Chapter 6
"So, uh… is there a plan?"
Angela paused in sharpening her chakram She looked up to see Jared looking at her. They were holed up in an abandoned house. She had marked it up well enough to ward against just about anything. Some were even of her own design and they had worked well over the years. It was the best she could do until she heard from either Castiel or Balthazar.
She had to leave to hole up at the Roadhouse. She wasn't going to put them in danger and she still felt guilty that it was because of her that it was destroyed. Ellen had said it wasn't her fault when she proposed investing in rebuilding the place. Still, she couldn't help but feel that way. It was always the case when it came to the people that mattered the most to her. Now she was responsible for two men that looked like her boys and they thought creatures like her didn't exist.
She knew this had to be a shock for them and she had been amused but also afraid for them. They knew like she did that they were out of their element here. She just had to think about this smarter than she had been doing. If she had thought about it, she wouldn't have been caught with her britches down. She would have known what they were getting and made plans. She would do better.
Looking at Jared she gave a slight smile, "You know me. I always have a plan." She chuckled a little at his face and added, "Just a joke."
"But it's the truth," Jared ventured.
Angela looked at him and nodded, "More or less. Sam and Dean… they know that pretty well about me. In fact, it… really throws them for a spin if I don't have a back up to the backup plan."
"Is that what you do when you hunt with them?" Jensen decided to talk. It was better than nothing and it allowed him to collect his thoughts after that.
"A little. For the most part we plan together." Angela gave a slight smile. "We have our talents and we put them to good use. Of course, I'm just the literary device to offset the emotional issues of the brothers."
It was a relief to have some humor and to help explain, she pulled up the website about the books and what had been said about her. "So you see, here, they think we are like your TV show. That we are fictional characters." She pointed at the website.
"Kind of like what they say about us back home," Jensen said as he read the comments. "And the fans are just as out there here as they are at home."
"Agree with you there," Angela replied with an amused expression. She continued to sharpen her chakram. "The nice thing is that you get to play the roles. Here they are real. I'm real. We live it. You are normal."
"I think normal went out the window the moment we landed here," Jared said. "And the fact that we are actually working on a similar plot."
Angela perked up at that. She finished her sharpening and put the whetstone away. "Really?"
"Well, Sam and Dean were approached by Balthazar and he gave them a locker key and sent them to a world where they are fictional characters and they are actually real people," Jared explained. "And it seemed to happen."
Angela listened to them as they explained the episode they were filming. Apparently, they were poking fun of themselves and the nature of what was called a fandom. They were playing Sam and Dean caught in a world where magic didn't exist, and everything was a prop. Listening to it, she realized that the real Dean would consider it hell, especially if he couldn't drive the Impala. Sam…
She had to grit her teeth when she heard that Ruby was still alive, but she wasn't really a demon. She was played by a woman named Genevieve Cortese and she was married to Jared. She knew it was her jealously flaring but damped it back down. Rather, she sought amusement in the fact that Sam and Dean would be trying to get back and exploring their world and getting frustrated by it. She would have been amused by the whole if she had been there. As it were, she didn't exist there.
"So, I'm guessing right about now, they would be driven to Jared's home since everyone thinks Sam and Dean are you two," she gestured at their doubles. "And everyone thinks that you two are not talking to each other."
"Actually… we weren't," Jensen said. "Sort of."
"Why?"
Jared and Jensen looked at each other, not sure about how to answer that. They weren't even sure how she would take to the reasons why they hadn't been talking much with each other. Jensen offered tentatively, "Creative differences."
Angela blinked at that. She was familiar with the term. She heard it through newspapers and tabloids about actors that quit or whatever. She thought it more as a cop out excuse; something that hid the real reason. She made a noise and stood up to go put away her whetstone.
"What was that?" Jensen couldn't help but get a little upset.
"Nothing," she said. "Just…" She shrugged at him.
"No. You meant something by it."
Angela looked at Jensen. She glanced at Jared. He had a similar look. It really struck her as to how similar they were to her boys with some slight differences. They were looking at her, trying to call out on bullshit. She tried the usual, "It is not my place to judge."
"But you are," Jensen pointed out. He took a step forward.
