Chronicles of Absolution: To Hell and Back

Chapter 1

Then

… What worried her was the fact that Austin could smell it. Austin was one of her firsts when it came to being a demon slayer. He was the best at it under her…

… "The why regarding a certain stench that seems to cling to you."

… "You can't lie to me about it since I smell it on you Sam. You've been drinking demon blood." He looked at Sam full on…

… "Most of us can smell things pretty good but it does take a certain talent to know a demon and an angel without them bleeding. Yes I learned that from her."

… A well-trained operative could use the shadows like a cloak to sneak in and sneak out and never leave a trace behind. It was what they had been trained for and those skills were put to use hunting down the beasts that plagued the human race…

… The best thing that his kind could do was use that gift to seek out those that were a menace to humanity. That was their calling and they had been blessed. His clan though was truly blessed…

… A demon was a demon and it must be killed. Anything that had a taint in the blood should be killed including those blasted champions. Sooner or later they would turn on humanity. It happened before…

… She, the greatest of them all and the most feared. She handpicked him and his brothers and taught her craft to them. It made them better hunters than their kinsmen and members of the other clans. Then she betrayed them like all the others did…

… "We were to hunt the demons but a choice was always an option. You have corrupted our purpose."

"I have made it better. Now give up the brat and the others will be spared."

She put her right hand across her middle to reach for the handle. "That… I cannot allow you to do." She then pulled out her sword and swung it to strike…

… "I was a demon slayer yes," Angela replied, "I trained only a select few how to track demons through the scent of their blood. Demon blood has a particular scent that differs greatly from human blood."

… Legend has it that seven were chosen to defend the world from the monsters. They were given the gift to hunt and thus seven lineages were born. They are considered hunters…

… "I was and to some degree, still am, considered the best at being a slayer. I was asked by the Centurion to train others since they are one of the groups that defend humans. I refused for several years until I gave in under the stipulation that I would chose who got trained and who didn't. I selected them mostly from the vampires since they had exceptional sniffers already but then I got curious about others and selected some from the hunter clans."

… It was like a dance, a dance that she used to practice a long time ago…

… The blood that fuels pit beasts amplifies instincts. The alpha's alpha is human but he has the blood of a pit beast running through his veins… The young pup is touching his mate… The alpha's alpha is starting to acknowledge his feelings. I can smell them on him and they get stronger when he holds her…

… The alpha is her alpha's mate. Just not formally yet…

… Because the alpha is not a true pup. He protects her like a pup because she looks like a pup but deep down it's because she is his mate and he is hers.

He has never done that when children touch her. The daughter of Wosret that was returned remembers well his actions.

Because she was a true pup. The alpha is not…

… "You mess with her… you mess with me and my brother."

… A glance at her wrists and she noticed the cuffs. It was child's play to slip them but when she wriggled them, she felt the familiar sting and stopped. Adamantium silver again. That was the only problem since the rest of her body was tied with rope. It was a marvel that something so small could keep someone with strength like hers rooted to that spot…

… "I think you know who I am so what would be the point?"

"Possibly to savor the moment."

"Or maybe it is to confirm to your eyes what your ears tell you to be true. In your mind you are thinking that such a thing can't be possible. And yet your ears are telling you, that what you hear it possible and that it must be so. A fragile thing the memory is. I wonder how many you have that will make themselves known."

"I don't have to tell you anything."

"You won't have to. Your mind will speak for you. Still there is no harm in showing you what your ears hear."

… Angela felt the air in her lungs constrict as she looked at her companion with a wide-eyed expression. She struggled to take deep breaths and watched as the owner of the voice gave a malicious smile, the hatred plain in her eyes. Finally Angela managed to let out one word, "Mary?"

… Being on the road, doing what he was doing was a calling. It was his job to rid them from the face of this earth. The freaks had to go since this was made for humans. He was the best of the lone wolves that traversed this country. Sure he met a few others but they were no friends. In this business you had no friends…

… Screw those that could scent out the demons. It was the Halflings one had to worry about. They were not as obvious as the others. They blended in, trying to be human but there were ways to bring them out and then the hunt began. It was his job since the others were content with hunting the more obvious freaks. The real threat was always one that was hidden until it was too late…

… You know how to do it best. Though I would watch out for this one. Rumor has it that she travels with others like you. Be careful if any abilities show up. That is always a mess to deal with and they still are searching for you in that one place…

… "Look, you may have a good thing going but you are messing with things that will have a direct consequence on the order of things, celestial things. Your current target is one that cannot be killed, not even by the likes of you… I warned you. She is not to be harmed. If you do, there will be far worse consequences that not even your pathetic little self could conceive," the woman retorted. "Think of it this way, you kill her, you die and that is coming from both sides. Mine and the one you supposedly work for."

