Author's Note: Hey guys, I'm back! So after having gotten a BUNCH of reviews on my last story, First Kiss, I was totally flabbergasted! You guys totally made my freaking MONTH with those!

So anyways, like I said; if I get a bunch of reviews it makes me want to write more so I sat down to think of a new story filled with Destiel goodness. But I also wanted to try a few new things so this'll be my first multi-part story. I'm not sure how many chapter's it'll have but it shouldn't be a lot. Nothing it the double digits cuz when I read chapters stories I hate when they get to long and then the author starts to get infrequent with their updates and its a mess! So we'll see, anywhere from 4-7. It's more up to the actual story than me cuz these beasts have of mind of their own as all fellow writers know! XD

Also I'm going to have a lot more Sam in this story than others (actually, I don't think I've had Sam in my other stories...oops). You may notice I write him and bit more like season 2/3 Sam and that's because 1) I love Sam during those seasons! and 2) because I can! No seriously, we're not sure what type of Sam we'll get after his soul is put back in. I'm being stupidly optimistic and saying he reverts to awesome cute puppy!Sam of season 2/3 before the whole demon blood thing but he was still awesome and could kick ass and take names. Though I also won't act like the other season's haven't happened for Sam, just that he doesn't act like a emo douche with an addiction (which to be fair he was getting better in season 5).

Yup, so a multi-chapter story! Hopefully you'll like it. And yes, I actually do take reviews into account sometimes if a person has a really good idea/plot bunny and I always give credit. I won't make changes to an already existing chapter, but future ones can be tweeked. :D

Warning: This story is rated M overall! It's due to the language in the first chapter and violence in the later chapters (and possibly some smut as well).

Chapter Rating: T (Language and violence)

Also as I have no Beta all mistake are my own. Sorry! T_T

Music: And yes, the title from this story is from the song O, Death. The version and lyrics that kinda inspired this story are by Rani Arbo & Daisy Mayhem on their CD Gambling Eden (which is totally gonna have to be a title for a chapter now cuz that's pretty baddass). You can get it on iTunes or probably find it on YouTube. It's what I was listening to as I wrote chapter 1.

Okay! Now go off and read you crazy kids!

Disclaimer: No, no, I don't own SPN or the characters. Because if I did, Cas and Dean would totally be married to me and seeing as that's NOT true...yeah. Please don't sue.

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O, Death

Sam had never seen Castiel show any type of strong emotion. Well, yes he had seen severe depression and disappointment after the angel had learned that God wanted nothing to do with Earth and helping them try to defeat Lucifer. But he had never seen volatile or passionate, that had been saved for Dean.

And now that Sam thought back on it, he would have given anything for it to stay that way.

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One year after Sam's soul had been dragged out of the Cage and back into his body they were still fighting. Nothing different had been expected. Dean had just been happy to have his baby brother back and Sam was happy to see Dean happy.

When he had told Dean to go off and live that apple pie life he had meant it, because that was what Dean had always wanted. It was what both of them had ever wanted. Sam had gotten a taste of it in college and with Jess, now it was Dean's turn with Lisa and Ben. And while it was what Dean wanted, Sam now saw it wasn't what he needed. He needed to be a hunter, traveling constantly, staying nowhere long, killing monsters. He had been raised that way and it was impossible to change instinct. He could learn new abilities, like being a father to Ben, but Dean couldn't changed his desire to hunt and Sam knew that now. Because it was the same with him. Dean also needed him, and he needed Dean. They were each other's greatest strength and greatest weakness, and they didn't care.

Sam had also started to realize that Dean needed one other thing now; Castiel. His angel. A younger version of Sam might have laughed and teased his older brother about this, but after seeing Dean come back from Hell, he wouldn't dare. Cas was one thing Dean had never had before; a friend. There were two types of allies in the world of Hunting: family and fellow hunters. That was it. You didn't really get friends. Fellow hunters were just comrades who could die any day. If they were closer than that to you, they were family. Like Bobby, Ellen, and Joe. Castiel was none of these. At first he was Dean's guide and protector but after his powers started diminishing their relationship had changed. Sam was glad, Dean needed a friend and Cas probably did too.

"Yo Sammy!" Sam's head snapped back from where it had been pressed up against the window of the Impala. He looked over a Dean who was grinning, "Spacing out, bitch?"

"Jerk." Sam grumbled but smiled despite himself. The past year had been hard, but it had been nice too. The brothers had grown the closest Sam could ever remember. No soulless Sam, no apocalypse. Just them; hunting and fighting.

