Chapter 4

9:00pm

The Morton House… I actually feel a thrill down my spine at the prospect of going in. Actually that's the ice cube that Dean decided to dump down the back of my shirt. He still thinks it's my fault about the pie…

… I do feel apprehension at going in. Something about the place has me uneasy. I didn't feel it before when Ruby Bitch was around and I was more caught up in that conversation. I don't understand it but I get the strangest sensation of fear and it is getting stronger the closer we get. I am worried and I am scared…

Angela checked the flashlights to make sure that they were charged in terms of batteries and handed one to Sam. Standard procedure was to drive around and scout the place and then there was the actual hiding the Impala so local law enforcement didn't get any funny ideas. It was all part and parcel of the job.

She looked at Dean and could see that he was still a bit miffed about the pie thing even though she said that she didn't do anything. She sighed as she went about loading the shotguns with the rounds, an activity she could do in her sleep. "Leaving a wound to fester makes it worse… not better."

Dean huffed, "Right just as denial is just as good."

"Forget I said anything," Angela replied as she finished the last of the loading. We're An American Band was playing on the radio and it actually was soothing in her ears. She rolled down the window the same as Sam as they pulled up towards the Morton House.

Sam thought Dean was being a dick about the whole pie thing. Yeah Angela could be doing something and make another object move without looking but she wasn't like that. He had been watching her reaction when Dean made his comment about her looks and he noticed that she smiled. She liked the comment from his brother. He accepted the flashlight and looked at his brother with a look that said he was being completely unreasonable before lowering down his window.

Angela didn't need a flashlight to see the house and the perimeter. Her eyes could do that so she leaned out her window and bent her body so that it looked like she was standing up inside the car. She held a hand up to her face like she was shielding her eyes and peered out. She followed Sam's flashlight beam and then would scour areas that he may have missed. They continued this as Dean pulled up and around before driving off.

As Angela searched, she thought she caught some movement in the bushes near the gate. She narrowed her eyes trying to see in the dark. Something or someone was there and inwardly she groaned at the prospect of shooing away foolish kids. Vengeful spirits weren't something you messed with and if you bound a spirit and made them go against their nature, then you were asking for trouble. More likely they were a bunch of kids who were playing their hands at being ghost detectives.

She wasn't sure what to make of it. Hell it could even be a stray cat or dog that got startled by the light Sam was showing. Somehow though the rustling started a feeling of unease as she slipped back into the car and it continued when she felt a chill go up her spine. They had just gone by close to the gate and she had this strange feeling of fear. It was troublesome.

"Have fun out there?"

Angela looked up from the shotgun she had taken to holding on her lap and replied, "Huh?"

Dean knew he had been an ass about the pie thing. He knew that she wouldn't start a food fight unless she actually did it herself. Besides, she would have slammed it in his face. He was hoping to get a chance to apologize after Sam gave him a bitch face that also said he was being a complete ass. So he decided on something that she would respond to. When he failed to get a satisfactory answer, he looked in the mirror and noticed the distracted air. This was becoming more frequent the closer they got to actually getting into the hunt. "Angie, you okay back there? You've been spacing out like there's no tomorrow."

Angela replied, "Um… just thinking. I guess I have too many thoughts up here."

Sam resisted the urge to look back. He was concerned. He knew that she was capable of compartmentalizing whatever she was working on and could bury it and bring it back when necessary. He recalled having the concern that she might burn herself out that way. Was this a sign of that?

Dean was unaware of Sam's internal monologue and was saying, "Thoughts about what?"

"Lots of things; some that aren't even relevant but wayward thoughts," Angela replied while desperately searching for something that would prevent Dean from grilling her. Part of that feeling seemed to be mingled with her thoughts on upcoming conversations with certain characters that she would rather puke than have a conversation with. She had to think fast and think of something totally ridiculous. She finally said, "Puppies."

Dean frowned as he brought the car around, "What?"

"Puppies… well what kind of dogs I would get if Cerebus decided on you know," Angela offered.

"That is just plain… I don't know," Dean replied. He could sense deflection in that ridiculous statement. "You were thinking about pedigrees and dog breeding with the hell mutt? That's too ridiculous even for you."

Angela sighed softly. That was a bad one but how could she explain what she felt when they passed the house? It wasn't a vision but somehow she got the feeling that something bad was going to happen. She recited, "All is well, tho' faith and form Be sunder'd in the night of fear."

Dean had no clue and almost rolled his eyes at the prospect of another exchange of quotes between Sasquatch and his girl. Sam though frowned and replied, "Tennyson?"

