Chapter 5

Dean looked at the lady with a look of disdain. She was one of those Centurion dicks? Figures, since only they would try to take her, and he wasn't going to let that happen. He supposed he should be grateful for the fact that she wasn't pointing that rifle at him but that didn't mean he was going to surrender easily and neither was Sam. Poor kid was in that deadly calm and he would feel sorry for these bitches if they got him riled up.

That old bitch was smiling at him and trying to talk him down. He replied, "So you're with those dicks. All the more reason for us not to let you have her."

If Grace was put out by the language and disrespect that Dean had for the order, she was very good at not showing it. She replied, "Alright. Have it your way."

"Grace…"

Grace held up her hand to stop the protests. "We won't take her from you. We will simply take you with us."

"Hell no." Dean pointed his gun at Grace. He may be outnumbered and outgunned but he was not going to let Angela go. Not after all the work they went through to get her to bring her home to Bobby.

Grace had enough sense to realize that the man in front of her was bold enough to try and shoot his way out. His partner was equally determined and had more of a protective stance over Absolution. She held up her free hand in the motion of surrender. "Please let me explain. What I meant was, we are only here to proceed with the proper rights of the dead for members of our order. I apologize at the methods used."

Dean calmed down a little but he wasn't stupid. "I'll accept the apology but I'm not handing her over. Not after the way you douches treat her." He could feel his lips trembling and tears were threatening. He just wanted to hit the road and be at Bobby's and she would be safe. He had to keep it together though; for Sam.

Grace was surprised at the emotion that was leaking through. The man was determined and hurting. "I understand if you have some feelings of animosity towards the Centurion but do not have them for us. We are a sub order, the Order of the Phoenix. Absolution is a member and we only wish to pay our respects." It was somewhat a taboo to reveal that much to the two hunters but Grace could see that they were not going to give up without a fight.

"We are taking her home," Dean emphasized. "That is what we are doing."

"Back off!"

All eyes turned to see Sam pointing his shotgun at one of the women who was trying to sneak in and possibly disable him. He had seen her and was warning her away. The woman though was not inclined to take the threat sitting down and she lashed out, grabbing the shotgun and striking Sam across the face.

It was a staggering blow to Sam but he had been hit by things that hit just as hard. He glowered at the bitch and struck back with a backhand. It turned into a fistfight as they exchanged blows. It was enough to distract Dean from his position. "Sam!"

Sam heard nothing as he gave a punch or a kick for every one the bitch gave him. He didn't even flinch when she grabbed him by the shoulders. He just grabbed her and flung her aside into the ground. As a reaction, he reached in and grabbed Absolution and pulled it out and pointed it at her. He looked at the others who had inched closer but backed away when he waved Absolution at them. "No one touches her. No one takes her," he said. His face was contorted in anger.

Dean knew that look. It was the same when he wanted to rip Jake Talley's heart out. There was also that hint of territorial possessiveness that his little brother got especially when someone tried to get cute with their girl. He remembered before Monument that he nearly broke the douche's wrist for not taking the hint when she said no. This time though, it was mingled with his grief and pissed offness and Dean wondered if Sam was going to turn into the Hulk because of it. He certainly looked fearsome swinging Absolution like that. He moved to stand near his brother and held his gun up and added, "Sam's right. None of you takes her."

"Sam? As in Sam Winchester?" A voice popped up and eyes turned in the direction of the owner of the voice.

Grace looked at the young girl and asked, "Do you know these two Augusta?"

The girl stepped forward. It took Dean a moment to realize that the girl who looked no older than eighteen was blind. She was beaming a wide smile and she nodded, "Yes I do Grace." She looked in the direction of the boys and said, "They are Sam and Dean Winchester, the number one students of the warrior princess. Sam is the Champion and Dean is the Slayer of Demons."

Dean couldn't help it, "Don't believe everything you hear kid."

Augusta frowned and moved her head. She walked forward, heedless of the hissing her companions were giving and up towards Dean. Her rich brown eyes saw nothing but she reached out and touched his face, taking in the features. "You are Dean."

Dean almost panicked when she moved towards Sam. He was afraid that he was going to run the girl through but she just touched the tip of Absolution and pushed it aside. He watched her walk up to Sam and Dean was surprised she was able to reach his face though he thought she overshot her mark when she touched his hair. Girls always did like his mop and couldn't resist and a slight grin almost penetrated.

Augusta studied Sam a little bit longer. Finally she said, "You are Sam."

"I don't care who the hell they are. They are defiling our duty towards one of our own," the woman that Sam got into a fight with spat. "They should be punished."

