For my sister at heart Samantha! =) Thank you for all your support, life-saving emails and hours of fun conversations! =)
And thank you all for reading, reviewing, alerting and favoriting! There'll be an epilogue up soon! =) I've got to admit that I'll shed a few tears for soulles Sam when soulful Sam comes back in two weeks... But man, am I glad Supernatural will finally be back then. I'm having serious withdrawal symptoms, if you can relate...
Let Rome in Tiber melt, and the wide arch
Of the rang'd empire fall! Here is my space,
Kingdoms are clay; our dungy earth alike
Feeds beast as man. . . .
Antony And Cleopatra Act 1, scene 1, 29–36
They had been up in the air for precisely three minutes when they ripped the clothes off each other's body.
"This gives a new meaning to 'taking you higher than you've ever been before'." June remarked as she dug her nails into Sam's back. He'd roughly pushed her up the bar of the private jet and impatiently tugged her jeans down.
"You always have to comment on everything, don't you?" He growled and tore her shirt off.
"Just admit you don't have anything original to say."
"Oh, princess, I wouldn't be so cheeky if I were you… you might regret it."
Sure enough, June was soon lost in moans and cries of lust. It was a raw, quick and intense fuck; but then again, not like they really knew anything else.
"Well, we'll tick plane off the list," June just remarked as she pulled her shirt over her head again.
"You've got a list of places you want to get laid?" Sam arched his eyebrow in a mixture of contempt and disconcertment; but surprise and intrigue surely mingled into it, too.
"You don't?" June replied matter-of-factly, got up and walked over to the now slightly disarrayed bar. She rummaged through the bottles, found some glasses and poured them two shots of whiskey.
"All that from the girl once claiming to wait for the one worthy," Sam took the whiskey from her with a triumphant, ironic smile.
"Oh, sugar, I'm still waiting for that one guy, I'm just passing the time until then with B-stock." June kissed him roughly and sat down beside him.
Somewhere along the way, she had grown comfortable with having Sam close even when they weren't having sex. That didn't exclude those moments when she wanted to tear his heart out, but they balanced each other out pretty well.
"June, really. All your life you never had anything but first class, and you know I'm no exception to that." He pulled her towards him and kissed the taste of whiskey from her lips heatedly.
"You know how little I stick to my own principles, Sam. I ditched first class; you're the best example of that."
"Because you're an unprincipled hussy."
"And you like it."
"You're bringing Sam's soul back," Dean stated blankly in disbelief.
"Yes, indeed I am. I had planned on bringing your other brother's soul back, too… but Sam and his girlfriend got in the way of that. So it'll only be Sam."
"But you said you made a deal with him-"
"I did," Death interrupted, patience wearing thin. "And if you would just listen, Dean, you would understand."
'Listen,' Dean huffed contemptuously, 'My brother's soul is on the chopping block, and he needs audience for his monologue.'
Dean kept quiet, though, as much as the accusations and questions burned on his tongue.
"Although I am Death and supposedly omniscient, the soul business is a peculiar one. What is a soul, what makes it special, all those questions, I want answers to. I can't, however, seeing as my job is delivering the souls, not perform experiments on them. So that will be your job; any information on souls; you find it, you tell me. Your brothers Adam and Sam were supposed to help you with that; as I said, however, it will now only be Sam."
Dean bit his tongue to keep from shouting out the question how the hell that was supposed to work without backstabbing one of them.
"Now, I made the deal with Sam that I would not bring his soul back to his body."
And the puzzle pieces fell together to form a picture.
"You were going to do a body swap," Dean stated, not knowing what to think, "Put Sam's soul in Adam's body and the other way around."
Talking about one messed up version of 'Freaky Friday'.
Death looked at him dis-interestedly. "Yes, indeed."
"Great, awesome, so what's the problem in bringing them both back?"
"Sam performed a rather perfidious ritual that makes his body uninhabitable for a soul. I believe you'd rather not like to hear the details."
Dean closed his eyes and shook his head. Somebody wanted to go on a murder spree, fine, but not with his brother's body. Not in the body he'd seen grow up with him… As a hunter he knew best, though, that appearances aren't everything. Once he realized that, he felt the full weight of his brother's soul being tormented in hell being lifted off his shoulders – he would self-loathe later about deserting Adam.
All that mattered was that he would get Sammy back.
"So," Death rose, "Back to business, then."
