Chronicles of Absolution: Heavy Lies the Crown

Chapter 1

The burning was nearly unbearable. The funny thing was she had been burned this bad before and had blisters but it was like a combination of tools with a little bit of personality mojo or something. It also didn't help that she was struggling so much against her bonds once they were clapped on. It was second nature and too much of a reminder of another time. Then he came out.

"You really never cease to amaze me my pretty. All the times you should have been dead and yet here you are back in the pan. What do you think you can accomplish?"

She never graced him with an answer. Instead she snarled at him like an animal. She felt like an animal, a wild animal caged against her will. She felt her fangs extend as she hissed, pulling at her bindings. It didn't help when she spotted the Winchesters trapped behind the iron chain. It made her pull all the more harder.

Alistair was no stranger to her. She was no stranger to his ways. She had been young and foolish and then paid the price. Now the price seemed to be constant damnation from him now that he was topside. She had to watch as he played shoot with rock salt with the boys but an idea came to her and she spent time in concentration over 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.

Dean was a bit sheepish and embarrassed as he announced it was him. She silently cleared her throat but she knew Pam was looking at her, well she was facing her. The woman was looking less than impressed with the idea.

"Of course Chachi," Pam scoffed. "So let's be clear. You wanna rip your souls out of your bodies, and take a little stroll through the spirit world?" She made a gesture to mock them a little.

Dean nodded, "Mm-hmm." He wasn't looking at Pam and neither was Sam. It really was an insane idea.

"Do you have any idea how heavy-duty insane that is?"

There was a slight back and forth between Dean and Pam as he laid down the reasons for it. Pam said, "You don't know what you're doing but the conduit there does. In fact she doesn't need to do astral projection."

… "Rock salt's not so much fun anymore, is it?"

They were almost loose. Almost there. She just needed to work it a little more. She had to save Tessa. Even though they were not friends, she felt a special connection to Tessa… much like Dean. She would not let Death be killed twice.

One Reaper was dead. Tessa was next. It was now or never. The bolts came loose just as the chandelier came crashing down. The chains were free. Using them like weapons she swung them forward, her teeth elongated and hissing, allowing Tessa to take Sam and Dean away. Then she felt the vibration through the spirit world. She knew…

The next minute she was in another place with the demon. Dean was there and she fell after they broke apart from the grip they were in. The chains were around her wrists and she held the ends. They were burning and blistering but that was a moot point now.

"You can't run Dean. Not even my little pretty can," Alistair mocked. "Not from me. I'm inside that angsty little noggin of yours." He advanced after grabbing the end of one of the chains.

She yanked the end away. She spoke but in a language she hadn't used in years. Her teeth were still elongated and her eyes were glowing. Then lightning came down and Alistair was gone…

… "There's no such thing as miracles"…

… "Shame on me for ever looking for you in the first place. The one they said and I went like a moth to a flame."...

… "I know and she knows what you did to the demon Sam. I can feel what's inside of you. If you think you have good intentions… think again."

She looked at Pam's lifeless body on the bed. Sasha moaned in sadness from her place on the floor. Inside felt empty. Not even the burning sensation mattered. All she could hear was the mocking laugh of him and his daughter…

The day was gray and a light rain was falling. Any hints of the sun were marred by the overcast as the rain came down. Angela blinked as the rain poured. Her hair had been tied back in a bun and the water made it slick. She was leaning against a tree while watching the funeral home. Sasha was sitting beside her and looking every bit as sad as she was feeling.

The one they said and I went like a moth to a flame.

"You certainly came to the flame Pam… and you got burned for it," Angela sighed as she watched the funeral parlor.

It wasn't that she didn't want to be there with them. She just didn't trust herself to be there. She didn't trust her controls that she had over her abilities and feared that something would happen during the funeral that would spell for dangerous consequences. She didn't need that… not now especially after her latest confrontation with Alistair.

This was good enough, standing in the rain and letting it pour on her. The coat that Murrieta gave her was thick enough not to get sopping wet and chill her to the bone. At this point, she didn't care if she caught a cold. It would be a minor punishment compared to her agreeing to that fool idea that they had come up with.

You don't know what you're doing but the conduit there does. In fact she doesn't need to do astral projection.

Angela ran through that conversation. It was something she did as easily as she did when sleeping. It was true. She hadn't needed to perform astral projection.

