Changes

In McCook, Nebraska, [[Harper Sayles]] arrives to work at her small town's library. As she is shelving books, Winston Mathers surprises her. They are discussing their plans for a dinner date later when her co-worker Miles interrupts them, brandishing a stapler to protect Harper. Winston leaves the library, confidently striding along the street. Suddenly, Winston is pulled into the bushes, screaming as blood flies out of the bushes.

In [[the Bunker]], [[Dean]] comes across [[Jack]] in the kitchen trying to understand his new taste buds since losing his grace. He tells Dean that [[Sam has gone ]] left to meet up with [[Charlie Bradbury (Apocalypse World)|Charlie]] while Dean was on an overnight run to [[Mary]] and [[Bobby Singer (Apocalypse World)|Bobby]]. Jack wistfully comments that Sam and Charlie are probably doing something really exciting.

Outside Memphis, Tennessee, Sam and Charlie sit in silence in a blue pick-up truck parked across from an empty bus shelter where Charlie says four people have gone missing. Sam asks Charlie again about the location and disappearances at the bus shelter. Charlie tells him when she was scouting around and she found some “goo,” which she produces to Sam in a jar. Charlie is reading books to figure out what they are dealing with.

Jack tells Dean that he was left at the Bunker so that someone would be around when Dean returned, telling Dean that because Sam is worried about him. Jack tells him that what happened with [[Michael (Apocalypse World)|Michael]] is not Dean’s fault. Despite what Jack tells him, Dean still blames himself. Jack coughs and jokes that maybe he’s allergic to sitting around doing nothing; he wants to hunt, but Sam won’t let Jack hunt alone, despite his and [[Castiel]]'s success hunting together. Dean tells Jack that Cas is an insurance policy on those hunts and that Sam just wants to keep Jack safe. Jack has found the death in McCook, Nebraska, and wants to check it out with Dean. Dean says he’ll go check it out alone, but Jack objects, telling Dean that everyone is supposed to hunt with a partner and Jack needs something to do. Jack tells Dean he feels guilty for not killing Michael when he had his powers and Dean reassures Jack that he didn’t do anything wrong. Finally agreeing to the hunt, Dean call Sam and let lets him know.

In McCook, Dean and Jack, posing as FBI agents, interview a waitress at Winston’s regular breakfast diner. The waitress reluctantly agrees to discuss Winston, after Dean bribes her. The waitress, Wanda, advises them to find Harper because they were courtingshe was close to the victim. Jack and Dean continue questioning people including a construction worker, Wanda, and two local women. Dean and Jack find out that Harper is really sweet and popular, her boyfriend ran off on her, her although she has bad luck with men, and her love for romance novels. They all agree she’s bad luck.

In the pick-up truck, Sam is worried express his concern about Dean. Charlie suggests calling another friend to check on him, Sam says there used to be someone: and talks about how their [[Charlie]]was a close friend. Charlie says that’s not her and they discuss Charlie’s experience in the [[Apocalypse World]] and the angel war. Charlie reveals that much like Sam's Charlie, says she was a programmer with [[Richard Roman Enterprises]], and she lived with the love of her life, partner Kara, who was a cupcake baker in Chicago. She tells Sam that Kara died was killed in the early days of the Apocalypse, and after witnessing how society failscan fall apart, she doesn't wish to be around people anymore.

Back in the diner, Dean and Jack are eating [[pie]]. Jack wants to know what “courting” means, . Dean tells him when they get back to the Bunker, they’ll have “the talk,” but for right now, they are going to find Harper. When Jack asks how, Dean asks if Jack has ever read a romance novel. Dean enters the library to begin interviewing Harper about Winston’s death. Harper refusesdoesn't want to talk about it, but Dean insists. Jack (now in street clothes and not his FBI suit) enters the library, interrupting Dean and Harper by asking for a book. Jack stands up for Harper’s refusal to answer Dean’s questions. Dean calls Jack a “kid” leaves and Jack calls Dean an “old man” causing Dean to leave in a huff. Harper, clearly smitten with thanks Jack, thanks him for being chivalrous and realizes and tells him she has the perfect book, back at her apartment. As they leave the library, Miles wants to know where they are going and objects that Harper is taking a stranger to her apartment. Harper tells him to stop and leaves with Jack as Miles storms off. Having observed all this from [[Baby]], Dean begins to follow Harper and Jack. Miles goes into the alley to take out the trash and is attacked. Dean hears a scream and sees trash cans being turned over. Upon investigating, Dean finds Miles has been killed.

