Chapter 10

"So… you find anything about Angie?"

Sam looked up from his meal at his brother who was trying to be circumspect and failing miserably. "If you wanna know about how she knows Hassina, you ask her. Don't ask me," he replied.

"Hey, not my fault Hassina seems to like you." Dean was trying hard not to go too overboard with his teasing and implied comments. He had pushed Sam enough and it seemed that his suspicions were confirmed even if not completely.

"She talked to me and only because I happened to notice something that Angie gave her." Sam shrugged his shoulders and went back to researching online.

After the research at the library was a bit of a bust, Dean and Angela returned to the house to find that Hassina needed to run some errands and pick up her daughter from school. She had requested that Angela accompany her and if that was all right with the Winchesters. She had asked in such a polite way that even Dean couldn't refuse even though Angela would have gone anyway. Plus they really couldn't deny their girl the opportunity to play catch up with someone that knew her. Plus Dean wanted to try and subtly poke at Sam and determine what was going on between him and Angela.

In the end Angela nodded in agreement and went with Hassina and Cerebus accompanied them. It was part of one of the stipulations since Angela was still in recovery and it was for peace of mind. Dean suspected she was humoring them by acquiescing without much demure though he was certain that if given the chance, she would stretch the rules so to speak. Sam on the other hand knew that she was considering their position which was why she agreed. He did tell her to be careful and on an impulse gave her a kiss to the cheek.

From there, Sam and Dean went to check in with Bobby who was not a 'fricking search engine on a damned computer' and then nature called in terms of food. So they were enjoying a meal somewhat since Sam was preoccupied with what he had seen in Hassina's house and wanted to know more about it. It was business as usual with researching while eating.

Dean watched his brother peer with interest at his laptop and barely touching his girly ass chicken Caesar salad. He gestured with his head as he chewed on his bacon cheeseburger, "So what is it that has you so interested?"

Sam had given up on trying to get Dean to have better table manners in terms of talking with food in his mouth. On the other hand, Dean never attempted it with Angela since she always gave him a withering gaze and a silent threat of no pie for desert. It was rather silly since Dean was a grown man and could do whatever the hell he wanted but he just… Sam knew he couldn't poke fun at that since he was the same way. So he just ignored the fact that Dean looked like a slob in a man cave chewing his food and replied, "Just something about that statue doll I saw."

"A doll? You're interested in something that has sentimental value for a twelve year old?"

"Not that kind of doll." Sam scrolled through the windows he had pulled up in his research. He even sent an email to Akira. It felt like he was being sneaky when he did that but Akira had always been upfront when it came to research on certain things. Plus she did tell him a few things about Angela, which was why he felt bad about it at times.

The doll held his interest because, knowing Angela, she wouldn't give a regular doll unless there was something done to it. Maybe she would. Hibah did have that stuffed dog she called Boomer. Yet Sam got the feeling that there was something more to the one he saw. It didn't look like a regular little girl doll or even those really creepy baby dolls with the eyes that opened. Those were definitely possessed on some level and should be burned… like clowns. This one… there were cultural ties to it but…

"Don't tell me she gave her a kachina," Dean countered feeling like the universe was out to get him. He also managed to ask, "And where did you put mine?"

Sam looked over the edge of the laptop. "Dude, you are griping about that?"

"Hey, I may not like the fact that it makes fun of me as a statue but it does come in handy. I'm just surprised it let you cuddle it… bitch."

"I didn't cuddle it. I kept it in my pocket," Sam corrected as he scrolled through the images. He noticed that he got a reply to his email and felt a slight smile curl.

The email was from Akira and the first line had him baffled. It simply said, Keep all eyes on Angie.

Dean noticed the look that Sam got and frowned. Something must have caught his brother's attention. He asked, "So you planning on sharing?"

"Just trying to make sense of Kira's email," Sam replied while reading.

"You're bugging her now? Did you say anything about Angie?"

"I'm not stupid," Sam retorted hotly. There was more behind the heat that he wanted to get into so he dove back under the cover of the email and adjusted his tone, "It's not good for Kira and I don't want Chris on my ass."

"What do you mean?"

Sam shot Dean a look. He never really mentioned how Angela had 'sniffed' out Akira was pregnant when she was her four year old self and that she told him. It was more of an assumption on Sam's part that Dean would figure it out especially since not nearly three days ago Dean asked Angela about the baby socks she was knitting. "Seriously?"

