Sam and Miranda are sitting at the map table and Sam is on his laptop.
"Any word from Cas?" Sam asks when Dean walks in.
"Nothing yet." Dean says.
"And we're not worried about him? That he just took off like that again? I mean, it's not like he does this kind of stuff alone." Sam says.
"It's the way he wanted it, honestly." Dean says, sitting down. "Hey, look, man, he's been all over the map since he got his wings clipped. What do you got?" He rolls his chair over to Sam. "Obituaries. That one of the bikers?"
"Yeah. His name was Red Dawg." Sam says.
"Of course it was." Dean says.
"It's not what you think. Look, he's a family guy. Big in the PTA, he played Santa at Christmas parties." Sam says.
"So, what? Just one day, he up and joined a biker gang?" Dean asks.
"No, he did that years ago. Get this. This is weird. Look." Sam pulls up newspaper clipping and photos. "These are all the victims, right? They were all baptized together."
"Baptized?"
"Yeah. They were a born again biker gang."
"Well, that is not something you hear every day."
"No, it not."
"Wait, make that bigger." Dean says and Sam zooms in on the photo. ""Boyle's Boys"? Boyle, as in Reverend Buddy Boyle?"
Sam types quickly for a bit.
"Listen to this." Sam says. "Red Dawg's widow said he was always religious, but a week before he died, he came home from a prayer meeting and was a changed man filled with divine glory."
"So, Boyle's at it again. Selling folks on being meat suits for angels." Dean says.
"Just what-- talking to smaller groups now?" Sam asks.
"I don't know. Maybe, uh, softening up thousands at a time, he wasn't able to control what angels got let in. This way, Bartholomew's followers can jump in just as soon as Boyle does his thing."
"So, Red Dawg and his guys were Bartholomew people?"
"Yeah, and they got slaughtered. Which means that this new group is even worse. Haven't I always said that angels are dicks?"
+++
Kevin, Dean, and Miranda are in the library and researching.
"Dean, there may be nothing in here. Crowley said the spell that cast down the angels was irreversible." Kevin says.
"Yeah, well, screw Crowley. Why would you think that anything he says is true?" Dean asks.
"This part is nearly indecipherable. Almost like, when Metatron wrote it down, he wanted to keep the words hidden, even from prophets." Kevin says.
"Hey." Sam walks in.
"Hey. Check this out. Another angel attack." Dean says.
"What? Where?" Sam asks.
"Utah. A, uh, college, uh, Bible study group and their guest speaker. Some top shelf church lady. Insides scorched, kids' eyes were missing, but, not the church lady's." Dean explains.
"So, she was an angel, too?" Sam asks.
"Sounds like. Uh, and she sang soprano for the, uh, Melody Ministry Glee Club."
"Okay?"
"The club goes to its gigs on a bus, so when I checked with the Wyoming cops, they said that a witness saw the same bus leaving the biker bar not long before the bodies were found."
"So, church lady angel was at both killings?"
"I'm guessing that she and whoever she's running with killed Bartholomew's bikers at the bar and then Bart's boys hit her back."
"When she was recruiting those students to be vessels. Wow. It's a bunch of kids." Sam says.
"Kevin. Clock's ticking." Dean says.
+++
Kevin is asleep at the table with his head on the table. Miranda is researching, looking up when Dean rushes in and goes to Kevin.
"I need a spell. ASAP." Dean states, waking Kevin up.
"Everyone always needs a spell, and it's always ASAP." Kevin says tiredly.
"All right, listen to me. An angel can't be expelled by another human. Okay, only by the host, right? But, what if there was a way to power down the angel, so that it wasn't in charge for a few seconds?" Dean asks.
"What?" Kevin asks.
"For instance, if-- if hypothetically, I wanted to speak with the vessel but not have the squatter listen in." Dean says.
"Why?" Kevin asks.