June paid the pilot in cash; Sam had only ever seen that amount of stacks of money in thrillers and cop shows. He wondered how long June's money would last them and when he'd have to resort to credit card fraud again.
Knowing June, though, she probably had made some smart investments that would add considerable amounts to her fortune so that they could easily afford a very nice lifestyle for the rest of their lives.
After having exchanged a few last words with the pilot, June marched over the runway – or rather, an uneven road in a field - and looked at Sam challengingly as she came to a halt in front of him. "Shall we, Romeo?"
"Keep dreaming, Juliet; I wouldn't kill myself for you."
"Ha, I wouldn't even pretend to die for you in the first place. Now get your fine ass moving, I'm starving."
Sam opened his mouth to reply to that, but June was ahead of his kinky rejoinder: "Not for you. This time, anyways."
Sam smiled and followed June off the 'private airport', as this ramshackle hangar was generously called, to a car parked at the side of the road.
"Where are we, anyways?"
"Awww, Sam!" June sounded as if he had just declared his love – well, she sounded like a normal girl would if a normal guy declared his love for her. For the two of them, June's tone was a clear announcement of a crushing comment to come. "You're only asking now? So you trust me to lead the way! How sweet!" Her eyes burned into his as her tone started to sound more like a cat whose tail had been stepped on. "After all I've gone through for you, you turn into a mushy Romeo?"
"Most definitely not, princess. I knew even you wouldn't manage to get lost on a plane, so I figured it'd be fine for the time being. Now that we're back on solid ground, I trust you about as much as I'd trust a trickster. So, really, me asking was just to find out if maybe I should shorten you by a head's length."
"Well, we're in Cuba." June wrapped her arms around his waist and looked up to him, "Satisfied? And don't pretend you don't like every single inch of me."
Sam smiled faintly, traced her jaw with his fingertips and kissed her unusually softly. "Why Cuba?"
"Uh, let's see: Close proximity to the USA, which is a plus considering corrupt pilots cost per mile these days and it allows us to keep tabs on what's brewing other there. Then, a rather conveniently lose government and ferry connections to international airports should we need to bail ship again. Good, warm weather and nice beaches. Need I go on?" June didn't wait for his reply, but opened the driver's door and got in. Sam rolled his eyes and followed her into the undoubtedly Daddy-financed car. If Mark Hallberg would know what his daughter spend his millions on, he would turn in his grave. He still might; in this world, you never knew.
"You would fail royally in life without your inherited money, June."
"True. But you know what? I don't have to worry about that, because I have the money."
"At least something that makes up for your lacking personality."
June whipped her head around and glared daggers at Sam. "I don't lack personality; it just doesn't sit well with you that I'm not an obedient lap dog and I can actually put up with you!"
"You certainly don't lack self-deception," Sam cocked an eyebrow.
June swerved the car around the corner especially sharply, and bit her tongue in frustration about not finding a reply to that.
"Who's out of original replies now, princess?"
June knew better than to say 'Bite me', so she just drove in silence for two minutes before casually mentioning: "I suppose you don't mind me having booked a five-star hotel to make up for my lacking personality."
"At last; there's finally one character streak to like about you."
"Last time I checked you didn't fuck my outstanding personality, but rather my luscious body, so why would you care, anyways? Unless you want to discuss Voltaire and Rousseau after sex, it shouldn't matter, right? "
Sam shook his head with an amused smile playing around his lips. "June, really. Just because I don't have a soul doesn't mean I don't have certain demands."
"I feel flattered," June shot back dryly. "I'm meeting the requirements of a soulless guy, well, if that ain't something to add to the resume. Oh, and I'm following demons and werewolves, that surely will add to my qualities, too. Yeah, Sam, real high standards you've got."
"You do fall in line nicely with all the other monsters."
"What does disassociate me with them is that I survived sleeping with you. Your trail of dead lovers doesn't really speak for you, Sammy."
"Your lack of a trail of lovers doesn't speak for you, either."
June had to smile. When she risked a side-glance at Sam, she saw he had a predatory smile on his face, too.
"Think you can half-way manage not to appear like the low-brow brute you are?" June asked as she parked the car in front of the hotel.
"Think you can half-way manage to appear like the upstanding and respectable lady of the society you're not?"
June smiled, leaned over to kiss him and breathed: "Watch me." She elegantly stepped out of the car and cat-walked into the lobby after she'd tossed the keys to the valet. Sam, following her leisurely, had to admit that June held a certain amazement, the way she moved in these exclusive locations completely oblivious to her unsuitable appearance – ripped jeans, rock band shirt – and her rough company.
