Chapter 14

Ladies and gentleman, welcome to a match of a test of strength and skill. Ten rounds, between two men of the cruiserweight division.

The crowd was shouting from their seats. The venue was fairly decent and a good means of Eli getting to the top if he wanted in Angela's opinion. It had been decades since she had been to a fight and the fact that she was part of an illegal and supernatural fighting ring didn't count. Boxing was different in some ways and she once likened it to gentlemanly combat using fists. Now she was back and not much had changed except when she would catch a glimpse on a bar TV a match.

Glancing at Eli standing to her right in his robe silks, she never thought that she would be in the ring officially in the corner as Eli's second and trainer. The last time that occurred was during one of the fights in the township in South Africa. It was how she met Solly. It was his dad that was fighting and she learned the finer arts of boxing and she added her experience in hand to hand combat. She taught Solly and Henry and now she taught Eli.

In the black corner, wearing black and red, weighing 180lbs from Rosedale, Mississippi, Eli Azeem the Great One Langston.

"Azeem?" Angela looked at Eli with a raised brow.

"It's actually my name. I know Dad is South African but he said it was a name that had been given to a friend of his. Thought very highly of her," Eli replied with a knowing look.

Angela couldn't help but smirk at that. She nodded and looked and listened while the announcer announced the opponent. "It's a good name. Not a name for a woman but the man who gave said that she might as well be a man."

Eli chuckled as he warmed up his arms by making halfhearted punches. He looked at his opponent Mason "Punchy" Travis. Not exactly original but this wasn't the big times like the big ones in Vegas. "Well given the way she punches, she might as well be a man."

"And you better watch it."

"Or what?"

"Ask Dean about the sauerkraut incident."

The announcer called them to the center where the referee gave the reminders of the rules for the match. It was a strange sight since Angela was standing in as Eli's second and she was the only woman in the ring that wasn't there to look pretty. Her hair had been pulled back into a bun and his colors looked good on her even though the shirt looked a little big since it was originally Solly's.

The fighters touched gloves and went back to their respective corners. Eli looked back and around and said, "Looks like you're turning heads Coach."

"You should've seen me in 1900. That was something else," Angela muttered. She had glanced around and spotted Sam and Dean in the VIP section. She had also caught a glimpse of Amitiel and Castiel together. They had approached before the match and exchanged words. Angela thought it a bit strange that her guardian angel was interested but she sensed that it wasn't about the match.

Looking back at Eli she said, "Okay now you know your way around the ring. Remember it's your world. There's nothing except you Punchy and the ref."

"My world and you're in it too," Eli replied. He looked at Angela.

"Right," Angela replied after a moment. "Just us in here. Fighters fight."

"Warriors last one standing." Eli accepted the mouthpiece from the towel man and slapped his gloves together. He was surprised when he felt Angela's hand on his right shoulder and the squeeze. Then came the bell and round one was on.

Angela watched the action in the ring and called out instructions. It was only the first round but having fought in fights before, the pace was set within the first three rounds. The goal was to be the person who did the setting. Play the game by your rules not theirs.

Eli was doing okay. He took the jabs that Punchy was giving him. He also used his footwork to keep away from the more harrowing damage. Still a few managed to get in and Angela could see that it was felt. She shouted at Eli about the jab and saw the left hook that caught him across the face and that gave Punchy the upper hand.

A hard one had Eli against the ropes but he was on his feet. Angela shouted, "Tie him up now!"

Three minutes seemed like an eternity. Both fighters exchanged punches and finally the ding of the bell sounded. Angela was immediately in the ring as Eli made his way to the corner. She asked, "Are you all right?" She checked his face since she had seen a couple of hits to the face that were pretty hard and noted the welts.

"I'm good Coach," Eli said after talking water to spit. "Nasty left hook."

"Saw that. He drops his shoulder before throwing. Keep an eye out for that," Angela replied as she glanced at the other man and got a nod. She then looked at Eli and added, "Keep up with the one-two combo. Wear him out. Body."

Eli nodded as he stood up. He looked at his opponent. The bell rang.

Round Two

"Watch the shoulder!"

The crowd went crazy as Eli went down with a hook to the jaw for the second time. The ref started the count and Angela was looking at Eli. She could tell he was a bit stunned. Punchy liked to go for the head and that seemed to hit Eli hard.

"Get up!"

Eli got up and was saved from another beating by the bell. "I'm not going down again," he muttered.

"Fighters fight," Angela replied with a nod.

