Just a Couple of Hours
Sam tried to enter the apartment quietly since he still felt like he was a guest there instead of a roommate. He pinched the bridge of his nose and closed his eyes slightly as the dull throb that hadn't gone away since it started when he went to do the simple salt and burn continued to pound. He resisted giving a sniffle as he cringed as the door creaked on its hinges when he opened it and silently curse that he had forgotten the WD-40 again. He wondered why she didn't say anything about it; the broken promises he made about the little stuff and he swore that he would pull his weight since she gave him a place to stay.
At first he had no idea where he was and how he got there when he woke up with a compress on his forehead and his arm stitched and the smell of wild yam on his chest. He did remember getting jumped in the alley behind that bar he went to apply to for a new job since the last one petered out. Reggie and Tim thought it was a good idea to take him on without witnesses and without her around like the last time. They were still dead set on getting him to drink the demon blood and avenge their friend's death. Sam had refused knowing that he couldn't and wouldn't do it. So they tried to make him by beating him into submission. Then she came.
He was astute enough to realize that she had probably been following him to keep an eye on him or she was already in town and she sensed he was in trouble. He was willing to believe the latter since he had seen her cover greater distances than that with her spidey sense thing she did. She came and she kicked their asses like she did the last time. This time though she threatened to kill them if they came near him again. It was the first time he had heard words like that come out of her mouth and it surprised him. At the time though, he was on the ground in pain from the punches and his arm was bleeding from an attempted stabbing. He did manage to see Reggie and Tim run away like scared girls before she turned to him.
She got him back to the apartment and took care of his injuries like she always did. It was then that she offered him a place to stay. He agreed to it initially at least until he looked and felt somewhat less like crap. She agreed and he stayed on after that until he found out that she was sleeping on the couch that looked like she went dumpster diving for. He tried to leave or at least switch and take the couch. He couldn't leave and he was surprised at how much he didn't want to. To make it fair, he said that he would help out and earn his keep and she agreed. He was sure holding up to that… not really.
Sam closed the door quietly, feeling tired and the dull throb was feeling worse, and started making his way to his room which was supposed to be hers. As she put it though, the couch was too small for his frame and she had been sleeping on it most nights anyway. It was late and he was sure that she was sleeping since she had that job she said she was checking out. Right now a good night's sleep sounded good and he could handle that.
"Good hunting?"
Sam turned towards the couch where he found Angela sitting on it with her knees drawn up, holding a plate of pie and staring intently at the TV. No doubt she heard the creaky door. He replied, "Uh yeah. Simple salt and burn like you said. You?"
Angela heard the slight nasally tone in Sam's voice and replied, "It turned out to be a COD of natural circumstances. The stiff was 89 and died after having 'happy' time. He had a pacemaker. So… nothing out of the ordinary." She took the last bite of pie and put it down on the coffee table that was much stronger than it looked.
Sam raised his brow slightly ignoring the fact that it made his headache feel worse and he felt a little achy. Sometimes it did happen that the situation wasn't influenced by the supernatural. He gave a slight sniff and replied, "Oh. So are you calling it a night?"
Angela heard the snivel and Sam's voice got a little more nasally. She had noticed that he had been a little under the weather that morning. She turned towards him and looked at him with the pensive look that bothered him. She replied, "Not really. You want to join me?"
Sam wanted nothing more than to go to bed but he didn't want to hurt her feelings. It didn't occur to him that she was giving him a chance to fess up to how shitty he really was feeling. After their whole discussion on forgiveness, he wasn't sure if he deserved it from her; her kindness especially after the way he treated her when he chose Ruby and her lies. The thing was Angela never could stay mad at him for long and her reasoning was that she had lived long enough to know when to let go on things that while important, not to let them drag her down.
It wasn't perfect and she could admit it. Yet she seemed happier and less weary after everything. Sam knew she had changed a lot than when they first had met. Her steady influence served as a balance between him and his brother and he found it… he wasn't sure. Making up his mind, he took off his jacket and slung it on the chair that actually matched the couch and took the seat next to her on the old thing. He turned his attention to the TV aware that she was still doing that staring thing and hoped that she would go back to whatever it was she was watching.
"Hungry?"
"No. I'm fine."
It was a lie as a cough or a sneeze broke through. It wasn't even a big one but it hurt and Sam pinched his brow. There was no hiding that one.
Angela said nothing as she placed and hand on Sam's forehead to feel the heat. She had been worried since Sam seemed to be on that beating down phase. She did what she could to make sure that he was still standing and not running on empty and suspected that half the time, he didn't know what he was eating in front of him or even if he was eating. Now he had a fever and from the looks of things a nasty headache to accompany it but she could take care of that.
Giving a slight hum, Angela slid off the couch effortlessly and walked to where the small hall closet was. Sam watched with bleary eyes as she pulled the door open and propped it open with the loaded shotgun she kept in there. Another thing he had forgotten to fix and he closed his eyes in frustration and pain. He could see though that it didn't matter to her as she pulled out the familiar worn leather satchel that she kept everything she used to fix him and Dean up and set it on the coffee table. He watched as she pulled out the one thing that was familiar and it looked like she might have jacked from a clinic. "Thermometer?"
