Chapter 10

"Sonofabitch!"

It was too damn cold and too much snow and to fall into another snowdrift just made it all the more annoying that it was cold. The snow was like mini ice cubes as it spilled down the collar of the jacket Angela was wearing. If it had been the heat of summer in the middle of a place like Arizona, it would have felt good but right now it was just too damn cold.

It was the second snowdrift that Angela had fallen into and she seriously started to wonder if she was heading in the right direction. Then again maybe she had been lucky when she had been chased by the yeti. Taking a breath, Angela started the laborious process of getting herself out of the snowdrift. She could feel the temperature drop and her body was starting to feel the effects.

She was panting by the time she got herself out of the drift and she lay on her back a few seconds to catch her breath. She felt like an old lady sucking in as much air as she was. She rolled over onto her stomach to get to her feet. "I feel like an old bag," she muttered as she got to her feet.

What are you talking about Cat? You are an old lady. You just don't look like it.

"Right Gabe and we both know who the old man is," Angela replied to the memory. She started trudging along, taking small steps so as not to wear herself out. She rotated the arm that the yeti cuffed and felt where the scratches were. It was letting the cold in through the tears and she was certain that the sight of blood was going to scare the crap out of the boys. She couldn't forget the bite Cerebus gave her and the look on Dean's face.

Damn Angie. What did they do to you?

"The hell mutt bit me," Angela replied not noticing that she replied in a similar manner to the one she had during that time. She sighed as she lowered her arms and winced from the cracked ribs. She was surely going to get it from both of them.

Come on Angie. Nick may have fixed your shoulder but you still need to take it easy.

"Yeah, like I need three nags on my ass." Angela started forward once more after giving a slight rub where her ribs were to ease the soreness. She shook just a little to shake off the chill but she could feel it start to seep in. At least she was keeping her legs moving but they were getting cold too.

This is nothing my little pretty. You've been to places that were colder… and hotter than this.

"Bite me Azazel."

Ah certainly you remember how much fun that was? It was one of Lenya's favorite games besides the story of Theseus and the Minotaur.

"Fun for the hell bitches," Angela replied to the voice she heard. She looked around the forest. She could make out the damage caused by the chase through the woods. It was the easiest thing to follow it back to the clearing where the old man Scout had been attacked. From there she could make it to the trail.

Yes and you stole one of our prize bitches. Interesting how even the beasts of the pit follow you.

"Must be my charming personality. I still don't get the hell mutt."

Angela knew that the voices were in her head but it felt better to respond to them. It broke the monotony of silence and for some strange reason, she was able to focus a little bit more to find her way back. Even with the snow falling like it was didn't hinder her ability to be the most sarcastic ass around when it came to talking to the mere imaginings of her mind especially if they sounded like the voices of ones that made her life a living hell.

It was hard work even though the snow was somewhat packed. However with snowfall, it would be easy to make the drifts which was probably why she had fallen into two already. She was lucky though that she hadn't twisted an ankle or worse. That would have had serious consequences if she did. A sprain wouldn't have been a problem but anything that was broken was a problem. That meant she would have two nags on her hands and no driving Impa.

You know I hate it when you call my baby that, Angie.

"You love it Dean. So does Impa."

Come on Angie.

"At least it's not as bad as me suggesting I put a next gen engine in the baby." Angela smiled as she could picture the image of Dean looking at her like she was nuts. She loved suggesting sacrilege against the Impala because Dean fell for it every time much to Sam's amusement. Sam loved it when she got Dean a good one and would laugh when she got him too.

That had her thinking now about the thing that she put on the back burner since the job came first. Did Sam change his mind about her? She wouldn't blame him if he did. She had seen herself how scary she looked when she vamped out as Dean coined. Yet some of the things she did were more human in their appearance. Maybe she was a freak and it repulsed him since it reminded him of the whole thing Azazel did to him.

It always came back to Azazel. The asshole tricked her into opening that devil's gate saying that it was the only way to get into hell and pluck out her friend who died on her last trip. She hadn't looked forward to going back to hell but it was a very good friend. She was the only one who could break the last seal to the gate.

"The seal of time can only be broken by one with mortal blood," Angela recited from memory with a tinge of sarcasm. "And look how that turned out. Damn demon is released. I chase after him and he goes around picking kids and he targets my best friend. He then kills her because it's wrong place at the wrong time and he gives Sam demon blood. Mary dies and John takes up the life she left behind."

