Chapter 10

"Dude, she's asleep. Let her sleep."

Sam shot a glare at his brother as he shifted to face the front after checking in on Angela. She was fast asleep on the back seat of the Impala with the puppies curled up on her stomach like little hot water bottles or stuffed animals. Maybe he was going overboard with checking up on her but it bothered him that she stayed up all night on watch on the Impala and looked like she was ready to pick a fight if it came down to it.

She was cheerful though and while it made him feel better, he still felt that there was something off. And it bothered him that she didn't want to talk about it to least of all him. Actually it hurt since she always came to him but he knew that she would say something eventually and she knew that he and Dean were both there for her but it was hard to shake centuries' worth of habits and all designed towards self-protection and self-preservation. But what got him was how she would drop everything regarding her own feelings because someone else needed help.

Dean knew that Sam was just being himself the way he kept checking on her and while he would like to throttle Sam for it, he didn't. He noticed the puppy-love stuff they did and while it was a major step forward, he got the feeling that the universe was turned against them and anything that was extreme could break whatever it was. He doubted his girl was going to let go so easily unless she thought it was best. Sam on the other hand… if he knew the kid, he would be like a dog with a bone and not let go. It wasn't that he was losing faith in everything, well maybe it was, but there was some hope and he had the front row seat.

Sam pursed his lips for a moment before saying, "Just making sure she's okay."

"And that's worse than my mother henning."

"At least I don't smother her. I give her space."

Dean couldn't fault Sam on that. In fact Sam always watched from afar to the point that it was like watching one of those chick flick romances. He had plenty of opportunities to take pictures of Sam's expression as he watched her with his favorite being the ogling. Dean always thought it hilariously funny how Sam would be distracted by various things Angela did that could be called seductive like when she did those crunches in Rosedale. That was something and definitely that morning counted as an ogling moment.

Morning had them both up unusually early though Sam always beat Dean no matter what and Haley wasn't that far behind since she had been snuggling with Dean. And Sam was grateful for that. They both walked out of the room with the intention of getting coffee from the main office when they found Angela outside and poised like she was going to attack.

Dean was like any hot blooded human and he had an appreciation for the fairer sex. And if they were really sexy, he let them know it. What had him be the 'rational' one was how Sam was just watching as their girl moved her limbs in some eastern exercise thing as she called it all the while she was holding Absolution and executing swings and parries.

It was evident that she hadn't gone to bed at all since she was wearing yesterday's clothes and there was the faint shadow that appeared when she had a sleepless night. Her concentration though was like the kind that would have impressed his dad as she maneuvered her body in a bending way that was like watching those cobras that were hypnotized on TV. It was nothing new to Dean since he had seen similar things more or less. What had his attention was Sam.

Sam was watching the same as Dean was but the older Winchester noticed a look that he was very familiar with. It started out innocent enough, the ogling that was Sam's version of it. Dean had no trouble recognizing that since he caught Sam ogling mostly her tattoos, the last one her soul chakra tattoo. It then shifted to one that Dean was surprised Sam had. The look in the eyes grew intense like they were full of desire but the expression; Sam looked like he was going to pounce on her right then and there and not to spar. Dean felt like a fly on the wall watching as Sam just stared, his eyes following her movements and sometimes his head did slightly.

Dean thought he was going to have to do that awkward cough or punch Sam in the shoulder to snap him out of it but Sam did it on his own when Angela finished her last move and lowered her blade. She spotted them and greeted them and Sam was already acting normal. Dean didn't say anything about it and kept it to himself. It did make interesting blackmail material but it would probably work if he had a picture of it and he doubted that it would have been a good idea. Besides she wasn't going to make a big deal out of it then he would keep silent and was content to watch the painfully cute exchanges.

Sam had been well aware of what he had been doing and felt the slightest bit of shame, enough to make him want to fess up but he left it alone since she didn't say anything about it. He couldn't help it though and the thing was he had seen her practice hundreds of times. This time though… it had him clear his throat slightly in the car as he faced forward and replied to his brother, "Just checking."

"Alright. Unless you're thinking other things," Dean dropped, knowing that it was going to get Sam riled up.

It worked. "Shut up, jerk."

Dean curled his lip slightly in a grin. "Hey I'm the one that keeps telling ya she's a looker. Reminds me of a girl I…"

The hard slug wasn't enough to knock Dean's concentration but enough to hurt. Dean shot a look over and noticed Sam's glare. "Hey, nothing wrong with admiring, Sam. And I'm sure she was so busy with that eastern thingy she does she didn't even notice."

