It had taken Dean several months to start feeling better, but something was still missing, something that left a pit in his stomach. Worse still was the concrete knowledge that Sam was hiding something.

"At least I don't catch you dazing anymore," Sam spoke up one morning on their way to Lawrence. Dean and Sam both had a yen to see it again.

"Do you know something?" Dean interrogated, taking his eyes off the road briefly to spy his brother.

"Something? I know a lot of things," Sam replied cryptically, then bit his lip.

"How about you list off everything you know, but let's narrow down the field a little: Tell me only what you know about the Succubus hunt two months ago?"

Sam bit down harder on his bottom lip until it bled. "I told you what I know."

"Of course, Sammy. But your bleeding lip tells me otherwise."

"Habit," Sam muttered.

"Habit when you're hiding something—specifically something from me. Now spill it or I swear to god I will thrust my foot up your ass!"

"Dean, I have nothing to tell."

"Give me a break! All I remember from that day was a really long sleep—too long. I'm obviously missing something!"

"You're not, Dean, I swear."

"This coming from the one who prays. And by the way, I heard you last night, and God was not on your address list. Were you calling Cas?"

Sam scrunched his face up in feigned confusion. "No!"

"Son of a bitch, Sam! You're acting so strange—wanting to forgive Cas, calling him during the night. Is something goin on between you two? Huh? Don't worry, I'm not judging you."

Sam's face flushed pink. "Nothing is going on," he defended.

"You're blushing, Sammy." Dean suppressed a laugh. "Man, the things you learn about your own brother."

"Shut up," Sam snapped agitated. "Seriously!"

"Fine, I won't say another word about it. But… it was obvious. Frankly, I'm surprised it took this long. You were always Lois Lane."

"Dean," Sam growled.

"I'm just sayin, dude… good for you."

"Dean!" Sam was pointing in front of him and Dean slammed his foot on the break, causing the Impala to skid to a dangerous stop. Standing there, hair long and unruly to match her expression was someone Dean never thought he would see again.

"Tessa?"

She came around the car and slid into the backseat. "Dean, it's good to see you."

"Sam, can you see her?" Dean asked.

The stunned Sam nodded. "Y… yeah.

Dean let out a breath of relief. "Okay, good. By the way, why can we see you?" He added, turning to face the young looking reaper.

"Because I'm letting you see me, Dean," she replied as nonchalant as always.

He glanced to Sam briefly, receiving a look of similar confusion before he breathed, "oh."

"What's with the social call?" Dean resumed. He had not seen Tessa since he had been under obligation to wear Death's ring in order to bring Sam's soul out of the pit.

"I would just like to talk," she murmured, pressing herself up against the back of Dean's seat. "I've been hearing things."

"What things?" Sam cut in, turning in his seat as well.

Dean started the car.

"Rumours that only you two can put to rest."

"Whatever you want, sweetheart, though Sam and I; we're the lowest on the totem pole when it comes to information about the goings-on of upstairs management." Dean replied with a smug snicker.

Sam's voice, however, sounded hoarse, reluctant when he spoke. "What are the rumours, Tessa?"

"Well, they're about your brother and a certain former god turned angel."

Dean laughed. "I knew it! Trust me, that's not a secret, anymore."

"Dean," Sam warned, but Dean could not suppress the grin.

"Aw, come on, Sammy, it was bound to get around eventually! The methods of communication are a lot faster up there."

"Dean, stop talking," Sam hissed, gripping Dean's arm. "Seriously, dude, stop!"

Tessa's voice interrupted Sam's now wordless warning. "The rumour is not about Sam; it's about you."

"Me?" Dean laughed.

"Yes, according to some reliable sources, you are supposed to be dead."

Sam was biting his bottom lip again, harder now. "I'm always supposed to be dead; That's what it'll read on my tombstone: Supposed to be dead since 2006."

"Right. However, that is only a portion of the rumour."

"What's the other… portion?"

Tessa cleared her throat, voice steady and stable when she spoke again. "Castiel saved your life."