Angela gave a slight smile and replied, "Basic necessity. Put this under your tongue."
"Ripping off clinics again?"
"Friend from a blood bank gave it to me when I picked up a supply," Angela replied as she fingered through her vials. She glanced at Sam as he held the thermometer under his tongue and noted the expression, "That was when Katherine tried to open a seal and ended up creating a boom and the seal remained intact."
Sam made a slight noise. He remembered that. That demon was the worst of its kind in that it couldn't seem to do anything right. That was another time that scared him since Angela had been the closest. That was after she pushed him and Dean away and she was right on their heels. She always was risking a lot for them. Another thing he didn't deserve.
The thermometer beeped and Angela took it out and read, "102. It's official. You've got a cold." She cleaned it off and put it away. "Well best cure for that is bed and rest."
Sam made a noise and found himself being made comfortable on the couch and the joke that he was finally getting his wish to sleep on the couch in his ears. He muttered, "Won't be anything I don't deserve."
Angela brought over the warm compress for Sam's sinuses and replied, "No one deserves a head cold. They just happen." She sat on the seat she had vacated and looked at Sam covered in the throw that she put over him. "Punishment by a cold is a new one on me. I find it an annoyance."
Sam looked over at Angela who was holding the compress and looking at him like he was being stupid and replied, "I deserve whatever crap I get…"
"We had this discussion before Sam. You know about me and I'm not judging." Angela pulled on Sam and was a bit alarmed that he complied so easily. He really was sick as she adjusted his head in her lap and gently laid the compress over his eyes. Gently she started massaging the temples. "The best thing to do is do what can be done to fix it."
Sam couldn't see anything with the warmed towel over his eyes but he wasn't complaining at the relief. He was able to reply, "Then we should be working at that instead of the small stuff we've been doing. Though how you could trust me to do even that is beyond me."
Angela continued to massage Sam's temples. She could feel his body start to relax. She did the same for Dean once when he complained of a headache that turned out to be a migraine as a result from the concussion he received from a hunt. It was more effective than any pain meds she had. She replied, "You say some of most ridiculous things Sam and you know the answer to that. You gave me a gift Sam, you and your brother, by calling me family. That is something I don't take lightly even though I have been a bit stupid about a few things. I've trusted you with my life and I still do. It would have been easy for you to use the 9mm in the side table by your bed against me especially since I startled you once."
Sam listened to what she was saying. He could have that one time and yet he didn't. The couple of hunts they did together, she trusted him to watch her back. He really didn't deserve that from her and yet she was giving it willingly and no strings attached. She really did take the fact that they were family seriously. He replied, "You really thought this through haven't you?"
"Thinking time and I've been in the same position myself. I learned that if I make a mistake, I do what I can to fix it."
"Then I should start…" Sam started to rise.
Angela stopped him. Sick people really weren't logical at times. "Not until you are better. It can wait."
"But Lucifer is out there and he said I was his vessel…"
"And he can shove it up his ass then as he does now." Angela went back to massaging the temples and then tapered off to stroking the slightly damp locks of Sam's hair. "The world will be okay for just a couple of hours Sam. Even the ones fixing things need a rest too."
Sam listened to what she said and allowed his body to relax as she stroked his head. Maybe she had a point. She usually did and he did feel like shit. Whatever she was doing to his head felt good and then a thought occurred to him and he chuckled.
Angela was stroking Sam's head and just looking at nothing in the darkness since she dimmed the lights. The apartment was a dump but it was cheap and clean and hers. It was ideal for maintaining easy traveling distance between her boys while this whole separation thing was going on. She wasn't trying to fix it since Sam asked her not to but she couldn't help but offer her opinion about it when the door was opened. She could only hope that they would swallow their pride and talk to each other.
She heard Sam chuckle softly and she asked, "What are you laughing at?"
"Magic fingers."
Angela frowned slightly at that. She was well familiar with the magic fingers that were available in the seedy motels they stayed in. "Magic fingers?"
"Yeah. You have them," Sam replied sleepily.
Angela couldn't help but smile. She replied softly, "So there's my Sammy. I missed you."
"For you… magic fingers…" Sam mumbled as he drifted off to sleep, his body unable to fight the urge to stay awake.
Angela couldn't help but smile. She was not going to put too much value into what he was saying since he was sick but it was nice to hear. She took in his peaceful repose and he looked comfortable even though his feet were on the armrest of the couch and crossed at the ankles. She had seen him squeeze himself into the back seat of the Impala so he knew how to make himself comfortable.
Things would work out. That she didn't have a doubt. Dean just needed time to think about what she said. Till then she would watch out for Sam since that was pretty much rule number one. She sighed in the darkness and said, "Don't worry Sam. Things will work out. The world can go on without us for a couple of hours."
"Just a couple of hours," Sam mumbled.
A/N: Some nice little fluff between Sam and Angela while the separation is going on. Enjoy.