The Winchester Three (S3): The Aftermath

Ch 12 Section 4

Angel turned back to the woman and slowly walked over to her again, "Maybe it puts its victims through some kind of supernatural acid trip while it just feeds on us slowly."

Sam shook his head from beside her, "No, Angel, that doesn't make sense, okay?"

"What if that's why she keeps appearing to me? She's not a spirit. It's- it's like more and more I'm catching flashes of reality." She looked around the building, "I'm in here somewhere with her, catatonic, taking all this stuff in but... I- I can't snap out of it."

"Yeah, yeah, okay. Look, you're right." Sam jitterly appeased as he softly took hold of her arm "I was wrong. You're not crazy but we- we need to get out of here. Fast." He started to pull Angel with him but jerked loose from his hold and Sam threw his arms out in exasperation, "What?"

Angel shook her head at him as she backed up, "You're not real."

"Angel." Sam agitatedly sucked in a breath, "You feel this?" He walked over and grabbed her by the arms, "I'm real. This is not an acid trip. I'm real, and that thing is gonna come down here and kill us for real. Now, please-"

Angel pulled out the silver knife, "There's one way to be sure."

"Whoa, whoa." Sam instantly backed off, "What are you doing?"

"You know what they always say... If you're about to die in a dream, you wake up."

"No, no, no! That's crazy. Alright?"

Determination filled her face, "Maybe."

Sam started to walk towards her again, "You're gonna kill yourself-" Angel held out the knife and her other hand to stop him, "Okay." Sam put his hands up carefully, "Alright."

"Either I actually die here or I'm gonna wake up in reality. One or the other."

"Angie, this isn't a dream, alright." Sam pleaded, "I'm here, with you, now. And you're about to kill yourself, Angel."

"No, I'm not. I'm gonna wake up. I'm pretty sure I will." She paused for a second as she took a steadying breath, "Like, 90% sure. But sure enough."

She turned the knife on herself, placing both of her hands to the handle, and getting ready to thrust it into herself.

Sam yelled, "WAIT!"

Suddenly Mary walked up next to Angel, in the same nightgown that she died in. Beside Sam stood Jessica with Dean and Lisa beside her. Behind her brothers stood Jax and little John.

Dean shook his head at her when she met his eyes, "Why'd you have to keep digging?" Angel looked back at Mary as Dean continued, "Why couldn't you have left well enough alone?" She looked around at everyone standing before her, "You were happy."

Mary moved to stand in front of Angel, "Put the knife down, honey."

"You're not real." Tears filled her eyes, "None of it is."

"It doesn't matter. It's still better than anything you had. Two months, Angie. You've got two months left. This... This is everything you want. We're a family again. Let's go home."

Angel shook her head, "I'll die." Her voice broke, "The Djinn will... drain the life out of me in a couple of days."

"But in here, with us, it'll feel like years. Like a lifetime." Angel's eyes traveled to Jax who half-smiled as he nodded, "I promise." She took her chin in her hand, and she looked down on her, "No more pain or fear." She stroked Angel's cheek, "No burning in hell. Just love, comfort, and safety. Angel, stay with us." She stroked her other cheek as she leaned into her hand, closing her eyes, "Get some rest."

Jessica earned her attention, "You don't have to worry about Sam or Dean anymore."

Lisa nodded as she took Dean's hand, "You get to watch both of them live a full life."

Mary stepped away, and Jax walked up to Angel. He took her face in his hands, kissing her deeply.

"We can have a future together. Have our own family." Jax smiled down at John who was beaming up at Angel, "We love you, Angel. Please."

Sam and Dean each walked up to her, echoing what Angel said earlier to her father's grave.

"Why is it our job to save everyone?"

"Haven't we done enough?"

"I'm begging you." Sam breathed in steadily as he reached his hand out, "Give me the knife."

Angel looked at Jax, Sam, Dean, and Mary with tears in her eyes. Then she backed away as she studied the floor. Her heart broke at everything she was about to leave behind.

Raising her head she looked between her brothers, "I'm sorry."

Without hesitation, she thrusted the knife into herself. Blood immediately came out of her mouth as she dropped to her knees. Sam and Dean both rushed to her side, their voices filling her ears as blackness filled her vision.

"Angel!

"Angel! Angel."

In reality, Sam and Dean had found the abandoned factory Angel had gone into. They were horrified to discover their sister hanging from the ceiling like the other woman, eyes open and blank. A blood bag hung from an IV rack next to her.

"Oh God. Come on." Sam shook her hurriedly, "Hey. Wake up."

"Angel!" Dean shook her a little more roughly, "Wake up, damn it!" Angel moaned lightly as her eyes began to focus on her brothers and relief filled both of them, "Good, good. Hey. We're here, Ang."

"Oh, Auntie Em." A pained smirk played at her lips, "There's no place like home."

"Thank God." Sam grinned in relief, "We thought we lost you there for a second."

"You almost did."

"Oh god." Dean grimaced as he pulled the tube out of her neck causing her to flinch in pain and then he and Sam moved to free her wrists, "Let's get you down."

Angel winced and whimpered a little over the pain it brought before her attention was taken by two bright blue eyes appearing next to them as the Djinn came out of hiding.

"Guys!"

They turned around, preparing to attack the Djinn but the monster flung Sam across the room and out of the way before starting to grapple with Dean. The Djinn got the upper hand for a moment and got him to drop the knife as Angel tried to pull herself loose at the already mostly cut ropes around her wrists. After the Djinn pinned him to the stairs, his hand began glowing blue as he moved it towards Dean's forehead. Dean struggled, furtively pushing against his wrist and trying to stop him. When his hand was almost at Dean's forehead Angel appeared behind them and thrusted the knife into the back of the monster. She turned it with a grunt as Sam came too and as Dean watched the blue light go out of its eyes. It closed its eyes, head rolling down, and when Angel pulled out the knife, it fell to the ground dead.

Dean breathed heavily from being strangled as he straightened and looked over to his sister. She didn't look or feel good. Her skin was sickly and she was sporting red rimmed eyes as she stumbled back from the exertion of everything. Sam managed to move just in time and catch her as she fell unconscious.