Chapter 6

"What are you doing?"

Angela finished making sure that her gear was set. She looked at her person and made sure that her chakram and sword were ready to go. She even had her knife and a pistol. Gabriel always said that she had things in her pockets. "Going to get Adam and kill a couple of people while I'm at it."

Hawkins looked at Angela as she bent over and checked Cerebus. He marveled at her ability to heal him since the hell hound had been injured. The gash had been deep from the throw but the mutt could walk. He walked up to her and moaned and whined. She said that it was okay and she healed him and muttered a few things under her breath. "Okay. And how are you going to do that?"

Angela blinked as she finished rubbing Cerebus' head. She didn't look up but looked ahead at nothing and replied, "Track, hunt… kill."

Hawkins looked at her, ignoring the fact that Tsura was looking a little shocked at the whole thing. He stared at the one he had called friends and who had been a friend since the first time they had met even though it had been more like he tried to shoot her a couple of times. He had seen her go after the pirates that did more than the pillaging of merchant vessels. She was vibrant and full of life, like she had fun with the hunt. Now… it was something different and he wasn't sure if he liked what he was seeing.

"But…" Tsura began, "I thought…"

Angela finished what she was doing while saying, "Thought wrong." She shifted to look at Tsura and saw the look on her face. She continued, "Look, there is no honorable route to justice. That's not how it works and certainly not how it works here. In reality, there is only one truth: no matter how 'nice' you are… there is always someone out there that undermines it. There is no purpose."

"You don't really believe that do you, Scarlett?"

Angela looked at Hawkins. She walked towards the camp to grab supplies. "That's not my name Hawkins. I am not this hero you or anyone else makes me out to be."

"You are the Fire of the Seas," Hawkins insisted. He grabbed her by the arm, knowing that he was risking a fight. He anticipated the yank and held on. He turned her to look at him. "You are the one that cares."

"Not anymore, Hawkins," Angela replied as she looked him in the eye. She tugged slightly on her arm. "Now let me go."

"No."

"Hawkins, don't."

"Then tell me what are you going to do?"

"What I told you: Track, hunt, and kill." Angela tugged hard and got her arm free. She glared at Hawkins and saw the look he was giving her. "It isn't any different than what your fucking brotherhood does."

Hawkins sighed as he crossed his arms over his chest. He knew that this would come up. After all she figured it out before when they met who he was, what he was. And that was the beginning of a long road to gain trust. "We eliminate threats to mortals just as well as all of us in the world."

"You murder with that shoot first, ask no questions policy."

"Don't forget, you worked with us."

"Yeah and I lost someone I cared about greatly and caused a boy to lose a good man that was his father." Angela narrowed her eyes at Hawkins. Her fists were clenched as she tried to keep a reign in on her temper. She raised her brow, "Unlike some who just run away."

"Don't start on things you don't understand," Hawkins warned as he raised a finger. "I left the order because of the way things were done."

"More like because you couldn't do your job and you were cast out." Angela saw Hawkins' jaw tighten before he turned to walk away. She followed, knowing that it was going to lead to a more violent confrontation. "Or was it because of her, Samira?"

It was a quick action and the punch landed across her jaw. It made her stagger back a little but didn't knock her down. Instead she started laughing as she rubbed her jaw. She turned to look at Hawkins as he glared at her. "Is that the best you can do?" She laughed some more.

Hawkins was starting to see red. He was upset too but this was getting ridiculous. She was going to charge in with no plan and possibly get herself killed. Did she really want that? He knew that she cared about Adam and the one she was looking for. She raced to the rescue but now that Adam was taken it was like… He didn't like it and it had him wondering what the hell was going on. This wasn't the Lady Scarlett that he remembered. He countered with, "What are you doing Scarlett? This isn't like you."

Angela laughed at that. The whole thing had been staring at her in the face. She didn't want to acknowledge it then and she had spent time denying it. She ran away from it and she foolishly believed that she could be someone different. "What do you think is me, Hawkins? That beauty who took down an entire band of pirates that was more than what the humans thought it to be?"

"I know this isn't you," Hawkins countered, "You are never this reckless."

"Then you don't know me very well at all." Angela's features went pensive as she stared at Hawkins. "You don't know that I once never cared how it would end. How I traveled Europe and hunted and killed everything. Didn't even bother to ask questions." She sighed and looked him head on and added, "I was a torturer."