There was still the civil war Castiel was fighting with Raphael but he refused to let Sam and Dean get involved. Dean was furious about it, but Sam was secretly glad. Last thing he wanted was more angel shit to deal with. Besides, they had to search for Death about the whole "stealing/buying souls" thing for bailing Sam out of the Cage. Which reminded him...

"So Dean," Sam started, clearing his throat, "what did Bobby say about this place we're going to?" Dean glanced over to him and rolled his eyes.

"According to Bobby's contact some shady stuff been going down at this farm. Ten people from the town next to it have slipped into a coma for no apparent reason. And there have been reports of late night bonfires and weird noises coming from this place."

"You thinking demons?" Sam asked.

"Either that or some really fucked up humans." his brother replied, "Probably not angels though, they tend to do things behind the scenes. They'd never be this open."

"If its demons then no problem," Sam muttered, "we gank the suckers. But if its humans...?"

"Then we'll get to that when it comes." Dean gave him his patent devil-may-care grin and it was Sam's turn to roll his eyes, "Besides, we're just going to check it out right now. Nobody'll be there at 11 in the morning. We'll look around, get a scope of th' place and then come back tonight to see what exactly these bastards are up to."

Sam saw in the distance a small house with a barn about a hundred yards away come in to view and gave a smile of his own.

"Sounds good to me, man."

They stopped about a fourth of a mile away from the barn and got out there. Dean popped the trunk and Sam grabbed Ruby's blade, some holy water, and a shot gun loaded with salt. He saw Dean grab his favorite gun and another bottle of holy water. Sam looked down to the case where he knew the Colt was at.

"You think we'll need it?" he gestured and Dean shook his head.

"Nah, nothing's going to happen—or nothing that'll warrant that." Sam nodded, and it made sense. He was just over-thinking it. A silvery glint caught his eyes and he quickly stopped him older brother from closing the trunk.

"What's this?" he asked a pulled out an angel blade, exactly like the one Castiel had, "Dude, what?" Sam shot the other hunter a raised eyebrow, "You know we can't actually use this to kill angels, right? The whole 'only an angel can kill an angel' crap? Although I guess it does make a good ordinary blade—"

"It's the blade I killed Zach with." Dean said shortly. Oh yeah, how could Sam have forgotten? Besides the fact he'd been on the floor half passed out.

"That's right! You ever talk to Cas about that, man?" Sam put the blade back and saw Dean's eyes travel with it.

"Nope. Didn't see any reason to." Dean answered, "I figure it's 'cus Michael was in the middle of possessing me and so I had some of his angel mojo in me at the time."

Sam scowled at his brother and while yes, it did make sense, Sam felt it might be something more. Next time he got the chance he was going to ask Castiel, whether Dean wanted him to or not.

"C'mon man, what does it matter now? We're not going to fight angels." the older hunter pressed and Sam related, letting the subject drop. The two brothers turned from the car and walked quickly and quietly through the half-grown corn field up to where the large barn was, "We'll search the barn first because it's large and is our best bet to where these suckers are spouting out their voodoo." Dean whispered.

"The house second," Sam continued, "and see if they have a cellar, another good spot to summon a demon or keep souls."

They weren't really sure what they were looking for. If they could find any information on souls then great, but if not they could always just destroy whatever demonic or witchcraft stuff was going on because this definitely felt supernatural to Sam.

They scoped the outside of the barn quick enough and there was nothing out of the ordinary, but when they picked the lock on the doors and slipped inside they hit pay dirt. Bizarre symbols from at least ten different religions, as far as Sam could tell, were carved and painted onto the walls and in the center was a huge magical rune with candles, blood—the whole shebang.

"Shit." Dean cursed softly and Sam took out his cell phone, snapping a picture of the rune in the center. His brother shot him a bewildered look and Sam rolled his eyes.

"To send to Bobby." he sighed and did just that. Hopefully he could take a look at it and figure out what the hell they were getting in to.

"Well, certainly demonic." Dean said as he glanced over a table that was pushed up against a wall, a whole manner of things piled on top of it. Some magical, some not. There was more blood on it too, "But is this the work of demons or people?" Sam moved over to look at some of the books while Dean went closer to the rune circle, bending down to look at the candles.

"From what I can tell," Sam said after a minute of flipping through the first book he'd seen, "is that this is definitely about souls. More so about ripping them out of people from a great distance."

"That would explain the people in the city." Dean said.

"Yeah but it's way more than that, the ritual needed to do this is insane. I can't make out half the stuff required."

"I'm gonna go out on a limb here and say blood Sammy."

