Chapter 22

Dean paced outside the motel room along with Austin and looked around, waiting for Castiel to return. He took a breath as he glanced at the room, tempted to go in but refrained since he wasn't willing to raise havoc. Kesset was patrolling, looking for any sign of trouble… like that was going to happen. They had been through enough.

Dean thought that he was a goner the moment those renegades tried to gang up on him with Lilah. At the last moment Castiel showed up. How and why… Dean wasn't sure except that he knew that he had called to let the angel know where he was. It was fortuitous and Dean didn't feel remorse in killing them. As far as he was concerned, they deserved it.

They moved towards the next room to find Kesset and Austin busy. Kesset was surprisingly reserved but it didn't stop him from killing the renegades. Dean didn't have a problem with it and it seemed that Sam's lead was keeping the kid in check. Austin was another story. Looking at the vampire, he asked, "You okay?"

"I'll be fine. Just been a long time." Austin heaved a sigh as looked around. He was ready to keep nosy people away even though they were in the rooms furthest from any notice. "Never thought…"

"Something from when you and Angie used to run together?"

Austin looked at Dean and gave a slight shrug, "Nothing like that but… close." He looked at nothing before adding, "It's the last resort and it was worth it. It gave Sam the advantage."

Dean wasn't too sure about that. After they dealt with the room, they moved towards the room that Austin said Sam went into. He followed his brother's call to find Sam half sitting and almost falling over while holding onto Angela as if letting her go was going to kill her. It was the sight though that had Dean wanting to throw up.

The bruises and cuts to her face were obvious. He saw the purpling and the split welts. Some of the blood was dried and some was flowing. Her hair looked stringy and matted but then his gaze shifted lower to her arms. He could see the rips in her shirt and where the cloth had been burned away. It didn't take a genius to figure out that she had been stabbed and burned. He even thought that he saw some shock burns on her forearms. The worst were the legs with one he knew was broken and the other looked like it might have been dislocated.

The sight was enough to have Kesset hiss in anger but he visibly seemed to change. It was like that now they found her, he wasn't ready to kill everything that moved. He did resume a patrol mode and guarded the motel. There was even a tree nearby where he would stand on the branches and survey the area. Dean was actually relieved that Kesset was more or less his clueless self. After everything…

They made it back and to Dean it felt like Sam wasn't going to let go of Angela when he picked her up and carried her out to the car. Truth was, he didn't let anyone touch her and Dean wasn't going to argue with him and Austin and Kesset followed suit on that. He watched as his brother put her in the back seat of the Impala trying hard not to aggravate any injuries that they couldn't see at the moment and thought about what he had found.

He saw the body of who he assumed was Carter. It was beaten bloody and a piece of something was sticking out of his chest. It looked like it had been driven into the floor. Dean had no idea what had happened in that room but he did get the idea that it was where Angela had spent the majority of her time with those bastards doing God knew what. It certainly was enough to put Sam on his being a bigger bitch mode and then some.

"I would be concerned that your angel friend is taking longer than necessary," Austin's voice cut into Dean's thoughts.

Dean turned to look at Austin and then at his watch. "Cas is… he's being careful." He didn't want to reveal too much about what was going on with his friend.

Austin, for his part, was willing to let it go. "Commendable since I would do the same."

It was conversation for the sake of it since no one was willing to talk about what happened and no one was willing to get in the way with Sam. Dean leaned against the wall and sighed, "Well Cas would do anything for her."

"I can see that. Angie has a way of even convincing the ones that hate our kind to give a chance. You haven't tried to kill me yet." Austin couldn't help but tease the elder Winchester since he knew what he was about.

"That's still up for debate," Dean retorted back. It had been gruff but there was no bite behind it. His heart wasn't into it but he appreciated what the vampire was trying to do. He did manage to say, "I still owe you for the monkey suit get up. That is like unforgiveable." He offered a slight smile as he slowly let out his breath.

"I was just as ugly as you were then," Austin countered and he crossed his arms over his chest. It was more to keep the shaking in his hands in check. He hadn't elaborated on what he had done while they were in there since Dean had a enough on his mind when it came to what they did to her.

It was a quirk of vampires but certain ones. It had to do with their bloodline; call it a quirk courtesy of the founders of the vampire lineages. After all there was bound to be some considered fuck ups and the like. His just happened to be something similar to what Avians did when they went berserk. It was more of a bloodlust though since the vampire had no qualms about ripping apart the body or draining it of blood; the stench was what drove it. Austin always suspected that was why Angela recruited him for this.

