Chapter 15
Nice to know that it was you Sis.
Sam looked over to see… was that Korbin? The guy that was like the major promoter or something? This was seriously turning more crazy as it went on. He looked over at Dean and silently asked what was going on.
The woman smirked at the newcomer and replied, "And to think that I did it right under your nose, Korbin. Or should I say…" She snapped her fingers and she grinned, "Corvus."
Joker grimaced at his name and retorted, "You know I hate that name. Why Raven? Why this?"
"Isn't it obvious? I'm getting my vengeance."
"Against whom? Me for not following your idiotic path of supposed justice?" Joker scoffed at that. He took a few steps to put himself between the Winchesters and his sister. "You really hated me that much, why not just target me? Just desserts is only to fall upon those that cause the injury."
"And it has." Raven looked at Joker with a simpering look. She laughed when she saw the look of confusion on his face. "You thought it was you?" It turned into a cackle as she shifted on her feet. "As much as I would like to get rid of you, you are not the prize."
While Joker had been talking to his sister, Dean had made his way to where Sam was and they were trying to get Angela to her feet. She was semi-conscious and not responding to anything coherently. Dean decided to try something and began teasing her with innuendos and saying, "I'm not kissing you, Sleeping Beauty."
"I wouldn't want you to anyway. You need a TicTac," Angela muttered as she cleared her head enough and rubbed her hand on her forehead.
"See, got her up," Dean pointed out to Sam while beaming a smile.
Sam merely rolled his eyes at that. He looked at her and asked, "Can you stand?"
"Maybe."
It was the cue to help her up and they were in the middle of doing that when Raven spotted them. Sam and Dean were knocked aside and hard while Angela was suspended in midair, her previous disorientation gone as she stared the woman in the face as Raven continued, "But you are."
Angela looked at Raven with a narrowed expression. She had thought that there was more to it as she thought about it while in the binding circle and the way how Persephone talked… it added up and enabled her to get a message to the others through Kesset. She could have gone with Castiel but the Avian was the automatic thought and he followed without question. She was taking advantage of the fact that he would obey any command she gave but he came willingly and determined to fix this.
She had always disliked possession and accepted that there were different reasons. There was the unwilling like the demons and then there was willing like she did to allow Hapi and Satet to materialize in their realm or when she took over certain persons when she was dead but not dead kind of thing. Either way, it was not a pleasant experience. She suspected that it was possession and probably a willing one at first but it turned into something more. So she came up with the idea of an exorcism. Since they weren't dealing with a demon, they had to go a different route and one that was a contribution from Dante. Speaking of which, what happened to him and Gemma?
She was seemingly lost in her thoughts but she looked at the instigator of all this and at Joker who looked unsure of what to do. She looked at Raven and asked, "What do you want with me?"
"You. You're the one I'm seeking my vengeance on."
"For what, Sis? She's only been…"
"Spare me Corvus," Raven spat, knowing her brother hated his name. She looked at her suspended prey and smiled slowly. "Some protector. Leaving you alone for decades at a time and relying on nothing but a reputation to keep fear instilled in hunters no matter what the cost."
"I did what I did because they were innocent at the time and I had enough clout to use as a warning."
"Spare me. We all know that you're all talk."
"Then ask about the exorcism circle." Angela couldn't help but smirk at that. Word games were something she liked to play with. Sam had picked up on that which was why they would carry on conversations, or rather used to, using nothing but quotes. It was also fun to poke at Dean since she could always win at semantics to the point where Dean turned it into a competition he was determined to win at some point. She just had to poke at the circle she had activated to separate the possessor and the possessed. Call it default factory settings though she couldn't recall having this talent when she was nine.
"Okay, point there," Raven admitted, "But it still doesn't count for the fact that it is your fault."
"Can I ask for what?" Angela was well aware that the things she had done before meeting the Winchesters had adverse consequences. Some were the equivalent of blaming Sam for the Apocalypse and those were back after her imprisonment in hell.
Raven narrowed her eyes at Angela before slamming her onto the ground. "Don't toy with me. You remember that day when you laid down the law." She didn't let up when Kesset tried to attack her and she retaliated by punching him and actually pulled some feathers out of his wings sparking a cry of pain and outrage.
Angela grunted when her back hit the stage floor. That was going to leave a mark maybe. At least she wasn't choking though she wasn't going to say anything to suggest that. She looked up and saw Kesset look enraged and Raven holding a fist full of feathers. Great. She managed to squawk out, "Kess, don't."
Kesset looked at her ready to argue. They weren't flight feathers but it was the equivalent of someone pulling a human's hair out. Flight feathers… that was not only bad that was like cutting out your kidney with a butter knife or a spoon. Tail feathers… talk about indignity. Despite all this, he calmed down especially when she said something to him in ancient Egyptian. He backed down but with utmost reluctance.