Round Three

Eli gave a hard one-two punch combination and Punchy staggered back against the ropes. That left him open and he went to work on the body. He took advantage of that and delivered a few good ones in until Punchy pushed him back.

The punches to the head were most annoying and Eli tried to fight them off. He brought his gloves up to block. That was when he felt the punch to it hit and the nasty crack. It hurt but a quick look had him see that Punchy was in agony. It was his opportunity and the crowd was going crazy.

Round Four

"That hand will numb up."

"I know. Any advice Coach?" Eli was heaving after spitting the water out. "He springs the hook out in surprise.

Angela took the Q-tip with the coagulant on it and pressed it in the cut under Eli's eye. She said, "Read the opponent. That's how we do it in a fight."

Eli sighed a bit. Usually there was a big distinction between boxing and fighting. At this point it didn't seem to matter since Punchy was aiming to use everything in the arsenal if he could get a surprise punch in there. "Fighter's fight," he murmured.

Round Five

The right hook was unexpected and Angela could see the sweat and a bit of blood coming out of Eli's mouth. The blow was enough to stun him but he still stayed on his feet. He was determined not to go down. She bobbed and weaved as she watched the fight. Subconsciously her hands were up like Eli's and she mimicked his moves and was shouting instructions at the same time.

To anyone looking it seemed that they were in sync with the movements. Later Dean would say it was like Angela was the remote control operator or something. He got the 'what the hell' look from three people for that.

Round Six

The taunting the two fighters were doing was unbelievable. Angela knew that Eli was very much like his dad in that he didn't back down even if he knew he should stay down. Also he gave everything he got and that included in the insults. She shouted, "What the hell?"

Eli heard the shouts but his eye was on Punchy. His opponent was motioning him to come closer and try to get a piece of him. He knew that ruse pretty well and that was during sparring with Angela that he learned a few things. He went in and at the right moment he swung a punch under the ribs. He continued to work the body until the bell rang.

Round Seven

Since Eli really let Punchy have it in round six, now was the time for him to keep it up. He came at the guy with the one-two punch combination. They were quick and fast and they laid on some hurt. He had managed to break the guy's nose with a well-placed hit to the face and there were cuts over the eye and blood was trickling down. He could feel his own blood from the cuts on his face and it felt puffy and he probably had a fat eye from this.

"Trying to take him out with one punch?"

Eli had his eye on his opponent and an ear to Angela as he replied, "I know what I'm doing."

"You sure on that?"

"Wear 'em down Coach."

Round Eight

The exchange of the blows went back and forth and each fighter was dishing it out hard. It didn't help that Eli was taunting his opponent. Of course Punchy was doing the same thing but Eli was well versed in talking smack and he gave it. "Come on, you're not so bad."

It was enough to piss his opponent off and Angela could see that as Punchy started swinging harder. Even though he was the cruiserweight division, she could see that he packed bombs in his punches. He worked hard on blunt force trauma whereas she had worked with Eli on giving speed and oomph to his punches.

She could almost hear the whizzing of air as the punches hit nothing but air. Eli was backing up and avoiding getting hit in the face until he was in the corner. She bobbed to duck and muttered and shouted, "That's it!"

Eli ducked and bobbed and when Punchy missed he did a double jab and a right and started to back him up. Then the bell rang.

Round Nine

The crowds were shouting at the amount of back and forth between the two fighters. Seeing sweat fly drove them crazy. Sam and Dean had been out of their seats the entire time and both were wishing the kid luck and hoping that he was being careful. They certainly thought that Angela was giving a tongue lashing by the way she was shouting and moving in their corner.

Suddenly the crowd made a sound. Eli had turned and took a shot to the back, right at his kidneys. It was enough for him to actually hop up. Sam and Dean both shouted for Eli to get out as Punchy lay on bombs to his head. The upside was that he was getting hit on the arms from him blocking but that was also the downside since that was pain and pressure on the arms and that led to downfall.

"Get out Eli!"

Eli made a move and the last blow glanced off his shoulder. He was able to counter with an uppercut under the ribs. That followed with a hook to shoulder and Punchy backed away. Eli came at him with a couple of jabs and a reverse when the bell clanged.

Round Ten

Eli sat on the stool panting. He had gone nine rounds. Only one more was left. He could hardly believe it. He didn't look like much with the way his face looked probably and that was if he could see it. He could hear the crowd cheering and George, the towel and bucket man and his uncle Henry talking to him as he took care of the cuts.

