Chapter 7

The night held a bit of a chill to it and allowed her breath to come out in patches of fog. Angela took a breath as she looked around before heading to the car she had picked to steal. This was probably the worst timing ever but this was a penance of a sort and right now she was being a coward. She didn't want to see the look on Sam's face because she was afraid of what she would find. She had always been told not to pursue things that may have an ending she wouldn't like. She should have listened, but she didn't.

"You really want to do this, princess?"

Angela paused and turned to look at Kesset, "I don't want to do it but I have to, Kess. I have to fix this."

Kesset looked at her with a somber expression. He had come when she called and asked for a ride to the city so she could get a car. It had him suspicious that she was alone, without the Winchesters and especially without her suitor. He knew that things were moving along between them. He didn't need the bond for that. He could only surmise that this was something she felt was necessary and that she was protecting Sam.

Taking a breath, he asked, "What is there to fix?"

"The fact that I didn't do anything to save the one Sam loved," she admitted. She looked down as she managed to get the door unlocked. "I couldn't save her. No matter what I did."

Kesset studied her and her downtrodden face, "And you think, going after Pestilence alone will fix that."

"It isn't anything less than I deserve, and I am not going alone. I have to see someone first," Angela replied allowing a tear to fall. She wiped it away before allowing more to fall. "I know that in order to get to Pestilence, we'll need some defenses."

"So you aren't doing this alone?"

"No, but what I need to do to be ready for that fight… It's not going to be something that they will like." Angela opened the door to the car and got in. She studied the steering wheel and was prepared to work her magic to hotwire the car. "Thanks for bringing me here Kess. You can go now. Go and be with Kate."

Kesset contemplating on obeying. While he was under orders to follow her orders, he did have a certain amount of freedom to interpret them and even disobey if he thought the order to be detrimental to his charge's safety. He stayed and put a hand on the roof of the car. "Why don't I take you to where you need to go?"

Angela looked up and shook her head, "I can't ask you to do that. Not where I need to go." She turned back to working on the wiring.

"Then I won't let you leave."

Angela paused and looked at the Avian. Kesset was not inclined to disobey a direct order if she made it as such but this was a first that he was defying her on all levels. "What?"

"I am not letting you leave princess," Kesset repeated. He adjusted his wings more to ease the tension he was feeling from what he was about to do. "I swore to protect you and not just because your mother asked me to. I do it because… I remember you. I remember when Father brought you to our house." He fished in his pocket and pulled out a small wooden toy and held it out to her.

Angela paused and looked at what was in his hand. She remembered that. She closed her eyes and remembered when Kesset was a boy and she had carved it. She remembered what she said about it and why she was giving it to him. She had been a little rude about it but… She reached out and touched it, "You kept it?"

"Why wouldn't I keep the one thing given to me in kindness from someone not my family?" Kesset looked at her like she was being the strangest thing in the room. "I never once blamed you for the choices my father made. And I know you went there to try and save him. Which is why I don't believe that you say you did nothing for that girl."

Angela touched the wooden toy. It was a carving of a gryphon. She had heard the stories of those creatures, especially from what Gabriel told her and about the Phoenicians when she had been growing up and training. It was something that came to mind and that was what formed in the wood. Then Kesset came along and watched her and they talked and she ended up giving it to him. She sighed, "Kess…"

"All I know is that if you go alone, there will be nothing but pain for Sam and Dean," Kesset interrupted. He was really on a roll with this disobedient thing and he prayed that it wasn't going to kick him in the ass. "When you were under that spell that turned you into a child, you were taken from them by that demon Lenya and she used the rogue line of hunters. Sam and Dean risked everything to get you back. Sam especially. I saw it even though I was a prisoner myself. They freed me yes but their goal was you." He paused a moment before continuing, "So I ask that you don't leave them out of what you are planning. It will only hurt them."

Angela had no recollection except a few choice memories of Lenya whom she had called the scary lady with the white eyes and feeling scared and angry. It was always a revelation when someone told of a memory of that time mostly in the hopes that she would remember but more often than not, it didn't bear that kind of fruit. Yet to hear it from Kesset what he had observed, it had her thinking. She looked down at her dog Xander who was in the passenger seat and looking at her expectantly.