Sam was now staring intently out the window on his side, wordless, motionless to the conversation happening around him. "I haven't seen Cas in almost six months so someone is either smokin' somethin' that is seriously messin with their brain, or someone is lying."

"The reaper who was designated to take you… well, let's just say you missed your appointment."

Dean glanced into his rearview mirror to spy Tessa's pale face. "And he or she or it or whatever, told you this?"

"Word for word."

"When?"

Tess unblinkingly answered, "August 28th, 2011."

Dean found that he couldn't retort. August 28th was the day him and Sam defeated the succubus. It was also the day he still could not remember no matter how hard he tried. The pit in his stomach began to ache worse than it ever had- something else that had begun on that day.

"Well, everyone is talking about it—monsters, demons, reapers and angels alike. Everyone except you, your very silent brother, and… Castiel."

"You asked Cas?" Came Sam's squeak of a voice.

"Yes I did, and others did too. He is sticking by the same story—nothing of the sort happened. It is just a rumour. If Dean did die, he had absolutely nothing to do with his resurrection because he has not seen you guys in almost six months. Your alibis are almost too tight."

Dean stared hard at his steering wheel, awaiting the moment when he could ream out his brother and shake the truth out of him. "You're not about to believe us that nothing happened, are you?" he asked to Tessa.

"No."

"Well, then off the record, if something did happen I am just as in the dark as all of you."

Tessa nodded. "I believe you, Dean, and even though I did come here to verify that the rumour is just that, I came here for something else, too."

"What more could you possibly want?" Dean sighed, rolling his eyes.

"Your help."

Both Sam and Dean looked back at her as though they were sure they had misheard. "You need our help?" Sam repeated, allowing Dean to get back to driving.

"Something is going on down here. Mine was the seventh appointment in Lawrence that has not been met."

"That sounds eerily similar to something else that happened three years ago. There are no more reaper rituals, right? No one wants to slice open a reaper under the full moon?"

"This is not a joke, Dean," Tessa snapped.

"I'm not joking, Tessa," Dean retorted. "Last time, we had to stop impending doom, and if I'm not mistaken, we saved your ass, too."

Are you going to help me or not?"

"We'll help you," Sam cut in before Dean could.

Tessa's voice was exhausted. "Thank you."

Unlike Tessa, the brothers had no choice but to stop into the nearest motel and nap for several hours. However, Sam could not nap. He stayed up until his brother was fast asleep before leaving to call Castiel.

"Have you ever thought about setting up an email address?" Sam asked when Castiel emerged on the boulevard. The look on his face was of complete confusion. "Never mind. We need to talk."

Castiel's expression softened considerably. "I was never supposed to see you again, Sam, nor was I to see Dean. Last week was supposed to be our final farewell. And yet you have called me at least twice more."

"I can't keep this secret, alone, Cas," Sam admitted. "It's hard enough keeping this from Dean when he can read me like a book. He knows I'm hiding something."

"The secret is only being kept for Dean's well-being. You can surely understand that."

"I can, but that doesn't make it any easier to keep."

"Do our talks help you?" Castiel asked, mouth pressed into a thin line as he examined Sam with those penetrating eyes.

"Yeah, Cas, they do."

"Is this why you called me tonight?"

"No," admitted Sam, clearing his throat before explaining, "Tessa knows about what happened with Dean three months ago."

"The reaper, Tessa?" Castiel responded, stepping closer.

"Yeah. Has she been interrogating you?"

"She has been interrogating everyone, Sam. No one knows but you and I and that is how I would like to keep it."

"Can't you just tell him that you saved his life so he doesn't have to keep looking at me like I'm keeping the world's biggest secret from him?"

"Look, I can't explain it, but you must trust that keeping this secret will potentially save Dean's life."

"So you're saying this is… the world's biggest secret."

"Possibly one of the biggest, yes."

Sam shook his head. "Thanks Cas, that's comforting."

"It is not meant to be comforting," Castiel responded with a puzzled expression.

