Chapter 3

The station was bustling and trying to get everything back to normal. The plan worked and everyone was demon free though the stench of sulfur still hit her nose and she had to work hard to not vamp out; that would just terrorize folks. She would always be sensitive to the stench of demons. That was a part of her life now.

She walked up to where Henricksen was busy with his paperwork. It was a kindness and possibly the life for a life thing by telling Dean that the two suspects died when the chopper exploded. This though was something that needed to be done. She smiled at Nancy who gave a tentative smile back. As for reassurance she patted the girl gently on the shoulder. She maneuvered her way towards Henricksen and said, "Thank you."

Henricksen looked up at her and asked, "What are you thanking me for? For cutting your guys a break? That was me returning the favor."

She gave a slight nod, "I can understand that but still I want to thank you."

"And do you think that will solve everything?"

She studied Henricksen's face. She had just gone through this with Sam. She was racking up the points for biggest blunders ever. She replied, "No I don't. I know you're angry and I am telling you that I am fine with it. I've made quite a bit in terms of mistakes in that area."

"I thought you were my friend."

"I am sorry. I do like you and respect you."

Henricksen sighed. It was hard being angry with her and he was. It was betrayal of a sorts when he found her with the Winchesters in that hotel room. She didn't even try to get out of it saying that she didn't know that they were criminals. She accepted the situation with grace and was willing to pay a price. "I should have guessed something was up the first time I met you."

"It takes a while for most people to see through my covers," she replied.

"Now that I know… I don't know what to do or say." Henricksen shrugged his shoulders. He wasn't sure what to do. He really did like her because in spite of the lies and deceptions, she was open with him. It was honesty in a twisted sort of way.

"You could just ask me to leave… but I would like to leave knowing that we could still be friends." She held out her hand to indicate she wanted to shake his hand. "I don't mean being just an asset either. I mean more along the lines of talking about everything and nothing."

Henricksen thought about it. He had a vague idea that while she rolled with the Winchesters there was something different about her. Even when they were preparing, she asked him things that normal people would ask and talk about. He watched as she loaded a shotgun with precision and talk about the keener aspects of gardening and Sam and Dean didn't bat an eye at that.

He found though that he liked that and reached for her hand and said, "Friends it is."

She smiled in return. She would make this up to him. She offered to help in organizing paperwork. He was surprised but he let her. She went about helping Nancy organize the case files with quick precision from years of practice. It was then things went south.

It was a little girl but as soon as she got close enough, she could smell the telltale scent of demon and it was a powerful one. Nancy said, "Well hey there," and smiled.

"Excuse me, I'm looking for two boys. They're brothers. One's really tall and one's really cute and they travel with a pretty lady."

Nancy laughed at that description, "What's your name sweetie?"

"Lilith."

She turned and saw the white eyes. At first she thought it was Lenya but the name was firmly engraved in her mind. Henricksen sensed the danger and started forward with a gun just as Lilith raised her hand. It was reaction to touch Nancy and move to put herself in the line of fire as she held up her own hand. The last she saw was a blinding flash…

Angela opened her eyes as she processed the memory. She had found herself lying on a bed but it was the kind that you found in those movies where it was more like a cot with animal furs. She rolled her eyes at that as she sat up. She found that she was dressed in one of those Medieval Times dresses and it looked just like the one she faced the council in; it was white. Automatically her face went into a slight scowl.

What is it with people thinking I deserve to wear white? I am so going to hand it to Morpheus.

"You won't be seeing Morpheus," a voice said, "In fact you won't be seeing much of anyone you are familiar with. I am sorry for that but then again you brought this on yourself." The owner of the voice then moved out of the shadows to reveal himself.

Angela stood up and put her hands behind her back. She noticed that her hair at least was in a style that she could tolerate. She peered at the stranger and a look of recognition crossed her face. She replied, "Hades. I would have thought you'd be busy trying to keep the hell bitches in order. Then again you are somewhat neutral."

Hades gave a slight nod as he held his helm under one arm. He had heard much about the angel that defied death many times and stubbornly wouldn't cross over. Now he could see her in the flesh so to speak. "You know your history and I'll give you that. Yet you would do to have more respect for someone like me."

"Let's just say that gods are not my particular favorite people to hang out with."

