Chapter 3

It was early in the morning but that didn't matter… at least not to Angela. She always woke up early and sometimes she would go and wake up Sam and Dean or Bobby in a manner that brought a smile to their faces. As usual, she was the first one awake but she didn't want to wake up. It was nice and cozy where she was at and she couldn't help but snuggle because it was familiar. She could smell it and knew that it was Sam.

She had spent the whole week with Kate after the strange angel that seemed familiar to her brought her there. He had scared her at first and thought he was trying to take her away from Castiel and Bobby but then he called her Cat and said it was okay. She was confused by the name since she knew her name but didn't question him. In the end she let him call her that and said that only he could call her that.

He was nice like Castiel but different. She knew he wasn't going to hurt her once she calmed down. She liked him and she didn't understand why she couldn't stay with him. She found it odd when he asked her if she knew anyone that wasn't where Bobby lived and she looked at him like a confused puppy. She ended up telling him about Kate and he brought her to the girl and told her she was to stay with Kate until Sam and Dean came for her.

She had been asleep when he handed her over but she could remember the smell. She liked the angel's smell. It wasn't like Castiel and he smelled like the rain and wet dirt. Kesset smelled like the wind and leaves. This was different. It was like how Dean smelled but he had pie. This angel was sweet… like sugar. That was all she could smell but it was a good kind of smell. She wished he hadn't gone away.

She behaved for Kate since she liked her. When Kate asked her why she wasn't with her babysitter Kesset, she couldn't answer that. She shrugged her shoulders since she didn't know. She did offer, "Kesset has important job. Busy."

It was something to offer since she really didn't know what Kesset did. She knew he came around when Dean called him and they needed someone to watch her. Now she was with Kate and she liked the woman. She thought she was nice and that was why Kesset liked her.

She tried to be good for Kate but she really wanted to go home. She wanted to go back to Bobby and the Winchesters and she even wanted Castiel around. She made it known saying, "I wants to go home."

It pretty much was a routine and alternated with Angela asking when Sam and Dean were coming. Then Sam and Dean came and Kate wasn't going to let them in. Angela didn't understand why Kate wasn't going to let them in. She watched as Kate told them to go away and even got out a shotgun that she kept in the house. Seeing it she said, "No hurt Sammy n Deanie. They good."

In the end Kate let them in and Angela gave into her impulses and ran right at Sam and Dean. She missed them so much. The nice angel said that they would come and they did. She didn't let go of Sam the entire night. She kept grabbing him in a hug and once he was sitting on the couch, she started petting his hair like she did before. It made her feel better and she knew it made Sam feel better. When she was done, she gave a kiss to Sam's cheek and a hug before settling into his lap and drifted off to sleep.

Now it was morning and Angela was awake but she didn't want to move. She shifted slightly and was immediately hugged closer to the body she was sleeping next to. Opening her little eyes, she found that she was on Kate's couch and on Sam's lap. It was where she had fallen asleep last night and it was apparently where Sam fell asleep. It had Angela smile as she nuzzled his chest and hug him. "I love you, Sammy," she whispered.

A noise caught her attention and Angela moved her head to find that Dean was asleep on the floor. She giggled softly when Dean let out a snort that almost sounded like a snore. She jumped slightly when she heard Sam say just as soft, "Nice to hear."

Angela giggled some more and looked up to see Sam smile sleepily at her. "Deanie make funny noise," she whispered. She grinned and teased, "N youse sleep funny. Funny hair."

Sam narrowed his eyes slightly even though they were still full of sleep. He then turned his face into a pout. "Thought you liked it."

Angela giggled at Sam's face before she pushed herself up. She stood up on her knees and so it appeared that she was eye level with Sam. She reached out and ruffled his hair slightly and leaned forward and kissed him on the cheek. "Always likes all things Sammy," she said as she pulled back and sat down.

Sam couldn't help but smile. The tension over worrying where she was had almost gone. It was helped when she decided to pet his hair again. It actually helped her too since she kept putting her head on top of his like she was hugging his head. He patted her back gently and she ended up doing that little purr growl again. She continued doing that when she stopped her petting and curled up to go to sleep on his lap. They really had no choice but to stay for the night and looking at it, Sam was glad for it. Looking at her he hummed a slight chuckle and rubbed her cheek gently with his thumb. He replied, "And I like all things Angie."

Angela beamed a wide smile when she heard that. She bounced forward and gave Sam a hug. She couldn't help but rub her head on his making him wonder what she was doing but she broke it off before he could think about it too much. She asked, "Betfust Sammy?"