"Why? Kevin, we've got tons of possessed humans out there. You with me? And when the angels kill each other off, the humans are taking it in the teeth. So what if we wanted to clue the human in so that he, or she, could spit the angel out? That would be a good thing, right?"
"Uh... yeah?"
"Okay. So, hit the tablet. Let's go!"
"Now?"
"Yesterday, Cinderella!" Dean storms out.
"I, uh... I'll be right back." Miranda tells Kevin before rushing after Dean. "Hey." She catches up with him. "Dude, what the fuck was that all about?"
"I told you." Dean says.
"Okay, but you've never exactly had that concern before. What the hell put the thought in your head?" Miranda asks.
"Nothing. It just-- it's nothing." Dean marches off.
+++
Miranda and Kevin are in the library and Miranda is looking for a book Carly could read since she finished the Harry Potter books.
"Hey, Sam." Kevin greets when the man walks in. "Hey, do you notice anything a little bit off about Dean lately? Between us, I'm a little bit worried about him."
"Don't worry about Dean. Dean will be fine." Sam says.
Miranda looks over just as Sam raises his hand, resting it on Kevin's forehead. Her eyes widen when bright light shines out of Kevin's eyes and mouth and he screams. The books fall out of her hands, the woman feeling her breath hitch.
"No!" Dean shouts, rushing forward. "No! No! No! Kevin?!"
Kevin's body drops to the floor. Sam throws his hand out to Dean and pins him against a pillar.
"Sam?" Dean calls.
"There is no more Sam." The angel says. Dean continue to gasp in pain. "But, I played him convincingly, I thought."
Miranda ignores how her eyes well up in tears, feeling fear build up, not entirely sure what's happening.
"How did you..." Dean says.
"I heard you talk with Kevin Tran tonight." The angel says. "Alter a sigil... even the slightest... alter the spell." He says while packing a bag, including the angel tablet. He holds his hand up to show dust. "Sorry about Kevin, but ultimately... it's for the best. I did what I had to."
He puts a yellow card on Kevin's chest. He looks at Dean before walking out. As he walks to the stairs, Dean's released to the invisible hold and falls to the floor. They hear the door to the bunker shut.
"Kevin? Kevin?" Dean calls.
~ ~ ~
After checking on the kids and making sure they'll stay out of the library, Miranda goes back to it.
"Okay, that's it." Miranda shoves Dean making him turn to her. "You are going to tell me what the fuck is going on and you're gonna tell me now!"
"I got enough shit to deal with." Dean says.
Miranda grabs him and slams him against the wall.
"Dean, I just watched my husband smite Kevin. So what the fuck is going on?!" Miranda shouts.
"I need to build a pyre for Kevin." Dean says.
Dean's head snaps to the side after Miranda backhands him.
"I deserve whatever shit explanation you're about to give me. So fucking tell me before I actually do kill you this time." Miranda sneers.
"All right, fine!" Dean snaps. "Look, after the third trial, Sam was about to die, okay? So I... I made a deal."
"Made a deal?" Miranda questions.
"I let an angel in him and the angel promised to heal Sam and once Sam was good, he'd leave." Dean explains.
"Sam would never let an angel in him. He wouldn't agree to that -- ever." Miranda states.
"Yeah, well... that's why he didn't know." Dean says. His statement processes in Miranda's mind for a few moments before she feels her blood boil, the woman close to exploding.
"You-- hang on, I-- I'm just having trouble understanding your idiotic brain." Miranda lets out a humorless laugh. "So you-- you tricked him? Into making him accept an angel?"
"Yes." Dean nods.
Miranda doesn't bother to try to stop herself, allowing her fist to collide with Dean's face. She punches him again, kneeing him in the stomach. Miranda continues to hit him, soon swinging hard enough to knock him to the ground.
"You are a fucking psychopath, Dean." Miranda says. "Do you realize how wrong that is? I mean, you-- you just completely disrespected his bodily autonomy and you feel absolutely zero remorse."
"Look, that's not it." Dean says, getting up. "The angel in him lied to me."
