Chapter 7

Skip looked up the moment he heard noise from the room. He put his book down that he was studying from and got up slowly to take a look. He did what he was told and didn't open or touch anything and the source was coming from the bedroom anyway. He edged his way in and found Sam muttering and starting to move.

Skip wasn't sure what to do since it was a bad dream and people reacted to them in different ways. Still he made a promise to Angela that she would watch over him. Even though she didn't say, he got the impression this guy meant a lot to her and not like someone she was watching because she was ordered to. It was more along the lines that she really liked this guy and they were powerful feelings if she was insistent on the way she was handling her apartment's security.

He noticed that Sam was starting to move and his skin looked a little flushed though it could have been the rain. It could also be the nightmare and a quick touch indicated warmth so Skip went to get a washrag soaked in cool water. It helped but Sam was still muttering in his sleep and some of it was in a language that Skip didn't understand. He had no idea Sam was speaking in Latin.

There was nothing Skip could do about it and he felt a bit helpless about it. He wondered why Angela asked him for help. He knew the answer but even he had to wonder what she saw that he didn't about himself or other people for that matter when she asked for something or helped them out because she wanted to. As far as he knew she just helped him out with those bullies from the gang that ran this area with their drugs until she kicked them out even if she did have something strange about her. Then she offered him a job.

Skip was busy finishing his science homework when his mother called, "Brian. Someone is here to see you."

It was a rare time that his mom had a day off to be at home. Most of the time he would be on his own and alert to everything. When she was home, he would listen to his iPod and just be normal. Hearing his mom, he pulled the buds out and left it on his desk and went to the living room.

His mom was handing a glass of ice tea to the woman sitting on the couch. He recognized her from the other day but she looked different. True she was in jeans and a button down but she looked like she… he had a hard time describing it. She was different from the woman who patched herself right in front of him and didn't flinch from a bullet shot at close range. It had him wondering.

His mom Joyce spotted him and smiled saying, "There you are. This is Angela. She said that you helped her out with a little problem and she would like to repay you."

Skip looked at Angela and couldn't discern what was actually going on in her mind. However, the look on her face told him that she was playing on this and spinning this to get something from him. He had already promised his silence on the whole thing and she even offered to get rid of the stuff that wouldn't wash clean of blood. "What for? It was nothing."

"She wants to offer you a job," his mom said as she sat on the couch with her glass of tea.

"Part time," Angela said. She studied Skip with a look that almost made her look like she was amused. "I'm looking for something of a gofer. You know, gofer this, gofer that… odd jobs mostly involving my car. Basic maintenance help."

Skip could tell that it impressed his mom quite a bit. She thought it was a good idea, "You like cars Brian. You would be a big help."

Angela looked amused at the sales pitch Skip's mom was giving of his good qualities and his likes and dislikes. She studied Skip and added, "It's a good job and I'll pay you in cash. A boy needs to make some money."

Skip had agreed to the job and hadn't looked back. He had learned quite a bit in the few weeks that she had been around. He was impressed with her knowledge of cars and then when she secured Bud the motorcycle, he was even more impressed. She fixed it up to get more power and it had the old school look about it that was cool. He was happy being a gofer and occasionally she helped him with homework.

He never would have guessed that she was smart like college smart. She didn't look like it since she was very down to earth. The other kids in the building liked her and would come and watch her when she was working on her car or the bike and she would drop everything to have fun in a game with them. It was a complete contrast to the quiet and thoughtful looks she would get when she would read the newspapers or watch the news about the bad things going on in the world. Sometimes she would get quiet and call on her cell phone to whoever and she would disappear to finish the call.

Skip knew better than to ask and he never did but he had his suspicions especially when she got excited about Sam. It wasn't crazy excited but he could tell that she was… different about it. Then she took off and then came back a little disappointed but also satisfied at whatever happened on her trip. He didn't ask except if she had any luck with Sam. He always called him the guy and it made it sound like she was hunting him or tracking him down like a bounty hunter would but she didn't mind. In fact she preferred not to use names at all.

Skip looked at the sleeping man and while he helped a little, he wasn't too sure what he was supposed to do or what Angela expected him to do. He wandered around her apartment and noted that while it looked cheap and rundown, it was neat and clean. It didn't quite look lived in and only served as the purpose of having a roof over the head but it was the closed doors that had his interest.

Normally Skip wasn't nosy but he had noticed one too many things going on and he was done studying. He was tired too but… he kind of wanted to show he could be counted on to watch over the guy in the room. He looked around and noted that everything was all utilitarian. The closet held his interest. It was one of those coat closets that was put in the main living area and could disguise an ironing board or something.