"Just a feeling."

10:40pm

… Despite the feeling of fear, we entered Morton House and I actually had a grip on it. However that is pretty impressive considering that the fear was like a thick blanket that was trying to dog my steps. It made me wonder how much of it was fear from whatever spirit was here and how much of it were my own buried fears. At that point it seemed that it was just what I was picking up from the spirit…

Angela peered around a corner holding her shotgun and shouldering the duffle. She volunteered for that job since it seemed the least she could do and she could hang back a little in order to avoid the possible questions that must be brewing mainly on the tip of Sam's tongue. At least they were distracted by the fact that the gate had been broken into. The lock had been cut and it had confirmed what she had suspected; that some stupid kids were snooping around.

Dean nearly swore at that. "Just what we need: a bunch of kids being stupid."

Sam tried to be reasonable, "We'll just use our usual cover; say that we're cops or something. That will get them out."

That was fine and dandy in Angela's book and she checked to make sure that her Beretta was tucked under her jacket. As a strange sort of afterthought, she had put her chakram on her belt. She had decided against taking Absolution with her since that would probably really be out of place and this was supposed to be a spirit hunt. She was aware that it was more out of comfort than having an extra weapon on hand that prompted her to bring it.

With a plan decided, they walked into the house. Immediately Angela could feel a sense of fear and… something else. It was disturbing and she didn't like it one bit. She had never had this kind of experience before on a spirit hunt and she wondered if she was going stark crazy. Dean had joked once that she could sniff out the supernatural but she relied more on that tingly feeling like Dean's spidey sense.

Angela looked through the empty rooms following the boys and feeling like she was hiding behind them. It made her feel weak and she disliked it. She began tapping the shotgun in that nervous twitch she hadn't experienced in years.

"Angie can you quit that?" Dean turned to look back at Angela once he figured out that the tapping was coming from behind them. He studied her as she tapped the stock of the gun and her eyes looked around. This was unusual behavior for her.

Angela looked up and said, "Sorry. Old nervous habit." She willed her finger to stop. The silence became deafening and the chill stroked her spine.

Dean walked up to her, ignoring Sam, "You sure you're okay?"

"I…" Angela looked past Dean at something she thought she saw.

"Angie?"

Angela could make out a reaper standing there looking like a rich man in a cheap suit or something like the agents from the Matrix, minus the glasses. Okay so a reaper was here and it was pointing at her? It mouthed something at her before Dean got into her line of sight and snapped his fingers in front of her, "Hey don't make me poke you with a stick."

"Sorry Dean," Angela replied. "I thought I saw something but I wasn't sure." She glanced back to make sure she wasn't seeing things. The reaper was gone so maybe it was a product of her imagination coupled with the strong emotions the spirit was feeling.

Dean didn't completely buy it but he was willing to accept that for now. She could hear and smell things that normal humans couldn't so that was plausible. "Okay. Can you focus though? We need to get those kids out before this thing gets ugly."

Angela shook off the uneasiness and nodded after becoming grim. "Let's go then. I came to enjoy this hunt and I aim to do so." She held her shotgun ready to pull up at a moment's notice.

Sam waited until Dean had turned around to lead the way to ask, "Tennyson?" He hadn't forgotten that she said it was a feeling she got.

Angela didn't want to get into that discussion but glancing at the concerned look in Sam's eyes; the gentle… She blinked almost owlishly and replied, "Yeah Tennyson. A feeling though and I am not sure."

"Something bothering you?" Sam asked the question since it was the first and logical one. With the crap they went through lately, it wouldn't surprise him that something was bothering her.

Angela looked around before pausing. She heard voices and they were dead straight ahead. They were real voices since they both sounded out of breath like someone had scared them or they ran a marathon. She replied as she signaled to the boys, "Not me but I get the feeling that there are some powerful emotions trapped in this house."

"You know you're talking psychic babble right?" Dean replied in a whisper as he acknowledged the hand signals from Angela. He knew she heard something and from the intense expression on her face she was discerning where it was coming from.

"Maybe," Angela signaled that she heard other voices but were much fainter, indicating that it was a group that had separated. "But I can feel it. I don't know why but it's there. It might have something to do with…"

Dean nodded and looked at Sam who seemed mollified from his line of questioning. To him it explained why she was spacing out so much. She was focused on what it was. Maybe it did sound like psychic babble but Angela never played around with stuff like that. If she said it, then she was telling the truth. He himself had to wonder at this since on the other salt and burns they did, it didn't happen then. Maybe it was something about this house. A small nagging suspicion at the back of his mind suggested that he ask about her abilities.