… "There you are. Don't you ever die?"

"You're not gonna like my answer to that."

… "Which one of you brainiacs came up with astral projection?" Pam looked at the three of them like a parent would though that seemed to be a bit wrong since she had lost her sight…

… In the corner was a pair of shackles. They weren't normal iron shackles. They were like the ones that Alistair had her clapped into recently but padded… just like before. There was also a food dish and a water dish like for an animal. Seeing them made her throat convulse with the memory. Abruptly she turned to look at Lenya and replied, "Are you attempting to display your sick sense of humor or just merely being a pain in my ass?"

… "Then again you were young, vain, arrogant… things that Daddy liked about you."

… Angela could hear the faint sounds of screaming and hissing. The clanking of chains was loud in her ears even though there was nothing to visibly see. She heard Alistair and Lenya both laughing and talking like she was four, patronizing her…

… She delved into the mind and she was so good at it that they didn't even know she had been there. With Dean though she had cheated a little bit but not much had changed since her time in the pit. That was where Alistair lacked; his creativity sucked and that was partially the reason for the elaborate setup that led her to being captured…

… Angela knew that her lashing out at Uriel and Castiel was a result of the hatred she had of herself, her life's secrets, Alistair, Lenya… her hatred of everything that was associated with the bigger picture thing. The sad thing was that she played by those rules and believed in them…

… that the power of choice was the thing to believe in. The second part was trust; trust that the choice made would ultimately be the one that was believed to be the best interest. Perdition's road was paved with best intentions yet sometimes those intentions paid off…

… "The past never truly leaves us Alistair. Now just save yourself the misery and tell us what we want to know."

… I have been lying but tell me: is it a sin to lie to yourself?

… At first he thought she didn't remember any of their time with her as a little girl since she remembered the last case that they did before she was shrunk and that felt like a hard blow… What Sam was curious about, she never brought up and he was too nervous to ask her about it. He hoped that she would talk about it but she didn't and it stung. He was willing to be patient though and it paid off when she started putting things together and she would ask mostly him certain things…

… "Yeah," Sam replied as he got to a crouch. "I found myself here and walking through. Can't see for shit here but I saw you about to get hit by whoever it was shooting at you."

"Watching my back like always," Angela replied with a smile…

… "Where do we go from here?"

"Onward."

… "All of them where there but one was dominant and it made me feel…" Angela looked at Sam. "It made me feel for the first time in my life safe."

Now

The night sky was perfect with the stars glittering. It was quiet outside with only the wind and the occasional sound of a night animal making its noise. The moon was full and bright but it didn't take away from the splendor of the night. It was one of those nights that could be enjoyed.

"So… is it like you remembered?"

Angela looked down from where she was stargazing and at Augusta where she was sitting with a pleased expression on her face. Her eyes couldn't see what was in front of her and she hadn't been able to for years but there was a merry twinkle in them. Angela smiled at the girl that she had taken in as a girl and raised to adulthood. "You know it is Augie. You had me drive all the way out here."

"Well in case you haven't noticed… little visually impaired here." Augusta motioned towards her face while still smiling.

Angela chuckled at that, "And you can win a horse race hands down. Remember the derby in Kentucky?"

"And everyone thought you were a man," Augusta countered laughing. "But I still kicked your ass anyway."

"Because you can see on a level I can't and probably won't ever." Angela smiled as she took a sip of the beer she had procured. It was the brand that the monk Li liked and introduced to the Winchesters. She also brought a bottle of Jack but that was for later. "You're special Augie."

"So are you," Augusta replied. She took a sip of the beer that was hers. "You are the best person I know."

"Now you are starting to sound like Sam." Angela turned to look up at the sky. She sighed as she thought about everything that happened the past few weeks. "He really believes that I'm a good person."