He had asked about the closet because he found it locked when he was asked to grab something from a closet. Angela had said that it was the wrong one and that there was nothing to be concerned about with the one he was interested in. Now that he had the opportunity he took a look at it. It was locked but it could be slipped with a credit card or something like it.

He managed to get it opened and noticed a box on the floor and a shotgun, which was loaded, leaning on the side. He looked at the box and opened it and saw something that he thought belonged in a geek's collection of sci-fi and fantasy stuff. It was a perfect circle and he could tell it was sharp. As he ran his finger along the edge, he could hear the tang.

"I knew I couldn't keep you in the dark for too long."

Skip yanked his hand back and spun so hard that he fell against the door that had been propped against his body; the hinges were not right. It hit the wall and he was on the ground and found himself looking at a bemused Angela and started to apologize, "Sorry. I was…"

Angela looked at Skip. She knew that she couldn't sate his curiosity for much longer. She knew that he would eventually find his way in so she made sure what she didn't want him to know was hidden within that closet and the box and the shotgun were visible. In the box she put her chakram and a couple of her more exotic knives that were period pieces.

Looking at Skip, she gave a twitch of her lip and said, "I know you are Skip. It happens." She shrugged her shoulders and gave him a hand up. "No problems."

"None… what so ever…" Skip peered at the companion that Angela had brought. It was a kid about his age but he was… sniffing and was kneeling. "Who is that?"

Angela looked at Isaj who was sniffing around. He had decided to come with her after the disagreement with Rada. She refused to give up Sam up since the girl was hunting the one responsible for the Apocalypse. They had assumed that she was too but when she said she wasn't, Rada had jumped to the conclusion that she knew.

There was no chance in hell that she was going to hand Sam over. She would literally have to die before that would happen and even then she would try to make life a living hell for whoever tried. Rada couldn't stand that and attacked and she already resented her so it didn't take much to set her off. It had been a tough fight and Angela could have easily killed Rada but she let her go with a warning that the next time was death.

Angela looked at Isaj who asked to come with and said, "This is Isaj. He's a friend."

Isaj looked around and noticed he was being looked at. He held his hand out to Skip, "Isaj."

Skip took the hand and was given a firm shake before Isaj went to take up position by the door, squatting and holding an intense pose. Skip said, "A little serious I think."

Angela looked at Isaj and knew exactly what it was about. When she had asserted her refusal, he had backed down. After the fight, he left Rada and joined her. When she asked, he replied, "One learns how to recognize an alpha."

She couldn't persuade him to leave and she wasn't going to leave him alone but she was going to have to find something for him to do and a place to go to. She did know that she picked up another stray and this one was more in sync with the animals. And like that would go over well with Bobby if she couldn't find a place for Isaj. So the kid rode back with her and now he had assumed guard dog duties for lack of a better description.

Looking at Skip she said, "It'll be all right. How's the studying?"

"Done," Skip replied and yawned.

"I'll take you home."

"I can stay."

Angela gave a slight look. "That was just in case I didn't come back in time. Come on. You can tell me about what happened."

"Well your friend must be having a nightmare or something. He was a little feverish so I cooled him down," Skip offered as he picked up his things. "Are you sure you're not mad about the closet?"

"No," Angela replied as she waited. "Like I said it happens and I knew you were curious. You remember the first day we met?"

Skip gave a sheepish grin, "Yeah. Listen, you don't need to come with. I can get back on my own." He knew he said the right thing since he saw her relax visibly. It also told him that she was really worried about Sam. "I'm just down the hall."

Angela looked at Skip and opened her door. "And I am responsible for you when you work for me, Skip. That I made sure to your mother."

"Well if you watch me go in…"

"Let me check it out," Angela interrupted as she plucked the key from Skip. She went down the hall and took a look and opened the door. Skip's mother was working a graveyard shift so she wasn't going to be home any time soon. Perhaps it wasn't fair to ask Skip to watch over Sam but there was really no one she could trust even though she was cordial with the neighbors and Skip was pretty good about not asking questions.

She knew he was going to get curious. The best thing she could was to reduce his exposure and do what she could to protect the people that lived here. It was why she bought the place. She knew that people would tell her she didn't have to do that every time she met people. This time it was warranted. She went into the apartment and gave it a check, well aware that if she had either of her dogs there, they would have cleared it.

She came back out and motioned to Skip that it was okay. She smiled as he came up and she said, "All clear. Don't come out until morning."

