"Have you heard from Dean lately?" Benny handed Castiel a fresh cup of coffee. Castiel had been visiting the coffee shop more often than usual. It had been a week since he heard from Dean. It was the call after Dean had left a message about the camp where they met. There had been no contact since then. At first, Castiel called a few times, but reached voicemail each time. Then after a week of hearing nothing, Castiel was getting fed up.

"No. I do not know what is going on with him. He is being very strange." Castiel sipped his coffee and checked his phone for the fifth time since sitting down in the small café. Things had gotten back to normal somewhat with Dean in North Carolina and then suddenly nothing. There was a huge loss of contact and Castiel wasn't sure what to do about it.

"Why don't you go after him? We have fall break starting Wednesday. So you won't miss much." Benny shrugged. He stood behind the counter and cleaned off the machines. It was midday and Castiel, along with another couple, were the only customers in the small coffee shop.

"I can't do that." Castiel mumbled. He promised Dean space. He kept telling himself that space is what they needed. He didn't like it much, but it needed to happen.

"Castiel…" Benny began. "You have to fight for it." Benny filled the coffee beans into the grinder, preparing for the next rush.

"Fight for what?"

"Your relationship."

Castiel leaned back in his chair and finished his coffee. He thought about it. He had to fight. No more staying out of the way and laying low. Fight for it. He pushed his seat back and stood up, grabbing for his wallet. He laid a few bills on the table and nodded at Benny. Benny smiled and waved goodbye to Castiel. He wasn't sure if he would ever see the kid again. Castiel was on a mission. He was going to fight for his relationship.

After a few rings, Castiel got voicemail again. Dean still wasn't answering. There were plenty of other people in the small town in North Carolina that he could call. His brother was next. No answer. Sam? No answer. Castiel even went so far as to call the Winchester house phone. He wasn't even sure if Dean's father would answer. He just wanted someone to answer. Still, he got nothing. Next on his list of people to call, was Bobby, and in fact, the man answered.

"Singer residence."

Castiel sighed heavily, relieved that someone finally answered his calls. "Bobby, it's Castiel. D-Did something happen to Dean? He hasn't called for a while and I can't get a hold of him." Castiel held his phone close to his ear as he waited by the bus stop.

"Dean hasn't called you?"Bobby seemed surprised. "Damn that boy. Cas, uh, a lot of things have happened." Bobby cleared his throat. "Dean's father. John, he- John passed away." It was hard for Bobby to say. John after all was his friend, no matter how much of a bad person he was. "And Dean… I don't know how he's doing. He won't talk to anyone."

John was dead? Thoughts raced through Castiel's head. Dean wasn't talking with anyone. It wasn't just him. Dean was off the map. "Should I come home?" Castiel asked, already knowing what his choice would be in the matter, but still wanting another person's opinion.

"I think Dean needs you. God knows he does." They ended their conversation and Castiel jumped onto the bus, back to campus. As soon as he was back at his dorm he grabbed his suitcase from under his bed. He filled it with as many clothes as he could and dumped the contents of his shower caddy into the bag as well.

"Can I even ask what's going on?" Balthazar asked, leaning back in his chair at his desk. "Where are you going?" He watched as Castiel zipped up his suitcase and stood it up, pulling the handle out.

"Home." Castiel swung his backpack over his shoulder and was out the door.

Dean needed him.

"Sam you need to keep this salve on your hand so it heals right." Sam winced when Gabriel peeled away the bandages on his hand and applied a thick amount of burn crème onto Sam's palm.

"Yeah, yeah." Sam pouted. He allowed Gabriel to finish his work on his hand and then pulled it back. He inspected it before placing his hand down to his side. Sam leaned forward touching the top of Gabriel's hand with his casted hand. "Gabriel…"

"Hmmm?" Gabriel turned his hand and twined his fingers with Sam's.

"Will you be there? At my- the funeral?" Sam choked on his words. Tears stung his eyes. Only a week had passed and so much had happened in those days: the fire, his father's death, the police asking questions, Azazel's arrest, and finally the funeral.

John was found to be in the house after the fire had occurred. He had come home late that night, drunk, and passed out on the couch. He never had a chance when the smoke and flames engulfed his body. No one knew he was there, it was normal for him to be gone for days on end.

The police were informed on the problems Sam was having with Azazel and the threats that had come Sam's way. They looked further into it and eventually came up with the three teenagers that had started the fire as a prank. Two were charged with being accomplices, and Azazel was charged with arson and murder.