"Wow. An angel lying? Who would've seen that coming?" Miranda scoffs.
"The one inside him is bad. Like, really bad." Dean says.
"Yeah, no fucking shit, Dean! We got Kevin's dead body as exhibit A!" Miranda yells. "This is all on you! I hope you know that!"
+++
"Sammy was dying. What was I supposed to do?" Dean asks after explaining everything.
"Let him die." Miranda says.
"Oh, okay. So if you were in my position, you're just gonna let your husband die?" Dean questions.
"Well, I'm sure as hell not gonna trick him into letting an angel possess him." Miranda glares at him.
"You let an angel possess him?" Cas asks.
"He said it was the only way, and I believed him. Now Sam's gone. Kevin's..." Dean trails off.
"I'm sorry." Cas says.
"Yeah, well... sorry don't pay the bills, does it? It sure as hell ain't gonna bring Kevin back. We got to find that son of a bitch." Dean says.
"Dean. If the angel possessing Sam isn't Ezekiel, then who is it?" Cas asks.
"A dead man walking."
"What, you're gonna destroy him?"
"Damn right."
"You kill an angel, its vessel dies, too."
"Think I don't know that? If I don't end Sam and that halo burns him out and I... God, I was so damn stupid."
"You were stupid for the right reasons." Cas says.
"No. No, he really fucking wasn't." Miranda argues.
"Listen to me. Sam is strong. If he knew an angel was possessing him, he could fight. He could cast the angel out." Cas says.
"Maybe. But as far as I know, he's in the dark. I don't know how we clue him in." Dean says.
"Do you remember Alfie?" Cas asks.
"The kid angel? Yeah. Why?" Dean asks.
"Before he died, he told me the demons were able to dig into his mind, access his coding. We might be able to do that here. Might be able to-- to bypass the angel and talk directly to Sam."
"And you think that would work?"
"I don't know, but I think we should try."
"Okay. Um, where do we start?"
~ ~ ~
"Hello, boys, Moose's love."
"Here's the deal. You're gonna tell us how to hack an angel, and I'm gonna give you some of the good stuff." Dean holds up a syringe of blood. "Human blood, fresh from the tap." He pats his arm. "Word is you're jonesing for it."
"Please. I'll pass." Crowley scoffs.
"What do you want, then?" Cas asks.
"Well, for starters... a massage. Between the sitting and the shackles, a body gets a little stiff." Crowley says.
"Yeah, I ain't rubbing you." Dean says.
"God, no. Get Kevin. His tiny fists can really work wonder--"
"Kevin is dead." Cas states.
"Oh. I'm sorry to hear that."
"Don't pretend you care. You tried to kill him."
"I told him this was gonna happen. I was the only person who tried to warn him. I told him to run."
"From what?" Dean asks.
"You." Crowley says. "How many times am I gonna have to say this? People in your general vicinity don't have much in the way of a lifespan. Now, I can't teach you how to crack open an angel. It's more... art than science. But I can do it for you. All I ask in return is a little field trip. Dying for some fresh air. Chains on, naturally."
"No." Dean denies.
"No? Of course not. Because if I'm plan A, I'm sure you have a totally viable, much better plan B." Crowley remarks. The three walk away a little.
"You can't be considering this." Cas says.
"With the chains on, he can't do anything." Dean reasons.
"It's Crowley. He can always do something." Cas says.
"He's chained up and if it gets us to Sam, personally, I don't totally give a shit." Miranda says.
"Maybe get a fourth opinion. Go get Moose, Squirrel." Crowley says. "Unless... unless, of course, you can't. That's why you're here, isn't it? The poor giant baby's in trouble again, isn't he?"
"Thank his brother." Miranda glares at Dean.
"Are you done?" Dean asks.
"Depends. Do we have a deal?" Crowley asks.
"Yeah." Dean nods.
"Excellent. When do we leave?" Crowley asks.
"Soon as I can scrounge up a ride." Dean says.
