Notes: This idea just kind of popped into my head a while ago. I love Death, and I love the angels, and I was like hey... what if?

But anyway... Not much more to say here, so... Yeah.

Chapter 1

Death is not a cool embrace after a war. He is not a comforting hand to hold as you are eased into the darkness. He will not come to you when you are lost and guide you to somewhere safe. When you call His name, Death will not appear with a welcoming home for you to return to.

Then why, they ask, did the angels abandon their Father for Him? Why did they run away to join Him with newfound pride, wanting only to please? Why would they leave such a warm and welcoming family?

Because Death does not come in the same form as God. He is distant and quiet, and does not come when called. He does not often come when needed, even. He is nothing like a true Father, so how could the angels possibly follow Him?

But it does not matter to the angels that Death hardly recognizes them. This only means they must try harder to earn His respect. This gives them a chance to become something greater. Death is better than God, and following Him will make the angels better as well. Death is older and wiser and more powerful. He can end what God has created. He has the final word.

So the angels turned their back on Heaven and ran. They left in small groups in the beginning, but are swarming towards their new purpose now. There are stragglers; they are the ones who are holding on tight to something. But everyone knows, including God, that every angel will cave. In the end, they will all join Death.

Cas, where are you?

Dean's voice stuck out in his mind, pushing past the ramblings of all of his brothers and sisters. Castiel ignored the prayers for the hundredth time, longing to touch down on earth, just to tell Dean why he wasn't coming. But he knew that would only make things worse. He couldn't bring any attention onto the hunter. They would come for him.

Castiel stood alone in a part of Heaven he called his own. No one ever came here, where the silence was as chilling as the breeze. It blew over his shoulders gently, ruffling his hair. There were bare trees all around, and the dirt beneath his feet was cold and frosty. It was lonely and vast, but this place was calming.

Here, all of the angels' voices were mostly muffled, too far away to be much of a bother. The wind made music when it drifted through the branches, rustling the few crunchy leaves that still clung to life. The air was clear and cool, and Castiel could close his eyes and let himself get lost in his thoughts without worrying if someone would catch him.

Right now, he was thinking about the past, because he didn't want to focus on the future. He thought about his family and friends, from Heaven and earth. He remembered the last time he saw Dean and Sam, when they called him down to have a beer and watch a movie. He didn't have any pressing matters at the time, so he agreed and sat down to join them. Really, he hadn't paid attention to the movie at all. He couldn't even recall the title or plot. But he could remember that Sam thought it was hilarious, and Dean had fallen asleep before it was over. That mattered more than the movie, anyway. It was real.

That was another reason Castiel loved being in this secluded forest. No one could hear his thoughts, so no one could know. And now, that was the most important thing on his mind. He couldn't let others see where Sam and Dean were. They'd find them.

He knew something was happening to the angels, he just didn't know exactly what. They were leaving, that he knew. Heaven was quiet now, and still, since they had begun to leave. He wasn't sure where they went, or why, but he knew what they were doing. It made him… Sad? Angry? He wasn't sure. But it made him feel something.

Worry. That was it. He felt worried, for himself, for other angels, and for the humans. The angels were leaving Heaven and joining a cause of some sort, and that meant they were killing off humans.

Castiel was trying to stay as far away from the dealings as possible. That meant becoming isolated and quiet, staying out of everyone's way. He didn't even hardly observe anymore; he would have to get close for that.

He had to keep them safe. He had to keep them from his mind. Castiel couldn't bear the thought of giving Sam and Dean away to the angels, letting them slaughter the hunters for some unknown purpose. It worried him more than anything.

Cas? Please…

Castiel closed his eyes and breathed out into the chilly air. No matter where he went, Dean's voice would follow. He always did pray too loud.

I can't, he wanted to reply, just once. Leaving Dean without an answer was what hurt the most. He would hear the hunter's asks for forgiveness, even though there was no need. Did I do something wrong, Cas? I'm sorry… Dean would say, and Castiel would force himself to stay away. It was nothing on the hunter's part. It was the angels.

A whisper made its way over Castiel. He almost thought it was a breeze, but his name was carried along with it. It was not Dean, nor any angel he had heard before. The voice was different. It was… soothing. He wanted to hear it again, but it had come and gone. Castiel laid one of his hands on the spot beneath his ear, feeling where the whisper had touched. It had been warm and comforting, though he wasn't sure why.

He ignored the whisper, and made his way to another section of Heaven, hoping to find a friend, any friend, who was still there. He kept Sam and Dean out of his mind, careful of what he thought. It wasn't hard, though. He was mostly wondering about the new, niggling sensation he felt at the back of his mind. He tried to ignore this, too.