Chapter 13

"Looks like a full house Lulu," Joker reported as he peeked through the curtain. "And it looks like they aren't too upset at the program change."

Dean highly doubted that but he wasn't going to argue. He looked at the get up he was wearing and sighed. He could be thankful that he wasn't in tights or anything like that but this was not completely consistent with what he would wear. As Lulu insisted though, it was part of the performance and consistent with Leo's tendencies. At least it wasn't anything like those girly ass tights. That would have been mortifying and he wouldn't have heard the end of it from Sam or Angela. Speaking of which, his thoughts went to how they were doing with the whole possession thing.

"It'll be okay Dean."

Dean was pulled out of his thoughts when he felt Haley's hands on his shoulders. He shifted and looked at her, "I'm sure it would Hale but… I'm not confident we can pull this off and if anything happens to Sam or Angie…"

"Have faith," Lulu's voice entered. She thumped forward and looked at Dean. "Have faith in Angie. Believe me it was a hard thing to have when she did what she had done for us."

Dean looked at the old woman and frowned slightly as he straightened up. "About that… what did Angie do that has all of you… you going with her? I mean I know what she's like but she rarely talks about what she did."

Lulu studied Dean for a moment. She knew that he was nervous about the whole thing since the end result could be death for his brother and their protector and friend. He was a good man from what she could see and replied, "We know her from a long time ago, and some of us older members do, when she risked everything to keep hunters from killing us."

"Hunters were after you?"

"Different time. They all thought the same, that the world was just in black and white. Anything like magic, vampires, no matter what… it all had to be destroyed."

"But you guys don't do that."

"It didn't matter then and to some doesn't matter now but they are too afraid to go up against Angie."

Dean nodded at that, "Yeah she can be scary and she doesn't have to get a scary face. She could make you sit just by smiling at you and talking to you like you were four."

It started chuckles all around since they were all in agreement about that. It relieved a bit of the apprehension that was being felt all around. Everyone had their own fears about what could happen. This was a big gamble but what else was there? Dean had faith that Angela could pull something off. He didn't know what but she always managed to find a way.

"Alright, is everyone ready?"

Dean turned to see the director Eva coming up. She was dressed in costume herself. "You planning on directing or acting?"

Eva looked at Dean. She wanted to retort something but held back. She was nervous enough with the whole change of plans. It wasn't unusual but not common either and it could spill the beans on what was planned. "A little bit of both. When Leo writes a play, everyone is involved one way or another." She frowned a little at Dean and added, "Though I am surprised that he included you. He had never met you and yet still…"

"You know Leo has a process," Lulu interrupted before it could get out of hand. She shot a meaningful look at Eva.

Eva saw it and gave a slight nod to indicate that she acknowledged it. She looked at Dean and gestured at him, "Well, two minutes and I expect you in place."

"Ready now," Dean replied with a shrug.

Eva nodded and took a breath before speaking into her headset, "Okay Prat. We're go down here. How's everyone else?"

Dean looked at Lulu and commented, "You have weird names."

"No more than what you call your brother I'm sure."

"Got me there."

Eva finished listening to the report and said, "Okay then. Places. We're go." She looked at Dean and said, "Alright. It's time. You know your lines?"

"I'm good."

"You better since this…"

"I got it," Dean replied a little forcefully. "Look, I can do this."

Eva said nothing but stared at the hunter. She kept a bland expression as she took in what Dean was saying. She finally said, "Alright come with me."

Dean followed the girl with a slight annoyed frown on his face as she led the way to where they were supposed to enter. He tried to avoid people that were moving things last minute and almost had his head lopped off. He scowled but continued to follow Eva and he was starting to lose his patience but he held it together as they made it to the wing they were supposed to enter from. "This is definitely not the usual."

"Nothing ever is," Eva muttered as she pressed a hand to her headset. She then said, "Okay cue lights in five, four…" She nudged Dean to start moving.

Eva wasn't sure what was going to happen and it had been ages since they changed the bill right in the middle of the act so to speak. It was actually quite well received and many critics attributed it to their talent at improvise and ingenuity. In this case, it was to put the ball firmly in all interested parties' court and to get what needed to be done without changing classic scripts and it was how Leo often got certain messages across.

