Changes

|motw= [[Vampires]]<br>[[Witch]]

[[Sam]] and [[Dean]] return to [[the Bunker]]. After teasing Sam about his beard, Dean claims to a concerned Sam to have no memories of his time possessed by [[Michael (Apocalypse World)|Michael]]. He’s taken aback by Sam’s position as leader of the [[Apocalypse World]] [[hunters]] who’ve made the Bunker their home base. After [[Jack]] and [[Castiel]] welcome him home, Dean retreats to his room to clean himself up. Jack and Castiel tell Sam that [[Nick]] left to “take care of some personal business,” and that he’d been in a dark place before he left. Their most pressing concerns now are how Dean is really doing, why Michael would give up his [[vessel]], and what Michael’s plans are. In his room, Dean strips off Michael’s clothes and discovers a scar on his shoulder. Having no memory of how he got it, Dean shows it to Sam and Cas. Dean demands that Cas search his mind to discover what could’ve hurt Michael. While reading Dean's mind, Cas sees some of Dean’s memories of Michael before putting one hand over the scar. He sees Michael stabbed by [[Dark Kaia|a hooded figure]] with a [[Kaia's Spear|two-pronged spear]], which Dean recognizes from [[the Bad Place]] as the thing that killed [[Kaia Nieves]]. In Sioux Falls, [[Sheriff Jody Mills|Jody]] is at work, texting with [[Claire Novak|Claire]], when Sam, Dean, and Castiel call her to ask if she’s seen any activity at [[Portal|the rift]]. She confirms that she hasn’t, but she recognizes the description of Dean’s scar from several headless bodies found around town. They prepare to go to Sioux Falls to track down Kaia’s killer, who has proven capable of hurting Michael. Feeling responsible for Kaia, Jack wants to go but is denied. Another hunter, [[Jules]], arrives with an injured girl, [[Lora]], whom she’d saved from a [[Witches|witch]]. Castiel tries to [[Healing|heal]] her but is unable to, and decides to stay behind to continue trying to help Lora while Sam and Dean go to Sioux Falls. In the [[Impala]], Sam tries to get Dean to open up in an effort to understand anything about Michael -- why he let Dean go, and what he wants. Dean doesn’t have answers, other than racing toward what might prove to be a useful weapon against Michael. When they meet up with Jody, she reveals that she hasn’t told Claire about the thing that killed Kaia possibly being around, since she doesn’t have any solid information. She tells them about the bodies they’d found, and Dean insists on immediately heading out into the woods to track the killer. At the Bunker, Jack packs a bag and leaves a note, intent on running away. On his way out he overhears Cas and Jules still trying to heal the witch’s victim, and curiosity draws him to investigate. Cas explains the girl’s situation, and that due to the nature of the magic being so complex, he is unable to heal Lora. He says that they called [[Rowena]] for advice and are attempting a reversal-[[Spells|spell]] to cure her. When Castiel notices Jack's backpack and asks if he is going somewhere, Jack denies he is and joins them as Cas and Jules assemble the spell. Sitting at Lora's bedside, she tells Jack how she ran away from home and the witch kindly took her in. She was initially kind but then she then locked them up and the other girls withered away to nothing. Jack assures her Cas will heal her. After daybreak in Sioux Falls, Sam, Dean, and Jody press on through the woods and find what looks like three [[Vampires|vampire]] heads on pikes at an encampment. Sam asks Jody if the heads might match her John Doe's. She tells Sam she assumes so, but also that she had the bodies tested with [[silver]] and [[dead man's blood]], but found no reaction. Dean has a flash of memory and recognizes the place where Michael was stabbed. They are attacked by the hooded figure, who looks exactly like Kaia. She runs off, and they pursue. Sam suspects that the vampires were sent by Michael to hunt Kaia, but Dean insists it doesn’t change their plan. Cas and Jules work the spell, but instead of reversing the curse it accelerates it, aging Lora before their eyes. In the woods, Jody ignores another phone call from Claire, telling Sam she has no idea how to break this news to Claire about Kaia’s murderer. Sam expresses concern for Dean working this case, but Jody suggests he might need it. Dean catches up to Kaia outside a cabin and knocks her out. Inside the cabin, they restrain and question her. They learn about her connection to Kaia, and that she’d been trying to kill Claire, not Kaia, in the Bad Place. She refuses to tell them how she got to their world. She antagonizes Dean, knowing he’s not Michael anymore, and tells them of how Michael keeps sending [[Monsters|monsters]] after her, as we see three vampires tossing her camp. At the Bunker, Lora dies from her curse. A mournful Jack wishes he still had his [[Grace|powers]] so he could’ve saved her, but then has a sudden realization and asks to see the witch’s body. In the morgue, Jack explains his theory of what happened to the witch after Jules [[Witch-Killing Bullets|shot her]]. The witch was stealing the girls’ youth, and the spell continued sucking the girls’ life force after she died to try and keep the witch alive, but couldn't due to the bullet still being inside the witch. He pulls the cursed necklace off the witch’s body and smashes it, releasing Lora’s trapped life force, bringing her back, healed. Meanwhile Dean insists they need to “break” Kaia so she’ll give them the weapon that can hurt Michael. Dean angrily justifies hurting Kaia to get it. The creatures close in while Kaia tells Dean he’s just like Michael, and always has been. Dark Kaia reveals that she saw what Dean did to Kaia -- shoving a gun in her face and forcing her to help them. Dean sees his actions in a different light as Kaia calls him out for being scared. She tells them about her meeting with Michael, where he tried to recruit her and take her weapon. Dean tells her to stop because he remembers. Sam realizes they need to leave if Kaia is still a target, but it’s too late to run. The monsters have found them. Sam, Dean, and Jody are overpowered by Michael’s monsters, while Kaia is still tied to the chair. Dean draws his gun, but the vampire holding him down tells him the bullets (spiked with dead man's blood) won’t hurt them anymore, so Dean instead shoots Kaia’s chair, smashing it and freeing her. Kaia escapes, but returns a moment later with her spear and kills all three monsters. Sam warns her that as long as she has the spear, Michael and his monsters will continue to chase her. Undeterred, she tells Sam that she’s used to it and flees into the woods. Back at their cars, Jody acknowledges she has to tell Claire that she found Kaia’s killer, and the truth as far as she knows it about Kaia’s death. Cas enters Jack’s room and tells him that Jules is returning Lora to her mother. Cas apologizes for not having been there for Jack, with everything they’ve been going through. Jack tells him it’s okay, and Cas tells him he’s proud of him for saving Lora. He assures Jack that he has the heart and mind of a hunter, and offers to take him on a hunt with Sam and Dean. Jack coughs, but accepts the offer gladly. He brushes off the cough with the fact he’s human now, and Cas offers to make him some soup. On the drive back, Dean apologizes to Sam for putting them all in danger because he hadn’t wanted to face what Michael used him for. Dean describes his memory of most of his time with Michael as feeling like he was underwater, drowning, fighting to breathe. And now Dean feels responsible for all the people Michael is hurting. In his room, Jack coughs again and tosses a blood-stained tissue into the trash atop dozens more. 