"Okay. You wanna wake Dean?" Sam knew it was asking for trouble but he couldn't resist. And he knew that his brother wouldn't be too mad at her.

"N we gets befust?"

"Sure."

Angela didn't say anything else but jumped down from her spot on Sam's lap. Her little feet hit the ground with a dull thud. It was quiet in the house and it sounded loud when in reality it was soft. She was crouched low to the ground and staring at the sleeping form of Dean. There was a smile on her face that told she had something planned.

Sam knew that she was up to something and whatever it was would end up falling on him. It would be worth it though since Dean loved it when she tried to sneak up on him. Watching her, he got the distinct impression that he was watching baby predators learning to hunt and stalk their prey. No wonder Dean loved when she did this. In truth, he liked it too.

Angela had made a wide berth around Dean. Her eyes never left the sleeping form as she scuttled close to the ground. She didn't know why but it seemed to be a good idea to walk like that while she was looking for the best place to get Dean. She quietly crept around, her little hands gently feeling over the floor and the furniture. Along the way she managed to pick up her teddy that Dean had given her and hugged it to her body.

It definitely was like watching a Nat Geo special on baby cubs learning how to fight. Sam watched as Angela finally chose her position of attack. From what he could see, Dean was going to get a rude awakening. Perhaps he should say something but to spoil her fun… He was curious to see what would happen. He was just going to pretend that he was asleep so he had a pliable defense.

Dean was sleeping a full five hours. It had been a while since he got that and it was a night where he wasn't full of worry. He was actually having a pretty nice dream. He was sitting by a lake in a lawn chair. There was a cold beer in his hand. It was peaceful with no worries about the Apocalypse and angels and demon crap. He looked over to see an empty chair and called, "Sammy, hurry up."

The result was feeling like he was hit in the stomach; like Bobby dropping a sack of gear on his lap. Dean felt his eyes shoot open the moment he felt the weight on his stomach. "What the hell?"

The weight was gone followed by a set of giggles. Dean sat up and looked around while rubbing his abdomen. He saw his brother asleep on the couch and the little bundle he had been holding the night before was gone. Narrowing his eyes in a playful mood, Dean called out, "Angie."

Angela giggled at Dean's reaction as she hid behind a chair. She put Samadean down and started moving along the floor in her creeping crawling way. She maneuvered to come up behind Dean while he was looking for her. She noticed that Sam was trying not to laugh while pretending to still be asleep and it encouraged her further. She moved to get into position, following Dean as he bent to look behind the chair she had been hiding behind earlier.

Angela narrowed her eyes while still smiling as she got closer. At the right moment, she pounced onto Dean's back while he was kneeling to pick up her bear. "Gots you Deanie."

Dean felt a small pair of arms wrap around his neck and a weight drop onto his back. He hadn't been properly balanced and fell forward. He landed on his stomach with a dull thud and gave a slight grunt. He growled slightly but it was done playfully when giggles filled his ear. The next thing he heard was the click from a cell phone camera and he turned to see Sam wide awake and pointing it at him. "You better erase that Sam."

"I don't think so. It's not every day you've been had by a four year old." Sam grinned at his brother. It certainly was a funny sight to see Angela sitting on Dean's back right across his shoulder blades with a big smile on her face. "But then again you've always got beaten by Angie."

Dean had a few choice words for Sam but if he dared to use them, it would lead to the old argument about swearing in front of her. Instead he replied with, "And she has done the same to you. Right Angie?"

"Not now. Now I got you, Deanie."

Dean rolled his eyes at that but he was smiling. "Fine, but can you move?"

"No."

Dean looked at Sam. Sam's response was, "Don't look at me. You're her prey."

"Sam," Dean warned.

Sam sat back down on the couch. He wasn't going to interfere since it seemed that Angela had other things in mind. He wasn't going to say anything when she started poking Dean in the back until she found his ticklish spot and attacked without mercy. He did start to laugh especially when Dean managed to flip over while making sure she didn't fall. It was unnecessary since Angela sprang off and took to running but teasing Dean to chase her. The result was Kate coming out and demanding why a grown man was making a little girl screech like a banshee at seven in the morning and ended up with Angela giggling at the whole thing.

So she's okay?

"She's fine Bobby. Sean's intel came through." Dean kept his eyes on the road while he was talking to Bobby and filling him in on their trip to pick up Angela.

Are you sure?

"She's fine Bobby. If you want proof, Sammy here is back to being less of a bigger bitch than usual."

