Chronicles of Absolution: Light's Evensong

Chapter 1

The Road So Far…

… The rumbling could be felt under her feet as she stared at the column of light that was beginning to grow. It only meant one thing. Lucifer was coming, rising from the cage that had imprisoned him, and that meant the beginning of the end. She knew that there was no way a blade like Absolution would be able to do anything. The only solution was to get out.

The dogs had been sent away but the boys were still here. She had to get them out. She urged them to move but they were rooted to their spots. She glanced back at the growing column of light. She sensed that it would be bad if she didn't get them out. She had to get them out. She turned and felt a surge of power from within. She looked at the boys and told them to get out and they were engulfed in light.

… Angela roared in anger as she used her powers to pin the horseman to his car. Her eyes were blazing with anger and her teeth were elongating. She was full out vamping. She gritted her teeth and replied, "You have made thousands of lives miserable. You forced me to repeat this time and time again you sonofabitch."

"And where would you be if I didn't? Sentimentality is wasted on you."

Angela growled and to Sam and Dean it almost sounded feral. She was ready to kill and they wouldn't blame her just yet. "They were a peaceful clan and you forced us to butcher them."

"People don't need much to kill."

… "Sammy? Why have teeth like that?"

Sam looked at Angela who was staring at him with a curious look. She wanted to know and he noticed that an expression was crossing her face. Was she getting nervous and scared? He couldn't tell but he decided to alleviate that look. He beckoned her to come closer and to climb onto his lap which she did willingly. He expected the instant cuddling when she grabbed him around the torso for a hug and couldn't help but smile. He adjusted his grip and said, "Well, Angie, there are some people that are not like me and Dean. You're special."

… "Bad bright light doesn't like it. Says Sammy is his but pretty lady says no." She then frowned in a confused fashion.

Sam listened to what she was saying, his own appetite diminished. As much as he was curious, he wasn't sure if it was a good thing to be pursuing this. "She said no?"

"Yep. I say no. You're my Sammy."

It sounded a bit weird to hear it like that and Sam put it together that she was talking about a memory but it sounded like it belonged to someone else. "You said no?"

"Pretty lady say no. I say like pretty lady," Angela corrected. She stared straight ahead as if to think for a moment and then added, "Can still fix Sammy. You and Deanie."

… Silently he was saying, But you do Cat. You know everything because you are a part of it.

… "Now listen very closely. Here's what's gonna happen. You're gonna suck it up, accept your responsibilities, and play the roles that destiny has chosen for you."

… "Like the fact that you just exemplified one of your unique talents and in an impressive way," Ares replied in his nonchalant manner. "By the way I knew that you could do it. I expected a demon being put in his place but a ghost… incredible."

… Know that I only do this because I am sentimental. I like you, sweetheart.

… The only reason that I'm helping you is because I know a winning horse when I see one.

Yeah I'm a prize filly to you…

… She always was the one to look for alternative means of getting a job done. Often it was barely toeing the line and she crossed it on occasion. She hadn't forgotten those times and those times produced equal love and hate. Hell she met the product of that…

… … Choices have to be made. Some lead to perdition and some lead to end of old and alone. The question comes down to whether or not one believes that they can hold on till the end and finally not be afraid to open that door…

… Isis smiled in return. "She is special on many levels. To me it is like that of a mother and daughter. Her abilities while special are nothing compared to her nature."

… You are the Malachi of Absolution…

… "Absolution is the earthbound angel that will protect us all…"

… The cage you sprung Lucifer from is still down there. And maybe… just maybe… you can shove his ass back in.

… Now here's the big secret and Lucifer himself doesn't even know. But the key to the cage, it's out there. And actually it's keys. Four keys. Well four rings. From the horsemen.

… "You protect your family but not at the expense of who you are." She stopped Angela from speaking and continued, "I know you have knowledge up there and memories that are bloody and things you have to deal with but there is a fine line that you are at. You have to make the choice on whether or not it fight this as who you are or go down the road that you fear the most."

… "So you're willing to die for a pile of cockroaches and a girl who has yet to fully realize who and what she is? Why?"

… "She is perfect no matter what she is and what she does and you wanna know why?" He paused to allow Lucifer to respond if he wanted to. When that didn't happen, he answered his question, "It's because she does what these flawed abortions do. She tries and does forgive."