"Ah yes, your appeal to the council to rescind a deal made willingly," Hades replied knowingly as he paced the room this soul had been placed in. "I heard about that as well as the fact that you recklessly offered that which is in your blood in exchange for that same life. Many outside the council called it heroic and noble."

"And you Hades?" Angela looked at the back of the god of the Underworld. Well technically he was a god and he did pass judgment but was one of a few gods that did so. Death was the angel of death and that was another story.

"I prefer to think brave but foolish." He turned to look at Angela and added, "For some odd reason that many of us can't understand, you cling to the role of protecting mortals from the follies of the world. For one human you are willing to risk it all."

"Dean is my brother."

"But you aren't even related. You've spent nearly half a millennia fighting and this is the first time you've jumped head first into risking so much for a pair of humans and one of them nearly tried to kill you."

Angela moved her hands and clasped them in front of her. There were many gods who didn't understand. She replied, "Dean Winchester has his faults like many others and sometimes emotions do overrule rationality. Besides it was my fault in that instance." She sighed knowing that this was anything but a social call. "So why am I here? Where is the lady?"

Hades looked at Angela. She seemed too complacent for this but then again there were mortals that learned how to accept the fate they were given. "You are here because of your habit of trying to save everybody and the ridiculous notion of trying to go down swinging. Tell me, do you remember what happened?"

Angela looked down as she frowned in contemplation. "I remember going back to the station to apologize to Victor. Lilith came looking for Sam… and me. I remember stepping in front of Nancy and grabbing her and putting my hand out and I felt something from within… what did I do?" She looked at Hades with a confused frown.

Hades looked at Angela with an incredulous expression. Did she not know what she could do? Well it wouldn't hurt to give the bare bones. If she hadn't learned it then he wasn't going to waste too much time explaining it to her. "Let's just say that you managed to do a unique trick that would baffle the most astute of the hunters."

"Great another thing to worry about that the other side might want to exploit."

"Call it a trick or ability but it seems that you channeled it from within; the source of how your healing abilities work," Hades pointed out. "Normally someone trained in it would have been just fine but you overdid it and in essence you killed yourself."

"Thanks. Nice to know that I committed suicide trying to stop a hell bitch the same class as Lenya," Angela scoffed.

"It's what happens when you overdo it." Hade shrugged his shoulders. "By the way, your precious human, the virgin, is all right. She survived because of you and now living in a new part of the world."

"Thank God for that." Angela crossed her arms and made an unladylike snort. "So I killed myself by overdoing whatever I did that is related to my healing powers and I am stuck here. So why you and not the lady?"

"That's where the problem lies in. You see the realm in between is divided into the individual realms of the gods that occupy it. Normally you would get shunted towards Isis but you got shunted towards me." Hades looked around the place that had been conjured up for her. It certainly wasn't from her time but it would do and he had Morpheus to thank for the dress.

"So I am being punished then. I expected as much."

"Tartarus is a place of punishment," Hades replied, "My corner of the pit and considerably more humane."

"I would say more just but that's only an opinion," Angela countered. "So am I to be judged?"

"No." Hades studied the reaction. The raised brow was minimal and quite surprising. Maybe she was the kind of person to show minimal expression. "Since you recently had an altercation that required the exchange of blood, it affected your placement."

"So being bit by a werewolf no longer makes me one of the goddess' children?"

"No you still are her favorite. There just hasn't been enough time for the taint to leave you and this was a request from Death."

Angela was actually surprised at the god's admission that Death was having a hand in this. He may be bound until he was released for the next apocalypse but he still had considerable influence in the scheme of things. Even the gods respected him. "Death had me placed here?"

"Isis prefers logic. Death wants to see how well you use your resources to get back."

"What if I don't want to go back?"

"It is a choice," Hades shrugged in a not caring fashion.

Angela was going to reply to that when she heard something. It was like hearing the wind singing in the pitch that most people couldn't hear. It was a voice though but not actually talking. It was clear though.

Angie, I wish you were here. I don't know what to tell Bobby. He's certainly going to kick my ass or let the hell mutt and fur ball at me.

I'm sorry Angie. I know you do the things you do to protect me and Dean. I just wish you would follow your own advice sometimes. I'm sorry.

Angela looked at Hades with a questioning look. Hades merely replied, "You of all people should know that the dead can hear the thoughts of the living. It doesn't matter if they are in the pit or Elysian Fields… they hear those thoughts. You are hearing theirs."