"Shut up Dean, its not just any blood." Sam sighed, "There has to be something special about it, I-I just can't make it out."

"Bring the book then." Dean suggested, "I've seen all I needed, we'll come back tonight to figure out if this is a human or demon's work."

"Or maybe it's both."

Both Dean and Sam spun around to the front of the barn where three men and a woman now stood. Of course their eyes were pitch black and they had to be demons. Sam pulled out his gun without a moment's hesitation and fired at the group. Salt should make them back off and if he could get close enough he'd murder every single one with Ruby's knife. Unfortunately the woman stepped forward right as Sam was pulling the trigger and yelled something out and the front of Sam's gun exploded.

He screamed as he dropped the weapon, his hand burnt, and fell back.

"SAM!" Dean yelled and made to move over but the woman yelled again and an invisible force seemed to kick his brother and sent him crashing to the ground.

"I wouldn't do that human." one of the male demons said as he stepped up next to the woman, "My girl here is possessing a witch."

Crap.

"Bullshit," Dean snorted, "a witch would know better, she would protect herself!"

Not necessarily, Sam thought. Small time witches who didn't really know what they were getting into could easily be tricked, but this one was powerful and she would know, or she should.

"Hey look, the human has some brains." another male snickered, "Too bad it doesn't matter."

"You're right, hunter." the woman said, "My host does know better, but when someone invites you in to their body..."

So that's what they meant by both human and demons. Human's freely allowing a demon to posses their body, especially a witch was dangerous. Sometimes, if a human was strong enough, they could fight a demon's control, or at least distract it. This wouldn't be the case if they let a demon possess them.

"So then what are you up to?" Dean asked, not getting up, making the demons feel like they had the upper hand. Which they did, but Sam knew his brother was also trying to get information out of them.

"Oh, I think you already know." the lead male said, "Don't think we don't know who you are Winchester. We heard you two were looking into souls. Looks like even humans know where the market's at right now!"

"Market?" Dean gritted his teeth, " You're also grabbing souls then? To sell them where? What can souls do?"

All the demons laughed at this and Sam felt his hackles rise, how dare they laugh at his brother! He pushed down the dark urge to rip one's throat open and drink their blood so he could tear apart the rest.

"And here human stupidity reigns! What can't a soul do?" the female laughed, "You two should know better than anyone, but you don't because that's just how moronic you are!" Sam couldn't stand it anymore.

"Shut the hell up!" he yelled and stood back up, unsheathing his knife and was glad to see the look of fear that came into the demons eyes.

"Oh look, kitty's got claws." the lead male smirked after a second. He turned to the female and stroked her hair, "How about we take pity on these humans and show them exactly what a soul can do?"

"I like the sound of that." the woman said and took out a blade of her own, stabbing straight through her hand. Sam and Dean both blinked and looked at each other confusedly for a second before the blade started to glow and the woman started a chant. The ground shook and Sam widened his stance to compensate, looking around for whatever would be coming. Then he remembered the rune circle, where Dean was laying.

"Dean!" he yelled as he turned and sure enough the rune sigils had started to glow as Dean stared down at it between where his fingers dug into the earth, "Dean, move!"

"I can't." And there was cold fear in his brother's voice that Sam hadn't heard in a long time. His body moved on its own to grab his brother but a force knocked his down and he saw the other two male demons had tackled him.

"Dean!" Sam screamed and flailed, trying to stab one of the demon but the blade was knocked out of his hands. He grabbed the holy water with his burnt one and smashed it against the closest demon, yelling as it stung his wound but glad as the demon screamed in pain and released him, bumping into the other one.

Sam scrambled up and raced towards him brother, who he could tell was struggling from his sprawled position from where he'd fallen. Before he could enter into the circle though the runes burst with light and pushed him back and Sam fell, where he was grabbed by the other two demons again.

Dammit this was getting him nowhere! Tendrils of light were seeping out of the circle now and most were heading towards his brother. There was only one thing left.

"Dean! Call Cas!" Sam yelled and his brother's gaze snapped up and met his. Sam would call Cas himself but the angel always seemed to come quicker if Dean called.

"Cas!" Dean shouted, "Cas get down here! No playing around, this is seri—" He was stopped abruptly by the lead demon, who had walked into the circle and clamped his hand around Dean's mouth.

"No calling your angelic boyfriend now." he chided, "That would ruin the fun!"

Sam prayed then, prayed that Castiel would listen to him because he would only be able to get out a few words. He and Castiel weren't nearly as close as the angel and Dean were but Sam considered Cas a friend and hoped Castiel thought the same of him.