Hawkins stared at her. He refused to believe that. "But you weren't when I met you."

"That was after a stint in hell. But nothing has really changed."

"I refuse to believe that."

"Then you are a fool, Hawkins," Angela spat back. "You are a fool for believing that. I've had one too many visual proofs shoved at me. Everything I touch gets ruined." She sighed and looked in the direction that Adam had been taken in. "I am hunting those bastards with or without you. I am going to fight to free Sam and send them both home."

Hawkins stood there and watched as she picked up her pack and started walk in the direction they had taken. He managed to mutter, "Coward."

Angela paused and looked at Hawkins with a narrowed look, "What?"

"You heard me. You are a coward." Hawkins turned to face her. "Every time something happens to someone that you dare to make a friend with, you turn tail and run. You go on this suicide mission shite, never thinking about them."

"They are all I ever think about. Like you understand a damn thing," Angela scoffed at him. She looked at Hawkins and Tsura. "You both are nothing more than what I conjured up from memory. So like you know what the hell I am feeling and you understand."

"Well then I guess you better kill us and get rid of us. Run away. Become that beast you are afraid of and really prove to Sam that you are the monster you are."

This time Angela struck out using her powers. She flung Hawkins and pinned him to a tree. She watched him struggle as the lightning and thunder started to come across the sky. She didn't pay it any attention even when the aurora borealis started showing and the colors changed to reflect her mood. She walked up towards Hawkins and stared at him. Her eyes were narrowed as she said, "You have no idea what you are asking for. Not even Dean got to see the full picture."

"Then why don't you show me. Or are you a cowardly bitch and not the great warrior that I had heard of from my brothers? The warrior princess?" Hawkins narrowed his eyes back as the lightning flashed. It was then that he caught a glimpse of something that had startled him but he didn't show it. It was like a shadow that was over her but a part of her.

"That is what I am doing you pathetic weasel," Angela spat back. She pressed her face close to stare Hawkins in the eye. "The very thing that had people think of me as a hero… They are wrong. And you were wrong."

"You are wrong."

Hawkins and Angela turned to see Tsura standing there looking at them. Hawkins spared a glance at Angela. If she were truly a monster, she would have flung the girl away and not care if she was hurt by it or not. His friend was hurting; that much was clear. She was willing to go the lengths to save those she cared about and the last straw was her soul.

Tsura was nervous. She had been since Angela had been in a frenzy and determined to hunt down the bastards that took Adam. She could feel the raw power that was simmering and barely seemed to be contained. It had her realize that Angela was only showing the maximum of ultimate control but not full strength. She repeated, "You are wrong."

Angela stared at the Romani girl. Part of her wanted to just walk away and disregard the girl but her healthy respect for Romani magic kept her from doing anything rash though she knew that deep down if she truly meant to hurt the girl, she would and be ready to go against Romani magic with all it took. "You are delusional."

"You are not a monster. You are afraid. You care." Tsura knew that she was risking a lot by saying that but she had to.

"Too much," Angela admitted. "I care to too much and look what happens."

"Why did you come here?"

Angela had been asked that question time and time again. She knew what she had told Dean in her letter to him. She would make sure that Sam wasn't alone. The truth was… She was tired. "I'm tired." She looked at the girl. "I'm tired of being what everyone thinks I should be. I am tired from this mantle of responsibility. I've given most of my life to others and never really took something for myself. Then one day I found something beautiful. I met him, Sam.

"It was a working relationship at first but then it became clear that he meant more to me than anything. I had been searching before that for some measure of peace and that feeling I get when I am around him. The people I protected and cared about before… never came close but Sam… he makes me whole, like I am not what I have grown to hate."

"It is not wrong to want something for yourself."

"Maybe so." Angela shuffled on her feet. She looked at Tsura and replied sadly, "But it is inevitable. The things out there… Lucifer… he knows and will try to destroy it. And… I'd rather it be me than him."

"And does he think that?"

Angela paused at that. She recalled how this situation came to be. She had been toying with the idea that she should have said yes. Would she have been able to overcome Lucifer? Maybe not but at least Sam and Dean would be together. She would have gone against Michael and probably did what she had done here and that was if she had broken free. Or she would end up fighting Michael and maybe killing Adam in the process. Did that mean she didn't care?