They came up to the area where the voices were loudest and Angela gave the nod to Dean. She held the shotgun and followed through when Dean shouted, "Freeze, police officers." In combination with the way they held the lights, it was pretty effective. She held up her shotgun pointed at two young men and the sight had her wanting to frown.

Both of them were wearing those headband headlight thingies that Angela thought were best suited for staying on hard hats rather than heads. One of them was dressed in fatigues and had what she could only surmise as camera equipment; the kind that could be worn on the head in a bulky contraption. She couldn't help but raise her brows in a surprised yet controlled manner. What in the name of all that is not of the supernatural was this about?

Sam entered the room with Dean next to him saying, "Ok. Take it easy. Let's see identification."

Dean added his bit, "Come on. Let's see some ID."

Since Angela was hanging back, she didn't say anything but entered the room. She heard one of the kids say in a scared voice, "Why are we…? Are we under arrest?"

The other was saying in a calm voice, "We are unarmed."

Angela was unaware that the one with the strange headgear was looking at her and what he was seeing was something that should have had him screaming. Instead he was in a panicked tone more along the lines of being arrested. "Oh God. Oh God."

11:00pm

… Fear increased the moment we entered the room. The two kids Ed and Corbett were scared and it seemed to increase what was already there. I know Sam and Dean think I am crazy at this point but there is a strong, I don't know… an empathy surge or something. Do spirits feed on fear? Such a thing sounds crazy but too many things are going on around here and it is starting to feel peculiar; like I have read about it or seen it somewhere before.

I know my fear is what those kids would see if they look at me. My agitation could send me vamping out and they might catch it on camera. It is definitely Tennyson as I spoke to Sam about earlier…

Angela was perfectly comfortable to let Sam and Dean do the interrogating. She saw that the camera getup the kid named Corbett was wearing and she didn't want to risk being seen. She knew that certain supernatural creatures could be distinguished from humans by video camera. Shapeshifters were one such creature with the retina flare of the eyes. What she was concerned about were her eyes vamping out and it being caught. She didn't need nuts being created and hunting vampires or other supernatural creatures and getting themselves killed.

"Whoa I know you," the one with the glasses was saying.

Angela looked up and saw the slight hesitation in Sam and Dean's posture. Dean though was quick in covering and gave a flickering blink and continued their cover, "Yeah sure you do. Give me some identification."

The one with the glasses persisted, "Hold on a second. I know the both of you guys. Yeah, but not the chick there. Yeah I know you."

Angela's first reaction was to point the shotgun at them. She narrowed her eyes as her protective mode came on. She hadn't forgotten Gordon Walker and that was before he was turned into a vamp. Humans were just as dangerous to her boys as the creatures and things they hunted. She didn't flinch even though the kid called Corbett flinched and whimpered. She asked, "Yeah and you know what kinds of people say that to us?"

"Hey call off the Cujo chick," the kid with glasses said.

It was Sam who betrayed recognition. "Holy shit." He quickly put a hand up to push the barrel of Angela's shotgun down.

Dean was still looking confused but rather amused that Angela was pointing her shotgun at the kids. It was a nice scare tactic. He was trying to put together how the one guy knew him and Sam but not Angela. It had to be before they hooked up. He looked to Sam for confirmation, "What?"

"Uh, west Texas, the tulpa we had to take out."

Angela paused and looked at Sam and then Dean. "You two went after a tulpa? Did you spend too many hours listening to mullet rock?" It had to be one of those times that she had been on another case.

Sam looked at Angela. Apparently she knew about tulpas too. "Now is not the time Angie," he whispered. He looked at Dean who was trying to recall that case. He added for good measure, "Those two goofballs that almost got us killed. Uh Hellhounds or something?"

Dean looked at Sam and then held up his flashlight. He pointed it right at the guy with the glasses and got a good luck. He couldn't believe it. It wasn't that guy. He couldn't help it and said, "Fuck me."

Angela had her barrel lowered but it was still pointed at them. She could feel Corbett's fear and whoever this guy with the glasses had it too. The blanket was getting thicker but her focus was on a potential threat. "So you know one of them. Is he a threat?"

The guy with the glasses held up his hands, "Hey easy Robochick. Look we're not Hellhounds anymore."

Angela couldn't help but mutter, "Good because you have yet to see a real one."

Corbett was still scared, "Ed, what's going on?"

