Family Matters Part 1

Sam was tied to a chair in the motel room.

"You're right." Castiel sighed. "He looks terrible." He added before he looked at Dean. "You did this?"

"Cas?" Sam mumbled. "What's…" He realized he was tied up. "Let me go."

"Has he been feverish?" Castiel asked.

Angela looked at Sam, concerned. "Have you?"

"No." Sam shook his head. "Why?"

"Is he speaking in tongues?" Castiel asked Dean and Angela. He looked at Sam. "Are you speaking in tongues?"

"No," Sam replied. "What are you…Are you diagnosing me?"

"You better hope he can," Dean replied harshly.

"You really think that this is—

"What, you think that there's a clinic out there for people who just pop out of hell wrong?" Dean interrupted. "He asks, you answer! Then you shut your hole." He instructed. "You got it?"

"How much do you sleep?" Castiel asked Sam.

Sam sighed heavily. "I don't."

"At all?" Angela asked, her brows furrowing together.

"Not since I got back." Sam shrugged.

"And it never occurred to you that there might be something…off about that?" Angela sighed.

"Of course it did, Angie," Sam assured. "I-I just never told you and Dean."

"What?" Dean glared.

"Sam…" Castiel trailed off. "What are you feeling now?"

Sam scoffed. "I feel like my nose is broken."

"No, that's a physical sensation," Castiel replied. "How do you feel?"

"Well, I think—

Castiel sighed impatiently. "Feel." He cut Sam off. "For example, how do you feel towards Angela? She's supposed to be your significant other, so explain how you feel about her."

Sam paused for a moment. "I should love her." Sam started, looking up at Angela. "But…I don't. I don't feel anything towards her. I mean, I've been sleeping with plenty of other women and I just don't care." He shrugged.

Dean and Castiel looked towards Angela, who was completely still and oddly calm. She was…she couldn't even explain what she was feeling right now. She just stared at Sam, dumbfounded.

"I—I…" she stammered. She looked at the floor and swallowed thickly. "I…have no words…" she murmured.

Dean moved towards her. "Kiddo—

"Don't…don't come near me right now." She cut him off, backing away slightly. She looked at Castiel. "What the hell is wrong with him?" She pointed at Sam.

Castiel sighed and looked at Sam. "This will be unpleasant."

"What—

"Bite down on this," Castiel instructed, handing Sam a belt. "If there's someplace that you find soothing, you should go there. In your mind." He added before plunging his hand into Sam's body.

Sam screamed and gasped in pain. This went on for a few more moments before Castiel pulled his hand out.

"Did you find anything?" Dean asked.

"No." Castiel shook his head.

Dean raised a brow. "So that's good news?"

"I'm afraid not," Castiel replied. "Physically, he's perfectly healthy."

"Then what?" Angela asked, confused.

"It's his soul." Castiel looked at her. "It's gone."

Angela pursed her lips and ran her hands through her hair. "Cas, o-okay, I-I'm not understanding."

Dean nodded in agreement. "One more time, like we're five," Dean said. "What do you mean, he's got no—

"Somehow, when Sam was resurrected, it was without his soul," Castiel explained.

"So, where is it?" Dean asked.

"My guess is…still in the cage with Michael, Lucifer, and Sophia," Castiel answered.

"Is he even still Sam?" Angela asked.

Castiel sighed. "Well, you pose an interesting philosophical question."

Angela ran a hand over her face. "W-well, just get it back, Cas."

"Angela…" Castiel sighed.

"You pulled Dean out!" Angela argued.

"It took several angels to rescue Dean, and he wasn't nearly as well guarded," Castiel explained. "Sam's soul is in Lucifer's cage. There's a difference, a big difference. It's not possible."

"Okay, well, there's got to be a way." Dean cut in.

"So, are you gonna untie me?" Sam sighed.

"No," Dean replied.

"Listen, I'm not gonna—

"Sam, how the hell are we seven supposed to let you out of this room?" Dean cut him off.

"Dean, I'm not some psycho," Sam assured. "I didn't want you to get hurt. I was just trying to stop the vamps." He added. He sighed. "I'm sorry. It won't ever happen again. Please let me go."

"You're kidding, right?" Dean scoffed.

"Well, what are you guys gonna do, just keep me locked up in here forever?" Sam asked.

"You say that like it's a bad thing," Angela muttered.

"Okay, fine, look, I get it," Sam replied. "I was wrong to let Dean get turned. Angie, I was wrong to sleep with all those women. But I'm telling you guys I-I'm trying to get right. It's still me."

Angela shook her head. "No, it's not." She replied. "Sam, he…he's caring and kind. He has compassion. You…you're a shell of the man I love." Her voice cracked.

Sam sighed. "I promise it's me, Angie. So just let me go."

"No way in hell." Dean glared.

Sam sighed deeply. "I didn't want it to come to this." He warned. "You guys aren't gonna hold me. Not here, not in a panic room, not anywhere. You're stuck with the soulless guy, so you might as well work with me." He explained. "Let's fix this."