'''Dean:''' Look, Michael bailed, all right? I don't know how. I don't know why. He just -- He just cleared out. And as far as my memory goes, I mean, everything from the second I said yes to the moment I walked through those doors is blank, so, I'm good. I'm just really, really happy to be... home.

'''Sam:''' I don't know. Kinda your thing. <br>'''Dean:''' Okay.<br>'''Sam:''' Okay, look, I'm just saying... you said you let Michael in, then, bang you're back in a blink. But for me... you ? You were gone for weeks. I didn't know if you were alive. I... just need you to talk to me, to slow down so I can catch up.

'''Sam:''' Uh -- uh, Dean, w-we'll be safer if we stick together.<br>

'''Jody:''' I promised Claire human cases are mine, but anything monster-y, I'd loop her in. But this... Aw. Claire's been doing so good, and, I mean, anything connected to Kaia, she's a powder keg.<br>'''Sam:''' Hm.<br>'''Jody:''' First love strikes quick, and to lose it like that...}}{{TriviaQuote |Text='''Dark Kaia:''' You're no different than him -- threats, violence, anything to get what you want.<br>

'''Dark Kaia:''' Yeah, you are, you . You always have been.

'''Dark Kaia:''' I know where it comes from -- your anger, your impatience. It's fear. You're scared. And you're weak.<br>

'''Dark Kaia:''' Michael hurt you. He hurt me too.

'''Michael:''' I didn't come here to fight. Not if I don't have to. This face you know, but I'm just borrowing it. We haven't met. But I've sensed you ever since I came to this world. You're like me. You bleed new energy. So does that. I'm here to make you an offer. There's a war coming, and I'm building an army. You can join my side, the winning side, if you give me that spear. Or you can fight, definitely lose, probably die, and then I'll just take it. So, Wild One, ... what's it gonna be?

'''Castiel:''' Well... what you did today, you just made me so proud. You know, learning to hold your own in a fight without your powers, that takes time and -- and training, but today, you -- you proved that you have the mind of a hunter and the heart of a hunter. I was thinking, um... I mean I'll talk to Sam and Dean, but, um, well I thought maybe -- maybe we can could go on a hunting trip. I mean, If you want to.

'''Dean:''' And it wasn't a blink, being possessed. I make it sound like that, but it wasn't. I don't remember most of what Michael did with me because I was underwater, drowning, and that I remember. I felt every second of it -- clawing, fighting for air. I thought I could make it out, but I -- I... I couldn't. I wasn't strong enough. And now he's gone and he's out there putting an army of monsters together and he's hurting people. And its all on me, man. I said yes. It's my fault.

'''Dean:''' It's just every time I think about it, you know, it's like a -- it's like a nightmare. I mean, I can't eat. I can't sleep. It's always just their there, watching.<br>

:''[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duck_Dynasty Duck Dynasty] is an American reality show about the Robertson family, who run a duck call business. Jared Jep and Jensen Jessica Robertson are also friends with the Ackles and Padaleckis and run a food truck called [https://austin.eater.com/2018/1/5/16856008/jeps-southern-roots-family-business-beer-co-open-jep-jessica-robertson-austin "Jep and Jessica Robertson's Southern Roots"] at [[Family Business Beer Company]].''

'''Dean:''' Right. So , Cas, I'm gonna need you to, uh, get in my head. You know, do the whole Vulcan-mind-meld thing. 'Cause if I can't remember what happened, I need you to drag it out of me, okay?:''The [http://memory-alpha.wikia.com/wiki/Vulcan_mind_meld [Vulcan mind meldMind Meld]] is a telepathic technique used by the Vulcans in Star Trek.''

:''[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Broom-Hilda Broom-Hilda] is a comic strip character who is a witch, created by Russell Myers in 1970.''

:''[http://murderpedia.org/male.A/a/anderson-robert-leroy.htm Robert Leroy Anderson] was a killer in South Dakota who was convicted of the murders of Larisa Dumansky and Piper Streyleand sentenced to death in 1999. Sam's knowledge on Anderson is a reference to his interest in serial killers previously mentioned in [[10.14 The Executioner's Song]] and [[11.05 Thin Lizzie]].''

Original score by [[Jay Gruska]].}}{{TriviaQuote |Text=[https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0521723/ Catherine Lough Haggquist], who played [[Jules]], previously played Detective Glass in [[8.08 Hunteri Heroici]].