Back in the pick-up truck, Charlie says that she hates hunting. Sam is surprised because Charlie is an awesome hunterIn Memphis, Charlie says the job is too much pain and that this is her last case. She wants to go away to live on a mountaintop or something. Charlie thinks the [[monster]] may be a [[musca]] -- a hybrid of a man and a fly that no one has ever seen in real life. Charlie’s book describes indicates that the goo that she found is an from an unmated musca , which uses it to bind people’s bodies and to its nest. A figure dressed in black and wearing a black beekeeper-like headpiece approaches the bus stop and sits down next to two ladies. The ladies get up and leave.

At Harper’s apartment, Jack sets a trap, placing tests Harper with a [[silver]] coin on the ground and by dousing his hands in [[holy water]] for Harper, as well as muttering “[[Christo]]” under his breath. Harper has no response to any of these things. They sit on the couch and talk and Jack tells Harper that he lives in Lebanon, Kansas. Harper says her family has been in McCook for generations. She asks Jack if he believes in love at first sight, but Jack he excuses himself to the bathroom after getting a text from Dean. In the bathroom, Jack calls Dean and tells Dean that Harper is not a demon and that he’s 99% sure she’s in love with him. Dean tells Jack about Miles and refutes Jack’s idea that Harper is in love with him, but Jack wants to be sure and asks Dean to tell him everything he knows about sex. Suddenly, Dean is attacked and drops the call. As Jack and Harper make plans to have coffee, Dean bursts into the apartment. As he barricades the door, Dean explains that he and Jack are not FBI and that they are there to save lives. Dean recognizes the photo of Harper’s ex-boyfriend, [[Vance]], as the [[zombie]] creature attacking the door. Vance breaks into the apartment and fights with Dean while Jack and Harper run back to the library to hide.

It’s nighttime and Sam and Charlie are still staking out the bus shelter. Sam tries is trying to convince Charlie not to walk away from people and hunting when the black-clad figure sits down at the bus stop next to a man. After a bus passes by, Sam and Charlie see the man being dragged down an alley by the black figure. They chase them to a warehouse where Sam cites the lore that a brass nail dipped in sugar water will kill a musca. Since they don’t have that, they will have to get creative. As they enter the warehouse, Sam and Charlie notice flies buzzing around and the smell of pine cleaner and rotting meat. They split up and Charlie finds the victim, alive, in a pile of other dead victims. As she calls for Sam’s help, she is grabbed by the musca. Charlie gets free but is momentarily knocked out. Sam rushes to check on her and is attacked by the musca. As the musca overpowers Sam, Charlie comes to and stabs the musca in the back while Sam shoots it in the chest, killing it.

During In the middle of a fight with Dean, Vance pauses and runs out of the apartment. In the library, Harper unlocks the door and lets in zombie Vance, who presents her with the book Jack discarded and the two kiss. Harper reveals that Vance is her boyfriend and that he is stalking Jack as a game they play . Eating the victims also helps to enhance their relationship as well as keep maintain Vance's dead body maintained through feeding on people. Vance chases Jack through the library’s stacks while through the PA system, Harper explains that she comes from a long line of [[necromancers]]. She says , and while she realizes likes Jack , she knows he is a [[hunter]] , and will therefore have to die, despite her actually liking Jack, telling she can't let him that nothing can get in the way of the first love which she and Vance share. Dean catches up to Jack while he’s hiding and they hatch a plan. Jack talks to Harper, trying to lure Vance out into the open, telling her that they can make their relationship work. Vance rushes Jack, and Dean shoots Vance. They struggle and as Harper encourages him to kill Dean, Jack appears and they handcuff Vance to some pipes, which allows Harper to escape. Later, in the diner, Harper writes Jack a love letter, saying that when she finds Jack, she'll still have to kill him for what he did to Vance, but that then she can then bring him back and they can be together. The letter is addressed to Jack Smith, Lebanon, Kansas, PO Box.