"I'm gonna be watching every move you make," Dean warned.

"Fine." Sam conceded. "Sounds about right to me."

Dean nodded. "Cas, clean him up."

Sam groaned as Castiel healed his injuries.

"Alright, if we're gonna figure out what happened to your soul, then we need to find who yanked you out," Dean said.

"You say you don't know?" Angela asked.

"No idea." Sam shrugged.

"Then we start a list," Dean replied. "If it's so hard to spring someone out of the box, then who's got that kind of muscle?"

"I don't know." Castiel frowned. "You have no memory of your resurrection?" He looked at Sam.

"I woke up in a field." Sam shrugged. "That's all I got."

"No clues?" Dean asked. "None?"

"I've got one," Sam replied.

~/~\~

Sam and Dean were still inside the motel room packing up supplies. Angela stood outside, waiting for them.

"Angela," Castiel said suddenly.

She looked up at him and smiled a weak smile. "Hey, Cas." She replied. "What's up?"

"I know what Sam said must have been…difficult to hear." He commented.

Angela scoffed slightly. "That's an understatement." She replied. "You know, I thought the worst thing I went through was seeing my boyfriend possessed by the devil himself." She explained. "But this…this is worse."

Castiel paused for a moment, unsure how to comfort her. "I understand that you are hurting…"

She shrugged. "The worst part is, I may never get my Sam back." She replied. "And that's gonna hurt more than anything." She added. "Love is a tricky, tricky thing, Cas." She sighed.

Castiel nodded. "I wouldn't really know. I don't exactly have…experience in that area…"

Angela smiled slightly and leaned against the Impala. "Sometimes it's beyond great, and sometimes it hurts more than anything." She replied. "Before the Apocalypse, sometimes Sam and I would take the Impala to a nearby field, and just look at the stars. And at that moment…we felt semi-normal." She murmured. She swallowed thickly. "I might never have that again with him."

Castiel looked at Angela. "I promise, I will do everything in my power to get Sam's soul back." He replied sincerely.

"Thanks, Cas. I appreciate it." She smiled.

Finally, Sam and Dean emerged from the motel room with their bags. They all piled into the Impala.

~/~\~

"Gramps throw a barbecue, leave us off the e-vite list?" Dean asked.

"Sam!" Christian laughed. "Ahh. Dean, Angela." He added with a hint of disappointment in his voice.

"Hello, Newman." Dean sassed. "Where's the man?"

Samuel cleared his throat. "Come right on in."

"We need to ask you a few questions," Angela said.

"What's wrong?" Samuel frowned.

"The day you got back, what happened?" Dean asked.

"We've been over this." Samuel sighed.

"Well, recap it for our wingman," Dean said as Castiel appeared.

Samuel raised a brow. "This Castiel?" he asked. "You're scrawnier than I pictured."

"This is a vessel," Castiel replied. "My true form is approximately the size of your Chrysler building."

Dean rolled his eyes. "Alright, alright, quit bragging." He said. "So, you were dead, and…"

"And, pow, I was on Elton ridge," Samuel replied. "Don't know how. Don't know why. I got nothing to hide, guys."

"Well, do you mind if Cas here double checks?" Angela asked.

Castiel stuck his arm into Samuel's body and Samuel started screaming.

Christian opened the door, confused.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa." Sam stopped Christian. "It's okay. It's okay. It's okay."

"What the hell?" Christian asked.

"Angel cavity search," Dean replied.

"I'm fine, Christian," Samuel assured. "Just give us a minute."

"But—

"Just give us a minute," Samuel repeated sternly. The door closed and Samuel was breathing heavily. "What the hell was that about?" Samuel glared.

"His soul is intact," Castiel commented.

"What?" Samuel asked, taken aback. "Of course I have a—What's going on, Sam?"

"Whatever dragged me out…left a piece behind." Sam sighed.

Samuel closed his eyes and groaned.

"Did you know?" Sam frowned.

"No, but I…I knew it was something," Samuel admitted. "I…You're a hell of a hunter, Sam, but…the truth is, sometimes you scare me. So, what's the deal here? How do we fix this? How do we get his soul back?"

"We don't know yet, but we have to," Angela replied.

"Well, I'm here to help, of course," Samuel assured. "What leads are you working?"

"A bunch of dead ends and you," Sam replied.

"Well, then, we'll just have to dig," Samuel said.

"Sam, Dean, Angela…I have to get back." Castiel cut in.

"You're leaving?" Angela frowned.

"I'm in the middle of a civil war." Castiel sighed.

"You better tear the attic up, find something to help Sam," Dean demanded.

"Of course," Castiel replied. "Your problems always come first. I'll be in touch." He added before disappearing.

"Would've asked him to stick around for a beer," Samuel commented.

"So, what's with the book club outside?" Dean asked.

"Putting together a hunt," Samuel replied.

"That's a lot of guys for one hunt," Angela said.

Realization dawned on Sam. "You found him, didn't you?"