She had always tried to do things with the least amount of casualties. She knew that was the way of things. She had fought with armies and gone on spec ops and that was the way of it. You always expected someone to get hurt or killed. But this… it felt different. She slumped her shoulders down in defeat. She gave a wave of her hand and let Hawkins go before trampling off to find a spot to sit.

Tsura looked at Hawkins who was rubbing his wrists more for something to do. She then looked in the direction that Angela had gone and followed. She took a breath and plunged ahead to find Angela sitting with her forearms resting on her knees and cradling her head. She heard the woman asking someone, possibly Sam, if it was worth it all and if he truly loved her for everything she had done and what she had to do. Taking a chance, she said, "Would he have told you he would do it if he didn't have feelings for you? Would he have gone to lengths to protect you when you needed it the most?"

Angela looked up at Tsura and replied, "This was fixing a mistake."

"And what about when you were taken and tortured by those renegades?" Tsura was confused as to how she knew that but she was going with it anyway. "He sought out a demon he hated because of what he did to you to find you. Something tells me he will still love you and understand." She edged her way closer and kneeled in front of Angela. She reached out and rubbed her head gently. "We will get Adam back. You will keep your promises. You always do."

Angela looked at the girl and replied, "And if I do, it may go down a path that you might like to see."

Tsura shrugged at that, "I trust you."

Angela looked at the girl. She then looked at Hawkins who had come. They were looking at her expectantly. They trusted her to get them through this. She looked downward at the ground to think about it.

Do you want to back off?

No. Just… I can't ignore a few things that are… different between us. For instance… what I am.

And it doesn't matter to me.

It should.

But it doesn't.

I love you Angie. Maybe it is the worst time ever but… I don't care if it means getting to spend any amount of time with you, making you happy. If I have a lifetime with you, I'll take it. Always and forever.

Angela closed her eyes and murmured, "Always and forever." As she said it the thunder started to rumble and the lightning clashed. The aurora borealis started to change colors. She remembered her promise to Sam and she remembered her promise to Adam. She looked up at Tsura and said, "Alright. No more playing around." She stood up and looked at her companions. "We're fighting back."

Sam opened his eyes and found himself curled on the ground. His whole body ached from what Lucifer did to him and he didn't even want to think about it. Curled up in the fetal position made it seem to go away but he knew that it wasn't going to go away. Not as long as he was there. He didn't move but looked around.

He found himself in a cell of sorts. It looked like the kind in those old movies with the iron bars and the cot welded into it. He was on the floor and vaguely recalled being dropped there but he was in too much pain to think about it. He looked around to determine his surroundings. Finding that he was alone, he slowly pushed himself upright.

He winced as he got to his feet and looked around the cell. He clenched his arms around his body and headed towards the cot. He winced with each step. He could barely walk but he was determined to make it and be off the cold floor. Not that it would matted since the whole place felt cold to the point that it chilled his bones. He sat down wincing from the pain and laid down. His whole body ached but this hurt less.

He stared at the door, seeing the world through the bars. It did give a sense of hopelessness about it but he couldn't let himself despair. In all honesty, he deserved this. After everything, there was nothing worse than hell to make up for the things that he had done like the demon blood thing and then starting the Apocalypse, setting Lucifer free… Time and Reggie had the right idea coming after him and then Roy and Walt shooting him, killing him… He closed his eyes as he recalled when Tim and Reggie came for him.

The demon told us a little something about you, Sam.

They came towards him and grabbed him. He didn't resist because of the girl. He wasn't going to let her get hurt because of him. He had already done that enough and to people that meant more to him than the world.

He fought back but that didn't change the way she looked at him. He was a freak. A monster.

Not to me Sam. You are the kindest and gentlest man I have ever known.

Sam breathed a sigh. He could almost hear her as if she were there. Her voice was like a calm balm whenever she spoke. Even when she was angry or upset, her timbre was warm. A cheesy description was like honey but there was more to it. Sweet didn't describe it either. The only thing he could say about it was that it was perfect. She was perfect, even with all her flaws and her most beautiful attribute was her unwavering kindness to others, her caring about others.

