Chapter 14

Dean was exhausted and he was ready to just drop dead to the world. He had been driving for fourteen hours straight and that was after he had dropped Kesset off at the side of the road because those guys in the robes, at least he thought that was who it was, was chasing him. Kesset said that it was nothing and that he would make sure that it was nothing. It was a circular excuse that Dean was certain he was never going to hear the end of.

After leaving the bar, they had been moving steadily the past week. Kesset seemed agitated and refused to touch any more alcohol and became what Angela would call a wet blanket. Dean knew better than to interfere since the kid 'talked' to Sasha and they seemed to have an agreement on something. In the end, Dean found himself following Kesset's suggestions to keep on moving. Some days they were able to take a break but this time it was different.

Kesset had urged them on this last move after telling Dean to pull over to the side of the road. He got out and said, "Keep driving and don't look back. I'll take care of this end."

Dean was used to enigmatic sayings even if they did piss him off on occasion this didn't seem right and he said, "Whoa, there Kess. What the hell are you doing?"

"I told you my word may not be taken seriously," Kesset explained. "I spotted a few in the last town. They may be agents of the celestials or the others."

"And you're gonna what? Distract them?"

"What I have to do," Kesset said, not bothering to explain.

It had bothered Dean that he wouldn't say but then again it wasn't like Kesset had been too forthcoming about things unless you asked him a direct question. Even then he seemed to debate how much he wanted to tell you. It was frustrating but he was much more approachable than Castiel at times. He didn't want to but he got the feeling that Kesset would have made him stop anyway. The least he could do was give him the cell phone that he had been teaching him how to use and told him that if he needed anything to give a call.

That was the last that he had seen of Kesset when he drove into a no name town in the dead of the night. Sasha wasn't even in a playful mood that night since she just walked in and placed herself in front of the door with a concentrated look. Then Castiel had to call and said he had a lead on the Colt since there was that plan he called insane and that was to kill the devil. It was the best news he had heard in weeks and while it was tempting to go, he was tired and asked for four hours, "I just need like four hours once in a while. So you can pop in tomorrow morning. Go… bug Angie."

Then there was the call from Sam. It had surprised Dean even though he initially thought that it was Castiel but deep down, he was happy to hear his little brother's voice. While it was nice to be talking, he got the feeling that Angela would have said that he should have been the bigger man and talked to Sam first. It was one of those things that there was no pleasing her or if there was then it was going to be difficult to get it right.

Sam had insisted that it was important and told him the story. He was Lucifer's vessel. The only thing he could say was, "Just when you thought you were out, they pull you back in, huh Sammy?"

So that's it, that's your response?

"What're you looking for?" Dean was tired still and just not feeling much. They talked about it until he asked, "What do you want to do about it?"

I want back in, for starters. I mean it. I'm sick of being a puppet to these sons of bitches. I'm gonna hunt him down, Dean.

"Ah, so we're back to revenge then, are we? Cause that worked out so well last time. So what, you're just gonna walk back in and we're gonna be the what, the three Musketeers again?"

It was not the best conversation to be having at four in the morning and Dean got the suspicion that this was not with Angela's go ahead. Normally she would suggest it in a neutral place and time. Something about good relations or something from one of her stories about doing peace negotiations. In the end Dean knew he had said the worst thing to his brother when he said, "We're not stronger when we're together, Sam. I think we're weaker. Because whatever we have between us – love, family, whatever it is – they are always gonna use it against us. And you know that. We're better off apart. We got a better chance of dodging Michael and Lucifer and this whole damn thing if we just go our own ways."

He had hung up on his brother without a word and thought that was that. It was then he had been forced to go through the worst thing he thought could happen. It had him disgusted with himself and it felt like his heart had been ripped out at what he had learned. It was crazy enough to see the jaded douchey version of himself in the future and what had happened to the world because… Sam said yes.

Dean refused to believe that Sam would say yes. The only way he knew that wouldn't happen was because of Angela. She would have been there to keep Sam on the straight and narrow. She would have told Lucifer to stick it where the sun don't shine. That was her but future Dean told him otherwise; in the future, Absolution was truly dead and that was why Sam said yes.

The cold way future Dean had said that their girl was dead trying to save his ass and Sam's… It had Dean hate himself for that. She had done what she would always do and in the end it killed her. Future Dean said that when Absolution died, Sam died. When Dean saw what he meant, he understood. To see Lucifer wearing his brother's meat… The world was broken and full of people infected with Croatoan. That was world that he was to look forward to if he continued on the path he was on now.

Of course it didn't help that it was Zachariah's plan all along and that he shouldn't trust the dickhead for all that he was worth but it was very real. Even Kesset had said something similar about dire consequences and that kid wasn't an angel. He was of the guard protecting his girl. So maybe there was something different. But she had said that there are some things that are definite but the road to get there is an open book and that it was only if you were confident you made the best choice that it was good… more or less.

