Chapter 13

Follow the plan.

Sam and Dean wasted no time. Dean began to quiz the kids on where they found Bordeaux. "Come on Jesse. Where did you find this Bordeaux?"

"I told you, I don't know any Bordeaux," Jesse replied. He glanced over to see the lady take on Hugh and then back at the two guys. "All we found in that closet was a horse."

Dean looked in the direction that the kid was pointing in. The door was rattling. Someone was in there. Probably more than whatever was else in there. He wouldn't put it past the demon to have more than one surprise. He just hoped that Angela's idea would work. He just wasn't figuring on the kids being there. At least Sam was holding the poker and he could jump in as necessary.

Dean went to the door and tried jiggling the handle. He pulled on the door and the thing refused to budge. He then heard a muffled voice on the other side of the door. He called out, "Hello?"

Help!

Jesse recognized the voice. He said, "That's the other staff. Um Karen I think. That thing threw her in there."

Dean listened while wondering what the heck was up with this demon. Most of the time they just wanted to kill and do it in the most grotesque way as possible. Then there were some that had sick twisted ways of humor like the demon bitch Lenya. Now they were trying to execute a plan and he and Sam were supposed to be looking for something named Bordeaux. However the only thing that the kids could tell them was a horse.

There was also a woman trapped in there along with the two kids. That certainly made his day and practically put a dampener on this mini vacation they were supposed to be giving for Angela. Well he needed to focus on the job and that was getting that sonofabitch riding that poor sap's ass back into Bordeaux and then finish the job and then they could get back to vacation.

Dean gripped the door handle and pounded on it with his body. The door cracked a little. It was encouraging as he tried again. The door gave away and Dean fell in to see a brunette looking a little beat up but otherwise okay. Besides her, there were a couple of old clothes and on the ground lying on its side was a model of a horse. There was nothing else and Dean seriously wondered what the heck or who the heck was Bordeaux. Suddenly he was yanked backwards and flew across the ground. He collided with the wall and he could see stars.

Meanwhile Sam had been keeping eye out while wielding the poker and waiting to see if Angela would need help while Dean was working on the door. He couldn't believe that the idea actually worked and they were in the room now.

It had been Angela's idea to get the demon to open the door but the first bet was to actually get someone inside the room. The second thing was getting the demon to open the door and he guessed in her mind was getting the other kids out. It was unexpected when Jesse and Petey showed up but at least they were both okay. Looking at Angela, Sam could guess that she was having fun though he did have trouble seeing her have fun fighting.

He watched as the demon tried to lay some heavy punches on Angela and was tempted to rush in but he needed to keep an eye on Dean. Besides she did say that she didn't want to hurt the guy since there was a chance to smoke the demon out. How she knew that the guy had a chance since demons rode their meat hard, was a question left to be answered but Sam knew that he trusted her.

What he didn't expect was that maniacal laughter to start again. It began after the demon caught sight of him and gave that troubling grin it gave. Sam felt that it was inside his head and he couldn't make it stop. He got that the demon was trying to distract him but he wasn't going to let that happen. He focused on what Angela said. If she couldn't hear it, that meant that it wasn't real.

She may have told you she didn't hear it but maybe she did. Maybe she is crazy.

Sam shook his head. This demon was lying. Angela never lied about stuff like that. Sam knew it killed her to use her powers on him and she wouldn't have done it unless it was necessary. He muttered, "Not true."

Let's face it. She's an old bitch most of her kind don't live that long. There's bound to be some crazy in there.

"Shut up."

"Hey gigantor, you okay?"

Sam looked to see Jesse looking at him. Dean was working on the door. Petey was also looking at him. "Uh, fine. Just stay by Dean." He turned back in time to see Angela fly and then land in an awkward position, like she had been thrown out of a car.

She was back on her feet quicker than Sam had ever seen her before but she wasn't set and she was flung by the demon's power and pinned to the wall. Sam reacted and went to help but was thrown for his pains in a tossed spinning motion until he collided with the ground. He looked up just in time to see Dean fly and then slide along the floor until he hit the wall hard. The kids ran and pulled the door of the closet shut. Sam thought to himself, Great.

Angela had a distrust of demons but to say she hated all demons was not an accurate statement since there were a few demons that she had wary respect for. They weren't friends but they weren't enemies either and both sides viewed each other with the same amount of distrust and dislike. This demon however, she thoroughly disliked and it could be ranked up there with hate and she let him have it with a good punch.