Dean thought about it and made the connection with the baby sock incident three days ago. "You're serious?"

"Yeah."

"Then definitely you don't want to piss off Chris. That guy…" Dean remembered how the vampire looked just snapping necks left and right especially when Akira was in trouble.

"I didn't tell Kira about Angie and I know Angie won't say anything either." Sam scrolled down the email. He wanted to shake his head in amusement at the 'report' he was given on his request. Most hunters would be satisfied with the short version of what it was and how to destroy/kill it. He actually liked learning about the various things that they had come across that were not part of the usual he had encountered growing up. It made him feel like he had a privileged life considering that some of the stuff was real serious mojo. "All I asked was about the doll."

"Makes sense. Girls would know about dolls though why not ask Angie?"

It was an innocent question but Dean did have a secondary motive behind it. He ultimately wanted to see Sam's reaction to that. As if that would clarify whether or not his freakishly huge brother acknowledged that he was in love with a girl with cool mojo… which it probably wouldn't. He was hoping for something and was counting on a reaction from Sam to give it to him since his brother was very reluctant to say anything.

Sam looked at his brother and then back down, "Because she wouldn't tell me… especially if it was something she'd rather not remember."

Dean took in Sam's response and another bite of his cheeseburger. It was not exactly what he hoped for but at least it was honest and Angela was like that with some of her more… horrible memories. "I hear ya but… can't hold out if it's something that affects civilians ya know."

"And you know she wouldn't do that. It's because of Hassina she is being… circumspect." Sam took another bite of his salad and continued to read Akira's summation. It was like being back in college and getting a full blown lecture session. Then again she was once an instructor before being hired on with the academy. "Yahtzee," he said.

"What?"

Sam spun the laptop around so Dean could see the image that Akira attached. Dean peered at the image and frowned. "That doesn't look like any doll I've ever seen."

"That's because it's a doll and it isn't."

Dean looked at Sam as he finished his burger. "Can you explain that? It's like Angie saying we're going up against a demon but not a demon."

It did sound weird and even Sam was having a bit of a hard time trying to figure that one out but he didn't let it interrupt his explanation, "It's a doll because… Angie improvised and not one because it's a charm to ward of dreams… specifically nightmares."

"Well that makes sense with the nightmares and from what Angie implied about this fugly bastard, it was pretty bad. But come on… nightmares?"

Sam shrugged as he turned to look back at the part that he had just read, "Well that's one of the purposes. According to Kira it's an old spell that more or less protects."

"Thought there was no such thing."

"Technically no. This though… it's ancient. The idea is to create a ward of the thing that drives fear and in essence makes the nightmare." Sam looked up and added, "More or less."

Dean turned the laptop top around to look, "Looks like there's more to it than that."

"It's pretty technical," Sam admitted, "And Kira does like to give the full explanation."

"It's like reading the lecture notes for a boring seminar." Dean looked over the notes that Sam had been looking at. "You actually understand this?"

"The technical part is impressive," Sam admitted, "And… I actually read her work when I was at Stanford."

A slow grin appeared on Dean's face as he put two and two together. "So that's why you squealed like a girl when you two met." He had to laugh at Sam's expression and if he had been able to get away with it, he would have taken a picture and sent it to his girl. "You sure Angie knows about your fetish."

"Shut up jerk."

"Come on, Sammy. I know you get excited about the book learning thing," Dean offered trying to placate his brother. Maybe it was too soon to poke at that but he couldn't help himself. "Tell ya the truth, Angie does too. Except she's not a girl with it."

It was on the tip of Sam's tongue to retort at that. He didn't though, preferring to give an interesting combination of the bitch face and a glare. It had Dean wonder if the recent events changed his brother more than his breaking the last seal. Sam managed to calm down though and continue, "Anyway, the mojo the doll has basically is like warding but it's against what makes the person scared and have nightmares about."

"Okay. Makes sense. Angie banished the thing but the memory made Hassina scared. She was just basically acting like a mom."

"But Dean, it only lasts for a couple of years."

Dean thought about it but he was getting nothing so far. "So?"

