Changes

In [[12.04 American Nightmare]] Dean, still upset about [[Mary]]'s departure, travels to Mason City, Iowa with [[Sam]] to Mason City, Iowa, to investigate a person who died while being flayed by an invisible force and displaying signs of stigmata. As they discuss the victim, Olivia, with the priest who witnessed her death, Sam notices Dean is very short with him. They wonder if perhaps it was caused by a rogue angel, so Dean calls [[Cas]] to discuss the case. After hanging up with Cas, Dean texts Mary to check in on her and asks if he should still call her Mom. Sam returns and Dean briefs him on Cas' news -- the gates of Heaven are still closed, so it can't be an angel, and that he and [[Crowley]] have teamed up to hunt for Lucifer, who has possessed the "Master of Butt-rock" [[Vince Vincente]], and . Dean teases Sam when he defends Vince. They head to the morgue to examine Olivia's body , where Dean is dismissive to the MEmedical examiner, and Sam calls him out for being cranky which . Dean dismissesis dismissive. Next they question Olivia's former employee and replacement, Beth, who's also a Wiccan. Dean believes she is responsible , but Sam disagrees. A grocery delivery guy is killed in the same fashion, and Olivia's case files show a connection to the Petersons, a "real Old-Testament type" family. They question the family, and afterwards Sam once again questions Dean about Mary's departure and how he's dealing with it, which Dean again brushes off. Discussing the case, Sam believes the ghost of their dead daughter, Magda's, ghost is responsible. Dean disagrees, believing Beth is the killer, and leaves to track her down leaving Sam at the farm. Dean questions Beth and determines she was not responsible for Olivia's death when he recieves receives a phone call from Sam, who tells him Magda was is still alive before being he is attacked and disconnectingthe phone disconnects. Dean rushes back to the farm in time to save Sam, who was about to be poisoned by the Petersons. Afterwards, Dean receives a text from Mary where she apologizes for not getting back to him sooner, and says that she will *''always* '' be "Mom".

[[12.05 The One You've Been Waiting For]] finds [[Sam]] and Dean in Columbus, OH Ohio, to investigate a case of two people falling victim to apparent spontaneous combustion. While investigating the shop where the deaths occurred, Dean finds a hidden room full of Nazi paraphenaliaparaphrenalia. Meanwhile , Sam hacks into the shop 's computer and discovers the victims were meeting regarding an antique pocket watch, and that the store owner had a whole business catering to "Nazi nutjobs". He finds out that the pocket watch used to belong to Hitler's inner circle, and the boys presume the [[Thule]] are involved. They call [[Aaron Bass]] to see what the [[Judah Initiative]] knows about any local Thule activity. Aaron tells them they've all come back to Germany regarding a mission called "Das Blut" (The Blood). They ask him about the pocket watch but he doesn't know anything, when . When news of another spontaneous combustion death pops up, and they head to the crime scene -- the apartment of a young woman who managed to escape. They leave the apartment in time to see a cop car leaving driving off, with a woman in the back screaming for help. The follow the cop car to a parking garage where they rescue the woman, [[Ellie]], and tie up her captor for questioning. He is [[Christoph Nauhaus]], the son of [[Commandant Nauhaus]], a ranking officer in the Thule High Command . He explains how the soul of [[Hitler]] is trapped in the pocket watch "like a horcrux", and the Thule plan to use it to resurrect Hitler - , along with Ellie's blood, who because she happens to be a direct decendant descendant of Hitler -- "Das Blut". The boys convince Ellie to help them set a trap for the Thule, but while fighting Thule thugs, Ellie jumps out of the window and is captured by Nauhaus and Christoph. The boys head to a diner to research a tracking spell to find her, when Christoph arrives, having overheard their location while escaping execution. Christoph leads them to the location where the resurrection ritual is taking place. Handcuffing Christoph in the Impala, they plan their attack. Dean wants to use the [[Grenade Launcher]] but Sam refuses since they need to be stealthy, but ; he promises him Dean he'll be able to use it someday. The boys launch their attack but are captured and brought to the room where Hitler's soul has already been transferred into Nauhaus, and . Ellie is lying on a gurney, weak from blood loss. Ellie she staggers from the gurney, grabbing a gun and shooting one of Nauhaus/Hitler's flunkies. Dean uses the distraction to grab a gun and shoots the other flunkies - , then shoots Hitler. They walk back to the Impala with Ellie, and Dean exclaiming exclaims multiple times "I killed Hitler!". They release Christoph and take Ellie back to her apartment. Dean suggests heading for pie, since he deserves it after... killing Hitler!

