"So this is it." John states as the four are in the motel room, John's research all over the place. "This is everything I know. Look, our whole lives we've been searching for this demon, right? Not a trace, just... nothing. Until about a year ago. For the first time I picked up a trail."
Miranda is sitting on the counter and Sam is next to her, leaning against the counter.
"And that's when you took off." Dean says.
"Yeah. That's right. The demon must have come out of hiding or hibernation." John says.
"All right, so what's this trail you found?" Dean asks.
"It starts in Arizona, then New Jersey, California. Houses burned down to the ground. It's going after families, just like it went after us." John says.
"Families with infants?" Sam asks.
"Yeah. The night of the kid's six month birthday." John states.
"I was six months old that night?" Sam asks.
"Exactly six months." John says.
"So, basically, this demon is going after these kids for some reason. The same way it came for me? So mom's death... Bella. It's all because of me?" Sam questions.
"Sammy--" Miranda shakes her head.
"We don't know that, Sam." Dean states.
"Oh, really? Cause I'd say we're pretty damn sure, Dean." Sam says.
"For the last time, what happened to them was not your fault." Dean states.
"Yeah, you're right, it's not my fault, but it's my problem!"
"No, it's not your problem, it's our problem!"
"Okay. That's enough." John stands up.
"Sammy." Miranda whispers, reaching out for his hand.
"So, why's it doing it? What does it want?" Sam asks.
"Look, I wish I had more answers, I do. I've always been one step behind it. Look, I've never gotten there in time to save..." John stops.
"All right, so, how do we find it before it hits again?" Dean asks.
"There's signs. It took me a while to see the pattern, but it's there in the days before these fires, signs crop up in an area. Cattle deaths, temperature fluctuations, electrical storms. And then I went back and checked and..."
"These things happened in Lawrence." Dean says.
"A week before your mother died." John nods. "And in Palo Alto... before Bella. And these signs, they're starting again."
"Where?" Sam asks.
"Salvation, Iowa." John states.
+++
They're driving and John pulls off the road and into a clearing, Dean following.
"God damnit!" John sneers, getting out, the brothers get out of the Impala, Miranda opting to stay inside.
"What is it?" Dean asks.
"Son of a bitch." John hisses, hitting his truck.
"What is it?!" Dean repeats.
"I just got a call from Caleb." John states.
"Is he okay?" Dean asks.
"He's fine. Jim Murphy's dead." John informs.
"Pastor Jim? How?" Sam asks.
"His throat was slashed. He bled out. Caleb said they found traces of sulfur at Jim's place." John says.
"A demon." Dean says. "The demon?"
"I don't know. Could be he just got careless, he slipped up. Maybe the demon knows we're getting close." John says.
"What do you want to do?" Dean asks.
"Now we act like every second counts. There's two hospitals and a health center in this county. We split up, cover more ground. I want records. I want a list of every infant that's going to be six months old in the next week." John demands.
"Dad, that could be dozens of kids. How do we know which one's the right one?" Sam asks.
"We check 'em all, that's how. You got any better ideas?" John asks.
"No." Sam says.
John nods and goes to get back in the truck, but stops.
"Dad?" Dean calls.
"Yeah. It's Jim. You know, I can't..." John trails off. "This ends now. I'm ending it. I don't care what it takes." He gets back in his truck and the siblings get in the Impala.
+++
Sam and Miranda walk out of the medical center, looking through their notebooks they took notes in and sharing them.
Sam suddenly stops, clutching his head.
"Sammy?" Miranda asks. "Hey, hey." She cups his face. "Hey, look at me."
"Yeah. Yeah, no, mm." Sam grunts, holding his head again.
"Sammy?"
Sam blinks as he comes out of his vision.
"A train." Sam whispers, taking out a map.
~ ~ ~
The two are in a park and Sam is checking the map. Sam suddenly gets another vision, grabbing his head again.
"Sammy. Hey." Miranda holds onto him while he squeezes his eyes shut. He stops after a bit.
"I'm fine." He mumbles. "I'm good." He assures.
Sam looks around at the houses across the street. He notices the woman from his vision walking a stroller down the sidewalk and towards the house he recognizes from the vision.