Angela certainly heard the pain in those thoughts. They thought Lilith killed her and she killed herself trying to save another. That was nothing though. Her boys were hurting and it was paining her too. She looked at Hades and said, "What do I need to do to get back?"

Hades watched the expression flit across Angela's face as she thought about what he told her. In the background, he could see memories of the past. The one that lingered though was when she got a hug from an unusually tall fellow. He didn't remember the name but he could guess that she had feelings for him and that was her main motivation for getting back. It was something that would have Persephone swooning with delight. She always did have a thing for romance and he did love her for it.

Well he had a job to do. Death didn't want her crossing over just yet and the reapers were clamoring for her to go back. Tessa was the most persistent in that and he was rather annoyed by it. Reapers generally weren't so forceful. They did their jobs which was to reap souls and then judgment was passed. "You have to get back into your body. You see even though from a mortal perspective, you are dead but in the grand scheme of things and cosmic order stuff… you're not."

"Dead but not dead. I should enjoy trying to explain that one."

"Look I don't make up the rules, I just follow them. Basically you used too much juice and separated your soul from your body and you didn't know it. So you have to find a way to get back into it and you can't do it the usual way which is choose. You got out through magical means and you have to get back the same way. The way it goes."

Angela gave a slight scowl, "Yeah ain't that the truth." She thought about it some and she remembered something. There was a way and it involved the seal of Nameh. It was the inspiration for the subset of the Centurion and she had the means. The hard part was getting it into play. "Alright I get the supernatural means of getting back but if what I need is in the realm of the living, how can I get in touch with them? Or is that cheating?"

Hades was impressed. She already had a means of getting back and now working out technicalities. "It's not cheating if I give you a hint. Remember your training under Morpheus."

Angela took that to mean that she was to play manipulation with the realm. She was dead to everyone but spirits who have remained do so when they are attached to an object that was theirs. She had that stuff scattered. She had an idea and she was reluctant to do so but right now she needed someone they trusted and a little manipulation on her part. "I got it."

Hades gave a slight grin. Persephone would be much better suited since he had little patience but it was her time with her mother. "Alright if you need any more hints, just ask."

"Right because this is just another dream quest only it is with my life."

"I can see why most of the others are amused by your sarcasm. You take life with such value but can't resist doing it."

Angela gave the god of the Underworld a slightly wry look, "It's because of stupidity." She turned to think about what to do and sat down on the ground in her usual meditative pose.

Hades raised a brow. Well to each his own. It was easier for the gods because they had practice and the usual hoopla. He pulled up a chair and sat to watch as the scene shifted to the image she conjured in her mind. She's good like Morpheus said.

Angela paid no attention as she concentrated on the pool of water that appeared. That was to be her looking glass into the world. She could speed through events past and present to the point of real time. She went through the events that happened Since Lilith did her thing. She had no idea why the bitch wanted her dead… that was a lie since she had a fairly good idea but that was nothing compared to the fact that the bitch was after her Sam.

She focused on the people closest to her and she was actually pleased that it would go pretty well. She could feel the anguish from her boys and she almost broke concentration but she persevered. She managed to put into Bobby's head the idea that he needed the seal of Nameh and the code word to get it from Red Eagle and even planted the suggestion to ask Jo to get it.

She managed to get a glimpse of someone ramming the Impala and the ones behind it. She had to act fast even though she knew that the boys would put up a fight for her but she knew them. At least Grace was there and she was level headed one but it wasn't a good idea to dill dally.

Now was the hard part. She looked at Hades and asked, "Is it a violation of the rules for what I am about to do?"

Hades shrugged his shoulders, "I don't know. What do you intend to do? A form of possession?"

"Something like that," Angela replied.

"You are playing with fire."

"I am not a vengeful spirit," Angela rolled her eyes at Hades. She never was one for formalities with regards to the gods. She was guilty of the 'jaded sarcasm' with Isis and yet the goddess still helped her in every way. She was the favorite and she couldn't understand why. She certainly wasn't the poster girl for a devotee or anything like that.

"No but there is a way you can do it and you have to use your abilities," Hades suggested. He was bending the rules but he had done it before and he wasn't about to suggest ambrosia. He rather liked what she was going to do so he would back the horse.

"How can I when I am not in my body?"