In [[12.06 Celebrating the Life of Asa Fox]], [[Sam]] and Dean are on their way home from a hunt in Brookings, ID Idaho, and stop by [[Jody Mill]]'s house in Souix Sioux Falls to say hi to Claire and Alex. The girls are out of town at a Radiohead concert but Jody invites them in for pizza. Dean of course informs Jody that he killed Hitler. While eating, Dean teases Jody about watching a rom-com movie, and Sam teases Dean about watching anime porn. Jody receives a phone call and gets up to answer it, but afterwards she walks by them without a word and heads for her bedroom, obviously upset. The boys follow and ask her what's wrong, and she tells them a friend of hers died -- [[Asa Fox]] -- and they're having a wake tonight with a hunter's funeral the next day. The boys insist on going with her to support her, and also because they've never been to a hunter's gathering before. She tells them they'll have to get cleaned up before they spend five hours in a car together - , as the gathering is in Manitoba, Canada. They arrive and meet Asa's mom [[Loraine]] and express their condolences. Dean heads to the kitchen to find a beer and introduces himself to the group of hunters there, who are shocked to meet "THE Dean Winchester". A hunter, [[Elvis Katz]], asks if Sam is there and when Dean confirms he is, he runs out to meet him. Another hunter, [[Bucky Sims]] , asks him if he knew Asa. Dean says he never met him but heard stories about how Asa took out five Wendigos in a night, causing the room of hunters to cheer, as Dean has said the "magic word" and everyone has to drink. Later, Dean wanders into Asa's office where Sam finds him. Dean is impressed, holding an angel blade Asa had , and claims he was legit. Sam talks about how people tell stories about them, and when Dean mentions they're "kinda legendary", Sam says that Asa was too -- then a hunt goes bad and he dies strung up to a tree. Dean says he died on the job, no better way to go. Sam questions this, whereupon Dean explains that they're not in the "live till you're 90, die in your sleep" business. Later, most of the hunters have left and only a handful are leftremain. Bucky starts telling stories about Asa and reveals Jody and Asa had a relationship - , when [[Mary]] walks into the room. The boys are surprised to see her but introduce her to Jody, who freaks out and then, seeing the tension between them, leaves to let them talk. Dean asks where she's been and she tells him she's been all over, using [[John]]'s journal to retrace and catch up on what she's missed. Dean says she could have asked them but she says it was something she had to do on her own. Dean is annoyed, since she only texted them once a week but drove all the way to Canada for Asa, and leaves the room to get some air. Jody intercepts him and mentions that it's odd he didn't tell her about Mary's return, but understands why he's struggling with it and offers an ear if he needs it. Dean thanks her and heads outside. Suddenly [[Billie]] appears, saying she had 's just finished reaping a soul from inside the house. Dean runs to the door to find it locked. He bangs on the door but Billie says the house is on lockdown and no one can hear him. Dean makes a deal with Billie to get him inside, where he finds out Elvis has been possessed by a demon. They fight , but when Dean starts to exorcise him, the demon snaps Elvis's neck and then leaves his body. The rest of the group joins him, then the lights go out. They light candles and make a devil's trap, but then discover the demon has possessed Jody when she accuses Mary of being the demon and tries to get Sam to kill her. The demon taunts them all, revealing various secrets about them. She finally gets to Bucky and makes him admit to killing Asa, before the group, taking turnswith the Latin, manages to exorcise it. Bucky explains Asa was hunting the demon, [[Jael]], and Bucky tried to get him to turn back to get the angel blade. Asa refused and Bucky pushed him, causing him to hit his head on a rock and killing him. Bucky strung him up on the tree to try and frame Jael for his death. The next morning at Asa's hunters funeral, Billie appears again and says that Dean owes her one for getting him in the house, and wants repayment - : Mary. She tells Mary she's offering her mercy since she's so alone. Dean argues that she's not alone, and Mary turns down Billie's "offer". Mary tells the boys she needs just a little more time, and Dean offers to buy her breakfast with all the bacon.

In the Season 14 Premiere [[14.01 Stranger in a Strange Land]], [[Michael (Apocalypse World)]] continues to possess Dean as he travels the world looking for someone/something worth saving for his "better world". Dean reappears at the end of [[14.02 Gods and Monsters]] in the dilapidated church where Michael performed his experiments after [[Sam]], [[Bobby (Apocalypse World)]], and [[Mary]] take down a pack of Michael's augmented werewolves - , and has no idea why Michael left.

When Dean returns to the [[Bunker]] in [[14.03 The Scar]], after he teases Sam about his beard, Sam asks if he's okokay. Dean says he's good, doesn't know why Michael left, and as for his memory, he can't remember anything that happened while Michael possessed him, that it was "just a blink", and he's just really happy to be home...then Then he sees the Map room has been inundated by the AU hunters. A hunter calls Sam "Chief" and Dean is about to tease him about that when Jack and Cas enter, overjoyed to see him. Dean excuses himself to clean up and returns to his room. Angrily whipping off the clothes Michael dressed him in, then he turns to a mirror and notices a scar on his upper arm. After showing the scar to Sam and Cas, he asks Cas to look into his memories to see if they can determine what happened. Cas touches his head and sees memories of Michael's questioning and experimentationsexperiments, but when he touches the scar itself, he sees Michael on the ground being stabbed by a double-pronged spear wielded by an unknown hooded figure - the same person and spear that killed [[Kaia]] in the Bad Place. They call Jody to ask if there had been any disturbances at the rift in the boatyard but she hasn't seen anything. However, when Dean describes the scar, Jody knows what they are talking about as she has several beheaded bodies with a similar scar in the morgue. Sam and Dean load up and head to Sioux Falls to investigate. When they arrive, Jody welcomes Dean back and compliments Sam's beard, much to Dean's chagrin. She points out the crime scene on a map and they head out. They discover a clearing with vampire heads stuck on pikes, probably belonging to the bodies in Jody's morgue, and the clearing looks just like the one Dean saw when Cas touched the scar when suddenly they are attacked by the hooded figure with the spear. During the fight, the hood comes off and reveals someone that looks just like Kaia, who then turns and runs away with the spear. Dean finds her tracks but Sam stops him and tells him he believes the vamps were hunting her instead and were sent by Michael - Jody had tested the bodies and they didn't react to dead man's blood. Dean does not care and continues to follow the tracks, which leads them to a cabin. Dean sees [[Dark Kaia]] and knocks her out, but the spear is not in sight. He ties her to a chair and they begin questioning her. She explains her and Kaia were connected and her death was an accident - she meant to kill [[Claire]]. They ask her why she's here, she looks at Dean and says "because of him". Dean tells her he's not Michael anymore which she acknowledges, saying he's much weaker. Dean tells her she's still scared but she says she's not scared of him - she's scared of Michael's vampires which are hunting her. Jody wants to take her to the station for safety but Dean wants to "break her" so she will tell him where the spear is.He kicks Kaia's chair against the wall and demands to know where the spear is. Dark Kaia refuses and accuses him of being no different from Michael - using threats and violence to get what he wants, recalling the incident from [[13.09 The Bad Place]] where Dean forces her into the [[Impala]] at gunpoint. She tells Dean his anger and impatience come from fear of Michael and tells them about her confrontation with Michael and how he tried to take the spear from her, knowing it was the one thing that could hurt him - then stabbing him with it. Michael's vampires arrive and burst into the cabin to take Kaia. Sam, Jody, and Dean try to fight the vampires but they are too strong. Dean shoots the leg out from under Kaia's chair to free her, she runs to get the spear and kills the vampires before disappearing again, taking it with her. In the Impala on the way back to the Bunker, Dean admits to Sam that his time with Michael was not a "blink" and he doesn't remember anything Michael did with him because he was drowning, fighting for air the whole time and trying to escape but he was not strong enough. He blames himself for everything Michael has done because he said "Yes".

