Chapter 3

The truck hit hard much like getting tackled by Lycan when they play wrestled. Angela was lucky that she managed to maneuver her body so she didn't get clipped too bad. She still ended up on the pavement and ended up smacking her head with a dull thump. It was enough to knock her out and that was saying something.

The next thing Angela felt was something wet touching her face. Her features contorted into a frown as the wetness passed over her nose. It then pressed against her cheek. She wished it would go away. She lifted a hand and tried to push it away while she tried to make sense of her surroundings.

There was a high pitched whine followed by, "Don't make me give you the kiss of life. I can't afford to have Bobby get on my case about you again."

Angela slowly opened her eyes as she recognized who it was. She groaned, "Suck dirt and die Rufus. I wouldn't want you kissing me if I can help it."

Rufus chuckled at her, relieved that she was okay enough to not warrant a hospital visit. That would have been awkward. "As if I would enjoy kissing you."

Angela chuckled as she slowly sat up. Her head felt like a Grigori had pounded it into a wall or something. She grimaced and put a hand to her left right at her rib cage. She added a little pressure and almost fell back down but was prevented by Rufus helping her stay sitting. She looked at his truck and noticed the dent and said, "Damn. You hit me hard enough. Two broken and several bruised."

"Not my fault you appeared in the middle of the road. Would have thought your reflexes got you out," Rufus replied as he steadied her and helped her to her feet. "Are you gonna fall over on me?"

Angela gave a slight scowl that didn't mean anything as she straightened herself out to stand. "I can stand and walk. You just clipped me in the middle and knocked me out." She looked around and then at Rufus, "How did you know I was out here?"

"I was hoping you could tell me. This mutt shows up outside my door with a set of instructions to drive out here and pick you up and that was after I noticed a bunch of crazy shit starting up like omens."

Angela looked to see Sasha looking up at her expectantly. She saw that Cerebus wasn't around and glanced around for any sign of him before reverting her gaze back to the pup. Where is the master of hell hounds?

The alpha of pups has returned to the elder as instructed by the feathered watchman of the alpha. Sasha looked up at her alpha as she sat down obediently, ready for instructions. Are we going to find the alpha's alpha?

Soon. You have done well pup. Angela reached down and rubbed Sasha's head while trying not to wince. She looked up at Rufus and said, "I guess I still have a few connections somewhere."

"No shit, half breed," Rufus replied, "So I'm guessing you either planned this or didn't and judging by the way of things… you had no idea. Convenient."

"Thank you, Rufus," Angela replied with a smile. She straightened up and gently rubbed her left. "I honestly had no clue that was going to happen."

"And I'm not even going to try and figure it out. Not in the middle of a deserted highway and the one in a million shot that highway patrol comes along and figures out that I hit you." Rufus bent to pick up the pack that he had gotten out of his truck. He pulled out a vial of painkillers and handed them over. "Take those for now. Come on."

Angela took the vial and gave a slight shake. She didn't open it but instead followed Rufus back to his truck. She managed to see that she didn't leave a mark on the truck. It sure did leave a number on her. She tapped the hood and went over to the passenger side and opened it and motioned for Sasha to get in and then got into the truck. "Where to old man?"

Rufus slammed the door of his truck and turned on the ignition. "Call me an old man and I just might finish what Betsy here didn't," he said as he looked at her with a wry expression. He took in the split lip and the bruise forming on her cheek. He had hit her hard but she had appeared right in front of him and he didn't have time to swerve.

"Wouldn't have it any other way," Angela replied returning the expression with a knowing smile.

Rufus shook his head and started the engine. It had been a strange turn of events. He had tracked the omens and figured out that they were seals breaking and then that business in Ilchester. He had picked up the increased activity there which included some energy that was not consistent with demon activity. The next thing he knew things were going haywire and he heard a scratching on his door that had him approaching with a shotgun and shouting for them to go away.

When the scratching didn't stop, he went to his security and found the dog sitting next to him pawing at his door and with no fear of being hurt. He opened the door and it just sat there waiting to be let in and with a note tied to its collar. He looked ridiculous allowing the dog in while pointing the shotgun at it but he didn't want to take any chances.

He was suspicious of the fact that the note mentioned Angela by name but he didn't want to risk leaving her out there and if she was hurt… He would have never heard the end of it from Bobby. As much as they were not on good speaking terms, he wasn't callous to let someone the grizzled hunter cared about to be left out to dry. Plus he kind of liked the half breed vampire. He certainly liked her ability to bite back in terms of an insult or sarcasm.