"Come on." Sam grabs Miranda's hand, leading her across the street.
"Hi." Sam greets the woman from his vision. "Here, let me hold that for you." He places a hand on the stroller. "You look like you don't need that anymore." He motions to the umbrella.
"Oh. Thanks." The woman smiles and closes her umbrella.
"She's gorgeous." Sam compliments the baby. "Is she yours?"
"Yeah." The woman nods.
"Oh, wow. Hi." Sam softly says to the baby. Miranda smiles a little, biting the inside of her cheek to avoid being too obvious. "Oh, sorry, I'm rude. I'm Sam, this is my girlfriend, Miranda. We just moved in up the block." He informs.
"Hi." Miranda shakes her hand.
"Hi, I'm Monica. This is Rosie." The woman informs.
"Rosie? Hi, Rosie." Sam greets the baby. Miranda's lips quirk a bit again.
"So, welcome to the neighborhood." Monica tells them.
"Thanks." They chorus.
"She's such a good baby." Sam says.
"I know, I mean, she... she never cries. She just stares at everybody. Sometimes she looks at you and I swear it's-- it's like she's reading your mind." Monica chuckles.
Miranda awkwardly laughs.
"What about you, Monica? Have you lived here long?" Sam asks.
"My husband and I, we bought our place just before Rosie was born." Monica informs.
"And how old's Rosie?" Sam asks.
"She's six months today. She's big, right? Growing like a weed." Monica smiles down at her daughter.
"Yeah." Sam mumbles, glancing at Miranda. "Monica..."
"Yeah?"
"Just, uh... just take care of yourself, okay?"
"Yeah, you guys, too. We'll see you around." She tells them before continuing to her house as a car pulls into the driveway. "There's daddy!" She tells Rosie.
Sam gets another vision, rubbing his face and making a noise of pain. Miranda holds onto him, worriedly watching him.
Sam soon comes out of the vision, looking at Miranda.
"You okay?" Miranda asks.
"It's them." Sam mumbles. "It's them."
+++
Sam is sitting at the table and rubbing his forehead, his face scrunched up in pain. Miranda stands behind him, massaging his head with one hand and the back of his neck with the other. Dean and John are sitting at the ends of the two beds.
"A vision?" John questions in a flat voice.
"Yes." Sam says. "I saw the demon burning a woman on the ceiling."
"And you think this is going to happen to this woman you met because..." John trails off.
"Because these things happen exactly the way I see them." Sam says.
"It started as nightmares and then it started to happen while he was awake." Dean says, getting up and going to the counter to get more coffee.
"Yeah." Sam sighs. "It's like-- I don't know. It's like the closer I get to anything involving the demon, the stronger the visions get."
"All right, when were you going to tell me about this?" John asks.
"We didn't know what it meant." Dean says.
"All right, something like this starts happening to your brother, you pick up the phone and you call me." John orders.
"What, cause you're gonna answer?" Miranda scoffs.
"Randi--" Sam mumbles.
"You already have a headache, just cover your ears." Miranda says. "You wouldn't pick up the phone when they were dealing with the ghost of your wife? You know, the woman you're on this decades long hunt for a demon. You wouldn't pick up when your son was dying. But you're gonna pick up when one of them leaves a message about visions? Really? Cause I find that hard to believe."
"Listen, kid." John stands up, stepping up to Miranda, the woman raising her eyebrows at him.
"Dad." Sam warns, standing up.
"This is a family matter. You don't get a say in anything between me and my sons. This is family business."
"Family?" Miranda scoffs. "I'm sorry, I-- I must be losing my mind. Exactly where have you been for Sam the past four years? Oh, right, nowhere. Non-existent. Because you kicked him since he wouldn't follow your stupid little orders. But, in a way, even when we hated each other, I was there. And even though I'm not exactly fond of him, you do still treat Dean like shit -- which might be part of the reason he's a total jackass. But we're not focusing on that. You don't deserve to get pissed when you're the one neglecting them all the damn time."
"And between you leaving me for dead and causing my boyfriend so much pain, I'm not really concerned about hurting you -- physically or mentally -- so I will slap some fucking sense into your idiotic, abusive ass if I have to."
