Chronicles of Absolution: Mask of Milagro

Chapter 1

Now

Milagro, New Mexico

The night was young and the festivities were in full swing. As far as the people of Milagro were concerned, there were few occasions in which a full out party was to be given. Natividad was a given as well as the special saint days. Of course the most important was a girl's quinceañera. This year there were four and they all were within days of each other. That was about the equivalent of a month's worth of parties. After all becoming a woman was important to a traditional Mexican girl.

Diego de la Vera looked over the courtyard of the Valle ranch. Their daughter was having their party tonight. The mass will be conducted during the afternoon and then the dance. His old friend Ricardo was putting up a pretty penny for his daughter Ana. Then again she was his pride and joy and she was the eldest out of five children.

Diego gave a whistle and his dog drove the small goat herd that was allowed to graze on Valle's land came with the herd. He turned his horse in the direction of his ranch and the dog drove the herd. Diego gave a wave at Ricardo who was finishing up his chores. He called out, "May God bless this day compadre."

"And to you."

It didn't take long to get back to the ranch. He walked in and went to see his wife who was busy putting the finishing touches on Elena's dress. Her party was on the fifteenth and that was in five days' time and besides Ana, there was Rosita and Lupe in between. It was definitely a time of celebration. He kissed his wife and greeted his daughter. "Still fussing over the frills?"

"Sí Papa," Elena replied as she paused in her sewing. "Mama decided to add a few more and I told her that God doesn't care how frilly a dress is." She gave a playful smirk at her father and glanced at her mother.

"Do not mock God, Elena," Esperanza rebuked gently. She smiled though as she began to roll up her sewing. "God knows that when a woman comes of age she makes the decision regarding her devotion to him."

Elena made a slight face while her father tried hard not to laugh. He knew that she didn't believe in a lot of the things that their people did. She thought them to be a bit silly and he was inclined to agree. However it was hard to change tradition and habits and some people just really believed. She replied, "Yes Mama."

Esperanza gave a stately nod as she began putting away her sewing things. Elena's dress was finished and now she just had to worry about the refreshments. Fandangos and other festivities were a delicate affair since there was a substantial portion of the family that had special dietary needs. It always worked out but it still required a delicate touch since family wasn't the only thing that was invited to events like this.

Elena took the hint and began putting her things away. It was about time to get started on getting ready for the party anyway. She couldn't wait to talk to her friend Ana. She and Rosita and Lupe had been friends since they were kids and they always shared birthdays since they were days apart. The mass was going to be in a couple of hours so it was best she get ready now so that they wouldn't be rushing. "Well I guess it's time to get ready. Do you need anything Mama?"

"No that will be all. You go and get ready," Esperanza replied.

Elena left and Diego watched his daughter saunter off. "Well I guess I better get going too. Dirt on the trail…"

"And you're going to try and make a joke out of it. You know we have to be careful," Esperanza replied as she stood up. She picked up her basket and stood in front of her husband. "You know that she is at that point where…"

"I am well aware my dear. I know it hasn't been easy for all of us." Diego gave a slight dusting of his pants. He was covered with dirt from the roundup. "Still we are family and it is what we are. Elena has been around her cousins all her life. Who knew the genes carried on this long."

"I just worry that someone will notice certain things…" Esperanza looked down the hall to make sure Elena was truly gone. The girl liked to eavesdrop on conversations.

"We have lived her for three generations, and I use that loosely mi amor, and the people of Milagro know us and our family. No one will find out. It would have to take someone who is a hunter or one who is a long lost family member to guess."

"I hope you are right," Esperanza replied as she put her sewing aside. "Well we best be getting ready. I promised Yolanda that I would be there to help with the set up for the party." She smiled and kissed her husband on the cheek before going to get ready. She paused and said, "You better not show her that new horse until after her birthday. God knows you spoil her enough."

Diego couldn't help but laugh at that. He loved his wife and daughter. His son was his pride and joy and was in line to inherit the ranch. His family was the most important thing to him secrets and all. He followed his wife into their room to get ready.

The sky was dark when the music began to strike up. The mass had gone well. Everyone was in tears or happiness that another young woman joined the community. Ana stood with her parents to receive the guests as they came and lit up when she saw her long time and best friend Elena. Her mother nodded that she was excused from receiving and she went to greet Elena. The two of them went to greet their friends.