Walking across the stage, Eva stood in the middle with Dean standing next to her. She smiled at the audience and addressed them, "Good evening ladies and gentlemen. Tonight you are in for a special treat." She gave a slight elbow at Dean.

Dean did his best not to react. Acting was not his thing though he was certain that Angela would tell him that he did do that on some level when he played their cover IDs. He cleared his throat and recited what he had been told to say, "As is tradition, we occasionally change the lineup…"

Eva tried not to grimace at that. It wasn't exactly what he was supposed to say but it seemed that the crowd was listening. She kept a straight face and smiled even though the lighting was blinding her to how many were actually in the audience.

"Tonight's performance is an original play written by one of our own," Dean continued with a timid smile. "It is brand new and tells the story of…" He turned and whispered to Eva, "I am not saying that."

"Do it," Eva hissed while smiling. "Every single word."

Dean gritted his teeth and cleared his throat. I am so not going to live this down. "This tells the story of anger, betrayal, redemption and love realized."

Eva took over after that, "So tonight we give you, Unrequited Love Requited."

The audience clapped with very few whispers as Eva nudged Dean to exit. She practically shoved him into the wings after they disappeared from the light. She bellowed out, "Okay, let's go first act." Towards Dean she said, "How many times do we have to tell you? It has to be word for word."

"And why is that? I read what Leo wrote and you seriously want to do that?" Dean gestured angrily while the pit orchestra started playing the introduction. He looked towards the stage and then asked, "What is this a freaking musical now?"

"Calm down, Dean," Kesset's voice entered.

"I am calm, Kess… if you're really Kess," Dean replied as he looked at Kesset with suspicion and noted how he had gone into a sort of glorified biker look with the leather jacket.

"It is me," Kesset replied in reassurance. He looked at Eva and said, "They are having trouble with the last of them. You should help."

Dean watched as Eva disappeared backstage while still cuing up commands on her headset. He then looked at Kesset and said, "I don't know how this is going to work out Kess. I mean doing a new play in the middle of everything…"

"There are things about the troupe that you don't know," Kesset explained. He looked around before continuing, "One of them is this Leo. He is a seer of sorts. Technically an oracle. That's why they are saying every word has to be spoken as written."

"Meaning that it's predicting what is to come," Dean affirmed. This then frowned as he thought about it some more and then asked, "But how is that possible?"

"I'm not sure since the only ones who understand are seers and they are worse than certain other beings." Kesset shrugged his shoulders at that. He then looked at Dean, "But my understanding is that this is normal for them and if this ruse is to work…"

"Gotta say the words. I get it. It just seems so… I don't know."

Kesset would have said something but his attention turned to the stage. They were moving into the first act talking about the curse. The idea had literally dropped into their laps when Leo came out saying that he had a revelation for a play. He respected the oracles and seers since they were given a gift. Some didn't and were nothing more than what humans called peddlers of snake oil or con men. He suspected though that it was the princess' doing since she had called him and asked for his help.

The play basically was laying out the entire job they were working on as it had happened and with it leading up to the finale. It was a gamble but it was still a performance of sorts and at least certain things that would be put into motion would be explainable. It all came down to timing. Kesset shuffled a bit and said, "Well it's my cue."

"I still don't get how you are in this early in the game but alright," Dean grinned as he said it. "Well I'm gonna go do my part."

Kesset nodded and turned to make his entrance leaving Dean to look around before wandering backstage. He wasn't going to be noticed or if he was, he would be ignored. There were just one or two more things to do until the last part. He just hoped that asshat he had to deal with was ready for it.


It was never easy to watch yourself do things that you normally didn't do. Then again, if it was something you did in the distant past it really didn't count. This was one of those moments for Angela as she watched through her eyes as her body moved and the dialogue tumbled out of her mouth. It was a sort of weird but not quite so weird experience.

She had performed before on stage. She never denied that but rather made it into a situation on whether or not she was telling the truth if only to have fun with people who asked. It certainly was fun to make Sam and Dean wonder about her life since they always seemed to think that she was serious all the time and anything that went towards outside the box of fun was crazy.

