voice woke her up and she realized that Sam was holding her. She paused and frowned and took a moment to realize she was on the floor. She looked around trying to puzzle out what happened. As she looked around, she got flashes of her… whatever that was… her memories playing through, the memory Darkness gave her. It was intermittent with what she was seeing in the room.
Something on the look on her face prompted Sam to ask, "Are you okay?"
Angela didn't answer right away but paused to look at nothing in particular as she recalled the last thing she saw in the bright light. Saying nothing, she wrapped her arms around Sam and hugged him tight, not wanting to let go. She knew there was a fight coming but it frightened her where it was going and what she would be called to do.
Still the same light sent to battle darkness and now a being that has danced with darkness.
The light for others when all others go out…
A/N: Looks like Darkness' words to Angie got to her but it seems that there is something more to it. Tag to Form and Void. Enjoy!