June leaned on the reception desk and said in the detached, distanced voice she had perfected over the years: "Good evening, I've booked a room in the name of Hallberg and would like to check in."
"Good evening, Mrs Hallberg, welcome to Aurora Resort." The receptionist greeted professionally and quickly typed something into the computer. "We have reserved one of the houses by the beach for you and your husband."
"He's not my husband," June smiled, feeling Sam's eyes on her back as he approached her from behind, "He's just my lover for this season."
Sam slapped June's ass and slid his hand underneath her shirt; and then revelled in June's smile turning forced as she bit back a snappy insult and in her obvious desire to wrench free from his licentious touch.
The receptionist avoided looking at the strange couple in front of him that absolutely didn't fit in and instead rattled the usual speech he gave new guests: "Breakfast will be served any time you wish, and we'd be happy to see you in our restaurant for dinner. We supply a list of recommended restaurants in the area, should you wish to go out. Our beach bar is opened from 8 p.m. to 2 a.m. If there is anything we can do for you, please don't hesitate to ask."
"Oh, my girlfriend isn't the hesitative type, don't you worry."
June took the key from the receptionist, smiled, and discreetly kicked Sam, regretting she wasn't wearing heels so that it would have hurt. "Thank you."
"Enjoy your stay."
"Oh, we will."
June took Sam's hand and jerked him away, before he could ask the clerk if sex on the beach was legal here or something of equal quality.
"In case you haven't noticed, Sam, this ain't a hooker shack."
"Then what are you doing here?"
June snarled. "Hilarious. I'm keeping your ass out of the hellfire, and that's the thanks I get."
"What else did you expect?"
"An ode to my brilliance would have been nice."
Sam huffed. "That would have been a quick laudation."
June punched his side, upon which Sam threw her over his shoulder and held her legs firmly in place so that she couldn't move, or more specifically, kick him. "Very caveman," She hissed. "Though naturally, you would have to resort to kidnapping to get a woman to live in the same house with you."
"Then what are you, if not a woman, since you obviously want to?"
It was probably a good thing they didn't have their souls with them, for no soul could take the constant bickering and humiliating. Now, Sam and June were perversely content with what they had.
Sam opened the door, his other hand still firmly holding June's legs, and kicked it close behind them.
"Alright, you made your conquest, now put me down."
"Literally?"
"Not like a wounded animal, jerk, but rather as in dropping me."
"Am I supposed to take that literally, then?"
June scratched her nails across his back. "If you drop me, I swear to God I'll-"
"You'll do what, huh, princess? In case you haven't noticed, you're a little tied up and immobile at the moment."
"Well, you won't be able keeping me on your shoulder all your life, so the time will come when-" June let out an indignant cry of surprise when Sam suddenly threw her down onto the bed.
"There, all free. Now what, princess?"
June glared at him and sincerely hated him towering over her as he stood at the end of the bed, looking down at her and her clearly being the inferior. "If I had a gun right now, Sam, I'd shoot you without even blinking."
"Given that you would even know how to work it."
"You taught me, remember?"
"I taught you lots of things, babe."
June smiled cat-like, got onto all fours on the bed and crawled towards Sam. "You did, indeed."
A sceptical frown crossed Sam's face; no way did June turn from fire-breathing to all purry within nano-seconds. June now kneeled in front of him, her hands travelling up his thighs to the belt buckle and a smouldering passion glowing in her eyes.
Or maybe she could indeed turn go from being a bullhead to giving head.
June teasingly ran her forefinger over Sam's belt buckle, and when she saw on his face that she had him, she smiled and said alluringly: "I guess it's time I teach you something, then."
Sam raised his eyebrows, and June craned her neck to kiss his jaw.
"Patience," She breathed and swung herself off the bed with energetic grace. "Like I said, I need to eat." She danced out of the room, leaving Sam somewhere between frustration and amusement.
Dean wondered, looking at Adam's still body, if he would have his or Sam's memories… If Sam's soul would wonder about what had happened to its actual belonging body. Would he remember anything?
Sam had said he still had the same memories – so would his soul have them, too, or not?
Would he, Dean, be able to cope with his one brother's soul being in the other's body?
"You gotta stop tearing your hair or you'll grow bald." Bobby suggested helpfully.