When they arrive, Jody welcomes Dean back and compliments Sam's beard, much to Dean's chagrin. She points out the crime scene on a map and they head out. They discover a clearing with vampire heads stuck on pikes, probably belonging to the bodies in Jody's morgue, and the clearing looks just like the one Dean saw when Cas touched the scar. Suddenly they are attacked by the hooded figure with the spear. During the fight, the hood comes off, revealing someone that looks just like Kaia, who then turns and runs away with the spear. Dean finds her tracks but Sam stops him and tells him he believes the vamps were hunting her instead and were sent by Michael -- Jody had tested the bodies and they didn't react to dead man's blood. Dean does not care and continues to follow the tracks, which leads them to a cabin. Dean sees [[Dark Kaia]] and knocks her out, but the spear is not in sight. He ties her to a chair and they begin questioning her. She explains her and Kaia were connected and her death was an accident -- she meant to kill [[Claire]]. They ask her why she's here; she looks at Dean and says "because of him". Dean tells her he's not Michael anymore which she acknowledges, saying he's much weaker. Dean tells her she's still scared but she says she's not scared of him, she's scared of Michael's vampires which are hunting her. Jody wants to take her to the station for safety but Dean wants to "break her" so she will tell him where the spear is. He kicks Kaia's chair against the wall and demands answers. Dark Kaia refuses and accuses him of being no different from Michael -- using threats and violence to get what he wants. She reminds him of the incident from [[13.09 The Bad Place]] where Dean forced her into the [[Impala]] at gunpoint. She tells Dean his anger and impatience come from fear of Michael and tells them about her confrontation with Michael. Michael tried to take the spear from her, knowing it was the one thing that could hurt him, and she stabbed him with it. Michael's vampires arrive and burst into the cabin to take Kaia. Sam, Jody, and Dean try to fight the vampires but they are too strong. Dean shoots the leg out from under Kaia's chair to free her; she runs to get the spear and kills the vampires before disappearing again, spear in hand. In the Impala on the way back to the Bunker, Dean admits to Sam that his time with Michael was not a "blink" and he doesn't remember anything Michael did with his meatsuit because he was drowning, fighting for air the whole time and trying to escape but he was not strong enough. He blames himself for everything Michael has done because he said "Yes". In a return to the MOTW format, [[14.04 Mint Condition]] opens with Dean in his room watching 'All Saint's Day' and avoiding the mass of AU hunters in the [[Bunker]]. Sam comes to check on him and to tell him of a new case - a comic book store employee beaten up by a Panthero Panthro action figure. They head to the store , where Dean nerds out over a life-sized talking 'David Yeager' ([[Hatchet Man]]) figure. Posing as insurance agents, they question the clerk [[Samantha Juarez]] regarding [[Stuart Blake]], the guy who was attacked by the action figure, and she directed directs them to Stuart's mom's house where he lives in the basement. They question Stuart about the attack and he claims he made it all up, then kicks them out when they attempt to question him further. Stuart's ex-girlfriend is Wiccan so they figure she might have cursed him. While waiting in the [[Impala]] for Stuart and his mom to leave so they can check the house for [[hex bags]], Dean asks [[Sam]] why he doesn't like Halloween, but before he can answer, Stuart's mom leaves and Sam comments that Stuart changed his story because of all the brutal comments on the video. Suddenly Stuart emerges from the house screaming for help and bleeding from multiple cuts. Dean runs inside to investigate and is attacked by a floating chainsaw which barely misses him, embedding in the wall next to himhis head. Stuart is in the hospital, his mom at his bedside talking to the boys and thanking them for saving his life. She says she needs to go home to get his favorite pillow but they convince her to stay until he wakes up. They leave the room to discuss the case in the hall , where Dean reveals that he didn't find any hex bags but the EMF was going crazy, so it must be a ghost. Sam suggests Dean stay to keep Stuart's mom from leaving so he can check the house. Stuart's friend [[Dirk Winchell]] arrives to check on Stuart, and he and Dean begin to bond over their love of the 'All Saint's Day' franchise of horror movies. Dean receives a call from Sam who; he's calling from the comic book shop where he and Samantha were just attacked by the Hatchet Man figure which has been possessed by the ghost of [[Jordan MacNeel]], the recently deceased owner of the shop - and . Sam tells his brother that the possessed figure is on his way to the hospital to finish off Stuart. Dean draws a salt circle around Stuart's bed while giving Dirk "the talk", explaining that Jordan is coming to kill Stuart. He tells Dirk to get inside, while he heads out to find Jordan/Hatchet Man. In Stuart's room, the lights begin to flash flicker and drawers open and shut , causing Dirk to panic and run. Dean finds an ax in a fire box - (he starts to break the glass and then realizes he can just open the door to take it). Dirk rounds the corner to find Stuart's mom screaming as she's confronted