"Where do you think the seat of abilities comes from?"

Angela thought about it for a moment. She gave a slight scowl, "I hate you."

Hades grinned. He heard little malice in her voice. He knew that she figured out the intricacies if not all of them. He knew what she was and that was why he was not telling why she had been shunted to his realm. It wasn't that Isis couldn't handle it because she could; she wanted him to understand the one called Absolution more. He replied, "You love me."

"What would Persephone say about that?"

"Cheeky."

"Part of my charm." Angela gave a smirk before turning back to her view mirror. Hades had a point with his suggestion. It was how she was able to use her healing ability. It came from the soul and since she was a soul… It was risky but at least she wasn't at risk of going all vengeful spirit. She had heard of this kind of thing. "So you'll be my anchor?"

"It's what I'm here for. Here, use my power."

Angela felt the god exert his power and focusing, she linked his with hers. He would be her connection and pull her back if things went wrong. She focused and closed her eyes. When she opened them, she was seeing the world from Jo's point of view. It was a good thing she came in when she did since there were demons on their way up and she was in the right place. The fact that Jo picked this place was not coincidence. Boy time flew in the other realm.

Seeing that Jo was getting ready to bail, Angela did the only thing she could do. She took control of Jo's limbs and threw her knife at the mask. She felt Jo's confusion as she poked in to make sure that Jo had the map. She knew that it was an ultimate freak out when she took over almost completely when those biker douches couldn't take no for an answer.

In Angela's mind, Jo was hers; she was her sister. That meant that she would defend her to the death if necessary. It was a natural reaction to strike at the assholes. She felt bad though for taking near full possession and giving what she got to the douches. When it was over, she could feel Jo's confusion along with a bunch of other things. She must've scared the poor girl.

There wasn't enough time to let Jo work it over but at least she talked it over with Ellen. At least she took her advice on that note. When Jo tried to drown it out with a shot of whiskey, Angela knew she had to get to business. She took over and stopped Jo and made her go into the bathroom and lock the door. She even talked to Jo in her head and felt the fear come up. Well Jo was going to get some answers.

Jo's face was hardly encouraging when she looked at her through the mirror. It was the best thing. It was said that the mirror allowed the viewer to see into the soul. She said, "It is me Jo. Um… there is no easy way to say this but... I'm dead."

Jo looked at her with a frown of disbelief, "You're dead? How?"

"Well technically I am dead to you but in the grand scheme of things I am not. I guess I am disembodied or something. It will take too long to explain…"

"You're dead?"

"Calm down Jo. It was me that made you throw the knife and everything funky."

Jo was looking pale and from Angela's end, that wasn't good. However she kept it together very well as she replied, "Okay so I am possessed and by you nonetheless." She ran a hand through her locks. "Well at least that's better than a demon though if it were a demon, the amulet you gave me would have gone off."

"That's my connection to you. I'm glad you kept it."

Jo gave an incredulous look at Angela, "Why wouldn't I? It was given to me by a very good friend who has looked after me like a big sister would. I haven't taken it off since you gave it to me."

Angela couldn't help but smile at that. "That was my intention. What better way to protect you from demons and possession by one?"

Jo finally smiled. It had been a long time since they last saw each other face to face… in a manner of speaking. Jo sobered though and asked, "So why me? I was sent here to retrieve some Native American artifact for Bobby. Then you jump in and I also have a map. What gives Angie?"

Angela knew that she was on limited time but this was Jo. She replied, "Well there is something I want you to do for me. I am warning you that it is going to sound ridiculous and even the craziest thing that has ever been suggested…"

"Don't hold me in suspense Angie," Jo replied. She crossed her arms over her chest. She began to play with her amulet by holding it and rubbing her thumb and first finger over the gold. She missed the fact that Angela was doing the same thing even though there was nothing around her neck. "What is it that you want me to do that you couldn't go jump into Sam or Dean for. They would do anything for you."

Angela moved her mouth in a slight smile as she looked at Jo. There was a reason for it but she wasn't going to give details yet on that one. She looked at Jo and said, "I need you to steal my body from them." When Jo didn't say anything, she repeated, "Jo, I want you to steal my body from Sam and Dean."


A/N: So now we know what happened to Angie, what happens next? Will Jo agree to it? What about Sam and Dean? All this and more next time on Phoenix Rises...