Zachariah had threatened Dean again but Castiel's timing was for once very providential. After everything, Dean knew what he had to do and finally called his brother. Now he was sitting in the Impala with Sasha by his side and waiting for the two people that meant more to him than anything in the world. He looked at the pup that seemed to have a look of satisfaction on her face. He had little idea that she had taken a bite out of Zachariah because it made her feel better even though it didn't kill him; it was just a means to feel good. How she found him, he had little clue since Castiel had angel aired only him out.

Dean sighed as he thought about the phone call and the conversation he had with his brother to get him to this far. He had called his brother's phone and was surprised when he heard her voice, Hello?

Dean had to blink since she sounded like she had been sound asleep when he called. Then that had him thinking about it and he considered the possibility that Sam had been staying with her or the ridiculous thought that he had left his phone with her. He asked her, "Hey, Angie. Is Sam there?"

One moment.

Dean had heard rustling of sheets and then some murmuring and finally he had heard Sam say his name. Dean had said, "Hey Sam… How are you?"

Uh… apart from the fact that Lucifer wants to wear me to the prom… I'm fine.

"That's good," Dean replied, "Listen uh… I know it's late but… can we get together and talk?"

About what?

"About us and… getting back together," Dean replied and feeling that this was more like asking to get back together with an ex-girlfriend or something. It sounded cheesy but it was honest and sincere. That's what made the difference he figured.

In the end, Sam agreed to meet him at the spot he proposed. It was a foregone conclusion that he would bring Angela. She was a part of the team but then again the more Dean thought about it, maybe Sam might not see it that way. Hell even Angela might not see it that way and probably would not be there. It was presumptuous of him to assume that she would be there. For a moment he toyed with the idea that he should call and ask what was keeping her sort of to tease her.

He scrapped it though. If she wasn't coming, he didn't want her to feel obligated to join them for that talk. And if she was on the way… she might be driving but that hadn't stopped her before since she had the hands free set. He was making way too big of a deal of this and worrying about nothing. He was distracted when he felt a wet nose in his ear. He looked to see Sasha looking at him with an imploring look.

Sighing Dean rubbed her head. "It's okay Sash. At least we get to see Sam."

Sasha reacted by giving Dean a gentle lick on his hand. She also gave a slight whine and a gentle rumble. It was like she was saying, 'it's about time.'

Dean took in the look she was giving him and he said, "Alright you win. I said I would think about it. I did and I called. Aren't ya happy?"

Sasha gave a bark and started panting. She put a paw on Dean's forearm like she was beckoning him to give her a high five or something. She placed her paw in Dean's hand when he held it out palm up. She dipped her head and bumped his shoulder.

Dean held her paw and felt her head butt. He looked at the pup and raised his brow. He fished out a jerky treat and held it out to her. "I don't get you sometimes pup but… you're okay." He rubbed her head and the base of her ears. "I don't like dogs in general but you and hell on four legs are an exception."

He looked up when he saw a vehicle roll up. He grinned when he recognized Deanna but the rumbling of her engine. It seemed that his girl had been keeping her up. He watched as it came to a halt and he saw two people sitting in the front and it looked like they were waiting. He looked at Sasha and said, "Well, I guess we better go. Come on."

He got out of the Impala and let Sasha crawl over his seat to get out. He looked over at Deanna and saw that the occupants still hadn't moved. He hoped that Sam wasn't backing out now. Then again they both hadn't been on the best of terms with things. There was bound to be doubts on things. Finally the passenger side of Deanna opened up and Sam emerged from the vehicle and started walking forward.

"I think you're doing the right thing."

Sam looked at Angela as she drove down the highway to the rendezvous. He replied, "Really? You sure you didn't orchestrate this?" He had managed to put a lighthearted tone in it even though he was anxious about seeing his brother again. It had been nearly a month since they separated and he was used to it being just him and Angela and then his going out at night to teach something to Isaj. It had been normal except the night before.

He had a dream again much like the ones that he used to have before he met Angela. It was the one where she ended up dying alone. There was no doubt that part told him that if she were to be alone, she would die and it further cemented his belief that she was to be with him and his brother for a reason. The one part that had him bothered was who it was that did the killing.

It could have been the fact that he had been exhausted from the last hunt he had been on with Isaj, who didn't need much help, or it was on his mind but… It was enough to wake him from his sleep and get up and walk out the door, much to the surprise of Angela who had been sitting in the armchair near the bed reading. He took Deanna and took a drive to think about it. The logical thing was to call Dean and he did.

