SECTION FIVE

"What just happened?" Castiel repeated her question with his own confusion, "You and your brothers just saved a seal. We captured Alastair. Angel, this was a victory."

"What I mean is… where the hell have you guys been? I mean, what, were you just hanging out here the whole time watching the show with some popcorn and an icee?" She scoffed, "Why the hell didn't you throw us a bone earlier?"

"We were here for enough of it…" Castiel looked away from her, "That script on the funeral home- we couldn't penetrate it."

"Ah… the demons cock blocked you guys…"

Castiel looked back up at her, "Why do you think I recruited you and the boys in the first place?"

"Recruited us?"

"That wasn't your friend Bobby who called, Angel. It wasn't Bobby who told you about the seal."

"That was you?" He looked down again, "Look, why do you jump through all these sneaky little hoops to get our help? Why don't you just ask?"

"Because whatever I ask, you seem to do the exact opposite."

"Right, whatever." She huffed, "Well now that you got us to do the work for you, what's next? Are all these miraculous escapes gonna start dropping like flies?"

"Yes."

"And after all this…" Her jaw clenched, "You guys can't make a few exceptions?"

"To everything there is a season."

"You made an exception for me."

Castiel paused before looking back at her, "You're different."

"Angel?" After another long pause, Tessa was next to her once again and Castiel had disappeared at her appearance, "I could use your help."

Back in Cole's dining room…

Mrs. Griffith was looking at a memory book where a picture of Cole at age 3 sat beside a lock of his hair. She turned the page to reveal a picture of herself with Cole as a small child. Cole watched her from the side as she cried.

Tessa appeared just then, "Hey, Cole."

He startled and turned around to face her. She was now wearing a white dress instead of the jeans and black jacket a moment ago. Angel also appeared behind him.

Cole glared at her, "Tell your brother thanks for nothing."

Angel looked away from him as Tessa motioned to his mother, "Look at her, Cole." He glanced back with a pained frown, "Do you see how unhappy she is?"

"That's why I want to stay with her."

"As long as she can feel you, she'll be in pain, because she can't let go. Because you won't let go of her."

Cole's demeanor became defeated, "Why won't anybody tell me what's on the other side?"

"Maybe nobody wants to ruin the surprise."

Angel tensed at that as Cole shook his head, "That's not an answer."

"Look, kid. She's not gonna give you a straight answer. Reapers never do, not the way they roll." Sighing, Angel knelt down to his level to look him in the eyes, "But trust me when I say that staying here, like this, is a whole lot worse than anything she'll take you to."

"Why?"

"Cole, one day… One day you're family will be gone and there won't be anything left for you here." She studied him with soft eyes, "It's okay to be scared, Cole."

He scoffed, "I'm not scared."

"You wanna know the big secret? We're all scared. Every single one of us."

Cole paused for a long moment as he took in everything she said.

Fear and uncertainty still laced his features even when he knew what he needed to do, "Are you gonna come too?"

Tessa looked down at that question as a small smile filled Angel's face, "Oh, I'm sure I'll be there sooner than you think, kid."

Cole looked back at his mother once more before unfolding his arms and walking towards Tessa. She hugged him tightly, closing her eyes and he melted into her, vanishing into a white light. Mrs. Griffith looked up just then, but this time not as sadly.

Tessa turned to face Angel once more, "Look out for that boy, alright?"

She nodded once before looking back at her in all seriousness, "Look out for yourself, Angel." When the blonde raised a questioning brow at that she continued, "I've been around death from the get-go. You know what I see most? Lies. A Lot of 'He's in a better place.' and 'At least they're together now.' You all lie to yourselves, Angel, 'cause like you said, deep down, you're all scared. Stop lying to yourself, Angel."

"And what am I lying to myself about?"

"The angels have something good in store for you. A second chance." Tella rolled her eyes, "Really? 'Cause I'm pretty sure, deep down, you know something nasty's coming down the road. Trust your instincts, Angel. There's no such thing as miracles."

Tessa crossed her arms as stress filled her at Tessa's words, "What exactly are you trying to tell me, Tess?"

The reaper said nothing further, and a moment later she vanished.

Back in the motel room…

"Imum vult decipi, ergo decipiatur." Pamela sat on the edge of Angel's bed, one hand to the stab wound as she leant on the other, "Vis, vis, vis."

"Hey, we just gotta talk to Tessa, that's all." Dean said as he and Sam helped her get up to move to the other bed, "Get her to hold off reaping till we get you better."

Pamela motioned to the blood that was now gushing from her wound, "I'm pretty sure she's started up again."

Angel gasped in a breath as she sat up and Pamela took a drink of something offered by the boys. Her heavy breathing earned Angels attention immediately and once she caught sight of all the blood she was instantly beside her friend.

"Holy shit." Angel floundered for a second before she scrambled to place a towel over the wound and turned to her brothers, "What the hell happened?"

"Ang…" Grimness set into Dean's face as whirled around the room, "Wheres Tessa?"

"She's…" At the realization of what was setting in, and the overbearing guilt, Angel squelched her tears back as she turned back to Pamela, "Pam-"

She took her sunglasses off weakly, "Stop."

"Pamela, I'm so sorry." Deans jaw clenched, "You don't deserve this."

"Yeah, I don't. I told you I didn't want anything to do with this. Do me a favor?" She scoffed angrily, "Tell that bastard Bobby Singer to go to hell for ever introducing me to you three in the first place.

"Take it easy, Pam." Angel said when she started coughing from the stress of getting wound up, "If its any consolation…" The hunter sighed, not even believing her own words, "You're going to a better place."

Pamela turned to Angel, "You're lying." The boys shared a small look with their sister at that, "But what the hell, right? Everybody's got to go sometime." She then patted Angel's arm and beckoned Sam over to switch spots with her, "Come here." When the two of them did, Sam leaned close to her so Pamela could whisper in his ear, "I know what you did to that demon, Sam." His eyes widened in stress, "I can feel what's inside of you. If you think you have good intentions, think again."

Pamela started coughing again, this time harder. She leaned back against the headboard as a trickle of blood left her mouth before going still.

Sams eyes widened, "Pamela?"

When her head slid down Angel and Dean were immediately beside them, "Pamela!"

Angel checked her pulse before closing her eyes grimly at the tears that spilled over and running her hands through her hair tensely.

Grief took Dean too as he turned to their little brother, "What did she say to you?"

Instead of answering, Sam looked away with a guilty and tense look in his eyes.