Looking at Angela he asked, "So what's the story about this thing? How did it get here?"

"If I told you, you'd think I was crazy and try to shoot me," Angela replied with a smile. She rested her head on her hand while her elbow was resting on the windowsill.

"Considering the crazy I met when I met you, you were lucky I didn't shoot you then," Rufus countered, "So what's the deal with the mutt?"

Sasha gave a slight whine at that. Angela rubbed her head with her left and gave a slight smile. She could just imagine Rufus' reaction to what she was about to tell him. She began, "Well Sasha here is a very special dog."

"If you mean by clawing up my front door, I'm not impressed."

Angela chuckled, "She is special because she is a hunter's dog, a Wilder."

"A what?"

"A Wilder," Angela repeated, "A special breed of dog bred to track and hunt the supernatural."

Sasha gave a bark in the affirmative. She looked at Angela, I am of the hunt. Now must find the alpha's alpha and the beta littermate.

"Bred to hunt?"

"I know. Sounds crazy but it's true. I could give you an entire history of Sasha's breed…"

"I don't need a pedigree listing," Rufus replied, "But bred for hunting? You have got to be kidding me."

"I'm as serious as the fact that I am also the alpha to the guardian of the gates of Tartarus… the hellhound Cerebus," Angela said as she looked at Rufus.

The alpha of the pups.

Angela blinked as she heard that and rubbed Sasha. She could sense that the pup was glad to see her. Apparently events of the past couple of days shook things up for everyone. It looked like she was going to have to give both dogs a bit of loving.

"Now you have a hell hound?"

"Actually I had him when we met. He was staying with Bobby."

"I knew I should have shot you the moment you darkened my doorstep."

"You know you love me."

The drive was smooth sailing until Rufus managed to find a small town with a roadside motel. They would be able to stop and take stock of things including injuries. Angela immediately went into the bathroom and slowly removed her shirt to begin on a self-inspection of her person. She had medical supplies laid out on the counter and the sink full of warm water.

It wasn't a pretty sight when she lifted her shirt and glanced at the mirror. The bruising from the truck stretched from her lower back where her kidney was upwards to just under her left breast. She had hit the pavement on her right side and there was some redness and when she pressed on her ribs, she could feel where she had her bruised ribs. When she turned she spotted some redness across the back of her shoulders from when Sam sent her careening into whatever it was.

She frowned as she saw it and sighed. She did feel frustrated that she just didn't shout it out. But she wanted to have his attention. Maybe that was her problem and why she was so reluctant to say what she truly felt about him. She found it pathetic that she could tell the truth to a hallucination of him and in front of a hallucination of his mother, her best friend, but she couldn't tell him in person. She tried to justify it by saying she didn't want to obligate Sam into reciprocating. The plain truth was that she was afraid of admitting it and finding out his answer. She was afraid to admit it out loud to him because her greatest fear was losing him; it was a beautiful thing and…

Angela sighed as she went about putting cold water poultices on the bruises and used the warm water to clean the cuts on her face. No matter what, she would always love Sam and not in the way one loves family. It was like it was in her core. There would be no one else. She couldn't explain why that was the case since she had been out on 'dates' and had affection for other men.

She gave a slight hiss and she focused on cleaning the bruised areas. Her thoughts turned to the boys in general. She didn't know if they were okay or not. In fact she wasn't even sure what happened even though Set had explained his part in things, which was saving her ass from being revealed to Lucifer. She didn't know what difference that would make since she had a big part to play and no doubt he would know that.

What she needed to know was where the boys were sent. She vaguely remembered going with what felt right. Her hands were glowing and she wasn't bothered by that thing called a voice for an angel. She just told them to get out and they were out. She had no idea where they were sent or if they were actually okay. She just assumed it in front of Set. It then occurred to her that there was one person who might be able to help.

Finishing her patch up work, there wasn't much to do except take it easy the next couple of days until she could get a supply to speed up things. She paused a moment to think about how natural it was to think about securing a supply of blood now than it was maybe a decade ago. Then there was the issue of drinking it. She knew she owed that mostly to Sam. He had been the one to say that it was okay and in that gentle persistent way of his.

"You all right in there? You didn't drown yourself did ya?"

Angela looked at the door as she finished putting her shirt back on and replied, "Unlike you Neanderthals, I do a thorough job."

