Annabelle awoke with a gasp, sitting upright and panting heavily as she tried to recover from what had just happened. Jake held her close to him as she clung desperately to his coils around her. She had just seen an angel. A powerful one who had just vowed to bring her to her sister. The young child felt tears forming as she sniffled and buried her face beside Jake's head. The rattler cooed gently and brought her even closer to him, his hellfire eyes closing as he tried to soothe the young girl as best as he could. She had been passed out for nearly two hours after what Wounded Bird had down to her. Jake had nearly killed him as he watched her eyes roll back into her school and her face grow pale as her body went limp in his coils. The crow in question now sat a few feet away from the giant rattler, holding his wing and keeping a weary eye on the young girl. Blood was soaking his feathers as he held his wound in an attempt to stop the bleeding. Jake had nearly torn his wing off in his fury, and the only thing that had stopped him from doing so was the soft noise of the little girl whimpering in his strong embrace. He cared deeply for this human child; more so than he had cared for anything after the death of his family. It was clear to the bird that he would do anything to protect Annabelle from the dark world around them, including killing whomever would try and harm her. But he had misunderstood Wounded Crow's actions. He was merely trying to help the young girl connect with someone whom he had seen in many times throughout his short life. She was a gentle soul who he knew would help the child find her family. It would just take a bit of coaxing from the child and himself. Despite how gentle and caring she was—she was also very weary.

"Annabelle," Jake whispered into the little girl's ear, "it's okay now. You're safe."

The little girl only whimpered and clutched onto him like he was the only thing keeping her grounded on this earth. He rubbed her back gently with his raddle and kissed her tear-soaked cheek. He was so worried that she wouldn't wake up. Despite what Wounded Bird had told him as she slept in his coils, he still had this aching fear within him that he would never see her again. He had no idea where she was sent to in her dreams. He didn't know if anything was harming her or if something was provoking whatever darkness was inside of her. As she slept, she had growled and struggled in his hold, clawing at him like some sort of animal. But than she just stopped. She whimpered and cried. Whispered something about her sister as if she were talking to someone in the room instead of in her own mind. Annabelle sounded so desperate as she spoke her sisters name. It saddened Jake to hear her sound so broken and hurt like that.

"I saw her, Jake," Annabelle finally spoke through her hiccupping sobs. "I saw the angel Wounded Bird told us about."

Jake frowned and pulled away from her a bit to look at the young girl. "What did she tell you, baby girl? Did she hurt you?"

Annabelle smiled and shook her head. "She was very nice to me. I got to touch her wings when she hugged me to calm me down. And…and she told me she is going to try and help me find my sister, Jake. She's going to try and show me where she is."

Jake let out a shaky breath, bowing his head and hiding his face beneath his hat. Whoever this supposed angel was better be telling the truth. Annabelle needs to be reunited with her family so that she can feel some sort of peace. The child has been suffering for such a long time and deserved to have some sort of light come to her. He hugged the girl tightly in his coils and felt her small hands trace his scales gently. He viewed her as his own child; a daughter that was given to him by some unseen force. If this mysterious woman was lying to her—if she was planning on harming Annabelle in any sort of way—he swore he would drag her down to Hell himself. Angel or not, Jake has lost trust in many.

"How do we know we can trust her," Jake asked in a low whisper, looking over at Wounded Bird who was getting his wing bandaged by Rango. "Who is this woman?"

The crow looked up at him calmly and stared straight into the snake's eyes. "She is kind and gentle. She will cause no harm to the child and will do everything in her power to help her."

"But how the hell do you know that?"

"I have seen her," Wounded Bird said. "I have watched her in my dreams just as Annabelle did. She is watching over Martha. She can't do much to help her, but she can try her best to get Annabelle to her."

Annabelle sniffled and looked over at Wounded Bird as he spoke. She was still very much afraid of him after what happened when they had first met. But he helped her find someone who was willing to help her. Someone who knew exactly where her sister was and what was happening to her. Autumn had told her that Martha was in a very bad place; a place that she didn't want Annabelle to go. However, despite what the angel had told her, she needed to go and find her. The crow was right about her being a caring and loving being. When Annabelle became controlled by that rage within her, a time when those around her feared her the most, Autumn had held her just as Jake has. She felt safe in her arms. She felt safe with Jake. Despite everything that has happened to her—despite what her uncle had done to her—she felt a spark of hope alight within her. She may finally be able to find her family. She may be able to feel their touch and their love once she was able to bring them to safety. She just needs to figure out how she is going to get Martha away from her captors first.

"When is this supposed angel going to show you where Martha is?"

Annabelle turned her attention to the sheriff, looking him over curiously as he walked cautiously over to where she sat in Jakes coils. "She didn't tell me. All she said was that she was going to try and help me."

"She must be careful," Wounded Bird croaked, wincing as he stood upright and holding onto his crutch tightly. "She will be going against many rules for you, Annabelle."

Jake furrowed his brows and narrowed his eyes at the crow, tightening his hold on Annabelle ever so slightly. "What do you mean by that?"

"Autumn is a guardian angel. She is simply meant to watch over Martha and not interfere with her path on Earth. She is not meant to meddle with anything that goes on with the living."

Annabelle let out a shaky sigh and traced her fingers over the rattler's scales. "I just want to see my sister, Jake."

"I know, baby girl," Jake whispered. "And I am going to make sure that you do."