by the Hatchet Man figure, and he tells Jordan/Hatchet Man that he knows he's there to kill Stuart but he'll have to go through him first. Jordan/Hatchet Man starts coming for him and Dirk runs. He ends up in the morgue and meets Dean, when Jordan/Hatchet Man rises from one of the morgue gurneys. Dean approaches him with the ax and tries to talk him out of attacking, but he pushes the button -- "Time to slice and dice" -- and attacks Dean, who loses his ax in the fight. Just as Jordan is about to strike him with the ax, Dirk stabs Jordan with a knife. Jordan attacks Dirk, and Dean tries to attack Jordan but is captured, and Jordan starts to strangle him. Just then, Sam and Samantha burst in the door telling Dean to get the shop keys -- they belonged to Jordan and it's how he's moving around. Dean fishes them out of Hatchet Man's pocket and tosses them to Sam, who places them in a bowl and sets them on fire, burning Jordan's ghost and saving Dean. On the drive back, Dean thanks Sam for finding the case and getting him out of his post-Michael funk. Sam tells him he needs to stop hiding in his room, that the things Michael did are not on him, and . Dean agrees to help out more. He asks Sam again why he hates Halloween and Sam finally tells him about an incident at a Halloween party when he was a kid. Dean tells him he needs to get over it and that next year they're getting matching Halloween costumes ("Rocky and Bullwinkle", "Shaggy and Scooby"). [[14.05 Nightmare Logic]] finds [[Sam]] and Dean heading to Claremore, Oklahoma, after [[Maggie]] misses a check-in while on a hunt, and her body-cam shows she was attacked by a [[ghoul]]. She was following a lead from an online post where some kids were studying and were attacked by what they called a "walker". They enter the crypt where Maggie was attacked but find no blood, meaning she is probably still alive. A gardener finds them in the crypt, and Sam tells him they're from the Historic Preservation Society and asks to speak to the owner. The gardener takes them to the main house where they talk to [[Neil]] who is excited over the prospect of the property being declared a historical site but wonders how many people it takes, as their colleagues have already arrived -- [[Mary]] and [[Bobby (Apocalypse World)]]. Mary takes Sam aside to talk, while Dean and Bobby question Neil, who tells them he's not the owner and escorts them to Mr. Rawlings, who is unconscious and bedridden, and also looks like the ghoul who appeared in Maggie's video. [[Sasha Rawlings]], the daughter, enters the room and the boys question her about her father, but she really doesn't know much because she just came down to take care of his affairs. They start to ask more questions but she asks them to leave. They meet Bobby and Mary by the [[Impala]] where Bobby briefs them on his investigation into the elder Rawlings: he's not a ghoul, and the standard tests ruled out shapeshifter and demon. Bobby then argues with Sam over having sent Maggie on this case by herself before she's ready and says he's not a real leader. Mary stands up for Sam and suggests they split up to look for Maggie. Dean and Bobby split off, and Bobby asks Dean if he thinks he was too hard on Sam. Dean tells him Sam is doing the best he can and working his tail off. They find an old shed and Dean goes in to investigate and finds a body. He turns to look for Bobby, who has disappeared, and is attacked by the "ghoul" who turns into a cloud of dust when Dean stabs it. Bobby reappears and asks him what happened. Dean returns to the house to find Mary and Sam talking to Sasha, who was attacked by what appeared to be a vampire while investigating noises coming from the attic. Dean tells them he found a dead guy in the shed, and Sam shows him a burned ID card -- he and Mary had found a pile of ID cards in a pile in the woods, partially burned. The ID picture matches the guy Dean found in the shed; something is killing hunters. Mary, alarmed, asks where Bobby is and Dean tells her he went to get something from the truck. She rushes outside to find him. Sam wonders if the dad is like [[Fred Jones]] and is creating the apparitions, but Sasha says her dad has never shown any psychic abilities. Sam goes to investigate the attic while Dean stays with Neil and Sasha. Dean and Sasha talk about her troubles with her dad; she blames him for her mother's suicide. Dean counsels her to "let it go", that he tries to do the same every day. They walk to the room where Neil is attending to Mr. Rawlings. Dean notices bags of blood attached to him and asks Neil if Mr. Rawlings is getting a transfusion. Neil stammers and says his iron is low. Dean, suspicious, asks Sasha to make him a sandwich as a ruse to get her to leave the room, and Dean draws a gun on Neil, realizing he's a [[djinn]]. Dean asks him why he's killing hunters and Neil says it's because he asked him to; he thinks Dean is [[Michael (Apocalypse World)]] and was testing him. Michael made him a deal: kill hunters in exchange for upgraded powers. When Neil realizes Dean is not Michael, he attacks Dean and attempts to read his mind, but sees something that distracts him enough for Dean to escape and hit him with a metal bookend. Before Dean knocks him out, Neil reveals Michael has laid many traps for him and his family. Dean empties a clip into him. Later, Dean removes the IVs from Mr. Rawlings and tells Sasha he'll recover as soon as the djinn's poison leaves his system.