The urge had been strong to just tear his victims apart in there. Austin felt his blood literally sing with the power that lay in his hands and he could smell the fear in those renegades. They hated his kind and anything not remotely human but they were like every other mortal. They were weak, fragile, and cowardly and his desire to punish fed upon that. How he kept control… he owed that to her. She taught him what it meant to touch that part of humanity that all vampires had no matter if they were pureblood, noble or mutts. He chose to merely kick the crap out of them. He had to if only to be there for Sam.

Austin glanced at Dean, not sure if he should say anything about what they had talked about. Personally he thought Carter got off easy but he was proud of Sam. He sensed that the younger Winchester wanted to do more than just kill him. It was that fine line that Angela talked to him about once when they were interrogating Cary of all people. It was after the demon agreed to be her stoolie and walked away with painful reminders of the consequences of not helping out.

"Thanks for your help Austin."

Austin stared at Dean as the elder Winchester looked out into the night sky. "No need. Angie is a friend."

"Nah. She's more to you than that." Dean looked at the vampire. "The way you charged in there… I mean I've been on the job since Dad trained me and Sam and… I know you care about her. I just want to thank you."

Austin blinked at Dean. The man was looking straight ahead so he did the same. "She is a friend… but she saved my life." He hummed a bit since he knew she would say that she just gave him a hand up. "She saved me from becoming one of those things that you would end up hunting. Pointed me in the direction of saving people and hunting things."

"One of her strays?"

"Yeah. She thought I'd be a terrible teacher though."

"Think she likes it when you prove her wrong." Dean shifted his position. "I know she never lets me live it down."

Austin hummed and a grin formed on his lips. It certainly helped ease the tension even though he could feel it coming from the room. He certainly didn't want Sam to suffer more. He huffed a breath as the sound of wings flapping filled the air. He blinked and sighed in relief.

"Huh. Didn't expect this place."

Dean looked at Castiel and his passenger with relief. He knew that Fiona would say she would come when he called and gave the briefest of run downs. She did tell him that if he needed anything that couldn't be done by a normal doctor, he was to give her a call. When she would get there was another story but he figured that he could go to Kesset or Castiel. He replied, "Best we can do Fi. Cas, you had us worried there. Everything good?"

Castiel nodded. It had been a little draining on him and he had been trying to conserve his powers as best as he could. This was an emergency though and he would do it again. Perhaps he shouldn't have interfered but if he hadn't, then Dean would have been in trouble. "I'm fine. We wanted to avoid trouble."

Fiona shot a look at Castiel but didn't say anything about it even though the movement had been noticed by Dean and Austin. She looked at them and explained, "Also a little hard trying to pack a clinic office in a bag. I'm not Mary Poppins you know." Her Irish lilt sounded heavy but only because she was nervous about what had happened. She glanced and asked, "Where's Sam?"

Dean shuffled on his feet. This was the moment of truth. "He's uh with Angie." He cleared his throat and continued, "It's uh… pretty bad and just giving you fair warning that he might be a bigger bitch than usual."

Fiona nodded at that. "Alright. Well I know a thing or two." She started forward but was stopped by Dean. She raised her brow at him.

"I mean…" Dean made a slight face. He full well remembered how Sam reacted when Austin came near to give a hand. "He might not be…"

"Relax Dean. I know a thing or two about overprotective males when it concerns their mates."

Austin made a sound at that that sounded suspiciously like a burst of laughter. Dean merely blinked, not sure if he should say anything. Castiel just maintained his stoic expression, nothing was on his face.

Fiona knew what she was talking about and continued like nothing had interrupted her, "Also I know a thing or two because I had to deal with Sam previously. Remember?" She gave a slight movement of her head.

"Okay. Just that… Angie is hurt real bad and if Sam thinks you're gonna hurt her more…"

"I got it covered. You three have the right idea of staying out here." Fiona wasn't going to lie about things. Dean may not have given her details but if Sam's behavior was anything to go by, then it was pretty bad. It was why she had taken her time packing possible things she would need and maybe would need but highly unlikely. Dhampir physiology or Halfling physiology in general was something one needed to be prepared to the max with and then some.

Looking at them she said, "I won't lie but it might get a little nasty. Dhampirs in particular tend to exhibit their worst half when their normal sense of reason is clouded by pain."

"Just… do what you have to do Fi. And be careful."