August whirled to face the accuser and narrowed her eyes and replied, "Show them respect. They have earned it especially from you Vera considering that one was host to one of the gods and the other destroyed the demon who has done more than choose the children." She looked at the others who were standing around. She couldn't see anything but her stance was strong. "They are like the warrior princess; worthy of respect and we should respect their wishes."

Grace studied the youngest of the order. Augusta was no ordinary girl. She became blind when she was five but had not let that hinder her. She was skilled in hand to hand combat and could be a dead eye shot. It was a remarkable achievement. Grace had to admit that she had her doubts but Absolution had faith that she could do it and in so doing earned her trust in judgment. "You are aware of Absolution's position within the order?"

"With all due respect Grace, the warrior princess was never formally accepted into the order. The Champion and Slayer are within their rights to do what they please," Augusta replied. She turned to look at the boys. "They want to take her home." She smiled at them since she was on their side; she understood what they wanted.

"Augusta, the ritual must be observed," Vera replied. "They are outsiders; they wouldn't understand." She glared at Sam and Dean with fierce voracity that it would have been intimidating if Sam and Dean were lesser men.

Grace looked at Augusta and replied, "Vera is correct in that it must be observed. Even though Absolution was never formally introduced, she is considered one of our own. We must take her to the sacred site."

Augusta turned to put herself between the others and the boys. It looked like she was looking at the ground but her voice was strong. She replied, "There are many sacred sites around the world Grace." She glanced at Dean and then Sam. She then looked in the direction of Grace. "Dean Winchester, where do you head?"

Dean wasn't sure what to think. He considered the possibility of lying. He didn't trust the bitches one length but the girl who came to his and Sam's defense was different. Somehow he got the feeling that she was trying to avoid bloodshed. It was true that he and Sam would do anything to get her to Bobby. He glanced in the backseat of the Impala at her. She looked so peaceful and oblivious to the fighting over her. What would she do?

Dean glanced over at Sam. His brother looked at him and they shared a look. It was their silent mode of communication. Sam gave a slight movement and Dean responded with a nod. Dean looked at the blind girl and said, "We're taking her home… to Sioux Falls."

Augusta nodded with a slight smile. "There is a site near Sioux Falls. Perhaps an exception can be made. The warrior princess can return home and we can honor her as she should be… with all that are closest to her. Of course it is up to the Champion and the Slayer." She turned to look at the boys. She made a slight motion with her head.

Dean knew he was expected to answer or Sam. At the moment Sam was holding Absolution and looked ready to strike but ever since the girl jumped in, he had been tempered a little. So at the moment he was willing to be reasonable. "Are your friends willing?"

Grace looked at Augusta. The girl was looking sort of at the ground but she could tell that she was listening to everything around her. She was waiting for her response. Grace knew that Augusta was right in that there was a site in Sioux Falls. She wasn't so sure about it since it was close to the one place they were in charge of. Yet she didn't want to cause problems. They could easily go through all the formalities there as they would elsewhere and a point was made. She nodded, "Exceptions have been made before. There is no law stating that those outside the order cannot attend. After all it is not every day that one of our own has made friends with those honored like the Champion and the Slayer."

"Grace…" Vera began.

Grace held up her hand to silence Vera. "It is perfectly reasonable."

"Perhaps," Dean replied a bit warily.

Grace knew that the two were not going to give in easily. "Perhaps a compromise can be made. Our bylaws state that the detail of the dead must accompany the dead. However I understand your position Dean Winchester. Perhaps we can escort together. Of course you have full right to watch over Absolution. I can see now she means more to you and you to her."

Augusta listened to the proposition. It was reasonable. Now it was up to the brothers to decide if that was reasonable. She looked at them both even though she couldn't see them.

Dean looked at Sam who by this time had lowered Absolution. He was by no means disarming himself but he was being reasonable. Dean wasn't sure. He had no idea who these people were even though they seemed to know Angela and she never mentioned them before. Of course she would say that they never asked.

At the moment though, they were outnumbered. It would piss Angela off if they did something stupid like get themselves killed. He gave a slight nod in Sam's direction and replied, "Angie stays with us the entire time and no funny business."

Grace nodded, "That is reasonable. We agree. Seeing that it is late, we should get moving. There is a rest spot not too far from here. We can make camp and all will have rest. Are you agreeable?"

Dean didn't say anything for a few moments. He then felt a hand on his arm and found the girl looking at him. It was disturbing that they were sightless and yet it was like she was looking straight at him and in that piercing way Angela did. She said, "It will be all right. I will go with you as sign of good faith."