The truth be told, she always had a talent for anything related to the fine arts. She painted, she sewed, sketching, sang and performed on stage. Part of it was because of her mother's insistence that it was something she should know if only to catch a husband. It was something young ladies should know. The other part was a natural talent and she enjoyed it. She liked making things. It was a contradiction to the fact that she liked a good fight and fights often led to destruction and the cascade effect that went with that. Then again, a fight could be a good thing.

It was a crazy idea to get the troupe to "rebel" while playing along to the former Alchemist's plan. It left things in an interesting twist once she figured out that Dante and Gemma were Alchemists and so was their captor. It still didn't change the plan to force the situation to come to light but in the form of a play. And she knew just the person to do it.

Leo was a seer, not the Seer, but a seer meaning that he could see the future to some degree but not exactly like the accuracy of a Prophet. He was what was referred to as an oracle and they had a tight understanding that the future is never completely set in stone. Even though the end result was the same and happened, it was defined by the choices that would be made; it could even be changed with the slightest touch in the right direction. By that definition, they were naturally vague about things and they would give you an answer but it may not be the one that you wanted.

Angela knew Leo still had the gift even though he had given up the formal aspect of it to pursue what his passion was and that was being a Thespian. She knew that because he told her what he had seen in her future and it was in part what influenced her aloofness with people and her rules of avoiding attachments though that never did work out too well. The rest came from other experiences but Leo had a profound effect on her and she had respect for him.

It was her idea that she relayed to Dante after she asked him if he still was the troupe. Once she learned of it, they went to the seer and asked if he could 'see' the future. Angela knew that he appreciated a direct approach but with some respect to the old ways and the seer obliged saying that he had a revelation and that he would have something by that night.

But the end will not be written. It is not for my eyes to see. Not for anyone but that which sees light.

It was rather enigmatic but Angela didn't care. She knew that they needed something in order for what she had Kesset do to work and it wouldn't look too out of place. Also, it needed to be so that Persephone wouldn't suspect she was being played and it seemed to work since she handed the lines to them to study. That was one thing she grimaced at since the lines were not encouraging in terms of being able to memorize and recite like they should be. The only saving grace was the notation that it could be altered as needed on their end. She did have to hand it to oracles and their ability to be annoyingly enigmatic when it suited them. She surveyed the stage as the play began telling the story of how the case began. She muttered, "And I wonder how they're gonna do Dante and Gemma."

Well we can't play ourselves.

Angela smirked at that. Even though she wasn't driving the bus now, she could just imagine what it would be like if she were standing face to face with a ghost. She looked through her eyes and then around the void she was in and replied, "Nice Captain Obvious."

My specialty and believe me I wish I was playing myself but I guess Joker will have to do it.

"Yeah it's kind of a neat thing tricksters can do."

How did you know that?

"Please." Angela snorted at that like it was fairly obvious. She sighed though since not everyone did have the benefit of her experience and she did wonder how Sam and Dean handled it once they found out. "I met a few of them and… I had a guardian angel who hid with the pagans for a while though I think he always had a mischievous streak in him."

Guardian angel? They actually exist?

"Yep."

What are they like?

"In general?" Angela paused to think about how to describe them. "Well depending on who it is, they range from okay to complete dicks."

Much like anyone else then huh?

That had Angela chuckling. "I think you're right on that account." She studied how far they were along. She could hear the audience clapping at the right spots and they seemed to be eating it up. At least they were not freaked out and once the usual started happening, they would think it a part of the show. "Okay so you ready?"

As ready as ever but one thing still bothers me.

"And what's that?"

How will this break the curse?

That was the question to be answered. Angela herself wasn't sure of the answer since it was a lover's curse and it wasn't like she was in that relationship in the first place. "Working on it."

Well you better figure it out before the main event happens.

That was easier said than done. Angela had met her fair share of riddles, puzzles and obstacles during her life. Whether it was rescuing the 'damsel in distress' or obtaining rare items of worth aka antiquities and such, it was a challenge that she met head on and would take time to solve it. Her friend Mac told her she had the aptitude to diffuse an atom bomb. He meant it as a joke but he was also acknowledging the fact that she had patience when it came to things that required one to think it through.

Spells and curses could work the same way. Angela was not a witch but she had learned the basic principles of spellcasting and then branched out depending on who she was partnering with at the time. Gabriel taught her Enochian chants and a few surprises. A few witches and wizards taught her some more fine tuning once they figured out she understood them and could counter them. One happened to be a human archaeologist specializing in mythology that ended up learning about one of the oldest known records of spells and what have you and she wasn't a witch but she learned and as far as she could remember she was still 'playing' as it were.