Fiona gave a slight smile of reassurance to Dean. She could tell he was worried and trying to keep that brave face on. Plus she suspected that there were things that needed to be addressed eventually. Right now though she had a job to do. She took in the fact that the area was pretty well guarded since she spotted Kesset in his bird form on the roof and then there was Austin; Liam would be happy to know he was okay. Then there was Dean and she smelled the scent of a Wilder. This place was covered and if she knew the Winchesters, they would have their devil's traps and salt lines. "It'll be all right Dean. I'll do what I can," she said before knocking on the door and was shortly let in. It was going to be a long night.

"You can come back in now."

Sam opened the door to the bathroom and came out from where he had been sent to for the last… it seemed like forever in there. Fiona was finishing wrapping up Angela's wrists. His throat convulsed at the white gauze that contrasted sharply with the clotted scratches and scrapes on her hand. His hand clenched the doorframe, making his scraped and bruised knuckles turn white and sickly yellow.

Fiona merely let Sam be. When she walked in, she was surprised that he hadn't torn the room to shreds since she had a clear view of her patient. She preferred to assume that it looked worse than what it really was but that was for appearances sake alone. It seemed to help since Sam was agitated like he was torn between being emotional and just overall destructive from being pissed and it was evident in the haphazard way the med kit was laid out and things cleared away.

The tenderest of care though had been given to Angela… at least when she had been put on the bed. Other than that… it looked like Sam wasn't sure what to do though it looked like he had made an effort to making her comfortable and cleaning the areas he could see. Fiona appreciated it and took over and asked that he wait in the bathroom since it was clear he wasn't going to leave the room. It worked out sort of.

Sitting in the bathroom, Sam had time to think about everything when they rescued her. He was well aware that he was hardly civil to his brother, to Austin and to Kesset… and they helped him. He didn't have any excuse since he was well aware with what he had done and what he had wanted to do but resisted. It was like when he was high on demon blood and going through withdrawal; he wanted it really bad.

When he saw her there and heard her moan of pain… he snapped. He wanted to hurt Carter; he wanted to make him suffer as he had made Angela suffer. He wouldn't have minded cutting him slowly, making him bleed and make him cry out for death. Instead he settled for beating the bastard to a pulp and then as the final stroke, he slammed that piping through his chest and out the back. He could actually hear the wet sounds of dripping blood when he realized that he had killed the guy and he almost started to hyperventilate when his breathing started heaving like he had just ran a marathon. He got it under control because he had to get to her.

He hadn't been prepared for her weight when he released her hands from the hook they had strung her up from and had inwardly winced from the moan she gave. The last thing he wanted to do was to cause her pain. Without thinking about it, he guided her arms to wrap around his neck and just sat with her on the ground and waited for Dean and held her. He certainly didn't let anyone else touch her and was well aware that he was being what Dean called a 'bigger bitch than usual'. He just had to hold her and keep her safe until they patched her up.

It didn't quite go that way since the state of the room was not the best but he did manage to get out what Fiona would need when she came. It was Dean that suggested they call her and Castiel said he would get her though Kesset was faster. The Avian though was disinclined to leave so soon after finding his charge and Castiel insisted he could do it. Sam wasn't going to argue. He just holed himself up and kept his thoughts to himself but wallowed in them.

"Sam, I'm going to need your help."

Sam looked up to see Fiona look at him with a calm countenance. He got the impression that she was looking at him much like Angela did that mad werewolf. It occurred to him that she was trying to talk him down and keep him calm and… he was grateful for that. He walked over and he held his breath when he got closer to notice that Angela was still passed out but it was obvious she was feeling every injury. "What do you need?"

Fiona took in his expression before saying, "I've managed to patch up everything else but I refrained from setting her leg because I wasn't sure what she had been injected with."

Sam pursed his mouth as his eyes flickered over to Angela's arm where he could see the needle track marks. There was a large puncture on her neck as well and he didn't want to think about what crap was in that needle. "Do you know?"

"Aye. It is a suppressant." Fiona cleared her throat slightly before continuing, "I figured that the blighter that did this wanted her to suffer. It's often given to patients with accelerated healing to make it more human. You know if it isn't set…"

"Yeah… but I get the feeling he wanted to slowly bleed her out and kill her." Sam felt his throat convulse. He had a lot of time to think about things on the way back to the motel and then his sojourn in the bathroom. "But you would only need one dose right?" He asked since there were multiple marks and he highly doubted Angela kept putting up a fight though he wouldn't put it past her.

"True. One will last for some time. It's why I don't like administering it without making it mandatory for the patient to stay put."

"No problem with that." Sam couldn't help but give a slight chuckle. He was surprised it was shared by Fiona. Then again they both knew how Angela was. He knew that she would track him down after suffering the effect of hypothermia. He looked at Fiona and noted her expression. "But you have something else in mind."