The more Sam thought about it, the more he realized that maybe he was barking up the wrong tree on things. He shrugged his shoulders, "I don't know. Just the fact that Hassina has it and maybe it didn't wear off. Angie is… pretty powerful."

"You say that like you know." Dean had picked up a few fries and smothered them in ketchup. He pointed them at Sam before devouring them.

"Just what we've seen Dean. Anyway I was curious." Sam closed the laptop and went back to eating his salad.

Dean wasn't willing to let that go so easily since it was too abrupt for Sam. "Curious?" When Sam didn't respond except to shoot a look at his brother, Dean relented for now. "Alright then. Got any room left to figure out what this thing is?"

"Thought that was yours and Angie's job."

"Bite me bitch."

"Jerk."

They managed to get through the meal with good natured ribbing and they actually managed to feel at ease with each other. It was a first since the whole thing at the church and Lucifer being set free. It did allow Dean to pick up his new favorite pastime with him asking, "So… did you give her that book you've been hiding?"

It was enough to earn a scowl and a, "None of your damned business."

"Didn't think that you'd get into my world." Angela looked around the small, out of the way occult shop that Hassina had driven to. She could pick up the smells of dried herbs and her mind went to work on the various food dishes as well as the spells she had played with over the years.

"Didn't think so either but…" Hassina walked through the aisles looking for a particular herb. "Mostly it was for medicinal purposes. Farid didn't really like how modern medicine worked. The trait passed onto his daughter."

Angela paused and looked at Hassina. She felt Cerebus brush against her gently even though no one could see him. He was in hell hound mode meaning that he was invisible to everyone else but her. He stuck to her side like glue even though she told him that she was fine. She was content to leave him in Hassina's car with the window rolled down but the sly bastard told her that he had been given orders to look after the alpha. She demanded to know who it was and the answer sort of surprised her though she probably shouldn't have been that surprised.

The alpha's alpha said to look after you. He cares about his mate. He said so.

The manner Cerebus told her usually had her not take it seriously since the hell mutt communicated in dog speak and certain things translated certain ways. Also she tended to brush off any embarrassing thought like the idea of pups or mating since it made her shy and there was no way she was going to indulge Dean if he picked up on her embarrassment. Cerebus had no reason to play with her so when she heard it, she knew the hell mutt was telling the truth. She wasn't sure about making a fuss over it since she more or less said the same thing.

Looking at Hassina, Angela decided to move her thoughts ahead and replied, "You have a daughter?"

"Yes, Firishta. She is my star." Hassina turned and gave a smile. "She's very smart."

Angela couldn't help but smile at that. Maybe she was a bleeding heart but she loved children. Even the ones that were difficult to love, she reached out to. She learned a long time ago that even the smallest of interactions could leave a large mark upon the person. She hummed and looked down with the sobering thought came, And I certainly left a mark on Carter.

Hassina noticed the change in Angela's demeanor. It was not the fact that she mentioned her little star but something else. It was almost gone when Angela looked up and turned to look at some herb but it didn't fool her. Even as a young girl, she would notice how the woman who appeared to be a fierce monster to others would exhibit the tenderest of feelings even if for a short while and sometimes in a gruff manner. Her true self was when she comforted her during the nightmares and kept her promise of watching over her as they made their escape.

Hassina knew that something was on her savior's mind and she wanted to help. Even though it was supposed to be the other way around, she wanted to return the favor and gift that had been bestowed upon her. She approached and gently asked, "Something troubles you Firishta?"

Angela couldn't help but hum as she heard her name in Farsi, or rather a close approximation to it. She looked up from her examination and smiled softly, "Still prefer calling me that?"

"It is your name and it worked getting us through Afghanistan," Hassina offered with a returning smile. She picked up the herb to look at it but more to hold and keep the conversation going. "Besides it is your name and… I always thought you were one."

"And I still wonder why."

"Because you saved me."

"And I scared the crap out of you since you saw my lovely teeth and my eyes aren't exactly a common sight in that part of the world." Normally Angela would have used more biting tones but since when she first met Hassina, she had always been compelled to be a little nicer. True she was still blunt but it was less caustic. "And… I only saved you because of the demon."

"Your reason then but that wasn't your reason for getting me out of that country and to America."

"I didn't want to leave a kid alone."