Dean thought she was being foolish volunteering to be virtually his and Sam's prisoner. He whispered, "Don't be stupid."

"I know what I'm doing," Augusta replied. She ran her fingers on the material of Dean's jacket feeling the fibers. She then whispered loud enough for Dean to hear, "I can help with making her decent. I'm on your side."

Dean pursed his lips. This was probably stupid but it would provide a solution to the problem he and Sam would have once they got somewhere and dress Angela. He replied, "That is acceptable. Right, Sam?"

Sam looked at everyone. As it were, he and Dean were surrounded and they could get their asses kicked. This girl though was making it so that it wouldn't happen and while he wasn't sure about trusting her friends, she seemed sincere. He glanced at the Impala and then at the surrounding women and nodded, "Alright."

Augusta turned her head to listen to Sam's tone of voice. She could hear his pain. She looked up at Dean and nodded. She would go with the Champion and the Slayer. She would be their voice.

"You going to bed Sam?"

Sam looked up from where he had been staring at the box the warriors had brought and had laid Angela in. Under the direction of Augusta, she dressed Angela and the others lowered her in. He hadn't left after they put her in, preferring to stay and watch over her. He looked at Dean and said, "No. I'm staying."

Dean knew he should stay but he could see that Sam preferred to be alone right now. It wasn't a good idea probably but Sam wasn't going to do anything stupid. In fact Dean knew that something happened before she died and Sam was regretting anything that he said to her. Aww Sammy. She wouldn't have been mad at you or anything you said. Not over that crap Ruby spilled.

Dean looked out of the tent that had been erected for the coffin and watched as the women were organizing their patrols. He could make out the other tents. Apparently their idea of a rest stop was camping but he had to admit that it was a pretty good place and didn't raise as much suspicion as showing up at a motel with a box with a body. Maybe he should stay with Sam. At least she would be protected. He looked at his brother and asked, "You want some company? Two of us will even out the odds."

Sam looked down at Absolution and her chakram in his lap. He picked up the chakram and gently ran his fingers along the edge. He then began his habitual spinning of it between his fingers. He knew that it freaked Dean out but it made him feel better… a little. It didn't take away the fact that she was gone and they parted on a bad note. "If you want to Dean. You should get some sleep since you're driving."

Dean could have driven on zero sleep. Hell he had done it once when they did that dream root crap. That was a load of crap but he knew enough to realize that Sam was just being polite and his usual nanny self. Even though he was nervous with Sam doing that twirling thing with the chakram, he could stomach it enough to stay and keep his baby brother company.

Taking a seat, Dean reached over and pulled Absolution from his brother's lap and looked at it. "You look like you could use a polish. Feel up for a little spit and shine?"

The pulse that came from the sword was encouraging to Dean. He grinned slightly as he pulled a rag out of his pocket. He began by spitting a little on the rag and started on tentative rubs on the blade. He glanced at Sam and then back on the blade and said, "Now you need to tell me if I'm doing this right. You know what you like."

"How do you know if it understands you?" Sam's voice was flat and his concentration was on spinning the chakram.

"It is a he Sam," Dean replied unnecessarily. He felt the blade pulse and he interpreted it correctly and responded, "Hey I know you get offended if you are not even called by the right name. I would think being called it would piss you off."

"Good. I wouldn't mind a pissed off blade," Sam's voice answered flatly.

Dean continued to polish Absolution. Occasionally he would spit on the blade and then rub it quickly with the rag. He finally asked, "What's wrong Sam?"

Sam looked at the box her body was in and flipped the chakram around in his fingers. He knew what he was doing and briefly entertained the idea of deliberately slicing his finger on the chakram's edge. The physical pain would probably be nothing next to the emotional pain he was feeling. He replied to his brother's question, "Just… just saying that I would like a pissed off blade. The things seems to like it when it has a chance to slice and dice."

Dean resisted correcting Sam. He knew Sam was doing it on purpose and just didn't care. Instead he said, "Why? What would you want him to do? Kill everyone in sight?"

"Maybe kill the bitch that killed her," Sam replied staring straight ahead as he spun the chakram between his fingers. He almost wanted to curse the fact that he had the know how to work with the chakram because he couldn't claim that he didn't know if he tried slicing his finger. Also it was very difficult to do it deliberately.

Dean felt the blade pulse in his hand. He looked down at it and puzzled as it pulsed in an odd pattern. It took him a moment to realize what it was. He said, "Sounds like Absolution is making it a promise that he will slice off her head."

"Good."