Kesset was right. She may have made things worse by leaving them alone like she did and with Crowley getting his hands dirty. That probably wouldn't have gone over well and if something happened to them… she would never be able to forgive herself for this. It would only prove that she was what Brady said she was. Yet they needed her to do this if they were to stand a chance.

Kesset watched her debate internally what she was going to do. He knew that his words sunk in and he hoped that she would see reason. She was like any other human that could be blinded by her emotions even though she addressed everything else with logic. He pursed his lips and breathed slowly in and out as he held the wooden toy that he had kept. His thumb ran along the grooves he made that was his cartouche.

"Alright, you've made your point Kess," Angela finally said. She looked up at the Avian and got out of the car. "I can't leave them in the dark but I can't ignore this either." She gestured out to the middle of nowhere.

"So what is it you wish to do?"

"Take me to where I need to go and I will talk to them."

To most people, her request sounded like something that was contrary to the point that Kesset was trying to make. The Avian knew though hat she was putting herself in a position to leave no room for argument but also giving the consideration to the people that mattered the most so they knew she was not in trouble. Maybe it was contrary but in his view, he understood the reasoning behind it and if she made it seem like she was doing it, there would be no room to argue and he knew the Winchesters would accept that it was for their plan to work.

"I know it sounds contrary but… I know them and I know Dean," Angela continued with a slight smile as she fondly explained her reasoning, "He thinks he can boss me because he is an older brother though technically I am the oldest of them all but… he is a big brother in many things that I… never had or considered."

"And you wish to let it be known that you are doing it regardless."

"Yes." Angela then looked down and took a breath. Kesset had to know this. "And… it's because I am afraid."

"Afraid?"

"Kess… I have been around a long time. I've seen places and met people. Some became friends and maybe family if you use the normal definition." Angela swallowed slightly since it was one of the few times she confessed to fear and it made her feel vulnerable. "Sometimes a connection in the future comes along and…"

"You think Sam thinks less of you for what happened to his girlfriend because you were there."

"It hurt him Kess," Angela clarified as her featured saddened. "It was a demon that revealed I was there and I didn't deny it."

"But you didn't clarify anything. You know demons will twist the truth to suit their purposes."

"Kess, I never told Sam that just as I never told them until it came up that I knew their parents. That I was the one that told Mary she should leave the life if it was what she wanted. That I was the one that brokered John's deal and that he made me swear to look after them. That I was there the day Jess died and I almost died."

Kesset watched as the tears began to fall. He knew from the stories told that she was a warrior, a warrior princess who boldly stared down evil and fought things that most people would never consider were real. Yet they all forgot that she was a person too. Someone who suffered for the consequences of her actions and tried to make things right despite the fact that she was a creature that had always been considered evil or a monster. It was no wonder that Sam chose her. He looked at her as the tears started leaking through and she was making no effort to wipe them away. It wasn't fair that she felt she had to be alone when it was clear she didn't want to and possibly feared it. He nodded slightly and replied, "And yet you told them your side."

"Yeah and look where that got us."

"Maybe it was rough when they learned about John Winchester but when they learned about you knowing Mary… that was when you went back in time no? What happened?"

"Dean knew first when the angel's sent him back. He saw me talk to her and when I came to stop her from saying yes to Azazel." Angela wiped her tears away even though there were more coming. She sniffed a little. "He merely stated that I was the one that told his mother to follow her heart. You know what I told him? I told him that I loved his mother very much and all I wanted was for her to be happy and that the day she chose to live a normal life, I walked away. I thought that by staying away she would be safe."

"And what did he say?"

"Thank you. He said thank you for keeping her safe."

Kesset figured that Dean would be understanding. While he was the more hot headed at times and impulsive, the man had a good heart. He may not understand her motives for certain things like so readily forgiving for things that were probably unforgiveable but he was also floored by it and her standing by them when they felt ready to crumble… "Because it's true, princess. You did keep her safe. And even though what happened was the result of a deal… you gave him time with his mother and you came to help John Winchester and teach him what he knew."

"Well better me teach him than some damn fool who'd get him killed. And I owed it to Mary," Angela snorted. She gave a watery smile and added, "Thanks Kess. You're more than a guard. You're a friend."

"It is an honor."