Jared stepped forward to stop Jensen. They both knew she wasn't human. He got the feeling that she was a lot stronger and could actually hurt them. She hadn't done it so far but still…
Angela was well aware of the reaction. She stood up and her eyes flared in reaction. She stared at both of them, her eyes flaring and noted their reaction. "It is not my place to judge because I know not the circumstances. I do judge because I do not understand the petty reasons people avoid each other. When you live as long as I have, you don't waste what there is on petty squabbles."
She knew that she was intimidating with her eyes flaring. Often it was enough to get even the most obstinate of people into line. It was one of her secrets. It would have to be dire for that to happen. Often it was her posture and quiet words alone that did the trick. Those that lived told the stories of their general, a warrior, or whoever that was able to lead armies with a soft voice that was louder than trumpets. So the flowery language went. This time it was more or less to get two people who now had no choice to talk and work together.
She paced in front of them, not relenting, "You come from a world where magic doesn't exist. Here it does. You are in the middle of a fight that is between subjugation and freedom. My boys, the characters you play, are just as lost because they are in your world and to that effect unable to get home unless magic from this side is involved. Believe it or not, you can't let whatever caused you to not talk interfere here. Rafael wants the Michael sword and another wants what chose me. I can't protect you and I can't expect you to be defenseless either, but I will try to make sure you have the best chance for survival."
Jensen and Jared stared at her. It was a rather moving speech. It was the kind of thing that you read about in the history books. They didn't know what to say and there wasn't time since she turned and walked away. She left the building more to sort out her thoughts. It was also to think about the beginnings of a plan.
Jared and Jensen looked at where she had left and then at each other. They were not sure about what to say or even do. They stood there shrugging until Jensen decided to go out. He walked out to find no one was there and started looking around.
"Up here."
Jensen turned to look upwards to see Angela clinging to the wall of the building. She was drawing something on the wall but he couldn't see it. She was holding on with no harness, nothing. "Uh… how are you doing that?"
Angela looked downward and gave a slight smirk. No doubt what she was doing probably freaked him out or had him speechless. She remembered doing the same to Dean a while back when Castiel walked back into her life. "Secret of my kind."
She finished what she was doing and pocketed the pen. She pushed off the wall and landed with a dull thud on the ground. She straightened up and walked towards the man with a slight smirk. "Didn't think I was leaving you?"
Jensen retorted, "No." At the look she gave him, he relented, "All right a little." He looked a little embarrassed at what was happening. He noted that Angela was amused by it. "We just amuse the hell out of ya, don't we?"
"To a degree," Angela replied with a nod. True, they did amuse her. Mostly in how different they were from the boys she knew. "You have no idea how often I am comparing you two to my boys."
"I can take a guess," Jensen spluttered. "Look… I know you think that we aren't talking is stupid but we have our reasons."
"I agree. Believe me I've been present for blood feuds and family feuds that had more drama than a cheap soap opera." Angela looked at the man. She sighed and explained, "I am judging the act but not you. As you said your reasons are your own."
"It really is like a fight. Thing is… we were both wrong and…"
"You both have a hard time saying sorry."
"Yeah that." Jensen gave a crooked grin at her. "We agreed to keep things professional but it didn't mean buddy-buddy."
Angela thought about it when he shot her a look. "Not a bad thing. I've seen things work out in a similar arrangement," she said. "Still, it has to be a strain."
"Maybe a little." Jensen looked at her. "Are you telling me you don't have the same problem?"
Angela smirked at him. "More than you know." She started walking to head back into the building. "I will say this: while you're here, you should put it aside. Come on. We need to plan."
"Plan for what?"
"For company," she said as she passed Jared, not looking at either of them.
Angela was sitting outside, looking up at the night sky with a calm expression. She studied the stars and the constellations, automatically picking them out. It was a calming thing she did when something risky or life changing was going to happen. Sometimes it was just to think and she did it a lot when she was deciding on what to do about her feelings regarding Sam.
Now she was sitting there, trying to keep a calm outlook on things as she thought about what was going to happen next. She felt on tenterhooks because she didn't have the people she depended upon the most.
I don't know why I'm so nervous. I've done this before and long before I met the Winchesters.
It was true. She had done something similar times before. The risk was always on those that she was trying to help and she made sure that they knew that. It was always the same. They expressed that they understood and then when something went wrong, she was blamed. It was why she once told Sam that it was the reason why those once friends saw her as enemies.