Diego led Esperanza to a table and sat with her after bringing her a drink. He could tell Ricardo had gone all out for his daughter. Well he did the same for his Elena and they hadn't even had the celebration yet. He was actually grateful that Elena's would be the last one since he was well aware of the needs of his family. At least they weren't overly sensitive to the semi desert life since a majority of them lived in cities like Santa Fe and the like. He was glad because for the most part, people wouldn't notice the peculiarities of the family.

"Señors, señoras, it is a pleasure to announce Señorita Ana Valle being presented by her father Señor Ricardo Valle," the announcer called.

Everyone stopped their talking as Ricardo escorted his daughter to the dance floor. It was tradition for the father and daughter to share the first dance. Ricardo stopped and turned and Ana accepted his hand to dance. He was so proud of his daughter. While they were dancing, he took the opportunity to say, "You look beautiful mi hija. The most beautiful here."

"You tease Papa." Ana smiled at her father as they danced together, "Thank you for giving me this party."

"It isn't every day your little girl becomes a woman," Ricardo replied. "I remember when you were a bouncing whirl of curls. Now I have to worry about chasing off suitors." He smiled to show that he was teasing but also being serious.

"Papa."

Ricardo chuckled as the dance finished. He then said, "Now have a good time mi hija. Maestro."

The DJ struck up with more modern music and all the young people joined in the dancing. It was new stuff and some of the parents were a little scandalized but at least the DJ had a mixture of different kinds so it was bearable. Some of them were chatting about other things while the youngsters were having their fun.

Ricardo made it over to the table where Diego was sitting with his wife and said, "Glad you can make it compadre."

Diego smiled, "I wouldn't miss it. Besides how could I forget when our precious jewels were born within the same month?"

"An expense that we saw and gladly pay."

Diego couldn't help but laugh at that joke. They had both been hoping for a boy but when they were presented with daughters, they laughed. They started joking about the difference between the expenses in daughters versus sons. They both agreed that daughters were expensive but worth every penny. Their wives called them softies but they both loved their children. He replied, "Yes and now you compadre are the first to be the guard against the suitors little Ana will be bringing."

"Don't remind me. I already started polishing my collection of guns," Ricardo said.

"Don't you be going and scaring off all the boys," Yolanda scolded in wifely fashion.

"Why not? It will save on the next big expense… the wedding," Ricardo teased.

Diego and Esperanza started laughing along with Yolanda. It was a good joke but a reality that they were practical enough to think about. They were fortunate in that they had money from their cattle spreads but not all the people of Milagro were lucky. Some needed work and some were down and out. Some lost their farmland because of water rights. Diego did his best to help out by offering employment to the men. He knew a thing or two about pride and that there was a fine line between charity and work. So he got by with hiring men as cowhands and other types depending on their skill level. Ricardo did the same and it was working somewhat given the state of the economy.

Diego pushed such thoughts away since this was a happy day. He smiled and replied, "And we will all gather again for a round of drinking and dancing. Don't forget the harvests either."

"That was a good thing you did in reclaiming the water rights for some of the farmers. The town is starting to live again" Ricardo acknowledged.

"Wouldn't have done it without you compadre," Diego replied as he put a reassuring hand on Ricardo's arm. "We've always been partners."

While they were talking, the lights began to flicker. Ricardo noticed and frowned. When they did it again, he became concerned. He was meticulous in keeping his place in shape in terms of plumbing, electricity and the like. Diego noticed and asked, "Everything all right?"

At that moment, the lights flickered again and it seemed that a breeze picked up. Diego stood up and looked around. Was it one of those? He frowned as he looked around. The hanging lanterns were starting to sway and some of the skirts of the dresses were blowing up in ways that they shouldn't. Something was up.

Ricardo looked around. He didn't understand what was happening but it seemed that the concentration of the flickering was over the dance floor. His Ana was there. "Diego."

Diego nodded and replied, "Go."

It was a good thing. At that moment, furniture and dishes began flying. People began screaming and the dance floor began to clear. Ana was the only one standing there with Elena. In the middle of the floor appeared a young woman in a dress. A quinceañera dress and it looked like it had been ripped to shreds and bloodied. Her hair was a mess as she looked straight at Ana. She pointed a finger at her and said something in Spanish.

At that next moment the girl swooped forward. Ana screamed along with Elena as they saw the thing come at them. It was Elena that pulled Ana out of the way but the ghost hit Ana's father. There were ghostly screams and blood everywhere. Some of it splashed on the elaborate tiered white frosted cake and dripped down like syrup on a desert. Screaming filled the night as the lights gave one last flicker and the wind died down.