"At least you have your Avian pet under control."
"He's not a pet. He's a friend," Sam's voice entered.
Angela widened her eyes slightly as Sam got to his feet just as Dean did and he said, "That's right bitch."
"Always knew you two bozos were loyal to a fault but how loyal are you to this bitch here?" Raven gestured at Angela as she allowed the woman to clamber to her feet but with restricted movement. "Do you know everything there is to know especially about these people?" She gestured at the troupe members as they slowly were getting to their feet.
"A group of people with special talents. Some being complete asshats," Dean offered with a shrug. That was nothing to be bothered with since he lived with someone that was half-human and half vamp. And he knew that it didn't bother Sam at all.
"Not that you moron," Raven snapped.
"Sis," Joker interrupted, "That wasn't how it happened and you know it." He narrowed his eyes as he took a step forward indicating that she should back off. "They would have killed Maggie because of what she is and they were willing to lead a war."
"And it did," Raven snapped at her brother. "And it led to his death. At her hands." She gestured at Angela who was standing there with a land expression.
"If you are talking about Drew, then you should know that he was the one that started it all. And he paid for it with his life." Angela paused as she looked at everyone before looking back at Raven. A pensive expression flitted across her face as her mouth opened slightly and closed. She heard the gasps and could feel everyone stared at her.
"So it's true. You killed him."
"Yes," Angela admitted with a straight face. "I killed him. In a fight to the death." She shifted her position and crossed her arms over her chest now that she wasn't too restricted in her movements. "It was what it came down to. The hunters wouldn't let go and Drew egged them on."
It was enough for Raven's power to wane and Angela took a tentative step forward. She lowered her arms and gestured for others to stay back with her focus on Raven. She continued, "Drew made the hunters believe that Maggie was the one responsible when in fact he was the one."
"No. That is a lie."
Angela shook her head at that, "No, it isn't. He murdered those people and made it look like someone like Maggie could have done it. It was enough to bring any hunter worth his salt within range. I came and I found the cause."
Raven shook her head at that. "No. You're lying."
"I'm not." Angela studied the woman before testing her boundaries again. She took another step forward. "He set things up so that he would get the hunters to wipe out the troupe and it was because he was after someone. Someone that he believed was the cause of his brother's death." She stood still and looked at Raven. She took in the expression as she thought about what to say next. Finally she continued, "He knew that they were hiding within the troupe and traveling from town to town, making it difficult to track down."
"But he…"
"He fooled you as he did us all," Angela interrupted to make a point clear. "He brought both sides to the brink of war." It sounded overly dramatic but that was what it would come down to in Angela's mind. And it would be a war that would be fought like how they spoke about in the movies though it would be tough to hide the bodies and the disturbances. "I wanted to stop it. You know that."
It seemed like time stood still as Angela talked down the woman that looked like she was going to burst into tears. Sam and Dean watched, tempted to jump in but refrained from doing so since there was the possibility that it would interfere with whatever was going on. Both brothers tensed as they watched her inch closer and closer but they recognized the wave of calm that was emitting throughout the place. Actually, Sam did more than Dean having been in her blast radius on multiple occasions so they were able to relax a little.
Angela kept her focus on the woman in front of her and took another step forward. She didn't really like using her empath but it served a purpose in sticky situations and this was one that called for it. She sensed that Raven was vulnerable and could become volatile so she wanted to reduce the risk of any more injury and bloodshed. She softly spoke, "It had to be stopped."
It seemed to be a sure thing when a tear slid down Raven's face. It allowed Angela to step closer and finally wrap her arms around the woman. It was like the dam broke and there was nothing but sobbing. Angela moved her arms to be consoling and stroked the back.
"You really do have a good memory."
Angela widened her eyes slightly and looked around. She found that she was hugging Raven but she wasn't moving. It was like she had been frozen and it forced Angela to relinquish her grip. She took a step back and noticed that everything had gone dark and lastly Raven disappeared leaving her with the intruder. She turned to face him and was surprised. "It's a problem with living a long time. What are you doing here Korbin?"
Korbin grinned as he shifted on his feet while pacing around. "Well I didn't have a chance to speak with you after the performance so I decided to drop in during your dreams. I didn't expect you to be actually 'working' in your head."
Angela looked around and swallowed slightly as she processed what had happened. It had felt very real to her even though… "I guess… watching the performance brought up memories and… How is Raven by the way?" She straightened up and looked at her visitor while trying to change the subject about what he had seen.