"Cas!" Sam yelled, "Dean's dying!" And while that wasn't strictly true, he very well could be. Sam wasn't sure what would happen once the spell was complete and he never wanted to.

And damn if that wasn't the fastest way to get the angel down to Earth.

The lights at the top of the barn burst and crackled with energy and the slight wind the spell had been churning up increased tenfold. One of the demons slammed Sam hard in the stomach so that he coughed up blood but it was worth it to see a familiar tan trench coat figure appear at the back of the room. Sam had never seen Castiel look as angry as he did then, his coat and hair swirling in the wind, his eyes an electric blue.

And that was when Sam saw the wings. Or rather, the shadow of Castiel's wings. They were massive and fierce, flared as if in warning. When Dean had explained them to Sam he didn't do nearly the justice they deserved.

"Release him." And Sam could see the advantages of Castiel's rough voice instead of Jimmy's. The demons were no longer laughing or smiling.

The lead demon, who still was holding Dean's face, looked angry but not scared.

"Such an inconvenience." he sighed and then charged at the angel.

Sam renewed his struggle against the two demons holding him down and spotted his knife a few feet away. He lashed out with his foot and caught one demon in the face and threw the other one over his head and to the floor. Some times being tall and big had its uses. Sam snatched his knife and buried it deep into the chest of the demon he'd thrown. There was a spark of light and a snap of power and then the body stilled.

"Cas!" he heard Dean call and looked up to where the angel and head demon were fighting. Seeing as the demon was still alive against Castiel, Sam figured he must be stronger than a normal demon.

Castiel looked over to Dean and gave him a curt nod, "Hello Dean," His usual greeting and Sam almost laughed, "I'll be with you momentarily."

Sam was knocked over again by the other demon and lashed out with his blade, catching the monster's shoulder and it leapt back with a hiss as blood flowed out of the wound.

"Sam!" he heard Castiel called out, "You must take out the witch!"

And no shit Sherlock, but Sam knew Castiel was just trying to help. The demon charged at him and Sam dodged to the side, swiping with the knife at the exposed back but the demon dropped and rolled away. Sam ran to kick him in the-

CRACK!

The center of the rune circle had split open and if the shaking in the ground was any indication, something massive was trying to break through. They were running out of time.

Sam threw caution to the wind and literally flung his body at the demon, smashing into it and throwing it to the ground. The younger hunter rolled up and swung him blade down, deep into the stomach of the demon taking deep satisfaction as the creature twitched and died. Usually he felt pity for the humans inside but not this time, these humans let themselves be taken.

He had to save Dean now. Sam looked back to where Castiel was and saw the angel dodge one blow and then smash his fist into the demon's. Right, Cas was good. Now to kill the demon bitch. Sam charged at her but the demon snapped her fingers with her free hand and he felt white heat lash at him and send him flying into the wall.

She could cast more than one spell at a time? What the hell!

"Sam stay down!" Dean yelled at him, "She's too much!"

"Fuck you Dean, I'm not going to just sit here and watch her!" Sam shouted back as he struggled up, "You'd do the same thing!"

"Sam!" But Sam blocked out the rest of what his brother was trying to say and charged again but he was blasted back by the same attack.

Fine if that didn't work.

Sam switched his grip oh his blade and threw it with all his might. Unfortunately since it was his left hand, as his main one was basically useless now, his aim was off and buried itself in her leg. The demon gasped and fell onto her knee but then continued with the chant but it was then Sam realized she couldn't move and if that was so...

Sam started his own chant, of exorcism.

Before he could finish though (why did it have to be so long?) the demon sent another blast at him and sent him crashing against the wall again.

"Bitch!" he screamed and was about to charge again, because why the hell not, when there was an unearthly scream from the back. Sam turned to where Castiel and the demon where fighting but all he saw was the charred corpse of the demon. He turned back to the female except Castiel was there, a grip on her throat as he lifted her into the air, cutting off the chant.

"And now you die." the angel growled but the bitch only laughed.

"Fine by me, you're t-too late anyways." There was a flash of light suddenly from the center of the circle and Sam knew something bad was about to happen.

"Sam! The shield is down, grab Dean!" Castiel yelled and Sam was already running. Dean wasn't exactly in the center of the circle, he was a little off to the side, Sam hoped that gave him more time.

"Dean!' Sam yelled as got closer. Dean suddenly didn't seem paralyzed and jerked, turning towards Sam. He got up and stared down at the center of the circle, his eyes shimmering with something, and a large, ghostly skeletal hand shot through his chest.