It was hard to remember that demons inhabited humans and unless it was the demon's own body like Lenya's or dead, they were usually sharing space with the original owner of the body. Yet she could remember because she had been possessed herself. Granted that it was a god that possessed her, the feeling was still the same. That much Sam told her from his experience housing Hapi. She didn't blame him for not liking it at all but he said it wasn't too bad.

"You strike but not to kill. Very interesting. Do you intend to save the pathetic little soul sharing this apartment with me?" Acheron pointed at himself. He hadn't failed to notice how the other two were trying to get into the closet. He would play with them and let them think they were succeeded. The taller one, he would have fun with since he was an easy mark.

Angela wiped the small amount of blood from the corner of her mouth with her thumb. That last backhand was hard and she almost hit just as hard but she controlled the blow enough to get him to back away. She replied, "I could always just kill you. I know things that they don't know yet but since you are the home invader, I guess just smoking you out will do."

Acheron countered the arm strikes that came his way and aimed for her elbow. She was good though and moved enough to deflect but not so that he could dislocate her elbows. "I actually like this meat suit. I think I will stay but I can smoke out. I wonder: how much fun would it be to share space with someone that has some meaning to you?"

"You can try but it won't work. Not even on me."

Acheron made a slight pouting sound. "Well it still is fun to torment people. Drive them crazy with doubt in their own minds. I'm more about fear. There are others who would do the same but with their rage."

Angela felt her eyes widen in surprise. Fear demons? They were extremely rare and in fact nearly obliterated from the demon hierarchies at one point. Those that remained were often found to have a nearly insane twisted sense of humor. The only other demon who played on fears but used rage was Rhagos… well she didn't know his name until much later. She replied, "That is true since rage can often be fueled by fears. It's how wars and hatreds are started."

"Indeed but that gets boring quickly. Now making humans insane by their fears is more entertaining. They kill themselves or others or just curl up in the fetal position and dies. No two are alike." Acheron gave a slight shrug of his shoulders.

"So that is what you did to the Wilkerson family," Angela asserted. She didn't know exactly but she was good at getting people to boast about their accomplishments by implying that she did know. "That is until Thomas stopped you."

Acheron flickered his eyes black in response. "That stupid little boy had such potential. HE was already talented. I could have made it so much more."

"I see that he was smart enough not to bind himself to you," Angela countered. "He realized that he didn't need a black eyed bastard to do what he wanted to do. I admit that it was clever of him to bind you to his most favored possession."

"Yes but it circumvented it. Lines that define things become blurred. You know that phrase, the exception to the rule."

"Of course I'm familiar with it. Most people tell me that I am that almost every damn day," Angela replied. "In your case though, you seem to have a little trouble. I noticed that nothing happened outside the walls of the house. So that means you weren't entirely successful."

"I still have my domain and I can still break free. The little brats that did the initial breaking can finish it."

"Fat chance. You're stuck here," Angela replied with a slight shrug as if the whole thing were futile. "Playing your little pranks and driving people insane with fear. All it does is create a situation for hunters to come in and gank your ass. So might as well do it now rather than later."

"Everything is a joke to you? How do your friends feel about that considering your giant there is hearing things?"

Angela spared a side glance. She could see that Sam was becoming agitated and she didn't blame him for that fear. She narrowed her eyes full on the demon and replied, "Not as bad as you felt when you got trapped by a boy."

That was enough to set the demon off and Acheron had enough playing around. He grabbed Angela and threw her across the room. She landed at an awkward angle but she was up but not in a position to counter the second round of flying and being pinned to the wall. She watched as the demon had its way with Sam and Dean, throwing them about the room. She grimaced as she focused on moving her limbs. She had done this before. She had broken a hold. At least the kids were safe in the closet.

Acheron was rounding in on Sam and suspending him in the air. He was saying, "You can hear them can't you? The laughing, meant to be in joy is somewhat of a torture for you isn't it?"

Angela narrowed her eyes and focused. She could visibly see Sam was trying to breathe while in the tight grip the demon was holding him in. Dean was pinned as well but on the ground and he was looking at a mouse but even Angela knew that the sight of the thing made it seem like those huge and nasty rats. That was a real mouse and Dean was powerless to stop it. Free entertainment since the demon didn't have to conjure it. Gritting her teeth, she put everything she had into it.

Acheron was grinning pleasurably when he saw the little mouse wander onto the other one. Free entertainment. He looked back at the other who was looking a little pale. Well he could lighten up but then where would that get him?