Korbin looked at Angela and allowed for the change in the subject, "She is doing fine. She has been for years now after you healed her from the truth." He studied her more and noted her expression before asking, "What is the real reason you're thinking about that and the fact that you spent an evening with someone that clearly made you happy?"
"Nosy bitch," Angela muttered automatically but it shifted to a slight grin. He was the reason she was so upfront with tricksters in general and sometimes had a blasé attitude about them. She shrugged her shoulders, "Just a lot going on and then I came to see the troupe and… Lot of memories."
"You know you did what you had to do right?"
"I did the only thing to do." Angela looked down as she said that. It was one of the few things that she didn't have an alternative for. "The way things were then… It would have been worse if I hadn't interfered."
"And because of that, my little brother decided acting was his thing instead of what he was born to do."
Angela chuckled at that, "There is a big different between what and who you are. Joker does what he does and is happy about it. I get it."
Korbin smiled at that and hummed, "You always seemed to know people. I'll give you that." He adjusted a lock of hair and looked at her. "Seems you've decided to change yet again."
Angela made a slight shrug of her shoulders. "People change. Even us freaks and geeks."
Korbin snorted at that. He really had missed seeing her. He was glad that he had taken it upon himself to deliver the message from the shaman up north. "That they do," he replied with a sigh. "It is good to see you again."
"Same here," Angela replied with a smile. "Now what do you want?"
"How do you know I have anything for you?"
"You are a messenger and a trickster." Angela chuckled at that like it was the most obvious thing in the world. "And I remember the promise you made when I declared the troupe off limits. Makes me wonder if you orchestrated things so they would be in this town just when I am about two towns over." She gave a wry grin at the trickster.
Korbin gave a bemused look at her. He had liked her the moment she stepped in to help and she wasn't even nice to them then. But her heart was genuine in making sure that justice was served. He could easily fess up to her but he liked his fun too. "I wouldn't know about that but I do have a message for you."
That had Angela's attention. Korbin had to admit that she knew when to play and when to be serious. He grinned as he watched her straighten up like she was preparing for bad news. He replied, "It's from a shaman up north and he says that he heard about your quest and would like to try and help. Also…" He pulled out a slip of paper and handed it to her. "A friend told me to tell you that there are stirrings even among those that could be considered friends and not in the good way."
Angela took in the message and the slip of paper. It was rather a bit silly since she was dreaming but it was as they shaped it. She sighed and nodded that she heard the message. Well at least they had a lead somewhat. There would be some explaining to do later but it was no big deal. It was just one thing on top of another. She then became aware that the scenery changed to look like a courtyard but she didn't recognize it. Looking around, she spotted Sam looking confused and dressed in his suit. She looked to find herself in the dress she had worn that night and then looked up at Korbin.
Korbin was smiling and said, "Consider it an apology for interrupting. Enjoy." He then started walking but towards Sam.
Angela wanted to say something but didn't. She really didn't know what to say at this. She stared wide eyed as Korbin paused by Sam and lean over to whisper something in his ear before walking off into the mist that formed. It almost became too much when she heard music and she recognized the tune. She turned to find herself staring at Sam, not sure of what to say. This was a dream, right?
There are stirrings even among those that could be considered friends and not in the good way.
Angela mused on that as she leaned against the Impala staring out at the scenery. The boys had taken it well that they had a lead to go on in terms of searching for alternative means of stopping the Apocalypse. At this point, they were running low on options and even if it was from a trickster, they were willing to consider it. Of course, Dean put up a mild protest simply because Korbin was a trickster even after she explained that he was a crow trickster and that he primarily delivered messages apart from the just desserts thing.
In the end, they were heading out on the road with puppies in tow. Angela was going to have to think on how to handle that since they were going to get bigger and having three dogs travel with you… It was a tight squeeze and Dean would raise holy hell about driving anything that looked like a soccer mom would drive. At this point, it made more sense to take the two youngest since they were clingy after losing their mother even though they were fully weaned and with their hunters. But she was partial to her resurrected pup and… It was just one thing after another and the latest news was not totally unexpected but she felt her anxiety levels start to rise.
She continued to lounge against the Impala while occasionally tossing a ball to Xander. She geared up for another throw and threw it pretty hard into the nearby field and watched the agile swiftness of her old hunter dog take off like a bullet. She chuckled even as she heard, "That's a little far."
Humming in laughter she replied, "No it isn't. I used to through football field lengths back then with Xander. Old battle axe still is a fast bastard." She grinned in pride even though the memories of training a cantankerous pup into a hunter were not easy ones.