"Slow down Angie. Are you trying to get us a ticket?"

The Impala roared as the engine was gunned and the speed increased. It raced through the desert highway like it was trying to get away from something and really showed what she was capable of. At the rate it was going, the vehicle could kill the tank they just filled up on but neither of the passengers decided to say anything about it since it seemed to only agitate the driver more.

Dean sat back when the Impala picked up speed and decided not to say anything more about the excessive speeding. He knew what the cause of that was; he just didn't figure that she would take it that hard but then again it was a low blow after their week in that Oni settlement. She was taking it harder than she should have but as she told him he was part of the small family she had. He didn't realize that it meant that much to her.

Their last case had them in Massachusetts and dealing with a book club of witches. It seemed simple enough with bad hexes but it turned out to be something more. Ruby decided to make an appearance and Dean thought that she and Angela were going to get into a supernatural rumble. Certainly the look that Angela gave the hell bitch was one that said she wanted to kill her. Yet she didn't and Dean wondered if Angela regretted not doing it.

As it turned out, one of the desperate housewives from the book club was a host to a demon and they unwittingly sold their souls to the demon and dabbled in what they thought was harmless mojo. Well except for the one broad that decided to hex people because she was slighted. He and Sam thought that it was over the moment the broad ended up dead but Angela said otherwise and was insistent that something was up.

It had been a mistake to question her judgment. She wasn't the petty type but she took offense to it. It bothered Dean though that they thought she was wrong. She had been wrong before but she had never been like that and she admitted when she was wrong. It then occurred to Dean that she picked up on things that people missed. He asked her later if she smelled demon and her response was raised brow. He knew that he and Sam made a mistake in forgetting that and it was proven when Angela whirled and grabbed Ruby by the throat.

It ended up being a free for all for the demon. Dean had to admit that Ruby saved his ass from being ganked by a hex. That still didn't mean that he trusted her. When they finally ganked the demon, he got a surprise of his life. Even though the Colt took out the bitch that caused all this, he was surprised to see Angela in a vamp out mode and even more surprised to see her hand glow. He was sure she didn't even realize she was doing it. However that wasn't the crux of the issue.

That came when they were at the motel and Ruby paid him a visit. He had asked Ruby if it was true about her making a deal with the demon. At the time Angela was with him because she wanted company and to talk to him. She answered for Ruby by saying that it was true. That led to the conversation that ended up with him asking if there really was a way out of his deal.

Ruby looked at Angela and replied that there was no avoiding it. He was going to go to hell and that there was no spell or anything like that to get out of it. Dean saw the light go out of Angela's eyes. It hurt to see that from her but then it was replaced by something else and it worried him. All she said to Ruby was, "Odds of success not in favor but there is still a chance."

Dean had wondered if she was going to try something stupid. He knew that she was willing to give up her vamp half for him and become human. He figured that was why she never told Ruby to get lost when she showed up. Ruby mentioned that she remembered what it was like to be human and maybe that affected Angela a bit. She did mention that she remembered being completely human before her powers kicked in. It made him wonder if she was that desperate to be normal and would be willing to the trade since it was obvious that her soul wasn't enough when she brokered the deal.

They left Massachusetts and Dean didn't argue when she asked for the keys. She took off and headed west like she couldn't get away fast enough. She drove through most of the night and only stopped when a pit stop was needed and she even paid to gas up his baby. As far as he could tell she hadn't had a decent night's worth of sleep and they didn't really stop long enough to determine if there was a job. Now they were in New Mexico and she didn't show any signs of stopping and a town was coming up in five miles.

"Angie, slow down. There's no reason for this."

Dean groaned as the Impala screeched to a halt. The radio was playing country but very low. This wasn't going to be good. He watched as Angela undid her belt and got out of the car and grabbed a water bottle to start walking down the road. It surprised him when Sam got his long frame out of the car and started chasing her down the highway. Didn't Sam know that she could out walk him on her best day? He sighed and got out and into the driver's seat.

He caught up with Sam and told him, "Sam just get in the car. Let her walk it off."

"Dean, this is becoming a frequent thing when something bothers her."

"Sam."

"Dean seriously, what is going on? Ever since Ruby showed up in Massachusetts Angie has been driven to get away." Sam looked at his brother with a hurt expression.