In [[14.06 Optimism]], Dean finds [[Jack]] in the kitchen adding a ton of sugar to his coffee. Dean comments on his sweet tooth and Jack explains that since he lost his [[Grace]], everything tastes different. Dean asks him where [[Sam]] is and Jack says he and [[Charlie Bradbury (Apocalypse World)]] went on a case while Dean was on a run to Bobby and Mary's place and it couldn't wait for his return. Dean comments remarks that they just left Jack at the [[Bunker]] all alone, and Jack explains that Sam wanted someone there when Dean got back - . Sam is, of course, worried about Dean, who is not surprised. Jack tells him that no one blames him for what happened with Michael but Dean still blames himself. Jack still has a cough and when Dean comments on it, Jack says maybe he's allergic to sitting around doing nothing. Dean asks him what he wants to do, and Jack says he wants to hunt - he. He's been on hunts with [[Castiel]], and . Dean informs him that while Cas says he's doing well, he's mostly Cas is an insurance policy on those cases and Sam is just trying to keep him safe - . He says Sam's a smart guy (cut to Sam in the car with Charlie using a fidget spinner incorrectlyand giggling). Jack shows Dean a possible case in McCook, Nebraska , where Winston Mathers was found dead with human bite marks present, and others have gone missing as well. Dean says Sam isn't going to like Jack going on a hunt, but Jack counters that Sam isn't there and that since all hunters have to have partners, Jack could be Dean's on this hunt - . Jack says he feels a desperate need to do something since he had the opportunity to kill Michael and didn't. Dean reluctantly agrees and calls Sam to let him know.  Their first stop in McCook is Winston's favorite restaurant, Dick's Red Rooster Diner (as stated in his obituary), and Dick's Red Rooster Diner. There they question the waitress , who gives them attitude until Dean slips her some money, where after which she reveals that he was courting [[Harper Sayles]]. The They interview several other people as wellabout Harper, who all state how sweet and popular she is but also how much bad luck she's had in both love and life. Dean congratulates Jack on finding a case and treats him to some pie. Jack asks Dean about "courting" and Dean says he'll give him "the talk" later, but now they have to find Harper. Jack wonders if maybe she's not human, and Dean says that's what they're going to find out. When Jack asks how , Dean asks him if he's ever read a romance novel.  Cut to the library where Harper works. Dean enters and begins questioning her brusquely and making her uncomfortable. Jack enters and interrupts them by asking for a book about the area's history, and when "bad cop" Dean protests, "good cop" Jack tells him she doesn't appear to want to talk to him and he can't make her without arresting her. Dean tells him to back off which , and Jack counters with "No, YOU back off... OLD MAN." Dean visibly reacts to the term (out of his "bad cop" character), claims "This isn't over" and leaves - , giving Jack a bit of a dirty look as he does. Harper is impressed and grateful to Jack for intervening and that says she has the perfect book for him -- at her apartment. As Dean watches from sits in the [[Impala]] and , muttering "old man , my ass", he watches as Harper and Jack exit the library and are accosted by another library employee, Miles, who jealously questions her about taking a stranger to her apartment. Harper and Jack leave anyway, and Dean starts to follows follow Miles, who heads around the back of the library to dump trash. As Dean is rounding the corner he hears a shout and trash cans thrown, but when he gets there he finds Miles lying on the ground, dead. Dean texts Jack and tells him to call him. Jack excuses himself to use the bathroom and calls him, . He explains that Harper passed all the tests so is not a monster, and he's 99% sure she's in love with him. Dean tells him that's not how it works and he's sure she's not in love with him, but Jack counters that if she actually is, he needs to know all about sex, GO. Dean tells him Miles is dead and they have bigger things to worry about, that something is stalking Harper or those around her... and the line goes dead as Dean is attacked. Jack exits the bathroom , where Harper apologizes for being so intense and asks if they should go get coffee... when Dean bursts through the door. He and Jack explain that they're there to save her. Harper asks what they're going to save her from , when something starts bashing at her door, growling. Dean sees a picture of Harper's boyfriend and recognizes him as the thing that attacked him -- her boyfriend [[Vance]] is a zombie. Vance bashes through the door and Dean fights him , allowing Jack and Harper to escape. Suddenly Vance stops fighting Dean, stands with a blank look on his face, and runs out the door. Dean follows him to the library, where Harper has let him in and revealed she is a necromancer who killed Vance to keep him from leaving her for college and turned him into a zombie... and he needs to kill and eat Jack to maintain his body. Dean sneaks in, finds Jack, and tells him that the only way to kill stop a zombie is to drive them back to their grave and use a silver stake to keep them there. Working together, they trap Vance using silver handcuffs but Harper escapes.  Back in the Bunker, Dean and Jack are discussing the case. Jack asks him that if since Vance is back in his grave, he can't hurt anyone, and Dean says the stake through the heart will keep him there. Jack then asks, "So that's... love?" Dean laughs and says that love can actually get crazier than that, and with Harper still out there it might get crazy yet. He then tells Jack he did good, which Jack uses as evidence that he should be able to go on hunts. Dean tells him it's not about being right, that he'll make mistakes but it's how he handles himself after making them and learning from them. Jack responds "and not beating yourself up about them." Dean smiles and agrees, and says he'll talk to Sam when he returns... but Jack starts coughing violently and collapses on the floor bleeding from his nose and mouth while Dean looks on helplessly. [[14.07 Unhuman Nature]] picks up with Dean and [[Sam]] waiting in the hall outside [[Jack]]'s room while [[Castiel]] attempts to heal him. Cas tells them he did what he could but he doesn't know what's wrong with him. They hear Jack fall from his bed and rush in, finding him on the ground and foaming at the mouth. They rush him to the hospital where the doctors begin to treat him, as Sam, Cas, and Dean look on, worried. The doctor emerges and tells them that all of the tests they've run on Jack have come back negative but his body is in systemic failure and they don't know why; they need to run more tests. Dean, talking to Sam, wonders how many more tests they can run, and Sam believes there isn't anything else the hospital can do for him -- they've never seen anything like Jack and they obviously can't tell them what he really is. Dean suggests taking him home and finding another way to treat him, like calling [[Rowena]], and Sam says he's already called her. They put Cas' trenchcoat on Jack and, telling the doctors they're going to get a second opinion, they take him back to the [[Bunker]].

 Dean brings Jack some milk and a sandwich and finds Jack packing - ; since he's dying, he wants to experience life before it's over, and he doesn't want to waste time arguing since he knows Dean will disagree. Dean asks "Did I say I disagree?".  Dean walks into the Library where Sam, Rowena, and Cas are attempting to find something to help Jack. Cas has found books on archangels but nothing about nephilim, . Rowena has talked to "the greatest minds in witchcraft" but they don't have anything either - , to which Dean quips "well then they're not the greatest minds, are they?". Sam says he talked to [[Ketch]] who has a line on a shaman, [[Sergei]], but as Sam starts to explain, Dean's vision and hearing begins to blur and echo again briefly. Sam says he has the location of the shaman and Cas offers to go talk to him, as Jack enters the room, packed and ready to go, and tells them they're heading out. Dean tells them they're "taking Baby out for some exercise" as he and Jack leave.  