"Sarcasm, man. I'm being sarcastic."

Castiel shifted a little. "Oh. I don't do well with sarcasm."

A silence fell between them and Castiel lifted his eyes to the sky as though expecting to be paged at any moment. "I'm sorry, Sam, but I have to go. There are many angels asking questions. I am forced to lie to divert them from a path that would lead them straight to Dean."

"Well… what now?" Sam muttered, crossing his arms.

"Just… keep an eye out. That is all I can say."

Sam nodded. "I still have to try and sleep. Something is goin on down here so we're helping Tessa to figure it out." Sam, acknowledging that the conversation was over, headed back to the motel room. The flutter of angel wings indicated to him that Castiel had followed and was now standing in the doorway. Dean was sleeping beneath the cover of his jacket. For a moment, Sam felt uncomfortable between these two, but as he watched Castiel silently cross the room and stand at Dean's bedside, he was embraced with warmth. Dean was being watched and protected by an angel. The angel pressed a hand on Dean's forehead gently. A slight stir, however and Castiel was gone.

"Jesus," Dean cursed, pulling himself up on his elbows. "Sam? You leaving?"

Sam replied, closing the door softly behind him. "I just needed some air."

"Where's Tessa?"

Sam climbed into his own queen-sized bed, folding his arms beneath his head. "Probably scopin the place out for potential deaths."

"Sam?"

Sam turned on his side to face his brother. "Before you ask, I'm okay, Dean."

"I wasn't gonna ask that, but… good to know. So… now that Tessa isn't here, you can tell me about your sudden sex change?"

With a gruff sigh, Sam whipped his pillow at Dean as hard as he could. Dean simply muffled a laugh beneath it. "You don't have to share all the gory details, just try to explain the transformation so I can better understand."

"Bite me," Sam countered.

"I'll let Cas do that… bitch!"

"Jerk!"

"I'm not tired anymore," Dean admitted, lifting himself up to gaze at the door.

"I am," Sam groaned, turning onto his stomach and burying his face into the mattress.

"Fine, I'm just gonna get me a well-deserved drink. You want anything, you know… besides your fluffy white winged lover?"

Sam arched his arms over his head. "I hate you."

Dean turned at the door. "I know."

Sam awoke several hours later to find Dean, opening the door slowly. "Guess who's here, Sammy."

"Hello Sam," greeted the toneless voice of Tessa.

"Out drinkin last night?" Dean teased her.

"No. I waited for my next appointment to arrive but he didn't show."

"So that's victim number 8. Lawrence is obviously playin the lucky card" Dean said returning to the whiskey he had left on the small night table next to his bed.

"Or they have a rogue angel here who refuses to play by the rules," Tessa suggested, eying Dean pointedly.

"You think this is Cas's doing?" Sam asked, bemused.

"He did it for Dean. Who knows? Maybe he has decided to throw the book out yet again?"

"It's not Cas," Sam defended, getting to his feet. "Look, Purgatory opened up letting out a lot of monsters. We have no idea what they all are or what they can do so our best bet is to assume it's one of them."

Tessa looked over to Dean as though to gain confirmation of this theory. "Sam's the smart one; I'm the saavy one," Dean told her with a shrug before finishing off his drink.

Sam grinned at Dean for his compliment.

"Fine," Tessa said, "so, what now?"

Sam slipped an FBI badge from the inside pocket of his jacket and flipped it up to show the reaper. "Now we do some investigating."

Dean noticed a change in Sam as they sauntered up the walkway to visit their first suspect; the eighth victim here to miss his appointment with Tessa. Dean decided to wait until they were on the road before asking Sam what was wrinkling his brow. A small man with a bit of a waddle in his step and a round belly opened the door to the brothers. Both adopted an heir of importance. Besides, they were Feds now.

"Hello. You Crane Watershed?" Sam greeted.

"Yeah," the small man replied in a voice that was infused with helium, or at least it sounded like it was.