What does she mean, Angie?

It means… I can see them.

It was akin to telling them that she knew their parents the first time she mentioned it without evading the issue. It was a surprise to both of them though she figured that they would have figured it out with the incident at the Morton House being the big clue. Then again they attributed her wigging out to seeing visions, something they had seen her do before.

Hello Angie. Been a while. I guess mine and the other's pleas got you back.

Hi Tessa.

Wait, you know her?

We go back Dean. Back to the first time she saw death.

It was weird trying to explain that she had been able to see reapers and ghosts for the last four hundred years; since the first time she had died she had been able to see reapers. She couldn't explain how it was possible or even why. She did remember that she wanted to kill herself because she thought that she was going crazy from seeing the reapers but she didn't tell them that. There were plenty of times that she wanted to kill herself and it had nothing to do with the fact that she could see reapers and ghosts. The nice thing was that the reapers were kind enough to mask their presence.

It was a low blow to the boys to find out that but Sam was ready to jump into it with her being the physical being to give a punch or two. Certainly it helped out even though they thought her getting into Colin's house was a bit of a problem. Well it was to them but not for her; another layer to the fact that she used to be a lot more creative when getting into places, one being a high security museum to prevent the theft of a piece of artwork with occult significance.

Being able to be physical was a good thing since it was Alistair. Yet she continually asked herself what good it did. His minion bastards got her and clapped the irons on her and she was powerless until she figured out how to get free. Looking down she looked at the bandages on her wrists and hands; another reason why she didn't want to be in there. She didn't want the stares even though her coat hid her wrists.

Sasha gave a slight whine and Angela looked down. She gave a slight smile at the pup and leaned over to pet her. With her free hand, she fished out a biscuit and fed it to the pup. "Good girl, Sasha."

She went back to staring at the funeral home. It was a wonder that no one called the cops since she looked like a strange sight. Plus she could have been thought to have been up to no good.

"I believe you were the one that said that it was insane to stay out in the rain."

Angela turned to see Castiel looking at her. She replied, "That hardly applies, especially to you."

Castiel looked a bit uncomfortable but it was hard to tell since angels weren't big on showing emotion. Yet he really was uncomfortable. He sensed his charge's pain and could see it when they captured Alistair. "It was intended to… start a conversation."

"Why? Usually you showing up and asking me to do something usually works," Angela replied as she looked at the angel. The rain had lessened but it still pounded on her and ran down her face. "Then again when you 'ask' we tend to do the opposite."

"That comment wasn't directed at you."

"Oh please Cas," Angela replied with narrowed eyes. She moved to stand in front of him. "You know as well as every other dick with wings that I'm hardly the poster girl for your skewed vision of the Malachi of Absolution. I get a kick out of breaking rules."

"It wasn't meant to be towards you." Castiel almost rolled his eyes as he looked at her. "We know your tendencies."

"Yeah meaning that I probably would have killed Alistair if you hadn't lightning zapped him away." Angela wasn't sure that she would have done it. She had been running for so long from everything that happened and then when confronted she always did what she normally did; she fought to get away. Looking deep down, it was as what she had always known; she was afraid.

The ice bitch persona that had served her so well was really more a shield to the fact that she was afraid. She was afraid of the shadows that chased her namely the demons that tormented her. The physical was nothing; the mental was what got you. She would know since she had utilized that form of 'persuasion' before.

Castiel studied his charge. She had put a hand to her head and one grasped the pendant she wore. She wiped her head as if to wipe away the water that was there even though the gesture was futile. "It was a victory that we captured him."

"And what do you intend to do? Use him as a bargaining chip for queen bitch?" Angela lowered her hand from her head but she hadn't surrendered her pendant. "Because last I checked your dickhead brothers were more into intimidation and smite first and ask questions later."

"It is a possibility to get to Lilith," Castiel allowed. He would have gone on but it didn't seem right. There was a time for everything and while the urgency was getting the source of breaking the seals caught and stopped, he could sense that to bring it up was not good. "Angela, I know that what happened over the last couple of days has been… difficult." He paused and glanced at her to find her staring at him.

"Difficult?"

"There are other words but…" Castiel wasn't able to finish. He couldn't find anything to say. Once she had told him that it was okay to be spontaneous with comments or actions. It seemed that it was a good time for that. "I am sorry."