"Thanks nag," Skip teased. He paused and added, "You're guy will be okay."

"And what makes you think that?"

"He has you." Skip gave a smile before going in. "Wish me luck on the test." He chuckled as he closed the door to his apartment leaving Angela to return to hers.

Angela returned to find Isaj in his wolf form and lying down. He was small for his kind but still huge. She raised her brow at that, not quite sure of what to make of it except that it probably had to do with the whole pack thing. There was also the probability that it was the only way he could be in the place though explaining a large dog was something that would require creativity. At the moment the noise coming from her room held her attention.

The rain was pouring down and Sam realized he was held fast. He turned and recognized Tim and… his boss? What the hell was happening? Then Julie and Reggie were in his view and they were all saying that he had to pay. He understood that.

He deserved what they were going to do to him. He started the Apocalypse; he broke the world and in the process he broke things between his brother and… her. He couldn't be trusted to hunt anymore.

But she came. Just when they were beating him, she came. It was like that dream that had bothered him and led him and his brother to the first case where they met her. Then there the subsequent versions of the dream and she was dying an alone.

"You are the one Sam." Lucifer was looking at him and smiling.

She was fighting in that alleyway. She fought Reggie and Julie and Tim. The old man was down. She stood between them and him. She said that she wouldn't let them touch him. He knew that she meant it. It was what she did for her family. And she was paying the price for it.

She was fighting Tim, Reggie and Julie but then it switched to a single figure. It was about as tall as she was and they were both giving everything they had. She was punching and kicking like the other times he had this dream only this time… she was going all the way. She was fighting for the death. It was what she said that she would do and he felt that it wasn't right in his case since she said, "I defend my own from the likes of you." It sounded cheesy but it was the simplest way she knew. Looking, he knew why she had said that.

Standing there once he had knocked her to the ground hard was Lucifer. He was grinning down at her and he held the angel blade and held it poised for the kill. She was on the ground and she had her hand on Absolution which she brought up and blocked the blow but it didn't stop Lucifer from thrust his hand through her abdomen.

It shocked him as she was looking shocked herself but visibly pissed. Lucifer looked at him and said, "You are the one that stop this from happening." The image of Lucifer shifted to look like Sam's double and grinned at him. "You are the one."

Then she raised Absolution and made a stabbing motion but he was blinded by a white light…

Sam jerked out of his sleep and it was automatic to grab the nearest thing and take a swing. It was stopped by a firm grip and he blinked blearily at who it was that stopped him. He looked and released what he had grabbed and it fell to the floor only to be caught in midair and suspended. It was gently plucked out of midair and placed on the nightstand with Angela saying, "Good thing that isn't broken. Reminds me of Marrakech."

Sam looked at what he had grabbed. It was a lamp and it looked bronze but the ornate design was gaudy somewhat as well as a hint of the Middle East in there. It looked like something out of a thrift shop and hardly an antique even though it had that look to it. He sat up and said, "I'm sorry Angie."

"Nothing to be sorry about. I'm just glad it isn't broken. It may be cheap but it does remind me of that job in Marrakech," Angela replied as she fixed it. She sat on the edge of the bed as she finished fixing it and studied Sam.

She had fixed his injuries like the slice to his arm and she had to tug his shirt off to check his ribs and use her wild yam concoction on them. Plus he was soaking wet. She did spare him the humiliation of taking off his pants. There were some things that you didn't do unless it was dire like hospital stay dire. If a change was needed she gave them privacy; an oddity that would have Dean laughing since she could get dirty with her talk but she was also a prude.

Looking at Sam she said, "I brought your things over so you could change and I can put the wet stuff to dry." She motioned to his bag that had his clothes in it. She got up and went to the door to the rest of the apartment. "Let me know when you're ready. If you want a hot shower you are more than welcome," she said as she gave him a look before closing the bedroom door.

Sam blinked and slowly eased himself out of bed and looked at the door before grabbing his clothes and heading to the bathroom. His teeth were starting to chatter from the cold. About a minute later he heard her singing even though it was muffled by two doors. When he was in dry clothes and felt a bit better from the hot water easing his aching ribs and soothing the bruises that had started to form on his torso, he emerged from the room to find Angela sitting on a very battered couch with her knees drawn up and there was a very large wolf lying by the door. He knew that it was a Lycan werewolf having never forgotten Roman or Lykos.

Angela was just watching something that looked like a classic film. It was in black and white but Sam got the impression that she was just watching it because it was something to do and not necessarily what she wanted to watch. He approached and said, "Um… I'm done."

