Chronicles of Absolution: Broken Wounds Heal

Chapter 1

Then

… Angela blinked herself awake and became aware that her body was not in a position that it was accustomed to being in. Her head was pounding; probably from whatever it was that was used to knock her out. Her head was hanging down and she stared downward to find that the toes of her shoes were barely touching the floor. It helped to explain the feeling of the position she was in. Looking up slowly, she saw her arms raised above her head and tied at the wrists, hanging on the end of a hook.

What the hell?

… Sam admitted that there was nothing really planned but he did. Mostly it was to take her stargazing. It was one of the few things that she liked doing and lately hadn't seemed to have the time for…

… All of them where there but one was dominant and it made me feel… It made me feel for the first time in my life safe…

… "Says the guy who would just as soon as strangle the guy who hits on her."

Sam paused there, knowing that if he said something in the heat of the moment, he would be opening up a can of worms that he wasn't ready to reveal. He did manage to cover saying, "Only because they were drunk douchebags."

"And the he-witch Nick?"

"He's a pain in the ass," Sam countered quickly as he crossed his arms over his chest. "You're point?"

… Know that I only do this because I am sentimental. I like you, sweetheart.

… The only reason that I'm helping you is because I know a winning horse when I see one.

Yeah I'm a prize filly to you. Angela blinked blearily as the room came into focus. She took in the shadows. She was certain one looked like Lucifer or some old shadow from the past.

… This is how it's gonna work love. I give the Winchesters a little push and then you do what you do best.

… She accepted that it was going to produce difficulties when she did make it back. Cary was toeing the line but Crowley… and the fact that she had gone to him for help in trying to change the conditions of Dean's deal… It wasn't going to sit well. She wouldn't blame them. Then again that was how she rolled.

She always was the one to look for alternative means of getting a job done. Often it was barely toeing the line and she crossed it on occasion. She hadn't forgotten those times and those times produced equal love and hate. Hell she met the product of that…

… He saw the body of who he assumed was Carter. It was beaten bloody and a piece of something was sticking out of his chest. It looked like it had been driven into the floor…

… "She is a friend… but she saved my life."

"She saved me from becoming one of those things that you would end up hunting. Pointed me in the direction of saving people and hunting things."

… Sam knew he had been terse with everyone but he was concerned for her…

… Sam didn't leave but turned to face her completely. He watched as she called out, "Stay with me Sammy. Don't go."

… While he may not have appreciated it at the time such as when she asked in her own way what was wrong when they were separated, it was something that shamed, baffled and made him like her more to the point where he had taken it for granted…

… "I know she's a pain as an adult when hurt. I can't imagine with the current situation."

… I found something with the princess. More like we stumbled upon it like every other damn thing in my life. And low and behold I have to pay a visit to my Egyptian family. There are things that I know and they know and someone from the hell side of things figured it out… Story of my life…

… The other thing that worried Bobby was that she seemed to tire easily and was sluggish. He would catch her rubbing where she had gotten hit a couple of times and wincing when she thought no one was looking…

… Watching her sleep on the couch, Bobby could make out slight dark circles form under her eyes. Her breathing was so still, it looked like she was dead with her hands resting on her abdomen…

… keeping her on lockdown isn't going to solve anything. There is a saying about wounded animals and cages…

… Dean, there are things that I started and didn't finish and I fear that it will catch up with me. At the time I did what I thought I could do and it seemed to work. Unfortunately it didn't work out that way…

…"Is it real?"

Sam realized that she was asking for a reason. He replied, "Yeah. It's real Angie. You're not there anymore."

… He looked down and looked at his hands covered in scrapes and bruises. He could hear Carter taunting and laughing at him as he glanced at her sleeping. He wasn't going to be able to sleep anytime soon so he adjusted as best as he could and prepared to stay awake all night… just in case…

Now

The room was dimly lit as the light cast its shadows on the wall. He wasn't sure but they looked like the instruments of torture with some sort of recognizable and others… They were the kind of thing that would emphasize how hell must have been like. Only a sick mind would have conceived of those things and it was just…

He found her standing there. She was wearing her hair in pigtails with the ribbons she once showed him. She looked up at him and beamed, "Sammy!"

He felt himself smiling despite the fact that they were in that damned alley or darkened street again. He kneeled and she ran to give him a bone-crushing hug, a feat for someone so small. He felt her arms wrap around his neck and he couldn't but help but hum in reply.

