Chapter 2

The motel looked like it had seen better days but it was the best there was in town. They could have gone further but Angela could tell that everyone was beat. Maybe in the morning could prove to be promising in terms of finding a job. She pulled up to the main office and left the car idling while she went to book the rooms for the night, pulling money from what she jokingly called the trust fund.

It was her suggestion that they have a general pot that could be dipped into when they needed cash to book a room or needed funds to go hustling. It basically was a mini bank… well sort of. The idea was that it was to be used for things that were things that had been a quibble in the past. One was the paying of rooms. Pride was a rather rampart virtue and vice, and a suitable middle needed to be found hence the suggestion of the trust fund. They would all contribute to it and use it if they didn't want to use the credit cards, etc.

Angela dipped into the trust to get two rooms that were preferably away from other people. The receptionist looked at her, probably to see if she was a lowlife or on the run. It had Angela freeze internally for a moment since she was anxious that the FBI didn't believe that Sam and Dean died in Monument. She had similar experiences before but with the way things were, she would have preferred that they squatted in an empty house.

As it turned out, she didn't need to worry. The receptionist bought the story that Sam and Dean were her brothers. In truth she considered Dean a brother. Sam was another story since her feelings were different. Still that can of worms was best kept as a brother-sister relationship so in essence she was telling the truth. She was handed two sets of keys for two rooms and she went back to the Impala to drive to the end of the row of rooms.

Even idling the boys were sound asleep and they hadn't woken up when she pulled to a stop. Angela couldn't help but smile fondly at them. The last time she had looked at the pair of them looking that peaceful was when they were kids while John was out on a hunt. It was one of those times when she snuck in to make sure they were all right. It was nerve wracking since Dean had been taught to be alert even when asleep but in the end, she was the master of that creeping through the shadows thing.

Smiling Angela got the gear into the appropriate rooms before deciding how to best wake up the boys. It was tempting to do a prank. It would relieve the mood she had been feeling the whole day and go to some way of making it up to the boys for her moody silence. She had been more like Liam's name for Sam; she was a goradh. Making a clicking sound with her tongue against her teeth, she leaned in and gently nudged Sam on the shoulder and made a slight hum when he woke up with a set of keys dangling in his face. With Dean she put her face really close to his and told him to wake up.

She was still laughing to herself as she pulled out clothes for the night. It had been a good wakeup call in her opinion. It certainly put her in a better frame of mind and she even brought a smile to Sam's face.

"You seem to be in a better frame of mind."

Angela felt her mood dip slightly but she was rather glad she had a visitor. She turned and replied, "Sometimes a little bit of fun takes the edge off. A better frame of mind gives way to a better focus on the actual job. I take it you've heard Cas."

Castiel looked at Angela. Of course he had heard and it put things in a difficult position. "I heard."

Angela studied the angel. When he didn't say more, she grew curious. She was meticulous though and reached into her satchel to pull out her laptop which she placed on the table. She played it casual, "So is there some sort of notice to HR that I should be aware of?"

"I don't understand what that means."

Angela made a slight face at that but she relented, "What do they have to say?"

Castiel knew what she meant the first time she asked. He knew that it was a roundabout way of hers in asking how a situation was. He wanted her though to be serious about this. He looked around the room and then at her. "They are… not saying much."

"I figured. After all I did threaten Chuckles the specialist twice now and basically drew a battle line in the sand. I've pissed off quite a few people haven't I?"

"Uriel thinks that you should have more respect for your position and for us." Castiel didn't look at Angela but instead at the room. He could make out the protective sigils she had drawn.

"He's been saying that since the first time I said that I wasn't heaven's bitch and that I would do things my own way. Plus I told him to stick it where the sun don't shine." Angela walked through her room. She needed coffee so she put the crappy machine to work.

Castiel took a moment to look through the contents that had spilled out of her satchel. One item held his attention. It was a small book that looked very old and beaten but it had been taken care of. He held it and replied, "There are others who agree with Uriel. They think that you are abusing your position as the Malachi of Absolution."

"They are entitled to their opinions," Angela replied as she looked at Castiel. "I know you're supposed to follow orders like the good little soldier with no questions asked. You made that very clear the first time we met."

"I am not a hammer," Castiel replied, repeating the answer he gave Dean. Why he chose those words, he wasn't sure. "I have doubts…"

"Doubts which I first put there and only seemed to increase since you came back," Angela interrupted gently. She looked at the angel with a pensive look. "It's put you in an awkward position since I am assuming that they are giving you a hard time. You have to reason with me and put me in my place."

