Chapter 4

Angela looked at the group aware that she was looking like one of those old western heroes getting ready to do a duel. However that was not important. What was important was that she get rid of these bastards and preferably without bloodshed. She looked at the cashier from earlier and said, "Well? What is it this time?"

"These gypsies are nothing but thieves. They stole from me."

"Everything we have was bought and paid for," the young woman from earlier retorted.

"And I'm sure that the money you stole earlier was honestly earned."

Angela narrowed her eyes as the cashier pointed his rifle at them. She said, "And if I recall you were returning what was rightfully theirs."

Eyes turned on Angela. She didn't flinch at all even when the cashier said, "You threatened me bitch."

"Then maybe you should learn to count. Certainly you went to school?" Angela mocked as she folded her hands behind her back. She moved her head in an inquisitive manner.

The cashier narrowed his eyes and said, "Check their truck." He pointed his rifle at Angela and added, "This bitch won't do anything."

Angela gave a slight grin. This guy was in for a big surprise. The grin turned almost feral as she watched the two guys start to head towards the truck. She made her move fully aware that they gypsies wouldn't trust her if they were witnesses. That was fine since a lesson will be taught. Her muscles were already tensed to spring as she sprang forward.

The movement was so sudden that the cashier didn't see it coming until his rifle was thrust upwards and he got a backhand to the face. That stopped the two searching the truck and they started towards Angela along with the other two that held guns. They were ready to fire much to the horror of Sam and Dean as they finally caught up with her thinking that they were going to shoot her.

Angela reacted taking the rifle with her and used it a a bludgeoning object. She struck at the immediate threat which were the guns and batted them away from their owners and winded them for good measure. When she was finished, she disabled the rifle and flung the pieces aside. That wasn't the end of the fight though. The cashier had other ideas and the ones search the truck were left standing. The cashier motioned and took the lead as he pulled out a huge hunting knife.

Angela grinned as she circled with the cashier. "Oh tough buddy boy now?" She asked the question in a mocking tone. She dodged the lunge and darted forward. She moved using her vampire powers and struck at the two that remained. She gave them a boot in the rear and they took off running.

The cashier still had his knife. He was being bold going up against her solo but he'd be damned if he let s gypsy lover get the better of him. He gave a thrust and was shocked when she disappeared from his line of sight. She reappeared when she grabbed his knife and twisted it behind his back. He gritted as he struggled against a surprisingly strong grip and came face to face with her. He said, "Gypsy loving bitch."

Angela took a moment to study the cashier. To mess with him, she looked at him and sort of sniffed him out. She replied close to his ear, "I am worse than that on my best day.' To emphasize what she meant, she let him catch a glimpse of her eyes. They flickered so fast that it would look like his eyes were playing tricks on him.

Angela delighted in letting him go and giving a boot. She didn't see one of the troublemakers raise a pistol at her. His gun went off but up in the air. Angela whirled to see him surprised and she raised her hand to catch her chakram. She raised a brow and the two ran off after she said, "Think twice before causing trouble." She then turned towards Sam and said, "Nice timing Sam."

Sam came out saying slightly in sarcasm and slightly in jest, "And I'm sure you had everything under control."

"As far as I had it. You okay Dean?"

"Yeah if you count catching someone trying to ambush you," Dean replied as he rubbed his fist. He had caught one of the guys that she first knocked down trying to sneak up on her. He had pounced on him and beat him with a few punches.

Angela gave a slight smile as she looked at her chakram and put it on her belt. She gave a nonverbal thanks towards Sam for bringing it. Normally she wouldn't leave it behind but she couldn't waste a moment to help the gypsies. "Well all's well and done."

"All you've done was cause trouble for us," the young gypsy woman retorted.

Angela sighed as she replied, "Seems to me that there is no pleasing you is there? You are determined to see us all in a bad light. Don't judge us all to be the same. We'll go now." She motioned with a slight toss of her head towards Sam and Dean and led the way back to the Impala.

"Wait."

Angela paused with Sam and Dean. She turned to look back and saw the old woman stepping forward along with the old man. She raised her brow and respectfully turned around.

The old woman looked at Angela as she walked forward. She said, "It has been a long time since one has shown us kindness and fairness… especially from one from the night clans."