"I'll be frank with you, Sam," Fiona began, her Irish lilt becoming a little thick, "I'm concerned with what else went into her. I don't know what the blighter used." She noted Sam's expression and continued, "The leg, when I set it, she might wake up and it won't be the nicest thing."

Sam could read between the lines and he figured as much. "You mean, you need me to hold her down."

"I am taking a gamble here. I get the impression that the last thing she'll ever want to do is hurt you."

"Familiar face."

"That and I know that it would take me going full werewolf to get you out of here." Fiona couldn't help but give a slight smile. "Just warning you though… some are kickers and some are biters. And whatever is flowing through her brain…"

"Okay."

Fiona paused and looked at Sam. "You sure?"

"Fi… I don't really care about her hurting me. I just…" Sam swallowed slightly as he looked at Fiona. He really couldn't voice his thoughts. He deserved whatever punishment necessary since he still hadn't forgiven himself for ending the world but he didn't need her to be hurt to make a point. "I don't matter. She does… to me because… I think I'm falling for her."

Fiona normally would have said something along the lines that it was more than that but she wasn't cruel. To be honest, her heart went out to Sam. She heard what had happened but she reserved judgment and figured there was more to the rumors. She nodded, "Okay then. Come on. Once I set it, that means no running around after the monsters you hear?"

"Crystal."

Fiona directed Sam to sit near the head of the bed. By that time Angela started waking up and wondering where the hell she was. It took a while but Sam managed to convince her that she was okay since she was more receptive to him than Fiona. So he ended up sitting where Fiona instructed him to and had Angela's head resting his lap with his arms wrapped around her and she was holding onto his.

The actual setting made Sam want to be sick. The inhuman sound that Angela made was even worse. He was lucky she didn't bite him since her teeth came out. He did think he was going to get bruises on his arms since she gripped him tight and managed to swear enough to make a sailor blush. He did manage to mutter that it was okay and it seemed to calm her down while Fiona immobilized the leg.

"Normally I'd prescribe a cast…"

"Don't you dare put that fucking thing on me," came the retort even though it was muffled from Angela's face being buried in Sam's shirt.

"And I won't you stubborn arse," Fiona countered, "Which is why I put this devil's contraption of a boot on. And it stays on until I say it can come off."

"Fuck you."

"Angie," Sam's quiet tone entered. He looked at Fiona and said, "Thanks."

"Don't thank me yet, Sam," Fiona replied as she did a last second check. "Got a long way now. About three weeks and that is bare minimum." She gave a look both at Sam and Angela though she doubted the latter was inclined to be listening but she knew Sam would keep it up. "Now I got to make a phone call to let my apprentice know I will be here for a while. Get some sleep and I'll nag your brother while I'm at it."

She left the room leaving Sam alone with Angela and it allowed for Angela to try and shift. Sam watched her ready to help since she was not in a good mood. She shifted to lay on her left, wincing slightly from the soreness but her head was still in Sam's lap. Sam watched her to make sure she wasn't in too much pain since she hadn't wanted a painkiller; too many drugs in her system. He had taken a pillow to provide extra cushion for her head. He wasn't sure if he should say anything or not. He was going to follow Fiona's orders but…

"Is this real?"

Sam frowned at the question. "What do you mean?"

"Is it real?"

Sam realized that she was asking for a reason. He replied, "Yeah. It's real Angie. You're not there anymore."

The sound she made was hardly encouraging but she did manage to reply, "Good because I still see an asshole I know standing in the corner."

Sam knew that there was no one else in the room and figured it had to do with the drugs she was still on. If Fiona was right, this was only the beginning. It only made him feel worse about everything. Dean may have said that this wasn't his fault but…

"It's okay, Sam. Everything feels right."

Sam looked down at Angela. Her breathing was low and it was evident she was going back to sleep. But what she said…

"'S good… n feel… safe."

Sam blinked as he watched her go back to sleep. She hadn't moved so he was pinned there but he didn't mind. He was willing to suffer pins in his legs or whatever else for her. She was safe now. He looked down and looked at his hands covered in scrapes and bruises. He could hear Carter taunting and laughing at him as he glanced at her sleeping. He wasn't going to be able to sleep anytime soon so he adjusted as best as he could and prepared to stay awake all night… just in case.

A/N: Well Angie is patched up but it's only the beginning and Sam is having deep thoughts. Stay tuned for the next episode 4.09 Broken Wounds Heal...