That seemed to relax Sam a little much to Dean's relief since his little brother could lay a hard one and he was probably going to get a bruise for it. Sam felt the tension roll out and said in a low tone, "I hope not."

Dean thought about his next words before saying, "Even if she did, I don't think she'd hold it against you. I mean she really likes you given the way she kissed you and in front of me and Bobby." He refrained from saying how she really felt since he figured that was something she should say and he kind of hoped that Sam would catch the hint too. "And Bobby said that what she did meant she's serious."

It made Sam feel better about the whole thing. And he knew she was serious since he took the time to learn the meaning of it and he was serious too. "Thanks."

"No problem since I'm awesome."

Sam gave a slight smile before the words came out, "I really like her too."

Dean heard the inflection in his brother's tone even though the words were not the kind that meant what his little brother was hinting at. He teased, "You better cause I'm gonna let her have her way if it's not."

"You always let me have my way, Dean. I just humor you."

Both Winchesters froze at her voice though Dean tried to play it off, "Only because I am the awesome brother." He grinned as he said it.

Angela stretched as she sat up while the puppies moved to accommodate her. "Yes, yes, the awesome big brother," she offered in teasing condescension. She leaned forward and tousled Dean's hair since she knew she could get away with it and smiled while saying, "And the only one I'll ever have… that is fun to play with." She toyed with Dean's ear.

"I'm driving here," Dean replied squirming a little and scowling since Sam found it amusing.

"You're doing fine," Angela demurred, "Certainly if you've had another thing going." She grinned as she ran her first finger on the lobe of his ear. She chuckled when she saw him blush and squirm before backing off. "Besides it's not like you or Hale are that secretive."

Dean growled a little at that while Sam laughed softly. "You are very cruel, Angie. But I wouldn't have it any other way." He gave a reluctant grin towards her.

"You love me," she replied before resting her arms on the back of the seat.

"Enough to gank your ass."

Angela merely smiled as she leaned on the back of the seat. She looked forward and spotted the road sign telling them where they are. They were more than halfway there. And since Dean was driving, they were making good time but they did have the twins and they were riding with Haley at the moment since she needed sleep and had gotten it.

"You okay?"

"Awake now," Angela replied to Sam's query as she rotated her shoulders. "And I'm good." She turned to study Sam and took interest in his locks. Her nostrils flared slightly as she breathed in the scents of the car and filtered out that which was distinctly Sam.

"Okay," Dean said, "Can you fill us in about what to expect when we meet this goddess?" He shifted to see Angela taking a profound interest in Sam's hair. What was weird was that Sam didn't seem to notice or if he did, he wasn't making a big deal of it. He was going to ignore it unless it became a problem.

Angela didn't want to really go into her relationship with the goddess but the least she could do was to give them some background on her. She ran her first finger through Sam's hair like she was trying to style it and watched his reaction. When he didn't respond to tell her to stop, she continued. "Pavarati is the wife of Lord Shiv, the Hindu god. Lord Shiva is devoted to her. REALLY devoted to her."

"But how do you know her?" Sam shifted slightly but not enough to disrupt what she was doing. While he wasn't one to let people just touch his hair like she was doing, he didn't mind that it was her and it felt good. It reminded him when she would massage away his migraines when they got too bad. And in his view, it was encouraging.

Angela made a slight face and a sound in her throat. She wasn't sure how to describe that encounter since she wasn't sure how to define it in words. It just happened more or less. She figured though it was best to keep it simple. "I uh… dropped in."

"A little vague don't ya think?"

Angela stopped what she was doing and shifted to a more thoughtful position. She disliked stopping but she didn't want to make anyone feel too uncomfortable. Besides this was trying to describe a meeting with a goddess who wasn't your typical goddess. "It was a long time ago and it was more or less an accident that ended up me defending Lady Pavarati from some sleazy assholes and… it was an interesting situation."

The sudden movement of Angela sitting back in the backseat was indicator enough that it was something that was really awkward. As much as Dean was curious about it, he wasn't going to push and he knew that Sam would be on his ass if he tried. So he went with the next relevant topic, "Okay and how do the kids figure into this?"