John glares at her, getting into her space, but Miranda doesn't back down.
"You really think that's gonna work out well?" John quietly asks.
"I mean..." She lets out a small laugh. "Even if I don't beat kick your ass, you did still leave me for dead so if you hurt me, I'm thinking Sammy's on my side."
John steps even closer, but Sam shuffles between them, his back to Miranda and he moves his dad back. He stands at his full height, glaring at the older man.
"You're not laying a hand on her." Sam declares.
Sam's phone rings, cutting off anybody's next words. He takes his phone out of his pocket, answering the unknown number.
"Hello?" He asks. He reaches back, holding onto Miranda's hand, the woman playing with his fingers.
"Sam?" The woman's voice comes through. Miranda frowns when Sam's hand tenses up.
"Who is this?" Sam asks.
"Think real hard, it will come to you."
"Meg." Sam realizes. "Last time I saw you, you fell out of a window."
"Yeah, no thanks to you. That really hurt my feelings, by the way." Meg says.
"Just your feelings? That was a seven story drop." Sam says.
"Lemme speak to your dad." Meg says.
"My dad? I don't know where my dad is." Sam says.
"It's time for the grown ups to talk, Sam, let me speak to him now." Meg orders.
John holds his hand out to the phone and Sam gives it to him.
"This is John." He says into the phone.
"Howdy, John. I'm Meg. I'm a friend of your boys and little girl. I'm also the one who watched Jim Murphy choke on his own blood." Meg says. "Still there, John boy?"
"I'm here." John quietly says.
"Well, that was yesterday. Today, I'm in Lincoln. Visiting another old friend of yours. He wants to say hi..." Meg says.
"John, whatever you do, don't give--" Caleb is cut off by Meg shushing him and pulling the phone away from him.
"Caleb?" John asks. "You listen to me. He's got nothing to do with anything. You let him go."
"We know you have the colt, John." Meg says.
"I don't know what you're talking about." John says.
"Oh, okay. Well, listen to this." Meg says. John is forced to listen as Caleb dies.
"Caleb? Caleb!" John calls.
"You hear that? That's the sound of your friend dying. Now, let's try this again. We know you have the gun, John, word travels fast. So, as far as we're concerned, you just declared war. And this is what war looks like. It has casualties."
"I'm gonna kill you, you know that?" John threatens.
"Oh, John, please, mind your blood pressure. So, this is the thing. We're going to keep doing what we're doing. And your friends, anyone who has ever helped you, gave you shelter, anyone you ever loved. They'll all die unless you give us that gun."
John doesn't answer as he thinks.
"I'm waiting, Johnny. Better answer before the buzzer." Meg says.
"Okay." John mutters.
"Sorry? I didn't quite get that."
"I said okay, I'll bring you the colt."
"There's a warehouse in Lincoln, on the corner of Wabash and Lake. You're gonna meet me there."
"It's gonna take me about a day's drive to get there."
"Meet me there at midnight tonight."
"That's impossible. I can't get there in time and I can't just carry a gun on the plane."
"Oh. Well, I guess your friends die, don't they? If you do decide to make it, come alone." Meg hangs up.
~ ~ ~
"So you think Meg is a demon?" Sam asks.
"Either that or she's possessed by one. It doesn't really matter." John says.
"What do we do?" Dean asks.
"I'm going to Lincoln." John states.
"What?" Dean asks.
"It doesn't look like we have a choice. If I don't go, a lot of people die, our friends die." John states.
"Dad, the demon is coming tonight. For Monica and her family. That gun is all we got, you can't just hand it over." Sam says.
"Who said anything about handing it over. Look, besides us and a couple of vampires, no one's really seen the gun, no one knows what it looks like." John says.
"So, what? You're just going to pick up a ringer at a pawn shop?" Dean asks.
"Antique store." John states.
"You're going to hand Meg a fake gun and hope she doesn't notice?" Dean asks.
"Look, as long as it's close, she shouldn't be able to tell the difference." John says.
"What happens when she figures it out?" Dean asks.
"I just... I need need to buy a few hours, that's all." John says.
"You mean for us. You want us to stay here and kill this demon by ourselves?" Sam asks.
