Author's Note: Okay, so I know that I haven't posted in forever. I sincerely apologize. But between the severe writer's block and a completely insane four months I just honestly wasn't inspired much. Please feel free to send hate mail. Just no letter bombs cuz that would just majorly suck. Anyway, I have gotten to know a few of you through facebook and I have to say that you are some of the most amazing people that I have had the fortune to meet. You all know who you are already. I love you guys! Also, this is another short chapter and I apologize for that, just trying to get my feet wet again and get the pacing back on track.

Disclaimer: I don't own anyone except Andie, Matt and any future OC's that my little brain concocts. Eric Kripke and the Powers That Be own everyone else. DON'T SUE ME!

Comin' Home

Chapter Ten

Dean was glaring at Matt with his fist clenched, ready to strike at a moment's notice. Matt sighed wearily, knowing full and well that this moment was what he had been sent for. He was to prepare the two brothers for what was to come. He looked at Dean, seeing that famous Winchester stubbornness shining in his eyes. He motioned for him to have a seat at the little table. Dean crossed his arms and remained standing.

How could he explain what was going on with Sam Winchester? Were there even words to? He looked at the tall man who was fast asleep on the bed. Only he knew exactly the road that the young man was facing. The trials that both the brothers would have to endure in the coming months. Would their bond hold strong or would they fall apart at the seams? Matthew hated that he was forced into this position by his commander. He wanted nothing more that to just walk away and let the bastard take care of this himself. But he knew that the other angel was busy trying to create some semblance of order in Heaven and he also had his hands full with the other pressing matter at hand. Matthew sighed, long and deep, and looked back at Dean who was staring at him defiantly.

"First off, let me just say that this is not how I wanted this conversation to happen. It really isn't the right time for it if you want to know the truth." Matthew said. "You have to understand that even as we speak I am running the risk of putting everyone of us in jeopardy by revealing my true nature to you. I am under strict orders to not reveal…"

Dean put his hand up to stop the man from continuing. He had been around enough to know what he was about to say. "Let me guess, you're an angel of the Lord sent on a mission to make sure that Sam and I fulfill our freakin' destinies, blah…blah…blah..." Dean glared at Matthew and continued. "Well, you can save the speech douche bag, because after our last go around with you assholes, my brother ended up in Hell and Jo wound up dead." He started pacing back and forth, his anger building to a boiling point quickly. "Who in the hell did they think they are? He had sacrificed everything to stop the apocalypse and now they wanted more?" Dean slammed his fist into the wall effectively startling Jo and Sam from their slumbers.

Sam looked around the room and noticed the tension that filled the air. He was still groggy from sleeping so deeply that it took him a minute to realize where he was. Rubbing the sleep out of his eyes, he focused on his brother who was now buried elbow deep inside the wall and was viciously staring at Matthew.

"Dean? What's going on?"

Dean yanked his hand out of the hole he had created. He turned to look at Sam and Jo. They both had stunned looks on their faces.

"Sam, get your things we're leaving. Now." Dean turned and headed for the closet to grab his duffel. He slammed it down on the bed and began cramming everything he could find into it.

"Dean, wait a minute…what the hell is going on?" Sam was completely confused at the sudden turn of events.

The older Winchester didn't stop what he was doing. "I said we are leaving. Get your ass up and get packing."

Jo finally climbed off the bed and approached Dean. She grabbed his hand and forced him to look at her. "Dean stop for a second. Please?"

"And you!" Dean spat at her as he jerked his hand away. "You fucking brought him here! After everything that my brother and I have been through, after everything you and I have been through…." Dean got in her face and sneered, "You turn out to be an even more cold-hearted, back stabbing bitch than that cunt Ruby ever was."

Jo was taken aback by the viciousness of Dean's words. He had never spoken to her or looked at her with such hatred before. She stared back at him, mouth hanging open in shock. Then that Harvelle temper took over and she got right back in his face. Nobody talks to Joanna Beth Harvelle like that and gets away with it. Especially not Dean Winchester.

"Now you listen here Dean, I have no idea what the hell you are talking about, but don't you ever, EVER talk to me like that again."

Dean snickered at her threat. He look her up and down, sizing her up quickly. His eyes come back to meet hers and he said very simply, "Fuck you Jo."

Jo reared back and let her fist fly, connecting with a satisfying crunch against Dean's nose. Dean stumbled back a couple of feet and wiped the small trickle of blood that had begun to seep out of his right nostril. He took a step forward to put her back in her place, but Sam jumped in the middle of them before he could take a whack at her. Dean tried in vain to shove past his brother to get at Jo but Sam still held him back. The shouting and the threats continued until Matthew had finally had all he could take.

"ENOUGH!" the angel shouted so loudly that the walls and windows actually shook. The struggling threesome froze into place at the sound. Matthew cleared his throat and continued in a softer tone. "I told him this was a bad idea. I told him…but does anyone ever listen to me? Of course not." He said to nobody in particular. "I really think we all need to just sit down and cool off for a minute." When no one moved he turned and stared them down saying, "That wasn't a request." Jo, Dean and Sam stood down from the fight and each took up their own separate corners of the room waiting to hear what Matthew had to say.