 They stop on the side of the road to eat the burgers, and Dean asks him what he wants to do next, suggesting a nearby bar with little class but high hookup potential - , but Jack has a different idea -- fishing. Sitting by a creek, Jack said he wanted to do this because Dean had once said he and his father did the exact same thing and it was one of his happiest memories. Dean claimed he never said that but Jack told him it was the way he said it -- he could tell. He goes on to say that the stuff he'll miss isn't going places like Tahiti or the Taj MajalMahal, but the time he'll miss spending more time with Dean, that's it's time together that matters. Dean is visibly choked up, as Jack says "I've had a good life, Dean." 

[[14.08 Byzantium]] picks up immediately afterward, as Dean, [[Sam]], and [[Cas]] stand at [[Jack]]'s bedside. Jack asks them not to be sad, that maybe this is how things are supposed to be. Dean angrily disagrees, saying this isn't a part of some damned plan and stalks out of the room. He paces the hallway and punches the wall. Cas joins him in the hallway to check on him. Dean tells him he can't go back in, but Cas tells him that Jack needs him. Dean goes back in the room but it's too late -- Jack is gone. The three stand in the hallway and talk about next steps. Dean suggests a wake and a bonfire, hunter style - ; it's what Jack would want. Sam turns quickly and walks away, . Cas starts to follow him and Dean stops him, saying he needs space and they're going to give it to him. Dean goes to the kitchen to call [[Mary]] to tell her about Jack but gets her voicemail, so he leaves a message, asking her to call back and that it would be nice to talk to her. He finds Cas and asks him if he's seen Sam - . Cas had just watched him leave the [[Bunker]]. In Cas' car on their way to find Sam, Dean asks Cas why he let him leave. Cas says he told him to give Sam space but of course, Dean says he meant there in the Bunker, not actually leaving. They find Sam sitting by the [[Impala]] next to a grove of trees. Dean rushes to him , demanding to know if he made a deal, and Sam, confused, said he was trying to build a pyre but the ax broke while he was cutting down a tree. He is upset because he couldn't even do that for him, that he should have tried harder to save him. Dean tells him that at least he was there for him. Cas says Jack's death doesn't feel right - that Jack shouldn't have been taken before him. Sam asks what they should do, and Dean says "Say goodbye.. tomorrow. Tonight, we get loaded." Back at the Bunker, they drink, talk, laugh , and share memories... and eat nougat candy bars.  Dean wakes the next morning after having passed out on the table , and hears voices from the Librarylibrary. He staggers out where Sam and Cas are talking to [[Lily Sunder]], who has aged significantly after giving up using angel magic. Dean asks what she's doing there and Sam tells him he called her - she . She knows more about angels than anyone, and he thought maybe she can read [[Donatello]]'s notes from the Angel Tablet. She looks at his notes and unfortunately can't read them, but offers to use her angel magic instead, since . Since it draws power from the soul, it can be used to save him and keep him alive. Dean disagrees with the plan but Lily explains that it will only use a very small portion of his soul. Dean asks what the point is, Jack is already dead and his soul is gone, but Cas believes that if his soul is in [[Heaven]] he can pull it back to his body long enough for Lilly Lily to teach Jack to use her magic to stay alive - , but only in trade for their help to get her soul into Heaven. After killing as many angels as she did, she's pretty sure her soul is not welcome there. Sam, Dean, and Cas discuss her offer, and how to get her soul to Heaven. Dean suggests maybe [[Billie]]/[[Death]] or [[Reapers]] could help but Cas says they aren't the ones who weigh souls -- [[Anubis]], the Egyptian Guardian of the Dead , was appointed to the job after God left. Dean and Sam prepare to summon Anubis, but Dean is still against using Jack's soul and doesn't trust Lily. Cas joins them, ; Dean asks him if he's found Jack's soul but Cas says [[Angel Radio]] is playing a distress signal -- all the gates of Heaven are open and that means bad things are happening. Sam tells him to go and they'll pray for him when they're ready. Lily provides the instructions for her spell while Dean paints the summoning circle. When he's done he apologizes to Lily but wants to know why she stopped using her magic - , why she's letting herself die and risk going to [[Hell]]. She explains that when [[Ishim]] took her daughter, she swore she would kill him even if it took her entire soul, but it didn't. She still has a tiny piece left - , and her daughter is in Heaven.  Dean and Sam begin the summoning. Anubis appears and recognizes them, saying he's seen their files. Sam says they've never met although they've died -- many times. Anubis says he's a "back of the house" guy, that Death and the Reapers get all the face time. He asks them what they want, and Lilly Lily asks him to weigh her soul so she knows where she's going. Anubis reluctantly agrees and produces an abacus with white and black beads. He takes Lily's hand and places it above the abacus, where the beads move back and forth, finally stopping with more black beads than white -- Lily's soul is going to Hell. Sam tells Anubis to change it, but he claims he can't. Dean tells him that he's not going anywhere then, and Sam explains they have bound him in a circle of palm oil. Anubis says he still doesn't have the power, that THEY are the only ones that can decide that, by their actions and decisions in life - , and they can try to keep him there or kill him, but that won't change Lily's fate and may affect theirs. Sam breaks the circle and Anubis vanishes.  Sam asks Lily if she'll still do the spell, but she says that wasn't the deal and she has to go. Dean yells at her -- "He's OUR KID!" -- and accuses her of losing so much of her soul that she's not even human anymore - if . If she was, she wouldn't be able to stand someone else feeling the pain of losing a child as she did. Lily stops - , and changes her mind, agreeing to help them. Jack's body is placed on the table in the Library, and Dean prays to Cas to let him know they're ready, as Lily begins the spell. Jack suddenly sits up, Sam hands him the spell and tells him to read it. When he's done, his eyes flare as his soul reenters his body. Dean asks him how he feels. Jack says he feels good and they both hug him. Dean turns to thank Lily, and discover discovers she has died.  