Angela turned away and crossed her arms over her chest. After a moment she took a couple of breaths and said, "I was kidnapped and beaten, poked and burned and I think they used a stun prod on me. This…" She gestured at herself before continuing, "Is about two weeks of healing and I still have the faint fracture lines on my ribs and leg."

"And normal humans take longer. You are blessed."

"Or cursed." Angela sighed, knowing that Hassina was not going to see why it was valid she put herself down so much. "The point is… the one who kidnapped me was someone I knew a long time ago. I met him when he was a boy. His father and I were on a hunt."

Hassina looked at her savior. She never did understand why Angela sometimes spoke like she hated herself. It was baffling and it was hurtful. She was a good listener though and she wanted to know what happened to her friend and why the Winchesters were keen on her being followed either by one of them or the now invisible dog.

Angela saw that Hassina was listening and explained, "I knew his father and we hunted together because we were both after the same thing. I tried to not get close to the kid but… Then I started teaching him a couple of things. Then his dad died… I saw him again as an adult and taught him the hunt and… he resented me. He said I left his dad to die and him to die."

"And that isn't true since I know you wouldn't leave anyone to die willingly. You would search for them and try to save them."

"I kept telling myself that but… I think I was wrong."

Angela moved away from the shelf she was looking at and moved to where she saw some cuttings that looked like it would go well with the herb garden she had growing at Bobby's. The grizzled hunter cursed her at how much trouble it was to keep them watered and tended to but she knew better. Besides she knew he used them when he bothered to cook and the last she heard there were a few hunters who actually preferred her recipes of healing herbs over the factory produced stuff. She picked up a seedling to look at it.

"You think that that you left this boy to die?"

Angela kept looking at the plant as she replied, "I do. I may have searched for him but the hunt itself… it was purely selfish motives. I had my own agenda and I dragged him into it." She took a tentative sniff and satisfied, she tucked it into her hands. "I didn't pay attention to what my inattentiveness was doing to him.

"Carter… I taught him the hunt but not how to look after himself. In the end he paid the price for it and I thought he died. My searching for him was to ease a guilty conscious."

Angela turned to continue to walk through the store. Her fingers rubbed along the pot of the plant. She knew that Hassina was following her. The girl stuck close to her when they were passing through the Kyber Pass like glue. Even after they crossed into Pakistan and she managed to get them a flight out, and that was after crossing into India, she still clung to her. It made her feel a little uncomfortable but she never turned Hassina away though she admitted to being like a grumpy old bear with her. She continued, "I feel guilt for Carter. Even when working with his father, my primary thoughts were focused on the demon I was chasing."

"The one with the yellow eyes," Hassina confirmed.

"Yes. He killed Mary and before that, others for his mission and in the end…" Angela paused in her walk and turned to look at Hassina. She finished, "In the end… I was the cause of this. I started the path to the Apocalypse."

Hassina looked at her savior as she gave her declaration. They were events that she had no part of but she could see how they would feel connected in Angela's mindset. She knew that her savior was not human and had seen and done things. But… "You don't honestly believe that do you Firshta? I mean… I don't. You saved me and you have saved others."

"It was from another time when I was younger and foolish." Angela shook her head. "Some things I had no control over; people made their choices but ultimately I left the way open for that choice to be made. Mary died because of me and I couldn't stop it. Then Carter suffered because all I cared about was revenge. I end up hurting people more than helping them."

"And I get the feeling that Sam and Dean say different."

Angela looked at Hassina. When she and Dean had come back from their research trip, she noticed how Sam looked a little uncomfortable with things and suspected that he and Hassina talked. About what… she knew Sam liked to hear about her past and since she was so reluctant at times and of course Hassina would indulge. But she knew the Winchesters too. "They would… and it helps. But I still can't say what I want to say."

"You are afraid."

"Not the first person to say that," Angela replied after a chuckle. Normally it would have annoyed and pissed her off but it didn't. "But it's true."

Hassina didn't say anything else but they walked in companionable silence and finished their shopping. By the time they were finished it was time to pick up Hassina's daughter but Angela refused to go, vouching to stay at the house. She was waiting when the kitchen door opened and a small girl came in and stared at her. After a moment she asked, "Are you the angel in my mother's stories?"

A/N: So Sam and Dean have a little make up moment and Angie and Hassina talk. Stay tuned for more on Broken Wounds Heal...