Angela looked at Castiel. It was automatic to reply, "No you're not. Your kind never are."

Castiel saw the tears even though it was raining. Slowly he reached up and with his thumb, gently wiped them. "I am sorry. I am sorry that you have to be a part of this."

The touch was gentle and Angela expected it. What she didn't expect was the flow of grace flow through the touch. She was no stranger to the feeling of grace since she had the privilege of touching Gabriel's and Anna's though the latter was more through the fact that she overloaded her vessel with it when she got it back. It was just that Castiel was not one to let people touch it.

From her experience, grace was as personal as personal space. It was characteristic of the angel and to let someone touch it… it was crossing a boundary that was related to… A probable good/bad example was when a girl and guy agree to have sex and do it. Castiel was allowing that to happen. She knew that he was trying to be there not as a job giver but…

"I know that you are angry and that you don't trust yourself at the moment."

Angela was glad her thoughts were interrupted since it allowed her to recover from the exposure to the grace. "You really have to stop that. It's bad enough I do something similar and it's creepy."

"It is related to our bond."

"I know," Angela replied, her voice growing soft. "You can pick up my distress."

Castiel lowered his hand and dropped it to his side. She had straightened up like she was ready to do business. That was how it usually went and he could see somewhat why she said the things she did and felt the way she did. It greatly conflicted with what he had been used to. Orders were orders and yet it seemed that he could let the rules apply to her. He let her turn to look back at the funeral home. He then replied, "When I was assigned to you… I thought it was like other assignments. It was… different."

Angela looked over at the angel. She raised her brow and indicated that she was going to listen. "How so?"

"I thought you were nothing like what was written but…"

Angela shook her head and grasped Castiel's hands, "Don't try Cas. I get it. I know I am nothing whatever you read at Bible camp says. Or at the very least it is embellished. I know you are trying to be what humans call a friend and that is good."

Castiel looked at her hands and noticed the bandages. "You are injured."

Angela looked at them. She remembered that it was Sam that had bandaged them for her. He had put the burn salve she had used when he got those nasty burns from Lenya's playground on them. It wasn't exactly ideal but it helped and it had the antibiotics needed to heal the burns. He was gentle with it from the cleaning, to the application of the salve, to the wrapping and the sad thing was she liked it. "That's what I get for handling adamantium silver chains."

Castiel took one of her hands and pushed up her coat sleeve and looked at the bandaging. His stare was much like when he was out to do battle or examining something. "Alistair?"

"He knows how we Halflings function. He knows our weaknesses." Angela looked at his hands as they ran along the bandages. She could remember getting the same injuries before and similar times. She wondered how many times she had gotten ligature marks and burns as a wayward thought now that she paused.

Castiel looked at her hands and the fingers. He could make out the redness on the individual digits. They weren't too bad so slowly he undid the bandage to reveal her palm. The blisters were like nasty pustules from boils and sores. Gently he touched his fingers to her palms and the blisters disappeared. "You did what you had to and risked your own well-being to save a seal."

"That's the job Cas. You of all people should know that. You've been in this game longer than me and I agreed to it when I became Absolution." Angela flexed her hand to test the newly healed skin. It didn't hurt as much but then again she was feeling the wrist. She held out her other hand. "To be like Dean, the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few or the one though I think that is a little bit skewered."

"You do tend to do the opposite."

Angela couldn't help but chuckle as Castiel undid the other bandage to reveal the other palm. It was as bad as the other one had been. "I know because I operate on this funky ass believe that every life is important. Zero body count for me if I can help it."

Castiel healed the other hand and released it. He would have offered to heal her wrists but he figured that she wanted to leave it. She gave no indication that she wanted those burns healed. He thought it foolish since it was an injury but he had learned early on in their relationship her stance on respecting personal space. "It is impractical at times but like with Samhain, I'm glad that you and the Winchesters decided to save the town."

"Well mostly I wanted to spite Uriel." Angela paused a moment and then turned to Castiel, "Apart from the fact you sensed my distress, why are you here?"

"There is… the matter of the list. I want to know if it is safe."

Angela raised her brow in suspicion. Something was going up. She had dealt with Castiel long enough to know when he was having trouble asking something of her that was probably going to hurt her on an emotional and mental level. She didn't want to accuse the angel yet since that didn't get much especially if his brothers like Uriel were present. She replied, "The list is safe as well as the key. I've heard of nothing about another one… yet."