"Well, I have a vehicle. It stopped a few miles from here, inexplicably." Cas says.
"It gonna fit seven?" Miranda asks. Cas looks confused. "My children. I'm not leaving a 7 year old in charge of two toddlers nor am I hanging back and leaving all of this up to you three idiots."
+++
They walk up to Cas' car, Dean carrying a gas can.
"Really? What are you, a pimp?" Crowley asks the angel.
"I like it." Cas defends. Dean tries and fails to start it.
"Yeah, it's out of gas." Dean says.
"Riddle me this, boy wonder. Why do you need the wheels?" Crowley asks.
"When you betray us, I'll be the one to carve out your heart." Cas threatens.
"Oh, Cas, such a flirt." Crowley says.
"All right. Let's go." Dean says after filling up the tank.
"Shotgun." Crowley calls.
"Uh, wrong. You're in the back." Dean says. Cas smirks at Crowley, going to the passenger door. "Hey. You too. Keep an eye on him." Crowley smirks at Cas before getting in the backseat.
"Watch the leg." Crowley complains.
"You're on my side." Cas says.
"Hey! Hey! Hey!" Dean shouts, stopping them.
+++
They're sitting in the lobby of an office building and the three guys are squished on one couch. Miranda and the kids are on a different couch.
"Your source is in here?" Dean asks.
"And she can track anything you need, even our little Samantha." Crowley says.
"How?" Cas asks.
"Well, this place isn't really... this. It's a front for an N.S.A. listening post." Crowley says.
"What are they listening for?" Cas asks.
"Everything. The U.S. government is quite the voyeur these days. So I planted one of my best and let her go to work." Crowley says.
"Looking for terrorists?" Cas asks.
"Looking for marks, slow boat." Crowley says.
"Mr. Crowley? She'll see you now." A guard says. They all stand up. "Uh, just Mr. Crowley."
"I'll be listening to every word you say." Cas warns.
"Promise?" Crowley asks, following the guards off.
"Hear anything?" Dean asks.
"No. The room Crowley's in has been warded." Cas says.
"Awesome. That's fucking awesome." Dean says.
Crowley gives Dean a paper with pictures of the Impala going through an intersection.
"Your phallus on wheels just ran a red light in Somerset, Pennsylvania, 10 minutes ago." Crowley says.
"Let's go." Dean says.
"The four amigos ride again." Crowley comments.
"He's not my amigo." Cas argues.
+++
They got Gadreel and are now in an abandoned warehouse. Gadreel is restrained to a chair with warded handcuffs and a chin and head restraint. The kids are in the next room, Miranda making all them wear soundproof headphones while they occupy themselves with whatever Miranda quickly packed for them.
Gadreel begins to wake up.
"Welcome to the party, pal. Cas, how we looking?" Dean asks.
"Most of Sam's internal burns have healed. I should be able to fix the rest." Cas says. "What's your name? I thought I knew every single angel in Heaven, but I've never seen you."
"Why would I tell you anything?"
"Well, I don't give a damn who you are. You need to get out -- now!" Dean demands.
"And if I don't?" Gadreel asks.
"Then you and I will have a lovely little playdate." Crowley says.
"Even bound, I can rip this body apart. Tell them, Castiel."
"You do, you die." Dean says.
"You want this to end? Go ahead. Put a blade through your brother's heart." Gadreel says. "If it makes you feel better, I have Sam locked away in a dream. As far as he knows, the two of you are working a case right now. Something with ghouls and cheerleaders."
"Why are you doing this, huh? We fought together. And I trusted you. I thought you were one of the good guys!"
"I am doing what I have to do."
"Well, so am I." Dean nods to Crowley who gest up and picks up a large thick needle, walking to Gadreel.
"So am I." Crowley says. He sticks the needle into Gadreel's temple and moves it around. Gadreel screams in pain making Miranda wince and look away from her husband.