"I love you Sammy."

"I love you too," he replied as he hugged her.

Then he heard a moan. It was full of pain. It forced him to let her go. When he stepped back to take a look he saw that she wasn't her little self anymore but her adult self and she looked beat up. Her wrists were chafed. There was dried blood and bruises on her arms and face. She looked ready to fall over and she ended up falling to her knees but she cried out in pain.

He started to go to her but was held back by, "Don't think about it. You won't deny me my fun."

There it was. It was his double with that cold expression in his face. His double walked up towards Angela who was grimacing in pain. A hand went to his shoulder and the double looked at him. "This is what happens, Sam. This is what happens when you get too close to people."

"Sammy!"

He reached out for her. He wasn't going to let her go. "Angie!"

His double reached out and grabbed her. There was a cold smile as arms wrapped around her neck and gave a twist. There was the sickening crack of breaking bone and he watched as she dropped to the ground. Her eyes were empty orbs…

Sam grimaced slightly before opening his eyes and realized that he was in bed and it was morning. He stared up at the ceiling and recognized the water stain he had noticed the night before. He knew where they were. They were in another crappy motel room they found to stay the night while on the way back to Sioux Falls, South Dakota.

It had been almost a week since he, his brother, Kesset and Austin rescued Angela from the renegades that kidnapped, beaten and tortured her. A week since they charged in and nearly killed all of them. A few may have gotten away and in a rare fit of mercy, Kesset was the one that agreed to let the weasel face go. Either way, he had been a part of a very physical retaliation. He should know since he beat the crap and killed the ringleader.

Actually he had beaten the crap out of the bastard even though he wanted to torture him and then killed him by somehow managing to ram a piece of piping through the guy's chest cavity to the point where it came out the back. He could hear the wet dripping sound of blood and could smell the coppery scent but what stayed imprinted on his mind was that sound. It was the sound of pain. It was her moan of pain and the whisper…

Sam took a breath as he slowly sat up and moved as carefully as possible. When he was sitting with his back against the headboard, he glanced downward at the other occupant of the bed. His expression softened from his relief that she was still breathing even though it looked a little pained.

Angela was curled on her left side. It seemed to be one of her more comfortable positions… at least from her view. Sam suspected that the worst of her torso injuries were on that side and she felt better sleeping on that side; like she was protecting that side. Plus her right leg was healing from the bad break she suffered and it was awkward with the contraption that immobilized her leg from the knee down. At least she was healing as he kept telling himself.

She was still asleep even though she normally would have been awake. To him, she needed it and she seemed to be on the mend just a little faster; it was like sleeping it off did the trick. He wasn't sure though how much good it did for her mental state. Earlier in the week she started going through withdrawal. Whatever it was that she had been injected with… it was bad if she was asking him if where they were at was real.

Fiona was the one that told him what it was once she did a study on a sample of Angela's blood. It had him pause and swallow. Dean was more vocal about it but at least it was out of earshot of Angela. Sam was certain it wouldn't go well with her but he knew that if she ever asked, he would tell her. It was the least he could do after everything.

Sighing he ran a hand through his hair. He knew what he had told Fiona that night and it was partially the truth… or rather what he was comfortable telling anyone at this point. He had feelings for her and as much as he wanted to act on them like he started to… after this…

"Thoughts are loud Sam. Especially this early in the morning."

Sam made a slight noise and looked down at Angela. She was still curled on her side and her eyes were closed but her breathing said she was awake. "Thought you were asleep."

"I was… about three seconds ago." Angela slowly opened her eyes to get used to the light. She was well aware her face looked worse than what it was and she looked like a raccoon with the bruising around her eyes that was starting to fade. She made a slight face since her ribs were sore since they were mostly bruised with a couple broken and she had some body bruises not to mention the burns and stab wounds. Those weren't too bad but they still hurt.

Sam watched her and asked, "You okay? You need…?"

"No thank you." Angela shifted to sit up. It was slow going and it frustrated her because she had to move so gingerly. She was grateful when Sam reached out to help her to sit up. She showed it by giving a soft smile and saying, "Thanks."

"You're welcome." Sam sat next to her and looked down at his hands on his lap.

"Sleep well?"

"As well as can be." It wasn't a lie but it wasn't the whole truth either. Sam was not sure about saying much about it since he was certain that it was trying to tell him something. "The usual."