Angela waved them off, "Let me see." Once she had Eli's attention she looked him in the eye and said, "You've done good. There is nothing more to prove now."

Eli looked at Angela, "Fighters fight and warriors are left standing."

Angela took in Eli and nodded. She put a hand to his face and scrutinized everything. "Alright. Last round."

"Last round."

"First with the head then with the heart," Angela said and she pointed at Eli's heart. "You can do it. Show me some attitude."

Eli nodded and stood up. Taking a deep breath he stepped to the center of the ring to touch gloves with Punchy. His opponent said, "You're a crazy ass."

"Can say the same," Eli replied with a slight nod.

Both fighters stepped apart. Eli held his hands up and eyed Punchy as he did the same. They circled until Punchy gave a hard right to the face. It knocked Eli off balance and he stumbled against the ropes and stepping away. Eli found himself remembering the conversation he had the night before with Angela as he glanced at her and noticed for the first time a worried look.

It's about getting hit and moving forward. When it comes down to the line, going back in even when you think you can't makes all the difference. Your mother knew that and preached it.

You had the look. Teach me how.

It's all about the world around you. In the ring it is your world. You control it…

Eli took a breath and turned to look at Punchy. What he looked like to Punchy was someone who found the last bit of fire within that had yet to be released. Eli came in with a swoop and started punching. They exchanged punches back and forth until Eli broke through and started punching. The one-two combo became and eight punch combination. Punchy was leaning against the ropes when the bell sounded.

The crowd went crazy as the seconds rushed in to get their respective fighters. It took the announcer saying the congrats to the fighters for Eli to realize that the fight was truly over. He looked at saw Angela in front and giving him a hug. She said, "It's over."

They started for the locker rooms as the score cards were read and after Eli gave a shake to Punchy. Eli held onto her as they walked through. He said, "I think I understand, Coach."

The sky was grey and it threatened to rain but it stayed dry and a comfortable cool. Dean finished loading up the gear into the trunk of the Impala and slammed the lid shut. "That it?"

"Yeah," Sam said as he finished the cup of coffee he had swiped that morning or more like Sophie handed to him when he made his appearance into the kitchen. He put it on the porch railing and asked, "Angie coming?"

"Looked around, but haven't seen her. Maybe she's doing one last run." Dean shrugged his shoulders since he didn't know. "You know a good bye to the kid."

"Maybe," Sam allowed. He paused a moment and looked at the ground. He then looked up at Dean, "Dean, maybe she… might want to stay. She seems happy here."

Dean looked up at Sam. He was certain that he came to that with great difficulty and he could see that his brother put some thought into that. "You really think that Sam?" He took a couple of steps forward.

"Just a thought," Sam posed. He didn't want to tell Dean that he had the strange dream he hadn't had in nearly a year; the one that ended with her dying alone. The last one had her dying at the hands of a shape that called itself Lucifer. The details of the figure were fuzzy but he called himself Lucifer.

It was an idea born out of his usual sense of trying to protect her. It scared him that he was having that particular dream again and he wondered why he had it. He thought about it that morning and considered it a warning about her role in things and probably foolishly he came up with the idea of suggesting that she stay behind. He added, "Just thinking that maybe she'd want to stay longer. She's missed most of his life. Just something nice."

Dean suspected that it was something else. He wasn't going to call his brother out on it since it was obvious that something was going on and it was not related to the current problems of his hiding his thing with Ruby. He turned and rubbed Cerebus' and Sasha's ears as they peeked out of the rear passenger window of the car. "Okay Sammy but I think she got what she came for. You and me know how she is."

"Yeah and she may want to stay."

"No she won't." Dean leaned on the top of the Impala. "She won't because she loves that kid too much meaning that to keep his existence a secret from the crap we deal with, she will stay away. And while I'm still not a fan of the fact that a loa or god demon made the deal with her but I see that it was the option available and still the best and who knows… If Mom hadn't died, she would have done the same with us. The point is well…"

"Yeah. Maybe you're right. I just think that maybe for once she has something nice considering the crap she's had to put up with," Sam replied.

"I agree Sammy but I think we know better to let her make up her own mind and not do it for her." Dean gave a smile at his brother. "Come on. I think I know where she went and to make it easy, hell on four legs can find her."

It turned out that he didn't have to do that. Angela had gotten up early to walk a bit with Eli and they ended up at the river. It was their last day in Rosedale and they had to hit the road since there were other things out there that needed ganking and Castiel had made a house call to drop a hint that there was the possibility of a seal that needed protecting.