"I'm Agent Paige, this is my partner," he motioned to Dean, "Agent Parker. We have a couple questions for you."

"Questions? Why? Did I do something wrong? Am I in trouble? I swear I was gonna get a fishing licence; I just forgot! Why would they send the FBI for something like that, huh?"

Dean felt an elbow cut under his ribcage. His giggles were getting out of control.

"Are you alright, Agent… Parker?" Crane asked, but Dean had to retreat, and with a cough into his hand, he pretended to be sick. Sam covered.

"He hasn't been feeling well the past couple days."

"Oh…"

Dean could feel Sam's eyes boring into him, wordlessly demanding him to grow up. He could hear Sam explaining to the small man that he was investigating some leads on a case that was being kept secret.

Again the small man moaned, "Oh" with a nod before letting Sam inside. Dean eventually followed.

"Nothing unusual happened yesterday," Dean heard Crane explain to Sam. "But you know what? I did feel like I was being followed. I don't know why, it was just a feeling, you know? But when I turned around, there was no one there."

Dean inched into the living room, meeting the eyes of his agitated brother. "I'm good," he mouthed to him.

"How old are you?" Sam mouthed back.

"Come on!"

"Feeling better, Agent?" asked Crane in genuine concern.

"Yep," Dean replied, nodding brusquely. "So, who do you think might have been following you?"

Crane shook his head. "Honestly, I don't have the faintest clue. This is Lawrence, nothing happens in Lawrence, right?"

Dean and Sam were compelled to exchange knowing glances. "How do you feel now, Crane? Do you feel empty? Tired? Suicidal?"

Sam tensed to this last one.

Crane's deep blue eyes lifted to Dean's. "All of the above," he whispered weakly. "H… how would you know that?"

"Personal experience. We've been looking for this stalker for a very long time. Any other info would be incredibly helpful."

Crane stood, approaching Dean with eyes wide. "I don't know if this helps you at all, but I always feel this urge to go to Church, specifically, the one here."

"Interesting."

"And perfectly normal," Sam resumed, getting up from the polyester couch. "Thanks for your help, Crane." He turned pat Crane's arm. "It gets better, alright? Trust me."

"Thanks Agent Paige," squeaked Crane.

"Why would you tell him that?" Dean asked once they had closed the door behind them.

"What?" Sam replied.

"That it gets better?"

"Because he needed some comforting words."

"Those comforting words are a bunch of lies, you know that. It doesn't get better, it gets harder, more painful, and the pit grows deeper until you're sure it's gonna swallow you whole."

Sam paused on the boulevard. "Look, Dean…"

"It doesn't matter. Let's just take a drive down to the church."

"Sure," Sam muttered, climbing into the passenger's side.

There was a growing silence, a tension that thickened like fog between them. "I thought about ending it you know," Dean started in a torn voice. "At times, the urge was so strong that I couldn't think about anything else. I could have done it…"

"But you didn't," Sam finished for him.

"We have to stop whoever is postponing the appointments," Dean growled. "Or we are going to have a lot of suicidal residents."

They arrived at the church to find that Tessa was standing at the doors. She revealed a calm that Dean did not expect to see.

"Tessa?" he called, climbing out of the car to approach her.

"I found the monster. He's inside," she murmured and walked in ahead of them.

"It would've been nice if you had given us the head's up," Dean called after her. Sam followed Dean's quickened pace but his stomach was turning as an indication that something was definitely up. Standing on the carpet that led down into the church, he grabbed his brother's arm, wanting to tell him that he didn't feel right about this, that they should leave, but he didn't get one word out before the large oak doors slammed shut behind them.

Tessa stalked through the inside doors, with two men following her—one of those men was Crane. "Hey," Dean recognized, but Sam threw himself at the small man only to be stopped cold. Crane and his buddy approached Dean upon Tessa's nod and they grabbed the hunter's arms. Tessa's voice was only slightly apologetic. "I'm sorry Dean, but I've been hearing things, and I just need to be sure."