Yes and everything went according to plan. My little queen made it to my favorite horse.

"And you turned good people into their worst enemies you bastard."

Angela was aware that she was starting to waste energy as she was walking. She had started raising her voice and it came out in pants as she went over why Sam was suddenly thinking she was the devil or something. Still it felt better even though she could feel the cold air filter into her lungs and feel the sharp coolness.

"Now you know that's all part of the game my little pretty."

Angela whirled around to see the impossible. Her eyes widened slightly and she replied, "No. You should be dead. Dean killed you with the Colt."

Azazel grinned as his yellow eyes made a sharp contrast against the bleak white of the snow. That and the apparent bullet hole in the middle of his forehead. He advanced and said, "Now you know that we never truly die my little pretty. After all I still have to thank Dean for bringing Sammy back into the fold. Tick tock my pretty."

Angela took an involuntary step backwards. The ground gave away and she fell into another snowdrift. Only this time there seemed to be no end. All that existed was a black void and Azazel's voice taunting her and telling her that no matter what, Dean was going to hell and he was theirs for all eternity.

Angela opened her eyes suddenly and gasped. She found that her cheek was burning from the coldness of the snow and her back was numb from the snow that had fallen on her. She remembered now. She had been talking to nothing, mostly the voices in her head when she just felt tired and collapsed. She decided then to take a rest. She had no idea how far she had gone or how much further she had to travel. She did know that she had been following the damage back and had been marveling at how far her adrenaline had carried her when she ran.

Slowly she got to her feet and dusted the snow off over her. It was a futile gesture since the snow was still falling but it was something to do and get herself oriented. Taking slow and shallow breaths she rubbed her arms to try and get some warmth in them and started forward again. She had no idea that she was being watched by a figure in white as she made her way back to the clearing.

Georgia looked around and watched the landscape become whiter. She could feel the chill in the air even though she was still warm in her down jacket. She had wrapped a scarf around her mouth to retain heat and was surprised when the boys did the same. Hell she was surprised they even brought gear for the cold. She looked up at the sky. It was going to be dark in a couple of hours. They were going to have to turn back before it got too cold for the horses. She looked at Sam and Dean.

Dean rubbed his hands together to put some added warmth. He hoped that he didn't get rug burn from the gloves that he was wearing. If he was feeling cold he could guess that Angela was probably feeling worse. The truth be told he was somewhat comforted that she had a high tolerance to the cold which meant that she would last longer than normal humans but like she told him, she was just as susceptible to exposure.

It occurred to Dean that maybe it would have provided some measure of reassurance to Sam if he mentioned about her tolerance but at this point it seemed pointless. It wouldn't matter except to maybe get Sam more into a frenzy about finding her. He had the suspicion that if they didn't find her before it got serious, Sam was going to blame himself. Dean didn't want that to happen since maybe on some level it was Sam's fault Angela would have said that it was her fault for wandering off and all that shit.

The animal that Dean was sitting on did a side step and he grabbed on the reins and said in a low voice, "Hey easy on the moving Flicka. I would like to make this in one piece."

The horse gave a slight snort and Dean rolled his eyes. He had never really ridden before but at least the thing wasn't trying to throw him off. Once he figured out the basics, he was doing okay. Looking over at Sam, Dean couldn't help but mutter, "Show off."

Sam wasn't thinking about staying on Starkhaven. He was more focused on finding Angela. In fact he wasn't paying too much attention to what he was doing in terms of riding. He adjusted the scarf around his mouth so that he didn't lose too much heat. It wouldn't do to get him or Dean turned into popsicles. He could practically hear her scolding them for that.

He had been impatient at the slow going but he understood the reasoning. These weren't their horses and there was snow and ice. There was the chance for a tumble. However it seemed that the horse Starkhaven was anxious to get moving like he was and he was willing to let the horse have its head.

At the moment he was further up the trail and it was getting harder to see with the snowfall. He knew that if it got worse, Georgia was going to make them turn back. He didn't want to give up so he made up his mind to find her no matter what and he got the feeling Starkhaven felt the same way. He looked around.

"Hey, we've got a couple of hours and then we have to turn back."

Sam turned to see Georgia breathing out plumes of hot air. Dean suggested, "Maybe we should split up or something and meet back here in a couple of hours."

Sam was agreeable to that. What remained was what Georgia thought. She knew the area better than he or Dean. However he was going to be impulsive if he had to. He wasn't going to leave her out there any longer than necessary.