"No, Sam. I want to stop losing people we love. I want you to go to school. I want Dean to have a home. I want... I want Mary alive. It's just... I just want this to be over."
+++
"You get it?" John asks as Dean walks up. Dean pulls a brown paper bag out and gives it to John. He pulls out an antique gun.
"You know, this is a trap, don't you? That's why Meg wants you to come alone." Dean says.
"I can handle her. I got a whole arsenal loaded. Holy water, Mandaic, amulets." John lists.
"Dad..." Dean starts.
"What?" John asks.
"Promise me something." Dean says.
"What's that?" John asks.
"This thing goes south, just... get the hell out. Don't get yourself killed, all right? You're no good to us dead." Dean says.
"Same goes for you." John says. "All right, listen to me. They made the bullets special for this colt. There's only four of them left. Without them this gun is useless. You make every shot count."
"Yes, sir." Sam says.
"Been waiting a long time for this fight. Now it's here, I'm not gonna be in it. It's up to you three now. It's your fight, you finish this. You finish what I started. Understand?" John gives Dean the colt.
"We'll see you soon, dad." Sam says.
"I'll see you later." John gets in the truck and drives off.
+++
The three are staking out Monica's house and waiting for anything to happen. They watch through a window as Monica and her husband eat dinner.
"Maybe we could tell 'em it was a gas leak. Might get 'em out of the house for a few hours." Sam suggests.
"Yeah, and how many times has that actually worked for us?" Dean asks.
"Yeah." Sam mumbles. "We could always tell them the truth." He says. The three share looks.
"Nah." The brothers shake their heads.
"I know, I know. I just... with what's coming for these folks..."
"Sam, we only got one move and you know it, all right? We gotta wait for that demon to show itself and then we get it before it gets them."
~ ~ ~
"This is weird." Sam says.
"What?" Dean asks.
"After all of these years, we're finally here. It doesn't seem real." Sam says.
"We just gotta keep our heads and do our job, like always." Dean says.
"Yeah, but this isn't like always." Sam says.
"True." Dean says.
"Dean, uh... I wanna thank you." Sam says.
"For what?" Dean asks.
"For everything. You've always had my back, you know? Even when I couldn't count on anyone, I could always count on you." Sam says. Miranda flicks him in the back of the head. "And you. Always you... aside from freshman and sophomore year, probably." He chuckles at the last part.
"No kisses." Miranda states.
"You cave after five hours." Sam says.
"I do not." Miranda argues.
"Yes, you do." Sam pats her on the head. "Look, uh... I don't know, I just wanted to let you guys know... just in case." Sam slightly shrugs.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa, are you kidding me?" Dean asks.
"What?" Sam asks.
"Don't say just in case something happens to you. I don't wanna hear that fucking speech, man. Nobody's dying tonight. Not us, not that family, nobody. Except that demon. That evil son of a bitch ain't getting any older than tonight, you understand me?"
"You realize that means somebody's dying tonight, then, right?" Miranda asks.
"Oh, you know what I meant." Dean says, giving her an annoyed look.
~ ~ ~
"Dad's not answering." Dean states.
"Maybe Meg was late. Maybe cell reception's bad." Sam says. The radio starts to static. "Dean, listen." Sam turns the volume up, more static coming through. The wind outside picks up and they see the lights in the house flicker.
"It's coming." Sam declares.
They jump out of the car and race to Monica's house. Dean uses a card to unlock the front door and they quietly go in. They walk to the living room, Monica's husband swinging a bat at Dean's head, but missing and hitting a lamp.
"Get out of my house!" He orders. "Get out of my house!"
"Please, please, Mr. Holden, please." Sam says. Dean grapples Mr. Holden for the bat, grabbing it. He pins Mr. Holden to the wall, holding the bat to his throat.
"Be quiet and listen to me. Be quiet and listen." Dean hisses. "We are trying to help you."
"Charlie? Is everything okay?" Monica asks from upstairs.
"Monica, get the baby!" Charlie yells.
"Don't go in the nursery!" Sam shouts at the same time.