"Dean."

Dean ignored the hiss that Sam issued. It wasn't really a problem since their little passenger was sitting in her booster seat looking out the window. She was just looking and listening to her iPod and as far as he knew, there was nothing obscene to get in a huff about on her playlists. As far as Sam was concerned.

Well I ain't enduring that woman's wrath if she's not.

"She's fine Bobby," Sam interjected as he yanked the phone out of Dean's hand with a glare at his brother. He didn't care if she was wearing headphones or not.

Don't take that tone with me boy. Yer not the only one that was worried.

Sam pressed his lips together to take a breath. "I know Bobby. Trust me though. Angie is fine." On an impulse, he turned in his seat and held the phone out to Angela. "Angie, talk to Bobby."

Angela had pulled out one of her ear buds and took the phone. She smiled at Sam, eager to please and wanting to talk to Bobby. She reached forward and took the phone and said in a bright voice, "Hi Papa Bobby. Sammy n Deanie got me from Kate n we are coming."

Sam watched as she giggled and talked to Bobby. He couldn't help but smile at the way she referred to Bobby. There was a lot that she probably missed as an adult and then meeting new people. He didn't blame her if she shrunk from getting too close to people but she couldn't help it. It fed into how she gave of herself; it was her better quality.

"Here Sammy. Papa Bobby wants to talk to you."

Sam took the proffered phone and smiled at Angela as she put the ear bud back in her ear. She would be entertained by her music. He put the phone to his ear. "Everything good?"

That's better. So now the real question is what we're gonna do about Kess. According to Cas, he was captured by a demon named Lenya.

"Lenya?" Sam felt his jaw tense up. He remembered that demon well and he knew exactly why that bitch would pop out of the woodwork now. "She's behind this?" He glanced at Dean who looked at him the moment he mentioned the demon's name.

According to Cas, she's the one that recruited a bunch of hunters and set this whole thing up.

"You think Kess gave her up?" Sam highly doubted it but the question had to be asked. This whole thing was one thing after another that was shooting everyone's nerves to hell.

"Not Kess," Dean was quick to interject. "That kid may be as clueless as Cas but he's no traitor. Not if Angie is involved."

Sam didn't say anything. He saw the deeper line there. Kesset wouldn't pick a demon over those he was charged to protect. The kid would rather take death than betray them, especially to Angela. There was one more person that was better than he was. Just another damning thing about him and yet…

Youse good too Sammy.

Sam frowned and twisted around to look into the back seat. Dean had taken the phone back and was talking to Bobby so he left them to it. He looked at Angela and she was looking back at him. Her ear buds were still in her ears but she was looking like she had heard the whole conversation.

Youse good.

Angela gave a smile like everything was okay. Sam blinked since the whole hearing her in his head had been like flukes. This was a clear indicator that she either heard his thoughts or it was her empath thing. To this day he still had no idea how well that worked even though he had asked her to try it on him. He returned the smile with one of his own. He would figure it out later.

He got his chance later when they pulled over for a rest stop. Dean went to get road food and left Angela with Sam saying that Sam could use a motivation to get a chick's number. It had Sam and Angela giving him a look. Sam was more annoyed when Dean just grinned and took a picture of them. Not wanting to start a scene, he let it go.

He was leaning against the Impala when he felt a tug on his jacket. Looking down, he found Angela looking up at him with a solemn expression. In her other hand, she was holding her iPod. "You okay Angie?"

Angela nodded, her twin braids flapping. She took a step closer and said, "Sorry."

"For what?" Sam frowned trying to figure out what happened that would have warranted an apology from her.

"I talks in head. Sammy make funny face." Angela shrugged her shoulders and slightly shuffled her feet. She hadn't let go of the sleeve of his jacket. "N I'm sorry." Subconsciously she rubbed her right fist over her chest.

Sam smiled and shook his head, "You don't have to be sorry. I was just surprised." He studied her expression and she looked like she wasn't convinced. He gently rubbed her hair and added, "You didn't do anything wrong Angie. You know I heard you when we were helping Jesse right?"

"Uh-huh. But I hears you then." Angela paused as she thought about how to say what she wanted to say. "In Impa. Diffwent."

"How?" Sam gently prodded and tried to encourage her to talk.

"I feels it. Sammy talking to Papa Bobby n then Deanie and then feels Sammy feeling sad." Angela peered at Sam, curiosity was crossing her features. "Why Sammy sad?"