Later in the kitchen, Sam, Dean, Cas, and Jack are having burgers and beer. Dean tells him how glad they are to have him back, and now that they will soon know where [[Michael]] is, things are starting to look up. It's Christmas Eve in the midseason finale [[14.09 The Spear]], and thanks to [[Garth]] acting as a mole, the boys have a line on [[Michael]]'s location: Hitomi Plaza, a high-rise office building in Kansas City, Missouri. [[Sam]] is concerned over putting Garth in harm's way but Dean reminds him that they're finally a step ahead. [[Ketch]] calls and lets them know he's found the [[Hyperbolic Pulse Generator]] -- the "egg" -- but was attacked and forced to drop it... in the mail. Unfortunately, the post office is closed due to the Christmas Holiday and the package is stuck in Joplin, Missouri. Since the post office is closed, the opportunity exists to break in and pick it up. While discussing this, Garth calls to tell them that Michael sent some of his people find someone at an old recycling plant north of Omaha, to get a weapon -- a spear. Also, he managed to overhear Michael's plan to attack and turn everyone in Kansas City, on Christmas Eve at midnight. With this news, they decide to divide and conquer: Sam and [[Jack]] will go to Joplin to get the egg, and Dean and [[Castiel]] will go to the recycling plant to find [[Kaia's Spear]], then they'll meet in Kansas City before midnight to stop the attack.  Dean and Cas arrive at the recycling plant, and Cas comments on Dean's recent upbeat mood -- even being able to withstand the drive with a broken tape deck. Dean explains that he's fired up after getting Jack back, a no-strings-attached win. Cas reminds him that they have to deal with Michael now, and they're taking a big risk going after the Spear. Dean stops him and reminds him that Michael conned him and trapped him, drowning inside his own body. He didn't understand before what Cas and Sam went through when both were possessed by [[Lucifer]] but now he does, and he'll take it if they can trap him but he won't be truly happy until he's dead, preferably at Dean's own hand. Now that he has the chance to do that, he's good. They make their way into the recycling building and find remnants of [[Dark Kaia]]'s camp -- a sleeping area and a recently warmed pot -- but no sign of Kaia herself. Cas wonders why Michael's forces are not there since they had a head start, and asks if perhaps they've already captured her, but Dean says there's no sign of a struggle and she wouldn't have gone out without a fight. Dean tries to call Sam but there's no answer; Garth calls to tell him Michael left to back up his forces. Dean tells him those forces are not at the recycling plant and to call him if he hears anything else. They wonder if the recycling plant was a setup when Cas notices Kaia right behind them, the Spear pointed at the back of Dean's head. Kaia asks why they're here and what they want. Dean tells her she knows what they want, and when Kaia questions their ability to take it from her, Dean tells her they weren't planning to take it from her -- they came to ask. Dean turns to face her. Kaia says she will not give the Spear up. Dean moves towards her, causing the Spear to push into his chest, and he tells her that, in that case, she should just kill him. He says that the people he cares about, his family, are in danger from Michael, who tortured both of them. Michael is going to hurt and kill them, along with thousands of people in Kansas City, and the only thing that can stop him is her Spear. Kaia backs the Spear away from Dean's chest while he exhales in relief, and she asks what's in it for her. Cas asks what she wants, and she replies that she wants to go back to the Bad Place -- her home. She escaped there originally to get away from the monsters, but here is no different because Michael's monsters won't stop hunting her. Dean agrees to help her, but she still thinks Jack has his powers and can open the rift, and Dean lies and says he can. Kaia wants assurances but Cas says there aren't any, just as they have no proof she's not hiding something as well, and he still believes that she's hiding something regarding her desperation to return. Kaia explains there are people she is bound to protect in the Bad Place, and hands the Spear to Dean, telling him that if he doesn't return it she will hunt him down and kill him. Dean asks how he's supposed to find her, and she reminds him he did it before -- do it again. Dean's phone rings -- Sam -- and Kaia disappears. He answers the phone, where Sam explains Michael got the drop on them at the post office, destroyed the egg, and kidnapped Jack. Dean asks Sam how he escaped and when Sam says Michael just knocked him out and he doesn't know why he didn't kill him, Dean wonders if Michael is just playing them. Sam says he can't reach Garth and assumes Jack was taken to Kansas City, so he's headed there now. Dean tells Sam they have the Spear and will meet him there. Cas tells Sam not to go in alone and Sam assures them he won't. Dean and Cas arrive at Hitomi Plaza with the Spear to find that Sam has already rescued Jack from Michael and fought a Michael-controlled Garth, and as they lock Garth (bound and unconscious) in the truck of the [[Impala]], Dean chastises Sam for not waiting for them. Sam explains that he had no choice, and is dismayed that Garth drank Michael's grace, thinking Michael might have used him as an unwitting "double agent" to figure out where they were and get the jump on them. Dean conjectures that if they kill Michael it will cure Garth, and Sam mentions that other hunters are on their way to take care of the city, in case they can't beat Michael in time. Dean brandishes the Spear and claims he wouldn't bet against them and awkwardly attempts to twirl the Spear. Cas heals Jack's injuries from the fight with Garth, and Dean asks Jack about Michael, who tells Dean Michael is upstairs waiting for them. Cas figures that since Michael's monsters are all over the city by now, if he was even the slightest bit concerned about them, he would have sent his monsters to stop them, and Sam reminds them that Michael didn't kill him when he had the chance, so they can assume he wanted them to come there. Cas also reminds them that Michael will surely sense his approach -- so zero element of surprise, right into a trap by a full power archangel. "Impossible odds. Feels like home. Let's do it" Dean says, as Team Free Will 2.0 turn and march towards the battle with Michael.