Angela kept her brow raised but inwardly her spine stiffened. She knew that she had revealed who she was by jumping into that fight like that. She had been that anxious for something to do ever since Sioux Falls and getting back to the business of deal breaking that she put herself at risk. Some gypsy clans were pretty adept at fighting vampires and they had their own brand of mojo. Carefully she replied, "It is wrong to base judgment off of superstition and fairy tales. Plus false accusations are just not right. We will go now."

"Please. Allow us to show our gratitude by having you share our supper with us," the old woman looked at Angela with a piercing gaze.

Angela kept a raised brow. She knew that Dean would jump on the prospect for free food. She was more wary since the night clans were mentioned. "We wouldn't want to impose."

"It would be an honor to us."

Angela studied the four people that were staring at her. The younger woman was still showing hostility towards her but that was to be expected. The child was looking at her with curiosity. The elders were waiting for her answer. She studied them some more before replying, "The honor will be ours." She felt that she was taking a huge gamble but she was not one to be rude when it came to things like that.

"Good. Our leader Falcon will want to speak with you," the old woman replied.

"Please, follow us to our camp," the old man said.

Angela gave a slight nod. She had no idea what she got herself or the boys into. However she would be polite and not strike unless she was fired upon. Those rules of engagement from the military sure came in handy with certain situations.


Vera looked at the remains of the settlement outside of Sioux Falls. She had come back there since it was the best place to start in terms of hunting down the one who killed her. Her people put up a fight when they saw her but she showed them who she was. Actually it was rather amusing.

In the beginning, they didn't recognize her. It was rather fun to watch them scramble to mount a defense against her. Her new appearance had much to do with that. Her eyes were no longer hers. Her hair was shorter, almost spikey and it had bleached tips. Plus she wasn't wearing the traditional order outfit anymore.

After a while though, it became annoying. The constant shooting of pitiful rounds was just not cutting it. She dodged them or sent them back. She had no beef with them but it wasn't her fault that they decided to stay and reap the consequences. After one shot hit her in the shoulder, she looked at it and felt that it really hurt. It was then that she realized it was an iron round.

While the iron round wouldn't kill her per se, it would cause significant pain. Instead though, it served to piss her off. She looked for the nearest target and used her new powers. It was like thunder and lightning when the first of the huts caught fire. She grinned and laughed in pleasure as the main hut caught up in flames.

That didn't stop the women though. The order kept firing at her and using other means to stop her. They were well versed in what stopped things of the supernatural. This time though, they were in for a surprise. She retaliated by sending flames at the women and relished in the screams that filled the air.

That was for ever doubting the kind of person I am.

One of the warriors was none other than Phoebe. That little bitch had decided to stay on after the Champion killed her. Vera wanted to make her suffer but then again she might prove useful. She was in two minds of what to do until Phoebe shot her with the iron round and this time in the abdomen. The girl was going to pay for that.

Vera went on a rampage until every last building was destroyed. If there were survivors, she didn't care. She did manage to say, "Hmm Absolution. Come out, come out wherever you are."

It was a taunt but Vera knew that if she called for Absolution, she would come. If she added the threat to the Champion or his pathetic brother, it would only make her respond faster and with deadlier force. That was what she looked forward to.

"You know you are supposed to hunt Absolution and him."

Vera glanced at her hooded companion with an eye roll. She nearly objected to Lilith sending him with her but decided against it. She knew that some aspects of her powers were far from under control and she might accidentally kill Absolution. Lilith wanted her alive so her companion was useful in that respect. However he was annoying in that he was questioning everything she did or reminding her of what she was doing.

Feeling annoyed and tempted to set him on fire, she replied, "I am hunting them. This was the last place I remember them being in and is a start. Besides I wanted a little bit of fun with the bitches that denied me."

"This will draw the attention of the main body of the order."

"And they will deal with it. When they discover the purpose, they will ignore it."

"You seem confident of that."

"After what happened here the last time, the Centurion will not be anxious to help Absolution. They are nothing but a bunch of hypocrites," Vera declared. Her voice warped a bit with power. "They expect people to serve but when someone like Absolution doesn't obey, they cast them out and let them drown until they need help."

"Perhaps that should be the way to draw Absolution out. She will not turn her back on those in need no matter how much she had been shunned," the companion replied as he surveyed the scene. "Even in our realm, much comes back to us regarding persons of interest."