~ ~ ~
There's much more needles in Gadreel -- well, Sam's head -- by now. Miranda is in the other room with the kids, unable to watch Sam go through that kind of torture. She refuses to let her kids take the headphones off, doing her best to tune out Sam's screams.
She looks up at footsteps and watches Dean walk in. She rolls her eyes, turning back to her children.
"Hey." Cas greets.
"I can't watch that anymore." Dean says.
"I understand. It's not Sam, but... it's still Sam." Cas says.
"Pretty much, yeah. How are you doing?" Dean asks.
"You want to talk about me now?" Cas asks.
"I want to talk about anything that's not a demon sticking needles into my brother's brain." Dean says, turning to him. "Yeah, humor me, man. How you doing?"
"Uh... I'm okay." Cas says.
"Good. Good. That's, uh... so, what, you just change the batteries out, power back up? It's that easy?" Dean asks.
"It wasn't easy, but I didn't have a choice."
"Yeah. Well, that's usually how it goes. Cas... I'm sorry."
"About what?"
"Kicking you out of the bunker. That's, uh... you know, not telling you about Sam."
"You thought his life was at stake."
"Yeah, I got played."
"I thought I was saving Heaven. I got played, too."
"So you're saying we're both a couple of dumbasses?"
"I prefer the word "trusting." Less dumb. Less ass." Cas says.
"No, trust me, dumbass is correct. In fact, I'm sure there's a much worst word to describe you two morons." Miranda argues.
"Laverne! Shirley! Get in here!" Crowley calls out. The three rush back in. "Pinhead's out cold, but watch this." He moves two of the needles and Gadreel starts to say something in Enochian.
"What's he saying?" Dean asks.
"His name's Gadreel." Cas states.
"Does that mean something to you?" Dean asks.
"Well, it's why I've never seen him. He's been imprisoned since the dawn of time. Gadreel was the sentry who allowed Lucifer into the garden." Cas says.
"My, my. A celebrity." Crowley says.
"Wait, the garden? Like Eden? Adam and Eve? Fig leaves garden?" Dean asks.
"It's his fault -- all of it. The corruption of man, demons, Hell. God left because of him. The archangels-- the apocalypse. If he hadn't been so weak, none of it would have happened." He starts to shake Gadreel. "You ruined the universe, you damn son of a bitch!"
"Cas! Cas! Hey!" Dean pulls him back.
"Dean, he--"
"I get it. But you got to chill." Dean tells him. "What's taking so long?" He asks Crowley.
"Other than the fact that I'm trying to unravel a living, multidimensional knot of pure energy, not much." Crowley. Gadreel gasps in pain and opens his eyes.
"It won't work." Gadreel states. "You will never find your brother. Go ahead. Poke and prod. I can sit in this chair for years and watch you fail over and over again. I've endured much worse than this, Dean. So... much... worse. And I have all the time in the world."
"Shut up! All right. Plan B. Cas, you got to possess him." Dean says.
"What?" Cas asks.
"Do it now! Get in there, tell Sam what's going on, and help him kick that lying son of a bitch out!"
"It might work. But I can't possess a vessel without permission."
Crowley clears his throat and raises his hand.
"No. Not happening." Dean argues.
"Don't be daft. Demons can take what they want. I can burrow into that rat's nest of a head. I can wake Sam up. Just call me plan C." Crowley says.
"You can't--" Cas starts.
"You got a better idea?" Dean asks.
Miranda quietly sighs, her hands buried in her hair. She doesn't want Crowley to possess Sam, it only disrespecting his autonomy even more. But she also wants Gadreel out of him and they're not finding another way which just makes her hate herself for going along with this.
"What about the angel?" Dean asks Crowley.
"I'll work fast." Crowley says.
"And if he finds you?" Dean asks.
"I'll run. I'm not dying for you lot. Of course, if I do this, you're gonna have to..."
"Take off the leash. Yeah, I know."
"And it stays off. I save Sam, I leave here a free man. Do we have a deal?"
"Cas, burn off Sam's tattoo."
"Dean." Cas says.