Dean rolled his eyes.
"You can't do anything 'til he wakes up, Dean. Nothin' more to be done until then but wait."
"When's the last time you slept?"
June ran her tongue along her salt-rimmed Margarita, wondering if it was what demons would call a Molotov cocktail, and tore her eyes away from the ocean to look at Sam. "What? Do I have bags under my eyes?"
"No, not so far," Sam took a sip of his whiskey leisurely. "I just don't think you slept in a long time."
June opened her mouth to shoot a reply along the lines of 'You need a life aside from studying my habits' when she realized he was right. "I think last time I slept was… two days ago."
"Yet you're not tired."
"No, not really," June admitted and contemplated whether this shouldn't worry her. It probably should, yet it didn't.
"Because your soul's probably giving up," Sam stated casually.
"Guess so." June shrugged and gestured for another Margarita. "Since we're having the heart-to-heart here already-"
"What heart to what heart?"
"You know what I mean," June smiled and leaned back in her lounge chair, "What do you intend to do about Dean?"
"What am I supposed to do about him?"
"You think he's just going to let you go like that?"
"My soul's not coming back, and Dean knows that."
June took a taste of her drink. "Yeah, guess so. Did you even ever feel like his brother this past year?"
"June, what's with all the sentimentality?"
"Curiosity, not sentimentality." June corrected, "And I think that we should connect on a deeper level."
"I was under the impression I already went as deep as it goes."
"See, that's exactly my point: Our 'relationship' is solely based on sex and our need to tear each other's throat out."
"You don't sound as if you think it's a bad thing."
"Because I don't. Still, it'd be nice to know there's more, since we're to spend our soulless lives together."
"You sound awfully sure that that is going to happen," Sam arched an eyebrow.
"Prove me wrong."
Sam's one corner of his mouth shot up in a shadow of a smile. "Maybe later. As for your question: No, not really. I knew he was my brother, but it didn't feel like it."
"Did anything feel like anything without a soul?"
"Shouldn't you know?" Sam inquired almost softly, "Or was it all fine until your mother climbed out of her grave she technically never was in to begin with?"
June leaned back and let her gaze wander over the shore. "No. It was never fine. I think that it only started to be alright after I finally gave up pretending. All my life, I told myself I had to feel… feel bad when I see people living on the street, feel happy when I'm holding a puppy in my arm, feel responsible if I did something wrong, feel repulsed by morally more than incorrect actions. But I never truly felt it, and deep down I knew that was wrong. I was a very good actress, though."
"Well, you had to be, if you didn't want to be cast out."
June looked at the man across from her and had to smile. Finally someone who wouldn't cast her out no matter what wrong she did or what she didn't feel. "Yeah. I suppose that makes two of us, then."
Sam smiled deviously. "I suppose it does."
"Did I just hear you agreeing with me? You're losing your touch."
"I'm just taking a run-up to crush you real good next time."
June chuckled. "That is, if I don't crush you first."
"You mean, crushing on me."
"No, hot shot, that ain't what I mean. I don't and never will have any romantic feelings for you."
"Good, because I would hate to leave you."
"That sounds almost sweet. Am I sensing feelings, Sam?"
"Not in this life."
"I think this may be the only one we got."
"You never know."
"Sam, we're soulless, there is no part of us that could pass on to another plain of existence."
"Maybe we won't even die."
June scoffed. "Right. Well, karma and reincarnation are way too tedious a topic for me right now. What I do want to know still is whether you, being the one of us with officially no soul, have ever felt anything whatsoever."
"Rarely."
"Cut the ominous vagueness already."
Sam leaned forward across the small table, the nightlight casting an intriguing pattern of shadows on his handsome face. "I don't want to give you any wrong ideas, June."
She chuckled. "Sugar, there ain't a wrong thought that hasn't already crossed my mind."
"Don't I know."
June led her salted glass to her lips and shot Sam a glowing look out of come-to-bed-eyes. "Who, if not you?"
Sam trailed his fingertips down from her neck to her generously low neckline. June sighed, and leaned forward ever so slightly, arching towards his touch.
"There was one thing capable of intriguing me," Sam said, stretching his hand out flat on June's curving top of her breast.
"That being?"
Sam's hand started slipping down into her dress. "You."
"Wow, that was officially too much heart-to-heart for my non-existent one."
Sam smiled roguishly. "Anything that can be done to make you feel better?"
"Angry hate sex would be a start."