It's Christmas Eve in the midseason finale [[14.09 The Spear]], and thanks to [[Garth]] acting as a mole, the boys have a line on [[Michael]]'s location - Hitomi Plaza, a high-rise office building in Kansas City, Missouri. [[Sam]] is concerned over putting Garth in harm's way but Dean reminds him that they're finally a step ahead. [[Ketch]] calls and lets them know he's found the [[Hyperbolic Pulse Generator]] - the "egg"- but was attacked and forced to drop it... in the mail. Unfortunately, the post office is closed due to the Christmas Holiday and the package is stuck in Joplin, Missouri. Since the post office is closed, the opportunity exists to break in and pick it up. While discussing this, Garth calls to tell them that Michael sent some of his people find someone at an old recycling plant north of Omaha, to get a weapon - a spear. Also, he managed to overhear Michael's plan to attack and turn everyone in Kansas City - on Christmas Eve at midnight. With this news, they decide to divide and conquer - Sam and [[Jack]] to Joplin to get the egg, and Dean and [[Castiel]] to the recycling plant to find [[Kaia's Spear]], then meet in Kansas City before midnight to stop the attack. Dean and Cas arrive at the recycling plant, and Cas comments on Dean's recent upbeat mood - even being able to withstand the drive with a broken tape deck. Dean explains that he's fired up after getting Jack back, a no-strings-attached win. Cas reminds him that they have to deal with Michael now, and they're taking a big risk going after the Spear. Dean stops him and reminds him that Michael conned him and trapped him, drowning inside his own body. He didn't understand before what Cas and Sam went through when both were possessed by [[Lucifer]] but now he does, and he'll take it if they can trap him but won't be truly happy until he's dead - and if he kills him. Now that he has the chance to do that, he's good. They make their way into the recycling building and find remnants of [[Dark Kaia]] camp - a sleeping area and a recently warmed food - but no sign of her. Cas wonders why Michael's forces are not there since they had a head start and wonder if they've already captured her, but there's no sign of a struggle and she wouldn't have gone out without a fight. Dean tries to call Sam but there's no answer when Garth calls to tell him Michael left to back up his forces. Dean tells him they're not at the recycling plant and to call him if they hear anything else. They wonder if the recycling plant was a setup when Cas notices Kaia right behind them, the Spear pointed at the back of Dean's head. Kaia asks why they're here and what they want. Dean tells her she knows what they want, and when Kaia questions their ability to take it from her, Dean tells her they weren't planning to take it from her - they came to ask, turning to face her. Kaia says she will not give it up. Dean moves towards her, causing the Spear to push into his chest and tells her, in that case, to just kill him because the people he cares about, his family, that are in danger from Michael who tortured both of them are going to hurt and kill them, along with thousands of people in Kansas City and the only thing that can stop him is her Spear. Kaia backs the Spear away from his chest while he exhales in relief, and she asks what's in it for her. Cas asks what she wants, and she replies that she wants to go back to the Bad Place - her home. She escaped there originally to get away from the monsters, but here is no different because Michael's monsters won't stop hunting her. Dean agrees to help her, but she still thinks Jack has his powers and can open the rift - and Dean lies and says he still can. Kaia wants assurances but Cas says there aren't any, just as they have no proof she's not hiding something as well - and still believes that she's hiding something regarding her desperation to return. Kaia explains there are people she is bound to protect in the Bad Place - and hands the Spear to Dean telling him that if he doesn't return it she will hunt him down and kill him. Dean asks how he's supposed to find her, and she reminds him he did it before - do it again. Dean's phone rings - Sam - and Kaia disappears. He answers the phone, where Sam explains Michael got the drop on them at the post office, destroyed the egg, and kidnapped Jack. Dean asks Sam how he escaped and when Sam says Michael just knocked him out and doesn't know why he didn't kill him, Dean wonders if Michael is just playing them. Sam says he can't reach Garth and assumes Jack was taken to Kansas City, so he's headed there now. Dean tells Sam they have the Spear and will meet him there. Cas tells Sam not to go in alone and Sam assures them he won't.Dean and Cas arrive at Hitomi Plaza with the Spear to find that Sam had already rescued Jack from Michael and fought a Michael-controlled Garth, and as they lock him into the truck of the [[Impala]], Dean chastises Sam for not waiting for them. Sam explains that he had no choice, and is dismayed that Garth drank Michael's grace, thinking Michael might have used him as an unwitting "double agent" to figure out where they were and get the jump on them. Dean conjectures that if they kill Michael it will cure Garth, and Sam mentions that other hunters are on their way to take care of the city, in case they can't beat Michael in time. Dean brandishes the Spear and claims he would bet against them and awkwardly attempts to twirl the Spear. Cas heals Jack's injuries from the fight with Garth, and Dean asks Jack about Michael, who tells Dean Michael is upstairs waiting for them. Cas figures that since Michael's monsters are all over the city by now, if he was even the slightest bit concerned about them, he would have sent his monsters to stop them, and Sam reminds them that Michael didn't kill him when he had the chance, so they can assume he wanted them to come there. Cas also reminds them that Michael will surely sense his approach - so zero element of surprise, right into a trap by a full power archangel. "Impossible odds. Feels like home. Let's do it" Dean says, as Team Free Will 2.0 turn and march towards the battle with Michael.Michael senses Cas' presence as expected and leaves the room. While he's beating up on Cas, Sam, Dean, and Jack enter the room. Dean hides in a closet with the Spear and rushes him while he's subduing Sam and Jack. They fight, but Michael overpowers him and Dean loses the Spear but while Michael is gloating, Sam manages to get the Spear back to him and Dean slashes Michael's arm with it, then backs him up against the outer glass. Just as Dean was about to kill him with the Spear, his vision and hearing blur again as Michael's current vessel collapses to the floor. Dean (now Michael) breaks the Spear and turns to face Sam, Jack, and Cas. Dean is locked away and Michael has taken over again.