"More like late."

Angela chuckled as she opened the door. Sasha was by the front window, sitting and waiting for her orders. Rufus was waiting by the pup with a bag of supplies set on the table. Her gear was laid out on the bed. She said, "I believe the term is fashionably late."

Rufus scoffed at that, "The only thing fashionable is the fact you can pull off wearing a sword and a gun in the same get up."

Angela's lip twitched in a half smile as she exited the bathroom. She gestured towards the bag of supplies, "You got everything?"

"That and I even managed to get you a nice piece of junk," Rufus said as he held up the keys and laid them on the table. "Though how you knew the guy was going to part with it for the amount you gave me was beyond me."

"Friendly persuasion," Angela said, not wanting to get into details about that. "Thank you Rufus. For everything."

Rufus cleared his throat, not sure about taking the compliment. Even though she could be just as mouthy as him and Bobby, when she was polite, it had a way of making you feel like you didn't deserve it. He preferred her being sarcastic; he liked her better that way. "Don't get sentimental on me now. I don't know how Bobby stands you being that way."

"Feminine wiles," Angela teased, knowing that Rufus wasn't one for genteel comments but he liked them thrown his way on occasion and she was grateful. She looked at the bag of supplies and then at Rufus and asked, "You have time for a drink?"

"Don't mind if I do," Rufus replied as he pulled out a bottle of Johnny Walker Blue. "I remember your favorite."

"More likely you remember yours," Angela replied as she grabbed the two glasses and rinsed them out. If they had been a place she owned and it was a canning jar that once held nuts and bolts, she wouldn't have bothered with the rinsing. She knew what was in there. Motel rooms were different and… it was all out weird but appreciated all the same.

Putting the glasses down, she picked up the bottle and poured two glasses at a decent level. She sat across from Rufus and folded her hands sweetly, causing him to say, "Don't even try that. Bobby told me about what you did in some town in Maryland or other. I know you can't get drunk."

"Actually I can," Angela replied grinning while her hands were still folded. "And it is a family secret albeit a strange one." She picked up her glass and held it up to indicate that she was willing to do a toast.

Rufus was willing and picked up his glass and clinked it with hers. He downed his with a professional flair to it. He watched Angela down hers and savor the taste and shook his head, "Only you would try to taste out the ingredients of that piss."

"I appreciate a good liquor," Angela replied. She could feel the effects immediately. It dulled the pain a little in her ribs and would make anything else tolerable. "Besides, I've tasted just about everything."

"Including turpentine?"

"Hey, some of that moonshine was actually good. I have a recipe I have yet to make. Way better than that rotgut crap."

Rufus couldn't help but laugh with her. He took the moment to study her movements but he had to hand it to her in that she was clever in not letting him see how much pain she was in. He would leave the painkillers just in case and she could deal with whatever Sam and Dean pushed onto her. He didn't doubt that she could take care of herself.

They drank another glass before Rufus said he had to go and that his job was finished, which was delivering the mutt to the owner and getting the said owner a means to whatever she needed to do. He wasn't going to babysit her and any fool errand she had to do. He had his own work.

Angela merely said to that, "We all have our part in fixing this world."

"And I don't even want to be in the same room as you when you do that," Rufus retorted in good humor. "The last time had you blind and me nursing some bumps and bruises."

"You're alive aren't ya?"

"Why do I get the feeling you're gonna be around when I do buy the farm?"

"Keep thinking like that…"

"Now you're superstitious?"

Angela shrugged her shoulders, "I just don't like to tempt fate. I've been around a lot longer than you old man." She gave a cheeky grin as she fastened the top to the Johnny Walker Blue and held it out to the grizzled hunter.

"Keep it. I'm trying to quit."

Angela made a noise with her lips. She grinned and shooed Rufus out while thanking him again. He left saying that he'd be damned if he ever helped her out again. He didn't mean it though and they both knew it. She did give him a kiss on the cheek just to make him squirm while he walked to his truck. Plus it was a sign of affection for another grizzled hunter she liked.

Now that she was alone, she had to get to work in finding the boys and where they were at. She pulled out her cell phone and found that it was dead. It was a good thing she had asked Rufus to buy a charger for her. She put the phone on to charge and examined her supplies while making a plan of action. She took a bite of a piece of jerky and tossed a piece to Sasha.