He found out when something jumped on his back from behind and grabbed him in a chokehold. The grip was tight and he found that he rather liked it. Then a dangerously low whisper came into his ear, "You like torture?"

Angela's distraction was enough to release Sam and he fell to the ground and struggled to breathe. He had been telling himself over and over that the laughter wasn't real because she couldn't hear it. If she had heard it, she would have dealt with it. Now that he was somewhat free, the laughter had been dulled a little and he was able to clear his head. He looked to see Angela hanging onto the demon like a little kid would go for a piggyback ride

It wasn't too much fun when she came flying in his direction after being flung off. Sam reacted and caught her full on in the chest. They both went down but at least it wasn't that bad. "Nice catch."

"No problem," Sam groaned since she had landed on his chest.

Angela gave a slight chuckle as she grabbed the nearest thing, a couple of baseballs and took to throwing them at the demon. She advanced after every throw. They were fired like missiles and the demon growled in anger as the balls hit. It was comical when a stuffed animal hit him in the face and he batted it away and it hit the mouse that was staring at Dean. It disappeared with a squeak.

Acheron had enough clowning around. Apparently she was countering his humor with childish humor. He had done a study of her. He figured he had the best thing to slow her down. "You want to play that way? Well how about this?" He made a motion with his hands.

Angela was advancing using whatever she could get her hands on, mostly toys from the playroom. It was all she had and the thing in her pocket, she needed to use when they got the thing bound again. She had taken a step forward when she stopped completely. She saw one of the few things that she kept buried but it certainly wasn't since she practically became a depressed emo as Dean would put it. She was just as vulnerable and this struck a nerve. She stood facing a way older version of herself. It looked at her, smiled and said, "Hello me? Do you like what you see?"

Jesse had done the first thing that came to mind and that was pull Petey and Ms. Karen into the closet and shut the door. He wasn't equipped to deal with this like the two guys and the girl could. He was breathing heavily when Petey tapped him on the shoulder and asked what they were going to do. Jesse said, "Don't know Petey."

"You two can help me put him back," Thomas replied as he suddenly appeared. He didn't think that it would work but it did. He owed her one.

Karen fainted at the sight while the boys jumped in surprise. At least they didn't scream, which was a plus. Jesse was the braver of the two and asked, "Who are you? How did you get in here?"

Thomas replied, "One of you has something of mine."

Petey put his hand in his pocket and pulled out the voodoo bracelet that Angela had slipped him after they were thrown in the playroom. He asked, "Is this is?"

Thomas gave a slight nod. How clever the girl was. She said that he had to focus on it and he would literally be pulled to wherever it was. Now he was here and he could make out his precious Bordeaux. He went to the horse and looked at him, "Ah Bordeaux, always the faithful friend. Now I ask you to do something again for me."

Jesse thought the ghost was a little nuts but then today had been a very strange day. He said, "Um, so what do you need us to do?"

Thomas looked at the two boys. It was unfair to do this but since they broke it, they could fix it/ He explained, "You are going to bind the thing to Bordeaux like I did a long time ago," and he patted the horse for good measure. "It is not like the first one because it is not a brother bond but it will hold him enough so that they can get rid of him."

Jesse raised a brow. "Okay. Does this require anything like blood?"

Thomas would have laughed if the situation hadn't been so serious. He replied, "No. I do need you touch Bordeaux exactly in the same order as you did before and when I tell you to."

"Sounds too simple. How do we know it will work?"

"You will know when Bordeaux tells you." It was all Thomas could tell them. He had no idea how it would work out. He was certain that Bordeaux would be put to the test and actually move. It would just be a matter of catching him and banishing him.

Jesse wasn't so sure. He looked at Petey who looked at him and shrugged. Well if there was one way to do it, then this would be it. He just hoped his mom wouldn't ground him for this… like she would ever believe there was such a thing as ghosts. "Alright. Let's do this."

Thomas nodded and had the boys move closer towards Bordeaux. He said, "Alright, when I tell you, the one who touched Bordeaux first goes and then I will say the next part. Then the second one to touch Bordeaux touches him. Then I will say the last part and one of you needs to open the door. Then the demon will be bound."

"Do we have to touch him in the same spot?" Petey asked the question.

"No. Just touch him."

"Okay."

Seeing that the boys were ready, Thomas began to work his mojo. Even though he was a ghost, he still had command over the chants. That was due to the fact that he was still sane unlike others. He started on the ritual, rambling on in the correct language while the boys stared at him wide eyed. When he finished, he signaled. The youngest touched Bordeaux and the spell began to work. Now for the next two parts.