It was a relief when Georgia said, "Alright. The map did have three areas along this trail that were abduction and remains sites. I'll take this area here. Dean you take the next one further up the trail. It's going to be off to your left. It is a more recent one. Sam, you take where Scout was. We meet back here in two hours with or without Angela. Got it?" She looked at Sam especially as if to warn him not to try anything funny.

Sam agreed by motioning with his hand. That didn't mean that he was going to give up so easily. If he had to, he would send Starkhaven back with a note or something and continue on foot. He was going to find her one way or the other. He nudged the horse with his feet and they took off and Dean accompanied him along the way.

Sam glanced at his brother who was silent and he looked like he was getting cold. "You okay Dean?" His voice sounded muffled through the scarf but he wasn't going to pull it off.

Dean replied through his, "Just cold and wishing I was in the room with a beer and a pie. You know the usual. You?"

"I'm not fine. Not fine at all Dean." Sam looked around the trail just in case she somehow managed to make it to the trail and was walking alongside it or something. "This is my fault Dean."

"Don't start on that Sammy," Dean warned, "Don't start."

"But it is Dean. I was an ass to her and treated her like shit. She didn't deserve that. Now she's out there alone and she could die. It is my fault."

Dean sighed. He couldn't have Sam break down now. "Sam, we all make mistakes. Even Angie will admit that she does. She said as much when she didn't tell us at first about how she knew Mom and Dad. Right now you need to bury that and focus. Focus on finding her. You found out where she went and you know her methods just as well as me. Got it?"

Sam nodded. They were at the spot where Dean was going to search. He paused a moment and said, "Thanks Dean."

If Dean didn't have the scarf on, he would have given his signature grin. Still Sam would get the idea and he replied, "It's because I'm the awesome big brother. Good hunting Sam." He looked his brother in the eye to give him some encouragement.

Sam nodded and nudged Starkhaven forward. It was a bit distance away so he urged the animal into a sort of trot. He had trust in the horse's ability to keep its footing and get them to the site. As he was riding along, something caught his eye. He pulled up the horse and looked around. Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted something white. It was an animal of some sort and it was four legged. He saw it through the snow and it looked like a dog or something. There were wolves in the area but Starkhaven wasn't reacting.

The dog or wolf looked in his direction briefly and then trotted off in the direction the trail went. Sam barely had a chance to see the animal in detail but since it was no threat, he didn't give it a second thought. He continued on until he reached the site. It was a clearing and everything was snow covered. As he approached, the horse gave a nervous nicker.

Sam wasn't about to fight the animal so he stopped and dismounted. He dropped the rein since the horse had been trained as a drop rein horse. Drop the reins and it would stay put. He pulled walked towards the clearing and began to look around. He looked for any sign of where she might have been even though the snowfall would have covered it. He would comb every inch if he had to.

Angela's foot caught on a branch and she hit the ground hard. Her legs which were fine when she started were now cold and she was starting to feel the soreness come through. Part of it was because she had fallen in snowdrifts and she had dropped to her knees when she was tired and tempted to sleep.

The sharp cold of the icy snow hit her cheek and it burned. It burned much like a memory. It was of a time that she longed to forget but she couldn't. She could see it as she breathed, panting as she tried to catch her breath. It hurt to breathe.

Lenya had come back giggling like a little girl. She was doing this stupid little girl skip that had Angela grow an urge to punch her but she was too tired. And she was thirsty so thirsty. She heard that annoying giggle again as she lay there on the cold, cold ground.

"Still laying about little sister? I would have thought you would have been begging for some more by now."

Angela gave a low snarl. It was a testament to how pissed she was. It was a nice distraction to the truth that Lenya was implying. If she could fight it, she would survive. "Bite me… bitch."

Lenya laughed. "Still a fighter. Well you'll beg for more soon enough. After all that last round with Daddy you lost quite a bit of blood and we all know what happens when that occurs." She walked up towards Angela and kneeled down.

"No."

Lenya ignored Angela as she turned over her arm and made a slit across her wrist. Lenya then held it in front of Angela's face. "Don't be stubborn little sister. You know you want it and you know you need it. Besides I'm not done playing with you."

The scent of the blood assaulted Angela's nose. It smelled foul and sweet at the same time and she cursed the growing desire from within. She had been hiding the shakes since she started feeling them what was it a day ago? She felt her head being turned and felt the drip on her lips.

"Come on. Drink up little sister. We need you at your best for the next game."