The day spent her developing and relaying the plan to Jensen and Jared. They both protested at it and said they could do more. She then asked them if they knew how to adjust on the fly when it came to a fight and knew how to fight against a real angel. They grudgingly conceded that she was the expert. It was actually humorous on her end to see.
That gave them the day to prepare. It was probably foolish to assume that Raphael and that worm that was after her to strike at night, but she had little choice. It was why she warded the place tightly as she did. It was not foolproof especially if the one pursuing was persistent. Still, she bought them time they needed. If there was one thing she learned about fighting, it was all about timing. When to strike, when to dodge, when to parry, when to charge, and when to run.
There was also a downside to having the time to prep. When there was downtime that was when the thinking started. It was times like this that had her second guessing herself. No matter how much time goes by, she still had these moments. She would question on whether or not she was doing the right thing and also thinking of the countless ways that the plan could go sideways. Right now, she was thinking and hoping that her adversary would not see the obvious holes in her plan.
I know that look, bambina. You are thinking of how this whole operation will go sideways.
Angela felt her lip twitch as she remembered a risky operation she was involved with along with her father. It was when they were in Constantinople or modern Instanbul. They had come on a mission and ended up meeting friends of her father's there. They had been agreeable to help and the plan was set in motion. Her being her… she saw the flaws.
Papa, this plan… it is good but…
I know bambina. Still, better to have the bet you can. It allows you to improvise. That is the nature of battle.
"The nature of battle," she muttered to herself as she reminded herself of that mantra. She got up and started walking and checking the perimeter. She had a planned spot to meet whoever it was but experience taught her that sometimes they pulled the unexpected and she had to be ready for that. Again, part of the mantra she had been taught.
It wasn't hard to slip into the old habits. They never really left even when she settled into her permanence with the Winchester. Looking back, she could see how her behaviors would have seemed alienating to the brothers; her refusal to talk about certain things. Hell, the biggest thing was her knowledge of their parents and the fact that she had looked after them since they were children.
Old habits did come in handy though. She was able to look after the brothers and keep them out of more serious messes. Well, more serious than the ones that they did get into. Also, they developed a level of trust that was the envy of other groups and pairs. It was one lesson that she encouraged; the close bonding between friends in order to be able to accomplish what they needed to do. Sam and Dean developed theirs because of their circumstances.
Angela walked around the grounds. She wanted to make sure that defenses were set up as best as could be to allow her to control the encounter. She looked around as she walked through. The wards were up and there were plenty of places she could launch an attack. She paused when she heard something on the wind.
It was faint, but her improved hearing could pick it up. Also the tickle on her spine occurred. She turned slightly in the direction that it was coming from and glanced in that direction. "So it begins," she said as the wind picked up and the rain started to fall again. She gave a wry smile at that before moving in the direction the sound was coming from.
The car had pulled up a short distance away, but close enough to be met head on. It stopped in an almost sedately manner despite the rain that started falling. The man from the house got out of the driver's side looking smug and annoyed at the same time. Smug that he found her and annoyed because of the rain.
That didn't matter to her. Angela stepped forward to greet him. She did have manners after all and it had been stressed you always showed manners even in battle. Often times the decision of a battle rested on it. Weird but she was willing to go with it.
"Couldn't you have picked somewhere a little more dry? It would certainly make things civilized," the man said.
Angela stopped and stared at the man. She gave a slight smile, "I happen to like the weather." She sobered quickly. "It suits my mood."
"It didn't have to be like this. You should have just showed me Chalikar and it would have been fine."
"And you should have listened when I said it didn't exist."
The man scoffed at that, "Still using the denial act? You can stop. I know it exists."
"Many have claimed that and it has been proven false." Angela stared with a narrowed gaze at the man. "And it ends the same. It is nothing more than a story to make a horrible event seem more than what it is." She looked at the man and added, "I advise that you stop looking. You are chasing nothing but a myth."
The man sighed at that, "Why do you persist?" He shook his head at her. "You must have been telling that line for a hundred years or so. You see, unlike others, I do my research. I know that you were in India during the Mutiny of 1857."
