Hey ya cuties! So once again, because everything in my life is a songfic, I heard this song (I Will Follow You Into the Dark – Death Cab for Cuties) on shuffle this morning on my iPod and this story popped into my mind, I have been writing away all day! I hope y'all enjoy, make sure to review, I run on reviews like Moffat runs on tears. Also a quick shout out to my Friend wife, Alli. She got me started in writing fanfic, and I'm really glad she did. She has made me a better writer, and read almost everything I wrote, certainly anything I've asked her to. She is supportive, and beautiful, and wonderful. The best friend anyone could ask for. There are minor spoilers for Season 5 so far, but really minor. It really shouldn't spoil much. I think I'll leave it rated something like a T for now, but that is subject to change in later chapters, as I have been getting rather good at writing . . . erm . . . questionable things lately. And besides, who doesn't like to watch an angel fall? ;)

I Will Follow You Into the Dark

Chapter One: The Time for Sleep is Now

It had been a hunt, just like any other day. Not a world saving, end all, suicide mission hunt. Just a pissed off spirit in an attic in . . . somewhere Ohio? Dean had stopped paying attention to what city they were in months ago. They had been in the middle of a fight; Sammy was captured as a hostage, as usual. The ghost had Dean up against a wall; cold sandy hand gripping his throat, his iron poker had been knocked away from him. Why do the weapons always get knocked away? He started seeing black spots and he heard Sam screaming his name. He still wasn't afraid though, this was just a scene during any old hunt, and he had always gotten out of it before hadn't he? But then this ghost did something unexpected. It dropped Dean to the floor. He lunged for the iron poker, but the ghost grabbed both sides of his head and-,

"DEAN!" and then the world went black.

It had all happened so fast, Before Dean had even hit the floor, the spirit went p in flames and Castiel appeared beside Dean. The angel knelt down next to the crumpled man, and put two fingers to his neck. Sam watched on in horror.

"Is he . . .?" Cas shook his head, his eyes never leaving Dean. His hand strayed to Dean's hair, brushing it back off his forehead. It had grown longer recently, a sure sign of more hunts and less sleep. He took in Dean's peaceful face, almost as if he were asleep. Freckles dusted the familiar visage, his bloody lips parted, his eyelashes cast down over his unusually hollow cheekbones. He must not have eaten enough lately. Cas felt guilt. If he had checked in more often, he would've noticed these things sooner. He stared; startled at the empty shell of his best friend, but the thing that made him Dean was gone. It was one of Cas's favorite things about Dean. Es, he could see souls glowing from within all humans, but to him, Dean had glowed a little brighter than everyone else. Castiel thought about the last time he could remember Dean smiling. He had just gotten Cas to try something called a "big mac" and Cas had enjoyed it very much. Dean had grinned at him, and Castiel remembered that Dean's soul had glowed so brightly then, it was almost binding, filling him with warmth.

"Cas, fix him! bring him back!" Sam cried out, struggling against his bonds, his eyes boring into Cas's with a frantic intensity. Cas looked around the room, but this reaper was either fast, or hidden from his view. It must've already left with Dean's soul. Castiel cut Sam out of his bonds; Sam instantly launched his gigantic body across the room and to his brother, holding on to his lifeless form. He looked up at Cas again, tears now running down his face.

"Cas . . . you gotta bring him back man." Castiel wanted nothing more than to place his hand on Dean's head and heal him, calling his soul back into his body. But no, something larger was at work here.

"Sam, I will fix this . . . there is something I can't quite explain going on right now. But he wasn't supposed to . . . this wasn't supposed to happen." Sam looked up at him with so much hope. Hope that Castiel himself didn't feel. He decided it was time to pay the prophet Chuck a visit.

Dean looked down on the floor at his dead body.

"Oh no." He mumbled, feeling a presence beside him, he looked up. Tessa. Of course.

"Dean." She said sadly.

"Tessa . . . no. No. I have so much to do!"

"Haven't you done enough Dean?" He looked over to his brother, screaming his name, he watched as Cas appeared and brushed his hair off his forehead.

"Cas!" Dean screamed, but Cas just continued staring down sadly at Dean's empty shell.

"He can't hear you Dean. It's time." Tessa told him, a hand on the small of his back in a gesture Dean had seen her do too many times.

"NO! I have . . . Sammy . . . and Cas . . ."

"They will be okay without you."

"THEY ARE NEVER OKAY WITHOUT ME!" Dean screamed, canting away from the reaper. "Don't you understand? They need me! I . . . I have to be there for them! They'll die without me!" Tessa tilted her head to one side.

"Maybe someday, yes." Dean watched Cas cut Sam free, watched as his brother launched towards his body, tears in Sammy's eyes.

"I . . . I'll see Sam in heaven right? Eventually?"

"Most likely, if he doesn't do anything to warrant damnation." Tessa answered cryptically. Sam wouldn't do anything to warrant damnation. There had been a time Dean had worried about such things, but not now. Not his Sammy.

"and Cas?" Dean felt afraid of the answer.

"No. Not Cas . . . but you can always see memories of him."

"I don't want friggen memories! I want him!" Tessa shook her head sadly again.

"Angels don't go to heaven when they die Dean. It would be a bit . . . redundant."

"But doesn't he chill in heaven all the time?"

"Dean, you've been to heaven before. You remember how it was. Everyone has their own heaven."

"Yeah but Zach . . ."

"Was a special case, a higher up. And it still took him much too long to find you." Dean looked at Cas; willing him, begging him to look up. Just then Cas did, his eyes somehow finding Dean's.

"Cas . . ." he breathed.

"He can't see you Dean."

"I can't go Tessa! Not if it means I'll never see Cas again."

"Dean . . ."

"Sam I will fix this." Cas told Sammy, his voice almost more determined than Dean had ever heard it before. "There is something I can't quite explain going on right now. But he wasn't supposed to . . . this wasn't supposed to happen." Dean gave a grand gesture towards Cas and looked back at Tessa.

"See? This wasn't supposed to happen. I'm supposed to be alive."

"Everything happens for a reason Dean."

"I'm staying here Tessa." The reaper sighed.

"Maybe Cas will figure this out. But even if he does, he'll look in heaven. If you're left to wonder around here, he'll never find you." Dean glared at Tessa.

"Tessa we've known each other a long time, I'd even go as far as to call us friends." Tessa just fixed him with a leveled stare. "You wouldn't lie to me just to get me to go with you, right?"

"No Dean, I'm telling you the truth." For whatever reason, Dean decided to trust her. As Tessa once again placed her hand on the small of his back, Dean wondered at how he had never felt so alone. It was odd, he knew Tessa, liked her even, but her touch only made him long for his brother. For Castiel.