This was like that but it had her puzzled. Angela knew that Dante loved Gemma and vice versa and it was made fairly obvious to everyone. Well everyone except Persephone. That girl was like Alicia Silverstone in the Crush and in a dangerous and killing way since the people that suffered it pretty much killed themselves. Dante told her his feelings and the girl couldn't take no for an answer so… She thought about the riddle of the spell that Dante and Gemma told her. It wasn't like she was an idiot with them since she enjoyed making them herself and teasing the Winchesters with them.

She couldn't understand the lovers part since as far as she knew Dante and Gemma never did that. They died before they were ever able to round third base and slide in for home. Dean would be so proud she knew her metaphors. She rolled her eyes at that since she wasn't impressed by it and she had heard far cruder references to healthy libidos and sexual content. She wasn't lying when she said medieval tapestry porn was creative and he hadn't even seen what the Romans did. Talk about supposedly civilized beings.

You know you are descendant from them.

"Don't you start and what did I tell you about reading my thoughts?"

Sorry.

"Yeah sorry my ass. Look just get through the possession part."

It was to the part where she was to get possessed by Dante. Angela watched as her body walked on stage looking around. It was really weird overemphasizing the movements. It was a painful reminder of what Gabriel put them through and when Sam and Dean told her what shows they had been in… she laughed and cried at that much to Dean's consternation but she couldn't help but poke fun at his obsession with Dr. Sexy, M.D. She eased the pain by poking fun at her own experiences particularly the fact she had been stuck in a dress.

She watched as her body looked around, showing that she had been investigating. She then heard the distinct chant and her body turned. She had to admit the troupe really had gotten creative with the special effects and Joker looked pretty good looking like the real Dante but paled up with makeup as he came flying towards her and then there was poof of smoke and they were done.

It surprised her when Haley walked onto the stage. She expected someone else to do that and of course Dean would be there since he wasn't going to leave her or Sam in the predicament they were in. But Haley… she recalled how their conversation went that led to them being in this position.

I have something I want to talk to you about.

What is it?

It's about what happened… with the Ashvins and what you did.

Angela didn't try to explain what happened. As much as she wanted to go into detail what happened she really couldn't explain why she had done the things she had done. She couldn't explain the wings or the faint tickling that was the equivalent of a smite coming on. What she had expected was something like restoring her stamina and constitution from Lord Shiva so she could get back up and keep up the fight. She didn't expect something that felt natural to her like she had done it before but she had no recollection of ever doing and it hit at the core.

Seeing Haley here and ready to help… Angela suspected it was more because of Dean. They were way too obvious for their own good at times. And she didn't mind since she was not the kind of person that should be fussed over and she believed Dean deserved something good in his life. She just felt bad that she might have scared the juju witch with everything else and that she might have damaged whatever friendship was there. It didn't turn out that way but it was one of those things that marked things so they couldn't go back to the way they were before. Still, Angela would never throw her to the wolves as she did when she stopped Dante from hurting her.

The play moved on and Angela took the time to think more about the curse itself and the riddle of the spell. The whole thing sounded like just desserts to her but it was clearly a transmutation so… She frowned or she would have frowned if she had control of her body as she thought about what was going on. She looked up just in time to see that they were at the part where she and Gemma were stuck in the circle. She went through listening to the whole conversation that Dante and Persephone had and listened to Gemma talking...

By the mark of duality and compatibility, general terms yes but the key to the heart's witness.

Only by the heart of true shall end what has brought this rue.

Angela thought hard about what the riddle was pointing to. The other parts referred to the binding and such. It was like listening to a contract drawn up by a crossroads demon but this was different. She knew demons would rather have things end bloody than try to make things close to warm and fuzzy. It wasn't them. So it was something else.

The answer came to her as she kept murmuring to herself and thinking about the others that this was tried on. She looked up and saw they were right at the part where the improvising was to begin. She reached out, "Dante."

What?

"I know how to end this."


A/N: Looks like the plan is in motion and Angie has a thought on how to fix this. What is it? Keep watching for more Message of the Crow...