"Who?" Angela looked at Sam.

"He's got a lead on the alpha vamp." Sam narrowed his eyes.

"Do you?" Dean asked.

"Maybe. Yeah." Samuel shrugged.

"How'd you track him down?" Angela asked curiously.

"We're good," Samuel said.

Dean narrowed his eyes. "That's all Angie and I get?" Dean scoffed. "We're good?"

"When's the run?" Sam asked, ignoring Dean.

"Dawn," Samuel answered.

Sam frowned. "You didn't call me? Why?"

"Because of me and Angie," Dean replied. "You don't trust us very much, do you? Especially when it comes to big game like this."

"That's not true," Samuel assured.

"Okay, well, then, we're in." Angela shrugged.

"No offense, but—

"So you don't trust us." Angela cut him off.

Samuel sighed. "No, I just don't know you two. Not like I know Sam."

"Alright." Dean nodded. "You call the plays. One-hundred percent. We're here to listen."

Samuel chuckled. "Since when?"

"Big daddy bloodsucker?" Dean raised a brow. "We aren't gonna miss that. But this is your deal. Okay? We get it. We'll follow your lead. We trust you. Right, Angie?"

Angela nodded. "One-hundred percent." She smiled.

~/~\~

"Angie and I don't trust him," Dean said. "Dude's hiding something."

"What?" Sam's brows furrowed.

"We can feel it," Dean replied. "And if you weren't Robo-Sam, you'd feel it, too."

"Huh," Sam muttered.

"What?" Dean asked.

"Just…you." Sam shrugged. "Saying you don't trust family."

"Look, we hang close, we blend in, we see what we can pick up." Angela cut in.

"You think Samuel's connected to this whole soul thing?" Sam asked.

"He's the only lead we got," Angela replied.

~/~\~

"You lost, Dean?" Christian raised a brow as Dean came out of Samuel's office.

"Had to make a phone call." Dean lied. "Just needed some privacy."

"Oh." Christian nodded. "Samuel's locked office is pretty private."

"Wasn't locked." Dean shrugged.

"Who you calling?" Christian asked.

"Your wife." Dean sassed. "Let her know I'm not gonna make it over tonight."

"You know, I've tried playing nice, Dean, but I think I'm done," Christian replied.

"Wait, are you trying to tell me that you're a bigger knob than you've been letting on?" Dean asked, pretending to be shocked.

"I'm the guy who's been here, doing my job," Christian said. "Who are you? You think we need you and Angela here? You walk like you're playing pro tennis. The only action you seen lately is between your slut girlfriend's legs."

Christian grunted as Dean shoved him against the wall. "You sure you want to come with us tomorrow?" Christian raised a brow. "Accidents happen."

"Hmm." Dean hummed. "Don't worry, man. I got your back."

~/~\~

"The house is just over the hill," Samuel explained. "About a dozen vamps and the alpha. We got one shot at this son of a bitch." He added. "Christian, take flank. The rest of you are with me and Sam. Dean, Angela, Gwen…hang back, sweep out any stragglers we flush out. Problem, Dean?"

"No, sir," Dean assured.

"I'm in the rear with the rejects?" Gwen complained.

"Alright, let's go," Samuel commanded.

"Don't worry. It's fine." Sam assured, looking at both Dean and Angela.

"No, nothing's fine," Angela replied. "You're not fine. Go. Go."

The group left leaving Gwen, Dean, and Angela behind.

"Sorry about the reject thing," Gwen said.

"Ah, we've been called worse." Dean shrugged.

"Just, uh, get sick of getting left behind," Gwen admitted. "Think it's probably 'cause I remind him of his daughter or something."

"Well, you just speak your mind," Angela replied.

"I'll take that as a compliment." Gwen smiled.

"You should," Angela assured.

Suddenly branched could be heard snapping. Gwen cut off a roaming vampire's head with her machete.

"You're welcome," Gwen said.

Dean grunted. Gunshots could be heard, and Dean and Angela ran off.

"We're supposed to wait here!" Gwen called after them.

There were gunshots and people screaming.

Dean and Angela hid behind bushes as they watched the group drag a man with a bag draped over his head.

"Sam!" Samuel yelled. "Careful, now!"

"Yeah. Got him." Sam assured.

"Get in," Samuel said as he closed the doors.

Dean and Angela made their way back to Gwen.

"Where were you two?" she hissed.

"Everything alright here?" Samuel asked suddenly.

"Just, uh, chopped up a runner." Gwen lied. "No big deal. How'd it go?"

"Rough, but one alpha down," Samuel replied.

"Where is it?" Dean asked. "Want to pay my last respects."

"Well, bring marshmallows," Samuel said. "Already on the pyre."

A/N: Hey guys! I hope you enjoyed this chapter! This was so, so interesting to write. I love sneaking in those little Cas/Angela moments tbh :) So, what'll happen now that Angela and Dean know that Sam has no soul? Stay tuned to find out! Don't forget to leave a review. Love you guys!

~Emily