"You fear yourself and rightfully so," Acheron replied under the guise of the doppelganger of Angela. He circled her, trying to drown her in her fear. "After all, you are not human and yet you try to save them. You are mistake doomed to the eventual damnation of madness. A cruel world and all confined within one person… you."

Angela bit her lower lip in agitation. The demon was good. He was playing on one of her deepest fears. It was not the deepest and darkest but it was one that she kept from others though they had seen it in her actions. She closed her eyes and opened them slowly. She could smell the demon, circling and circling, trying to make her weak in the light of fear. She stared off with a slightly sad expression and replied, "It is a cruel world. The people in it make it what it is with their choices."

"Yes, the hunters that kill your kind without question."

"All people," Angela repeated as she stared straight ahead. She had to focus and pray that the boys wouldn't be too scared to do what Thomas needed. It was a gamble when she put the bracelet in Petey's pocket but she knew that Jesse would take him somewhere safe and that was the closet at the moment. "Is this how you plan to stop me? By showing me that I do fear what I could become? What about what I am? Can you not manifest things that makes one what they are?"

Acheron gave slight grin. "You are trying to trick me aren't you?"

"Merely asking what you can do," Angela replied. "For instance can you create an image of me as I am at my worst? I fear of what I could become but I fear more of what I am."

Acheron was confused. He had no idea what that meant. "And what are you?"

Angela saw the image flicker. She had confused him. She tilted her head to listen for sounds. She could hear it coming from the closet. She looked at the demon full on and said, "Absolution."

At that moment black smoke began to fill out of the body it possessed. Angela watched as it flowed towards the closet and into the scale replica of Bordeaux. She watched as the smoke filtered into the horse and the eyes began to glow. She said, "Jesse, Petey, get out now!"

The boys didn't need any encouragement and they were out the door. However they didn't get very far since they were curious about what was going to happen. They watched as the eyes of the horse glowed and suddenly it sprang to life. It neighed and grunted, pawing the ground. It charged at the nearest target.

Angela knew she needed to time it perfectly. She reached into her jacket pocket and wrapped her hand around the one thing she knew that she needed. She tried not to be distracted when the horse charged at Sam and then Dean, running over them both. It was only a toy but the hooved would hurt the same. Then it came straight at her.

Angela waited and then leapt forward in a flip and landed at just the right length to grab onto the horse. It was the size of a miniature pony but still ridiculously small. Angela grabbed onto the mane and held on even though the thing was trying to buck her off. It took off through the open door of the playroom and headed towards the stairs. Angela reached in and pulled out what she needed and slapped her hand onto the mane and gripped with both hands. Out loud she began to say the Latin incantation of exorcism but one of the more powerful ones.

The demon whinnied in anger as it ran by Darrell who was cleaning with fervor and then down the stairs. It passed Austin wrestling with Christian and made a sharp turn to try and shake Angela off. She held on however and continued the chant. Her body hurt from the stairs and sharp corners that it hit but she was determined. She held on as she came to the last part.

They just passed the main office and Maggie Clawson looked out wondering if she was seeing things. The horse vaulted off the front porch and landed in the front lawn just as Angela said the last of the chant. As soon as it landed, the demon in the horse gave a shrill neigh as it began to smoke out and start to be soaked into the ground. Angela breathed a sigh of relief as she watched the cloud be sucked into the ground. There was one demon that wasn't going to be let loose again.

"Clever you are. Finally this house is free."

Angela looked up to see the old woman who had appeared and then disappeared on them. "Nice of you to drop in."

The old woman laughed. "A good day it is."

"Yes it is," Angela replied as she rested her head on the toy she was now laying on.

"Deep thoughts you have."

"Well I would like people to forget exactly what happened… especially the kids. They don't need to be exposed to my world like that."

"That I can do."

"Thanks."

Angela didn't see the old woman leave to go take care of what she was asking. Rather she was taking deep breaths and smiling. She was still smiling when Sam and Dean found her there and pulled her to her feet. Dean asked, "What are you smiling about?"

Angela looked at Dean and couldn't help laughing. They wouldn't understand but she did. She knew. However they would think her crazy if she didn't say anything and would probably think she was for what she was about to say. She replied, "That this was the best birthday ever." She couldn't stop laughing and the looks the brothers were giving her added to that.

A/B: Yay the demon is gone! Angie actually thinks it to be a great birthday and Sam and Dean are confused. Now time for the wrap up. Stay tuned for the conclusion of 'Trick'steen Candles...