Ed replied, "They're not cops. No. I can't speak for their chick friend there."

Angela lowered her gun as she listened. She knew they weren't a threat; it was her protective instincts out of whack. She was beginning to come to the conclusion that the emotions swirling around that weren't emanating from humans were related to the spirit and it seemed that her empath that had been tethered to her telepathic ability was rearing its head. Fine timing for that.

She settled back a little to survey the conversation that was going on. Since Sam and Dean knew one of them, she could better hide behind it and avoid the camera for the moment. She replied to Ed, "I'd be careful how you give names to people. You never know if they might take it the wrong way." She lowered the shotgun completely to show that she wasn't a threat.

She turned her attention to Corbett. He looked to be a nice guy and he just had a nice scare. He reminded her of another amateur she had come across maybe in the 70s. He was eager to learn and even apprenticed himself to an old timer hunter but the kid scared easily. Hell he nearly peed in his pants the moment she bared her fangs in a fight. He did all right though in the end saving that old timer from a chupracaba. Looking at this kid, he seemed to be made of the same stock.

"Ed, thought you had a partner didn't you? A different guy?"

Angela turned her attention towards Dean questioning Ed. She didn't really pay attention to the conversation but rather began to tune out everything. She really didn't know if she should be leaving herself vulnerable like that but she might as well turn on the 'sniffer' so to speak. She couldn't figure out the emotions thing so she had to keep it in mind but not at the forefront. Suddenly a memory came to her and a fairly recent one.

The shaman was a gracious host in seeing them even though they were delayed and it was during his yearly communing with the spirits. He told the three of them that he would have to cleanse the area and see their souls. It was spoken in his language and she had to translate.

It was politeness on the shaman's part that he let her in his tent. There were still cultures that didn't view women in the same light unless it was deemed so by action or other circumstances. He proceeded with his ritual. When he came to her, she fainted. She had already been running a slight fever from her werewolf bite and the power of herbs became too much.

When she came to the shaman spoke to her alone. He said, "Connected to the spirits your soul is. You can sense them and commune them. It is a sign of your power." He gave her a medicine bag and indicated that she was to keep it on her at all times…

Angela put her hand in her jacket pocket. It was in there. She could feel it by touch. She got it that healers tapped into the spirit realm. It was like a battery to charge their healing ability. Maybe it was possible to sense out the spirit here in the Morton House. She rubbed the medicine bag and tried a mediation technique she used when she was awake and on the go.

It was strange. She picked up multiple entities. It was like that sixth sense thing that people talked about. She felt it. It was little help though but it did clear up the thick blanket that was a constant pressure on her being. Fear was a powerful emotion and it was tied to the spirit who haunted this place. There was another one but she wasn't sure. Emotions were powerful even if they didn't register strongly and were not the kind of thing to register on an EMP.

She was interrupted when she heard the thump and saw that Dean had pressed Ed to the wall of the room. He meant business as he looked at Ed and asked, "Ed?"

"Yeah."

"Where's your partner?"

Angela ignored the interrogation as she looked around. She found that Corbett was looking at her, "What?" She frowned at him both in puzzlement and the fact that the white light was right on her and getting in her eyes.

"N—nothing. It's just… You're really pretty," Corbett replied. "You don't look like the type to be doing this."

Angela raised her brow. She had to be understanding here and she gauged Sam's approach. It seemed that his attention was focused on Dean's interrogation. So she didn't have to worry about him going watchdog and defending her honor. She could see that he was still shaken up. Inwardly she sighed. She could do this like she did to Barcalow. She raised her free hand and motioned while saying, "Hey it's okay. Sorry we scared you but we were concerned." Her voice was calm and soothing.

Sam happened to hear Angela talking and turned to look to see her with her hand outstretched and she was talking to Corbett. He frowned a little to focus on what she was saying and observe her. He realized that she was calming the kid down. He had to admit she was pretty good at this and could understand why she was reluctant to use it. The kid was like dough in her hands.

It worked though until Sam saw the slight flicker in her eyes and then her body jerked. She began looking wildly around as if trying to hear something. Corbett was ignoring the whole thing but Sam grew concerned as she looked around. It was enough to distract Dean from questioning Ed and all eyes were on her until she wheeled around and got a blinding glare from Corbett's headlight. Sam saw her eyes flicker in response but she shut them quick and placed her wrists over her eyes. She swore under her breath. All she said was in a very low whisper, "One appeared."

A/N: They meet the Ghostfacers and Angie is reacting to the house. what is she talking about? Find out next time on Leap Year Fears...