"That is good."

"Cas?"

The angel was gone leaving Angela with Sasha who had watched the whole thing with interest. Angela sighed and turned to see the funeral doors open. Whatever it was that Castiel had come to see her about, it looked like it was going to take a back burner. At that moment she could make out the Winchesters leaving and heading towards the car and could make out Sam trying to look for her without seeming to do so.

It really hadn't sat too well when she said that she couldn't go in. Dean looked at her like she had done something like ditch them. Maybe he did see it that way. Sam tried to ask with silent looks why she didn't want to go. Her excuse really didn't settle things even though she had told the truth; she was concerned that her emotional state was going to cause heads to turn. Plus no dogs were allowed and there was the issue of Sasha; the practical solution was better than nothing.

Angela knew that it was a bit too soon to be going over to the car. Besides a walk would do some good. She looked at Sasha and made a motion and started walking. She went in the direction of the motel they were staying in since there was the issue of gear that needed to be packed and the boys would stop there first. She walked, not noticing that both had seen her.

Along the way Angela walked with her hands behind her back like she was going for a stroll, ignoring the rain that was now a light shower. Sasha trotted by her side in a perfect walk, aware that her alpha was still in deep thought and sad. They made a curious sight but not strange as they walked back.

The phone rang and Angela pulled it out. She didn't recognize the number but answered it anyway by putting her hands free set in her ear. "Hello?"

Good I got you.

"Perfect timing Ruby. You know I do love it when you just brighten my day." The sarcasm was thick on her tongue and also sounded venomous.

I aim to please. Listen, I know that you encountered Alistair. There are rumors.

"Tell me what I don't know. I know the grapevine as well as the weasels of your kind." Angela slowed to a conversational walk. It wasn't like she was going to get more wet than usual.

At least I'm better than Cary. Still don't know why you even bother but then again you'd do something just to piss me off.

"Glad we got that figured out. What do you want?"

Rumors were that a raging beast chased down Alistair and now he's captured. There are also hints about payback on the angels. Not that I want to help you stop that.

"Right because when you put an angel and a demon in the same room you get Godzilla and Mothra," Angela replied looking a little bored. The news about the angels being targeted was somewhat not new but it was. Since it was war, of course both sides would be out for blood. Yet this was being done in retaliation. It felt different.

The other part about a beat chasing down Alistair, Angela could believe that. It was her since she knew she had behaved like an animal. She was surprised the boys hadn't said anything since they got a nice view of it. She continued, "Is there a hit list I don't know about?"

Just a rumor but for the most part there is talk of disappointment that the seal hadn't been broken. Probably too little, too late.

"At least a seal was saved."

Right and going your way there probably was a casualty. Whatever happened to the great tactician?

The mocking tone was more like an annoying white noise. Angela paused a moment and thought about it. She once had been called a great tactician. Hell she had been an unofficial general during the few wars she actually saw like they were a movie. Forget the newsreels, she was there and the stench of death, fire, smoke, burnt flesh… She had grown to hate the smell of burnt flesh and never salt and burned dead hunters but gave them protection with Romani magic.

She really had changed quite a bit. But there were some things that didn't change. Her reaction to things and how she fought proved that. "The tactician is still there. Things are different."

Well that better come out. We are at war and the angels are losing. You know that more than half the seals have been broken. You may have saved a couple of them but there are others out there with the potential to do the same thing…

"I know Ruby. Check on the targeting angels thing. I know you'll like hearing about it and you don't have to do anything to stop it. Oh and Ruby, we may have an armistice but be aware that I won't hesitate to break it if I feel something is up." Angela hung up and went into the motel up to her room, shaking the water off her and letting Sasha shake herself dry. Angela smiled and said, "I'll towel you off before we go. Lord knows Dean will have a field day with the smell of wet dog."

The door to her room looked more welcoming than that of the boys as Angela pulled out the key. She unlocked the door with a decisive click and opened it. She walked in to find a faded and dirty room. Trash was everywhere. Standing in the middle of the room was…

A/N: And we kick off episode 3.15 with the aftermath of Pamela's death and into the fact the angels have Alistair. Seems like the hard work in Wisconsin was for nothing but we'll see as we wait for more Heavy Lies the Crown...