… "I can't stay here. I know Kizet wants me to because no one knows what I can do but I know I scared a few people. Hell I scare myself because I feel a little charged and it won't go away no matter what I do and once or twice I thought I saw wings coming from me. Faint and shadowy like."

… He took a good look at her face and noted that the shadows gave her a more predatory appearance, like a bird of prey and the effect was added to it with her eyes vamped out, the glittering orbs producing a very intimidating sight…

… The lightning flashed again and Dean noticed that Angela had moved closer. The bird of prey look was still on her and when she moved, the lightning flashed and it was then that he saw a pair of wings coming from his girl. They didn't look like Castiel's but the effect was the same…

… "I did come here to find you."

Lucifer grinned, "And for what purpose?"

Angela looked at nothing in particular before looking up at the angel and said, "I want you to consider me as a possible vessel." Her look was bold and daring as she looked at Lucifer in the eye even though she felt she was strapped to that chair.

"You're serious?"

"I am and you know what I am asking is not unreasonable."

… "And they wanted to make sure that I'm okay. I mean it's not every day that I 'tear' the veil and practically scare people." She air quoted when she said the word 'tear' since she still wasn't sure about the idea but she did know that she felt different and it wasn't just grief.

… "It doesn't because I meant what I said and was serious when I did the gesture thing. I love you, Angie and… maybe it feels like the worst time ever but… I don't care if it means getting to spend any amount of time with you, making you happy. If I have a lifetime with you, I'll take it. Why are you talking about this?"

Angela watched as Sam rubbed her hand. She always had liked it when he caressed him. She swallowed slightly at that and replied, "Because I've… been thinking about this plan and… even if we do get all four rings and open the door… what do we do then?"

Sam was considered the quick to read between the lines when it mattered. He realized what she had meant and he jumped to conclusions, "No way Angie. I mean it."

"The only way to get Lucifer back in… is to say yes and take control and jump in."

"And there is no way you're saying yes."

… "You're going to let your brother jump right into that fiery pit."

… "I believe you can," Angela repeated. She gave a slight smile before adding, "Different strengths, Sam. And… I don't doubt us but the things that could make life more difficult than it already is." She gave a slight shrug. "But I'm with you."

… "But…" She looked at Sam and said, "It is not as black and white as we like to believe. Sometimes you have to dance with the devil in order to be able to find that one chink in the armor. The real test is not to lose yourself in that quest. Something I think I've failed at."

… "I remember telling you that working together was good for me. And I wasn't lying about that because in the end… I am like any other person and need that contact. But… staying with you and Dean… Bobby… I felt I could change my viewpoint and… my feelings changed. A lot of what I did… was not because of my rules but because… because I love you and I… don't deserve it."

… "You are more deserving of anything good. I've seen it. And… I know what I'm getting into and I make it willingly… Ever since you walked in, even if it was a crappy hand, you've always made it good. I can't think of a time where you haven't said or did anything that made sense when the crap started rolling in… Because I feel alive with you."

… She laid there looking at him in the eye as he put his hand on her abdomen and she reached up and ran her fingers through his hair as he lowered her face towards hers and began kissing her, running his hand up her side. Her hand undid the first of the buttons on his shirt and she tentatively reached in to caress the skin as he teased her abdomen, both knowing where it was going next…

Now

The room was dimly lit but it wasn't a problem. It was perfect. Perfect to keep a specific mood if you were into the emo thing. Perfect to allow for sleep even if the TV was left on. Perfect to work on restringing a guitar that was now sitting on the stand in the corner. Perfect to finished writing the perfect song.

Liam bent over the artist's easel he used when composing music as he serendipitously wrote in a few notes on the staff paper and frowned at it. He rotated on his swivel stool to the piano he had been sitting at the past few days in between the gigs and the job and played what he had just written. He frowned at the melody and hummed a few words that it would go to.

Frowning at that, he turned back to the 'drawing board' and made a few changes and sang the words to his changes. He was so busy, he didn't hear a visitor enter but he smelled them. He waited until they were inside before teasing, "You're gonna have to do better than that if you want to get the drop on your hunter, lass."