"Oh the clowns or midgets," Angela said as she tried to stretch as best as she could. She frowned as she stared at the boot she was being forced to wear. It was that or get a cast and she wasn't inclined to get one. Her left leg she was able to move slightly but she didn't push it since it had been dislocated and while it had healed faster than anything else she wasn't going to give Fiona an excuse to sedate her or anything like that. "Mine was the evil army of ATM machines. I really need to deck Dean a new one for showing me Terminator."

Sam couldn't help but chuckle, "Never pegged you to get nightmares on that. But seriously… did you sleep okay?"

Angela looked at Sam as she gingerly rubbed her still wrapped wrists. "As well as I could," she replied looking at him. "Took me awhile to go to sleep but I got some rest." She gave a slight smile and teased, "Plus sometimes Sammy germs are good to have around."

Sam choked on the chuckle that bubbled up. In between the withdrawal and other things, she had been going back to her teasing. It was a good thing to see but… He sobered and replied, "Not sure if that is a good thing."

"It is to me."

Sam looked at her as she shifted to reach for the crutches that Dean managed to procure. He watched her chuckle and say, "Amazing how he just sleeps with all this noise."

Sam looked over to see his brother still asleep despite the fact that he and Angela had been talking. He didn't blame his brother since they both had it rough. Dean was just preferring to suffer in silence and making it up in being the gofer to her. He said softly, "He's been… It's been rough this past week."

Angela looked at Dean still asleep and then turned to look at Sam. She noticed the look on his face and thought about it. The only thought that showed on her face though was one that was one of understanding. "I know… and I'm sorry."

"You have nothing to be sorry for," Sam countered quickly. As far as he was concerned, it wasn't her fault. "You didn't know and it wasn't your fault."

Angela gave a slight smile as she reached out and grasped Sam's hand. "You're sweet," she said and then turned to get to the extremely slow process of standing and making her way to the bathroom.

"Well you're doing better than I expected."

"You more or less forced me to follow your orders, Fi." Angela blinked blearily as she watched Fiona check her knee. She winced slightly but more because of her torso. "And I have a bossy bulldog and an overprotective watchdog that decided to actually listen to you."

Fiona felt along the left knee to make sure it was healing well. It had only been dislocated and the bone bruised but it still was achy. Not that her patient was going to admit to it. At least she was more mobile and willing to move on crutches. She balked at the use of a chair and declared loudly that she would rather be a cripple than confined to a chair. Of course it didn't help that the patient was going through withdrawal either.

Fiona had heard the slight hiss and guessed that it had to do with the ribs and everything else that had been done to her torso. She had seen and smelled the burn marks made by a hot poker. There were a couple of stabs made by the same poker and some knife slashes and shallow stab wounds. They did a number on her patient and it was a wonder that she hadn't bled out or died from the shock and pain. It only told Fiona that her patient had a strong will. "Ribs again?"

"It still hurts when I breathe on occasion," Angela admitted. She took a small breath and shifted. "Carter clouted me a good one."

"More like they all did."

Angela made a slight sound. "I'm most comfortable when I sleep on my left. But I can't sleep all day."

"Have you had any blood?"

"No." Angela cleared her throat a bit. She looked at her hands that looked scabbed and her wrists weren't that much better. "I… don't want to taste it for a while."

"I don't blame you."

"Do you?"

Fiona looked up at Angela and despite the raccoon eyes and the fat lip and abrasions that were healing, the look she was getting was dead on serious. She replied, "Sam told me. About your problem. He was very reluctant to and I felt bad for badgering him."

"I don't blame him and I'm not mad." Angela gave a slight shake of her head. She didn't blame Sam or Dean for telling Fiona everything about her in terms of health. She hadn't been in a position to and if she had, she deflected it. "I'm glad he said something. I thought something was off from what I had been injected with."

"To be honest I haven't seen anything like it."

"Carter was good with chemistry." Angela sighed as she thought about the boy that she knew she could have done better by. She had wanted to give him a chance but given his intentions to harm her Sam… It kind of slammed the door shut but not completely. She probably would have given him a chance if he really wanted it. "With luck, he took it to the grave."

"I hope so." Fiona pulled out some cream that was the equivalent of Icy Hot. She put some on her hands and began massaging the knee. "Things will be bad anyway given the state of things but I'm sure that you won't be doing any of that."

"Not with the way I'm feeling."