Dean didn't say anything else. He went back to polishing Absolution. He gave a slight grin as the blade reacted. It was like petting the cat, who thankfully was in Sioux Falls with Bobby. They had left the cat there even though Bobby put up a mild fuss but like the old softie he was, admitted that there was a problem with mice and gophers. The hell mutt seemed glad to have a new playmate and creepily so, they got along pretty well before they left on their search for breaking deals, taking jobs and tracking the skank Bela.

"You know the last thing we talked about?"

Dean paused when he realized that Sam was talking. "What about?"

Sam paused in his spinning habit and took to running his finger along the edge. "I asked her if it was true that she was going after the demon that had your contract. She said yes and that she was going to do it alone because that was part of the deal."

Dean took a moment to process what Sam was telling him. Did she go back on her word? Did she do something stupid? He had to keep calm and find out more. He prompted, "What kind of deal?"

Sam gave a dry and watery chuckle. He applied a little pressure against his forefinger but it wasn't enough to cut it. The pressure though felt good. He replied, "It wasn't crossroads deal but I didn't even give her a chance to explain. I went right on accusing her."

"How do you know it wasn't a crossroad deal?"

Sam kept his grip on the chakram as he replied, "I read her journal after… after it happened. She agreed to go after the demon alone in exchange for the information on who it was and how to track him. If it was successful, she would let the demon who gave her the information live for now but if they crossed swords, open season." Sam put a hand up to his forehead and began rubbing his brow and pinching the bridge of his nose. "She was trying to find the demon. I should have let her explain."

Dean recognized that Sam was going through a major guilt trip. He was starting to feel guilty too in his inability to be persistent in her extracurricular activities. He couldn't tell Sam that he noticed the stuff to summon demons and the sneaking away claiming that she was just going for a walk. Sure he suspected something but he didn't want to accuse without proof. He was that afraid of something like Wyoming repeating itself.

Seeing Sam's distress, Dean put down his rag and began rubbing the back of his brother's shoulders. As it were, they would have never known if Ruby hadn't opened her mouth in Monument. Then again she and Sam had been in cahoots about the demon that wanted him dead so he had a right to be annoyed at that but with her knowing she had probably been working out a means of keeping Sam safe. He asked, "Would it have made a difference?"

"A lot." Sam couldn't help it and he felt the tears start to come. At least his hand was hiding his face. He didn't want Dean to see. "Dean, I just as well called her a demon and… and she agreed. All she was doing was trying to give you your life back."

"Sam, you know that she's been called many things…"

"Dean, it's different. She cares about us a lot more than she has ever allowed herself to. We've both called her family and accepted her and I just threw it back in her face like it didn't mean anything." Sam gripped the chakram tightly in his other hand and increased the pressure. He became aware that he was squeezing too tightly and was feeling the familiar wetness of blood. "And she just left. She may have said that she was going to see Henricksen but I gave her the excuse to leave us… for good and I think she would have taken it."

She wouldn't have ditched us because she wouldn't leave you. Dean continued to rub his brother's shoulders thinking how wrong Sam was about her ditching them. She hadn't wanted to lose him anymore than Sam did and she probably didn't want to cause Sam anymore pain with dead ends. Yeah she had been doing it for him but mostly it was for Sam and the kid didn't see that still. It was then he noticed the blood leeching out on Sam's hand. "Sam, let go." He grasped the chakram and tried to tug it away.

Sam looked down and noticed his bleeding hand. He almost didn't want to let it go but he did. The cut wasn't too deep but it was still gushing red and had his brother muttering under his breath about pain in the ass little brothers playing with sharp things. It hurt but not as much as the fact that he had said and implied terrible things to her and he didn't have a chance to apologize for them.

Dean managed to find the first aid kit that he carried in his pack. He had reorganized it after he started learning her trade. He brought it back from the tent that he and Sam had been given and to where he left Sam. He immediately started getting to work in cleaning the blood away. He saw that it wasn't deep but it needed to be kept clean. It was a feeling of déjà vu since he did the same thing for her. "It'll be okay Sammy."

"No it won't Dean. I can't help but wonder if she left us angry at me. I really hurt her Dean."

"Sam…" Dean didn't know what to say.

"Don't be too troubled Sam," Augusta's voice came as she entered the tent. She made her way to where the body was. She ran her fingers on the carving. It was an elaborate casket but appropriate in terms of who the warrior princess was. She was gazing down at the lid and added, "It is said that the dead can hear the thoughts of the living. I believe she knows your thoughts and feelings." She then left the brothers alone after paying her respects. They needed to be alone with her.

A/N: Still in a bad place and the brothers make a compromise. More still on Phoenix Rising...