Haley pouted at the werewolf as she entered his room. She looked around and found everything was pretty much in the same place he left it when he finished his music gig. He wasn't the spic and span type but everything was kept in its place… organized clutter he called it. She replied, "I am doing just fine on that note."

"Could've fooled me," Liam replied as he made another change and added a few more notes while playing them on his piano. "I take it that you are not here to make a social call."

Haley pursed her lips. She had met the werewolf when she and Dean last parted. She had almost killed him until he used a spell to render her powers neutralized. It was a clever move and he didn't try to hurt her and she felt like an idiot when he showed her his school emblem that all members of the Roslyn Academy Guard carried. Since then they teamed up on a few things here and there. He was her go to when she needed information on things she was hunting and he taught her how to be better at it. She never got his reasons why but she took it and ran with it. "Not really."

Liam hummed as he continued to make his notations. "What is it then? Need more on lore?"

"You know that they have the rings and they are going to try and put Lucifer back in the box," Haley said without beating around the bush. She found direct worked best with the werewolf though he was good at sidestepping and making preambles to anything if he chose to.

"Yes, I know. I even told them where to start looking for Pestilence. Last I heard…" Liam played a couple of notes. Deciding they were good, he worked on the next set of lines and wrote the notes on his paper. "They managed to get it and Chicago is still standing so I am assuming that they have Death's ring too."

"And you don't see it?" Haley frowned at the werewolf as he worked.

"See what? That they will have the problem of actually getting the Morningstar back into hell's kitchen?" Liam's Irish lilt filtered through a bit more heavily as he turned to look at Haley. "Who hasn't?"

"And?"

Liam studied the witch. He knew she knew the answer. He figured it out once the Winchesters mentioned their intentions and it was without his aingeal friend. "And…" He swiveled around back to the piano and played the whole melody he had just written. "And I know that they know this problem but it seems that they have a plan."

"Yeah and that means Sam saying yes."

"Most assuredly, lass," Liam replied playing on the piano. He liked how it sounded and if he put in the guitar and had it sung on stage…

"And that doesn't bother you?"

"Oh I am bothered. I like the Goradh especially since he makes the aingeal so happy. The whole thing has been amusing." Liam finished playing once he played a part that would sound good and turned to write it into the music. He could feel Haley's eyes boring into his back and sighed slightly. "Look, in the end this is going to be hard choices especially for those that have to make them."

"But this is about Sam saying yes," Haley countered. She didn't understand why the werewolf was so calm about this. "This is about losing a friend."

"It's more than that," Liam replied as he wrote a few more notes. This was one of those things that was difficult to explain. He then played them. Satisfied, he decided to play the whole song but not sing it. He wanted to hear it before putting the words to it. He played a few notes and continued, "This is more about taking what has always been assumed, like destiny, and then saying that there is a different way. Maybe not better but the kind that makes the decision easier. It's pretty much what a Champion has to face, love."

"But this isn't like the tournaments I've heard of. Which, by the way, Sam was named a Champion of." Haley watched as Liam played his song. She always wondered how it was he could work on his music while conducting business that was related to hunting and that kind of thing.

"Oh I've heard of that. Actually I was there. I was rooting for Lycan at the time but I was also curious about the human that was trained by the aingeal." Liam looked up and grinned at Haley. "I also saw the show afterward. Something to see a judgment being passed by the gods that created and blessed the Tournament of Souls."

"Okay you've proven that you get around."

"Ah it's expected even with us teachers and guards at Roslyn." Liam was smiling as he came to the chorus of the song he was working on. "We do protect our students but we also want to encourage that we can live together and not in fear and keep things under wraps. It's always easier when you have a friend or a partner that understands your world even if they are not like you."

"Now you're talking about Sam and Angie."

"Not really though they are a good and fun example. The Goradh is very amusing and impressive." Liam raised a finger to make a point as he played the next verse of the song. "And then to get more intimate with the simple things… he impresses the males that would look after the aingeal and the competition."

"Huh?"

"Talking about being the alpha and laying claim. I mean it was obvious to me when we first met but it wasn't to them. That's what made it entertaining."

"Glad to see you like prying into other people's lives for your personal entertainment."