Angela looked at the rippling water and sighed, "When Solly and Henry decided to stay here, the first thing we did was come here to the river. I ended up teaching Solly how to swim."

"Dad taught me when I was old enough. We actually would come here and spend hours in each other's company, maybe a picnic." Eli kneeled to pick up a rock. He held it in his hands before throwing it to make it skip across the road. "It's my favorite place and I used to think that Mom liked it too."

"She did. She told me that a river is like the world, constantly changing and flowing. She also said that people were the same but different because we have to make our choices and live with them." Angela looked across the vast river and gave a sort of sigh. "You know you never really said anything about what I told you."

"What can I say? Mom loved Dad and he loved her." Eli looked at Angela. There was a bandage over the cut on his eyebrow. There was thin scarring from the cut under his eye. The antibiotics used would prevent unsightly scarring and there was some discoloration from the black eye. In short he looked like he had been in a fight. "And I think Mom loved you. Why else would she ask you to do what you did?"

"Well maybe and because I was the healer available and thought like one. Plus she loved you so much even before you were born." Angela sighed as she put a hand into her jacket pocket and pulled out her fist. "Eli I know that you may still be angry with Solly for dying but… he's still here and that cliché about living in you stands to be truth."

"I'm okay about Dad. I'll miss him but… I'll miss you more. Do you really have to go Angie?" Eli turned from the river to look at Angela. His expression was one that was sort of wounded but it was hard to see clearly because of the bruising and swelling on his face.

Angela gave a soft smile, "I do have to go Eli. I made a promise to your mother that I would look after you and I had to make sure that my world didn't collide with yours."

"But it has sort of. You could stay here and that thing over at the freedman settlement won't say anything. You did it before when you stayed with Mom."

Angela took in Eli's begging expression. It was on par with Sam's way of begging. The exception was that Sam was the master with the puppy dog eyes when it came to that. True she could stay if she wanted to but with everything… "True but… There are things going on now Eli that making sure the other side doesn't know about this town, about you, is more important than ever. My life is a life that is defined by uncertainty and some of the things I have to do are bloody. The less you know… the better at this point."

"I know. It's just I feel like I got to know you and now I'm going to lose you."

"You won't lose me, kid," Angela replied. "I know that letter writing and emails are not the same thing but… you can call if there is a problem. And it's not usually a rule a hunter follows but I can try to swing by and maybe catch you training. You gave Henry the number right?"

"Uncle Henry has it. He's going to take over for a while but I think he will call," Eli replied. He gave a slight smile, "I don't think he expected that I would win by split decision."

"Me neither," Angela replied laughing and Eli joined in. She looked at the river and down at her fist. Sighing she said, "Eli, I know that you know that I have done a few things to make sure that you are safe and I taught you what you need to know and build on should something ever happen but I think you'll use in the ring but just know that…"

"I know. I'll live."

Angela smile and held out her hand and opened it. "I have something for you, only if you want it. It's a gris-gris and a very special one. As long as you wear it you will be okay. Let's just say that Mama Sophie taught me a few things apart from what I picked up."

Eli looked at the totem on the lanyard. It was a strange looking idol but it felt right. Taking it, he put it around his neck. "Thanks Angie."

At that moment, the rumble of the Impala came up. Still they were looking at each other. Angela said, "Take care of yourself, Eli. Life is the biggest challenge you'll have. The hits will come but… you know this." She gave a pat to his shoulder. "I better go otherwise Dean will say something about burning daylight."

Eli nodded. As Angela turned, he stopped her and gave her a hug. "Thanks Angie. I love you."

"I love you too, kid."

They broke apart and looked at each other in the eye. Eli nodded to indicate that he was going to be okay. He held up his fist. Smiling Angela held up hers and they bumped them gently together and imitated an explosion. Eli gave smile while he chuckled and said, "That's how we do it Angie. We do it with attitude."

Angela nodded. She knew that Eli would be okay. It was difficult to leave him but she knew that he had to work things out. She had done what needed to be done. And it was done with attitude. She grinned to herself as she walked back to the Impala and onward to the next case.

A/N: Wow the big fight and the aftermath. Lots of heartfelt tears and considerations and looks like Angie and the Winchesters are on the road again. What happens next? Find out in the next episode Long Live Blood Feuds...

A/N2: I would like to thank all who have read my Chronicles series so far and angelynec and Klainlover for their reviews. Thank you all.