Sam took in the look of pride and smiled at that. He had done some inquiries and learned about Xander and was surprised at his kennel name but it explained quite a bit and that was after Angela told him the story of how she came to be chosen by the German Shepherd that was the oddball or maybe throwback in about a couple of decades. He had no doubts liked she did that this was the dog and it was probably brought back by angelic means. It was something that put a couple positive points for Gabriel even though he still didn't like him over much.
Deciding to tease her a little more he countered with, "Let me guess, a couple of touchdown passes."
"Oh yes and usually sending my receiver five yards and into the end zone," Angela replied with a smirk as she raised her brow at Sam. Figure that one out.
"Professional, college or just whatever?"
"High school coach." Angela pouted a little at that since he wasn't going to play by her rules today but it was okay. She liked telling them about her 'good ole days' when she actually interacted with people. "But the women's baseball league of the 1940s… awesome."
Sam chuckled at that knowing she was still trying to see if he would bite and question her on her past activities. "No wonder Xander was happy you had the ball. He knows."
"You are no fun," Angela pouted as she playfully punched Sam. It was spoiled because she couldn't help but chuckle. "But yeah it helped. Good training exercise for speed and distance. And that was after I established ground rules on who to be a cantankerous asshole with."
"If anyone knows how to boss a dog around, it's you."
"I still boss you and your brother."
"Okay… mom."
A couple of playful punches were exchanged when Xander came running up to them with the ball in his mouth and grinning madly. He allowed Sam to take the ball and stood waiting for him to throw it. Sam took the hint that the pup wanted him to throw and took the opportunity to throw as hard as he could out into the field and watched as Xander took off like a bullet followed closely by Moira doing her best to keep up with the elder pup. "Damn he's fast."
"Throwback," Angela offered as she watched the dog disappear into the field.
Sam knew that it meant in affection. He shifted to look at her. He had noticed how she just opted to wait outside and just stared out into space. The last few months hadn't been easy and he got the feeling that there was more to what she had learned from her trickster crow friend but he wasn't going to pry at that. There was something that he wanted to ask though but he was unsure how to do it and if she would take it well or not.
"Your thoughts are loud."
"Just thinking." Sam paused a moment and decided to bite the bullet. "It uh… it's about a… dream that I had."
"If you're looking to me to interpret dreams, there are some things that even I can't do," Angela replied with a gentle smile though she had suspicions of what she was getting at.
"Not that." Sam cleared his throat and then continued, "Angie, I was… I was wondering if you could teach me how to walk in other people's dreams." He blushed as he said it knowing that it was probably one of the oddest things he asked of her. He was prepared for anything that she would say in protest.
"May I ask why?"
"Well uh…" Sam felt like he was back in school and asking a girl on his first date. He hadn't stuttered so badly since then but this was… "Well I uh…" He cleared his throat and got to the point, "I remember that dream. The one with the music, you… in that dress."
Angela blinked and felt her cheeks flush. So that sneaky bastard did pull Sam in. That meant… "You… you remember that?"
"Yeah and I… I liked it. Being with you." Sam shuffled on his feet uneasily, not sure about her reaction. "And… maybe we could uh…" He cleared his throat not sure of how to give voice to the fact that he could and wanted to be with her even in her dreams as cheesy as it sounded.
Angela stared as Sam grew very bashful and realized what his intentions were. As much as she had been pissed that Korbin did that, she was grateful. While it wasn't the same as reality, dreams held memory and potency. "That would be nice. Yes."
Sam was prepared for the reddened cheeks, the look of shock and maybe running away; he had never met someone who was that shy with relationships. Then again, she had never been in one and he tried to be understanding how it must seem scary to her. He didn't expect the reply to be what it was and had him a little speechless until he replied, "You want to?"
"I like the idea. No interruptions really." Angela thought her cheeks couldn't get any redder. "And I liked what we did." She looked up from where she had been looking and back up to meet Sam's mossy greens. "I will teach you," she said softly as she reached up with her right to brush a couple of locks out Sam's face before rubbing her first knuckle where she had kissed him.
Sam felt his throat convulse in the good way when her skin touched his. It drove him crazy when she did that but it felt good. In response, he reached out with his hand and rubbed the back of his first finger where he accepted her gesture and then leaned in to gently kiss her on her lips and was surprised that she responded with firmness. He asked because he wanted to and because he couldn't forget what that guy in the suit whispered to him as he looked at her in the dress that was just… wow. He stood there kissing her only breaking it when he felt Xander paw his leg for another toss. He parted reluctantly but secure that things would be okay between them and maybe he could tell her how he felt.
This is all her. All from her heart because of you.
A/N: So the whole story was a dream? WTH? At least it brought Sam and Angie closer together right? Stay tuned for the next episode 4.20 Twilight of the Gods...