Her phone wasn't completely charged but she could make a call. She dialed the number of the person that came to mind apart from the boys. She waited until it was picked up and she inquired, "Chuck?"

Angie, is that you?

"Yeah, it's me." Angela couldn't help but smile hearing Chuck's voice. She had always liked the Prophet and she had found it amusing about the Supernatural books even though it was a little too detail oriented on some things. "Hey Chuck, I need to ask you something. Are…"

Sam and Dean here? Yeah they are. They came looking for Castiel and… you and um…

Angela heard the tone in the Prophet's voice and went with the worst case scenario, "The angels are there aren't they?"

Yeah. They are talking about Dean doing what they want him to do…

"Just put me on hold and when the angels are gone, give the phone to Sam," Angela said.

Okay

She didn't have too long to wait. While she did, she sat on the bed and motioned for Sasha to join her. She smiled as the pup rested her head on her lap and gently rubbed her ears. She was glad one of her dogs was with her and she made a mental note to thank Gabriel and to give respect for Castiel. She knew that he didn't make it; it was the bond thing they had and she felt guilty about it because she used it to keep the angel with Dean.

Hello?

Angela heard Sam's voice and closed her eyes in relief as she replied, "Sam?"

Angie, is that you?

She would have replied but there was some noise in the background from Dean. Then she heard Sam asking her again if it was her. She replied, "It's me Sam. I'm glad to hear that you're okay. I was worried."

We were worried about you. You… didn't end up in the same place as we did.

"Long story on that one," she replied automatically and it was a long story. She was just glad that they were both okay. "Um… I called Chuck and he told me you and Dean are both there and that there was trouble with angels."

She listened to Sam's responses. At the time she winced since her ribs were aching again. She tried to hide it but she knew that Sam would have picked it up and he did asking her about it and her response seemed to have triggered a reaction from Dean since he took over the conversation and started demanding if she was okay. She responded accordingly and smiled gently. It was strange since Dean was sounding like the usual inquisition but it was only because he was concerned. It only meant that he was his self.

She listened to Dean and replied, "My phone is working now and I'm using it now. I'm assuming you'll be in the general vicinity?"

Yeah. Sorry about this way but we've got angels up our asses.

"Know. I'll find you. I did before." She then hung up to let her phone finish charging and went to organize her things. She was going to have to make a plan and to start was to head in the general direction of Chuck's place.

"You know that this would easier if you just asked me to help."

Angela turned to see Gabriel standing in her room. She took in his countenance and knew that he knew what had happened. She advanced towards him and waited for a moment. She extended her arms and the angel collapsed into them. She hugged the angel well aware the last time they did this was when he saved her. She whispered, "I'm sorry."

Gabriel sighed as he released Angela. Normally he wouldn't do that but he felt what she must have felt and it was too much. He was glad that he had dropped her friend back with his unit before that happened otherwise he might have overreacted. He looked at Angela and said, "I'm sorry Cat. I should have been more insistent."

"No. You were doing what I insisted upon. This is all on me," Angela replied with a firm look. "I played upon my bond with Cas to keep him to stay with Dean and help him out and keep him safe. It's all on me and I have to live with it."

"No way Cat. Cassy wouldn't do anything for you unless he wanted to… just like me and you have no idea how hard it was to stay away when you wanted it," Gabriel replied with a slight sigh. He looked at his Cat and noticed how she was moving. "Are you hurt?"

"Nothing to worry about," Angela replied waving Gabriel off. She sighed, "Okay we all have a part in this. By the way, thank you for bringing Sasha to Rufus."

"Hey I figured you'd need a hand since you disappeared completely and I knew that Grandpa Vamp is still out of commission. I figured one of your family helped you out while you helped the Winchesters out."

"So that was me."

"Maybe," Gabriel replied with a teasing look like how they used to joke. "So who pulled you out?"

"Set of all people," Angela replied with a slight shoulder shrug. "And it was déjà vu a bit with regards to another friend." She looked at nothing in particular and she didn't have to explain since Gabriel would know who she was talking about. Taking a breath, she looked at the angel and asked, "Did you want to give me another helping hand?"

"You know I would. Always," Gabriel replied with a sincere look.

"Can you put me in the same place as Sam and Dean?"

"You need to light the way."

A/N: Seems like Angie has friends in high places though I don't think getting hit by Rufus was part of the plan. At least she's heading towards her goal of getting back to her boys. More next time on Don't Suffer Fools Gladly...