"You stay away from her!" Charlie orders. He tries to get away from Dean, but he backhands the man, Charlie falling to the ground, unconscious. Dean grabs him, carrying the man outside.
Sam and Miranda race upstairs and to the nursery. They rush in, a dark figure turning to them, yellow eyes staring back at them. Miranda stumbles back a bit, bumping into Sam
Monica is sliding up the wall and to the ceiling.
"Rosie!" Monica cries out.
Sam raises the colt and pulls the trigger, but the demon disappears into smoke. Monica screams as she falls to the floor.
"Where the hell did it go?!" Sam asks.
"My baby!" Monica cries. She rushes for Rosie, but Sam stops her. "My baby!" She screams.
"No, wait!" Sam shouts.
"My baby!" Monica screeches, fighting against Sam.
"Go, go! I got her!" Miranda races to the crib. Sam drags Monica out of the room as she continues to yell out for her daughter.
"Rosie!" Monica yells.
"Miranda's got her. She's fine." Sam assures.
Miranda wraps Rosie up and quickly picks her up just as the crib catches on fire.
"Fuck!" Miranda yells, racing out of the room, cradling the baby in her arms.
They get outside just as the fire explodes in the nursery, the windows shattering.
"You get away from my family!" Charlie orders.
"No, Charlie, don't! They saved us." Monica tells him. Monica takes her baby from Miranda, holding Rosie close. Charlie wraps his arm around both his wife and daughter.
"Thank you." Monica tells them.
The three turn back to the burning house and see the demon's silhouette in the burning nursery.
"It's still in there!" Sam roars, going to charge back inside.
"No, no, no! Sammy, no!" Miranda yells, running after him and grabbing onto his arm.
"Sam. Sam, no!" Dean protests, grabbing his brother.
"Let me go! It's still in there!" Sam struggles against them.
"No! What, are you psycho?! You're gonna kill yourself!" Miranda shouts.
"No. It's burning to the ground. It's suicide!"
"I don't care!" Sam yells.
"I do!" Both Miranda and Dean yell.
Sam stops fighting against them, but Miranda still keeps her stance, just in case he tries to go for it again.
The flames start to rise and the demon disappears.
+++
They're at the motel and Dean is trying to call John. Sam is sitting on the end of one of the beds, Miranda sitting a bit behind him.
"Come on, dad, answer your phone, damn it." Dean grumbles. He hangs up. "Something's wrong. You hear me? Something's wrong."
"If you had just let me go in there, I could've ended all this." Sam says.
"No, Sam." Miranda argues.
"Sam, the only thing you would have ended was your life." Dean says.
"You don't know that." Sam argues.
"I'm sorry. Are you suddenly fireproof or some shit? Yes, you would've fucking died." Miranda states. "The demon would've flashed out of the place and you'd be burnt to a fucking crisp. You're an idiot if you think otherwise."
"So, what, you're just willing to sacrifice yourself, is that it?" Dean asks.
"Yeah. Yeah, you're damn right I am." Sam states, standing up.
"Wow." Miranda mumbles.
"Well, that's not going to happen, not as long as I'm around." Dean states.
"What the hell are you talking about, Dean? We've been searching for this demon our whole lives. It's the only thing we've ever cared about." Sam says.
"Sam, I wanna waste it. I do. Okay? But it's not worth dying over." Dean says.
"What?" Sam asks.
"I mean it. If hunting this demon means you getting yourself killed, then I hope we never find the damn thing." Dean says.
"That thing killed Bella. That thing killed mom."
"You said yourself once, that no matter what we do, they're gone, and they're never coming back." Dean says.
Sam grabs Dean and shoves him against the wall, gripping onto the collar of his older brother's shirt. Miranda flinches a little.
"Don't you say that, not you! Not after all this, don't you say that." Sam says.
"Sam, look. The three of us... that's all we have... and it's all I have. Sometimes I feel like I'm barely holding it together, man. And without you or dad..."
"Dad." Sam lets go of Dean, turning away. "He should have called by now. Try him again." Sam glances at Miranda who is playing with a thread on the duvet.
Dean tries to call John again.
"You boys really screwed up this time." Meg says.
"Where is he?" Dean angrily questions.
"You're never going to see your father again."