Vera considered it. Hell she considered the whole thing when she began the search. She was more latched onto getting the Champion and his brother. They were Absolution's weakness. She would never fail to come to them. That much she had seen from the underlings' reports. "I know that."

"Then why not use it to your advantage?"

"That is what I am trying to do. Everyone has pressure points. All you have to do is find one that is closest to the heart and squeeze." Vera looked at her companion as if he were an idiot. She had little respect for him but she wasn't stupid to cross him. She knew what he was to Lilith and her master and he had certain abilities that would best be kept secret for later.

"What is your plan? Hunt and destroy along the way?"

The comment had been uttered in sarcasm but Vera let it slide. She replied, "The Champion and his brother are her weakness. Get them and hold them up to a point of near death and she will cave."

"So you plan to use blackmail…"

"A modicum of persuasion. Our master wants Absolution alive but she didn't say anything about being broken." Vera grinned at the prospect. Absolution had done nothing to her except be the subject of what happened to her so that in effect made Absolution her enemy. That didn't have the same effect though as the Champion.

She wanted to make him suffer before she killed him. She had suffered a slow and agonizing end at his hand. His death was too quick and no pain was involved. To make him suffer, she would have to hurt the thing that meant the most to him. That would be his brother but if she recalled… She remembered how ardently he protected Absolution's body. That would be another pinprick to breaking him. Of course by harming Absolution she would be going against her orders unless it was something that…

There were plenty of means of persuasion and Lilith didn't say anything about Absolution being emotionally and mentally fit. If she had her suspicions a double dose of hurt brothers would make her cave like a flimsy house of cards. It was risky to hit them head on since Absolution would be certain to guard them like one of hell's pet hounds. She would work on that part of the plan later as she worked to catch up with them. She looked at her companion and said, "Breaking Absolution will make things easier all around. Then I can finally destroy Sam Winchester." She led the way as they left the burning settlement.

Phoebe had managed to survive and through pain filled eyes she was able to see now her former sister in arms standing with the hooded figure. They were in trouble and judging by what Vera had said, Absolution and her friends were in trouble. She had to get word to Grace. Even though the main order didn't cater to Absolution anymore, Grace would do the right thing and if not, Augusta would. Phoebe pulled herself to her feet once she was sure that they were gone and started on the long trek towards Sioux Falls. Perhaps the old one called Bobby would help.


It certainly wasn't too far out of their way to follow the truck back to the gypsy camp. In fact it would have been easily missed since it was one of those quiet turnoffs that looked like it disappeared into the forest. That was a benefit for this band of gypsies since they preferred to stay off the official census lists.

Angela studied the forest trees as Dean drove the Impala. She was interested in the botany side of things and was trying to see the appeal of the place. Most laughed at her for that but taking a leaf out of Sherlock Holmes, often times it was the little things that set groups apart that were similar in traditions and all that hoopla.

"So Angie, you trust these gypsies?"

"They aren't gypsies," Angela answered absently as she glanced behind them. She was also on the lookout for any sign of being followed. The last thing she wanted was to put these people in danger because of their hospitality to strangers who helped them.

"Okay, so what are they?" Dean couldn't see the difference and he was mostly following on the lead of what he had overheard in that roadside town as well as what happened with the douches in the clearing.

"They're Roma or Romani." Angela checked her watch as she looked around. She was uneasy mainly because her instincts were telling her that this was a good place for an ambush and the old woman knew she was half human. They were warring with her nature to give a chance to the stranger to prove that they weren't a threat and that was at war with the need to protect Sam and Dean. After her last conversation with Crowley, she wasn't taking any chances.

"And the difference?"

"What we call Gypsies is really the ethnic group the Roma. Lore has it that they originated in India out of the casteless group which included the untouchable, the artists/musicians and those skilled in magic. They have traveled all over Europe and the Middle East and go by different names. There is a large population in the Americas and it seems we stumbled across a group." Angela took another furtive glance backwards. Confident that they hadn't been followed, she relaxed a bit.

"I'm not even going to ask how you know that since you are like College Boy here but is that were some of your more colorful vocabulary comes from?"

Angela gave a slight smile at that. She knew she had the habit of swearing in other languages and it amused Dean to no end since they once came up with a game over who could say the most in swear words. She won and then revealed afterwards that she had cheated by saying some of Dean's favorites in other languages and she pointed out that it wasn't against the rules. She replied, "I vaguely remember a few words that I can't place with the other languages I know. As to meeting Romani, I don't think I ever have."