The last thing Sam wanted to think about was his father's funeral. He thought that his father would live on much longer than he did. Sam was only fourteen, too young to lose a parent, especially in such a traumatizing way. The funeral was in a few days and Sam was not looking forward to it. He just wanted to go back in time and change everything.

"I will be there." Gabriel promised. He cupped Sam's cheek and gave him a sad look. He wiped a thumb over Sam's cheek and wiped the tears away. "For you and Dean." Both Sam and Gabriel turned to look out the window of Bobby's farmhouse. Out in the junkyard, near the large garage, Dean was tearing old cars apart. He was sorting the parts around and scrapping metal. He had been there all day, refusing any help or even a drink of water.

"Do you think he'll stop?" Gabriel asked.

"I- I don't know. He doesn't have anyone here, like I have you." Sam held onto Gabriel's hand again. Sam looked tired, absolutely worn out. He pulled the blanket from the bed and laid down, still holding onto Gabriel's hand. "I just want to sleep, Gabe… Sleep it all away." Sam said softly, closing his eyes. He tightened his grip on Gabriel hand. "Please, stay here with me." Sam pleaded.

"Sure." Gabriel smiled softly, swiping a stray hair from Sam's forehead. "But first I have to call Castiel. He doesn't know what's going on." Gabriel released Sam's hand for a moment to grab his phone. He was about to call his brother when someone cleared their throat in the doorway. Gabriel looked up to see Bobby standing there, his face stuck in the same sad expression Sam's held.

"You don't have to call. Cas called the house asking about Dean. He's coming back into town." Bobby leaned in the doorway. He watched the two young boys on the bed. Gabriel just sat there, holding Sam's hand while Sam tried to sleep. "I'll leave you two to it then." Bobby cleared his throat again and left the room, closing the door on his way.

He ran into Mary in the hallway. She was carrying two mugs of hot chocolate for the boys. Bobby smiled at her, knowing she was trying to keep her mind preoccupied. If she didn't she would crumble. "How are you doing?" Bobby stopped her, placing his hands on her shoulders.

"Keeping it together." Mary answered shortly, pushing past Bobby and entering the room where Sam and Gabriel were. Bobby frowned, making his way down the stairs. He thought that when he had friends and family over it would be under different circumstances.

"Please, there has to be something." Castiel begged the airport worker who was trying to find him a ticket across the country.

"I'm sorry, sir. But the earliest straight through flight to North Carolina isn't until tomorrow morning." She responded. She frowned at the young man trying to get home.

"What about connected flights? Any of those?" Castiel knew that even with connected flights he would still end up in North Carolina around the same time as he would by waiting for the morning flight, but all rational thoughts escaped him. He needed to be back with Dean. He had no clue what was going through Dean's mind at the time. He just knew that he had to be there. Dean needed someone.

"I have one departing in twenty five minutes." Castiel slammed his credit card down onto the counter. The woman took his information, swiped his card to pay for the connected flights and handed him his ticket. "Will you need to check in any bags?" She asked calmly. Castiel shook his head, holding his ticket between his teeth as he stuffed his credit card back into his wallet and back into his jeans. His suitcase was small enough to be a carry on, so no more hassle was needed. He thanked her quickly and ran off towards security and eventually to his terminal before boarding his flight at just the right moment.

He placed his things in the overhead compartment and took a seat. It would be three hours until he landed in Detroit and then ran to the next terminal to Charlotte. His seat was near the window and two elderly women sat next to him. He tapped his fingers nervously, counting down until take off. He was a few hours away from being with Dean. Being there for Dean. Being someone for Dean to hold onto. He was only a few hours away.

"Nervous flyer?" The woman next to Castiel asked him, looking over to him. He was still strumming his fingers. He stopped, squeezing his hands together to calm his nerves. "Oh, don't worry about it. Flying is safe."

"I'm just nervous about going home. Something happened with-" Castiel stopped, wondering why he was telling the woman his troubles. She nodded, telling him to continue. "-with my boyfriend's family and he needs me there." The woman looked surprised, but then smiled.

"Long distance. I see." She patted Castiel on the shoulder. Castiel was surprised to see that the woman was okay with his life and love choices. "Mariam and I did the long distance for a while. And we're still together, fifty years later." She turned to her flying partner and lays a hand on her leg. "Ain't that right, you old coot."

Castiel smiled, his nerves calming down immensely. The old women gave him such hope for a future. If they could do it, so could he and Dean. The flight was about to take off and Castiel watched at the ground got farther and farther away until the lights of the city were mere twinkling dots on the earth's landscape.