"Maybe it's because it is true. And he really likes you for who you are."

Angela looked at Augusta. She knew that Augusta wouldn't ever lie to her about important things. Still she wasn't sure about what he truly felt but… "He doesn't know everything about me."

"He knows enough that satisfies him." Augusta took a sip of her beer. "And he knows that whatever makes up your past… he is willing to be patient but what you've shown him so far… He really cares about you. And you really, really care about him." She gave a sly look.

"Shut up," Angela muttered as she took a sip of beer and reached for one of the sweets that Augusta insisted they buy. She started munching on it quickly. "Just look at the stars."

"Oh nice. Say that to the blind girl."

"Don't tease the girl that is love with a guy who needs to deal with feeling he ended the world."

Augusta had to laugh. Even though she couldn't see her friend and mentor, she could just imagine how ridiculous she was looking because she was that shy of her feelings. The nice thing was that Angela wasn't being reluctant to the idea but it was cute and adorable. She turned to her right and asked, "And what do you say? Thinking she's being rude, Jo?"

Jo looked up from her lap where she had been silently laughing and replied, "She can be meaner."

"You should know Jo," Angela retorted while trying to hide her blush. She wondered why she even agreed to this. "You've seen me do worse."

"I know but that was because you were pissed. Not because you were shy and in love," Jo replied chuckling. "Whoever thought that the tough Angie would be shy?"

Angela blushed wildly and turned her back towards them. "Why did I agree to this?"

"Because it is your birthday in a couple of days and it has been years since we actually did something like this," Augusta replied as she scooted forward, avoiding the campfire, and sat to Angela's left. She wrapped her arm around the older woman.

Jo did the same thing but on the right. "And for once you should have something nice with people who care about you. And I don't mean what the Winchesters plan. I'm talking about a girl's night out."

Angela sighed and couldn't help but smile. She did love being with Jo and Augusta and she had to admit that this was a pretty good idea for them to come up with. She knew that Jo would know her birthday since she had spent a couple of years with the Harvelles and Augusta she practically raised and that girl knew how to pry secrets out of people. So she figured it out soon enough. It was a kind gesture on their part and they made it so it didn't have to be about her birthday since Jo knew more or less why she was reluctant to acknowledge it.

She had received a call a couple of days ago from Augusta. Dean had answered the phone and Angela knew that Augusta had him going in circles by the way he looked frustrated and bellowed for her to tell her friends to not be like her. At first Angela thought the girl had a job that was more on the secretive side or that the Centurion wanted her to come back and help them out. When Augusta gave her the plan in the old code that they used to use, she knew something was up.

It had taken some convincing on her part for Dean to actually let her go. He took up the role of protective big brother and it seemed it had increased ever since the whole thing with Gabriel. She didn't blame him really since her expressions were clear on her face. He was suspicious and emphasized that he thought it was stupid for her to work with the Centurion even though she had explained that all it was going to be was a visit with Augusta and that she was going because it was the girl's birthday and it was something they had done over the years.

Sam was actually more accepting of the idea. He was the one that convinced Dean to let her go citing that it was Augusta and nothing bad was going to happen. Angela suspected he also said something else that she wasn't privy to. He did say for her to have fun and gave her a kiss on the cheek before she took Deanna and went to meet Augusta.

As it turned out that Augusta had planned their little camping expedition with the help of Jo. How she managed to convince Jo to go along Angela wasn't sure. In the end she was happy to be with them. They had gone out to where she and Augusta used to camp and now they were here. Looking at them she said, "And you guys win. You got me out here."

"You would have come anyway," Augusta said with a grin on her face.

"Most definitely," Jo added, "We're irresistible."

"In your dreams," Angela shot back with a grin. She looked around and gestured, "So apart from trying to pick apart my private life, what do you two have planned?"

Augusta cleared her throat and Jo shuffled in her seat to cover the fact that Augusta had slipped away to get something to bring to the campfire. Jo said, "Well obviously presents and…"

"Something that I know you like," Augusta said as she sat back down in her seat while the others turned around. "Thanks to Jo, we were able to get this." She put a pastry box in Angela's lap and resumed a position that made her look like a female Buddha sans the robes.