Liam paused and looked at Haley long and hard. He studied her for a moment as he considered something since he didn't want to get too short with her. Finally he said, "Listen, sister. I don't pry into things for shits and giggles. I look out for my friends and check up on them because I care. It is true that there is something about the aingeal that defies logic in most things and even more so with the Winchesters. But her… she's special and I don't mean with what's going on."

Haley felt like she was being berated by a teacher from school the way Liam looked at her. Then again he was a teacher when he wasn't out doing a music tour or on a job. "I get that," she replied in a respectful tone, "But… it's already rough enough that they had to deal with Chuck who is writing about the Winchesters, been writing about them. I read the books too."

"Who hasn't?"

"The point is… it is…"

"No more different than a story being told about you or me, or one of the savants seeing about us in the future. Granted it's not the same as the Seer but… you get the point." Liam went back to playing the piece he was working on and shifted to one he had written a year earlier but hadn't really decided to release it. "And I'm only making sure that they have the job they are taking on to focus on. The other stuff… got it covered."

"Out of the goodness of your heart?"

"Aye and because I like to see good things continue even if it isn't exactly the sunshine and daises happiness."

Haley studied the werewolf as he played the song he had switched to. The melody seemed haunting and lonely like something was looking for something but it didn't know what it was. All it knew was that it was to keep searching. "Song sounds like a sad but happy one."

Liam hummed at that. "I suppose." He leaned over the keyboard as he played the song with feeling.

Haley sighed in agitation. She may have just lost footing with the werewolf. It usually was the case when he had enough and was done talking or giving her something. Yet she knew it was that and the way he dismissed her. Here it looked like he was content to ignore her. Deciding to leave and maybe go see Dean, she headed towards the door.

"You haven't been given leave yet."

Haley turned and sighed, "I think I was given the way you were acting." She glared at the werewolf's back.

Liam continued to play as he thought about what he had learned and kept to himself. There were a lot of things that he knew but gave the impression that he didn't care or was very carefree about things. Mostly it was to fit the role of musician but, like Austin, it was to direct attention away from the fact that he might know something of value. It was how he protected information and people. Misdirection was a gift and a talent and Austin taught him well in a few things and vice versa.

Haley stood there waiting for an answer. She was growing more frustrated that she wasn't getting one and she wanted to leave. She started to turn again when she heard, "It is not for entertainment but for the reasons I listed. There are some that are protectors of the people but there are others who protect the protectors."

Haley frowned at that, "But that doesn't make sense. Wouldn't that start a vicious cycle that is doomed to repeat?"

Liam stopped playing and swiveled to look at the juju witch. "It's true that it doesn't make sense but in a larger sense it does. For people like the aingeal, genuine ones, they give without reward and refuse to let others suffer on their behalf. But there are those who have been saved by someone like her that wish to repay the debt. It's what I'm doing keeping track."

"So it's repaying a favor."

"That and… I can't help it."

Haley frowned, "I don't understand."

Liam ran a hand through his hair. Maybe it was time to share the secret a little. He stood up suddenly and beckoned, "Follow me, lass. I want to show you something." He turned to head toward a door that looked like a closet door.

Haley followed the werewolf after a moment's hesitation. There wasn't any reason not to trust him unless he had her completely fooled. She followed him through the door that she assumed was a closet and into another room. It was a small and cramped room with a writing desk. On it was a book that looked like one of those old leather bound grimoire types. Leaning over, she saw words appearing on it and read a few lines and blinked wide eyed as she just read a description of herself reading it. She looked at Liam.

"Don't ask cause I have no clue. It's not a Prophet but it is someone who has been writing the last four years on everything regarding a certain aingeal." Liam gestured at the book. "And I have been keeping it, letting it write."

"But…"

"This is what I meant protecting the protector. I know her like you know them and how they would feel." Liam glanced at the book and put a hand on it. His fingertips stroked the edges of the paper. "This is a story that began before it was written lass and this is but a small piece of it. What is written here tells not only what is to happen but what has happened and the things that are. It is the story of life. Maybe the beginning is like someone being born or maybe it is when the first words were written in this book. This one began with the start of a relationship and maybe it is right that the beginning of the end begins with the start of another."

A/N: Looks like Liam has something that tells the story and we are down to the wire and counting down to the showdown with Lucifer. Stay tuned for more Light's Evensong...