That was an easier question and Angela replied, "Like I told you, the Ashvins are the healers to the gods. They are human for the most part but they are the only ones who can essentially heal a god and keep them from dying."

"Keeping a god from dying?" It was the weirdest thing ever and in Dean's mind he mulled over the possibility that these kids could be used as a means of keeping the fuglies going. No wonder his girl wanted to take them to the Himalayas.

"More or less and they can ease suffering but not take it away." Angela could tell they both had a strange look on their faces and added, "It's strange I know but it's the Hindu pantheon. It's a little bit different." She made a face as she said it since it was a set of circumstances that was unusual. "Please don't ask me to go into detail since eastern philosophy can get a little complicated."

"But in the short sense, the kids have the power to keep gods alive."

"That and they can be used to heal the other side. That's why they need to go to Kailasa. They are healers and it is in their nature. They won't distinguish either side. They will only see suffering." Angela slouched slightly as she said it. She then shrugged her shoulders. "It makes sense why the demons want them." She sat back in thought and pondered over the events and started thinking of other scenarios. It was to last until they stopped early for the night.

"You're worried."

Angela turned from looking at the window to find Dasra looking at her with a wide eyed expression. She glanced up to find that Nasatya was also looking at her with a pensive expression. Earlier he had apologized in a younger version of a Dean Winchester apology and she readily forgave him. She didn't blame him and reassured him that it was okay. She looked back at Dasra and replied, "Of course I'm worried. A pisacha is after you two."

"But you aren't just worried about us," Nasatya added. He took a step forward as if to make his point. "You are worried about what's happening out there and for them."

"You two really need to keep that in check." Angela gave a wry smile at the twins, knowing that they were only responding to talents that they had known since they were children. Even she knew that it could be downright near impossible if you felt something so strongly. Emotion was a powerful weapon and she could recall a time she had used it without prejudice. "Not everyone is as accepting as me when it comes to that."

"We can't help it. You have powerful emotions and they are conflicted," Nasatya said as he shuffled on his feet.

"You feel for the Winchesters, stronger for Sam but you also feel for others, people you haven't even met. Duty and personal desire," Dasra added as he stared at her.

Angela looked at the twins and noted that they were staring at her. She stared back, well aware what the technique was. She felt the stirrings of what they were trying to do. They didn't take away pain, they eased it and she sensed that was what they were trying to do. Being a healer herself, she knew that there were certain boundaries and she pushed back. "Easy. Stop."

The twins blinked when they realized she was pushing back. They stared at her wide eyed, not sure what happened when they felt their ability recede. Dasra gasped when he realized something but it was easily mistaken by his brother as surprise from what just happened. He said, "You… you stopped us. How did you do that?" He stared at Angela not sure of what to make of things now and it was something he wanted to think on.

"Practice," Angela replied watching their expressions and keeping the stare in place until she was sure that they were stopping. "Practice with a goddess that was similar to you."

"Well that explains it," Nasatya offered with a slight shrug. He glanced over at his brother and nudged him. "I guess we were bound to come across someone that wouldn't fall for it so easily huh Dasra?"

"Huh? Oh yeah." Dasrsa looked at his brother after he was snapped out of his thoughts. He glanced at Angela who was looking mostly at him with concern on her face. "Is that why you are taking to this goddess?"

Angela studied the younger twin. Being silent had given her the opportunity to observe what was going on. She was able to figure out which was the elder twin and which was the younger but that really didn't count since she met the Ashvins previously nearly a century or so ago. But with karma sometimes it threw you for a spin.

Something was bothering the younger twin and she wasn't sure if it was a bad thing or not. The way he was looking at her. She had seen that look before and it wasn't really the thing that bothered her. It was more or less the nature behind it. It wasn't the first time she had surprised people with her ability to resist any form of mental or emotionally based ability. And it was like she had said, she had practice.

God asked me to speak with you on his behalf, Malachi. He wants you to know that he is proud of you for answering your calling. He is rooting for you but he wants you to stop the search for Him. He doesn't think that it is His problem. But he does have a message for you: Be vigilant.

Angela thought the whole thing was weird in that Joshua summoned her to the garden and kept her with him while they were on the search for Sam and Dean. Then what he told her before they left… it had her baffled since she really didn't think that God would bother with her. She was only doing what needed to be done because it was right and she took up the responsibility because no one else could. After all the blade chose her and then the stories just…

Then afterwards when God basically told the Winchesters that he wasn't going to help them… it made her feel for them. Then what Dean did… She didn't have to see Sam's face. She felt it and all she wanted to do was to comfort him but she also wanted to comfort Dean. She had felt his despair when Castiel left the room. She put her hand in her jacket pocket and blinked as she broke the stare. "Like I said, it's years of practice. It doesn't mean you won't be able to beat me but there is always going to be someone who has more practice."