Angela couldn't help but chuckle at that. She reached towards his wings but paused to ask a silent question. She was surprised when he brought the wing closest to her really close and moved it enough to rub against her cheek. Her eyes widened in surprise since she was very familiar with Avian displays of intimacy. She looked at him.

"An honor," he repeated with a serious expression. "For a friend."

Angela accepted it and rubbed her hand gently on the feathers and withdrew. It was a big thing for an Avian to let someone other than a mate or family touch his wings and then to initiate a touch like that… She had a good friend in him. "That you are, Kess," she agreed. Sighing she straightened up, "So… can you take me to where I need to go."

"As you command, princess." In the blink of an eye, Kesset had them at the place they needed to go.


There wasn't much to say. Not after narrowly escaping hellhounds and finally getting the information about Pestilence out of Brady. It was why he allowed Sam to do what he had to do to move past this. That and Dean was at a loss at what to say since one person was missing and not so much as a phone call or a note was left. It was automatic to think worst case scenario and that she left them for good but they both knew better than that but it had Dean suspicious that Sam knew more about it than he cared to show at the moment. It was something that needed to be discussed especially after what Brady told them.

Brady made good on giving them Pestilence's location. Now all they needed to do was to come up with a plan and then execute it. That left one thing to do and Dean did that by boxing in the demon with a salt line after letting Crowley pass through. He left Sam alone with the demon and he could tell the demon knew that his end was near. They made no promises that they would let him live and he was dead anyway since Crowley let it slip that he helped them.

You won't win this. Not even with someone who is supposed to be your friend.

That didn't faze Dean in the slightest since there was always someone trying to make his girl seem like the bad guy in the story. What had him uneasy was the way that Brady spoke to Sam before his brother knifed him. He couldn't hear that conversation but when Sam returned to the car… it only fueled his suspicions that there was something going on and it had to do with when Sam decided to lock him in the bathroom.

It was tempting to bring it up but Dean sensed that Sam wasn't in the mood for their kind of conversation that usually ended up with him joking and teasing in a sexual manner about Angela and then Sam getting all pissy over it. Right now though… not a good time. He did try to strike up conversation and asked, "You cleaned the runt off?"

"Yeah. As best as I could. She'll need a bath and I think Zep needs it too."

"Hey, he's not the one that decided to lineback a full grown hellhound."

"No but I did notice blood on his muzzle and Brady had a nasty bite on his leg," Sam replied quietly, not really wanting to be in conversation but was willing more to because he didn't want to think about things. Talking about what Moira did seemed like a good idea.

"Yeah well he knows how to subdue," Dean defended his dog, "Not tear it to shreds."

"He's a tracker," Sam offered, "She's a harridan."

"Do you even know what that means?"

Sam shrugged. He knew sooner or later they were going to have to talk and he wanted to delay his idea to say yes to Lucifer and jump into the cage, at least until they were at Bobby's. And he knew that Dean wanted to talk about the unanswered question that had been on their minds. "No," he replied softly. "Dean…"

At that moment Dean's phone rang. Sam picked it up to look at the caller ID. Seeing who it was, he showed it to Dean and put it on speaker. Dean didn't both with a preamble, "Angie, where the hell are you?"

Out in the boonies.

It was simple enough to be funny but it was hardly funny in any sense. Dean could only roll his eyes at that since it was probably the truth but she was being vague about it. "Alright fine. What are you doing?"

Hoping to get something that would help when we go get Pestilence.

"Angie," Dean replied looking a little confused. Part of it was because Sam wasn't saying anything. The other part was because he wasn't quite understanding what she was saying with regards to how this was going to help. "What do you mean by that? We already got the location from Brady."

I know. I did too.

"You did?" Dean looked at Sam who was frowning but not saying anything. "Then why didn't you say something?" He frowned a little at Sam as if to ask him why he was doing all the talking in this conversation.

Because I realized that it's not going to be as easy as we make it sound.

There was some silence as Dean waited to hear more. When he didn't get it, he asked, "Can you elaborate? Not all of us are new agey or seven levels of geek like Sam." He grinned a little but it sobered when he didn't get a response back from her per the usual. "Angie?"

Sorry. Um… Do you remember what happened when we got War's and Famine's rings? The effects that happened?