Angela raised her brow at Augusta and then Jo before looking down at the pastry box. She flipped open the lid and grinned. She looked at the two girls and said, "You know if the boys were here they would think that I am nuts." She pulled out a pastry to reveal nothing more than baklava. "Haven't figured out yet that I like baklava."

Jo took a piece when it was offered to her. "Well maybe Sam might. You know he pays a bit more attention to things." She grinned at Augusta even though the girl couldn't see her.

Augusta grinned as well and took a piece. "Maybe it goes to the fact that he likes doing nice things for you. After all didn't he convince the mother hen to let you out of the house?"

Angela narrowed her eyes at the two girls. She had long known that she couldn't keep her feelings from either of them. Augusta could read auras and they were as accurate as reading faces and feelings. Jo, she possessed for a time and the girl saw her thoughts and feelings. Every time she thought about it, she panicked because Sam never mentioned anything about it even though he asked her how she felt about it. She retorted, "Only because Sam knows how to talk to Dean without it becoming messy between me and him."

"True," Augusta admitted, "But he does like you. I can see it."

"Of course he likes me. He considers my feelings."

Augusta looked at Jo. Even though she couldn't see the look on the other girl's face, she could sense it. The more they pushed, the more Angela was going to deny and shut down. Jo said, "Whatever you say, Angie."

Angela shot a look at Jo before taking another piece of baklava and taking a bite. She was surprised and flattered, if it was true, that Sam helped to plan this. She remembered last year when they just had cake and beer and it was his way of doing something nice for her. He always considered her feelings and she knew that she hadn't been too nice about things lately. "I do say so," she said in a soft tone.

The subject changed quickly and it was a relief that there was no shoptalk in terms of saving people and hunting things. Even though it was for her birthday, Angela enjoyed retelling stories of people and places she had been. They ended up being retellings of the stories she used to tell Jo and Augusta when they were little but it was fun.

"You so did not go to Woodstock," Jo exclaimed with a grin.

"Most certainly did. I was a wild child," Angela replied laughing. "Actually I was there for the music. I didn't get into the whole whatever you humans call it." She ate another piece of baklava with a grin on her face.

"Meaning she didn't get laid," Jo whispered to Augusta.

Augusta chuckled at that while Angela turned a little red in the face. She figured Jo would bring back around to Angela's love life. "I know. She can turn down a guy without hurting their feelings." She shrugged her shoulders, "Part of the job. Right Angie?"

"Yep. Right on there Augie," Angela replied as she looked down. "And it reminded me too much of the orgy fests that I witnessed in Rome back in the time of the Borgia." She saw the looks she was getting. "Oh yeah it was true. It was actually an orgy of one of the cardinals and he had been bribed by the Borgia."

"Just a walking history book eh Angie," Jo said. She had grown up on stories that seemed so far fetched and yet they were very real. When Angela told them when she was a little girl with a problem going to sleep… it was like a whole other world. Then when she found out how real they were, it opened up more to the world that she was now a part of.

"Call it healthy living," Angela agreed. "Augie has her own stories too."

"Of course. Our stint in Pima County, Arizona was something to remember. I saved your ass from getting shot."

"Only in your dreams."

Laughter ensued as they three of them pretended to be mad at each other. A couple of more rounds of beer and baklava followed until Jo said, "Okay so we ate, drank… so now for the best part. Presents."

Augusta giggled like a girl as she scrambled to reach over to her pack while Jo grabbed hers. Angela made a slight sound. "Please not the gag gifts."

"Oh this is much better," Jo said as she put her pack on her lap. She reached in and pulled out a package. "Besides you can't have a birthday without presents. It's like Christmas not being Christmas." She handed the package over to Angela. "Now I found that on my way back from a job with Mom. She says Happy Birthday by the way and to call her when you get a chance."

Angela took the package and opened it. "I'll give her a call. I promise." She finished opening the package to find a charm of sorts with the symbol for hellhounds and something else. She peered at it and held it up. "You telling me to summon more hellhounds?"

"It's a special charm. Only breeders carry that." Jo gave a shrug. "Think about it."

Angela said nothing else but gave a second look. She then turned to Augusta as she put her package on her lap. She narrowed her eyes suspiciously at Augusta as she opened the package.

A/N: Looks like Angie's birthday is here and she's spending it with Jo and Augie. Nice. Stay tuned for more To Hell and Back...