"DEAN!"

The hand had come from the center of the circle and went straight through Dean like he was air, and then it just melted away and Dean's knees buckled and hit the floor. Sam was screaming when a white light burst from the ground and sent him flying. The wind was raging and thunder could be heard. Sam hit the ground and blacked out.

When he opened his eyes again the first thing Sam was aware of was the pain in his hand and chest. He rolled over and saw the demon witch a few feet away, her eyes burned out of her sockets, and very dead. Cas?

"DEAN!"

Sam spun towards the center of the room. Oh god, his brother...

What he saw made his mouth go dry. Castiel was leaning over Dean, one hand on his right shoulder gripping him tight, and the other cradling his head. The angel was shouting his name and shaking him, looking stricken.

And he was crying.

Sam had never seen Castiel show any type of strong emotion. Sure, he had seen the severe depression and disappointment after the angel had learned that God wanted nothing to do with Earth, but he had never seen anything volatile or passionate, that had always been saved for Dean.

The young hunter got up on shaky legs and stumbled over to his brother's body. Dean looked fine, there wasn't a scratch on him, he should be getting up right now and telling them he was ok, it had been close but the spell must've not worked and then start laughing. He should be...

"Dean?" Sam couldn't help the plea his voice as he grabbed his brother's shirt, wanting to shake him like Castiel had. Wait a minute, he and Dean had died before. Dean's soul must be in Heaven now, all Cas had to do was grab it and put it back in his body!

"Cas what're you waiting for?" Sam said, swallowing back tears, there was no reason to cry, "Go grab Dean's soul from Heaven and bring it back down here!"

But there was something wrong, because wouldn't Castiel have already done that if he could? Something cold and ugly settled in Sam's stomach.

"Cas?" he asked, sounding pathetic.

"I-I can't—" the angel stuttered and Sam had never heard him like this before, "Sam his soul, is—it's gone. I c-can't, I can't sense it anywhere and that should be impossible. We-we're tied, our bond..." Castiel paused and placed his forehead on Dean's. Sam's tears came then, silently, "I can feel his soul anywhere in Heaven, Hell, or Earth. I can-I should, but it's gone now. Th-there's nothing Sam, they destroyed his soul-" he couldn't continue and Sam didn't blame him because something had just hit him, and hit him hard.

Castiel loved his brother.

It probably wasn't in any way he or Dean could understand, and he hadn't shown it in a traditional manner but Sam could see it in the angel's eyes now. Heartbreak.

Sam cried loudly now, he couldn't help it. There was nothing he could do now. You can't bring back a person if there's nothing to bring back. There was nothing now. Everything that Dean had been was gone. Only an empty shell of a body that an angel and his younger brother clung to desperately.

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Sam drove down the long highway, trying to shake off his dark thoughts.

"Sam?" Sam looked at his passenger who sat next to him.

"Yeah Cas?" he asked.

After Dean's death Castiel had left Heaven. Not fallen, like last time, but cut his ties, much like Gabriel had so he had got to keep his powers. It didn't matter anymore if Raphael won, they couldn't restart the apocalypse with Dean dead. So Castiel had left and joined with Sam, swearing to never leave the younger man's side. Sam understood why, it was how the angel was honoring Dean, by protecting his younger brother. Sam didn't have the heart to refuse and it's not like that would have stopped Castiel anyways. The angel was as stubborn as Dean, a trait Sam was fairly certain Dean had given the angel.

They had burned the body at Bobby's house because it was the closest place they ever had to a home. Sam had cried like the girl Dean always said he was while Castiel hadn't said a word the entire day, or the next. Bobby had gotten completely shitfaced and then had cried like a baby while hugging Sam.

Now Sam and Castiel traveled together, driving and hunting across the States. Castiel didn't teleport as much anymore, usually opting to drive with Sam.

"You seemed to be drifting," the angel said, "do we need to stop and rest?"

"No, it's ok. Just got a bit distracted, sorry." Sam gave a quick grin and focused back on the road.

They still had a mission. Sam was hell-bent now on figuring out what this big thing with souls was. Maybe if he could figure something out he'd learned what happened to Dean's soul, or at least how it had been destroyed.

He had to, it was all he had left now.

He would find out everything about souls, then confront Death about it. Why had he sent them on this mission? And if he wasn't happy with the answer...he would simply kill Death.

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To Be Continued...

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A/N: Yes, I totally teared up while writing that last part. I'm a girl...well, actually I am.

So what do you think REALLY happened to Dean's soul? Please review! They make me write more and update sooner. X3