"That has come up," Castiel admitted. "My superiors think that our relationship, for lack of a better term, puts me in position to make you understand your role."

"So virtually by knowing me makes you their bitch," Angela clarified. She gave a slight shake of her head as she made a slight face. "They never learn."

"This is a serious situation Angela. Uriel has been demanding that you be punished for your insubordination. He wants you to be an example to others that attempt to…"

"Meaning he wants to make it clear that if Dean or Sam think about not obeying what they are given the same could happen to them," Angela replied still making a slight face. She rubbed her first finger under her nose as she paused to think for a moment.

"Not just the Winchesters but anyone else we recruit," Castiel replied.

"Well my answer is still the same Cas. If anyone comes to harm either one of my boys, they will find that they would rather deal with the wrath of God. And don't tell me I'm blaspheming." Angela pointed at Castiel to stop him from trying to correct her. "I don't want to deal with that since just thinking about Uriel and his… conversation still manages to piss me off. I am well aware of what tomorrow is and it is one day that I love and hate with equal passion."

Castiel wasn't sure of why the change in conversation but he could guess that it had something to do with what happened between her and Uriel. He knew the date too but he wasn't aware of the whole story. "Tomorrow is November 2nd…"

"I know Cas," Angela replied as she turned to look at him.

Castiel saw a flustered expression that had pain in it. "I apologize."

Angela gave a smile and put a hand on the angel's shoulder. "It's not your fault Cas. It's just me. A curse in that I was born on a day that has had nothing but death surrounding it; the coup de gras of all curses since I am technically of the living dead."

Castiel frowned slightly. "You aren't dead."

"Don't be too literal, Cas," Angela countered with a gentle tone. "You know vampires or anyone with vampire blood are called that since we do live lengthy lifespans as well as some other types of creatures." She looked at nothing in particular before looking back at the angel. "I don't expect you to understand but it is not a fluke. People have died on my birthday."

"But people die every day."

"But it's different when people you care about die." Angela gave a slight sigh at the cup of coffee she had managed to pour herself during the conversation. "It also doesn't help that every year reminds you that you are the oldest of your kind on record when most don't live past two hundred years."

"You are a special case."

"It's a whole new level of freak Cas," Angela corrected as she took a sip of the brew. It was tolerable. "I'm not a special case. Not so, considering that the times I've died and been brought back and near died… Those times I always meet someone who sends me back. It's not natural Cas and considering the things I've seen and what's been happening. I guess I should be thankful I haven't gotten on the crazy train."

Castiel wasn't sure of what to say. He was well aware of her age and what happened the years since he became her guardian. "You are special. You are the Malachi of Absolution; the one who is supposed to…"

"I know what is written Cas. I read the prophecies, in particular the book of the prophet Khalil. The notations of the Seer were also quite helpful and not to mention the table of royalty with my family history with certain deities." Angela paused a moment. She knew she was rambling a bit but she just needed to make sure that the angel understood he didn't have to go into that. Taking a breath, she continued, "Cas, it's what I've said countless times before: who is described is more likely my younger self but in reality I never met her. Instead it's been one choice after another that has led to some form of disaster."

"You're wrong."

"Cas, choice is what I believe in. It's a part of free will. The thing is the ones I make with best intentions end up in death. The sad thing is after everything that has happened I am still with the Winchesters."

Castiel watched as Angela finished her cup of coffee. He looked down at the book he was holding and looked at the pages his fingers thumbed through until he came upon the back cover. He read what was written and gave a slight nod. He then said, "It is your nature. The way you care about people even when they don't treat you as you should be treated."

Angela listened and remembered what Gabriel had told her when she visited A.D. before this and smiled at that. At least Fate was kind in one regard. "I know Cas. It's just that there are things that I am responsible for and Mary's and a good friend's death simply because I knew what was coming and I didn't do enough to stop it. It is one thing I have to live with. On occasion I curse myself for Dean and Sam when they died."

"Dean's death was the result of a choice he made when Sam died."