Slowing his breathing down, he felt content. His breath hitched slightly when he felt her hands touch his forehead. He knew it was her touch. Lucifer had tried different things to be like her but there was something wrong in every single one of them. This though… it was real and it had him panicked. He opened his eyes and saw her, looking down at him with that smile he liked coming from her. Her dark locks tumbling down her back, one curling gently over her… bare shoulder?

Taking a clearer look, Sam saw that she was wearing a top that was not modern but something that seemed older and made her look mystical. It was silvery in color and accentuated her sun kissed skin and dark hair. She looked at him, happy to see him and she ran her hand over his forehead again. He knew though that it couldn't be her. "This… this is a dream."

"Then it is a good dream."

The line was cheesy but it made her laugh gently and he couldn't help but laugh with her. It was something she would say and what she said the morning after they spent the night together before reaching Detroit. It vaguely occurred to him that Lucifer could be fucking with him but deep down, he knew that it wasn't. This wasn't like Lucifer's tricks. This was real in its own way. He asked, "How… how did you get here?"

"I've always been here, Sam." She moved her hand from his face and down to his chest. She pressed her palm to where his heart was. "I've always been here."

Sam frowned at that. He knew that Angela had been there in hell with him since day one since he had been forced to watch her endure fight after fight, the seduction and near rapes from Lucifer… But there was something different in the way she was saying it. "I know. You've been in hell with me since… I took the plunge."

She smiled at him like she was indulging a little boy with his silliness, "Oh I've been here a lot longer than that, Sam."

Sam frowned, trying to make sense of it. He shifted and a sliver of pain shot up his spine. He grimaced and groaned as he really felt it where he was ashamed of. He looked up and saw the sadness in her eyes as she pressed her hand against the side of his head, her fingers caressing him, trying to soothe away his hurts. He had questions, lots of them and thus asked, "Angie… what… what are you talking about?"

She continued to stroke his head, looking at him full of sadness. She ran her fingers through his locks. "Oh Sam. I am sorry."

"There is nothing to be sorry about," he countered quickly. He reached out and touched her other hand that had been resting on the edge of the cot. "I chose this. To fix things… what I did."

"But I am sorry, Sam. That I couldn't protect you when you needed it the most."

"You don't have to protect me all the time."

She looked at him with that look that said he was clearly missing the point. He frowned at that since he was certain that was what she meant. She replied, "But it is what I do. For the one that is a part of me."

"Part of that is letting me make that fall." Where the heck that came from, Sam didn't have a clue. Yet it sounded right even though this conversation wasn't making much sense. "You believe in choice Angie. That's why you agreed. The hardest part is letting go."

"Oh Sam," she replied as she ran her fingers through his hair. She took in the injuries and ran her hand over the ones that were visible, leaving her other hand in his grasp. "You are missing what I am saying."

"Can you tell me?"

She looked at him with a piercing look that was gentle. She placed her hand on his hip and adjusted her position to look at him. She repeated, "I have always been here, Sam. You just couldn't see me. Not until you said that you trusted me."

Sam frowned at that. He had said that he had trusted her every single time she asked. When was that? It wasn't making much sense to him. "I've always said that I trusted you. Always and forever."

She smiled at him and replied, "The last time."

Sam thought about it. The last time he said that he trusted her… It then dawned on him. It was the night she handed him a vial of her blood. He remembered because he nearly spat it out and it was out of fear because of the last time he tasted her blood and how good it tasted. He looked at her in a panic and stammered, "Angie… what… what did you do? What did you do with the blood that you gave me?"

She looked at him and smiled, "Don't be frightened or upset."

"Angie, there are a lot of things I stand by with you but not when you hurt yourself."

"That wasn't the case." She looked at him and pressed her hand on his hip to calm him down. "It was done so that I would be with you while I searched for you."

Sam stopped his movements when he felt the pressure on his hip. It was then that he noticed that his body wasn't in as much pain as before. He looked at her and tried to make sense of what she was saying. "What are you saying?"

"What I am saying is… what I did was to make sure you weren't alone." She looked at him as she lowered her hand to the cot. "But I didn't know and still don't know of this me just as I don't know of you."

"Angie, you aren't making much sense."

"I am her but not her. I am the part of her that belongs to you."

A/N: Hawkins and Tsura talk sense into Angie and Sam meets someone that would prove to be a mystery. Stay tuned for more of The Winding Road...