"Do it." Dean orders. Cas doesn't move. "Do it."
Cas pulls down the collar of Sam's shirt and burns the anti-possession tattoo off.
"If you mess with Sam, if you try anything--" Dean starts.
"I keep my bargains. Besides, I don't want to be inside your brother any longer than I have to. I'm not one for sloppy seconds." Crowley says. Dean takes the chains off.
"When you find him, say Poughkeepsie. It's our go word. It means drop everything and run." Dean says.
"Fine. While I'm gone, hands off the suit." Crowley says.
"I will destroy you." Gadreel threatens.
"Eat me." Crowley retorts. Red smoke pours from Crowley's mouth and into Sam's.
"A demon and an angel walk into my brother. Sounds like a bad joke." Dean comments.
"Dean, if this doesn't work..." Cas says.
"It'll work." Dean insists.
White smoke leaves Sam's mouth and out of the warehouse. Red smoke escapes him and goes back into Crowley. Sam gasps as he regains consciousness.
"Sam!" Dean calls.
"Sammy?" Miranda races over to him, a hand resting on the side of his neck. "Sammy? Hey."
"Cas?" Dean calls.
"I'm fine. Thanks for asking." Crowley quips.
"Sam, are you okay?" Cas asks while removing the needles.
"Cas?" Sam asks.
Headlights shine in the window and Cas goes to check who it is. Dean and Miranda work on getting Sam free.
"It's Abaddon." Cas states.
"Go. The back door. I'll handle this." Crowley says.
"Oh, cause you're such a good guy?" Dean asks while Miranda quickly goes and gets her kids.
"Right now, I'm the goodest guy you got." Crowley says.
"This don't make us square. I see you again--"
"I'm dead. Yes, I know. I love you, too."
Cas and Dean help Sam out while Miranda carries Serena and leads her older two out of the building.
+++
They're on a dock and it's raining and still nighttime. The kids are looking out at the water, Miranda telling them to try to find fish, even though Carly objected since it was dark. Despite her protest, Carly still tries to find fish in the dark with her siblings.
Cas heals all of the stab wounds on Sam's head.
"You feel better?" Cas asks.
"A little, yeah." Sam answers.
"It'll take time to fully heal you. We'll have to do it in stages." Cas says. Sam nods and Cas walks a little bit away as Dean walks over to Sam.
"All right. Let me hear it." Dean says.
"What do you want me to say? That I'm pissed? Okay. I am. I'm pissed." Sam says.
"I didn't have a choice." Dean says.
"I was ready to die, Dean!" Sam states.
"I know. But I wouldn't let you because that's not in me."
"So, what? You decide to trick me into being possessed by some... psycho angel?"
"He saved your life."
"So what? I was willing to die. And now... Kevin..."
"No. That is not on you. Kevin's blood is on my hands, and that ain't ever getting clean. I'll burn for that. I will. But I'll find Gadreel. And I will end that son of a bitch. But I'll do it alone."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"Come on, man. Can't you see? I'm... I'm poison, Sam. People get close to me, they get killed... or worse. You know, I tell myself that I-I-- I help more people than I hurt. And I tell myself that I'm-- I'm doing it all for the right reasons, and I-I believe that. But I can't-- I won't... drag anybody through the muck with me. Not anymore."
Miranda's eyes roll to the back of her head, trying not to have an outburst as Dean makes himself sound like the victim in the situation.
"Go. I'm not gonna stop you." Sam says. Dean starts to walk away. "But don't go thinking that's the problem cause it's not."
"What's that supposed to mean?" Dean asks.
"Just go." Sam says.
Dean gets in the Impala and drives off.
Miranda walks over to Sam and rests her hand on his side, waiting for consent. Sam wraps his arms around her, pulling her into a hug. Miranda rests one hand on his head, her other hand rubbing his back.
"I'm sorry, baby." She mumbles, though Sam knows she really has nothing to apologize for. Sam deeply sighs, relaxing a bit in her hold.