"Don't," Sam yelled, struggling against the invisible glue that had him permanently stuck to the floor.

"Castiel," Tessa called lightly. "I have your precious commodity. It would be best if you spilled all your secrets so that nothing bad happens to him."

"What the hell," Dean hissed, struggling against the binding grip of his captors. "I thought you needed our help!"

Tessa approached him, pressing a hand to his cheek. "I do need your help, Dean. I need answers, and this is the only way I'm going to get them." She glanced up a second time. "Castiel, please be smart about this. I like Dean and I do not want to have to harm him."

A flutter of wings indicated to Sam and Dean that Castiel had answered. "Tessa, this is betrayal, treason. You understand that?"

Dean hadn't seen Castiel in six months, but for some reason, he was flooded by a vast amount of warmth. He looked over at Sam, but Sam was unable to move despite his efforts. "What the hell is going on?" Dean finally demanded through the thickening silence.

"You, Dean Winchester, are very special," Tessa explained, approaching him to press a hand on his cheek. "The rumour is not just that Castiel here saved you but that… you are now the Davinci masterpiece of souls."

Dean kept his eyes off Castiel when he spoke again. "I still have no idea what is going on." He turned his eyes helplessly to his brother, "Sammy?"

"It's just a rumour," Castiel snarled angrily at the reaper.

"Yes, of course; however, it has been spreading since the day Dean came back from the dead… again."

"I told you all I know!" Castiel hissed.

"Yes, well, I've just recently learned that angels lie," she retorted. "Did you bring him back from the brink of death?"

"No!"

"Castiel…"

"I said no!"

She stepped alongside Dean, tracing a finger along his cheek. That one touch was enough for Dean's knees to buckle. "If you do not tell me the truth, I will kill him."

Castiel looked as though he was going to remain steeled against her no matter the threat,

but as Tessa added one finger at a time to Dean's skin, he was feeling more and more weary.

"Why would you kill him?" Castiel demanded angrily, "What would you gain by it?"

"You tell me," she countered.

"Fine… let him go… and I will tell you," Castiel bargained now.

"I'm not letting him go, Castiel. In minutes he will be dead, unless you tell me everything I want to know."

"Cas! Damnit, Cas! Tell her," Sam hollered. More hulky assailants joined the first two in restraining Dean.

Castiel sank his head in defeat, fighting not to look at Dean as he confessed, "Yes, I saved his life… again."

"And what about his soul?" Tessa pressed anxiously.

Castiel nodded weakly. "He does possess the infinite soul—the Davinci masterpiece of souls as you call it."

"The most valuable soul? And Dean Winchester—this proverbial thorn in everyone's side, has it?"

"He does, yes."

"Why?"

Castiel's answer was quick, concise as though he had been ready for this question, had been mentally and physically preparing for it. "I don't know why. Honestly, I don't care to know why."

"This is big, Castiel. Everyone—angels, demons, monsters, even Death himself—has been looking for this. Do you understand what having this soul could mean?"

"No," Castiel muttered.

"I do. This is unlimited, pure, energy, pure power. This soul is all anyone would need to finally succeed the absent God."

"Tessa, I suggest you leave."

"You did it once," she argued, facing him with her hand now hovering close to Dean's cheek. He was still too weak to stand on his own so Tessa's cronies had to hold him up under the arms. "And you nearly succeeded, but all other souls lose their juice, don't they? You can't be the head honcho without the unlimited power he possesses. I have been a grunt worker for far too long. I deserve the status upgrade."

Dean coughed, clearly confused. This all had to do with his soul? "Cas, can you please fill me in on what's going on?"

"Tessa, I'm sorry you are no longer content with your job, but you cannot just take Dean's soul," Castiel responded, ignoring Dean's plea.

"Since when did my soul become the friggin Taj Mahal? You all understand that what's happening here is crazy, right?

Castiel barely glimpsed Dean before putting himself between him and Tessa. "I will do what I have to to make sure he is not harmed."

"Come on, Cas, we were friends once. You have to understand my side," Tessa whimpered.