Angela could feel emotions well in her chest. The blood dripped on her lips and started to seep in. "No. No."

"No!"

Angela jerked awake. In her ears she could hear Lenya's laughter. The sad thing was she couldn't find it within to convince herself that the demon bitch wasn't real. Lenya was still alive and running free doing whatever she called fun. What happened in the pit really did happen. It was as real in her head as it was down there. The difference though was that what was in her head was easily pushed back.

Taking deep breaths, Angela gave a mental shake of her head and slowly began to push herself to her feet. She pulled off her gloves to check her hands and found that they were white but at least they weren't frozen. She rubbed then together quickly and then put her gloves back on. At least she wasn't in danger of getting frostbite. She had seen that before and it was nasty.

Sniveling slightly from the cold, Angela adjusted her coat. It really was pointless since it was torn but it made her feel better. Looking around now that she was awake, she was able to see that she was on the right track. She remembered this area. Mommy had given her a nasty cuff and she cracked her ribs against the tree she saw in the distance.

"You know little sister this trying to make it back to the clearing will only lead up to the inevitable."

Angela ignored the image of Lenya. She knew that wasn't real. She could smell demons because she could smell their blood. She may be seeing things but her nose still worked. Orienting herself and dusting her legs off, she set off. She then replied, "And you know I can hold out quite a long time."

"And it still leads to the inevitable. Think about it. You're freezing and getting hypothermia. It's just like extreme blood loss."

"Screw you bitch." Angela tramped through the snow with a little more vigor than necessary. She knew she was going to wear herself out faster but Lenya always brought out the worst when her inhibitions were lowered. She ignored the image of Lenya but it was harder to ignore the voice.

"And you've said that more than once when we used to play together. Now what are you going to do? I mean if you do manage to make it to your boys, what's going to stop you from caving in and taking that first sip?"

"I would rather die than do that to them."

"I wonder how dear little Sammy's blood would taste? I'm sure you must've thought about it since you've convinced yourself that he is human but I know better. You can smell it. That faint scent of the drink you crave with every fiber of your being."

It felt like Lenya's sultry breath was on her neck and Angela jerked. She almost fell over as she spun around and nearly shouted, "Shut up. It's not going to happen!" She collapsed to her knees and her breath came in ragged gasps.

The hallucination of Lenya came and kneeled in front of her. It looked at Angela with that mock pity that was infuriating. The lips were shaped into a pout. "Oh it will happen. That desire will always be within you. That's why you were only too glad of an excuse to get away from little Sammy and Deanie. You know that eventually you won't be able to resist and when you see that warm, dark red, you'll…"

Angela had enough. She gave a growl that turned into a scream as she lunged at the hallucination. She could feel herself grabbing a hold of the demon and she began pounding on the bitch. First one fist and then the other and they connected every time. She felt the cold of the snow and ice and the pounding hurt her hands since she was pounding the ground. Yet she could see and hear Lenya laughing at her.

Keep fighting and eventually you'll lose both. First Dean and then Sam and you will be at the center of it all little sister.

Angela gave a final pound into the ground with both fists and she was spent. She felt sick to her stomach and she doubled over. It felt like her air was constricting as she dry heaved from the exertion. It felt like the shits but she was too tired to care. Once she was finished dry heaving, she tried using her hands to support her as she tried to regulate her breathing.

Her arms shook in weakness as they buckled and her forehead touched the snow. She knew that she was going to go. She had wasted too much energy talking to hallucinations and the voices in her head. She would be damned though that she would do the one thing she despised most of all. She wouldn't do it even if the demon bitch was right about what was happening.

Angela glanced at her left and saw the watch Dean gave her and she could feel Sam's necklace swinging on its chain. She could keep going but she wasn't sure if she was going to be able to resist doing what her survival instincts wanted to do. Just thinking about that warm red liquid made her thirsty for it. What would she do if she made it back?

It was easy to see herself smiling at them both. They knew her and trusted her. They were easy prey. They would be helpful and smiling and then she would lunge at them and sink her teeth in and…

"Stop it," Angela muttered to herself. She forced herself to her feet. "No. I can do this. I can make it back and…"

She didn't get very far when she finally collapsed and didn't move. She wanted to keep going but she couldn't make her body move. It was easier to close her eyes and go to sleep. Then she wouldn't have to worry about jinxing the boys with her brand of luck.

A/N: The hallucinations start and the boys are trying to find her. Is this the end for Angie? Find out next time on Bitterroot Resolutions...