"That's a first," Dean replied.

Sam had been quiet the whole trip aside from a scowl towards his brother. He noticed how quiet Angela had become and suspected that it was more of her being alert. She certainly moved around a lot in the backseat. To him it seemed that she was on guard for something that she couldn't see and it was like an annoying tick that she couldn't get rid of. It was a relief that she settled down but he got the feeling that she had the bad feeling or knew something was up and she didn't want to tell him or Dean. He knew she was protecting them but he didn't want her getting hurt thinking she had to take care of it by herself. Still he wouldn't pester her about it. He had been really good at that.

As it turned out Angela began to relax more but was still stiff in the spine about her status. Romani knew quite a bit about vampires and ways to kill them. Some were even slow and torturous. At least that was what she remembered from her lessons. Her Romani burial rites book that she used on Andy and the others she had gotten from someone who once hung around Romani. So it was secondhand and she had traveled enough to know how to act when in the company of people from a different culture.

They arrived at the camp and Angela half expected to see a whole contingent of Romani wagons. Here there was a mixture of modern vehicles as well as a few Romani wagons. It was rather an interesting sight for her eyes. She exited the car slowly after Sam and Dean got out. She wasn't afraid for them since they were not the ones that had the potential of being set upon by torches and pitchforks. She surveyed the camp with an interested air and it reminded her of the days when she used to camp out in the wilderness when she had nothing but the supplies in her saddle bag and a horse.

"We may wander but we know how to keep up with the times."

Angela turned to see the young woman staring defiantly at her. She replied, "I didn't say anything nor do I intend to except that I find the camp rather pleasant. It reminds me of when I used to travel this country on horseback. A pleasant and enriching way of seeing this country."

"Then maybe you and Falcon will see eye to eye, dhampir," the girl said much to the hissing of the old woman.

Angela studied the girl as she looked defiantly at her. The last person that had that much spirit and hidden under defiance and a thirst to prove herself was in fact her. Of course she had been humbled pretty quickly. She replied, "Perhaps we will fată."

The word came out automatically but Angela had no idea how she knew the appropriate word for the girl. True she remembered some words but she assumed that they were from her friend who knew Romani dialects. It was pretty strange to her as she gave a slight frown in puzzlement just as the old woman said, "Forgive Drina. She is always quick to judge but one can't blame her."

"I understand," Angela replied as she glanced at the boys. No doubt they were wondering about some of the words that had been spoken between her and the girl. She would have to explain a few things but some she couldn't at the moment.

The old woman led them to where there was a sort of middle aged man in his thirties speaking with a bunch of other men. He looked up and Angela could see dark hair with slight blonde tips and bright blue eyes. He was wearing a white shirt with a vest over it and black pants and boots. Angela couldn't help but stare. She got the feeling that she had seen him from somewhere before but she couldn't place it.

The man saw the old woman and walked up to her and said, "Mirela are you all right? You were longer than expected."

Mirela, the old woman, smiled at the young man affectionately. She batted at him to make him stop fussing as she replied, "Oh we're all right. It just took a little longer than usual. We ran into some trouble…"

"We were accused of being thieves," Drina interrupted. She had her hands on her hips and was ready to spit fire if she chose to. "The store cheated us and then had the nerve to follow us and accuse us of stealing; like we were thieves."

Mirela managed to take back the situation and directed a hand to the three guests, "But these three came to our aid. We invited them to share our table tonight."

Falcon followed Mirela's gesture to the three looking ready to bolt if they needed to. That they were hunters he could tell. They always had a certain stature. The two men he didn't recognize but he could tell that they were ready to defend their companion. The taller one looked especially adamant. He dismissed it for the time being as he focused on the last one who was about as tall as the taller of the two men.

Dark hair and tall thin size with a pair of perfect tawny eyes, Falcon thought to himself. He had given up of seeing her again since they parted but here she was. He didn't know if it was fate or coincidence. He walked up towards her and said, "I never thought I would see the day when we would cross paths again. It has been a long time Kizzy."


A/N: Looks like we get some Romani hospitality and it seems that Falcon knows Angie. This and more on Fire, Femme Fatale...