And the rest is silence

With Angela possibly rescued the hunters started to divide the tasks.

"If you look in the bedrooms" Jack said to Sam, "I'll take the kitchen."

"I guess that means I get to sort through this mess" Dean sighed and looked around at the wrecked battle field.

They didn't even have to discuss what they were looking for – money. If the vampires had been selling Angela's blood for close to three months, there had to be a pile somewhere. It was Sam who found it. The leader had a cartoon box under his bed.

Dean whistled when he saw the fortune; "Boy, he sure wasn't afraid of burglars, was he?

After a brief search for other humans in the basement, where the thermal scanner hadn't been able to pick up anything, the hunters came to the conclusion that the nest had been "dining out" as Jack put it. And it was time to torch the place.

The Winchesters dragged the two still violently ill ex-vampires a fair bit away from the building and left them in the grass. Neither felt inclined to any acts of charity like leaving them blankets or car keys. They'd have to fend for themselves. Mack offered Angela to light the torch that would see her prison go up in smoke, but she just turned away and burrowed further underneath the blanket in the Impala's backseat. And it hurt Sam to see, because they still hadn't told her that she couldn't go home. At least not for a while. Not until they had figured out if she would be safe there or if other hunters, and vampires, had heard about her. It would be safer if she just disappeared.

The hunters had a last meeting before going their separate ways. But before they could there were two things to consider. The first one was the box of money. They all knew that the money belonged to Angela. But there had been certain expenses and Dean was adamant that the older hunters should get a share of it. After all, there was no pension plan involved in what they did, or medical insurance, so they had to take their income wherever they could. Jack shrugged and took a fist without counting. It didn't diminish the content in any noticeable way. Dean did the same and tried not to feel like a thief or think: blood money. But some things had to be done.

Then there was the matter of Angela's blood. The Winchesters promised they'd try to make her agree to go into hiding, but also to be available through someone if anyone needed a cure. It would have to be her choice though. And with those issues resolved the hunters said their good-byes, knowing that if they lived they'd meet further down the road again. The cars left as the flames leapt high, consuming the tinder dry building with hungry enthusiasm. Purifying as best it could and Sam prayed that some of it would reach Angela too.

Dean took them to a fast food drive-through and they got food and coffee, and then they continued on to a big parking space at a supermarket outside of town, and settled down for a heart to heart about Angela's future. It wasn't the best place or the best time, but it was the only option. Angela was pale and distant and it was apparent she held herself together while looking for a place safe enough to break apart in. She wasn't interested in going back to her work place and try to explain where she had been, and Dean told her what the newspapers had said. She just shook her head when they asked her if there were any friends she wanted to talk to before going into hiding for a while and try to figure things out. When Sam told her about Ellen she agreed to go there, and Dean promised they'd break into her house and take anything that looked valuable, and deliver it to her there.

Dean called Ellen on the road and asked her if she had a room for a homeless kitten, and that got Angela giggling. A little. But when Sam told her about the money she started crying. All in all it was a nerve-wrecking trip and the brothers were quite relieved when they reached Ellen's place. Fortunately Ellen didn't have any problems with damaged people and without commenting about the crying she ushered her into the house and got her settled in a room. Dean and Sam took up residence in the kitchen in the meantime and were in the process of clearing it out of anything edible when she came back.

"Alright boys, tell me what I am up against" she demanded and they did.

When they had finished she had a determined look on her face that told them that she was "one the case" and she'd see Angela fine. She also told them to get some sleep because she'd need their help on a hunt as soon as they had raided Angela's house.

"Yes ma'm" Sam promised and they retired to the bedroom they had had before.

Just before they fell asleep Dean called out to Sam; "Hey Sammy, you feel better now?"

Sam didn't have to ask what Dean meant. He had long ago learnt that nothing could ever be kept a secret for Dean. Not if he wanted to know. And he had picked up all Sam's feelings ever since the beheading of the young vampire. Now he wanted to know if he was in balance again, and had quit feeling guilty about his demon blood. Sam considered the question. Would he ever be absolved of guilt? He didn't know, and thus he avoided the question in best younger brother style. "Dean? Shut up and sleep."

This was met by a chuckle from Dean and the rest was silence. Apart from gentle snoring.

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Thank you for coming this far with me. You'll be happy to know that I've learnt my lesson and in the future I won't post any longer stories without a beta behind my back. Actually, I have a story in the process right now and my wonderful beta has already ripped a lot of it to pieces so I have good hopes of it being a lot better. Thanks for your support!