Driving in the pick-up truck, Sam and Charlie discuss the case. Sam tries to convince Charlie to stay, using the musca as an analogy. As Charlie points out the holes in Sam’s argument, we see a group of muscas arrive at the warehouse and carry out the body of the dead musca. Charlie agrees to think about staying.

* "Honky Tonk Queen" by SelecttracksSelectracks

'''Charlie:''' Uh she She owned a bakery outside of Chicago. Cupcakes. It was like something out of a storybook. She always smelled like peaches, and her smile was just... Michael and Lucifer, when they started their war, first thing, a giant EMP or something like it went off over North America. Fried every bit of technology. Cellphones, power plants. For the first few days, we banded together. Thought, 'Hey, someone'll save us.' No one ever did. When the food ran out, people got mean. Mobs started forming, stealing whatever they could get their hands on. A lot of people died. Kara died. People are always the same when things go wrong -- they lose it. One day, the water gets shut off, the next day, people are on fire. It's a fact about society -- it all falls apart.

'''Sam:''' Yeah, but you're also a hunter. The things that we've seen, it's not so easy to just walk away from it all.<br>'''Charlie:''' Believe me, I've tried.<br>'''Sam:'Our'' Our Charlie tried.<br>'''Charlie:''' Yeah, well, again, she ain't me. It's ''my '' life, Sam. Not ''hers '' and not ''yours'.

'''Harper:''' No, he's stalking ''you''. It's a little game we play. Some people pretend to be naughty nurses, some people get tied up. We do this. Oh, and he has to eat flesh to maintain his body. Stupid magic. But it all works out. Except not for you. I'm sorry about all this, Jack. I actually think I liked you. But you're obviously a hunter, and I come from a long line of necromancers. I mean, I can mostly only raise the dead, but that comes in handy. And I can't let you or your friend get in the way of the love Vance and I share. It's first love, Jack. The best kind. Without baggage or compromise. I mean, I did have to kill him to keep him here after college, but every relationship has its stuff, right? And all the other guys -- none of them are like Vance. Strong and courageous and -- So, they all had to die. Especially Miles, who just -- ugh. So, I had Vance crush his throat. I wish I could have watched. And now we're going to kill you.

'''Sam:''' Okay, I know, I know. How about this? Don't leave. Hear me out. Sure, some people can do bad things when they're desperate or scared, but I mean, the guy we just saved, he has a wife, children. I'm not saying all people are good people or even that most people are, but if we help people, then maybe ''they'll '' help people and all that. And that's worth it. Even with all the tears and death -- it's worth it.<br>'''Charlie:''' Just to be super clear, I am not like the fly monster. But... I'll think about staying.

'''Dean:''' You know, Jack, you're pretty smart sometimes. I tell you what -- when Sam gets back, I'll talk to him about getting you out on more hunts.Okay? In the meantime, we'll get you a crate of cough drops.<br>

The idea for the [[Muscamusca]] is reminiscent of the monster in ''[https://www.imdb.com/list/ls071470502/ ''The Fly]''], a movie franchise in which a scientist tests a teleportation device of his own making, but a housefly enters the device during the process, resulting in a human/fly hybrid.

'''Wanda:''' Listen, Deep State. Flashing a badge might work on people who don't have a working knowledge of the Constitution ... but that ain't me. Now I got to go earn some money.

Charlie details to Sam the early days of the Apocalypse in Apocalypse World, telling Sam how when [[Michael (Apocalypse World)|Michael]] and Lucifer fought, an EMP type of blast occurred over North America, frying all technology and power plants. An EMP blast was also the cause of the break down of society in the 2000 sci-fi series [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dark_Angel_(2000_TV_series) Dark Angel], in which Jensen played a mutant super-soldier.