Angela didn't flinch but the memory was not a pleasant one. Heck if Dean and Sam knew what she did to make the results come out as they did, they would have blown a gasket. It was why she always said she had done plenty of work solo when they protested. It was only because they cared so much. She looked at the man and said, "What of it? Those days I traveled just about everywhere."
"Now that is being coy and it doesn't suit you in the moment," he replied with a smirk.
"Only honest truth," Angela replied. She noted how the rain started to fall thicker. "Now leave. I got what I was to get and it has been delivered."
Angela stood there. She had no desire to get into a fight, but she sensed that one was coming. The least she could do was buy the boys time to put some distance between here and there. Once of skills was her ability to bluff. She had plenty of practice and had teased Dean plenty of times. This time, it was like playing the grand game to the death.
The man looked at her. He grinned and then started chuckling. The chuckling turned into laughter. He looked at her and noted she wasn't amused but managed to reply, "I'm sorry, but do you seriously call that a bluff?"
Angela swallowed slightly as she looked at the man. She didn't say anything. She couldn't trust her voice at the moment, and she was trying to run scenarios in her mind. It was an effective tactic in that it could be imitating since she didn't show emotion, but it could also be taken as a sign of weakness. Most of the time it was intimidation. She eyed the man and gave a coy smirk, "What makes you think I am bluffing?"
The man started chuckling and wagging his finger at her, "Because I know you. I know you in the sense that you have been known to make you foes believe something that wasn't there."
"The same can be said for all men," she countered as she paced in front of him. It gave the impression of a caged and wild animal eyeing their prey. It was what she usually did when it came to the hunt. While taught to be a lady, she had a love for the hunt and for a good fight. She didn't like doing it if she didn't have to, but once she got in the mood…
"But you are different."
Angela made a slight hum at that. "Not the first time someone said that."
The man sighed, "This is pointless. Just reveal where Chalikar is and then we can forget this whole messy business."
Angela looked at the man and gave a slight shake of her hand, "You know I can't do that. It doesn't exist."
The shot rang out and hit near her foot. She didn't flinch having been through plenty of threats and bluffs to not let it faze her. She did know that if Sam and Dean had been there, they would have been kicking up a storm. As much as she wanted them back, she was glad that they weren't there. It didn't mean that she was happy with their counterparts, but she was determined to look after them.
The man wasn't surprised that she wasn't fazed by the shot. No doubt she had worse hurled at her. "Please stop lying."
"It is you who are lying to yourself."
"And you must have said that so many times that you actually believe it." The man looked at her with a bored expression. "We are way past the never see again strangers part."
"And we won't see each other again after this."
"Presumptuous."
"Honest truth."
"And where did you pick up that vulgar expression? It is way beneath someone like you," the man said with a sneer. He leveled his gun, clearly pointing it at her.
Angela felt insulted. She was insulted because it was an expression that was shared between her and Sam. He always said it when she thought that he was pulling her leg when he claimed that she was a good person. She also felt stupid for saying it. It was like she had set herself up for that. She leveled her gaze at the man and noted the gun in his hand as she replied, "I pick up a few things. Kind of do that when you've lived as long as I have, and some habits carry on to today."
The man chuckled at that. "But you haven't really changed, have you? You are still the vengeful goddess that has left death and carnage in her wake."
"A long time ago."
"And now?"
"I still kill things. The things that kill innocent people."
The man looked at her. She had been amusing. Now she was annoying him. He was losing his patience. He wanted Chalikar and he knew that she had it. "Alright, enough pleasantries. Tell me where Chalikar is and maybe you and your friends can leave without trouble."
"And I told…"
"Stop lying!"
Angela closed her mouth. She could persist and make him pissed, but it was clear that he wasn't afraid to use the gun that was in his hand. She had to even the odds. The rain reduced visibility, but she still had the advantage. Finally, she said, "Chalikar does not exist."
"Fine," the man said. He was fed up. "You want to keep this up, then I guess you leave me no choice. Just be glad that your friends' deaths will be much more merciful. Unless angels are into torture as well."
Angela didn't flinch. To do so would admit that she was worried, which she was. It seemed that Rafael was familiar with her ability to make someone look left while she ran right. Her hand moved towards her chakram. "You will be disappointed," she said.
A/N: Angie gives a talk to her charges and prepares to face the one after Chalikar. Stay tuned for next time on the French Solution...