Dean recognized the look. Sam gave that one when he was caught in the middle of something that he didn't understand. This time his brother was seriously hurt by her avoidance and refusal to talk and Dean could understand that. Angela had talked to Sam more frequently and she was willing to tell him things about her past and what she was feeling. Yet with everything happening, Dean was willing to conclude that she was like a child with these new emotions and feelings.

Angela was still getting used to how she felt about him and Sam. Right now it was the context of family and she had admitted it to him. Also with the whole thing with the council and then everything else; it was no wonder she was acting the way she was. It was a defense mechanism. The excessive speeding and the long days and nights with little sleep were a part of this idea of running from the truth. Her mind reasoned well but it was the emotions associated with it. After all she had admitted to living alone for a long time.

Looking up at his brother he replied, "I'm not sure Sam but I think it has something to do with how she feels about us." He wasn't going to mention their talk about the council's decision and that she had been there when Ruby stated the truth. It was something he figured that Angela would want to tell Sam and it wasn't his place to.

"Did we do anything?"

"No Sam. We did nothing except tell her how we feel."

It dawned on Sam what Dean concluded. "She's confused?"

"Makes sense Sam. She's been alone for a long time. Maybe one or two that she felt close to but maybe it's different," Dean replied with a shrug. "Besides she probably recognized the demon and bad memories plus I think she knew Ruby from way back." He motioned for Sam to get in since they were in the middle of a desert.

Sam accepted that for now but he got the feeling that Dean was hiding something. He suspected that ever since they left Louisiana and when he asked her about the hearing, she acted like she didn't know what he was talking about. He wished that she didn't feel the need to protect them both from every little detail. It was going to kill her eventually. Sighing he got into the car and looked forward to see if they could spot her.

They found her sitting by the side of the road playing with a snake about three miles down. She was holding it in her hands and just petting it considering it was a dangerous kind. Dean glanced at Sam and asked, "Is it just me or is she holding a poisonous snake?"

"I think you may be right, Dean," Sam replied as he stared out the front windshield. "Must be that animal trick Li teased her about."

Dean said nothing as he watched as Angela gave a final pet to the snake and sent it on its way. She stood slowly and picked up her water bottle and got into the back seat of the car. The only thing she said was, "I'm sorry."

It was only two words but it said a lot and they said nothing. Dean started the engine and pulled back onto the highway. It was late in the afternoon but maybe they needed a break from the drive. They could stop over in the next town and take a break. Maybe that would give time for Angela to talk to Sam since he knew his brother was itching to. It was fun but also annoying to see this dance because often he got tossed in the middle and he wanted them to figure it out on their own without his help.

Sam said, "It's okay Angie. You've been driving for a long time."

Dean stifled the groan that threatened. This was a stiff conversation and it was painful at best. Then again Sam was always the nice guy and she responded to that. "How about a pit stop Angie? I can use a break."

"Fine with me. Wake me when you find a place."

Dean glanced in the rearview mirror and saw that she dropped off immediately. They only had two more miles to go and she was out like a lamp. He felt a wet nose against his hand and he rubbed Setna's head before picking it up and dropping it in Sam's lap.

Sam looked up at his brother with a slight scowl. Dean was always dumping the cat on him but then again it provided a good start into a conversation with Angela. The thing was it felt like one of those things that she hid behind and it felt like he was hiding behind the fur ball when he tried to talk to her. Granted he eventually got to what he wanted to say, it still felt… bad. He decided he wasn't going to use the cat this time.

Rubbing Setna, he put the cat directly in Dean's lap. It was dangerous since Dean was driving but his brother had done plenty of other things while driving. When Dean looked at him, he gave a shake to indicate 'no' and adjusted his body into a slouching position after turning up the radio a little since it was still playing country.

Dean just let the radio play. He was surprised that Sam handed back the cat. He was trying to give him the means of starting a conversation. It seemed like this time Sam wanted to go at it alone. He hoped his brother was prepared for the outburst he was certain was going to come. Maybe she did need that. Nothing more was said until he pulled into the town of Milagro and looked for a motel and actually prayed that nothing bad would happen.

A/N: Welcome folks to 2.10 Mask of Milagro. We start off with a special night getting trashed by a vengeful spirit and it looks like something's bugging Angie... again. Seems like we're off to a start so stay tuned for next time on Mask of Milagro...

A/N2: FYI Milagro means 'miracle' in Spanish (hints for plots) and there are some references to the film Milagro Bean Field War. All SPN characters are property of Eric Kripke and my OFC Angie is mine.