He didn't tell his brother about the dream but he did tell him about what Lucifer told him. The reaction was hardly what he expected. He guessed he figured that Dean would be concerned but maybe he should have known better considering that Dean didn't even fight him when he suggested that they separate. Then Dean saying that they would be better apart since they were weaker together… it almost had him shouting that if they remained apart, she would die.

It would have been effective and Sam knew Dean would do anything for Angela. The same went for him but… he wasn't going to use her like that. Of course it felt like he was using her now by staying with her and he had been terrible at the upkeep of the apartment. He did manage to fix the closet door the other night after he got over his cold. Still he was happy being with her even though he thought she should have got on his case about a few things and not be so nice about it.

In the end he drove around for nearly four hours just thinking about what he was going to do since it was clear that Dean wasn't concerned. He would do what he had to do to fix this and get those bastards and make sure she was safe. He ended up devising a plan that he was going to bring up to her in the morning as he filled up the car and drove home.

He found her asleep in the chair with an empty plate on the table and the slight remnants of pie. Her book was on her lap and a hand holding it down. He had smiled at it since no doubt she had been waiting up for him and decided on that chair since Isaj took over the couch and was fast asleep when he came in. In the end he had picked her up, and it was a marvel since she used to wake up and hit whoever was touching her, and put her to bed.

He was going to sleep in the chair when she said sleepily, "This isn't much different from sharing floor space."

It would have been pointless to argue since she was right. It was in the wee hours of the morning that his phone woke the both of them up be she answered it and found that it was Dean on the phone. He had been hugging her waist when he had woken up and the interruption was a good enough reason to remove it since he wasn't sure that hadn't moved since he had slept with his back towards her. It didn't matter since Dean wanted to talk and he took the proffered phone.

Now they were actually going to meet his brother. Dean had been agreeable about talking about it but didn't once mention her. Still she offered to take him to the meeting point and made to do it by holding onto the keys. He looked at her as she kept her eyes on the road with a calm air until she said, "I may be able to set up the princess and the Fang Boy on the path to marriage but I am hardly that good in orchestrating a long needed conversation between the two most stubborn brothers in the world because I respect that they would get pissed at outright meddling." She looked at him.

"We wouldn't…" Sam stopped himself as he caught her expression. It was the kind she used when Hibah used to try and get out of trouble. He corrected himself, "Okay we would… but… We would have been pissed."

Angela glanced at Sam and she said gently and softly, "And I forbid you to feel like a douche."

Sam looked at her. She had been saying that often. He had little idea that it was a previous conversation that encouraged her to do that and from his brother. He replied, "You don't have to say that."

"I feel like I have to. It seems I have a knack for bringing on the guilt train when I am trying to make a point by asking questions." Angela looked straight ahead and made the turn. She had wanted this for some time but she just felt like it was awkward. She didn't know why but it was like there was something that she should know but didn't. Mentally she made a note to call Isaj and tell him about his new place and call Skip and that was if things worked out.

"But you said it yourself that there is always going to be someone to remind you about whatever it is that would bring guilt," Sam pointed out. He looked at her expression as she continued to look ahead. "I think you've earned the right to at least say something to make your point without saying that. You deserve better."

Angela glanced over at Sam and noted expression. He was sincere in his expression. She couldn't recall him saying that last part and if he did, she was guilty of not listening. She replied, "And I think that there are better people who deserve better."

"Don't do that Angie. Don't… hate yourself."

Angela was silent for a moment. She thought about what she wanted to say before replying, "There are things about me that I don't like and it's because of those things I am forever trying to make things better for the people that I end up meeting." She glanced over at Sam and added, "It's why I don't meddle but hope that a certain persistence may make all the difference. Life is too short to let things fester and maybe disaster may be prevented."

"You sound like you are talking about something larger like… the Apocalypse," Sam countered. He was hesitant to talking about the Apocalypse since he started it by releasing Lucifer and then there were the omens and the fact that he is supposed to be Lucifer's vessel.

"It's not always the larger things but the little things. We are all connected… it's how the world continues. A single event could change something for someone and it may not be connected at face value…"

"You mean chaos theory."

"Points for Sammy," she replied with a smile. "It's the best I can explain it apart from the six degrees of the supernatural. Hell there are events that occurred long before we existed that manipulated events to where they are now. Maybe this period of misery was supposed to happen but I like to think that we try to learn from it."

Sam thought about it a bit. It had been a long time since she had ever tried to explain things. She may see the larger picture but she had always focused on the little things. That was her thing. The little things mattered to her and in this case, that would be him and Dean. It was a powerful feeling that she cared about them and about every little detail about them. God he was a douche; she was so selfless. Sighing he said, "So can we learn from our mistakes?"

"I like to think so," Angela replied, "Haven't you?"

Sam thought about it for a moment. Then he said, "It's a work in progress… like everything else, right?"