How could they forget? War had people seeing everyone as demons. Famine had people crave that which they desired, made them rabid for it. Dean remembered. "Yeah?"

I'm thinking it will be the same for Pestilence. And it's not going to be a sudden bout of the swine flu.

Finally Sam decided to speak, "So what are you doing?"

I went to see someone that might be able to… help me avoid the worst if Pestilence decides to aim the sickness ray at me. If it is possible, I might be able to use that on you two.

Dean heard the sounds in the background and noted how Sam was acting while on the phone. There was something definitely going on and he didn't look forward to being the big brother and getting it out of Sam. With that on his mind, his next words came out a little harsher than he would have liked, "So you're gonna find this thing and then what?"

Go get Pestilence.

"Do you even know where he is?" Sam had to ask the question even though he knew the answer before he did.

I do.

"And how do you know that?"

I made him give it to me. Persuasive interrogation.

It wasn't a complete answer but enough for both brothers to know what she meant by that. And both were immediately concerned since they both knew the effects of that move could have. Dean glanced over at Sam to see what he would do but his brother was strangely silent on the whole matter. It bothered Dean but he stuck to the conversation, "And you're gonna what?"

I'm not leaving you behind if that's what you're asking.

It was a nicer way of saying Dean's accusation of her ditching them. Way nicer but it still meant the same thing and it only served to remind them that she knew what their first thoughts were. It made them both shuffle in their seats uncomfortably. Sam recovered first though and asked, "What are you going to do, Angie?"

I am going to find out what I need to do first. It will take time. That much I know but… it will be worth it once we go against Pestilence. Trust me.

To Dean, that seemed to wake Sam up a little and watched as Sam nodded, even though she wasn't there. Dean gave a nod himself and said, "Alright. So…"

Regroup with Bobby and fill him in. I'll do what I have to do and I'll join you later.

"Seems simple enough," Dean commented more for something to say. It was really quite simple and while he liked simple, he sometimes couldn't help but wait for the other shoe to drop. "Anything else?"

Yeah. Don't be rash, Dean. Listen more, to all ideas.

It seemed to be an odd thing to say and the kind of thing she would nag him about. And it was the lesson he was supposed to learn when he lost his hearing. Yet he was struck with the impression that he might hear something that he wasn't going to like. From whom he didn't know but his choices were limited. So the best thing was to humor her. "Alright Angie."

Thanks. I knew you could keep an open mind.

Dean shook his head as he smirked at her response. He heard the playful tone in her voice directed at him. She always liked teasing him at times like this even after he treated her horribly. "Glad you think so highly of me."

When have I not?

"Alright. Take care of yourself Angie. Don't do anything I wouldn't do." Dean grinned a little at that since when he usually said something like that he implied something of a sexual nature. He usually did that to try and get her to blush but usually she turned the tables on him.

Like what I'm doing remotely goes where your brain goes… which is downstairs for you.

"Aw do you have to do that?"

Sam was silently chuckling. He was glad she was okay for the most part. At least her humor wasn't forced with Dean. He didn't fail to notice that she never addressed him directly and if she did it was to answer a question and he heard the caution in her tone. She even hesitated slightly before answering his question. He knew they had to talk about what happened. He got the feeling that her sudden departure was because of that. She probably thought to take care of this on her own in some sort of bid for penance driven by self-loathing.

Always Dean. You're fun to play with.

"Yeah, you too."

Oh and Sam… I'll be back. Always.

Sam paused slightly and then replied, "Always… and forever."

There was a click to indicate that she hung up. Sam closed the phone and put it down and leaned against his window in thought. He knew she wasn't going to do anything too rash but he couldn't help but worry about what she was going to do. He'd be damned if something happened to her because of him.

"Hey, don't look so glum," Dean said.

"I'm not."

"It's a first." Dean looked ahead to keep his eyes on the road. He wanted to ask Sam what was up with him but decided against it.

"Brady said some things about Angie. And it wasn't in a good light."

Dean glanced at Sam. He took the opportunity since Sam was being open about it. "What about?"


A/N: Looks like Angie wants to fix things but Kess convinces her to slow down and Sam and Dean head back to Bobby's to make a plan. Stay tuned for next time on Dancing with the Devil...