The one story that's on time this week (even if there's like 10 minutes left in today)

But before this, I actually have a few concerns that are making me really nervous. The number of views and reviews this story is getting is dropping, and it's seriously freaking me out, so please, if there's a reason you aren't as interested in this story as you used to be, let me know, either through the review box or a PM. If you are enjoying this story, would you mind just letting me know? I know I'm being kind of weird about this, but for me to be able to confidently continue writing a story, I need to know people aren't hating it. Thanks, and I hope it's not too much of a bother.

Now, onto the story.

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"I'm only a man with a candle to guide me"

Gabriel and Castiel watched as Michael's features paled and his eyes squeezed shut.

"Michael?" Gabriel asked, fear curling in his stomach. "What's wrong? Is it Sam and Dean?"

Michael nodded. "Dean requires our assistance." He grabbed his brothers' hands, and they vanished into thin air, reappearing in an abandoned warehouse. Dean looked frantic as he glanced at the angels, only slightly ruffled by the possibility that they had known where he was this whole time, because at the moment, there was one thing that mattered more than anything else in the world.

"Sammy's missing."

Cas had taken Dean back to the Novak house while Gabriel and Michael remained at the warehouse. Michael could no longer feel Sam's presence, but the archangel was positive that the boy with the demon blood was still alive. He had taken his things with him, and they suspected that he had run away, but all four of them, when Gabriel and Michael zapped back to the house, couldn't agree on why.

"Maybe he thought he was keeping you safe, Dean." Castiel suggested, causing Dean to frown. He wasn't really a big fan of the idea that this was his fault.

"How did he discover how to block angels?" Michael vocalized his thoughts, and the three men in front of him frowned in deep thought. "The two of you had just learned we were not human." that last statement was directed towards Dean, but the elder Winchester had no idea. This was all too much for him, and he gave a tight smile before leaving the room. After a moment of hesitation, Castiel followed him into Sam's room.

"You are aware that this is not your fault, Dean?" Castiel asked, fearing he already knew the answer. Sure enough, Dean let out a dry chuckle, trying not to get emotional in front of the angel.

"It's my job to watch him, and I had no idea if he is safe or why he left or what's going on in his head-"

"Dean." Castiel interrupted, not liking how the boy was talking. "He is alive, and you are a human. You require sleep, and you are not responsible for what Sam does. We all want him to be safe, but as of right now, it will not benefit Sam's well-being for you to be freaking out like this and blaming yourself."

Dean nodded, although it was easy for Cas to see how much he didn't mean it. Cas knew that the only thing that would help Dean would to get Sam back, and they had no idea what Sam was up to. The fact that he was alive was a good sign, but none of the angels had been able to tell if he was hurt or what his mental state was like, and most importantly at the moment, where he was.

Gabriel paced back and forth as Michael just watched him. Castiel was calming Dean down, but the one person that would be able to calm his brother down was the person that was causing Gabriel's stress. Michael sighed in defeat, as he knew that for whatever reason, this helped calm Gabe down when he was possessing a human vessel. When he was in his own pure form, it was usually spreading his wings out and gently flapping them. Not flying, but just enough to create a small wind. It pained Michael to see his brother like this, but he knew it was nothing compared to what Gabriel was feeling. Even though Michael cared about Sam and hoped he was okay, Gabe had instantly bonded with the human, and it would crush him if anything happened to the youngest Winchester.

Michael closed his eyes and prayed.

The three of them sat in the living room, the tension so thick that a person could physically grab onto it. The angels were checking their radars for Sam every couple of seconds, but so far, nothing had come up. Dean was irritated that he was unable to help, choosing to imagine what he would say to Sam when they found him. The possibility of them not succeeding was something that Dean refused to think about, so instead he turned his thoughts towards the spine-crushing hug that Dean would give before slapping Sam on the top of his head for being such an idiot. No matter the reason Sam left, it wouldn't be good enough for Dean. If Sam was trying to keep his brother safe, well screw that, because Dean wouldn't think about anything else until he found his brother. If it was about the demon blood, well, that didn't change the fact that Sam was the most selfless person that Dean had ever come across. if there was darkness in him, it was impossible to find.

But for now, Dean watched the angels try to locate his brother.