Sam had his answer and it was a fine time that she tapped into her abilities. It wasn't a bad thing per se but it was a matter of explaining things to her. She didn't seem to understand how she was doing it and when she did use her powers, the context was not clear to her. At her current size, she was not going to understand even though she seemed to have proven him wrong a couple of times.

"Sammy, why sad?"

Sighing, Sam thought about it and then decided on what to say. "It's not easy to talk about Angie. It's stuff between me and Dean and… just me."

Angela frowned at that last bit. She looked up at Sam trying to figure it out. She understood the part about certain things being between Sam and Dean since they were brothers. The last part, she didn't understand. "What you mean?"

"Just… stuff I have to think about." It sounded lame but how else was he going to explain without revealing how he felt still about treating her. "It's okay Angie. You don't have to worry about it."

"Cause I nots grown," she stated in a matter of fact tone. She nodded at that. "Otay Sammy but youse don't need to be sad. Youse a good person." She smiled up at him as she held her iPod in both her hands. "Youse n Deanie fix. Youse fix anything."

That was a lot of confidence she was putting in them. To an outsider it was a little kid believing in the infallibility of their parent. With her though, Sam knew she didn't throw stuff out like that just to say it. She said things because she meant them and the fact that she had confidence that they could fix this… it said a lot even with the pessimistic thought that they didn't have a snowball's chance.

Sam couldn't help but smile at her and reply, "Thanks Angie."

"It's the twuth." She gave a firm look up at Sam. "Needs to fix but needs to find Kess. Kess is hurt n needs our help."

At that moment Dean came back and overheard what she said. He asked, "What do you mean that Kess is hurt Angie?"

"Kess is hurt. Something hurt him bad. I feels it but not bad like before." Angela looked at the Winchesters. "Cas was hurt too." She looked at Dean and then Sam. "Needs to help Kess."

Both Winchesters understood she was saying that it was urgent and they didn't have any reason to doubt her. After all she had said that she had felt it when Castiel had been smote previously. They just never really asked her about it. Neither were sure of what to say and they were sort of saved when Dean's phone rang. He looked at it and answered, "Kira?"

How are things Dean? Did you find her?

"Yeah we're good and on our way back to Sioux Falls." It was the best place to go. True the assholes that came after her breached the house but Bobby fixed things and there was one place that it would be suicide to try and go through.

You sure that is wise?

"We've got it covered. Or rather a friend of ours fixed things there." Dean looked at Sam and his brother went to put Angela back in the car. "How are things? Did you find the key thingie?"

I did manage to find the key. It really was as Cesare mentioned. All the keys lead to the next one.

"So?"

I found this one at the Manor.

"You've got to be shitting me?" Dean couldn't believe it. He never thought that his girl would even dare to hide something there. She avoided that place like the plague and it was clear that there were plenty that didn't like her. "Why would she hide something there?"

That would be something to ask her. Anyway I figured it would be related to the Centurion since the last memory was when she was recruited to join.

"That was a recruitment?"

You know as well as I do that it takes considerable effort to convince her to do anything like that. Besides I remember her telling the story of how the Seer sought her out and convinced her to join. She said it was an ambush after she ambushed one of the scum of the universe. She did admit that if she hadn't been recruited, she would have turned out different.

"I think I can believe that but not if you get my meaning. So Kira, you coming over to the house or not?"

I am uneasy by going back. Perhaps somewhere else?

Dean frowned at that, "Believe me, Bobby would have fixed the place up. And we do have a place there that is pretty much protected… if you've ever seen Angie train."

I'm not discounting it but… You mind if I brought someone along?

"You have the mutt. But don't bring that dick you brought earlier. I'm ready to gank his ass."

Would my husband do?

"Fine by me. He knows the way and I trust him more than those other assholes."

We'll be there then. Be careful. Someone named Sean stated that rogue hunters may have picked up your trail. Cesare is trying to help and gave them the runaround.

"Thanks. We'll see you there." Dean didn't wait for her to hang up but put his phone in his pocket and turned to get into the Impala. This whole thing was pissing him off and he would like nothing more than to gank a fugly like that demon bitch Lenya. He keyed the engine and turned the car onto the highway to head back towards Sioux Falls. "Call Bobby, Sam. We're gonna need that shed out in the back."

"Right," Sam replied as he picked up the phone. "You think he would even know how to navigate that?"

"He knows Angie and he lets whoever train back there."

A/N: Sam and Dean have Angie and Akira found the key. Seems like a plan is going to be made. Stay tuned for more Memory Resolved...