"Now...before anyone else flies off the handle...Dean…Jo has no idea who I truly am. She is as innocent in this as you and your brother are." Dean looked skeptically at Jo from across the room.

Sam looked at Matthew silently willing him to start making sense. Matthew sighed heavily and tried to continue.

"As I was saying, before Dean decided he was mad at the wall, what I am about to tell you could put all of you and myself in grave danger."

Once again, Dean's anger got the best of him and he blurted out, "He's a god damned angel. They can't just leave us alone can they. Still more fucking hoops to jump through. Well, I'm telling you right now dude, I'm done. No more."

Matthew wiped his hand down his face in frustration. "Yes, I'm an angel. No, Jo didn't know and yes it has everything to do with Sam, or rather his soul. If you would just let me explain…"

"My soul?" Sam questioned. "What about my soul?"

Matthew took a deep breath, trying to find the right way to tell them what he knew. Taking a minute to collect his thoughts, he finally decided it was best to just be blunt about it. To rip the proverbial band-aid off a quickly as possible.

"You don't have one."

Stunned silence filled the room. Each person trying to take in what they had just heard. Matthew looked around at each of the humans in the room and waited for the inevitable explosion. Dean was looking like he had just spoken Greek to him, Jo had tears in her eyes, and Sam...well, he just stood there showing no emotion at all. A vacant look had taken up residence in his eyes. Matthew watched as Sam simply stood up and headed towards the door. Dean made a move to stop him from leaving, but the look he got from his younger brother stopped him cold. He realized that Sam probably just needed some air and a minute to himself. Everyone watched as Sam walked out without saying a word.

"So, umm...what does that mean, he doesn't have a soul? How is that even possible?" Jo stammered.

"Exactly, how is he walking around and talking if he is dead. You trying to tell me my brother is some sort of freakin' zombie or something? What the hell?" Dean yelled.

Matthew put his hands up in surrender. "No, he's not a zombie Dean. That's just stupid. He is very much alive. The soul controls his emotions, his conscience. His brain controls the body. Without it, he is just basically running on pure instinct. He is like a machine. A perfect hunter if you will."

"But I've seen him have emotions..." Dean started to say but was quickly cut off by the angel.

"What you have seen are like flashes of memories...not true emotions. He can talk about the past, but trust me, he feels nothing. I think he has known this all along; he just didn't want to face it. The nightmares that he is having aren't nightmares because he doesn't actually sleep. His brain never turns off for that. What he is experiencing is what is being done to his soul now. It knows it is separated from him."

Dean stood and grabbed his coat off the bed. "I can't deal with this right now. You two can stay here if you want, or leave, I don't fucking care either way." With that he stormed out of the room, slamming the door behind him.

Jo looked up at Matthew, her eyes so full of questions. "So, what about me? Where do I fit into this?" she asked as a tear fell down her cheek.

Matthew smiled down at her tenderly and place a hand on her shoulder. "Well, now you, Ms. Harvelle, you are somewhat of an enigma to me. As far as I knew you weren't supposed to be part of this assignment. I just happened to bump into you first." He patted her gently. "But I'm sure those answers will be revealed when the time is right. Just try to have faith."

Both of them looked out the window as the sun began to rise over the horizon. They sky was a pinkish-orange and a slight fog could be seen covering the ground. They heard the Impala fire up and speed out of the parking lot. Jo knew that Dean would be back because he had left all his stuff there. She just wasn't too sure if she should be here when he did return. What she did know what that she was exhausted in every sense of the word and had more questions than she had answers for. She didn't like it one bit either.

Sam heard his brother peel out of the parking lot and head off in the opposite direction. He didn't turn around to stop him though. Oddly enough, he just didn't care where Dean went. Truth be told, he didn't care about anyone or anything. Now that he knew what was going on with him he felt…free. Free of the burden that came with worrying about everything and everyone. Free of the pain of losing his parents and Jess. Free of the guilt over Madison's death. He felt like a huge weight had finally been lifted off of his shoulders. And it felt, well, good. Sam knew in his mind that he should probably be freaking out at this point or be really upset, but he just wasn't. It explained a lot though. When he had been hunting on his own before coming back to help Dean with Andie, he had been fearless, unstoppable even. Maybe that's why he never contacted Dean when he came topside again. He knew that Dean would just try to make him into the old Sam. And while he wasn't about to admit it his brother, he liked the way he was feeling now. As he continued walking it occurred to him that he hadn't even questioned why he was back or how he came to be here again. And once again, he didn't care. Sam contemplated just walking away forever. To just keep heading down the stretch of road that he was on and not look back. Dean could go back to his life with Andie, Jo could just do whatever it was she was doing and he could just be the hunter he was obviously meant to be. But he knew better. Dean would come looking for him and he wouldn't stop until he found him. With an exasperated sigh, Sam stopped walking and just sat down on the side of the road and waited. Waited on Dean, waited on Heaven or waited on Hell. He didn't know which would come first; he just knew he would be ready either way.