Light's Last Holiday

If there was one thing that Angela could pride herself on, it was her ability to read people and situations. Mostly she claimed it was a need to survive the world she was in. After all, the world wasn't kind to dhampirs and the strange and unusual. Even when she was able to find happiness, she was always wary of what the next day would bring and it heightened since she gave birth to Jess. Yet, she was willing to give the benefit of doubt to Mrs. Butters, mostly because of the nature of wood nymphs.

There was also the fact that Mrs. Butters knew her since she last paid a visit to the bunker back in 1958 and she had rooms given to her. Of course, that was because Cuthbert had been overridden by the others and she willingly offered information. It hardly made things better since she was never truly comfortable with the wood nymph around. There was something off about the nymph then and she felt it now.

It was hard letting Mrs. Butters take over the cooking and cleaning and it was a hard blow when it was clear that Dean preferred the nymph's cooking over hers. She was hurt that Dean didn't even want her peach cobbler and she saw the smirk on the nymph's face. It hurt even more when Sam started falling into the routine with Mrs. Butters making them lunches. And the nymph even managed to make Jack come out of his room.

The whole business hurt and Angela knew that it was what the nymph wanted. They were polite to each other but Angela wasn't blind. The nymph didn't like her at all and was going to try anything and everything to make her leave. That included the snide comments on the side. The kind that spoke of disdain for half breeds and her in particular.

She ended up doing what she usually did. She retreated. It was nothing new to retreat when people decided not to bother or she was forgotten. It never bothered her before since she would never really see them again. This time it did bother her. It was hardest for Jess.

Nothing was more insulting than Mrs. Butters referring to her daughter as an abomination and a monster. It was also painful because it was always done when Sam wasn't in earshot. And Angela wasn't going to tell him. Not when he and Dean and Jack seemed much better than before. They were happy and who was she to interfere with that?

Therefore it was rather a surprise that Sam wanted to take her out. With everything happening, it had her suspicious, especially when Sam mentioned that the nymph had suggested it. She was reluctant to leave their daughter behind but Hibah showed up and took Jess to Karnak to see her adoptive grandparents. It was only then that Angela was agreeable to a date since she knew that Jess would be safe at Karnak for the time being. She said yes, but didn't fail to notice the dark look she was getting from the nymph.

Things came to a head when the nymph's misguided protective nature reared its head. Angela could admit that she became fierce and a force to be reckoned with whenever someone she loved and cared for was threatened. It was also what could make her blind to her own demise and that allowed the nymph to capture her.

It turned into a mocking game and the nymph never failed to use the pressure points that Sam and Dean liked having the nymph around for housekeeping rather than Angela. It was out in the open since the nymph tried to convince Sam that not only Jack was a monster that needed to be destroyed but that she needed to be destroyed as well and Sam was not having that.

No matter how many times she herself declared that she was a monster, Sam was always insistent that she wasn't a monster. When Jess was born that increased tenfold since she possessed a quarter of vampiric blood and he never considered his own daughter a monster. That was the nymph's mistake and she paid for it. Sort of.

Angela was always one to play the long game and bide her time. She watched and waited. Her moment came when Dean put the bunker on standby. She got free just as Dean and Jack came in to help Sam. It only bought them a short time, but that was enough. She was ready for the nymph and stood her ground by letting her own power flow as she held her hands ready.

In the end, it was Sam that convinced the nymph to stand down and that she had been tortured by Cuthbert. Angela needed some convincing as well since she was angry and still hurt about the whole thing. In the end, she said something that was surprising to all sides.

"I believe there was a family of wood nymphs that were relocated to the sanctuary that is under my protection. They mentioned that they were missing someone." Angela looked at the nymph with a pointed look as she said it. "You might want to start there. Even if it isn't them, you are welcome to stay. No one will bother you."

"Why are you being so kind? After what I did to you?"

Angela was well aware that everyone was listening to what she was going to say. The boys knew she could hold onto a grudge like there was no tomorrow if it suited her. They also knew that she didn't always do things out of kindness, but for justice. Of course, she sometimes did things to be kind. She was aware they were wondering which it was going to be. She knew what she was doing and why and was able to ignore them for the moment. She looked at the nymph and shrugged, "Everyone tries to find home."

"But…"

In the end, Angela waved it off. It wasn't until she was escorting the nymph out that she said, "It is often who you are, not what you are that makes the difference."

The nymph parted with a word of understanding and apology for all that she had done. It left Angela relieved but not satisfied. The whole thing left her feeling out of sorts. A large part of the reason why they succeeded in a lot of things was because they trusted one another and relied on each other. This felt like it broke it and she hadn't felt it since Dean was influenced by the rage demon. She wasn't even sure words of apology were going to fix it. Maybe it was what Chuck wanted; better to split your enemies and then they could be beaten.

A/N: Angela is feeling despondent about the nymph's influence in the bunker. It leaves her wondering about her place. Tag to Last Holiday.