"I understand your side and I empathize, but if you try anything, I will kill you."

Tessa frowned. "Then you will have to kill me, angel." In a puff of black ash, she vanished then in a blink reappeared behind Dean, taking him out of the grip of her cronies. "We were close, Dean. I will always appreciate your support, but you understand why I must do this."

"No," Dean howled. "I don't understand! All I get is that you have all lost your friggin minds!"

"Tessa, this is your last warning," Castiel threatened.

Tessa was so close to vanishing that Dean felt dizzy but before he could be sped away from there, a gasp then a gurgle was heard. There was a blast of light followed by a loud thump. The others that had been her backup were gone in a wink. Dean gazed down at the heap on the floor that had been Tessa before he caught sight of a familiar arched blade being clutched in Castiel's steady hand.

"Dean," he gasped, catching the bemused hunter before he could strike the floor of the church. "Are you okay?"

Dean limply looked up into the eyes of the concerned angel. "No I'm not okay, Cas! What the hell is going on?" He shouted, but his effort was weak.

"I have something to confess," Castiel whispered.

"It's not about my soul suddenly being valuable enough to kill over, is it?"

"Yes, it is," he muttered.

"You still do not get sarcasm," Dean muttered.

Sam expected Castiel to tell Dean everything, including filling in the missing pieces of his memory about the night with the succubus and the fateful kiss that led to all this craziness, but Castiel edited most of it out, only emphasizing the fact that Dean owned a soul that, to all creatures in Heaven and Hell and in Purgatory, was the commodity of the millennium.

"So that's it; I have a soul that is now up for auction?" Dean tried to stand on his own but Tessa had done a number on him so both Sam and Castiel helped him leave the church.

"It is not up for auction, Dean," Castiel assured. "Sam and I are doing all we can to protect it and you."

"This doesn't make any sense, Cas. Yesterday my soul was worthless. What's changed?"

"Look, the details are not what's important. What is important is that you try and refrain from getting yourself into trouble."

"What?" Dean laughed. "I'm a hunter. I look for trouble; it's my job."

"You need to take a vacation for a while."

"I took a year-long vacation. You do remember how that turned out, don't you?" Dean alluded to his ill-fated stay with Lisa and Ben, his attempt at being normal, and looked over at Sam for backup, but Sam could give none. If a reaper was willing to die for Dean's soul then they were in way too deep already. "Look, I'm not gonna give up hunting just because my head is back on the chopping block. Best thing I can do is find evil and kill it. In the meantime, I'll remain cautious if that makes you feel better."

"It doesn't," admitted Castiel.

"Well, regardless…" Dean muttered, grabbing the hood of his car for balance.

"Regardless, I'm here… if you need me," Castiel interrupted, grabbing Dean's shoulder to help steady him. Sam was compelled to exchange worried glances with Castiel.

Dean sighed. "Yeah Cas… I know."

The shaken angel left them in a rush of wings, leaving Sam to grab his brother's tense shoulder. "Dean?"

"That was weird, right?"

"What was weird? I didn't notice anything weird."

"Give it up, Sam. I caught him staring at you. I have to admit as weirded out as I am, I'm starting to warm up to it."

"You know what," Sam started, almost expecting the secret he had been keeping to spill out in his annoyance.

"What?" smirked Dean.

"Bite me!"

"Relationships are hard, Sammy boy, but I'm sure you two will get through those rough patches just fine!"

Sam was surprised to find Castiel outside of Bobby's house several hours after they had arrived there. Without telling Dean or Bobby, he escaped to confront the angel. "Come here often?" Sam joked. Castiel was sitting on the hood of a particularly run-down green mustang.

"Only to think," Castiel replied, lifting his head a little. He eyed Sam intently. "I have to keep my distance… to protect him."

"I didn't know that souls can run out of energy," Sam admitted with a small shrug.