"I know. I heard the door," Angela replied as she turned her head to look back at him. "Feel better?"

"Yeah. I'm fine," Sam replied, standing there and feeling like an idiot. "I see you have a friend over."

Angela looked over at Isaj who was asleep on the floor, or sort of asleep. She replied, "More like a guard dog who is following his alpha's lead. Not that I blame him." She looked at Sam and beckoned him to sit. "Are you sure you are okay? You… remember anything?"

Sam actually felt at ease being around the Lycan werewolf in his overly huge lupine form just as he was in the presence of a dhampir… with Angela and it was because he trusted her judgment when it came to people. He walked by the sleeping form and sat on the couch which actually felt comfortable. He tentatively began, not sure of what she was looking for, "Well uh… I remember the bar and Julie was talking to me."

Sam grew silent as he remembered being tailed and was grabbed. "Tim and Reggie followed me and they knew Julie and Riley and they…" He looked at Angela and asked, "You followed me. I thought…"

"I followed but then I left when I was sure you felt okay there," Angela replied. She was telling the truth since she had been hanging around nearby and living in her car. "You asked me to not try," she added softly. Her gaze shifted downward to her hands that were in her lap.

"But… how did you know?"

Angela looked at Sam and took in the reddened cheeks and she could make out the white from the bandage on his arm and she could smell the yam though the smell was fading since he had taken a shower. How could she explain something she had no idea about anyway? She replied, "I know it sounds mean but I don't know except a gut feeling."

Sam nodded and decided not to push. He suspected that she was keeping an eye on him. It explained why she got there before they started in on the heavy duty ass kicking. "Why?" He asked the question before fully thinking about how it would sound and gave an apologetic look at her.

Angela didn't mind. It had been a rough night and there were a lot of things that needed to be talked about and she doubted that they were going to get through them right then and there. She replied, "I told you Sam. I care about you… a lot. It's as simple as that."

"And Dean?"

"He's fine. Sasha is with him and he needs time just like you do." Angela paused a moment to wrap her arms around her leg and she rested her chin on her knees. "I just do what I can and that's that."

Sam realized that maybe he and Dean had both been selfish about this. She was stuck in the middle of this and he knew she had been going to both sides, being the peacemaker. She wasn't hunting much anymore; that he was certain of even though she mentioned a salt and burn the last time. This apartment was one clue. "I'm sorry, Angie but… I don't think we can be together now except…"

Angela looked at Sam and was tempted and finally reached out and smoothed his locks that had dropped in front of his eyes. "What happened after Tim and Reggie? Did something happen before you took off?"

Sam didn't want to bother her with that. It was his problem but he also felt that those closest to him had to know what was going on. When she smoothed out his locks, it felt good and not the kind of good that it was fixed but something else. It was different and it made him confident that he could say what he needed to say and she wouldn't scrutinize him for it. He replied, "Lucifer… he was in my dreams. He said that I was his true vessel."

Angela knew this. She had sought out the angel that people called the devil. She figured it out after the whole thing with Zachariah. If Dean was the Michael Sword, then it made sense for Sam to be the vessel for Lucifer. She allowed, "It makes sense."

"What do you mean by that?"

"If Dean is Michael's vessel… everything is always done in pairs, threes, fives or sevens," Angela replied more thoughtfully. She could only imagine what would happen if other forces found out. It suddenly seemed like a lot to bear. She looked at Sam and said, "It makes sense but then I'm an old bat who reads too much." She gave a chuckle and a grin.

"But how was he able to come in my dreams? I thought Cas' branding…"

"The dream realm is different. Only the god of dreams, Morpheus and his queen, know the place entirely. It is not a physical place. That's my take on it. So as long as you don't tell him you're now in Canterbury, Oklahoma it should be okay."

Sam looked at Angela. She seemed to be taking this way too well and he was a bit suspicious of it. "You seem…"

"Calm? It's strange I know but… I've… seen situations where people thought it was the end. People thought the Great War was the end," Angela replied and she gave a slight shrug. "I'm not saying that I'm fearless. A fool says that. I'm just... calm about it. There are a lot of things to worry about and I just put it in order. First thing, the family situation."

"Angie, I said you shouldn't try to fix it," Sam replied.

"And I'm not but I think it's a safe bet that maybe you should stay here. You don't have to worry about rent."

Sam looked at her and to him she appeared… shy? It was a strange thing to him but even he felt awkward about it. Practically she was right… on other things… "Okay."

A/N: Looks like Sam is being watched over by Skip and Angie comes back with a stray and things develop. Keep watching for more Free and Torn Asunder...