Angela loved moments like these. She knew that Castiel had been learning more about humans ever since he pulled Dean from hell. She started it and Dean picked it up. The angel still had a ways to go but even if he never got the stick out of his ass she would love him just the same. She replied, "Cas, it is not always seen in the forensic way you give facts. To know that there was a possibility to do something more… it's the kind of thing that doesn't go away. It haunts a person especially if the consequences bring pain to others that you care about. It's part of the reason why I still think that I am just a fluke that shouldn't exist. Yet I am still willing to give Uriel and any other dick who tries to mess with my boys a good and proper ass kicking."

Castiel gave a slightly puzzled frown as he observed Angela chuckle as she finished her coffee. She was a complicated person and he was fascinated by her. He didn't understand everything but he was willing to try. "I don't understand but I know that you haven't made a choice that wasn't paved with good intentions."

"I know. Damaged psyche, Cas, but there are some things that I haven't forgiven myself for." Angela looked at the angel and smiled, "Thanks Cas. I'm sorry if this is one more strike against you but I won't let Uriel threaten Sam or Dean like that without a warning. Sam's abilities may be a result of Azazel's doing but he is only trying to do what he thinks is right. They aren't that much different than mine even if they are tied to my healing ability."

"You are born with your abilities."

"I know but they are a part of him just like my need to drink blood when I am seriously injured. The way I see it is that he could pretend they don't exist or try to do some good with them or acknowledge them but choose not to use them." Angela looked at the angel. "It'll be okay Cas. I won't strike unless I'm fired upon."

Castiel said nothing more on the subject but was mindful of what had been said. His charge was strange in her thinking but she made a point. Yet there were also some points that she had yet to grasp in his opinion. He was well aware of the deaths that had occurred when she was nearby and could see how she would think that. Brushing those thoughts aside, he responded to a question and went into a conversation that reminded him of the times he used to sneak out of the garrison to see her.

The cemetery was lit up with the paper lanterns that were tradition. Earlier the families who had dead relatives resting there had set up memorials. They set up candles and pictures. At home there were elaborate altars. The paper lanterns, brown lunch sacks with candles in them, were lit around the various graves and lined the paths of the houses of the people. It was an elaborate affair every year that nearly bankrupted the poorer families but it was highly regarded and respected.

Dr. Roberta Silva made notations of her observations in the notebook that never left her person as she walked about the town. She had been there for nearly two months studying the people for her research on adaptations of religious and social events into the modern world. She had done some interesting things but this grabbed her interest.

Her host family said that while the observed holidays like Christmas and Easter were observed in accordance with their belief in the Church, this holiday held special significance. Dia de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, was a holiday that was centered around death, a sort of celebration of death.

Robbie Silva was aware of differences in how people celebrated death. She always thought that the insistence of being completely in black and somber faces was overdoing it. She was no stranger to death and while she missed him, she kept going. When she found out about this particular holiday, she thought that it would be a nice focus. She was surprised at the variation that occurred and figured it was something like the Obon dances in Japan. The dances varied from village to village but they all served the purpose of honoring the dead.

"Dr. Robbie. Late night?"

Robbie looked up and saw one of the more affluent members of the New Mexican town greeting her. She smiled and replied, "Always working Señor Juarez."

Robbie was always polite with everyone but she personally thought that Juarez was a sellout. The town was a mineral and farming town but there were some big land developers who thought that the land was valuable in terms of a resort or something like that. That was usually the case with these small towns that had gotten by on what the land gave them and it was usually because they had something valuable. She was well aware of the incident regarding Milagro years before but not everything could be a fairytale ending.

This land developing agency wanted to build a new housing development along with schools and a new supermarket or something like that. Robbie felt like she was gipped at first but she made the most of it. It was hard to ignore the people who were for this and materialistic; sellouts in that they were embracing the world of technology and such and ignoring where they came from. It was a sad reality with a lot of Hispanic people trying to make something of themselves.

"I hope you will like our celebrations."

"I'm sure I will," Robbie replied as she tucked her notebook in her bag. She started to walk to where she was staying when she saw something. It had her pause for a moment since she was sure that her eyes were playing tricks on her. Her curiosity led her to the middle of the cemetery. She followed the lanterns looking around in the direction she was sure that she saw the thing, whatever it was, was hiding.

As Robbie rounded the corner she looked to see some of the elaborate altars that she had heard and seen pictures of. She could recognize the little sugar calacas and the candles as well as the papel picado that was strung about the graves. She could also see the marigold petals that were sprinkled about. She could even make out a few dioramas with the familiar paper mâché skeletons. She couldn't help but grin at it as well as admire it.