"Energy is just a composition of love, hope, fear—all those emotions that make you who you are, Sam. However, there are those souls that are much more valuable. Dean's soul is just as Tessa described—so valuable it must be kept under lock, key, alarm and glass."

"What is my soul worth?" Sam was forced to ask.

Castiel pressed a hand on his shoulder gently. "You are a priceless human being."

Sam snuffed and threw Castiel's hand off. "So mine is cheap, like a pack of gum."

"I wouldn't say that."

"Of course you wouldn't. I have a good soul, though. You let your hot shots upstairs know that."

Castiel nodded. "Of course, Sam."

"Are there other souls like Dean's?"

There was a look exchanged between them, a sad acceptance to the secret he could not reveal in too great of detail. "Love is pure, untainted, but true love is… impossibly rare. Achieving it is about as easy as winning the lottery and even that is an understatement."

Sam felt his heart race with this new knowledge. "You're not telling me something," Sam noted.

"I am not telling you a lot for fear that anyone could be listening."

Sam could only nod in understanding. "So, you…"

"Yes," Castiel finished for him.

"Honestly," Sam chuckled lightly, "it explains a lot. You did a lot on account of him."

"I cannot think of one thing I did not do."

Sam crossed his arms. "I remember you doing things for me."

Castiel's expression melted into one of guilt.

"Oh… you did those things for me because of him."

"I still consider you a good friend, Sam—possibly even family, a brother. And I will still protect you as I always have. Nothing's changed. Nothing ever will."

"When Dean finally knows, when his memories are finally recovered, everything will change, Cas." The look in Castiel's eyes was deeply saddening. "Why didn't you tell him? Back there, at the church, that was the perfect time."

"I will only add fuel to the flames, Sam. It is bad enough that he knows about his soul; he does not need to know the reason."

"You don't think he'll understand?"

"That's not…" Castiel dropped his head with a sigh of hardship. "He is in an immense amount of danger now. Demons or angels or anything else learning what we know would be disastrous on so many levels. I cannot even speak the words for fear that someone is listening."

"Cas," Sam started softly, "when did this even happen?"

"Ironically, six months ago, after I performed the ritual that nearly destroyed me and half of the planet."

"That is definitely ironic."

"Sam… your soul is not worthless," Castiel murmured. "I know you have been thinking that but you are wrong. Yours may not be under lock and key, but it is valuable none the less."

"Uh… thanks."

"You're welcome."

"So I'm more like a couch than a pack of gum."

"A big-screen television," Castiel corrected with a slight grin.

"A sixty inch?"

"Yes."

"I feel better," Sam admitted, returning the smile. "I'm gonna go in, maybe smother Dean in his sleep. Are you gonna be out here long?"

"I'm not sure yet."

"I'll check on you in a couple hours then."

Castiel's eyes narrowed. "Why would you… smother Dean in his sleep?"

"Because he's valuable, and I wanna take a chunk of the Dean pie," Sam joked.

Castiel's laugh was rare and it tended to cheer Sam up so he was happy to hear it right then. "Goodnight… Sam."

"Goodnight, Cas."

Sam tossed and turned that night for reasons beyond his understanding. It made him feel better to know that his soul was worth a little more than had been originally thought, but now he was feeling something new, a tingling sensation that acted like an electric shock when he remembered the words he had uttered to Castiel without fully realizing the implications. When Dean finally knows, when his memories are finally recovered, everything will change. He was becoming closer with Castiel, even so far as sharing a life-changing secret with him, but the angel's profound bond was with Dean. Sam of course welcomed Dean's happiness upon learning the secret, but learning it meant a change in everything Sam had become accustomed to. Dean turned to him when he needed assistance. Dean relied on, trusted and leaned on him, but once the secret was out, that would all change. It was already changing. Suddenly, the secret was to be protected at all costs if he had any chance of remaining little more than a blip in his brother's life.

Please read and review. :) This series will be nine parts- a tribute to the nine lives of Dean Winchester as well as the love between angel and hunter. Enjoy! This is for all the fans who LOVE or can even just appreciate this ship.