Angela looked over at Sam and gave a smile. She made a final turn and they were where they were supposed to meet Dean. Up ahead was the Impala and Dean was waiting in the car and Sam could make out the silhouette of Sasha riding shotgun. He was glad that Dean at least had someone around to keep an eye on him. Now that he was there… he felt hesitant. He knew that Dean was pissed at him and he probably still wanted to kill him.

He had never mentioned the voicemail from Dean to Angela. If he had, maybe he might be reassured but then again he might not. He heard the malice in Dean's voice and he couldn't forget what Dean told him that their dad told him. It was something that gnawed at him as he sat there in the passenger seat of Deanna looking at the Impala. Suddenly he felt a hand clasp over his left and he looked over to find Angela's hand holding his and giving it a gentle squeeze. She was giving a reassuring smile. What was reassuring was the feeling of her hand on his. He took a breath as she nodded that it was okay. "Come with?"

Angela had impulsively grasped Sam's hand when she sensed his discomfort. She didn't expect him to spill all his secrets and something was clearly bothering him. The only thing she could do was just be there and she had learned that sometimes just presence alone was the best thing in a difficult situation. She looked at Sam as he asked his question. She could make a big deal over it but went with the first response, "Okay."

Dean was already out of the car when they got out of Deanna and started walking to close the distance between the two of them. Angela hung back a little bit to let Sam take the lead. It wasn't her place to interfere. It surprised her when Sam reached behind him and grasped her jacket sleeve and tugged for her to come closer. It wouldn't allow her to be distracted by Sasha who was sitting now and looking at the brothers.

"Sam," Dean said.

Sam didn't say anything and it was involuntary that he flinched when Dean pulled out the demon killing knife. For a brief moment he thought Dean was going to carry out what he intended on the voicemail. He felt his hand clench tighter on Angela's jacket sleeve and his pinky ended up flicking her hand. He maintained his cool and it was a relief when Dean held it out to him and said, "If you're serious, you want back in… you should hang onto this. I'm sure you're rusty."

Angela had seen the flinch. She didn't miss much as the exchange of the knife was given. She had felt Sam's hand tighten on her jacket and felt his finger touch her hand. Something was up about it and it had her worried. She didn't say anything about it as she looked at Dean.

Sam looked at the knife and slowly released Angela's jacket and took the knife in his left. He looked down at it. He could hear Angela making slow and controlled breaths. She was nervous about this too. And he always thought of her as fearless.

"Look, I'm sorry." Dean looked at Sam looking down and Angela just staring. It had him uneasy and he understood why Sam didn't like that look. You couldn't tell what she was thinking or feeling at the moment. "I don't know… whatever I I need to be, but I was… wrong." It actually felt good a little bit to say that.

Sam hardly ever heard Dean admit that he was wrong. It was surprising and he wasn't sure of what to make of it. He could only ask, "What made you change your mind?"

Dean wasn't sure he wanted to tell Sam everything. Certainly part of it might push Sam in the way that Angela didn't want it to be pushed but he hadn't missed the way Sam grabbed her sleeve. It was something to think about later. "Long story," he finally replied. "The point is… maybe we are each other's Achilles' heel. Maybe they'll find a way to use us against each other. I don't know." Actually that was a possibility. They would more likely do it to piss Angela off and then… Gotta keep that under control. He looked at his brother and their girl. They were all they had. "I just know we're all we've got. More than that. We keep each other human… and that means you too Angie."

"I think I can tell when I'm included," Angela replied softly. "Otherwise I would have just told you to bite me." She gave a slight smile at Dean to indicate that she was glad he had done this.

Sam listened to what Angela said. It was her way of talking to Dean and how they understood each other. The tone… everything, it was right with them. Between him and Dean… his brother wanted him back too. That meant a lot. His throat convulsed as he said, "Thank you. Really, thank you. I won't let you down."

"Oh I know it. I mean you are the second best hunter on the planet," Dean replied. He decided to tease a little bit, "The best of course is the most gorgeous healer on the planet."

Sam made a slight sound. It sounded like things were going to be okay. "So what do we do now?"

"Take a leaf out of your book Angie," Dean replied. When she looked at him he nodded and looked at Sam. "We make our own future."

Sam nodded in agreement, "Guess we have no choice." He noticed that Dean nodded with him.

"There is always a choice," Angela said as she stepped forward. She glanced at both of them. "There is always a choice."

Dean listened to what she said and then looked at Sam. They locked eyes and silently spoke to each other and came to an agreement. Angela watched them and blinked slowly. They were back together but now only time would tell. There was the looming Apocalypse ahead but… the road to get there was open.

A/N: Well the dynamic trio is back together but there is still a lot to work over coming up in 4.03 Two Brothers and... a Lil Angel...