"Are you saying that to make us feel better?"

She looked at Nasatya and replied, "No. I'm usually blunt when it comes to the truth." She shifted to look back out the window. "And I don't really like it when people try to do it to me without my permission."

"We're sorry."

Angela gave a gentle smile as she turned to look at them. "It's alright. You didn't know and to be honest, it's been a long time since I've seen you."

"We've never seen you before," Nasatya was quick to point out, "At least not until now."

"Nasa, she means from a previous life," Dasra pointed out.

"Oh."

Angela chuckled and turned away. Watching them was like watching Sam and Dean before this whole mess. It always amused her when they would bicker over the silliest of things. Then again it was the little things that made life worth living. It's what made her get up in the morning in her lonely life; seeing life move on and being able to keep it moving… "It's alright. You probably wouldn't remember. Sometimes that is prevented in the karmic circle."

Nasatya looked at his brother and then at her while she stared out the window. "How do you know so much about karma and the karmic circle?"

Angela thought about it, back to the time when she just left Karnak. It felt like she never left the mortal realm since time passed differently in the sanctuary. She had been wandering along doing the family business of saving people and hunting things. It was getting back on the horse so to speak since she still had a sensitivity to demon blood but she couldn't quit.

It had been a chance meeting. She strolled into town and she was there. She was minding her own business but she was being harassed by some of the locals. There was one thing that annoyed Angela and that was how some men would treat women. Granted she had been raised in that shit where men were supposedly superior, she had been taught by her mother and her tutors that she was just as good in things as men… at least certainly with the book learning and everything. Then when puberty hit… that was a different story. The point was that she wasn't going to let them do anything to her.

As it turned out, the assholes were demons and she got a whiff of them when she got up close and personal. That meant she could smell their blood and it pulled on her. In response, she was a lot harsher than she usually was but she rescued the lady and the demons were gone. And that was how she met the goddess and wife to Lord Shiva. And that turned out to be an interesting ride.

"So you think the Lady Pavarati will be able to help?"

Angela turned to look at the twins. They were looking at her with their eyes full of trust. It was the same look she got from every person that had put their lives into her hands. It occasionally baffled her with the level of trust she received but she recognized that she needed to be the one to see them through this. And it didn't help that they were virtually children and she always had a soft spot for them. The safest place was at Kailasa. "She will do what she can," Angela offered.

It was the best she could say since gods were fickle in general. Her experience was pretty well remembered and documented. At least some were consistent like Ares. He was a bastard no matter what century though she had heard he was ten times worse back in ancient times. She had respect for them but she wasn't going to go to them for help first thing. Hell, she didn't even go to God for help in prayer and even Castiel knew calling for help from angels was the last thing on her mind. Yet she needed to keep the boys reassured.

It wasn't their fault for being chosen to be what they were. She knew that. Smiling at them she added, "Lady Pavarati will do what she can to point us in the right direction. Until we find a safe place for you… I'll look after you. That I promise."

It was a surprise when Angela found herself gripped tightly by twin ten year old boys. She expected it from Dasra since he appeared to be the more sensitive and… a bit like Sam. Nasatya was a bit more like Dean and to feel his tight grip was something that was like getting a kiss from Dean. It was a surprise and very welcome. And she understood where they were coming from. She returned it and really meant it that she would look after them. She knew that she was setting herself up for potential heartbreak when they eventually separated but… she wasn't going to leave them alone and to be honest, she really missed Jo and the times they had when she was growing up.

She smelled it before the action took place. She released the boys and said, "Get back. Get down."

The twins obeyed instantly without question having been schooled at a young age to obey and not to question why. It didn't mean that they didn't have the question but they knew that to ask was to waste time if the situation was serious. They headed towards the far bed and ducked down the moment the door was kicked in and splintered. Angela only ducked to avoid the debris.

"We meet again little sister."

A/N: Seems like Angie is still reluctant to go tell about her relationship with Lady Pavarati. Now it looks like Lenya is back. Stay tuned for next time on Kind, Enlightened Giving...