Fiona finished massaging the knee. She marveled that the rest of her leg wasn't badly damaged save for the compound break in the tibia and fibula in the right leg and the dislocated left that she had just massaged. The most serious were on the upper half and it certainly said something about psyches and the like. Still the way how Angela said that had her pause, "How do you feel?"

Angela took a slow breath and looked around, glad that they were outside in fresh air even though she was technically sitting in the Impala. She replied, "Physically, I am frustrated since I can't move faster than an old woman without hurting myself. Otherwise…"

Fiona looked up at her patient as she seemed to drift into thought. It couldn't have been easy on her since she was beaten to the equivalent of a pulp for humans. "You know from what I hear, Sam fought hard to find you."

Angela looked at Fiona when she heard that. Her lip twitched in response, "He did say that he was coming for me. In my head."

"About that… How are your abilities?"

"Is this part of playing doctor?"

"Just asking. I mean I've heard about you from me brother, Liam, and for the most part… You are a unique individual." Fiona felt that it was better to be bluntly honest. Besides there was always the possibility that a hit to the head had caused some damage.

Angela raised her brow at Fiona even though it felt like it was having stitches being pulled. "Nothing wrong with my head except the hallucinations. And those are gone now that I'm clean."

"I'm not accusing you of falling off the bandwagon…"

"I've done it before, Fi," Angela interrupted. She looked downward at the ground and sighed. "When Alistair was gotten rid of… I remembered what it was like and…" She hissed and continued, "It was like that adage of riding a bicycle or something. I was just glad that a friend was able to help out."

Fiona took Angela's hand resting in her lap and held it in her hands. She gave a reassuring smile, "I'm not judging you. I know about addiction and what it does especially to the people that aren't taking the poison of choice. Do you blame yourself?"

"For what Fi? I didn't expect it."

Fiona gave a look. She narrowed her eyes as she replied, "You have got to be angry at some part." She looked at Angela who was merely looking in the direction of the quick mart that the Winchesters had gone into. She hoped that it wasn't what she thought it was but she had to ask, "Are you mad at Sam?"

Angela looked at Fiona with a sharp look. Where did come up with that? "Hell no, Fi. This isn't his fault. It isn't Dean's fault. The only one at fault is Carter and he's dead." She hadn't meant to let her voice get sharp. It made her get heated and her breathing increased and her chest started to ache because of her ribs.

Fiona saw that if Angela got too excited it would have Sam, Dean and Austin running over to find out what the problem was. She put her hands on a reassuring manner. "Angie, I didn't say anything. I was just asking. You haven't really talked about this."

"Because there is nothing to say," Angela huffed trying to get her breathing under control. She knew that if anything was remotely out of sorts she was going to be subject to near smothering by both brothers. It hadn't been bad when she broke her hand because she could control it. This was different because she was often lethargic and she wasn't in much of a position to protest much. In fact the only reason they were on the road heading to Bobby's was because she asked to go home.

Fiona nodded but she wasn't convinced. It was a traumatic experience and she was certain that Angela may have hallucinated and thought that she wasn't going to be rescued. She needed to talk but she saw that Angela wasn't going to talk about it unless she was willing and if she was like Liam… "Okay."

"You are hardly convincing Fi," Angela deadpanned, her breathing now better under control. She sighed as she reached over and started rubbing Lilah's head and ears. "Look uh… there are just a few things I have to work out. When I'm ready I'll say something."

"Don't wait too long colleen," Fiona replied purposely using a word that her mother had used mostly when she was in trouble. She smiled softly as she dug in her bag and pulled out a vial. Maybe today she could convince Angela to take one to make her more comfortable. "I get the distinct impression that Sam especially needs some reassurance. Like I said, he was worried about you and put on an impressive display. Made me ready to jump on him and claim him as alpha."

Angela gave a low growl in her throat. She and Sam were not an item but she wasn't one to share easily either. She was unaware though that her growl was more along the lines of a female warning off another from her mate. "Don't think about it Fi." She noticed the painkillers and narrowed her eyes further and added, "And no fucking way to the painkillers. I'm fine without them." She crossed her arms over her chest to make a point even though Fiona chuckled at her.

A/N: Howdy folks and here we are at another adventure. Looks like a week has passed since Angie had been kidnapped and tortured. Seems pretty straightforward but then you never know. Keep watching for more Broken Wounds Heal...