Suddenly there was a noise and Robbie looked around. She had been in town a couple of months and had been the subject of pranks of the people. Mostly it was because she was a gringa even though she had ties to some of the Hispanic traditions from her mother's side. She took it in good humor and made it a game to try and catch the boys especially. It endeared her to the people, well the mothers at least.

Robbie wandered around the graves, taking care not to disturb the arrangements. She was certain it was a prank or joke but the eerie silence and noises were convincing her that this wasn't a joke. She wandered around the cemetery, drawn by the sound until she spotted something and headed towards it.

She ended up in the middle of the cemetery but the old part. It was rather creepy since there were no decorations. There was nothing, like it was the part of the cemetery that had people that were forgotten. The headstones were old and crumbling except for one. That one caught her interest.

The headstone looked like it was fresh cut in terms of engraving but there were signs of weathering. Robbie was no expert in stone weathering but she could tell that there was significant age to the stone. She stood in front of it and looked at it. The headstone was covered with brush and gave the impression that it was what helped to protect the stone from the elements but even that sounded a bit weak in her opinion.

Gently brushing the brush aside, Robbie found no name but an image. It was one of the most recognizable forms if you were familiar with it. She frowned a bit at that since it seemed strange to see the skeleton with the overly floppy hat. As far as she knew, the image was political satire at best unless… Robbie was an academic and her experiences in fieldwork were more like what was supposed to happen in theory.

She was distracted by a slight sound. Looking up Robbie spotted something in the brush. She pulled out the penlight that she carried when she went out at night and flashed it around. She pointed it in the direction she had heard the noise. She nearly jumped when she saw something that looked like a rodent jump out. Keeping the light on it, she saw that it was a hare and it bounded off into the wilderness. Robbie couldn't help but give a chuckle.

It was better than having the boys pull a prank. It was clichéd but it was obviously fun to scare someone in the cemetery. Robbie laughed a she flicked off her light. As soon as she did she saw what had been eluding her and she nearly fell back.

No way. Halloween is over. This is crazy.

Robbie looked up from where she had fallen. It was looking at her and she stared back at it. It looked real. She saw the bones and it was fully articulate. It was also wearing the floppy hat and dress of the early twentieth century. The look it was giving her though was disturbing and Robbie thought it was going to attack her.

It didn't though and it left. Robbie frowned as it did and got up slowly as it walked away. She started after it. She was almost up to it when it flickered and disappeared. Robbie blinked as if it would make it appear. It couldn't have been real. It was impossible. There was no such thing.

A scream broke through the night. It was a bloodcurdling scream. It was the kind that spoke of something horrible like intense pain or something. Robbie looked in the direction that it came from. It was in the direction she saw whatever it was had disappeared in. She took off in that direction hoping that nothing was seriously wrong.

It was like playing leapfrog as Robbie leapt over the headstones. She tried hard not to damage any of the arrangements as she neared the newer part. The screaming was still going on and it sounded like the person was being skinned alive or being put under slow torture. It only spurred Robbie to run faster in order to help if she could. When she rounded the corner, she came to a sudden stop that it was a wonder she didn't fall and hurt herself.

Robbie felt her eyes bulge in fear and… she couldn't name it as she took in the sight. She recognized the guy as Juarez but he wasn't like how he was when she saw him earlier. The only reason that she knew it was the guy because she recognized the clothing he liked to wear, the good quality stuff that showed his status and that. It was the head that held her attention. Inwardly she cringed at the grotesqueness of the whole thing since it was pretty bloody but the sight of the decoration to his head had her frowning and wondering if she was crazy.

She was about to move when she heard noises. She was suddenly joined by people and a few of them were the police. Robbie didn't move but she looked at the cops that had come to look at the body. She was in trouble. She was sure of it since she was the only one with the body.

Sure enough the police officers came up to her and told her to put her hands up. She complied, thinking of how to get out of this mess. The only thing that seemed to work in her favor were more screams happening. One was a woman's scream that was more of one seeing something frightening and there were a few others. Robbie was brought along with others to another body that was in a similar manner. Robbie felt her eyes widen as she looked around. Out of the corner of her eye she spotted what she was sure the instigator of all of this. She muttered under her breath, "La Calavera Catrina."

A/N: Cas and Angie have an interesting conversation and it looks like there might be a spirit wreaking havoc here. Well now we know why this episode is called Day of the Dead ;) Stay tuned for next time...